Modern fighting knives? Not military combat!

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DMG said:
I (like many) carry a Glock or a revolver. Pull it and shoot. No safety. No cocking. I can be on target in 1/10 of a second if the target is low and close like a dog.
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I'm a Glock'aholic! :)

No empty chamber, external gun safeties, etc. My safety is between my ears with safe gun handling, not some lever, button, or other implements to keep someone with poor discipline from shooting themself or someone they love.

I was drinking my coffee this morning and thought what I heard outside was a vehicle hitting something (I'm 1200' from the public road). What I found on my front porch as I opened the door were two dogs who both got two rounds as fast I could pull the trigger. I closed the door and came back a few minutes later to make sure they were humanely put down since the fight was totally gone in one and the other was still trying to bite me but, couldn't move well. Total time of recognition of the threat to closing the door after firing was seconds with actual firing being ~3 seconds. Threat recognition seemed slow to realize but, engagement was really fast.

The Frontsite shoot-house training apparently working in this instance as there was no real planning or preparation other than grabbing the pistol by the door as I opened the door to investigate the noise I heard.

These two dogs appear to be the ones chasing cattle on my front pasture. Turns out, the noise I heard was them trying to kill my two cats.
 
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Regarding a bunch of more recent comments in no particular order:
  • Yes, randomly slashing at a dog is not effective at inflicting fight stopping wounds
  • Most blade edges are not prepped properly to cut dog fur
  • Yes, in a dog attack with a knife, I expect to be bit
  • Yes, the non-dominant arm is the one to wrap before the bite if I can
  • When bit, lift and attack the throat if possible (I have a lot of experience slitting feral hog throats so, I should be able to do that effectively)
  • Living in Texas gives me knife flexibility not available in many other political and legal jurisdictions
I prefer to use a 12 gauge semi-auto 'social' shotgun with buckshot if I am expecting dogs at reasonable distances, and a rifle if they are among cows. If I'm not expecting any "excitement" I generally grab a pistol because it is easier to get through doorways, into and out of vehicles, and isn't as "high profile" as a long gun (rifle or shotgun).
 
Sid Post said:
I'm a Glock'aholic! :)

No empty chamber, external gun safeties, etc. My safety is between my ears with safe gun handling, not some lever, button, or other implements to keep someone with poor discipline from shooting themself or someone they love.

I was drinking my coffee this morning and thought what I heard outside was a vehicle hitting something (I'm 1200' from the public road). What I found on my front porch as I opened the door were two dogs who both got two rounds as fast I could pull the trigger. I closed the door and came back a few minutes later to make sure they were humanely put down since the fight was totally gone in one and the other was still trying to bite me but, couldn't move well. Total time of recognition of the threat to closing the door after firing was seconds with actual firing being ~3 seconds. Threat recognition seemed slow to realize but, engagement was really fast.

The Frontsite shoot-house training apparently working in this instance as there was no real planning or preparation other than grabbing the pistol by the door as I opened the door to investigate the noise I heard.

These two dogs appear to be the ones chasing cattle on my front pasture. Turns out, the noise I heard was them trying to kill my two cats.
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well done sir! I would like to train at Frontsite. I haven’t because it is so far away from PA.
 
Sid Post said:
Yes, in an encounter like that I expect to be bitten and need post-engagement medical care. My German Shepherds were not a dog you would want to mess with. At 11 months, my last puppy weighed 86lbs. Unfortunately, he was killed by someone staking out my house for theft. After the house across the road was burned to the ground and that person went to jail, that problem seemed tone left is really aggressive (raised that way by its owner).

A spear or sword is really impractical. If I were to have something that heavy, bulky, and, long, it would be a rifle or a shotgun. I do have a "live" sword but, I'm not taking it with me to feed cattle or mend fencing.
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Disregard. Not worth responding to
 
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Frontsite isn't close to me either. The former Blackwater school on the East coast is one I always wanted to go to but, either time or money always got in the way.

There are a lot of good trainers that hold classes in Texas and Florida pretty regularly which are the options I look at today. I do see some good trainers occasionally holding schools in New York and Illinois of all places as well which might be a good fit for you.

CQB/Self Defense shooting is a whole lot different from recreational and sporting shooting so, REAL instruction is valuable IMHO. Once you have the basics down well, a shoot house and shoot / no shoot class is a good idea as well since you may not have much time to decide to pull the trigger before something bad happens or you feel pressured to pull the trigger 'early' only to have regret afterward.

I would consider knife combatives training but, those classes and schools are geared to people combatives, not dogs.

My German Shephard was a great help until someone shot him in front of my house while I was feeding livestock. I thought that was a prelude to a house or barn robbery but, a neighbor went back to jail for parole violations after arson burned down the house he was evicted from. Had my dog been around, those two dogs wouldn't have been on my porch in the first place so today's "surprise" never would have occurred.
 
kvaughn said:
Disregard. Not worth responding to
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After having a calf killed by dogs, my tolerance for unrestrained cow chasing dogs is very low. This is also consistent with rural life in Texas and is a given in the area I live in. And, yes if I shoot the neighbor's dog, I own it and tell them so they know what happened. I will admit to waiting on the one I shot on Christmas Eve that was aggressively protecting 'turf' on my property and threatening me when working in one of my outbuildings. Christmas Eve two years ago, he was chasing cows and a newborn calf a few days old, and his time on Earth ran out. Turns out, it was the neighbor's daughter's dog and he had also killed her pet chicken recently after breaking into the hen house. That dog was the one that had me routinely leaning my rifle on a nearby tree while working as he was coming closer and closer over time as aggression over 'turf' grew but, the cow chasing pre-empted that decision point.

One neighbor actually built a kennel after killing my nesting goose and stealing all the eggs. I had proof of this and let them know if his two dogs were back to kill chickens or chase cows they would stand a good chance of dying, and that I had some leg traps out that would break their legs if around the chicken coop.

Regarding the non-aggressive dogs that don't chase cattle, they don't get any grief from me. In fact, one Golden Retriever greets me at the mailbox looking for a good pet and some attention when I go down there.
 
Still reconciling the living a way out in the country part with the fear of being seen carrying a gun while tending the fence line parts but this has been incredibly entertaining so far.
 
Bastinelli Creations has ya covered. Give his catalog a look. Out of this world ergos and top notch customer service. Silence, Gorzo, Mako fixed, RED v2 and Raptor L are all great. Aside from the karambit he specializes in.
 
Sid Post said:
I'm not interested in a KaBar style military knife or really a military combat knife per se. I have daggers but, I want something that will slash, back cut and, one that will still thrust well. I'm initially thinking about something in the 6"~9" range but, I also don't want to end up with a short sword. ;)

Who and what are the better production or semi-custom options to consider in production these days? I'd like to see options with good construction and expect to spend at least $200, though above $400 becomes problematic right now. Stainless or semi-stainless options are preferred but, the right knife in old-school carbon steel would be acceptable too. I live in Texas so double-edged and larger knives are generally allowed for personal carry though "dangerous" knives have some restrictions like schools and similar places. I'm on a rural property so, my main issue is with animals (aggressive dogs mainly), not people, where I don't have my rifle with me. Plus, a good fighting knife is something I have always wanted to try.

TIA,
Sid
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There more than a few longish pointy knives out there. From the comments its clear that the advice is really - get what you like. My two cents is look at knives called fighters, slimmer blades, lighter for quick movement and a strong longish point. A couple came to mind quickly. Bark river Smokejumper, about 6 inches, currently available under 300, Carothers 6″ Utility Fighter would be a good choice if you can land one, over 300 probably. (Field knife is a good one as well although not as much of a fighter would work for your purposes) I have knives from both that are great. Neither has the sharpened swedge, but that is easy to add. Lots of customs out there as well.

Some other thoughts, to avoid surprises get yourself a new dog - I have a American Staffie, great dog loves his people, protective, barks at anyone or any critter getting too close to the house or his people. He is also not a dog to mess with - other dogs would be in trouble if they tried to mess with any of his people. In your situation a good dog will give you warning and time to act before you are in it. On a farm in an area like you describe I would get two or three dogs (!), Glock 43x in an IWB and the knife!
 
seabil said:
Some other thoughts, to avoid surprises get yourself a new dog - I have a American Staffie, great dog loves his people, protective, barks at anyone or any critter getting too close to the house or his people. He is also not a dog to mess with - other dogs would be in trouble if they tried to mess with any of his people. In your situation a good dog will give you warning and time to act before you are in it. On a farm in an area like you describe I would get two or three dogs (!), Glock 43x in an IWB and the knife!
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:) Great advise here ! :cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
Sid Post said:
I'm not interested in a KaBar style military knife or really a military combat knife per se. I have daggers but, I want something that will slash, back cut and, one that will still thrust well. I'm initially thinking about something in the 6"~9" range but, I also don't want to end up with a short sword. ;)

Who and what are the better production or semi-custom options to consider in production these days? I'd like to see options with good construction and expect to spend at least $200, though above $400 becomes problematic right now. Stainless or semi-stainless options are preferred but, the right knife in old-school carbon steel would be acceptable too. I live in Texas so double-edged and larger knives are generally allowed for personal carry though "dangerous" knives have some restrictions like schools and similar places. I'm on a rural property so, my main issue is with animals (aggressive dogs mainly), not people, where I don't have my rifle with me. Plus, a good fighting knife is something I have always wanted to try.

TIA,
Sid
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I am going to buck the trend and just suggest a good size kukri. They are the only knife that has been documented as successfully used against an attacking lion. It’s a simple tool that can be used with a very instinctive natural motion and is capable of delivering a quick one strike stop. Against a dog size target a good strike will probably sever the animal in two.

Reserve the daggers and fighters For your next formal man-on-man duel. With animals, you need a quick direct attack that is simple and solid enough to immediately stop them and drop them.

n2s
 
JohnWE said:
Still reconciling the living a way out in the country part with the fear of being seen carrying a gun while tending the fence line parts but this has been incredibly entertaining so far.
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"Way out in the country" in East Texas (on paved roads) surrounded by doctors, bankers, lawyers, opinionated #R#$ is different from rural Oklahoma (not on a paved road).

Legalities for 'Dudley Dewright' are different as well though, in Oklahoma in my case I'm unlikely to see anyone else.
 
not2sharp said:
... capable of delivering a quick one strike stop. Against a dog size target a good strike will probably sever the animal in two.
...
n2s
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Similar to my thoughts with an axe. Really effective if you make contact but, to my mind a bit slow in use for more than one target. A smallish axe or hatchet is something I generally have close at hand though so, for an option with a little 'stand-off' it is an option.
 
Wow, sounds like a rough neighborhood. You do what you gotta do. Not sure how any “training” gets you anywhere with fighting a big wild dog with a knife, no matter what the knife is. Seems like once you are engaged with the dog you would be as likely to cut yourself as the dog. As you and others have mentioned, seems like an early warning system is needed. Your own dog.

I don’t know what your local laws are but here where I am in California you can shoot anything that is “bothering” your livestock.
 
HopalongCassidy said:
What’s wrong with that Glock in a holster on your hip?
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I typically have other gear in that location. I also get nuisance interruptions from passerby's when I am by the road or at the mailbox who haven't see a pistol before. I'm tired of general public education and discussions of what is legal or illegal with random people who are totally clueless from a big city that are 'out for the weekend'. I also don't need to repeatedly justify my need to carry on my own property or listen to PETA wannabees that have no concern for my financial losses and only concern for dogs they don't know or take care of. Some days are a real broken record ... or "groundhog" days.

Don't get me started when walking with a rifle near the road, or legally on it between properties ... :mad:

What's that funny thing on your barrel - suppressor. What's that weird thing where the scope goes - thermal scope. Is that one of those rifles I read/hear about - probably if you have never seen a MSR in real life. .... Why do you need it - feral hogs, of course, it will work on a Coyote or an aggressive dog too. And yes, it is all legal and no I'm not a Mafia hitman or Assassin for some video game derived alternate reality.
 
Sid Post said:
I typically have other gear in that location. I also get nuisance interruptions from passerby's when I am by the road or at the mailbox who haven't see a pistol before. I'm tired of general public education and discussions of what is legal or illegal with random people who are totally clueless from a big city that are 'out for the weekend'. I also don't need to repeatedly justify my need to carry on my own property or listen to PETA wannabees that have no concern for my financial losses and only concern for dogs they don't know or take care of. Some days are a real broken record ... or "groundhog" days.

Don't get me started when walking with a rifle near the road, or legally on it between properties ... :mad:

What's that funny thing on your barrel - suppressor. What's that weird thing where the scope goes - thermal scope. Is that one of those rifles I read/hear about - probably if you have never seen a MSR in real life. .... Why do you need it - feral hogs, of course, it will work on a Coyote or an aggressive dog too. And yes, it is all legal and no I'm not a Mafia hitman or Assassin for some video game derived alternate reality.
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Concealed carry and /or become less sensitive to uninformed opinions .

I'd be more focused on the perceived physical threats . Sticks and stones , fangs and claws ...not mere words from idiots .
 
I just untuck my shirt, I have a CCW, but I don’t believe you need one on your property.
Hell, I’m in California, surrounded by Karens in line at the grocery store with my HK on my hip and nobody notices anything.
 
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