I'm Switching - any suggestions?

M

marco

Joined
Oct 3, 1998
Messages
148
well, i've decided to switch from daily carry of folders and neck knives to daily carry of a fixed blade IWB. i will still need to carry folders and neck knives every once in a while or in conjunction with a FB.
what i am looking for is:

a concealable fixed blade, suitable for self defense. since the knife will be used only for defensive purposes, handle ergonomics and sheath design are more important to me than blade shape. texas law says that it must be under 5 1/2" in blade length and not double-edged. it must be very concealable. i would like it to be a factory production knife that i can go to the knife store or gun show and pick up anytime. nothing custom.
i am looking at BM Nimravus, and Timberline Aviator. these are obviously very different, but they have nice sheaths and seem concealable. i already have a CS Kobun, but the handle is uncomfortable and somewhat limited. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! thanks!

marco
 
The Timberline aviator is a smaller version of the Specwar which is really comfortable in my hands. Check it out.
 
marco - check out Bob Dozier's designs. AG Russell caries some, Bob has many very usefuk urban fixed blade designs. Another is Bud Nealy, I believe Boker is making a production version. Both excellent fixed blade designers and they know their sheaths.
sal
 
I bought a Bud Nealy full-sized Aikuchi becasue I had a slight touch of fixed blade fever(still do
wink.gif
!). The MCS System is very neat, and best of all, the knife is M2 steel!! I find it very comfortable and I carry it daily.
 
The Busse Mean Street is a great knife that fits your needs. Also, like Sal said, Dozier makes excellent knives. Quite seriously, the quality of his blades are probably the best you will ever own.

Forget about the Aviator for daily carry, I have one and I purchased it for that very same reason, but I never carry it. The sheath is way too bulky and the knife is too light with no real feel. It looks good, but that's pretty much it. Also, the IWB carry of this knife rides too high which results in the handle sticking out leaving a large imprint in your shirt.

Bud Nealys are great concealable knives, but the knives are a bit too slim for my tastes. Because of this however, they are extremely easy to conceal.

Al Polkowski's Companion, Pug, and Scorpion are excellent IWB defense knives (they were designed for this), but they run from $255 to $350.
 
Here's an odd thought: exactly what defines five and a half inches? Is it cutting edge, all blade material past the guards, stabbing penetration, or what?

'Cuz that can be "played with". Example: on The Outsider, the upper guard could have been thrown even further forward, effectively limiting stabs to whatever arbitrary limit the law sets...while leaving more cutting edge free on the prime edge below. If it's measured past the guardS (plural) then again, this gag could be played with such a "shark's fin" upper guard thrown way the hell down the spine. Do a Persian type tip, or something like a standard "hunter" with lots of belly and you'd have an interesting and not-too-complex piece. Have it done by a good maker who doesn't yet have a "big bux name" like Madpoet or Alan Folts, it wouldn't be a bank-breaker. Alan I know directly is *GOOD*.

One comment: if you're in TX and have a concealed handgun permit, from what I've heard not too many cops are going to do a knife bust when you can legally have a gun. It would look just too silly in court...? Your milage (and local PD attitudes) may vary, you might want to dig into that yourself, and it might not be worth the risk unless you were willing to seriously challenge it if busted.

Jim March
 
Jim,

What defines legal and illegal carry in Texas? I have read the statutes but, it is still not clear to me. I would appreciate any light you could shed on this matter.

Thanks,
Sid
 
Why nothing custom? If you go for a Nimravus, you will be spending about $100 I think. For that you can get a Chetan from Rob Simonich that will be a better and tougher knife. There are a lot of custom makers, making small basic knives from around what you would pay for a high-end production knife, and you will get better steel, better design, and better heat treatment.

The Nimravus is about the best tactical design I have seen in a production knife. Strong, light, slim, verstile utility blade. Haven't seen the Boker/Nealy yet. There were those Gryphon M10 knives. Those were nice if you can find one. Designed by Tourzula.

Harv
 
i picked up the boker/nealy this past weekend at a gun/knife show. it is very nice. only a 3 1/2" blade. no guard, but i don't think the nealy aikuchi has a guard either. the boker/nealy specialist has become a daily carry for me. i have been carrying it instead of a folder recently. the mcs system is great and the knife fits well in the hand. it seems to be designed to press the butt of the handle into the palm of your hand, so as not to let your fingers slide up during a stab. it balances well and feels great in my hand. this one is definitely a keeper!

marco
 
Marco
I would not recommend the Nimravus for daily concealed carry. I have one and love it, but I find it too large and bulky for the purposes you desire. I dont have a lot of experience with FB's worn IWB, but I can recommend the MOD Razorback. It is designed for that purpose and is extremely comfortable.
 
Al Polkowski handsdown for pure defensive carry. They are well thought out and field tested by professionals nationwide. The ergonomics in his Kasper series (Bulldog 6", Pug 5", Scorpion 4.5" and Companion 4")is unequaled in this field. He does not have a web site but you can check out the GHCA's web that features his knives and its designer Bob Kasper at http://home.earthlink.net/~ghca.
Take note of "Knifehead" Kevin Gentile' s section and his modifications of AFCK and Strykers.

L8r,
Nakano
 
It sounds like you're describing a CS Culloden to a "t". Styled after a Gaelic skean dhu (meaning "black knife"), it has a 5" single-edge blade (straight or serrated & choice of steel), extremely sharp point & hair popping edge, weighs less than 3 oz, and comes w/Kydex sheath that really hugs the body either IWB or on belt.

See <http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/coldsteel/11ssgif.html> for more details. Don't be put off by the short flat handle. It locks up real solid in a number of grips.

Have fun shopping.

Brian
 
Sorry, the HTML didn't show up in my other post. See the CS fixed blade section of www.knifecenter.com for details.

Brian
 
If you think a 3" is adequate, go custom, look at Simonich Cetan, or RJ Martin Handyman. Both excellent at $125 - $135.
 
BUD NEALY VERY NICE BUT ONLY 3/32NDS. (I WOULD LEAN TOWARDS HIS CLAD - DAMASCUS SANDWICHING VERY SHARP 52100.

THE 5" PUG - FANTASTIC HANDLE BUT DOES NOT COME RAZOR SHARP BY ANY MEANS.

THE BUSSE "MEAN STREETS" IS 3.5" BUT EXTREMELY STRONG.

MY CHOICE: DOZIER MAKES QUALITY PRODUCTS THAT ARE EXTREMELY WELL GROUND. AND I LIKE D-2. HIS STUFF IS NOT THAT FLAT - BUT I SUSPECT HE WILL MAKE A "CUSTOM" BOWIE IF YOU ASK (SAY 5", 3/32NDS AND SLIM HANDLE, YOUR CHOICE OF KYDEX SHEATH). AND HIS PRICES ARE EXCELLENT.
 
maro I noticed you said under 5 and a half inches for texas, actually the penal code reads rom 46.01
(A) knife with a blade over five and one-half inches; I mention this because I carry several that are listed as 5 and a half inches.

J. March Relating to your post about the CHL in texas. Section 46.02 is where the illegal knife part is and 46.02 does not apply to...
) is carrying a concealed handgun and a valid license
issued under Article 4413(29ee), Revised Statutes, to carry a
concealed handgun of the same category as the handgun the
person is carrying;

It would seem to me that the license would be enough but it reads that you actually have to be carrying the handgun.
 
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