Knives for life!
I have always carried a knife with me in public. It doesn't matter if it's dinner at Ruby Tuesday's, a wedding, or going to the bar with my girl (Well... maybe I wouldn't carry my gun to a wedding). I carry my Springfield XD .45 ACP with 13 round capacity magazines and my Carson designed CRKT M21-14SFG and find them to be a perfect combination. For those of you who don't know, the M21 is a folding, double locking, fast opening, good size, combat knife with
SERIOUS serrations made by Columbia River Knife & Tool. As knives go, it's the best $60.00 you'll ever spend.
Like many people who have posted here, I do regularly clean my nails, open boxes, envelopes, etc. with my knife. Having a knife on my person is definitely convenient as it is a useful tool, however; consider this:
A knife is your last line of defense. It doesn't require ammunition or training and it will never jam. In the scenario that may not ever happen but could, where you're saying to yourself
"Damn it! I should've brought my other mag!" while the bad guys are gaining the tactical advantage over you, you will be
VERY glad that you have something as concealable, as deadly and as psychologically intimidating, as a knife with you. This train of thought pertains more to you fellow law enforcement types out there as you are more often in harm's way than the average joe. For the lay person, this applies because you are more likely to be assaulted or robbed by someone with a knife than a cop. If right now you're debating whether or not there's any validity to my opinion, just remember what your parents, grandparents or maybe a teacher, taught you growing up:
"It's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."
Also remember that if you don't think you need a knife to defend yourself with (because you're a bad ass... Aren't we all??
), that the life you save could be someone
else you care about. For the guy in the earlier post who says if he's wearing pants, he's carrying a knife,
BRAVO!! Again, a knife is your last line of defense.