Slow time here so let's post interesting stuff for the loyal readers:
Caveat: This is a discussion of an item restricted in many communities. I'll pass on why we allow laws to exist limiting our 2A right to Keep and Bear Arms. Second note, CCW licensed does NOT legalize carry of any other weapon. A working knowledge of your laws in your locality is required. No ifs, and, or buts.
Officer discretion is always the first hurdle to overcome, and they don't get much background on weapons laws, just how and when to use their's.
Most of these are in the class of weapons (arms as used in the Bill of Rights,) known as push daggers, punch daggers, gimlets, fist knife, punch knife, and in India, a large version called katar. Belt buckle knives are commonly of a similar shape but are treated separately as their construction requires ostensibly open carry.
And open carry is important in legal aspects. Goes to know your local laws.
Most of these follow the history and traditions of knifemaking, with older versions being equipped with a t-handle of bone or antler, and newer ones struck from one piece of cutlery steel or a facsimile. Others may be entirely polymer but fall into the "self defense" category of marketing along with kubotans, pepper spray, or electric shock devices. Push daggers share a common feature with the handle at 90 degrees to the blade, and are often double edged. Overall they are shorter than a traditional fixed blade and are meant to be held with the handle gripped in the palm with blade protruding from the fingers by a long ricasso shaped to fit. Most blades tend to run 2-3" but can be longer.
They are a back up weapon for close quarters use in self defense. One scenario is when an LEO/MIL is assaulted at close range, their firearm useless due to contact proximity of the target or their attempt to keep control of it. At that point the knife is employed to create distance and standoff for the use of the firearm.
Glosses it over but the subjects at hand are the review.
Gerber Uppercut - one piece low grade cutlery steel with a short 2" double edged blade, short ricasso and wide handle with angled perforations.
Link:http://www.bing.com/search?PC=WCUG&FORM=WCUGDF&q=gerber+uppercut&conversationid=
Comes with a molded plastic sheath with a belt clip that dominates the design, it also has small holes in the tip for neck carry, no ball chain provided.
The edges are sharp from the factory, it's 7CR17 with no RC mentioned in most ads. As they aren't meant for extensive cutting operations its a bit moot. The stainless quality of the steel and it's black treatment are likely more important to the user for maintenance in carry.
I wear size Large gloves, typically, but more for finger length tha bulk, the Uppercut fits in the palm of my hand but the back edges of the ricasso strike the fingers in jabs and thrusts. It's a bit short for me in that dimension, and with it's large palm rest seems to be less optimal for smaller hands. Like most knives you just have to try it out to see. One of the reasons I bought it along with style and that many online retailers are moving it out of inventory as Gerber ships them other newer models. I got it for $10 - originally MSRP was closer to $40 and some sites still are.
The Blackhawk XFS has been on the market longer, I think, but has had less stocking dealers among the mass retailers online. Blackhawk tends to limit their sales to the "tactical" distribution chain - and yet this one was picked up on closeout at a major Box retailer during the current (historic?) sell down of AR15's and accessories.
Link: http://www.bing.com/search?PC=WCUG&FORM=WCUGDF&q=blackhawk+XFS&conversationid=
It's a longer, narrower design with a purpose built sheath for neck carry and comes with chain. The handle is smaller, in the conventional style of one piece push daggers, and has G10 scales attached. The sheath has softer lockup with the blade, unlike the redesigned Gerber (subject to an early recall because of their reputed looseness.) It's a long almost pick style shape due to the Besh Wedge grind, which has the alternate edges at a more obtuse angle meeting at the opposite sides of a short flat tip. It's not dull, tho, just slanted for more of a pushing penetration than the much wider flat Gerber.
Early on in my knife life I owned Gerber Mk I and II knives, their pointed profile was pretty good at stabbing compared to other knives of more mundane use and blunter profile. In this case Blackhawk has outdone Gerber. Absent any stabbing tests in wet newspaper it's arguable but I suspect the Blackhawk would do incrementally better, and against much tougher layers such as nylon web gear I suspect it would handle it better than the blunter profile of the Gerber.
As for carry, the wider designs tend to resist turning on the chain under clothing, but have more to overcome in deployment. To prevent that I'm looking at a combination of neck/across the chest carry, plus resigning myself to the tactic of grabbing the shirt and ripping off the buttons to gain access.
I've deliberately avoided application of the knife and it's use - goes to Practical Tactical and a completely separate subject.
Of the two, the Gerber appeals but falls short in handling for me. The Blackhawk was a pleasant surprise in grind and how it worked and felt in the hand. Again, these things aren't always obvious as the visual presentation can interfere with cues that we don't appreciate in the same way as the designers and marketers. The Gerber has more visual cues of mechanical ruggedness, with jimping along the palm spine. The XFS is almost too elegant and sleek - but that does work in it's favor as the intent is less obvious when if seen. It would be even less pronounced if it was not black. That color has conditioned the public to think something might be a weapon.
Be legally advised I'm making no recommendation to use or carry one of this out of your residence. I do note there has been plenty of chatter over the subject in LEO/MIL circles for a long time - but legislators seem to have "carved out an exemption" for those on duty - and significantly, restricted it to only that circumstance. Yet LEO can carry their issue back up gun in non CCW states. And officer discretion seems to cover most other circumstances. Point being where one citizen might be seen as having said weapon on him it would be evidence of an advanced state of training, where you or I would be some less socially acceptable lower class idiot. And yet the history of the knife shows otherwise all too often. It's not a defense in a court of law, tho, just another complication that might present at trial.
My research will continue toward a single edge with Fred Perrin fingerhole grip. It's MO legal concealed, or at least much more so, which is on me. As a back up it could be useful on those occasions where I like to walk into armored gas stations carrying concealed under a bright green t-shirt.
Caveat: This is a discussion of an item restricted in many communities. I'll pass on why we allow laws to exist limiting our 2A right to Keep and Bear Arms. Second note, CCW licensed does NOT legalize carry of any other weapon. A working knowledge of your laws in your locality is required. No ifs, and, or buts.
Officer discretion is always the first hurdle to overcome, and they don't get much background on weapons laws, just how and when to use their's.
Most of these are in the class of weapons (arms as used in the Bill of Rights,) known as push daggers, punch daggers, gimlets, fist knife, punch knife, and in India, a large version called katar. Belt buckle knives are commonly of a similar shape but are treated separately as their construction requires ostensibly open carry.
And open carry is important in legal aspects. Goes to know your local laws.
Most of these follow the history and traditions of knifemaking, with older versions being equipped with a t-handle of bone or antler, and newer ones struck from one piece of cutlery steel or a facsimile. Others may be entirely polymer but fall into the "self defense" category of marketing along with kubotans, pepper spray, or electric shock devices. Push daggers share a common feature with the handle at 90 degrees to the blade, and are often double edged. Overall they are shorter than a traditional fixed blade and are meant to be held with the handle gripped in the palm with blade protruding from the fingers by a long ricasso shaped to fit. Most blades tend to run 2-3" but can be longer.
They are a back up weapon for close quarters use in self defense. One scenario is when an LEO/MIL is assaulted at close range, their firearm useless due to contact proximity of the target or their attempt to keep control of it. At that point the knife is employed to create distance and standoff for the use of the firearm.
Glosses it over but the subjects at hand are the review.
Gerber Uppercut - one piece low grade cutlery steel with a short 2" double edged blade, short ricasso and wide handle with angled perforations.
Link:http://www.bing.com/search?PC=WCUG&FORM=WCUGDF&q=gerber+uppercut&conversationid=
Comes with a molded plastic sheath with a belt clip that dominates the design, it also has small holes in the tip for neck carry, no ball chain provided.
The edges are sharp from the factory, it's 7CR17 with no RC mentioned in most ads. As they aren't meant for extensive cutting operations its a bit moot. The stainless quality of the steel and it's black treatment are likely more important to the user for maintenance in carry.
I wear size Large gloves, typically, but more for finger length tha bulk, the Uppercut fits in the palm of my hand but the back edges of the ricasso strike the fingers in jabs and thrusts. It's a bit short for me in that dimension, and with it's large palm rest seems to be less optimal for smaller hands. Like most knives you just have to try it out to see. One of the reasons I bought it along with style and that many online retailers are moving it out of inventory as Gerber ships them other newer models. I got it for $10 - originally MSRP was closer to $40 and some sites still are.
The Blackhawk XFS has been on the market longer, I think, but has had less stocking dealers among the mass retailers online. Blackhawk tends to limit their sales to the "tactical" distribution chain - and yet this one was picked up on closeout at a major Box retailer during the current (historic?) sell down of AR15's and accessories.
Link: http://www.bing.com/search?PC=WCUG&FORM=WCUGDF&q=blackhawk+XFS&conversationid=
It's a longer, narrower design with a purpose built sheath for neck carry and comes with chain. The handle is smaller, in the conventional style of one piece push daggers, and has G10 scales attached. The sheath has softer lockup with the blade, unlike the redesigned Gerber (subject to an early recall because of their reputed looseness.) It's a long almost pick style shape due to the Besh Wedge grind, which has the alternate edges at a more obtuse angle meeting at the opposite sides of a short flat tip. It's not dull, tho, just slanted for more of a pushing penetration than the much wider flat Gerber.
Early on in my knife life I owned Gerber Mk I and II knives, their pointed profile was pretty good at stabbing compared to other knives of more mundane use and blunter profile. In this case Blackhawk has outdone Gerber. Absent any stabbing tests in wet newspaper it's arguable but I suspect the Blackhawk would do incrementally better, and against much tougher layers such as nylon web gear I suspect it would handle it better than the blunter profile of the Gerber.
As for carry, the wider designs tend to resist turning on the chain under clothing, but have more to overcome in deployment. To prevent that I'm looking at a combination of neck/across the chest carry, plus resigning myself to the tactic of grabbing the shirt and ripping off the buttons to gain access.
I've deliberately avoided application of the knife and it's use - goes to Practical Tactical and a completely separate subject.
Of the two, the Gerber appeals but falls short in handling for me. The Blackhawk was a pleasant surprise in grind and how it worked and felt in the hand. Again, these things aren't always obvious as the visual presentation can interfere with cues that we don't appreciate in the same way as the designers and marketers. The Gerber has more visual cues of mechanical ruggedness, with jimping along the palm spine. The XFS is almost too elegant and sleek - but that does work in it's favor as the intent is less obvious when if seen. It would be even less pronounced if it was not black. That color has conditioned the public to think something might be a weapon.
Be legally advised I'm making no recommendation to use or carry one of this out of your residence. I do note there has been plenty of chatter over the subject in LEO/MIL circles for a long time - but legislators seem to have "carved out an exemption" for those on duty - and significantly, restricted it to only that circumstance. Yet LEO can carry their issue back up gun in non CCW states. And officer discretion seems to cover most other circumstances. Point being where one citizen might be seen as having said weapon on him it would be evidence of an advanced state of training, where you or I would be some less socially acceptable lower class idiot. And yet the history of the knife shows otherwise all too often. It's not a defense in a court of law, tho, just another complication that might present at trial.
My research will continue toward a single edge with Fred Perrin fingerhole grip. It's MO legal concealed, or at least much more so, which is on me. As a back up it could be useful on those occasions where I like to walk into armored gas stations carrying concealed under a bright green t-shirt.
