Switching to more traditional foldes

R

rusty edge

Joined
Nov 2, 2005
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I used to carry only tactical style clip knives for use and self defense but after attaining my CHL and carrying a .45 1911 full time the idea of a self defense knife seems kind of futile. Lately I have made the switch to carrying traditional folders, like the trapper configuration, and I find the blade size and shape is actually much more useful for my needs. I still keep my trusty Para in RFP, but it hardly sees much use. Do many of you with a CHL still carry a knife for self defense? Oh, and once you start working with even basic carbon steels, even the super stainless steels seem inferior.
 
Trappers, Stockmans, and other traditional styles are great knives. I love Case's CV but am still warming up to Queen's D2. However, I haven't given up on one-handed knives like BM's and Spydercos. I think they all have their place. And I don't carry knives for S/D. The local law tends to frown upon that. I carry my Spyderco Military to peel apples and cut string.:)
 
Years ago, I thought a knife was a good option for SD. Having thought about it, I don't think that way any more. I carry a gun and pepper spray (OC) but the last thing I want is a confrontation. I don't consider the OC effective in use, but it serves as a great deterent for some people. I have needed to pull my OC from my pocket 3 times in the past 2 years (guy getting out of a car to beat up a friend, a guy verbally assaulting and threatening me, and a guy threatened to key my car while I was shopping because I didn't want to give him any spare change).

I still like hard-use, "tactical"-style folders to carry, mainly because they have great locks, good ergonomics, and usually good grip. I'd only pull out a knife if running away was not an option. Either way, I really want a locking knife to carry.
 
I've been CCing for over 15 yrs now, but I also always carry a knife & usually 2-3. Nowadays I carry a slip-joint, reg. folder, & a small FB.

I carry the FB on my weak-hand side basically for SD &/or weapon retention, if needed.
 
I would never use a knife as self defense, if it backfires you´ll sure end up dead by your own knife.

No, I wear a knife cause it can come in handy when nazis has tied you to a chair, making your way out of a hord of zombies, pick-locking the lock when the submarine takes in water while sinking and stuff like that.
 
Slowstarter said:
I would never use a knife as self defense, if it backfires you´ll sure end up dead by your own knife.

No, I wear a knife cause it can come in handy when nazis has tied you to a chair, making your way out of a hord of zombies, pick-locking the lock when the submarine takes in water while sinking and stuff like that.
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You make some excellent points. Having a knife has also saved me numerous times when I was sinking in quicksand and I used the knife to stab the ground and pull myself out.

I started going back to traditional knives when I realized my Tenacious wouldn't reach the last olive in the jar due to the size of the blade.
 
Steve_Holt said:
I started going back to traditional knives when I realized my Tenacious wouldn't reach the last olive in the jar due to the size of the blade.
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That's why I also carry Case Texas Jack knife... That last olive is annoying ;) But like they say: Jack of all trades, master of none...
 
Yes I still carry a get the hell of me knife so I can increase your body weight 230grs. at a time until your no longer a threat.
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a 3.5" folder makes a great substitute for a roll of quarters to get that initial step back distance. Other than that, I never considered my pocket knife as being primarily for SD.
 
I carry a gun. And at least two knives. Different jobs, different tools. I prefer EDC knives with clips so I know where they are and they don't collect pocket lint so badly. But I will always have an appreciation for stockmans and other traditional folders for sentimental reasons.
 
I dont carry anything for selfdefense except my legs and my brain. Live is a pretty good area, so it aint a real issue for me. I carry my knife for cutting normal stuff:)
 
I carry a knife because I've always carried a knife and need one most days for something. SD ain't one of them. Knives are short rations for SD.

With that out of the way, the question is what are you really going to use? I like a single stout blade in the 2.5 to 3.0 range with a lock. I like them thin because I usually carry in a watch pocket. I do not particularly like clips but I'll tolerate them. One handed opening is nice, but not something I insist on. I think the blades with huge humps to accomodate a thumbhole are butt ugly.

Answer for me is usually a sodbuster of some sort. Ka-Bar Dozier works well once I got that clip off. I'll probably pick up a Queen Country Cousin despite the lack of a lock.

Your answer may be very different, but it'll be the right answer if you ask the right questions. I don't think SD is one of the right questions, though. Man with a stick will knock the hell out of you and a man with a gun will just shoot you.
 
I always carry two knives. One of them is going to be, for lack of a better term, a tactical style folder, and it goes in my right front pocket. Like has already been said, I don't carry for self defense, but I carry it because I have always carried a knife, and I like to carry a high quality knife whether I use it or not, and the large right pocket knife does not see all that much action. At the moment it is a large wood inlaid Sebenza 21.

On the traditional knives, I carry one in my left front pocket and have found it does about 95% of what I need a knife to do on a daily basis. I have several Case knives that I switch around, from Gunstocks, Copperhead, and Whittlers. I'm currently carrying a black G10 Humpback Whittler that absolutely gets the job done!!:D:D
 
Slowstarter said:
I would never use a knife as self defense, if it backfires you´ll sure end up dead by your own knife.

No, I wear a knife cause it can come in handy when nazis has tied you to a chair, making your way out of a hord of zombies, pick-locking the lock when the submarine takes in water while sinking and stuff like that.
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That could be said about any lethal weapon.

I don't carry a gun or a knife for SD, most of the time I only carry a SAK and a Stockman.
 
Lately I have been looking at the traditional pocket knives too, mostly the older US made Camillus and Old Timer knives. They are really sharp and make great EDC knives. They are more practical for EDC than most of these larger tactical folders IMO.
 
rusty edge said:
I used to carry only tactical style clip knives for use and self defense but after attaining my CHL and carrying a .45 1911 full time the idea of a self defense knife seems kind of futile. Lately I have made the switch to carrying traditional folders, like the trapper configuration, and I find the blade size and shape is actually much more useful for my needs. I still keep my trusty Para in RFP, but it hardly sees much use. Do many of you with a CHL still carry a knife for self defense? Oh, and once you start working with even basic carbon steels, even the super stainless steels seem inferior.
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+1 to what you said and I dont even have a CCL. I either have a slip joint or a fixed blade. Traditional steels get my jobs done and can be sharpened in my sleep.:p
 
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