Pls Help Me Select a Self Defense Knife for CA

for a big knife, get the cuda maxx, it carries easy, dont worry, but i like stuff in the 4" range myself, BM AFCK,stryker, spyderco military/civilian/matriarch,EKI CQC8/I&I tanto,SOCFK,CQC7, MT SOCOM and SOCOM elite, there are many good ones, i really like my crawford perfigo but thats over the limit.

i disagree that its not a good idea to carry a knife/your looking for trouble, i carry a kahr P9, extra ammo, and a emersons collectors P-Tac w/a zero bevel grind, or a MT SOCOM elite, or a crawford perfigo, and OC, etc all the time and im not looking for trouble. have a CCW of course, only would use the blade as a last resort myself, but its good to know its there.

also i think its a good idea to carry a knife along w/a gun just beacuse ya use it so much for utility stuff, and if all goes to hell, even with little/zero training, it still beats the hell outta nothing imho!

greg
 
If you actually need a defensive weapon get an effective one. I would recommend a pistol over any type of knife.
 
I'd stick with a 2"-3" blade in California. I'm now in Texas, but I was born and raised in California. Despite that, I turned out okay. With California's legal environment, a 5" blade is just too risky. You mentioned that you have several martial arts belts and are in good shape. If that's the case, you've probably got a better chance with a 3" blade than a common gutter rat with a 5" blade, so I wouldn't worry about the difference in length.

Good luck in finding a knife that suits you. I still haven't found the "perfect" knife, but I sure am having a lot of fun looking!
 
The Microtech LCC. In my opinion, this was the best knife they ever produced. The quality is outstanding and they cut extremely well. The edge holding is better than 3/4 of the knives out there (IMHO) It rides low in the pocket and has a handle and thumbrest that are comfortable to carry and use. This knife is great in forward and reverse grips. This knife rivals a lot of customs that cost a lot more.



IF WAR IS HELL, TAKE A BETTER PITCHFORK THAN THE DEVIL
 
I'd use something that can be waved as a primary carry such as the Emerson CQC-7 or Commander or Camillus Cuda Maxx. The time you save opening it can be significant. In the other pocket I'd carry a Spyderco Endura or Merlin. If you don't like any wave-type knives I'd carry an additional Spyderco since the Spyderhole is also very easy to open under stress.

If you want to risk open carry for a fixed blade any neck knife can be modified for belt carry. Even though that would be legal California is full of JBTs and other scum who would still arrest you and even if you get off it would still be a hassle.
 
Originally posted by Scott Dog
I think a knife for SD is a poor choice trained or untrained. Use it and you'll go to jail. Unless you are an LEO, I think you will be better served by using your brain and not a knife. If your life isn't worth $200 then why bother? A decent knife like you want will be at least $300. You get what you pay for. A knife is first a tool and SD as a last resort. If you are trained as you say you shouldn't need a knife. I think you are looking for trouble.:rolleyes: :barf:
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Another anti-self defense post. :rolleyes: :barf: Why would carrying a knife mean that you are looking for trouble? Is it possible for someone to be concerned about his safety and want to carry a defensive tool without being a murderous psycho? How specifically does carrying a knife make your brain shut down? Do you beleive Jackie Chan movies where one black belt takes out entire mobs of armed attackers are realistic? If you stop an attacker who has the ABILITY, INTENT, and MEANS to kill or seriously injure you or another person, will that not count as self-defense in any state?

For anyone who is interested in self-protection and doesn't know this already, in general (you'll have to check your specific state laws) you can use deadly force if you attacker has all there components-ability, intent, and means to kill or seriously injure you or aonother person. If you take a defensive firearms course you'll learn times when you CAN schoot and times when you MUST shoot. If you stick to the times when you MUST shoot you should be ok. Even in JBT dominated cities like New York this should be true. That ex-Navy officer who shot the attacker was not arrested for the shooting but for having an illegal firearm, for example. The same thing happened in the 1980s to a guy who shot a punk trying to rape his daughter in the District of Criminals. My suggestion is to take a firearms course and study the law itself to know the law where it applies to self-defense. This is one very important aspect of self-defense that is ignored by the vast majority of dojos and self-defense courses. Too many people teach old wives' tales about the law. Learn the truth.
 
Never occurred to me that I neglected to tell you guys what I decided on...

A nice guy on this forum traded me two knives that he considered too large for his use, but were perfect for me. I think I gave ten ounces of silver in exchange for a Cold Steel Gunsite II and a SOG PEII, both with 5" blades. His silver is now worth about $170, but it cost me much less since I bought it some time ago so I hope we both came out well on the deal.

I gave the SOG to my son and I carry the Cold Steel. Neither knife is ever used for anything other than self defense... not even cutting as shoe string. They are razor sharp with excellent locks that I feel like I can trust. We've had the knives for several years now and thankfully, neither has ever been used.

Funny thing, though... I bought this knife for CA travels but I never carry it there. A 5" blade in a land full of fanatical, lawless jack booted thugs who are accountable to no one is just plain too risky. I carry a 4" Walther or a 3" Browning in CA, where the greatest threat is not from private criminals but from state-sponsored ones.

So that's how it all turned out. We're real happy with both knives.
 
In Kalifornia?...I think the only thing that's legal to carry are plastic picnic knives. (But, they can't be concealed in any way, even in a picnic basket.)
:D
 
I live in California as well. Pretty good advice so far from the other posters. Two suggestions. First is what I carry, an Emerson La Griffe. I would post a photo, but I have a Mac computer, so that's not going to happen. I don't care for neck knives, but there are times I can't carry a knife, such as running, or the the gym. The La Griffe is very light, and you will forget it's hanging from your neck. In CA, wearing that knife around your neck is a felony. As long as you are a good citizen, you should never have contact with police.

Here lies the problem: Defending yourself with a knife should always be the last resort. The only option other than having your life taken. If you defend yourself with a knife, and criminal charges are filed, the prosecution with have jurors who faint at the sight of a knife. They will claim a knife like the La Griffe was soley intended to kill another human being, as opposed to cutting up boxes at the Salvation Army. They may even use your martial arts training against you, asking why you just didn't judo-flip that guy with the tire iron on his ass. They will paint a picture of you as a paranoid weapons-nut.

I carry it on my neck for two reasons. I'm a LEO, so I can. Second, that knife is a last resort option for me. If I have to render someone, it will be as a result of a life or death struggle, and I'll take my chances with a good attorney and a jury. Hmmm....let's see....break the law, or die...break the law, or die...

Next suggestion. The Spyderco Pacific Salt. Get the yellow one, and put a pretty little lanyard on it. That 80 year-old grandmother on the jury will think what a pretty little knife you have there. Certainly not something the likes of OJ Simpson would carry.

Lastly, I whole-heartedly agree with the previous advice of carrying pepperspray. This shows an intermediate level of force as a self defence situation. If you still need to go to a knife(or a brick), at least it showed you initially tried a less lethal option, and the suspect escalated the situation, forcing you to use a higher level of force to protect you life from severe injury or even death.
 
G21 said:
... Certainly not something the likes of OJ Simpson would carry.
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My, whatever do you mean by that statement? O.J. was found to be innocent of all criminal charges. What's the matter, don't you have faith in our criminal justice system?:D :D :D
 
He already chose his knives.

OT: G21, I see you are a newbie here, I wish to welcome you.I have a Mac, and can post pix. What is your issue G21?
 
Troop said:
My, whatever do you mean by that statement? O.J. was found to be innocent of all criminal charges. What's the matter, don't you have faith in our criminal justice system?:D :D :D
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I have all the confidence in the world regarding of criminal justice system...:jerkit:
 
T.K.C. said:

OT: G21, I see you are a newbie here, I wish to welcome you.I have a Mac, and can post pix. What is your issue G21?
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I'm sure the issue is me.

On a PC you can right click and get the URL(?), and post a picture. But on my Mac, I can't do that. How do you do it?

Thanks for the welcome.
 
sopwith21 said:
Sorry; I've stated myself poorly.

I hold four kenpo karate belts, study Brazilian and kali knife fighting, am proficient in the use of various types of firearms and am in excellent physical condition. If necessary, I believe I can use a knife to some degree of effectiveness for personal defense.

However, I have very little knowledge as to WHICH knife is best suited for the size, price range, quality and brand that I need. That's why I'm consulting with Those Who Know. :D

Again, I'm in need of a decent quality tac folder with belt clip which is not in the $100-$200 stratosphere and has a blade length of 5-6 inches. This knife will be carried primarily when I cannot pack a handgun. My current "carry" knives are the Walther Allied Forces tac folder, which is an excellent, razor sharp knife but seems a bit heavy and has a shorter blade than I'd prefer... the Smith and Wesson HRT boot knife... and the Walther P99 Tactical knife. Yes, I'm a Walther fan, and yes, I know they don't make their own knives. ;) I normally spend $15-$50 on a knife, and that quality range seems suitable for my purposes.

I don't mind searching on my own, but if you know of a web site that carries the specific knife you recommend, please list it. Thank you all again for your advice.
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With all those belts why don't you just beat the crap out of an attacker? If you have to have a knife for SD save your money and get an Emerson with the Wave feature. It's open as soon as you pull it out of your pocket. You get what you pay for. I wouldn't cheap out on my personal safety.
 
sopwith21 said:
Never occurred to me that I neglected to tell you guys what I decided on...

A nice guy on this forum traded me two knives that he considered too large for his use, but were perfect for me. I think I gave ten ounces of silver in exchange for a Cold Steel Gunsite II and a SOG PEII, both with 5" blades. His silver is now worth about $170, but it cost me much less since I bought it some time ago so I hope we both came out well on the deal.

I gave the SOG to my son and I carry the Cold Steel. Neither knife is ever used for anything other than self defense... not even cutting as shoe string. They are razor sharp with excellent locks that I feel like I can trust. We've had the knives for several years now and thankfully, neither has ever been used.

Funny thing, though... I bought this knife for CA travels but I never carry it there. A 5" blade in a land full of fanatical, lawless jack booted thugs who are accountable to no one is just plain too risky. I carry a 4" Walther or a 3" Browning in CA, where the greatest threat is not from private criminals but from state-sponsored ones.

So that's how it all turned out. We're real happy with both knives.
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Troll:mad:
 
mmarkh said:
Troll:mad:
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Ya don't say! :D

sopwith21 started this thread on 9-24-2003.
It ran through 10-19-2003.
sopwith 21 then resurrected it today.
In all this time he has 17 posts.

I've heard of waiting for the punch line, but this is ridiculous.
 
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