what do you think of the push dagger?

"what do you think of the push dagger?"

Push daggers are devastating, brutally effective edged weapons, quick into play and complimentary as easy to use as delivering a closed fist strike. One could argue that they require no further training than to know how to hit someone, and if someone is versed in delivering blows, well... at contact distance with a PD in hand that someone is formidable indeed.

I frequently run one off my center line, accessible to either hand.

The only concern? An adjustment to a user's index might be in order. As in, if you index and re-index your knuckles so that they touch or are near to touching your face, you are going to want to alter that positioning.

Let's consider the mentality of lethal self defense; that's what we are really talking about. The mocking of the keychain knife may actually be somewhat appropriate...

I have no knife fighting experience. Do you? But I can say that those with experience or training say that knife fights are bad for both participants.

I guess when it comes down to it, would you really pull a 'barely lethal' weapon in a fight? First, on your keychain, I would question the speed you could access and draw it. Secondly, it's a marginally effective weapon, as others pointed out.

If you're going to escalate a fight to a lethal confrontation, you should go for something at the "more lethal" end of the scale rather than the lower end of the scale, because it all looks the same in the eyes of the law. You may as well have a club with spikes, a shotgun, or a machete. It is also the same thing in the realm of self-defense. You draw that little push dagger in a fist fight and suddenly the other guy is justified in using lethal self defense (read "gun"). Suddenly that verbal altercation in the parking lot turns into you pulling your push dagger for what you perceive as self defense and the other guy seeing this and now being fully justified in shooting you because you pulled a weapon.

A Kel-tec P3AT is about the same size as your push knife and weighs 15 oz. loaded. I think you'd be better served by carrying a gun if you are allowed, and if not then carry as large of a folding knife (like a buck knife, spyderco, etc.) as your state allows (typically 3-4"). And then only using it in defense of your life in accordance with the law.

how about one of these?

If I'm ever faced with a push dagger,
or any other knife, for that matter,
I'll be glad I'm carrying my Irish stick.

here's the only one i ever made - hold it upside down - makes for a tidy fit -
tom

^ Tom, that is by far the highlight of this thread...

the push dagger has too much negative image with it
ive got a cheap wooden handled screwdriver somewhere that stabilized pretty well in a fist grip and its not a "weapon"
but id personally go with a freddy kruger glove

I would never want to get in a knife fight.

I think of having a knife for self defense like this:

You're hiking along and all of a sudden something jumps on your back.

You hit the ground and roll around trying to grab your knife.

When you do you punch and slash until whatever is on you is off you.

Be it a cougar on the trail or a crazy man (California has plenty of both).

I bought one of the old cold steel push daggers many years ago - seldom carry it but I thought it would be a useful "last resort" hiking knife. I got the one now called the safe keeper III (can't remember what it was called 15 years ago) - it has the shorter 2.5" blade and is wide enough that it looks like it could be used in a pinch for skinning. And that slot in it might open a beer

I've got arthritis in a couple fingers but if it get the grip between two of them and make a fist it ain't coming out until I'm unconscious that for sure.

I'm not saying its a replacement for a folder but its another tool and each to his own.

all that aside I never carry it unless I'm walking the dogs or off road.

The Cold Steel push daggers I've tried are pretty serious.

I think the handle is usually the downside of these, so get one that really fits solid to your hand.

Oh, and they're really illegal almost everywhere.

I think that push daggers(full size) are probably the most effective self defense knives for those of use who are untrained in knife fighting. I own a cold steel safe maker and I feel pretty confident with it. Its easy to grip and if you can throw a punch you can use a push dagger.

I hear a lot of people say that you can't slash with it and I really haven't found that to be true either. Doing a backhand slash with my push dagger can give some pretty nasty results.

I wear a Blackhawk punch dagger around my neck at all times. It's not my primary defense weapon, as I also carry a handgun. But if it ever came down to a desperate situation, it's nice to know I could lethally deal with an attacker simply by punching him.

Because it's around my neck, no one sees it or knows I have it (which is the only way I could carry it I believe) but I could reach under my shirt and pull it out relatively quickly if, God forbid, I ever had to.

I wouldn't carry it at all if I didn't have a CCW license, as I believe it's considered to be a deadly weapon, at least here in Florida. It certainly is an impractical knife to peel an apple with.

Anway, here's a picture: