I went to a kinda rural middle school. Only about 10 miles outside the city but still had a bit of the country feel to it. This is in California.
Every boy had a pocket knife in his pocket, in school or out.
Teachers taught us how to play “mumbly peg” where two opponents stand opposite each other about double arms length. We took turns throwing the knife into the ground outside our opponet’s foot and if it stuck, the opponent had to move his foot to the knife, spreading his stance. First guy to fall down had to dig a wooden peg out of the ground wit his teeth.
We also played chicken, where it was the same with knives and throwing at feet, but this time it was between the feet of our opponent and the first guy to chicken out or hit his opponent in the foot lost.
And anyone that got hurt? Teachers were all “oh well, sucks to be you. Go see the nurse but make it to class on time.”
No one ever pulled a knife on anyone else. We were a rowdy, belligerent and combative bunch of boys but I doubt anyone ever even considered pulling out his knife to hurt someone.
Ha, we used to play Army with all sorts of weapons for kids. Occasional chipped tooth or a pellet to the foot, pop gun full of mud to the face, tree forts( not to code). What the heck happened? ( Rural California)