WTF: stopped in the local Walmart the other day to pick up a couple things and see what handgun ammo they had in stock. Nothing I needed but I picked up one of the small Smith's pocket sharpeners. I like to keep several around. Went to pay for it at the sporting goods counter and the manager says "you're over 18, right?". I'm 43 with graying hair. I kind of chuckled and asked why he wanted to know. He says you have to be 18 to buy a knife SHARPENER. I thought he was kidding but he was serious. I asked him if that is a state law or a Walmart regulation. He didn't know. I didn't even know you had to be 18 now to even buy a knife, let alone a knife sharpener. I remember saving my money and buying pocket knives when I was 10 years old

A knife sharpener can be a dangerous weapon - you could hit someone with it. Hence, the need to make certain you are 18+; after all,only those under 18 commit acts of violence.

Right?

Walmart can't sell a hunting or pocket knife to an underage person. BUT.....an underage person "can" buy a kitchen knife!!!!!! GO FIGGER!

Yeah, me too. Even younger. Still have the scars to prove it. Stupid law/reg/rule for sure.

Ask him if you need to fill out a Form 4473 to buy a gun case. Or if you have to be 18 to buy a cigarette lighter.

Stupidity in action.

It's the dull knife empowerment act of 2009...

I just bought a couple bricks of .22LR and the gal behind the counter looked confused and asked if it was for a handgun or a rifle. I said, "rifle". She then asked if I was over 18 (I'm almost 40). She then said she didn't know why she had to ask and I had to explain the difference, 18 years old to buy rifle ammo and 21 to buy handgun. I'm glad I have to explain to the employee why they have to follow certain rules. She then commented on how dumb that was because I could just say whatever I wanted if I was under 21. I just said, yep. By the way, I had to spend the first five minutes standing in front of the ammo counter listening to her talk to a friend about how she needed to change her birth control because she got pregnant while using the "patch" and they went back and forth about how they both got pregnant while on birth control and their "boyfriends" were pissed. I just kept thinking, "I sure hope they vote!"

Knife sharpeners are child's play. Lady's bras, now, those are dangerous. People have been strangled with them, and rubbernecking drivers have killed thousands.

In the Chicago area recently a woman was beaten to death with a baseball bat and another person was stabbed to death. I am waiting for the call to regulate knives and bats like you always hear when a firearm is used to kill someone.
I guess your Wal Mart is just "thinking of the children".
I always had pocket knives as a kid and still do. A couple of years ago I gave a co worker a small pocket knife I had found. I was tired of seeing him open boxes with his keys. A couple of days later he didn't have the knife. He had left the knife in his car when he went shopping. He didn't think it was appropriate to carry a "weapon" in the store.
I don't know what this world is comming to.

Ernie

Wow! Just shows us the varied mindset we all have. I ALWAYS have a Leatherman, a pocket knife, and a folding sheath knife on me, and have never considered them weapons. They're just tools.

Agree 100% they tools, and some people bring the wrong tool to a gunfight

Chicago update:


was just there a couple of weeks ago, big azz trade show for my industry, looked like a Dolly Parton convention soo many chicks trying to out trashy-look each other.

anyhoo, stepped out for a smoke and some little peroxide blonde asked if she could have one "told her sure but you won't like it, it's the least nicotine of any smoke available (Carltons, last step before giving em up, long last step, grin), you want me to cut part of the filter off?"

sure she says

so I whip out my CRKT bwana, flick it open and slice half the filter off clean as a whistle

"OMG she says are you some kind of biker?"

WTF I'm thinking I didn't think bleach/color on their heads could affect brain cells, but may have to rethink that now.


blade was 3 7/8" that's legal in Chicago isn't it?

That was funny until I realize it is one of OUR local Wally Worlds you were speaking about...Medford ONE?

That new Wally World in Eagle Point, that one is really anti Firearm.. the new store profile not selling firearms at all..

I refuse to shop there period!

I have had a pocket knife in my pocket )even in school) since granpa gave me the first one when I was 8. Always considered it a tool, never a weapon! WTF is wrong today???? World is full of dumbassed-pantywetting-girlymen!!!!!!

Seafire, Eagle Point WalMart...one of the worst places to ever have to shop. If I didn't live in Eagle Point I'd never go there. My wife gets pissed that I'll drive into town 9 times out of 10 rather than go to Wal Mart, or I'll buy from Rays, The Butcher Shop or just about anywhere else.

I'm not sure if it's legal to have balls in Chicago anymore.

WHen i was highschool 4 years ago the teachers and principal had no problem with us having pocket knives as long as the blade was under a certain length, which i cant remember. My little brother who is a freshman this year at the same school, told me that if you are seen with a pocket knife even with a 1" blade, you get like a whole week of in school suspension. How insane is that? And this isnt some big city 1000s of kids school. I think the whole highschool has less than 150 kids in it. Its one of those schools where kids drive grain trucks, pull horse trailers, and a kid even had to drive a tractor to school once. So knives are common.

cool, figured if I was already running illegal no worries in adding to the culpability

When I was in high school, I was required to do a demonstration for English class. With approval from my teacher, I brought my double barrel 20 gauge and demonstrated to the class how to clean a shotgun. Times have changed.

When I was gainfully employed, I was what we called the upper air program leader. (Weather Bureau and upper air refers to releasing balloons with instruments attached.) Part of my duties was ordering more ballons and instruments as supplies ran low. Unpacking that stuff meant cutting open as many as a dozen heavy duty cardboard boxes and my little Gerber and a box cutter failed miserably for that work. So, I looked around and bought a Spyderco that was all serrated blade. It made the job a hell of a lot easier as I didn't have to stop and sharpen a knife or change blades in the box cutter. My immediate supervisor saw the Spyderco one day and ordered me to not bring it to work. Well,I tell him that it is necessary for me to accomplish part of my work. Lots of harassment from that little punk but I hold firm. I tell him either I do my job in the successful manner that I've been doing it or he can "F"ing well do it himself. For the next 6 month, I get all kinds of harassing BS from him and he even gets the boss involved. So here we are at a time when we're short handed by two people and cannot afford to lose anyone in order to keep things run on a 24 hour basis. I walk in and drop my retirement papers on the boss, effective immediately. I had more than enough time in having done this stuff for 33 years. He asked me to stay until he got at least one replacement and I said nope, I'm outta here. I will not put up with the crap I've been getting from you and the "other guy" that you've been dishing out. They pushed too hard and I had what I felt there were two choices. Go postal or leave. I figured they were not worth getting a needle and left.
One of the worst part of that job, and to be honest, I loved my job as I elt I was doing something useful, was those damned rotating shifts. I've been retired for a bit over ten years now and my sleep patterns are still horribly screwed up. My gut is a disaster and I have a terible addiction to Ramen.
Paul B.

At one time KY Wal Marts would ask the 18 or older question for Dill's Pipe Cleaners. Not sure if they did the same for similar items out of the notions sections or not, but I doubt it.

I wish some of you folks would try walking in the poor Walmart employee's mocassins once in a while. They are just working people like you trying to keep their jobs by complying with their employer's training and policy. Different areas, different stores/managers and I am sure policy and training varies. Why not make their lives easier by co-operating with them and not being so judgemental about what they are trying to do? If you do not like the way in which Walmart trains their employees then take your business where things suit you. All the wining on the forum does absolutely nothing to change the way in which Walmart does business.

The original post had absolutely nothing to do with Walmart employees. It was a comment on silly laws and/or regulations.

"Are these for a handgun or a rifle?"

"Yes."

I did a cartridge collection of military arms for a history class once. Every cartridge in the display was loaded and ready to go.

This speaks to our local environment... About 5 years ago a kid bought the components and assembled an AR as his senior class project. He was not allowed though to bring the unit in for show and tell night and had to get by with a video and pictures.

Also, we still carry several functioning firearms into our local highschool for our hunter safety classes. How cool is that??

Wrong answer. That's a "store policy".

Ask to see it.

VA,I don't doubt it. My point to gunswizard was that the post was not a crack on the employees, but on the stupid regulation or policy.

Nothing against the Wal Mart employee that asked, in fact I would rather the numerous people that made the decision for the question to be asked in the first place get the ax.

It's the stupid employees, to start with. Then, go to the policy.

Besides, [bleep] Wal-Mart.

Cry me a [bleep]' river.

Wal-mart is the most ANTI-small business, ANTI-American establishment out there (follow the money, and prove me wrong).

[bleep]'m.

Come on...tell us how you really feel.

I pack a gun with me in Walmart...