Real men carry knives

Probably one of the earliest tools of all man beside the big stick was something sharp used to aid in cutting game, make other sharp sticks, as well and other odd jobs was the knife. It provided our ancestors the essential tool they needed to get multiple jobs done with one handy tool. I remember seeing an early version of one when one summer day, My dad took me and my brother to the local rock yard to shovel rocks in the back of his pickup to spread around the new landscaping my dad had built. Somehow, I always got tasked with heavy work. 

Interesting enough, while out shoveling rocks, we stumbled upon an early native american knife. Well, actually it looked more like a scraper used in the tanning process. Regardless, as a kid with that in my hands, I had found what was a true treasure. A tool used by early natives and probably several hundred years since it was last touched by a human hand in my area.

So Mr. Big Neanderthal, what would a civilized man need a knife for in this day and age? Well, let's just run down the list. I found a great listing from artofmanliness.com If you haven't had a chance to visit that site, you are truly missing out. Tons of good information. It truly is "Man Stuff" for a non manly age.

Art of manliness lists the following:

1. Opening a box.
   
   
2. Cutting rope, tags, and string.
   
   
3. Cutting an apple. I love eating an apple that I've cut with my pocket knife, slice by slice. You feel like a bad ass doing it. You hold the apple in your non-dominant hand and then make a slice with the knife using your dominant hand. After you make the slice, pinch it between your thumb and knife blade. Bring the blade to your mouth and deposit the apple slice. (I have to agree... from one bad ass to another... This is a must for manly men  )
   
   
4. Opening a letter. Sure, you could use your finger, but using a knife is just more manly.
   
   
5. Weapon. Not the most effective, but it's better than nothing.
   
   
6. Camping. How else will you sharpen the point of a stick in preparation for stabbing your prey? And by prey I mean hot dog.
   
   
7. You never know when you're going to have to MacGyver your way out of a crisis. Be prepared.
   
   
8. You need something to clench in your teeth when swinging from a rope.

Of course, it is great for helping you gut a deer, cleaning traps, cut off stray threads, and other such stuff.

However picking out a pocket knife is something else all together. I asked on one of my favorite forums which knife they would choose if they could only carry one pocket knife. 

Many chose some variant of a Case XX knife followed by a close second of victorinox swiss army style knife. I personally carry the officer suisse knife for going to work/carry pocket knife.

So, what would you carry and why? Post your comments below!