I live just down the street from a little grocery store and I do a lot of my shopping there. I usually sneak in just before closing time and when I walk back to my apartment with bags of groceries, I use a knife, flashlight, koppo stick, and/or pen to hold the bags. You know that carrying multiple heavy plastic bags can cut the circulation off in your fingers and become uncomfortable. By slipping something through the handles, youve made yourself a much more comfortable handle for those bags. In addition, you already have something in your hand if you should happen to need it. I can quickly and easily drop the bags while holding onto my makeshift tactical handle. No one will give me a second look, even with a closed folder in my hand, because they see the grocery bags in my hands and never look for anything else. A flashlight in this role can also be turned on if desired to remind cars of my presence or light up dark corners, etc. The most comfortable way to do this with a folder is pivot forward, spine up. This ads a step to the presentation because the knife must be rotated in the hand before opening, but spine down gets uncomfortable. If the knife has a tip-up clip youll have to watch to make sure that the handles of the bag dont get caught in the clip when you go to drop the bag, so practice at home first. Folders with 3.5-4 blades are most comfortable for me to do this with, could be different for you depending on the size of your hands. I carry it in hammer grip with the handles of the plastic bag between my middle and ring fingers, that way I can release my ring finger and pinky to drop the bag and I still have three fingers to hold my handle securely; once the bag is dropped, secure the grip with the other two fingers.
If you carry a tip-up folder in your front pants pocket and you wear a ring, try drawing the folder by using the ring to hook the clip. Youve got a very discrete draw into a position in your hand that is secure without using your fingers. You can keep your fingers flat, or even apart, the knife stays in your hand and stays concealed.
Just as a thought experiment, walk around with the mindset of a predator. Instead of focusing on people who may be a threat to you, focus on being a threat to them. Dont ask, could I take that guy? ask, how could I take that guy? Look at all people as targets, for theft or assault. What kind of openings do they give you? How close will they let you get to them without doing anything to put themselves in a safer position? Im not recommending that you hurt people, only that you think about doing so. Be aware that if you do take on a predator mindset, someone could potentially pick up on that and feel the need to defend themselves against you, so do be careful. The purpose of this is to look from the other side at peoples vulnerabilities as a way to work on reducing your own. If you try this, youll see how easy it would be to at least get the first shot in on most people and they would have no idea what hit them. Use this knowledge to make yourself a harder target.
For the last week or so, Ive taken to keeping a koppo stick in my hand most of the time Im walking around outside or on the bus. It is made of wood so as to be CA legal, with rounded ends, all black with a black loop of gutless paracord. It took about 20 minutes to make and looks just like a pen in my hand. No one has given it a second look, even on very crowded streets and busses. Because of the loop, I can still use the hand without dropping or removing it. An informal survey of three friends had no idea what it was either in my hand or when I handed it to them. I dont think this is illegal brandishing because its not threatening, but if I foresee a close interaction with an LEO Ill discretely drop it into a pocket. I keep it in my weak hand, keeping the strong hand free for a knife if necessary. While no ones asked about it yet, if they do Ill just tell them that Im trying to quit smoking and I find it easier not to smoke if I have something in my hand to fiddle with. Ill call it a pocket stick, which is so obvious a name that its disarming and does not suggest weapon to someone who doesnt already know what it is.
Sometimes when I sense that a homeless person is about to approach me, Ill ask them for a cigarette or some change. If fux with their OODA loop and keeps them from asking me.
I do carry multiple knives, but I dont segregate them unnecessarily. Any could be used for SD or utility, and I try to keep them all sharp. If Im carrying a really small (i.e., 3) knife Id be less likely to draw it for SD, and if Im carrying a really big (i.e., 5.5) knife Id be less likely to draw it for utility. I carry several not because I think Ill ever need more than two knives for any one situation, but because I dont know in advance where it will be convenient, discrete, fast, or possible to draw from. Ive also noticed that some people who carry two weapons will carry one strong side and one weak side, while others will carry both strong side. I couldnt decide which of those I wanted to do, so I carry two strong side and one weak side. Ambidextrous draw positions are preferable, but fewer, and have their own drawbacks. I try to keep my fourth knife off of the waistline (usually clipped inside my left boot), but depending on what Im wearing thats not always possible.
Pretty knives will definitely freak the sheeple out less. If I anticipate that Ill have to use a knife in front of sheeple Ill carry a pretty one. But if you ever want to discretely draw or even open your knife, youll appreciate how a black handled, black bladed knife is almost invisible against black clothes at night.
If you are really focused on SD, carry the same knives in the same locations always. Rotating is going to slow you down somewhat. If you split your drawing practice between 15 knives, and sometimes carry in a sheath, sometimes in a pocket, some tip-up, some tip-down, some holes, some disks, some studs, etc., your draw will not be as automatic or fast as if your setup is always the same. Given that, I still rotate my knives, because Im a knife knut and I wouldnt be as happy about it if I had to carry the same four knives in the same locations every day. I know that rotating is putting me at a disadvantage, but tactical considerations arent the only ones Im concerned with.
Using a knife for utility is training for knife fighting the same way that shooting at paper targets is training for gunfighting.