The Knife That Has Killed the Most People

it's funny! on this forum it's allowed and OK to ask "what knife can I choose for self-defense"? Then it's ok to see knife as a weapon!
You'll even get a lot of answers from so called "expert" in this area.
But ask what knife as been most used as criminal weapon is a dumass question?
They is no dumbass questions! Only dumbass answers...
 
Originally posted by Paul1967
Give the man a break he lives in Waycross Ga. Have you ever been there? The place is so slow you can hear the trees growing. Time has even been known to move backwards there.
Click to expand...


Sorry man...i didn't know it was that bad there? You must be one of the lucky ones since you have a computer...and toilet paper...

Maybe this question would be partially answered if we asked...

If you suddenly found your wife/girlfriend/teenage daughter in bed with another guy...which knife would you grab first and why?

At least we know what the statistics for bladeforum members would be....
 
May I try a few speculations?
First -- I`d talk only about knives. No swords. No "pure" bayonets.

Pehaps the first place would take kitchen knives. Esp. -- 'No name". They are availible everywhere. They are always on hand, esp while alcohol is being consumed (do not know about the USA, but in Russia many kills happen in drunk arguments).
Close second would be taken by "traditional EDC's". Again, they are usually on hand before anything else.

And some which are commonly regarded as "evil", yet IMHO -- in vain.

Swithchblades and Bali-Songs. Yes, they are popular among underworld. But AFAIK GREAT majority of murders happen during home arguments. Criminal assaults with such knives (swithchblades and bali-songs) are commonly depicted by Mass-Media => are more "noticed" then common homicides with kitchen knives and traditional EDC's.

Military Knives. They are (at least partly) designed for combat use, and thus are belived to be exeptionaly dangerous. Actually AFAIK(again) nowadays military knives are rarely used for killing.
 
I avoided even reading this stupid post until this morning for all the obvious and aformentioned reasons. I concur it is impossible to determine but easy to speculate that it is either the Roman short sword (closely emulated by the Becker Brute), or whatever style Ghengis Khan and friends used. Waycross is easily avoided by taking Peckerwood Trail over to 301 on the way to the beaches. There are a few peaches worth plucking there, however. Morticia, I suspect you're a young'en.
 
I don't know why many think this thread is stupid.It is no differant than wanting stats on one shot stops on ammo or any other crime stats.I hope that someone is keeping records.If,GOD FORBID,very bad knife laws are ever introduced the pro knife people can pull up info that may state that 80% of knife crimes are committed useing 3.00 crap that is sold out of buckets in gas sations.Something like that may affect how a law is wrote up.
 
They don't have forums for screwdrivers or wrenches (well, maybe). The reason so many people are into knives is because they are weapons and carry all the mistique of weapons. Let me repeat; as students of the knife, what is so wrong about studying the people that have actually used knives in a violent manner, how they used them, and what kind of blade they used? Is it impolite to ask if one type of knife was predominant in the criminal classes? Do you get so hung up on locking mechanisms and blade steels that you forget what we're talking about here. All you people with the CUda Maxx, Did you buy one to rig fishing nets with?
By the way, if I knew people were going to start ragging on my hometown, I would never have put it in. Waycross is a great town, it's poor, and it has its share of crack, but leave off of it. I'm only one person who lives there, believe it or not, my opinion doesn't carry the day. Do you represent the opinion of your town?
 
Originally posted by u812
I don't know why many think this thread is stupid.It is no differant than wanting stats on one shot stops on ammo or any other crime stats.I hope that someone is keeping records.If,GOD FORBID,very bad knife laws are ever introduced the pro knife people can pull up info that may state that 80% of knife crimes are committed useing 3.00 crap that is sold out of buckets in gas sations.Something like that may affect how a law is wrote up.
Click to expand...

excellent reply...I was thinking the same thing. I find the question interesting...and personal insults are frowned upon on BF.

RL
 
Go waycross go!!!

Hey you ain't seen a boring town until you've been to Coventry, UK.

For me a knife has nothing to do with mystique....i just like sharp shiny things...
 
I disagree with ALL of you. Haven't you seen any Krueger flicks? Sheesh. He fastens thin fishing blades onto his glove. He kills a tong of people; more than displayed in the movies, and he's continuing to kill people. You're all crazy, I tell you!

Fear Freddy.
 
Hi Uath!
again I want to say, your thread is not stupid at all! Most of people on this forum carry a blade and a lot of us for self defense purpose! So it's ok to ask about wich blade to carry for self defense but to be curious about what knife was most used for crimes is not OK? Come on guys! People calling this thread dumbass just try to convince themself that they're well thinking people!
I'm police officer and have been studing Criminology, I would like to know too about this! Does it make me a dumbass?
There is no dumbass questions, only dumbass answers!

:barf:
 
Hey Oliver, right on! I also have always been interested in criminology. Certainly that doesn't make a person a criminal. You are also right on knife defence. Who are the experts. I've been involved in European swords for many years. I practice with them and spar with other people, alone and in groups. I'm no expert though. I've never fought for real, for blood, with swords. I'm just a martial arts practicioner. I practice.
I'm afraid so many knife defence "experts" are just the same. They practice, spar, and review criteria, but they've never been in the hot seat, not really. They're martial artists. The two books about knife fighting I've read that impressed me the most were written by people who have been there. One, by a Brit SAS, the other by a convict with several life sentences for killing people on the inside. Not pleasant people perhaps, but ones with real information.
 
'The knife that has killed the most people...'

I thought I was going to read something about the Bowie knife!;) I don't feel this is a ridiculous question but looks like some good old research needs to be done. If there are no stats kept out there on murder weapons I'd be very surprised! Pick a 10 year period & research murder cases and weapon used. How about equating...which has killed more people? Guns or knives or automobiles? Where's Danelle when you need her?
 
How about the Fairbain - Sykes and it´s clones ? Especially during the time of the second world war ?
 
This won't answer your question, but it does go to show that common utensils are probably the most used deadly weapons. When I worked in ER, on one hot summer eve a cookout went bad and a woman stuck a barbecue fork into her 400 pound husbands chest. Just far enough to nick the heart. Killed that dude with a fork. And it's legal to carry.
:D

Jack
 
I don't think there is any research on knife brands like they do with firearms.

But i do think there are statistics out there for knife type.

I'm studying criminology as well as martial arts and i don't think the statistics for knife brand would provide any useful information in crime prevention. Knife type however will provide an insight into the mind of the killer.

Just my opinion.
 
FYI- Neither the N.I.J. or FBI, to the best of my knowledge, keep records on the "specific type" of edged weapon used. You would be hard pressed to find something like that and even then it would be nearly impossible to determine if the material is fact based or mearly statistics and percentages.

From a personal background of nineteen years of combined military and law enforcement experience, I can tell you that in a normal society type enviroment (non-correctional) I have seen edged weapons used to be typical kitchen type knives. Most of the assaults were the results of domestic/family disturbances, as we all know these are very passionate, rage type attacks usually involving improvised weapons
(in other words, whatever is on the kitchen counter or in the sink...) The second most prolific edged weapon type that I see used is the human bite. You would be absolutely amazed at the mayhem and disfigurement that can be caused by a motiviated biting agressor. Other inprovised edged weapons I have seen used were shovels, hedge clippers and a ton of incidents involving broken bottles and glasses.
All very effective and dangerous.

I have a ciger box in my locker completely full of garbage folders,switchblades, and other piece of junk knives that I have taken off of suspects for whatever reason. The guy I find with the well made, high quality edged tool on his personis usually going to be a normal citizen with an interest in edged weapons, and or edged weapon combat or edged weapon topics, they are usually not the "bad guy" type.

The edged weapon society that is extremely dangerous is the motivated, sociopathic prison populations. They are well trained, have there own style of edged weapon or "shank" making techniques that they configure to be very concealable and highly effective. They teach each other how,where, and how many times to strike,stab,and slash their opponents and the damage inflicted is truely amazing. A razor blade broken out of the end of a disposable razor and melted into a toothbrush handle can inflict wounds on a full grown man's upper torso that you would not believe. I am talking hundreds of
stitches to close.

Sorry for the ramble, just my 2.5 cents
 
Brownie and a few others nailed it. There was a little research done on this subject in the 70's. It's kitchen knives. Chef knives were first, followed by paring, and steak knives.

I'd bet machetes are up there, too. Simply utility tools pressed into service.

I'll see if I can dig up the report.
 
The Uniform Crime Report, however flawed it may be is most likely the closest to am authoritative source on the subject there is, and nowhere does it address the BRAND of any weapon used criminally. As far as I remember it will list "knife" and no more. The Officers Killed Summary also doesnt differentiate between types of edged weapons.

If this is a serious question, and it is one that plenty of cops and investigators have asked, you may want to refine your request as to time periods, military vs non-military use, defensive vs offensive use, geography, and so on. Another big area would be wounding vs killing which would address the lethality aspect. A much more definitive source of info would be ER and medical examiner records. MEs in particular will know thw geometry and dimensions of the wounds they see, and thus the type of weapon can be inferred.

Screwdrivers and kitchen knives will be way up there, along with scissors. I do not know about killings, but human teeth have been responsible for a whole lot of injuries: take a look into forensic odontology for some of the worst wounds imaginable.

If this was a sincere request I hope this helps a little. If you are some freak looking for purient thrills I hope it does not.

I've been to Waycross - I've seen better, but then I've seen worse , too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top