Girls Can Have a Pocket Knife Too!

Whenever someone needs a knife and I hand them mine, I get looks of shock and awe.  It's not like I own a Rambo knife, or some type of machete.  It's just a pocket knife. But the fact that it comes from a girl just trips the menfolk up. They don't expect it. Frankly, I don't understand why it's such a big deal.

A good pocket knife is an invaluable tool. Every gal should own one.  And I definitely have a personal preference for the type of knife I carry.

95% of the time, I use my knife to cut the strings on hay bales. Lots and lots of hay bales. There have been times that I've  cut hundreds of hay bales  in a day.  Sometimes I cut open giant round bales with layers of twine wrapped around the bale like a yo-yo.  I also use my knife to cut open feed sacks. Although the bulk of it's usefulness comes at feeding time, there are plenty of other times it's helped me out of a bind as well.

Many folks have a favorite brand of knife, and there are many good ones out there to choose from.  Over the years, I've become really partial to high quality stainless steel Spyderco knives with a serrated edge.  They cut through twine with one quick stab. They are my absolute favorite.  Some folks prefer a straight edged knife, but unless you sharpen them on a regular basis, (I don't) they get dull and it feels like I'm trying to saw through twine with a butter knife from the kitchen.  I've gone a long time without sharpening my Spyderco, and it still works like a champ. The other thing I appreciate about my knife is that it has a circle that is punched out at the top.  It makes opening the blade with one hand a real cinch...even with work gloves on.

 I'd gone through about 3 mediocre knives while working on a dairy in college, and then my dad got me my first Spyderco. It made my life much easier.  I could fill the feed mixer in a fraction of the time because cutting bales was much easier.  It was the first time I realized the value of buying a high quality knife.

 Feeding cattle through the winter can be a demanding job, too. After loading the feed truck full of bales, I'd drive into the pasture, put the truck in granny gear, and hop on the back. As the truck crawled along, I'd quickly cut the bales and throw them off to the cows following the flatbed. Timing is everything in a delicate operation like that. A dull knife is not a good option when speed is crucial.  And there's nothing sweeter than seeing the fruits of my labor: a straight line of cattle happily eating hay in the snow.

Sadly, after a few years, I lost my favorite knife. I was devastated. But that Christmas my brother bought me my second Spyderco knife, and I still use it to this day.

Of course...unless I'm feeding, I opt not to wear my knife like a boy. I hate bulky things in my pants pockets.  In the winter, I carry it in my vest or coat pocket, and in the summer, it rides along in my purse. I certainly wouldn't want to wear it on my bling belt. That would be a fashion disaster!

When my oldest daughter turned eight, we gave her a small, multi-purpose pocket knife as a gift.  My son threw an absolute fit about the whole thing.  He couldn't believe we were going to give a "girl" a pocket knife.  For some reason, he felt like knives were for "boys" only. He didn't think a girl could handle a knife. When my daughter opened it, the first words out of her brother's mouth were,"You're probably going to cut your finger off with that thing." Her dad gave her a few lessons in knife safety, and proper knife etiquette, and I'm happy to report that she's been a very responsible knife owner...much to the disdain of her brother.

Do you carry a pocket knife? If so, what kind of knife do you prefer?

P.S.-This isn't a paid advertisement.  Spyderco has no idea who I am. I just love their knives.