Hello, newb to knives but not guns

R

Ramg66

Joined
Jan 14, 2018
Messages
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Hello, I am an experienced firearm packer, I have been carrying conceal since 1993. I have just started carrying a knife as a backup weapon. I can't believe I just started just now, I always thought, why would someone bring a Knife to a gun fight? No disrespect. But I met a conceal carry person who told me a knife is a perfect backup in case the gun fails or just can't do the job 100% of the time. Made sense to me, now I am addicted to Knives, I have purchased the Spyderco Para 2, ZT 0350, Benchmade Griptilian and the Spyderco Delica4 as a backup. Yes I said backup, now I don't have to carry an extra magazine, and I have a choice of a gun or a knife to control the situation. Anyway, damn I'm addicted now. Any advice will be appreciated, what do you think of my first knife collection?
 
ZT 0452CF / 0562CF and Spyderco Military are always popular additional choices. And think of the knife more a backup tool than weapon, it's pretty difficult to cut things with a gun. And the more you carry a knife the more often you see how practical it can be to have one handy outside of dangerous situations. Also welcome. :thumbsup:
 
Welcome to the forums. As a CPL holder myself, I would highly recommend carrying a 2nd mag + knife. I've been carrying a knife for almost 30 years. I've never viewed it as a SD weapon. I use it to cut things during my day.

Nice selection of knives.
 
A knife is good for weapon retention. I carry gun at 3-4 o clock then knife clipped in left pocket. The zt 0452 is a good one for this. 4 inch blade with an excellent flipping action. You have a good collection going.
 
To me a knife is by far a tool first weapon a distant second. Are you familiar with the Ka-Bar TDI? I'd recommend that as a self defense knife if that's your use for a knife. That or a waved knife do you know what I'm referring to about a waved knife? By know means am I talking down to you just want to help. It's the internet people take things the wrong way. They may move this to the Practical Tactical sub-forums. Welcome to BF brother!
 
Welcome! You're off to a great start!

Of the 4, which would you say is your favorite at the moment?

I'll second carrying an extra mag as back up. I'd rather have double the lead and a knife as an option than just one or the other. With all the different carry methods out there, they really aren't much of a burden and wont conflict with carrying a knife.
 
I've carried a concealed firearm since 1987. I carry a gun that goes BANG every time.
I was a firearms dealer for a long time, and an enthusiastic handgun owner since 1959.
For the last eight yrs or so, I've been heavy into knives, but have never seriously considered using one for defensive means.
Without special training in knife-fighting, I'd be a big loser.
I cut with knives...every day...and carry a fixed and a folder every day...they are tools to use, IMO.
 
I too have carried for years, always with an extra mag even with a high capacity gun. Always carry a knife i use one every day, you might look at some of the cold steel with pocket tabs to open when you pull it from a pocket or the emersons both make a lot of good "get off me" knives.
 
You won’t find much support here if you view a knife as a weapon. Has to do with public perception and other politics. I on the other hand view pistols and rifles as tools. knives fall under the same category by default.
 
Pick the best utilitarian everyday cutting tool for you ,and practice some self defense with it.
You're already carrying what is almost always dead weight in the form of your firearm since you hopefully will never need it, and you don't need more dead weight in a knife that could be useful.

A good general utilitarian blade will most often be sharp and thinly ground with a good tip, this will be great for everyday utility and as good as anything else in an unlikely self defense role if it's quick to deploy / draw.

I may be way off on this, but it would seem to me that an item you handle and use every single day would be so familiar to you that when the adrenaline hits there may just be less chance of you fumbling and dropping it or something.

Since you seem to have chosen some already utilitarian blades, you need to make sure you actually use it as often as possible as a cutting tool.
Its the best way to get familiar with it so you don't drop it.
 
Ramg66 said:
Hello, I am an experienced firearm packer, I have been carrying conceal since 1993. I have just started carrying a knife as a backup weapon. I can't believe I just started just now, I always thought, why would someone bring a Knife to a gun fight? No disrespect. But I met a conceal carry person who told me a knife is a perfect backup in case the gun fails or just can't do the job 100% of the time. Made sense to me, now I am addicted to Knives, I have purchased the Spyderco Para 2, ZT 0350, Benchmade Griptilian and the Spyderco Delica4 as a backup. Yes I said backup, now I don't have to carry an extra magazine, and I have a choice of a gun or a knife to control the situation. Anyway, damn I'm addicted now. Any advice will be appreciated, what do you think of my first knife collection?
Click to expand...

Knives can be the ideal compliment to a gun for a situation where an enemy has grabbed your gun. Now you are both struggling to gain control of the firearm. With your weaker hand you can draw a knife to quickly cut your opponent and get him off you or your gun.

There are many knives made specifically for situations like this but more important than the knife is the training. Look up Craig Douglas who started a company called Shivworks and a fighting system to go along with it. Also look up the SOCP dagger which was designed exactly to be a weapon used to get an attacker to release his hold on you or your gun.

There are good knives for this role that can be had fairly cheap. The Kabar TDI is designed to be used by police officers for these tasks. Thebrc

Here are some good knives for these roles:

Clockwise from top left. Silent Soldier, spartan Enyo, Brous Silent Soldier Ranger, Shivworks Clinch Pick. (These can be quite expensive to someone new to knives but SoG does a collab with Brous to make a cheaper Silent Soldier called the SoG Snarl)
bzM2Px4.jpg


Street Beat on left and SOCP to right. (SOCP is made specifically to be used as a backup for a gun. Again these sre pricey, it would help to know what your price range is)

ddr92p2.jpg


Here is a video of gun vs knife.
 
I have carried CCW privately and carried professionally ... and although I have carried a knife even before I was ever of legal age to carry a handgun the knives have never been for self defense or as a backup ... even with many years of martial arts and training some including defending knife attacks ... a knife just makes for a poor self defense tool ... without extensive intense training.

all that being said welcome to the forums and always good to welcome a new member with a love of knives ...

you have some solid choices already it looks like ... theres a world of great blades that most will be happy to help you with questions or suggestions if you give us some guidelines of what type or size of knife or what uses of knives you might be looking for.
 
A rock or sharp stick makes for the worst self defense tool possible even with extensive training. Somehow untrained civilians have successfully defended themselves with these.
 
I wouldnt give up a mag for a knife.

The mag is way more important - especially since few train dilligently with a knife anyway.

One wouldnt pull a knife on an unarmed attacker, right - hence one might be in hot water, as few have the training for a knife fight ... or knife against a motorcycle chain, baseball bat etc ad nauseam.

This belongs in PracTac.
 
BladeScout said:
I wouldnt give up a mag for a knife.

The mag is way more important - especially since few train dilligently with a knife anyway.

One wouldnt pull a knife on an unarmed attacker, right - hence one might be in hot water, as few have the training for a knife fight ... or knife against a motorcycle chain, baseball bat etc ad nauseam.

This belongs in PracTac.
Click to expand...

You don't need to be trained to use a knife effectively. You cut and you stab. Bigger is better.

The only reason not to pull a knife on an unarmed attacker would be to avoid legal repercussions. Hundreds of people get beaten to death every year with nothing but punches and kicks. I'd rather use a knife before getting my head stomped into the ground.
 
Gvard said:
You don't need to be trained to use a knife effectively. You cut and you stab. Bigger is better.

The only reason not to pull a knife on an unarmed attacker would be to avoid legal repercussions. Hundreds of people get beaten to death every year with nothing but punches and kicks. I'd rather use a knife before getting my head stomped into the ground.
Click to expand...

Riiiiiiight ...

Well ..., good luck with that.

As I said; PracTac.
 
Gvard said:
You don't need to be trained to use a knife effectively. You cut and you stab. Bigger is better.

The only reason not to pull a knife on an unarmed attacker would be to avoid legal repercussions. Hundreds of people get beaten to death every year with nothing but punches and kicks. I'd rather use a knife before getting my head stomped into the ground.
Click to expand...

It is true people both attack and defend eachother all the time with a knife that have no training. However it is seriously rolling the dice. Training is what turns the knife into a viable self defense weapon.

Otherwise you are going to be counting on luck. There are plenty of of fights where a person doesn’t even realize they have been stabbed or cut until after the fight. During that time they could KO you or worse steal your knife and stab you. Most people have a movie based idea of what a knife does in a fight.

You could fillet a person and they still could end up killing you. Knife wounds can take a long time to incapacitate someone (that is why so many prefer blunt weapons or sprays) and in that window of time he could be having your ass for lunch.
 
Lapedog said:
Knives can be the ideal compliment to a gun for a situation where an enemy has grabbed your gun. Now you are both struggling to gain control of the firearm. With your weaker hand you can draw a knife to quickly cut your opponent and get him off you or your gun.

There are many knives made specifically for situations like this but more important than the knife is the training. Look up Craig Douglas who started a company called Shivworks and a fighting system to go along with it. Also look up the SOCP dagger which was designed exactly to be a weapon used to get an attacker to release his hold on you or your gun.

There are good knives for this role that can be had fairly cheap. The Kabar TDI is designed to be used by police officers for these tasks. Thebrc

Here are some good knives for these roles:

Clockwise from top left. Silent Soldier, spartan Enyo, Brous Silent Soldier Ranger, Shivworks Clinch Pick. (These can be quite expensive to someone new to knives but SoG does a collab with Brous to make a cheaper Silent Soldier called the SoG Snarl)
bzM2Px4.jpg


Street Beat on left and SOCP to right. (SOCP is made specifically to be used as a backup for a gun. Again these sre pricey, it would help to know what your price range is)

ddr92p2.jpg


Here is a video of gun vs knife.
Click to expand...
Has this self defense theory ever been put to the test? Just seems that if two people are fighting over one gun, letting go with one hand while you reach for a knife, get your hand on the knife, draw and or deploy the knife then actually use that knife all the while your opponent has two hands trying to get the gun seems a little hopeful.

If you can't keep or regain control with two hands then going to just one better be lighting fast and effective. Maybe shoving your thumb in his eye socket but pulling a knife, again I have my doubts. Also seems like it would be easier to pull your BUG. Even if you miss just the discharge of that gun could change the dynamics in your favor.
 
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