I am a wife, a mother, a BSA Asst. Scoutmaster and I usually carry a pocketknife. My husband carries a pocketknife at all times and has since he was a lad. My son (age 11) carries a knife when he is not attending school. We live in Washington State. I didn't like carrying a knife until my hubby found me a very low profile knife that didn't make a large bulge in my pocket. It is nice and flat and that makes it much nicer to carry. I also have super-sharp small keychain-sized knives in each vehicle hung right on the turn indicator stem. These get much more use than I ever anticipated. They are really handy and though not quite as easy as carrying a knife in pocket, they are conveniently located. Try this for your wife. Once she sees how often she uses the blade, she might see for herself why some people choose to carry a pocketknife.
Laura