My Dear Friends,
You can conceal the Garm or even larger knives
until you need to use them. At that point, saying you were up against the wall and fell back on an old work knife beats showing off your classic assassin's weapon.
This is completely correct.
With the exception of my Emerson Combat Karambit I tend to carry blades that are not advertised as self-defense specific - The RAT RC-4 is a personal favorite, as is my Spyderco Moran FB-01. Shortly I'll be carrying an Izula (on the way to me as I type this).
My take on this situation is this: I carry a knife for a multitude of reasons - everyday cutting, self-defense, and SHTF survival should the need arise. I prefer to carry knives that are reasonably capable of all of these things, at least passably well, should things go badly very quickly.
Part of my rationale is such: like it or not, in today's litigous and excessively political clime every individual concerned with self-preservation needs must consider how their actions might be perceived, as well as the potential consequences of said actions.
For this reason I do not own a "black" rifle or shotgun. No ARs for me, thank you. No "tacticool" synthetic-stocked shotguns. My shotgun is a 1935-era Winchester Model 12 in 20 gauge with a gunsmith-shortened barrel (24") to allow for better close-range patterns and faster handling for skeet shooting and bird hunting. With buckshot or slugs it is perfect as a home defense piece, and lacks the negative stigma attached to the black guns.
Consider the following scenario - an intruder invades your home at zero-dark-thirty - you respond with your shotgun, recognize the threat, and neutralize said threat with one or two well-placed shots. The intruder fails to survive the encounter (an unfortunate side-effect of his chosen profession - occupational hazard).
Which do you think will look less damning to the legal system: your using a Remington 870 with black synthetic pistol-grip folding stock, sidesaddle carrier, tritium ghost-ring sight, and heat shield on the barrel; or a beat-up borderline-antique fowling piece with wood stock?
(I realize that to the deceased perp this is largely irrelevant and purely academic, but their opinion is not really of consequence at this point.)
Let's take this a step further: assume that you manage to prove self-defense (as many states require) or have relied on castle doctrine laws, relieving yourself of any legal consequences. A civil suit ensues: I put the same question to you as before. Justified or no, how will each gun appear to a jury? Will you come off as a law-abiding citizen in fear of their life, or as a gun-nut just waiting to pop a cap in someone's posterior?
Yes, I know that the end result of the shooting (the cessation of hostilities by the perp) is the same in both instances, but for my purposes I keep the fowling piece by the bed at night, especially since IMO the tricked-out black shotgun has no measurable discernable tactical advantage in the real-world of home defense.
(Let me qualify the previous statements by saying that I am a ten-year veteran of a major firearms retailer and have over fifteen years' experience as a concealed weapons instructor. My Martial Arts experience spans several decades and takes into account a couple of different Arts. I am also not implying in any way that this is the way that it should be, just that it is the way that it often is.)
Back to the topic at hand: the best fighting blade is the one that you always have with you. It generally needs to be comfortable to carry for extended periods of time (or you'll leave it at home), quick to get to in a hurry (or you won't be able to access it quickly enough when you need it), concealable enough to not attract undue attention (so you don't get hassled or fired if carrying at the workplace), and capable of handling 99% of your possible cutting chores with adequate ease.
For me, the RAT RC-3 is as good as it gets (speaking of which, I need to get my hands on one - I traded off my Ontario RAT-3 in anticipation of getting an RC-3). The RC-4 is a good choice also, though a bit large for everyday concealed carry. I'll find out soon how the Izula fares.
YMMV, my friends. Stay safe.
--------
Hannibal
