SAK for self defense?

B

barber oregon

Joined
Nov 19, 2000
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I am currently on the market for a new SAK or multitool. Can anyone recommend a model from either of these categories that can do double duty as a defensive knife? At the moment I am leaning toward a Leatherman Wave or a Victorinox Outrider.
I realize that it's almost an oxymoron to consider a SAK as a defensive tool, but I need something for daily carry that does not attract too much attention. Any thoughts/experiences?
 
The Leatherman WAVE is nice. Gerber has a nice new multitool model out that might compete with the Leatherman WAVE. I haven't seen the Gerber yet, but it looks nice.

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Chang and the Rebels of the East
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While I think that Gerbers and Leathermans are better multi-tools, the Spyderco SpydeRrench would be handy if you were really worried about defense. It has a one-hand opening blade with the Spyder-hole.
 
Uhm, frankly I'd use either one of those as a fist-load before I'd open the blade and try to hurt someone with it. The totally non-secure handle on most SAKs and multi-tools, combined with the usually weak locks make either one a poor choice, in my opinion.
 
I've seen the Gerber tool in some local shops. It competes more with the Leatherman supertool rather than the Wave. It looks like a Supertool on steroids; a little too chunky and cumbersome.
 
Thanks. I'll look it up.

Originally posted by det:
While I think that Gerbers and Leathermans are better multi-tools, the Spyderco SpydeRrench would be handy if you were really worried about defense. It has a one-hand opening blade with the Spyder-hole.
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Any SAK with the awl tool will make an adequate improvised punching weapon, with the body of the knife forming a fist load and the awl projecting through the fingers like a push dagger blade. The phillips-head screwdriver will work, too.

It isn't great, but it's better than nothing.

Razor

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AKTI #A000845
And tomorrow when you wake up it will be worse.

 
But just make sure you don't take a kung-fu stance, with a oh so confident smirk, but then having realized that you accidentally deployed the ivory toothpick!

I think the SAKs are great all-purpose/general duty knives. I'm thinking about buying one as I haven't had one for a long time. However, pocket knives and multi-tools would make lousy self-defense knives. There is a safety issue, but more than that, you cannot deploy them fast enough IMO. It's even questionable whether folders make adequate self-defense knives. Some people insist on a fixed blade with a quick draw sheath.

Sure, most any knife can be lethal in the right hands; something is better than nothing. However, a street confrontation is likely to happen in a split second.

Can you really see yourself in a critical situation: fumbling in your pocket, holding it in your right hand while inserting left thumbnail in the blade notch, tugging the blade out, oops that's not the blade, finding the blade, folding it out?...You'd be dead.

The closest substitute I can see is det's suggestion for a Spyderco Spyderwrench since the knife seperates from the rest of the tools allowing you to carry it seperately.

Personally, I have a multi-tool but have a seperate blade for self-defense carry.
 
I see your point but I have to disagree. I has been my experience that 99.9% of street confrontations don't occur in a split-second. If you are aware of your surroundings and alittle streetwise you can usually see trouble coming your way (in plenty of time to ready your knife). Most attackers prey on people who are totally self-absorbed and unaware, or those who simply ignore their own senses warning them.
 
Probably the best SAK knives for possible defensive use would be one of the larger locking models. They may not be the fastest folders to open, but once open they are equal to many others, and with the longer blade and more ergonomic handle.

We should keep in mind that, although pocketknives in general don't make great weapons, people have been killed by someone wielding a non-locking little pocketknife. It's said that Billy the Kid killed his first man with the 1" broken blade of a pocketknife. The fish knife, a.k.a. the Texas Toothpick pocketknife, was once a weapon of street thugs. A cop was killed by a stab from a scout knife, and I've seen a COPS episode where a kid was killed and the weapon was a regular little SAK.

The biggest problem of course is, will you end up losing some fingers? Maybe not, but the possibility isn't worth the risk of using a non-locking knife for defense.

My point is, people have used folders that required two hands to open in encounters for decades before the advent of the manual one-handers of today.
Jim
 
Originally posted by allenC:
I see your point but I have to disagree. I has been my experience that 99.9% of street confrontations don't occur in a split-second. If you are aware of your surroundings and alittle streetwise you can usually see trouble coming your way (in plenty of time to ready your knife). Most attackers prey on people who are totally self-absorbed and unaware, or those who simply ignore their own senses warning them.
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Just curious but what do you base 99.9% on? It seems unrealistic.

Yes, I agree that there are ways to be defensive. There are the cliche: walk in well lit streets, don't walk alone, walk with an attitude, note people who may be following you, etc. However, violence is a lot like car accidents. Some you can foresee and swerve, and others just T-bone you out of nowhere. The main reason is that assessment is based on human psyche, and humans are not infallible. The best laid plans can oft go awry.

I consider myself pretty attentive and yet I've been in situations where things just "erupt". Now I'm not talking about a street gang that tails you for a block before they pounce on you, or shadowy figures looming in the alley. I'm talking about spontaneous human volatility. eg, bumping the "wrong guy" at a bar, squabbles which erupt into fist-fights, sucker punches, etc.

Even when there is some forewarning, I wouldn't be pulling out weapons at the drop of a hat. I would like to think that a reasonable person would try to diffuse the situation first.

For example, I was in a situation where a thug pushed an old woman. I commented that he shouldn't do that. His response was "what are you going to do about it." This was a warning obviously but would it have helped for me to pull out a knife at this point? Absolutely not. I tried to calm him down instead. Then he took a sucker punch (actually a kick) at me. Then all hell broke loose.

Sure there are many situations where you can see trouble coming. I totally agree. But I think in many other situations -- more than .1% anyway -- you have to rely on pure reflex, and survival instincts. I don't think a clumsy pocket knife is going to help you. You have to have something that you can easily reach and deploy.

 
Originally posted by James Y:
Probably the best SAK knives for possible defensive use would be one of the larger locking models. They may not be the fastest folders to open, but once open they are equal to many others, and with the longer blade and more ergonomic handle.

Any thoughts on the Leatherman Wave? Its got
blades that can be opened with one hand.
Click to expand...
 
How about a gerber 600 in needle nose?
Snap out action on the pliars and a very solid lock. Works like a fist load but has a point that would a hell of alot of damage if you struck somebody with it the right way.
I know it puts the release on the pliars right inside your grip, but I've use mine to puncture things before(not people
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) will no ill effects. And the tip does protrude out of the handle some when its closed to which would lessen the reach by about an inch but would still be effective.
I really wouldn't want to get smacked in the head wiht either the needle nose or the butt end of the pliars anyhow
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I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer... but I've got the sharpest knife in the room.
 
There are some "extreme weapons prohibition zones" where you can still pack a multi-tool or SAK.

The ultimate "fighting tool" is the Kershaw based on a "vice-grips" style plier head. The jaws don't fold down, so it's long enough to use Kubaton techniques. It has a 2.5" linerlock blade with thumbstub that like most of these except maybe the Spyderco, should be treated as a cutting implement versus stabbing due to lock strength concerns. However you can thumbcap alongside the blade and do serious smashes with the thin-nose pliers.

It's basically an "improved handload that can cut". The Wave and new Gerber "Wave clone" are usable the same way but they're shorter and don't have as nasty a "pommel smash"
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.

Jim
 
barber oregon:
I have a Wave and I find (for myself) I have to concentrate to open the knife blades one-handed. Because the blade hole is slim and small, and under stress or just lack of concentration my thumb sometimes slips out the first time I try to thumb it open.

Another thing about the Wave is the liner lock on the blades. The locking liner is fully exposed, so under stress it might become easy during a dangerous encounter to unlock the blade accidentally.

However, the only suggestion would be to visit a store that has the various knives/multitools available to handle, and feel them for yourself, then buy based upon what you feel will best suit your needs.
Jim
 
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