Nice knife for self- protection?

what Carl mentioned is absolutely true. As a Dentist, I do quite a bit of cutting on tissue so when I'm doing surgery, I want a razor sharp surgical blade. I want a nice clean cut that I can sew up neatly when I'm done.

But in a SD situation, the whole goal is for the situation to end as soon as possible, and for your attacker to run off and leave you be with minimal amount of damage to you, and a minimal amount of time engaged with the attacker.

When I make a cut on tissues, or when you cut yourself shaving - it bleeds for a long time - why? because with a fine blade there is a minimal amount of trauma, and so the body doesn't send enough of the necessary cells to stop the bleeding - so it seeps blood forever. Nervous tissue is similar - a fine cut creates little trauma so the signal sent to the brain is minimal.

With a roughened or jagged edge, the tissues are not sliced but ripped. The body interprets this trauma much more severely and reacts so - bleeding from a jagged cut stops much more quickly because your body bombards the area with the proper cells, but more importantly, the nervous system does as well, and the signal sent to the brain is immediate and much stronger.

This is why it was recommended that for a SD tool, a rougher edge is better.

I'll stick with plain edge for everything, because after years of experimenting with serrations I can't think of a single thing that they cut better than a sharp plain edge, including rope.

If you don't already have it in your hand, ready to use, forget it. Youré done. Forget all this bull hockey about waved blades, brownie pops, assited opening, or any other stuff from holyweird movies or knife magazines.

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Y'know, I don't know about you, but when it comes to knife fighting, I'm a big scared sissy. I train in a martial art that includes edged weapons of various sorts, and I'd like to think that I know a bit about knife attack and defense. One thing I'm pretty sure that I've learned is that I really don't want to have to do it on the street.

The only time I ever did pull a knife on someone (who'd pulled one on me first) I had a balisong - and this was back when nobody except knife junkies had ever seen one before. I just did the standard out-and-back and he saw that and put his knife away and that was the end of it.

To me, that's the optimal outcome. If it gets down to cutting and stabbing and people bleeding (probably me included), that's a bad day at the office.

So when I pick a knife for my commando raid on the electric plant and have to take out some guards surreptitiously, the Ka-Bar strapped to my leg is the weapon of choice. For fending off some street punk, I'm carrying a knife with some drama, either one of the autos or the Ti-Lite, so as to give the other fellow one last chance to re-think all of this.

Yes. You are correct. There are pros and cons to this approach, but I've experienced the dissuading power of a knife and, as with firearms, if brandishment gets the job done then everybody goes home. Fast, silent and deadly is good for leaving a corpse on the street, but those are messy and the aftermath tends to be expensive and complicated, from what I hear.

I've read that the reason bayonets are not sharp is so they rip and tear flesh which makes a jagged wound that is harder to mend.

I also read something that a cop wrote where the worst knife wounds he saw were from serrated blades because they don't cut clean. He said a dr. told him they are difficult to sew up.

My opionion, I think Carl has it right

...this Browning Stag Skinner Folding Knife? Is it nice stuff for self-protection?

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Browning should stick to making guns. No, that is not a good knife for self protection. A gun is better, but if you do choose a knife pick one that is commonly used as a fighter. I like this one...



Model ON8760: XM-1 Extreme Military Combat Folder w/ 3.375" Plain Blade, Desert Camo

Ontario Knife Company

Robust, overbuilt construction with a handle that is similar to what you would find on a tactical fixed blade knife!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 3.50"
Blade Material: N690Co Enhanced Stainless Steel, Cryoquenched
Blade Hardness: 59-60HRC
Handle Material: Aircraft Aluminum Handles w/ Desert Camo Coating
Lock Mechanism: Titanium Locking Liners
Closed Length: 4.75"
Overall Length: 8.0"
Weight: 6.3oz.
Carrying Mechanism: Reversible Pocket Clip

Features:
Ultra-light, Heavy Duty, Precision Balanced
Ergonomic thumb ramp and finger groove for positive hand placement under high torque.

Dual titanium locks increase stability and overall strength while maintaining light weight.

This knife works great for me.

In a fixed blade, I also like this knife:



Ontario Knives, Spec Plus Knives, Ontario's vision of the next generation of military and sporting knives, feature epoxy powder coated blades, full tang construction, grooved Kraton polymer handles with integral guards and lanyard holes (except where noted), and combination leather/Cordura sheaths. Proudly made in the U.S.A.

This knife Knife features: 8" 1095 carbon steel blade .1875" thick, 13 1/8" overall...

about $50

http://www.knivesplus.com/QN-SP6-Ontario.HTML

I have one of these I keep by my side of the bed...

Well for the other end of the spectrum 50 years of practicing to not take physical abuse from others I have reached this approach. The upper knife is a Darrel Ralph 7" blade ball bearing Ti handled bad boy that gives you a fixed knife "edge", it is California legal BTW.
The bottom knife is a Polkowski fighter that is thin, strong and lite and hides in jackets nicely, it is shaving sharp and VERY ergonomic for me.If I have a bigger knife than this it is gonna be a Mad Dog Voodoo Hound 7" or bigger (like a foot bigger).
The middle pocket pal lets you keep up with the Boyz with Krewl Tools, it is a "Black Knife from Ox forge, this is an early 90s one. The 440C is very well done in this US gubbamint agency proccured knife beefy enough to cut the biggest plant down, with lots of Bling Factor.

Extrema Ratio Praetorian?

a Knife fight knife

Gordon,
Where in Calif is the 7 inch Darrell Ralph legal. I was in Riverside County for 19 weeks in 2009, and researched the carry laws well. The longest pocket knife blade allowed throughout calif was 3.5 inches. Of course you can carry a machete cause it is a tool. The Ralph Darrell is a beaut but is too short to be a machete and too long to carry in the pocket according to the ordinances I am aware of. Please teach me if I am wrong.
ll

The bastids pass gay new bills on a daily basis, so maybe I'm behind the curve. I gave up watching in fall 2008. The major over haul of knife law in 2002 allowed it. A concealed fixed blade requires a hunting or fishing license (and good moral character ) tho. Please show me anything about 3.5" in STATE law, maybe in local ordinances but I have not heard anything about any length of folding knives in STATE law.

Never EVER look at a weapon as simple as a knife as "useless" in a gun fight. IF your firearm should malfunction for whatever reason you have a very expensive paperweight. Knives have been revered as weapons ever since they were invented. I feel everyone should get some basic hand-to-hand combat training. Your fists or a knife will never jam, run out of ammunition or have a squib load. There are some situations where all you CAN do is bring a knife to a gun fight or your fists to a knife fight, or worse.

I feel everyone should get some basic hand-to-hand combat training. Your fists or a knife will never jam, run out of ammunition or have a squib load. There are some situations where all you CAN do is bring a knife to a gun fight or your fists to a knife fight, or worse.

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Most people are too lazy to put forth the effort needed to learn to fight with or without a knife. Most don't consider what they will do when unable to carry their death ray.

It's easier to buy a handgun, fire it once, at a square range standing still shooting at still targets (just like the badguys do in real life ), and feel well armed

Learning how to fight without a gun will free a gunnie from their gun dependency. It will also slim down that gut

If you fight knife versus knife, the key is to protect yourself against lethal strikes. Odds are that there are more lesser trained individuals over trained ones. Odds are you may be fighting against someone with a serrated knife or kitchen blade. The most readily accessible knives are the bargain variety and Chinese made knives sold in Flea Markets and Street Vendors. This does not minimize the lethality of your attacker.

I do prefer fixed blades over folders for length of blades. I practice drawing knives or a pistol to facilitate muscle memory. The best defense of course, is avoidance of the situation, altogether. Even on a potential 3 on 1, I talked my way out of a scary situation. Luckily, I have never needed to utilize the Lethal Self Defense option.

I've all ways relished closing with my enemy to destroy him, now at my age I have little other choice. A life spent on training pays off latter IMHO.
Right before the Blessed Col.'s death I was fortunate enough to sit at his feet while he gave an hour lecture on " combat readiness" in the guise of the Color Codes he codified.
What struck me was his strong resolute but sad statement "we are becoming a nation of cowards"
"the key to condition red is the readiness to take human life in a calm direct manner"

If a cap was in the process of being capped on me I'd be flying in on an off side lateral movement either gutting downward, pumping the heart repeatably , or stabbing thru the eye socket all REAL quicklike! Using the off hand to fend off the gun and riding the opponent down to where the head could be effectively severed. Sure if the gun was a threat i'd slice the tendons, maybe first thing. That move worked for me in a knife fight, but I did not want to destroy the opponent as I knew them.

I don't want derail this thread by any means, but I'd like to draw a parallel between round nose bullets and hallow point as being akin to a sharp smooth edge and a jagged, rougher edge. I think Karl has it right, just like a hallow point is preferable because it causes more trauma so would a rougher edge on a blade. Just my ignorant opinion on the matter.

i gotta chime in and agree with all who despise the age old "don't bring a knife to a gun fight" CRAP. years ago, in Tampa, some pos tried to rob (with a gun) a dude who turned out to be an off duty LEO. the LEO took one in the arm as he disarmed and (probably) beat the excrement out of would be robber. here's the kicker - LEO had a gun on him. when asked why he didn't shoot the guy, he said (given the proximity) it made more sense to go hands on than draw.

guns are great, i carry one, i keep an even bigger one in the car. however, they are NOT the end all be all to combat. people were killin people, by the thousands, long before anyone ever made a gun. so, apparently, we (as a species) can gidderdun w/o the gun

personally, i'll take hair poppin' sharp plain edge over toothy or serrated. my logic is i'm not trying to cause the most pain recognition, i'm going for the most tissue disruption i can get with the effort spent. not to sound grim, but that extra fine stone in the sharpening process just might mean the difference between nickin an artery and severing it. just sayin

That is like saying you don't want a firearm with pinpoint accuracy for self defense.

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Actually, I don't care about pin-point accuracy in my self defense guns at all. I want reliability over accuracy. If I can put them into a paper plate at fighting distances, that is very literally all I care about. Accuracy is good, obviously, but we have become a society that worships at the alter of hyper-accuracy when the reality is that we neither need it or, for most of us, can't make use it anyway.

Actually, I don't care about pin-point accuracy in my self defense guns at all. I want reliability over accuracy. If I can put them into a paper plate at fighting distances, that is very literally all I care about. Accuracy is good, obviously, but we have become a society that worships at the alter of hyper-accuracy when the reality is that we neither need it or, for most of us, can't make use it anyway.

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i agree 100% IF i had to choose, luckily for me i don't. my carry piece is evil accurate and deadnutz reliable. life is good

I picked up a CRKT hammond cruiser from SMKW for around 20 bucks, aus4 steel to boot. Plain edge to, I prefer a drop point non serrated blade for daily use and self defense.
4" assisted opening, I cant ask for much more. I also bought one of the cheap Chinese made Colt daggers, its a nice little boot knife for when im on my motorcycle.

This is what I am carrying currently, Benchmade's Mini Presidio. I got a good deal...MSRP was $90 and I got it for $57.00.

http://www.benchmade.com/products/527

Even some basic training is very important for knife defense/attacks...just like accurate bullet placement, blade placement is essential as well. Destruction of functional tissue (muscle, tendons, and sensory organs) is very important. Vascular destruction is important too considering that hydraulic failure can be a factor in a knife fight (This includes major organ damage). Remember also that you are going to get cut and you will bleed....mindset is vital.

Most people who see a knife are scared...good thing. I'll keep my knife nice and sharp since I will most likely need it to be sharp for other daily applications and not the unlikely need to use it in a SD situation....if that happens then the other fella will be cut finely and not chewed on by a toothy blade

I know there's all kinds of internet guru's preaching don't show your weapon. Bull hocky.

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Long, long time ago I was walking the neighborhood collecting money for my little brother's paper route (the twerp had a cold or something, so I got stuck with the chore). I think I was 14 years old.

A car with 3 of the local tough punks pulled to the curb and one said, "Hey, wanna fight?"

The last thing I wanted to do was fight, but my damned never-known-for-it's-brains mouth piped up and replied, "Sure, why not?"

One of them grinned like a shark hearing the dinner bell and got out of the car.

I reached into my jeans pocket and pulled out the can/bottle opener (aka church key) that I carried because I thought it was cool at the time.

I stood there with that thing hanging in my hand by my side.

Boris Badass stood there for about 20 seconds or so looking from it to me, then back again for a few times.

He then got an "Aw the hell with it" look on his face, got back into the car and said something to his buddies, and off they drove.

Sometimes just showing is enough.

Sometimes.

YMMV.

Sometimes just showing is enough.

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And in most states that is called " brandishing" which carries some serious charges itself ( though in Oregon it's not brandishing , it's called MENACING 163.190 perhaps reckless endangerment as well ).

Or it could be just enough for one to have tipped their hand , in which case , the other person could decide to play the trump card ( which may start with a 4 and end with 5 and has been known to cause red fluid leaks in humans ).

If you have it out and ready , you best be sure you are justified.

Sometimes just showing is enough

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+1

i used to live in a neighborhood where the line between panhandling and robbery was VERY blurry. the beggars would get forceful, argumentative, and sometimes just go to hitting or stabbing you after your 3rd or 4th "NO".

more than once, i've flashed a piece to get the point across that while i would rather not, i'm not opposed stepping up to that level.

in FL there is a difference between "aggravated assault" and "reckless display". one is a felony that involves a direct threat the other is a misdemeanor that involves "exhibiting in a rude, angry, or careless manner". quite frankly, i'll risk a misdeamor if it means i don't have to shoot someone.