Pocketknives/Kitchen Knives/Fixed Blades
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My pick of the litter
Böker Leo Damast III
65-67 HRC
By Markus Belbach
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Are they? I can't think of a practical use for one. They are cool toys though.
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I'm kind of curious how you qualify that they are "great" as self defense tools.
I've been training in knife based martial arts for almost two decades and there is some crossover with the defensive firearms world, and I've never had an instructor advocate the use of an auto.
I've had Microtech Ultratechs and Halos, and they are not nearly reliable enough for me to depend my life to. -
That’s been the common consensus from what I’ve read. Most ppl prefer a small fixed blade or more simple/robust folder with a heavy rated lock.
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I don't know that there's a lock on the planet I'd trust for a self defense knife, but I'm certainly no expert.
The one thing about an automatic perhaps that could help in a SD situation is intimidation and deterrent effect if people are frightened away by the "scary" blade deployment, but that's certainly not something to bet your life on.
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I think Spyderco’s compression lock, REKAT’s old Rolling lock, and a Chris Reeve framelock are plenty solid and strong for SD.
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Yeah, any lock, no matter how robust, is a potential point of failure relative to a fixed blade, so when your life is on the line you're gonna want a fixed blade in my uninformed opinion.
I don't think anyone here aside from maybe DougNg is looking to purchase a knife as a SD tool though. If, in a dire circmstance, that duty falls to a blade, so be it. I need the lock to work on the tasks I use it for, cutting, chopping, carving, slicing, piercing, and levering, and hopefully none of those on human flesh. Stabbing and slashing, gimme a fixie every time.
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Rollin with a Burch…
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^^any knife is better than no knife and moot if not deployed at the right time.
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From a SD perspective.
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a) Unless it's turned against you and/or
b) escalates a fistfight into one or more sides attempting murder.
c) I personally might be better off without one in a scrap since I don't know how to fight with one in the first place.
I was saying if you're getting a knife with SD as a use case, if possible I would avoid unnecessary points of failure like locks (no matter how robust) and for that matter deploying a blade versus just grabbing a handle under stress. That's a different question than whatever's in your pocket becoming a SD tool by necessity. This is just my version of common sense since I have no experience to draw from.
A firearm has a slightly different calculus for me since I know how to use one and it is a greater equalizer than a knife, though CC logic dictates that you walk away from any potential fight you can because of b).
TL;DR Get a Ka-bar if you need a fighting knife
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I'm so glad that the need for discussions like the above is virtually non-existent in my world. Even if it were legal where I live, I'd never dream of carrying a knife or a firearm for self-defense. I have a knife for opening shit and stuff like that, it's actually illegal in the UK because it locks, but 9 times out of 10 I forget to pop it in my pocket….
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Haha! I mean even if you're worried about getting stabbed by a chav in London I'm not certain carrying a knife is your best defense. Using the terms knife and self-defense in the same sentence is a bit daft in the first place.
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What is daft is to say that knives have no role in self defense. Of course it is always better to walk away or run away from a fight (or even better, to not go where fights are more likely to start). It is also true that to pull out a knife during a 1-on-1 fistfight will get you into legal hell. However, in the unlikely case that a fight does involve you, you cannot escape it, and your life is at risk, a knife definitely can change things. For starters, it might just stop the fight from occurring.
Now, the decision not to carry (be it a knife or a handgun) because the risk / reward is simply not worth it is perfectly legit. In the US I don't carry a handgun because the risk / reward is simply not worth it to me given my lifestyle.
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I dunno, I'd think there are much better SD options than a blade. Brass knuckles, stun gun, pepper spray, baton, handgun, running shoes…
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I would actually trust a locking mechanism from a reputable knife maker made to a professional standard as a self defense weapon. With that said, any locking mechanism can fail. Balancing the convenience of a folding knife to the risk of the lock failing is a personal decision. I have a five inch fixed blade attached to my plate carrier (bulletproof vest).
While I do carry a firearm and a considerable amount of ammo on my person, my primary forms of self defense on a dark alley are:
1. Avoidance. Stay away from stupid people doing stupid things in stupid places. I don't drink and I rarely go to bars anymore.
2. Running away. Before I broke my ankle my regular run was 10k 4x a week.
3. A Surefire flashlight and "Verbal Judo". I've only had to do this once or twice, both times to unusually aggressive homeless people. I shined the flashlight in their faces and shouted "stay where you are, I see you. Don't come any closer. Show me your hands." Then move on to options 1 and 2.I made the personal decision to have Option 4, which is my Glock 19 with 50 rounds of hollow point ammunition. I would really like to avoid this as I don't really want to shoot anyone and the average legal fees associated with a defensive shooting in America is about 50k.
I don't carry a defensive blade anymore. I used to, but after a lot of training I decided I'd rather save on weight (see option 2) or use the time for hand to hand.
I never leave my house without my Victorinox Tinker though.
