ritter grip effective for self defense????

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ninja4

Joined
May 13, 2005
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how effective do you think the ritter grip would be for self defense? does it need a better finger guard (choil?)? it sure feels secure in the hand and no slipping so far when stabbing into hard wood. is the blade long enough? what are the pros and cons with this knife in a self defense situation?
 
IMO the tip could be more acute for a defensive knife, a (dull) back edge would be nice. The choil could indeed be deeper for SD purposes. It does have a very solid lock, so that's definitely a plus.
 
Rule number one of self defense, if you are not comfortable going somewhere unless you have a weapon, don't go there!

A knife is not really a serious weapon. It has no knockdown power. When blades were primary weapons people carried swords or axes. You may kill somebody by stabbing them with a folding knife, but it may not be soon enough to do you any good and get you charged with homicide.

For emergency defense a short knife is best used for slashing. A really long and deep cut may discourage or incapacitate an attacker quicker than a stab and is less likely to be lethal. Think about the size of the wound. A 6" long slash that is 1" deep is bigger than a 1" puncture that is 3" deep.

A Ritter Grip is well designed for slashing. The curved area just ahead of the point is the most important part of a blade for slashing effectiveness. The Ritter Grip would work as well for general utility and emergency defense as any knife in its size range. Since it is not a sword it should not be looked upon as being very effective as a weapon. In particular it is not big enough to scare away attackers. Do not brandish it and expect to have trouble go away. Do your best to avoid trouble. If you treat your knife as a weapon you are likely to get yourself into trouble.
 
Jeff Clark said:
A knife is not really a serious weapon. It has no knockdown power.
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I disagree. Knives are very serious weapons. Severing major arteries, for example, will bring an assailant down real quick. Not as quickly as a battle axe maybe, but a big axe is kinda hard to EDC.
Even a two .45s to the center of mass don't guarantee an instantaneous stop.
 
I agree that avoidance is a good primary tactic.
With the proper knowledge and skills a knife is VERY effective. In "close quarters" I'd rather have a knife than a gun.

Two Reasons:
1. In close quarters a knife is more versatile than a gun (provided it's used by a person who has the proper skills)
2. The potential time you spend in jail may be less.

I'm sure many will disagree. That's ok.

Have a nice day.
 
Quiet Storm said:
Even a two .45s to the center of mass don't guarantee an instantaneous stop.
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Perhaps, but you WILL have his undivided attention. LOL I don't really consider my knives as weapons because I've no training. I DO have training with my 1911's and would rather a double tap COM than trying to slice a major artery, if I could even find one.

On the whole, I'd rather avoid a situation than use either one and have to deal with all the paperwork. Of course, Fl just passed a law or rather strengthened a law saying, if you feel threatened you don't have to retreat, but can bust a cap on the guys ass.

I love this State. LOL

Rob
 
Are you assuming in a knife fight or or against someone empty handed? Any knife can be a very deadly weapon even without training. Stab someone in the neck with a steak knife and it'll do just as good as any $100 folder. There really isnt much to think about. Steel vs flesh. Flesh will lose everytime. However, if both people have a knife, then lock strength, lock up, proper grip, are the most important imo. Of course, a real tanto (not americanized) blade would be very helpful for slashing, the chances of you ever needing a weapon capable of such a slash wound is just about non existant.
 
To address the original topic; I think the Rittergrip is great for SD. It has an unassuming look to it and it wasn't designed for SD...there by making it "court friendly". The grip is plenty secure for stabbing and the blade is well laid out for a slashing or "fileting". A more acute point would be a plus but I don't see the current point to be a deal breaker.

As for the Stopping power of a stab w/ a short blade vs a slash, its pretty well proven that repeated hard stabs into the body will be registered more quickly and cause the body to go into shock much faster than even a deep slash. The real world application of the knife is more akin to a prison shanking than to a hollywood style knife vs. knife pig sticking match. That being said, of couse I would rather be able to put a firearm or even an ASP into the fight, but the fact is that for the majority of us a folder may be all we have on us when we really need it most.
 
I think I'll answer your question without giving a self defense lecture you didn't ask for...

I think it would be a good knife for self defense. The handle is grippy and is swelled (the handle isn't flat on the sides) which helps the grip as well and this is a feature that few of today's popular knives have. It has a clip and one-handed opening so that's good for quick deployment obviously. Also, the blade is pretty easy to open so that's good too. Like others have said, strong lock! Finally, it's a light knife and speed is generally more important than power. After all, Magellan got killed in the Philippines by stick fighters even though he had a big, powerful sword...

I think the grip is one of the most important things. It fills your hand well and when the adrenalin is pumping and you're fighting for your life, I would bet it would stay in your hand well when you’re certainly not thinking about how you’re holding your knife.
 
I dunno about the 'Ritter grip'. But as far as lethality, a fighting knife in capable hands can easily kill as fast as a gun. A 10" Bowie in the right hands can lop off limbs, piece the heart nearly in half, sever major arteries, and cleave into someones skull. Unless you shoot a man in the heart, spine, or head - a bullet takes longer to kill than a Bowie. And when it comes to the Bowie, it takes a powerful handgun to do as much internal or arterial damage.
Jim Bowie killed Major Wright instantly with a stab to the heart. No firearm can kill any faster than that. Instantly is as good as it gets(depending on which side of the instant you are on...)

WYK
 
if you don't have training, get whatever knife you really like, then never use it for SD. If you have training, get the knife appropriate to your fighting style, then never use it for SD. Unless you absolutely have to. Which is really, really unlikely. Especially since in most situations you might need it, you will have been taken by surprise, and getting a folder out can be difficult while warding off blows by another deadly weapon (which it would have to be in order to justify the use of your own deadly weapon in response).

In any case, get something you will feel comfortable carrying all the time, b/c if you are not carrying it then it does you no good. For me the RG would be too big to carry regularly, but your circumstances could be different.
 
fishface5 said:
if you don't have training, get whatever knife you really like, then never use it for SD. If you have training, get the knife appropriate to your fighting style, then never use it for SD. Unless you absolutely have to. Which is really, really unlikely.
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This is the most intelligent statement I've read on the SD angle.

Posters who talk about intimidating an opponent, or not slashing too hard because that's better legally, or gradation of intensity of your attack obviously haven't been around the block. You never use your knife unless there is no other choice & your life is at stake, then you move decisively and relentlessly until the opponent is immobilized enough for you to flee. Period.

My SD carries? Chinook or SERE on a folder, Bud Nealy for concealable fixed.

There ya' go!
 
What was said about a surprise attack is correct. The majority of attackers will attack by surprise and typically with someone with them.
 
fishface5 said:
Especially since in most situations you might need it, you will have been taken by surprise, and getting a folder out can be difficult while warding off blows by another deadly weapon (which it would have to be in order to justify the use of your own deadly weapon in response).
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In most the situations I was attacked, I was prepared - or at least knew it was happening. Situation awareness is as much a part of self defense as your ability and equipment.
I am told I have a 'knack' for noticing things/situations that are out of place. But I believe anyone paying attention would be that way. I very rarely drink to excess, and never do it in strange locales. Nor do I hang out in places, or with persons, I am not comfortable with.

As for an armed attacker justifying using lethal force, it depends on your state and locale. In TX, any attack by a person your size or larger merits a lethal defense, regardless of how they are armed, in law and in case history(precedents). If they are armed, their size and distance becomes much less of an issue - assuming you can prove you were being attacked. I often hear the phrase "Yeah - and you'll get yourself shot" when people say they are about to do something stupid. That's a good thing. Many states tend to err on the side of the criminal. That's no state to be in...punintended.

Unfortunately, being aware means being proactive - that means you WILL have a need to brandish a weapon in order to avoid a deadly conflict on occasion you can not flee or otherwise outright avoid it. You will need to make a potentially criminal decision - threatening someone else with lethal force proactively. Situational awareness is important. In my experience, if that weapon is a knife or a stick etc. - the attacker has to be your basic cowardly criminal type to really back down. Others may see it as a challenge. In order to stop those who are determined, it takes a firearm - and sometimes it takes some bullets. I've brandished a firearm on at least 3 occasions in recent memory. I never had to fire a shot - though once I did say "I don't know when I am going to start shooting, but it's going to be soon here". Did I NEED to pull out the weapon and warn the persons off each time? I don't know, except for the time three guys had bats. And I am glad I didn't have to find out the other times.
I just went with my gut feeling. That's more important to me than a comprehensive understanding of the law that might promote paralysis more than awareness.

Knives are a last resort before I go to my fists or my sneakers. However, if you have a folder you can easily grab, draw, and flick into locking position - you have a distinct advantage over anyone whom is unarmed - regardless of being surprised or not. The best defense, though, is being aware.

WYK
 
WYK, totally agreed. Use a little bit of common sense and you wont have to get into a fight. BUT, in response to everyone who looks down on seeing a knife as a self defense weapon, I think it goes without saying that the knife would only be used in either self defense, or in a situation to prevent the need for self defense. People get mugged or murdered everyday just walking out on the streets. Best to be prepared even against the slim odds. If you go around looking for fights, well I dont care whether or not you win those fights. If you find yourself absolutely forced into a fight, then just hope you can outdo your opponent with a better weapon and better skill. If you can, avoid the person who might start a fight. If you can, run from the fight. If you dont have a choice, try to end the fight quickly and avoid major injury or death if possible.
 
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