Newbie with a question

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Anthony VanDerlinden

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Greetings all. I'm a new member, and I'm very happy to find your forum. I hope i don't need to pay for a membership to post but here goes ...
I'm interested in getting my first knife for self-defense. The sentinel gear MK3 looked very appealing. But before I make a purchase, I would like to get opinions from the members here.
Are there other quality knives that are more affordable? I would appreciate any suggestions.
 
Anthony VanDerlinden said:
Greetings all. I'm a new member, and I'm very happy to find your forum. I hope i don't need to pay for a membership to post but here goes ...
I'm interested in getting my first knife for self-defense. The sentinel gear MK3 looked very appealing. But before I make a purchase, I would like to get opinions from the members here.
Are there other quality knives that are more affordable? I would appreciate any suggestions.
Click to expand...
Welcome, Anthony. As @yablanowitz said, General Knife Discussion might be a better place to discuss "tactical" knives. The focus here is on traditional knives used primarily as tools. Knives like these:
p9hGwuO.jpg

QvMPHc4.jpg

ZbFqhOH.jpg

itBtmMD.jpg

EkvOqBG.jpg

BIBXVWM.jpg

I suppose some of them could be used as self defense weapons in a pinch, but that is not the focus of this forum.
Besides "General Knife Discussion", you could try "Practical Tactical" (Under "Community Discussion Forums" and "Activities, Training, and Skills Development", it's one of the sub-forums). Good luck!
 
Prester John said:
Welcome, Anthony. As @yablanowitz said, General Knife Discussion might be a better place to discuss "tactical" knives. The focus here is on traditional knives used primarily as tools. Knives like these:
p9hGwuO.jpg

QvMPHc4.jpg

ZbFqhOH.jpg

itBtmMD.jpg

EkvOqBG.jpg

BIBXVWM.jpg

I suppose some of them could be used as self defense weapons in a pinch, but that is not the focus of this forum.
Besides "General Knife Discussion", you could try "Practical Tactical" (Under "Community Discussion Forums" and "Activities, Training, and Skills Development", it's one of the sub-forums). Good luck!
Click to expand...

Thanks for responding to my question. I'll go over to the other forum as you suggested. You have a impressive knife collection! I'll soon be in the market for a general purpose knife and will be back. Have a safe holiday!
 
I can pretty much promise you won't like my answer.

Without significant training and practice, a knife is one of the worst self defense tools you could possibly have or use.

You would be better off getting a cane or hiking staff and learn stick fighting, if you cannot have a firearm for whatever reason.
For one thing, you have to get way to close (as in "with-in their reach") to your opponent to even use a knife.
Also, in most jurisdictions carrying a knife as a "weapon" is illegal. If for some reason a PD Officer asks you why you have that knife and you say "For Self Defense, Sir!" You are likely to lose your knife, and spend time in jail until your bail (if granted by the Court) is posted.

You might also want to consider that even if you "win" a knife fight, (truthfully there is no "winner" in a knife fight) and it was a legal case of self defense, (and they will do there best to make it look like you started it, and the bad guy or girl was defending him or her self from you) you still may not win the legal battles that will take place afterwards. In addition to probably standing trial in a criminal case against you*, the legal battles will also include the "person" you defended yourself against for injuries and medical bills if he or she lives, or their next of kin for "wrongful death" if he or she don't survive, or the "person" you defended against lived, but is now a vegetable, they can and will go after you for damages based on that.

Don't believe what you see in the movies, on TV, or those Cold Steel videos where they show what an effective "weapon" every blade they sell is, concerning the effectiveness of a knife for self defense.

*Depends on the attitude of the DA, and the results of the police investigation. By the way, the police investigation will include a whole bunch about you. Probably more about you and your past, than that of the "person" you were defending yourself against, and the events that took place before, during, and after the altercation, if you want to know the truth.
Trust me on that. Been there; Done that. In my case it helped some that there were witnesses who confirmed he shot first, not me. (my .45 made a lot more noise than his .380 did.) It may have also helped that he was a known gang-banger, and "had a record a mile thick". (I did not know about his gang activity and extensive record until long after the incident. Not that it would have made a difference in my response to him shooting at me, had I known.)
The DA (who was vehemently anti-gun) didn't like it, but she ruled I acted in self defense.

My advice is: Don't get any knife for self defense.
 
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Anthony VanDerlinden said:
Greetings all. I'm a new member, and I'm very happy to find your forum. I hope i don't need to pay for a membership to post but here goes ...
I'm interested in getting my first knife for self-defense. The sentinel gear MK3 looked very appealing. But before I make a purchase, I would like to get opinions from the members here.
Are there other quality knives that are more affordable? I would appreciate any suggestions.
Click to expand...
I see from your profile you are 50 years old. If your recent interest in tactical knives is due to the onset of a midlife crisis, I would encourage you to instead embrace your impending geezerdom and join us here in the traditional knife world, where the knives evoke memories of simpler, more idyllic times (which of course never really existed), and where most of us acknowledge that we are too old to be getting ourselves into situations where we might need a knife for anything other than peaceful pursuits. Also, there are plenty of really nice traditional knives which can be had for under $50. So why not test the waters? Drop $15 on an Opinel, practice using the phrase “kids these days”, and if you like how it feels, then this is the place for you.

Having said all that, I HAVE used my knives to successfully defend myself against the true enemy of the middle-aged male, the expanding waistline, by preparing myself healthy snacks at work:
7NIL1Qv.jpg
 
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