I almost always carry a lock blade with me, 2.5" blade. It has been useful too often to stop carrying it. And yeah, in the 1990s I flew multiple times carrying a leatherman which I had for work purposes. I have no issue with the TSA saying I can't do that any more or other LEOs not letting me take it into the courthouse. *shrug*

God the way some people over react to a misleading headline. Nor do most people carry a pocket knife for self defense. I carry one as a tool myself.

There will still be bladed Swiss army knives. Like any company they are diversifying and offering a product that's in demand.

In some countries or jurisdictions today a pocket knife is illegal. That's just a reality.

You also can't carry a pocket knife into certain places here in the US like a Courthouse.

I wonder if one without a blade would be okay to carry on a plane? As a stagehand, I used to fly a lot for work and while I could afford to lose my luggage, I needed my tools to do my job. Back then in the 80s, they actually let me take my entire tool kit as carry on! Those were the days. I could appreciate a situation today where someone would like to carry a Swiss army knife, or Leatherman, on a plane for work, if it was legal without a blade.

This comment was edited on May 11, 2024, 10:22.

I mean, they're the most avoidable, so yes, they get outsized coverage.

For anyone arguing that a knife is similar to a gun, let's say you're put on a street with someone that wants to kill you. One of you gets a gun. One of you gets a knife.

Which are you taking?

El Pit wrote on May 10, 2024, 13:50:
Precisely. You shoot animals to death. See? Weapons are weapons, not tools.

How would you classify a fishing pole, or a bow?

BTW:

tool:
1a: a handheld device that aids in accomplishing a task
2a: something (such as an instrument or apparatus) used in performing an operation or necessary in the practice of a vocation or profession

El Pit wrote on May 10, 2024, 13:50:

MeanJim wrote on May 10, 2024, 04:47:
Do you seriously think that every gun owner is a paranoid, and blood thirsty, who just can't wait to shoot someone?

Yes, I absolutely do. Why do you keep arms at home? Because you ARE AFRAID of other people and feel the need to "be able to defend yourself." What is this but fear?

All but one gun I own was left to me by my grandfather and father. I keep them at home because where else am I going to keep them?

El Pit wrote on May 10, 2024, 13:50:
The majority being pretty much almost 100% of gun owners. Again: What do you need a gun for? Not to butter your bread but "defend yourself" from other people who know that you got a gun so they arm yourself in this smalltown arms race because who knows what a neighbor might do and the then next neighbor sees that and thinks "Oh, wow, people are arming themselves, something must be brewing" and buys a gun and so on. The NRA is happy and is selling to ALL people - they need this fear to make a nice profit. They actually love idiots with guns who sometimes crack and start shooting other people because this makes people even more afraid and buy more guns. It is an escalation of fear and idiocy.

Who's the one being paranoid and afraid here? Your ranting on like everyone that owns a gun is out to get you, or only owns a gun so they can kill someone. A quick search tells me that over 40% of American households have at least one firearm in it, and about 70 million Americans own a gun. If everyone that owns a gun is just itching to go out and kill someone, then homicide would make up way more than 1% of all deaths in the US?

Death from homicide accounts for less than 1% of all causes of death in the US, but it makes up over 20% of media coverage. Here's a chart showing actual causes of death vs. what's searched for on Google vs. what's reported on in the media. Sources for chart: Death: Reality vs Reported.

El Pit wrote on May 10, 2024, 13:50:
Damn, I really, really never wanted to get involved with politics again on BN because I know I cannot change people's minds. Fear and anger are always stronger than reason and reflection. Yoda (yeah, you, George, you!) was so right about that. So sh1t will be going down within the next 2 decades, I am afraid. And then cockroaches will rule the planet.

A few thoughts on this:
1) One argument: People can use variously knives, clubs, etc. as weapons. So what's wrong with firearms?
Answer: Because people seek efficiencies and ease. The easier it is to do something, the more people do it. That's why the amount of people who travel between NYC and LA are predominantly flying. A lot fewer drive. And way fewer ride a bicycle or walk between NYC and LA. The U.S. homicide rate (with the highest percentage due to firearms) is about 5-8 times that of any other developed country. It isn't because Americans are 5-8 times more homicidal than people in Japan, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, the UK, Sweden, etc. It's because of easier and far greater access to more efficient lethal weapons. Also, if clubs or knives were so great a replacement for firerams, why do people bother to buy expensive firearms when a cheap club or knife is (supposedly) equivalent? Answer: because people who buy firearms know that firearms are way more efficient and easy than a club or knife.

2) One argument: An armed person is a deterrent to a bad person.
Answer: Police end up in altercations with perps (variously armed and even unarmed) every single day across the U.S., and police are visibly armed, and typically considered to be better trained and prepared for altercations with adversaries than an average person. This argument makes as much sense as someone who believes the death penalty is a deterrent.

3) One argument: More armed people equals lower violence.
Answer: Homicide rates and violent crime rates are very much among the highest in the nation for many states (particularly Southern states) with both high rates of gun ownership and extremely gun-friendly laws. Utah is a notable exception.

4) One argument: Gun control laws don't work - just look at Chicago.
Answer: Gun control laws don't work as well when the small area with those laws is surrounded by or adjacent to large geographic areas with very lax gun laws. Chicago is a quick drive to a variety of places in Indiana. But for that matter, the cities with the highest rates of homicide and violent crime again cluster in the South, with some in California and others in declining cities in the Rust Belt. Chicago doesn't reach the top 10 on a per capita basis.

Further Answer: Hawaii vs. Alaska. Hawaii has one of the lowest rates of gun ownership and stronger gun control laws. Alaska has one of the highest rates of gun ownership and lax gun control laws. Both are isolated. Hawaii has one of the lowest homicide and violent crime rates in the nation. Alaska has one of the very highest homicide rates and violent crime rates in the nation. Similarly, all the other developed countries have more strict gun control laws across their nation and don't have pockets of gun control surrounded by swathes of gun-friendly areas.

5) One argument: Look at Switzerland, Canada, and Israel which have high gun ownership! It's not so bad!
Answer: Canada's homicide rate ties roughly with Belarus and Lebanon while Israel's roughly ties with Azerbaijan and Algeria. Canada's rate is roughly double that of the next group of developed countries like Finland, the UK, Belgium, and France, while Israel's is about 50% higher. Swiitzerland's homicide rate is ameliorated by a small population with only a few small-to-mid-sized cities and numerous towns, high standard of living, low poverty, homogeneous population, and relatively isolated culture, as well as what is covered in the Further Answer.

Further Answer: Switzerland and Israel have mandatory conscription into the armed forces with accompanying training. Although there is a practice of retaining one's military rifle at home for training or defense, in many cases ammunition for those weapons in locked in a central repository of the local canton. All 3 countries have strict gun regulation, requiring various permits, training, limits for types or number of weapons, and registration of firearms.

6) An armed populace fends off the chance of a government doing things the populace don't want. Also, if Jewish people had been armed, Germany might not have had the Holocaust.
Answer: The South was well-armed during the Civil War and quite well-organized. The Federal government had no reluctance to fight and ultimately subdue the South. Similarly, Germany had no reluctance from attacking entire nations that were well-armed and equipped (France and the Soviet Union) as well as numerous other nations with smaller armed and organized forces. And the entire Jewish population of Germany in the 1930s was a fraction of a percent of the country's entire population. Countries have also engaged armed rebel groups within their own borders or have participated in actions against armed rebel groups in other countries forever. It doesn't deter anything.

7) Armed citizens can fend off an out-of-control government.
Answer: Same as #6 above. But also worth noting that untrained and unorganized irregulars can be a nuisance to a trained army but are not a decisive force unless the trained army becomes very small and disorganized and ill-equipped relative to the irregulars swelling into an outsized larger and better-organized force. George Washington wrote scathingly of his distaste for militia forces, noting their severe lack of training, discipline, and engagement relative to his trained army regulars. Also noting that militia being more of a volunteer role people in militias tend to remember they have families and jobs and tend to treat fighting as a very temporary thing. In the modern U.S. this is even more the case. There are certainly small groups of militia members who are more loners or have much less to lose, the overwhelming majority of firearms owners are not going to be interested in leaving their homes and families and joining loose groups of irregulars to take on the modern U.S. military.

jdreyer wrote on May 10, 2024, 14:13:
It is ironic that the nation with by far the most powerful military on the planet and the lowest chance of any nation of being invaded has such a rabid gun culture.

Shooting clubs are extremely popular. Most people use firearms for sport shooting or hunting. Owning a firearm for self defense or carrying open / concealed is not common and needs a separate license and reasonable motive (either by profession or if you are under dire threat). The whole "Stand your ground" and SHTF Prepper dudes in the US are absolutely not comparable to Swiss gun culture.

It is ironic that the nation with by far the most powerful military on the planet and the lowest chance of any nation of being invaded has such a rabid gun culture.

MeanJim wrote on May 10, 2024, 04:47:
With a gun I can hunt and put food on my table, and I'll need knife too so I can carve up my catch. I do own guns, but I don't actually hunt. I don't need to because I have friends and family that do that share with me.

Precisely. You shoot animals to death. See? Weapons are weapons, not tools.

MeanJim wrote on May 10, 2024, 04:47:
Switzerland wants a word with you.

So? I don't get it. By far, most countries do NOT want their population armed to the teeth. Conspiracy theorists would say "Yes, the evil governments are afraid of their people". Rational people would say "Of course, because with guns people are MUCH more likely to hurt/kill other people and are even able to hurt a lot of people - not easily done with other weapons."

MeanJim wrote on May 10, 2024, 04:47:
Do you seriously think that every gun owner is a paranoid, and blood thirsty, who just can't wait to shoot someone?

Yes, I absolutely do. Why do you keep arms at home? Because you ARE AFRAID of other people and feel the need to "be able to defend yourself." What is this but fear?

MeanJim wrote on May 10, 2024, 04:47:
On that I agree, but it's not the majority of gun owners that are afraid and fear mongers. The NRA used to be an organization that promoted gun safety and education, but now they're just another corporate political organization. It's the age of 24/7 news that keeps people afraid. Keeping people scared keeps people watching.

The majority being pretty much almost 100% of gun owners. Again: What do you need a gun for? Not to butter your bread but "defend yourself" from other people who know that you got a gun so they arm yourself in this smalltown arms race because who knows what a neighbor might do and the then next neighbor sees that and thinks "Oh, wow, people are arming themselves, something must be brewing" and buys a gun and so on. The NRA is happy and is selling to ALL people - they need this fear to make a nice profit. They actually love idiots with guns who sometimes crack and start shooting other people because this makes people even more afraid and buy more guns. It is an escalation of fear and idiocy.

Damn, I really, really never wanted to get involved with politics again on BN because I know I cannot change people's minds. Fear and anger are always stronger than reason and reflection. Yoda (yeah, you, George, you!) was so right about that. So sh1t will be going down within the next 2 decades, I am afraid. And then cockroaches will rule the planet.

El Pit wrote on May 9, 2024, 12:45:
A Gollum movie? Base it on the amazing game, I say!

The involvement of Peter, Fran, and Philippa gives me hope, though. And YES, I did like the first Hobbit movie of the trilogy. And actually, in comparison to what studios sh1t on the big screen nowadays for hilariously excessive budgets (I am looking at you (but not only at you), Disney!), the whole Hobbit trilogy almost looks decent.

Having former Gollum actor Andy Serkis direct it is also a good idea IMO.

Maybe they can use the plot of the Gollum game from a couple years ago. It was great.

El Pit wrote on May 10, 2024, 00:24:
Ah, again the totally stupid comparison of knives to guns.

With a knife - what can you do? E.g. you can butter a slice bread, peel an apple, and so on.
With a gun - you can do ONE SINGLE THING: hurt or kill life. There is no other use.

Therefore, this is a totally stupid comparison of a tool to a weapon.

With a gun I can hunt and put food on my table, and I'll need knife too so I can carve up my catch. I do own guns, but I don't actually hunt. I don't need to because I have friends and family that do that share with me.

El Pit wrote on May 10, 2024, 00:24:
Also, why arm a country? Because of FEAR. People who need arms are making public that they are tiny and afraid of their neighbors and do not trust the very country they declare to be so proud of. The solution to this fear is not guns, it is therapy. Years and years of therapy.

Switzerland wants a word with you.

El Pit wrote on May 10, 2024, 00:24:
Someone whose car breaks down and comes to your door to ask for help and might be e.g. an African-American might not be a bloodthirsty trespasser killer but just someone who wanted to ask for help before you shoot him in the face because of your fear.

Do you seriously think that every gun owner is a paranoid, and blood thirsty, who just can't wait to shoot someone?

El Pit wrote on May 10, 2024, 00:24:
The US got a huge problem with fear. And the NRA wants you to stay afraid. Do not be afraid.

On that I agree, but it's not the majority of gun owners that are afraid and fear mongers. The NRA used to be an organization that promoted gun safety and education, but now they're just another corporate political organization. It's the age of 24/7 news that keeps people afraid. Keeping people scared keeps people watching.

opie wrote on May 9, 2024, 18:16:
guns are the problem!...
(England bans guns)

shit... KNIVES ARE THE PROBLEM!!!
"Swiss Army Knife maker will offer bladeless products amid a rise in violence. "

umm.... Lodge cast iron pans are the problem????

(407,584 items banned later)
umm.. all we have are people left... maybe people are the problem?

Ah, again the totally stupid comparison of knives to guns.

With a knife - what can you do? E.g. you can butter a slice bread, peel an apple, and so on.
With a gun - you can do ONE SINGLE THING: hurt or kill life. There is no other use. (Late edit: Hunting is exactly that, too. You do not pet the animals lovingly to death. You shoot metal into their bodies. No, I am not a vegetarian.)

Therefore, this is a totally stupid comparison of a tool to a weapon.

Also, why arm a country? Because of FEAR. People who need arms are making public that they are tiny and afraid of their neighbors and do not trust the very country they declare to be so proud of. The solution to this fear is not guns, it is therapy. Years and years of therapy. King Charles will not invade your country - you do not need guns. Someone whose car breaks down and comes to your door to ask for help and might be e.g. an African-American might not be a bloodthirsty trespasser killer but just someone who wanted to ask for help before you shoot him in the face because of your fear.

The US got a huge problem with fear. And the NRA wants you to stay afraid. Do not be afraid. Or other countries will in the end use your fear and social media/fake news to make you shoot each other and destroy your country.

This comment was edited on May 10, 2024, 13:39.

I'm going to one up you Blue! TWISTERSHARKNADO huh huh? Because you can never have too much of a good thing... OK none of the Sharknado movies were a good thing but still.

fakespyder wrote on May 9, 2024, 18:28:
What a pathetic argument.
Come at me with a gun and I'm screwed. Come at me with a knife and I'll stand a chance.
Also, it's not knives. It's anything sharp or made sharp. You can't practically deal with that.
You can practically deal with firearms.
But your precious founding fathers wanted you to have the ability to unload 30 rounds into kids in less than a minute.
ffs

You are aware that on October 1, 2017 Stephen Paddock used frying pans, drunk drivers and machetes tossed from his Las Vegas 32nd-floor room in the Mandalay Bay hotel to kill 60 concert goers and wound 413 (the ensuing panic of having all those sharpened blades, vehicles and frying pans rain down on the open-air concert brought the total number of wounded to 867)

Repeal the 2nd Amendment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Las_Vegas_shooting

Xero wrote on May 9, 2024, 13:04:
Oh and concerning the Twister sequel, while I have just about zero interest in the sequel, I highly enjoyed the original. I have good memories watching it growing up and although there are plenty of turn your brain off moments, it's a lot of fun for a "weather" movie. Plus you can't deny it had a real good soundtrack and the visuals were top notch for its time.

One of the first movies I ever watch on my new surround-sound setup. It really added to the experience.

What a pathetic argument.
Come at me with a gun and I'm screwed. Come at me with a knife and I'll stand a chance.
Also, it's not knives. It's anything sharp or made sharp. You can't practically deal with that.
You can practically deal with firearms.
But your precious founding fathers wanted you to have the ability to unload 30 rounds into kids in less than a minute.
ffs

guns are the problem!...
(England bans guns)

shit... KNIVES ARE THE PROBLEM!!!
"Swiss Army Knife maker will offer bladeless products amid a rise in violence. "

umm.... Lodge cast iron pans are the problem????

(407,584 items banned later)
umm.. all we have are people left... maybe people are the problem?

Ugh, more movies, and one involving Gollum? Overkill. Just, for fuck's sake, somebody buy up the rights to the Battle for Middle Earth RTS games, and put them on GoG, that's all I want!

They should Sam Cooke's Twistin' the Night Away as the theme song for that movie.

The people at Victorinox do get that a weapon is defined by intent don't they? Anything and everything is a weapon if you use it as such. That's also very much the legal definition of it. Odds are if you actually use and/or require something like a Swiss Army Knife, Leatherman, etc. that a knife is a very important part of that tool. And if someone is intent on killing someone else then the Swiss Army Knife isn't really likely to be their first choice as a weapon anyway. Sure, it may be harder to kill someone with a butter knife or pen but it can and has been done. Riddick killed someone with a tea cup.

The only thing creepier than those Ms. Whatever pageants are the ones with little girls. No surprise why The Donald was always into these things.

Armengar wrote on May 9, 2024, 13:52:

Braden wrote on May 9, 2024, 12:58:
Will be curious to see what they do with this Gollum movie since the hunt for him involved Aragorn and Gandalf. I somehow doubt that Mortensen and McKellen would return, so would they have to re-cast both roles?

90% cgi 5% animation 4% stock footage, 1% actor

I think AI has enough material to pull from all the previous movies combined to put together an entire new trilogy, lol.

Braden wrote on May 9, 2024, 12:58:
Will be curious to see what they do with this Gollum movie since the hunt for him involved Aragorn and Gandalf. I somehow doubt that Mortensen and McKellen would return, so would they have to re-cast both roles?

90% cgi 5% animation 4% stock footage, 1% actor