Best Self defense knife?

Either a Randall #1 or Randall #2 come to mind. Both have actually stood the test of time and use. Good steel.
 
I would go with the gunting. When you get the training down, you will be able to see the different situations in which it can be used for self defense. Every point and section of the gunting is made for self defense, it is a beauty.
 
Originally posted by Full Tang Clan
I seem to always agree with Ankerson, but he's right. A double edged dagger -- like a Sykes/Fairbairn -- is a good stabber.

Along this philosophy, I suppose a spearpoint would be the best conventional folder blade style unless you can find a folding double edged dagger blade (like a folding SOG Pentagon).

What you think Ankerson? ;)
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Full Tang Clan,

You bring up a good point (no pun intended). :D

I have seen some spear point folders that have pretty good blade size. They might be pretty good stabbing weapons...(Although None have 7" blades)

CS has their Thripple Action Folder that Is A Double Edge.

I have seen some large double edged butterfly knives with 6" blades, don't remember who made them though.
 
Originally posted by jim_l_clifton
Yuk,
"GUNTING"!!Wonder why you choose the G over all those other neat folders!! :D
jim
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Jim, I sense some tongue-n-cheek in your answer so I'll take it with a grain of salt. However, you do provide a segway for one of my soapbox sermons! :o

This is just my opinion and I don't expect everyone to agree, but I gave a reason for the Gunting on my post on page 1.

The Gunting is specifically designed to give the user the option to use it in a non-lethal way without the blade. This is an incredibly important but overlooked fact.

There are not only ethical implications of using lethal force, but legal ones as well. Getting your butt thrown in jail, having to go to court, or even a civil suit because you killed a guy (even in self defense) is a real possibility. Not to mention, you're not likely to impress the court when they find out you were carrying a knife to begin with. Sorry, folks but those are real possibilites and dilemmas that all of us who carry knives for self-defense have to consider.

So yeah, if it's necessary then you may have no choice but to use lethal force, but depending on circumstances there may be non-lethal alternatives.

So I believe there is a reason to consider a Gunting, or various other knives that can be used in the same manner. It just depends on your objectives.
 
Full Tang Clan,

None lethal force is better kept to Law enforcement and the Military. (Almost got me killed more than once)

With that said here is my recommendation for 99.9% of the time:


FIND A WAY OUT WITHOUT USING ANY FORCE AT ALL IF YOU CAN;)


Real life and the Movies are not the same.....which means that all the Movies that people see are not real....the Jury will have seen the same Movies too.


Use you head first...THINK. There is away out without a fight most of the time.

Don't let your pride rule the moment----it could get you thrown in jail or worse....killed.


Now with all that said, if you are backed into a corner and have no choice and noway out do whatever it takes to survive..;) And worry about jail later, hoping there are some people around that can testify in your behalf.

You will have to make the choice to kill your attacker or not...that is between you and God....And if you can live with it after it happens.

One of the reasons I like Large Fixed Blade Knives....to your attacker it will look like a sword and most of the time he will turn tail and run.....Speaking from personal experience here...:D
 
if i was restricted to a knife, would want either a smatchet or a old US military cutlass...........


greg
 
Full Tang Clan,

I don't think a Dagger is the best defense weapon though. They are the best killing knives, great for special OPS or other government specialists. (Attacking from behind, quietly)


That's why the Bowie design is the best fighting knife...it has the Clip Point with a False edge, or it could be sharpened. Great for stabbing. And it is a great slashing knife too...The blade design was developed to be a fighting knife from the beginning.
 
Ankerson,

since I have no experience on this and only look at the blade shapes:
Why is the Bowie better for slashing than a dagger? I can see that with a needle-like dagger (Fairbairn-Sykes), but would a wider dagger not work as well for slashing as a Bowie?
 
Originally posted by Grey Area
Ankerson,

since I have no experience on this and only look at the blade shapes:
Why is the Bowie better for slashing than a dagger? I can see that with a needle-like dagger (Fairbairn-Sykes), but would a wider dagger not work as well for slashing as a Bowie?
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Because a Dagger doesn't have the belly that a Bowie has, the blade design doesn't let the edge stay on the target long enough to provide deep slashes. The Daggers blade is light weight (Weight in or around the handle because of the double edge grind) it doesn't provide the needed power (Weight) on the edge to slash deeply. Only the point will penatrate for a short time, the edge leaves the target almost as soon as it penatrates.

A Bowie on the other hand has the weight and the blade shape to keep the edge on the target for along time....the more edge that contacts the target the longer and deeper the cut will be...

That also makes the Bowie a great chopper too, the blade weight driving the blade into the target.....I don't think I need to go into details on that one though.
 
Originally posted by Ankerson
Full Tang Clan,

I don't think a Dagger is the best defense weapon though. They are the best killing knives, great for special OPS or other government specialists. (Attacking from behind, quietly)


That's why the Bowie design is the best fighting knife...it has the Clip Point with a False edge, or it could be sharpened. Great for stabbing. And it is a great slashing knife too...The blade design was developed to be a fighting knife from the beginning.
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Actually, when I said dagger, I was speaking in context of stabbing since that's what that particular post was speaking of. I believe the symmetrical spearpoint shape, the centered point, and double edge would make it the best stabber. With a dagger, it doesn't matter what angle you thrust from since the point is always leading because the point is centered; kind of like a spike.

Personally, I feel safer with a spine on one side (i.e. bowie, tanto, etc.) rather than a double edge.

I actually like the styling of SOG's X-42 fixed blade. I haven't handled one up close but it looks good. Hey, who says a knife can't look cool too? ;)

That said, I'm considering on buying the very inexpensive Camillus double edged boot knife with 4 inch blade just for fun. For it's dirt cheap price, it looks rather interesting: full tang, 440A (not great but better than 410). I just doubt I'd carry it because it would be cumbersome, and hiding a knife by your ankle is neither practical, nor advantageous. Besides, what do I do when I don't wear boots? What do you think?

As far as my post on non-lethal vs. lethal force, I think many of us at the forum often get carried away with machismo and confuse the glamorous violence in movies with the tragedy of real life violence. We also tend to downplay the responibility of carrying a tool that can also be a lethal weapon. There's a lot impressionable, younger guys at this forum (many in high-school) and they need to know the potential consequences should they decide in carrying and using a knife for self-defense.

So, yes, yet again I agree with you that avoiding trouble is the best strategy if at all possible.
 
That said, I'm considering on buying the very inexpensive Camillus double edged boot knife with 4 inch blade just for fun. For it's dirt cheap price, it looks rather interesting: full tang, 440A (not great but better than 410). I just doubt I'd carry it because it would be cumbersome, and hiding a knife by your ankle is neither practical, nor advantageous. Besides, what do I do when I don't wear boots? What do you think?
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Full Tang Clan,

It can't hurt that's for sure, I carried a Gerber MK 1 for many years, 5" Double Edged Boot Knife as a backup knife.
 
Originally posted by Ankerson
Full Tang Clan,

It can't hurt that's for sure, I carried a Gerber MK 1 for many years, 5" Double Edged Boot Knife as a backup knife.
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That's true. It would make a good, back up self-defense knife. Kind of like a wakizashi (recall the katana thread)! ;) Besides, it's so darn cheap, that I wouldn't feel bad if it dropped off my ankle somewhere and I lost it.

BTW, my main carry these days for self-defense is an aluminum kubotan. See! I practice what I preach (about non-lethal weapons)! ;)

FTC
 
My vote is for an 18" machete for remote area - for clearing brush, anyway, if not for protection.
 
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