The kitchen knife idea would be a good on save that where I would be working that would be unacceptable. To give a little more background info, security is such an issue that having an exposed pair of pointed scissors would be grounds for dismissal if not worse. Safety scissors only. It's not me that my employer is worried about having the knife. The concern would be that the knife would "fall in to the wrong hands". This is why it's technically okay to carry a small knife if it is 110% concealed and secure but I would never be able to present it except in the most extreme situations (tornado takes out half the building, etc). As far as defense goes, sure it is a consideration but I am thinking almost entirely from a survival prosective rather than a defensive prospective since I would not be allowed to present the knife in a defensive situation except perhaps the most extreme types such as multiple armed suspects take control of the building (a la Columbine High School) in which case the knife probably wouldn't be the best weapon at hand since I could most likely improvise a better one.