Combat Folder: Opinions

Had to post back about combat blades & share an experience that changed my perspectives. TRUE story:

Almost 40 yrs ago I was walking out of a drugstore and some greasy looking dude in a Lincoln screamed "move that piece of sh*t punk!!"

Being mortified & angry - "over the top" - I reached into the back seat of my convertible and not finding my little pistol immediately, grabbed some sort of Gerber fixed blade knife I owned to stab this jerk if he got out to fight.

I turned around, blade in hand to see this huge guy in a silk suit with hair slicked straight back. glaring at me. He looked at my wicked blade and laughed as he hiked his hand inside his suit jacket, exposing the but of what appeared to be an S&W or Colt .357. (Large grips revolver)

The last sound I recall before my screeching tires, is the sound of the knife dropping to the pavement and my mumbling some sort of apology.

I've often wondered why I wasn't shot. This was is broad daylight in Wash. D.C. If he was a cop I'd have been shot or in jail. The attire, the car, his mannerisms and those New Jersey plates convinced me that I had caught a break from a guy who really didn't want to have to shoot me and draw unnecessary attention to himself. If you know what I mean?

I love knives, but knife combat is easily trumped by anybody who can squeeze a trigger with a degree of accuracy. You've been served. ;)
 
Not being smart alecky, but if you need to use your knife to stick or slash somebody in order to kill them (combat), wouldn't you be better served by a fixed-blade knife with regard to speed of draw:?
 
cziv said:
Had to post back about combat blades & share an experience that changed my perspectives. TRUE story:

Almost 40 yrs ago I was walking out of a drugstore and some greasy looking dude in a Lincoln screamed "move that piece of sh*t punk!!"

Being mortified & angry - "over the top" - I reached into the back seat of my convertible and not finding my little pistol immediately, grabbed some sort of Gerber fixed blade knife I owned to stab this jerk if he got out to fight.

I turned around, blade in hand to see this huge guy in a silk suit with hair slicked straight back. glaring at me. He looked at my wicked blade and laughed as he hiked his hand inside his suit jacket, exposing the but of what appeared to be an S&W or Colt .357. (Large grips revolver)

The last sound I recall before my screeching tires, is the sound of the knife dropping to the pavement and my mumbling some sort of apology.

I've often wondered why I wasn't shot. This was is broad daylight in Wash. D.C. If he was a cop I'd have been shot or in jail. The attire, the car, his mannerisms and those New Jersey plates convinced me that I had caught a break from a guy who really didn't want to have to shoot me and draw unnecessary attention to himself. If you know what I mean?

I love knives, but knife combat is easily trumped by anybody who can squeeze a trigger with a degree of accuracy. You've been served. ;)
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True dat, my negro. True dat.

Knives have their uses. If you had meant business, you prolly would have sprinted at the dude and drawn/buried your knife at the last second. That's what I would have done. You lucked out hardcore bro. Not fun having a gun pointed at the center of your mass. After a few times, it ain't so scary. You gotta make your move before the dude decides whether to bluff, shoot, or stand there. Err on the side of caution. Kill a scumbag and nobody will be the wiser. Poor bastard was prolly stabbed by a rival pimp/dealer/thug.
 
hardheart said:
cziv, you should have run him over with your car.
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I panicked man! I was just a young punk. I see why you have your username. Run him down like a dog! :thumbup:

Charlie Mike said:
True dat, my negro. True dat.

Knives have their uses. If you had meant business, you prolly would have sprinted at the dude and drawn/buried your knife at the last second. That's what I would have done. You lucked out hardcore bro. Not fun having a gun pointed at the center of your mass. After a few times, it ain't so scary. You gotta make your move before the dude decides whether to bluff, shoot, or stand there. Err on the side of caution. Kill a scumbag and nobody will be the wiser. Poor bastard was prolly stabbed by a rival pimp/dealer/thug.
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I froze when I saw the gun Charlie Mike and this dude was 99% probably one those guys with the crooked nose - connected. His car, attire, attitude fit to a "T." I think he'd have killed me if I didn't cease & desist.

OTOH, I have drawn down on 3 guys in my life and they did the same thing - turned to statues, like they saw Medusa's head when the gun bbl. was in their face. God has been bewwy bewwy good to me in my younger, wilder days. I'm just a gentle old fart now. :)
 
I just prayed for you, homey. He has a use for you yet. If not, you'd be getting sodomized by some AB folks I know. God was on your shoulder. Earn it bro. Boink that girl you never could spill your love to. Raise a family. Get old. I'm 28 and I'm already plucking white hairs. Let the young/stupid do the wet work. That's what I was there for. I joined infantry fully knowing/anticipating war was close. If you have nothing to lose, go ahead and tell the E7 that you want 11x.

Do what you will. That IS the whole of the law.
 
CS Recon 1 (Strongest lock, will never fail, cheapest of the 3)
Spyderco Military (Great Steel and handle)
XM-18 (AWESOME...just pricey)
ZT 0300/301 (Assisted opening excellent for SD, but not as long as others)

Strongest order:
1st XM-18
2nd CS Recon 1
3rd ZT 0300/301
4rd Spyderco Military
 
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I bought a S30V Military when I was stationed at Ft. Campbell. It failed the spine whack test every time. Just my exp with the Spyderco Military.
 
cziv said:
Had to post back about combat blades & share an experience that changed my perspectives. TRUE story:

Almost 40 yrs ago I was walking out of a drugstore and some greasy looking dude in a Lincoln screamed "move that piece of sh*t punk!!"
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Noticing a greasy looking character is step one

Step two, the guy is being loud...o.k. confirmed this guy is a target.

Step three, just quietly leave, don't go trying to scare him.

You learned this lesson it seems, but it is very rare someone just randomly opens their mouth like that towards a stranger in public if they are unarmed. This includes cops for that matter. Armed doesn't have to literally mean armed either, it could just be the guy is a badass.

East coast, someone running their mouth like that is an armed criminal, general proven badass, or a cop. None of those fall into the 'scares easily because someone is flashing a pocket knife'. You were lucky he let you leave ;-).

IMO a knife is something 'they' will never actually see with any advance notice....or you didn't try to leave hard enough first.

Actually thinking about it, this applies to civilian concealed handgun carry too. One isn't the authority in that situation, one is the potential victim. A weapon is to stop being a victim, not to put a scare into someone.
 
If I had to do some wet work, I'd take an Emerson folding Super kerambit concealed along with a suppressed .45 custom SA Operator. Fortunately, that is a job I don't end up being volunteered for.
 
Sounds like to much late night TV is being watched.

I think I would go with a waved Endura over the Military. Faster, stronger tip, and I would rather have a back lock than a liner lock.

That being said I would figure out a way to legally carry a hand gun. A knife is the last thing I would want to fight with. A baseball bat would be a much better weapon unless you have years of knife training.
 
For a $120 budget there are a multitude of choices. But for $8 more I would definately choose the ZT0200.:thumbup:
 
Charlie Mike said:
I bought a S30V Military when I was stationed at Ft. Campbell. It failed the spine whack test every time. Just my exp with the Spyderco Military.
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I'm not sure what your "spine whack test" is, but the Spyderco Military is one of the best production linerlocks around, and I've never heard of issues with bad lockup. Ironically enough, you recommended an Emerson CQC-7 and an Emerson Super Kerambit [sic], but there's plenty of videos/testimonies of bad locks failing even under slight pressure.

A knife is made for cutting, not for slamming the spine into a hard object. To the OP, I can't imagine you'd be unhappy with a Spyderco. If I were buying a production folder for your use, within the budget that you indicated, I would absolutely go with Spyderco.

Putting the practicality of using a knife as a SD device aside, I think the Benchmade axis lock is a poor choice as a SD knife. I've written about this a bit in the past, and if you search around on the forums, you should find a thread about it, but I believe it's too easy for the axis lock to be disengaged, either by you, or someone else.

TLDR: go with a Spyderco Military or Paramilitary 2 (or a PM 1 if you don't mind the length, and it'd be cheaper).
 
The 4.5" Applegate combat. Liner lock and a Rotolock(?) is all you need. But hey, I personally just don't trust lock backs.
 
I 've said this before the word combat folder is an oxy moran


Although I do really dig Charlie Mike's Demko custom Navaja
 
:D:D:D post number 3,999 for me:D:D:D


Another choice would be the Ontario Hossom Retribution I. It fits the 3 things you asked for and does it very well. It would have to be sheath carried as it doesn't have a pocket clip, though I sanded down the flared handles on mine and added a clip, so it is doable if a clip is needed/wanted. Otherwise it does come with a nice and very durable sheath.

Blade is .200" thick, and it is 4.6" in length, with an overall length of 10.5", ideal for the bad places! The titanium liners are .100" thick, and the knife weighs in at over 10 ounces. Blade steel is N690Co, which is a European steel and a very good steel.

Just a suggestion that hadn't yet been mentioned.:D
 
never mind found it for like 500 bucks. out of the question. thanks for the suggestions guys. I just need to make a decision.
 
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