knives for self defense? is it mental?

hunterfisher808 said:
We hunt wild boar here with pit bulls and can tell you that once that dog locks its jaws, it is on there, even if that dog is dead. Any boar hunter will know this. a large boar will at times eviscerate a Pit and it will expire still locked on the Boar. As far as jumping onto 2 pits and a Great Dane in a full on scrap.....well its just extraordinary that you did not get bit....even by your own dog. one person cannot separate 2 motivated pits by oneself with bare hands. You can punch a pitbull square in the head with everything you got and it won't faze it, especially if its in "fight mode". Pound for pound men are very weak compared to the other mammals on this planet. What we do have is a superior brain which we use to develop tools/weapons as the equalizer.
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Understood, let me add some of the rest of the story now.... the reason why these dogs were separated from our dog I think is because they were not in kill mode, I don't know exactly why or do I know alot about the mentality of these dogs as someone who works with them would know. EDIT:>Again, the owner did step in even if he did so to stop me from assaulting his out of control dog, it was initially me vs. the 2, then me and the owner<. Do they have more than an off/on mode of attack? They were sent after my dog by their owner on purpose, I had actually asked the "individual" if it was OK to let my dog off the leash prior to the incident, and was told "yeh sure, it's fine" as I was being cautious, practicing reasonable care. I let her go and [it was at night] they went after her, she did not fight back at all, [curious] maybe she knew I was coming, it all happened quickly I guess but I felt like I saw things in slow-motion. My theory here is the a$$hole was training his dogs to attack and they may have just been in goofy normal playful mode just before the attack, as maybe they hadn't been trained quite yet, not just yet, to be quote / unquote >agressive. Therefore their adrenaline may not have been so high, heck they might have not understaood killing yet, I don't know, but I understand a locked jaw on a raging pit can only be opened with a crow bar. My case I don't really have the answer, just that this idiot was trying some sh*t and his dogs were his victims AS WELL.
 
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I should have drawn down on the "individual" and had my friend get the police, it was 12 years ago and I can't remember everything clearly, and it was a big city. I also was not as aware of citizen arrest, etc. as I am now, and as I stated in my 1st post am hesitant to be involved with the cops, actually moreso then than now.
 
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Ryou said:
Understood, let me add some of the rest of the story now.... the reason why these dogs were separated from our dog I think is because they were not in kill mode, I don't know exactly why or do I know alot about the mentality of these dogs as someone who works with them would know. Do they have more than an off/on mode of attack? They were sent after my dog by their owner on purpose, I had actually asked the "individual" if it was OK to let my dog off the leash prior to the incident, and was told "yeh sure, it's fine" as I was being cautious, practicing reasonable care. I let her go and [it was at night] they went after her, she did not fight back at all, [curious] maybe she knew I was coming, it all happened quickly I guess but I felt like I saw things in slow-motion. My theory here is the a$$hole was training his dogs to attack and they may have just been in goofy normal playful mode just before the attack, as maybe they hadn't been trained quite yet, not just yet, to be quote / unquote >agressive. Therefore their adrenaline may not have been so high, heck they might have not understaood killing yet, I don't know, but I understand a locked jaw on a raging pit can only be opened with a crow bar. My case I don't really have the answer, just that this idiot was trying some sh*t and his dogs were his victims AS WELL.
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Surprisingly to many people Pit Bulls are not all that inclined to bite humans. If they didn't bite you it probably was because they didn't want to. They was bred to fight other Pit Bulls and are handled in the fight ring and a dog that does not discriminate between animal and human wasn't tolerated.
Of course today you have people breeding them without regard to this and some even bred them to be human aggressive.
The Pit Bull and all the "Bull" type breeds do not get lock-jaw. They merely hold the clamp of their own will and are broken in fights with a pry-stick. Which is a flat wooden stick that is inserted between the biting dog's molars and turned up to make him open enough to pull the other dog free. (this takes more than one person to do)
The reason they are so hard to defeat in battle is because they get a lot madder than a normal dog does when fighting. They also have greater agility and they are very strong for their size and of course they bite hard.
A nice sized locking folder certainly is something that can be used with good effect against a attacking dog. If a ferocious dog of any breed attacked me and had a grip on me, I'd sure be glad to have a razor sharp stout one-hand opener to cut his throat. It would end his efforts to kill and I've always wondered, with all the irresponsible dog owners out there why more people don't feel the need to carry a decent knife.
 
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jill jackson said:
That's true a knife is a very hard weapon to defend against barehanded.
That deal about the defender being better off with nothing because of the attacker taking away the knife/pistol is merely sheeple propaganda.
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Sorry to those in the "it will just get used against you" camp, but I also find that to be BS. When I've got a knife that fits my hand like a glove (spydy military, strider smf, both come to mind) there is little chance that most degenerates who are assaulting me are going to somehow take away my blade and use it against me! I'm not rambo/ninja but the fights I've been in all happened REALLY fast and I just don't see how, given a life threatening situation, anyone would feel BETTER about NOT having a good knife. Yes, I legally carry a concealed pistol as well, but a good blade always has its place (even in self defense). Everyone keep safe.
 
jill jackson said:
It would end his efforts to kill and I've always wondered, with all the irresponsible dog owners out there why more people don't feel the need to carry a decent knife.
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This is an excellent addition to the discussion; carrying a knife is not always just for peace of mind in my thinking but it does provide it and I understand the OP exactly, when involved in conflict we must make very quick calculations, it's great to have the option. The practical side could rear it's head just seconds from the time we open our door to step out into the world.
 
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deermaster said:
and if its going to be a bare knuckle brawl (an actual self defense fight, not an anoying buddy that needs knocked), ill keep my knives outta it and slug it out. it would have to really be a life or death thing for me to pull a blade, but i feel alot safer with one. what are your thoughts on this?
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A friend of mine was in this quandary too. Turned out the guy he was fighting was trained in some type of martial art or boxing. My friend got stomped, his knife never pulled because of his sense of honor. Either know something about your attackers capability when engaging physically, [after trying to de-escalate, as is required by most state law] or as a previous post said, pull the blade out at the last second so they never see it coming, 1 or 2 seconds max between deployment and wound.
 
I carry a knife for both utility tasks and self defense. While it is true that I would use my knife for self defense ONLY if I had no other option. I'm only 18, so I can't carry a firearm yet, but I've avoided lots of fights. I'm only about 6' tall, and weigh 185 lbs. It's not my size that scares people, I think it's the way I carry myself. I'm a martial artist as well, so that doesn't ever hurt.
 
And be aware that people who train to fight have and will instigate fights just for trying out their techniques, I've heard people say this and it reflects very badly on those who train but conduct themselves in a civil manner.
 
That it does, I'm usually quiet about my practice, and if you guys knew me personally, chances are you just wouldn't know about my involvement in martial arts.
 
I hear you on that. I don't usually even have the retention clip of my blade showing anymore, I've found other options.
 
j curd makes a very good point. while in the hands of someone with experience, a knife can be quite deadly, anyone can use a flashlight and mace. thats not to say that a knife absolutely cannot be used by someone without experience, if the situation absolutely calls for it. animals have fight or flight instinct. most of the time they will flee unless others are involved (offspring, mating, etc.) the same discretion should be used by us bipedal mammals.
 
For me it mainly mental. It's nice knowing that if push comes to shove and I need it, it's there. I have never needed it, came close a few times, even pulled it out one time. But i have been lucky i guess
 
Ryou said:
WHEN YOU HAVE A HAMMER, DO NOT LOOK AT EVERYTHING LIKE IT IS A NAIL.
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True so very true.I still don't know what I would do.I guess it depends on how the situation plays out,and how bad your dog is being attacked.I'd more then likely not panic and do what is needed to stop the attacker.Whatever the situation maybe, I would be defending my boy as he would do that for me.
Thanks for the feed back.
 
At one time of my life I carried a firearm every day but I found it very difficult to conceal the fact that I had a gun on me from colleagues, etc.

Some people do NOT respond well to guns in the workplace.

So a while back I quit carrying a gun every day. But I can and do carry a knife every day, at ALL times with me.

You cant predict the when and where of an attack. Unless you are prepared to carry a gun everywhere, I guess the knife will have to do.

I also have an ASP baton in my car though. Just in case. ;)
 
If you feel more comfortable carrying a knife as a possible means of protection. Nobody has any right to tell you that it is not a wise choice.
Personally I carry a knife for cutting things, not people. Form my law enforcement training, I would say most people don't have a great chance of coming out on top with a knife unless they are well trained. It is however not likely that you will ever need it for self defense purposes though. IMO pepper spray is a better weapon for your average joe, and I know that not one of you consider yourself to be average joe. But it really is better for defense. Obviously there are videos that will show that it isn't effective, but it sure is. Trust me, the stuff is terrible! Worse than a taser!
If you have a drug crazed psycho coming after you, and you have a knife, you may be too late, unless you put it in the right spot, but good luck dude. I would say the aggressor is better off with a knife than a person on the defense. I prefer a gun though, or OC
 
Oregon Knife Guy said:
It is however not likely that you will ever need it for self defense purposes though.
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Hi, could you elaborate. I am not eligible for CCW / pistol, and I agree on OC but i need something "good to go" like I can just have it wherever, whenever, and not have to worry about where it is or how to pack a canister on my person.
 
I would have to say my thoughts are exactly like yours. I will always avoid confrontation with a knife 100% I never intend on stabbing someone. But I have to admit, I feel a little bit naked if I leave my house without a blade on me. And whenever I am in a situation where I think there's a chance something could happen, I am always conscious of the fact that I'm carrying a knife, and it gives me a sense of assurance.
 
I'm 19, live in Canada, not exactly an urban area, so carrying a gun doesn't make sense(I also can't legally). I have no where to put a can of pepper spray on my person that won't be uncomfortable and this also doesn't make sense to carry since I would hardly ever need to defend myself, so I would end up just not carrying it. A taser? same thing. Flashlight? Same thing.
You know what I can carry comfortably everyday and use everyday? A folding knife.
I don't get into scuffles, I also carry myself confidently(despite my 5'5" 190lb body). But for that one in a million chance where I can't run and my life is in danger, the knife would certainly come out.
To say that I would never pull my knife if I was in danger would be elitist garbage. If it's all you have and you can't run, it would be moronic not to use it. Mind you, a knife is not a nice clean weapon, the situation better be life-threatening or you will indeed regret pulling the blade. A judge will make sure of that.
 
WongKonPow said:
I'm 19, live in Canada, not exactly an urban area, so carrying a gun doesn't make sense(I also can't legally). I have no where to put a can of pepper spray on my person that won't be uncomfortable and this also doesn't make sense to carry since I would hardly ever need to defend myself, so I would end up just not carrying it. A taser? same thing. Flashlight? Same thing.
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If you could carry a gun would you? Because I PROMISE you a can of OC spray is easier to carry than a gun. Same for a flashlight.

Both OC and flashlights come in packages as small as a BIC lighter or smaller these days, I assure you they arent difficult to carry.

Can't never could do anything :)

A knife is better than nothing...best of luck.
 
Speaking of sprays, you can also carry a bottle of a red Tabasco, that can serve you well at lunch as in self defense situation. Just sprinkle it in attacker's eyes and if it's not enough break it on his head, holding the bottle by the neck. Now you have a nice sharp piece of glass that you may use as a claw!
 
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