I carry a knife pretty much everywhere I go, which has caused me a few difficult moments in government buildings. I do it because I actually use my knife for a lot of things and it's handy to have. It is not a fetishistic attachment to the trappings of masculinity.
I don't collect knives, nor do I want knives I wouldn't use. I try to do the same thing about tools, power- and non-. Carrying a tool for its usefulness is one thing. Carrying it as a signifier is another. It's like owning a giant pickup truck to prove how masculine you are.
