It’s a Jungle Out There? Carry a Pocketknife
(Article courtesy of the New York Times)
In recent years, office-bound urban men have adopted the accouterments of their free-range rural brethren: the beard, the flannel shirt, the work boot.
To this list add the pocketknife. The staple tool of fishermen and Boy Scout troop leaders is being embraced by guys whose principal workplace implement is a MacBook.
Scroll through the photos on Everydaycarry.com, a website that focuses on items men take along with them, and you’ll find (alongside smartphones, wallets and keys) plenty of pocketknives — some with that old-fashioned faux-bone-handle look, others with titanium handles and utilitarian design.
Bernard Capulong, the site’s co-founder and editor in chief, said a pocketknife conveys ruggedness and lone-wolf competence in a society that is increasingly tech-centric and interconnected.
“There’s an aspect of masculinity and machismo,” said Mr. Capulong, who carries a pocketknife himself. “You can do everything on your own and you’re not helpless.”
Nigel Barker, 43, a New York-based fashion photographer, has noticed that the pocketknife has become de rigueur among the young hipster assistants he works with. “Almost part of their uniform is to have that knife on that belt or in that pocket,” he said.
To this list add the pocketknife. The staple tool of fishermen and Boy Scout troop leaders is being embraced by guys whose principal workplace implement is a MacBook.
Scroll through the photos on Everydaycarry.com, a website that focuses on items men take along with them, and you’ll find (alongside smartphones, wallets and keys) plenty of pocketknives — some with that old-fashioned faux-bone-handle look, others with titanium handles and utilitarian design.
Bernard Capulong, the site’s co-founder and editor in chief, said a pocketknife conveys ruggedness and lone-wolf competence in a society that is increasingly tech-centric and interconnected.
“There’s an aspect of masculinity and machismo,” said Mr. Capulong, who carries a pocketknife himself. “You can do everything on your own and you’re not helpless.”
Nigel Barker, 43, a New York-based fashion photographer, has noticed that the pocketknife has become de rigueur among the young hipster assistants he works with. “Almost part of their uniform is to have that knife on that belt or in that pocket,” he said.
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