Alright people I joined to ask this question, Help a girl out

ajri said:
When it comes to blade up or down I confess my ignorance. I haven't had enough experience to have a preference.

And guys common in order to stay up late their should be gallons of Diet Pepsi, a history paper of hell looming over your head, oh and wayyy to many pages of pretty knives open on your monitor. That being said I'm kickboxing at 9am so I think this is it for me tonght. Sweet dreams thanks for the help.
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havent thought about a history paper in a few years.

but anyway,
good night, come back soon.
 
Eric, I didn't mean to stomp on your fun, I just didn't want her to get the wrong idea about us. It will also make you smile to know you will be getting at least one OST order from my residence for this holiday(Let's hope she doesn't find the pirate's cove...)

Ajri I think tip up is the way to go to get the knife open fastest, I have little experience with tip down knives. I measured my Native I and it came a little under 4 inches closed, but I must warn it IS a wider knife so if you keep all sorts of crap in both pants pockets, it's time to consolidate them into one.

Totally out of left field: has anyone thought about the merlin, Like EMSguy said looking scary has a big effect on whether or not a fight starts, I think the merlin is just at 4 inches and has a karambit blade (looks like a talon)...

Edit: Spyderco Merlin is 3 7/8 closed I got my roommate one and I love that ATS-55 steel, I believe you can get one for around 50 if you look...
Sleep tight, I have 3 reviews to write for Cabaret so I understand how you feel...
 
Sleep Is for the Weak.

Plus I am at work watching Crazy people sleep. :yawn:

Reading this page keeps me awake and amused. since they wont let me watch tv.

"The psychos are nestled all snug in their beds While visions of Haladol Dance in there Heads"
 
Hey ajri,

Welcome to the forum.

I'm originally from LA too, now in N. Cali.

For self defense, I would recommend an Emerson:

http://emersonknives.com/MiniCQC7BW.html

Blade is under 3", wave feature and a decent steel. Plus made in Torrance, Ca!!

P.S. I would go with a plain edge -not a fan of serrations. Hassle to sharpen, and the serrations just seem to get in the way of things.
 
Ma'am, I do this for a living (teaching firearm, blade and hand to hand). I am a retired USMC Gunnery Sargent. Go with the delica (no wave) use the inside waistband carry, practice drawing with right and left hand (adjust your knife placement to allow this), read in thread you kickbox so ask your instructor if he can teach you a few short baton impact moves (equates out to useing the closed knife as an impact weapon on his nuts, armpit, solar plexus, throat, wrist, ect.. PAIN PRODUCING POINTS!!!) practice them frequently and when you feel ready`tape off your blade edge and practice useing your blade in place of the impact and also practice with the blade "slowly", muscle memory will help from the earlier practice. Do not hurry as it will hurt if you screw up. If you have a boyfriend, male friend or a strong female friend ask them to restrain you carefully but firmly ( pick you up, pin you down, push you into a corner are all standard male on female attacks). What I've just passed on are the basic techniques I teach. And they work very, very well. There are 3 colleges within 30 miles of me so I teach alot of female students. If you wear dresses much clipping the delica inside your bra cup works very well and allows two hand access and depending on your bust size it is nearly invisible. TRAIN- Be safe and be careful. Im on the forum every day if you have questions. Bigkahunasix out BTW- Don't worry all the youngsters are basically harmless.
 
If we're going to keep talking about the wave, we should also probably talk about what it's drawbacks are:
A wave utilizes the corner of your jeans/pants pocket to open the blade and a lot of stress is put on that corner, thus it wears those corners out very very quickly...
I also don't see the CQC-7 for under 100 anywhere I've looked. I very nearly reccomended an Emerson as well but then remembered the price tag...
 
I Know this isnt always a factor But the delica is a Relativeley PC looking knife if you find yourself on the wrong end of a motor vehicle stop or, God Forbid, having to actually use the knife for defense. Some of the other suggestions made while great knives have a very "tactical" look that may say " im looking for trouble" to a police officer or jury.

I am a firm believer in being judged by twelve rather than carried by six. but it is something that needs to be thought about by anyone carrying any form of weapon.
 
Well at the end of my night I would say look at the Merlin and the Native. And not carry knives in your bra. Or next to your bare skin.
 
Hey Phil, If you would like to come see a class of well prepared young women I'm just one state over. You have to think outside the box and women do it much better than men do. The bra carry was developed by two women(not my students) who by the nature of their jobs had to adapt their method of carry to fit their method of dress and is now in use by professional women and law enforcement women across the U.S. ( it is a solid useful tactic for those in the situation and the old garter belt carry on the thigh is way too slow) Over the years of teaching diplomatic security, LEO's, military and civilian I have found that when their personal security is at stake women are a little more willing to deal with some inconvience and discomfort than men, probably because they have a little more to lose than a man. Rape, STD's reproductive damage can be a powerful motivator. BTW- from experience I will tell you that cops, DA's, Judges and JURY's would have a field day with a Merlin/Tasman its appearance, while possibly preventing an altercation would DEFINITELY be portrayed as an OFFENSIVE WEAPON by any decent lawyer and construed as intent to a jury. By the way did I say that I do this for a living. Bigk6
 
Trying to pick a knife that looks non threatening is just as stupid as trying to pick one that looks scary. A hawkbill is a fine and perfectly legal choice.

The statement about the courts is flawed. No way a "decent" lawyer is going to try and convict on the trumped up charge that the look or style of a legally carried knife can be construed as intent. That would be a dishonest & crappy lawyer.

A decent lawyer, on the other hand, should easily knock that idiotic argument out of the air. Railroading a victim for defending themselves based on the type of knife carried would be a travesty of justice.

The case would decide if the victim was acting in self defense, not if the knife looked scary.


BTW: I am surprised that you misspelled your own military rank.
 
The Spyderco Tansman serrated hawkbill is exactly what you need. They cost a little over $50, and you can choose between basic black and non-threatening "safety yellow" for the handle material. Handle is textured to be a non-slip surface (many Spydercos have smooth steel handles), blade steel is designed to be rust resistant in salt water, and it has a thumbhole and pocket clip.

IMHO, next to pushdaggers (unlawful in CA), a serrated hawkbill is the very best choice for a smaller individual who lacks training. Just grab and rip, like you're using a linoleum / carpet knife. It is not designed to stab or slash, but it works extremely well for convincing an aggressor to let you go.
 
ajri said:
I've been looking around this forum for awhile as I've always like knives and am interested in learning about them. Plus some of the post here are hilarious. But i'm posting because I was looking for a knife for self defense and I would really appreciate more experienced feedback. Uhm I guess some info would help.

I'm a 22 year old female and I'm comfortable with knives (Dad bought me a Swiss Army floder when I was 11) but I haven't had one in 3 years and don't know a great deal about a lot of the brands. But I live on a fairly shady street and lately some incidents have got me thinking about self defense. I know awareness of where I am and SD classes are important but I'd also like to have a blade. Plus I just like folders:)

Looking for a folding knife small/thin enough that I can actually carry this on me. So prolly smaller thean 3 inches. I'll get mace for my purse, but I'm looking for a knife I can carry wearing the typical tighter college girl jeans without it being noticeable. That way I wont have to worry about carrying a purse everywhere.

Budget is around a 100$ and the only brand I really know anything about is Spyderco. So any recs for there knives along with other brand suggestions would be appreciated. Jesus this is a long post thanks in advance for reading this.
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Hi AJRI,
I am also a woman and while I am new to this forum, I was taught knife & gun carrying & handling skills by my father from a very young age. While I carry at least one knife with me at all times, and I also carry a gun, I am not going to necessarily depend on them for self-defense. (except for the gun under my pillow or on my nightstand). Being ex-military, I know that big or small men can move alot faster than you think esp. when they are hopped up on something or driven by motives far deeper and stranger than anything you or I could fathom. They will take you down before you draw that little knife out of your pocket or mace from your key chain. Please, PLEASE, go to a professional self defense course that addresses multiple ways to protect yourself if you are that worried. Get one of the key chains or belt attachments that has a pull-tab and a 'screamer' on it that you can instantly pull if you don't have time to pull that handy little knife you are carrying. A knife fight is a SERIOUS battle and can go either way in seconds. You could be wearing your treasured knife in your chest in nothing flat. I know it is tempting to think that you will always be prepared but being prepared is not just having a knife or gun or mace. It is a mental preparation that has to be trained, honed and practised on a regular basis to train your muscles to automatically know what to do when surprised by an attacker. sorry for the long post, but as a woman I felt it was my duty to expand this discussion. Please don't think I am not against carrying knives. I have at least twenty knives, none of them especially high tech, fancy or super-expensive, but all of them handy for the specifics tasks I use them for. Get a $50.00 knife and spend the other $50 on a training course. Sorry this post is so long. Anyone can respond but please don't berate me because this is meant more for womens protection and education than for serious knife collectors.
S
 
Normark said:
I don't mean to be critical,, however lets not confuse "pocket carry" with "concealed carry"..

Pocket carry as far as I'm concerned isn't "concealed carry"

Concealing means Intending to hide...
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Hardly. "Concealed carry" means carrying a thing in such a manner that the thing is concealed. Intent has nothing to do with it.
 
bigkahunasix said:
Ma'am, I do this for a living (teaching firearm, blade and hand to hand). I am a retired USMC Gunnery Sargent. Go with the delica (no wave) use the inside waistband carry, practice drawing with right and left hand (adjust your knife placement to allow this), read in thread you kickbox so ask your instructor if he can teach you a few short baton impact moves (equates out to useing the closed knife as an impact weapon on his nuts, armpit, solar plexus, throat, wrist, ect.. PAIN PRODUCING POINTS!!!) practice them frequently and when you feel ready`tape off your blade edge and practice useing your blade in place of the impact and also practice with the blade "slowly", muscle memory will help from the earlier practice. Do not hurry as it will hurt if you screw up. If you have a boyfriend, male friend or a strong female friend ask them to restrain you carefully but firmly ( pick you up, pin you down, push you into a corner are all standard male on female attacks). What I've just passed on are the basic techniques I teach. And they work very, very well. There are 3 colleges within 30 miles of me so I teach alot of female students. If you wear dresses much clipping the delica inside your bra cup works very well and allows two hand access and depending on your bust size it is nearly invisible. TRAIN- Be safe and be careful. Im on the forum every day if you have questions. Bigkahunasix out BTW- Don't worry all the youngsters are basically harmless.
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Bigkahunasix,
I guess I should have kept reading to find the voice of sanity (sorry guys-I meant regarding the self-defense, not the knife adivce-I love that part!) in this thread. Thanks for your reply to Ajri. Knives, guns, etc. are awesome but the mind and body are incredibly powerful tools if properly trained and you're willing to use them. I hope she also looks into expanding her kick-boxing (probably cardio training only) into a self defense course. Time for me to get a cup of coffee and start my Sunday.
Swomack
 
It's true, a Kershaw Ken Onion speedsafe is your best bet - they come in all sizes and price ranges. Forget about specifical SD knives; it's a dumb notion. The speedsafes are beautiful and nice to handle, sheeple-friendly, fast openers when in need and will slash anything very easily with that Kershaw sharpness and Ken Onion recurve.
 
I reccommend the Benchmade 530 or the Monochrome (although it may be too heavy), They are both excellent knives. The 530 is very very light and thin, but the blade doesn't seem as stong as the Monochrome. The Monochrome is the knife I carry, and I am extremly happy with it, I also think it would make an excllent SD knife, because of the belly this knife has, it is very slim and it is fairly heavy, it is an excellent tool for edc. I know some people are going to freak out when they read this, but I prefer Benchmade over Spyderco, I think the craftsmanship is a little better as well as a nicer fit and finish on the Benchmades, I also like Benchmades designs better, Spydercos are very nice, and I own several (and I will own many more), but the designs get kind of repetitive and for about the same $$, I could get a new Benchmade.
 
If I were ajri I would get the tasman salt. She mentioned she runs, it would be good for that since its basically rust proof. Also I agree the hawkbill style blade is good for amateurs.

Also I hope that the kickboxing you (ajri) mentioned is the martial type, and not just for exercise.
 
Hawkbill Spyderco's are really wide, and the 530 doesn't have the easiest to access thumbstuds (though it was my running knife for a while) so I would recommend trying to handle them before ordering on the net. I personally don't worry about tip up carry as long as the knife isn't a liner/frame lock. Blade pattern will be influenced to some degree by what you train in.

I'd recommend a mini-griptilian. Plenty of handle color choices, thumbstud or hole, plain or combo edge, and very easy to inertial open-just shake and go. And after hundreds of inertial openings with 4 axis lock knives, I don't worry about lock integrity from the action. Only thing may be the handle thickness and texture, depending on your cohsen carry method.
 
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