Urban Paranoia?

I try and be careful with knives. I find that too much reliance on them has a dispraportionate result on your own inherent abilities. In that the stronger, faster, and more resiliant a blade is and the more you come to rely solely on it for defence, the more you lose the aforementioned qualities. Strangley the guys I train with including my master, don't own BM's, Emerson's etc. I always feel kind of sheepish because I'm very green compared to them, yet have an arsenal of blades. They barely have one decent knife, but could easily take me down. I think that high-qualitiy knives like Striders, Emersons, BM, Spyderco etc definatley have uses for military/LE but somedays I have a hard time coming to terms with my steel addiction as a civilian. Dare i say I have mall-ninja tendancies? :o :(

Sometimes its worth carrying a decent non-sd knife like a 110, just so you forcibly remove that steel safety net.
 
Personally, I carry a SOG Flash II, CRKT Apache, CRKT Companion, Spyderco Ronin, and an SAK. I fail to see how the carrying of more than two knives constitutes paranoia,(which is itself just a heightened perception of reality :p ) especially when the blades have different jobs. What's wrong with redundancy in tools that serve important functions? That being said, I have gotten by with just three knives (Camillus CUDA Maxx, Spydie Ronin and Calypso Jr.), but have since lost both those folders :(
 
I carry a cold steel scimitar (soon to be replaced by chinookII:thumbup: ) IWB, buck 110 either in sheath or the small pocket on the right pocket, and a benchmade mini pika. I feel safe enough:foot:
 
For EDC I carry a BM 940 or Emerson CQC-10, but I keep in relatively good shape so I can run away pretty well. If I'm cornered, as a last resort, the HK P7M8 will be my defensive tool, not the knife.
 
I agree with Tracker.
Carrying a knife for defensive purposes is probably more detrimental than helpful, since it lends a false sense of security unless you're trained to use it in a defensive situation.
Mine are tools, not weapons.
I never have more than one on me, since I won't need to use more than one at a time to cut anything.
That being said, I like technology and gadgets, so I'm always looking for a knife that's "neat" or "cool," so that I enjoy carrying and using it.

In my area (right now I live in the county just north of Baltimore city) in the past couple months, there have been several instances of muggings with guns, one shooting, and one stabbing (I witnessed this one). A knife doesn't protect against someone armed with a gun -- just give 'em your wallet. If someone comes at you with a knife, the best thing you can do is put yourself out of reach (read: run).

It's time for me to move back into the city, where I've never had a problem like this. Out here in the county, city hoods come out and look at everyone as a target. In the city, I feel safer honestly.

Peace.
 
Here in the UK you can't legally carry that kind of hardware, and to be honest I've never felt the need to. My EDC is either a SAK or a Leatherman, both for their usefulness as tools rather than for self defence.

If I had to use a weapon for self defence I'd prefer a blunt trauma weapon to a blade. If I'm feeling really paranoid I'll carry a yawara. If it came down to it, I'd rather deal with the consequences of leaving an attacker injured than dead.

Like I said though, I don't feel the need to carry a weapon. I'm quite a big guy so most muggers would probably pick an easier looking target anyway. Worst case, I very rarely carry more than £30 cash, which I'd consider a small price for not being stabbed.

Chris
 
puukkoman said:
In my area (right now I live in the county just north of Baltimore city) in the past couple months, there have been several instances of muggings with guns, one shooting, and one stabbing (I witnessed this one). A knife doesn't protect against someone armed with a gun -- just give 'em your wallet. If someone comes at you with a knife, the best thing you can do is put yourself out of reach (read: run).

It's time for me to move back into the city, where I've never had a problem like this. Out here in the county, city hoods come out and look at everyone as a target. In the city, I feel safer honestly.
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Carroll or Baltimore County? I'm originally form S.E. PA so I know the area well. I have to laugh when some people ask me why I carry a gun in an affluent suburban area. The criminals are stupid, but they're not that stupid. They know where the expensive goods are. They also know where the kinder, gentler, victims are and in ain't in their neighborhood.

Agreed, if you keep your situational awareness up, you can avoid most danger, but just because you live in a "nice" area, doesn't mean there aren't predators.
 
I carry several knives.
On my person:
Busse DABAIII Right leg pocket
Swamp Rat Rat Trap Left Pocket
Swamp Rat Rat Tail Necker

None of my knives are carried for self defense reasons.
 
During the construction season I usually carry a Super Leatherman and my Lonewolf T-2. In the Winter I'm usually carrying the same T-2, but swapping it out every now and then with an Emerson CQC-13.

as far as actual weapons, when I go into Anchorage, I'll ocassionally shove a S&W Unobtainium 640 .357 Mag J-frame in my pocket.

I like what Tracker and Pukkoman are saying. It gives good food for thought. Although I tried to go back to traditional SJ's and such for a year once. I only made it a few months, and was completely freakin' miserable. Maybe I'll try again some day now that I'm not currently involved in EMS, Security or anything of that nature.
 
I'm in the process of moving to Pittsburgh for work purposes and while I was there looking for housing, I was approached by very aggressive "panhandlers". One asked for $5. I declined. I kept an eye on him and he started to follow me saying something about "now you gonne make me take more than $5". A similar happening in the Oakland area of Pgh about 2wks ago. I got followed by 2 aggressive panhandlers until I went into a hotdog shop where there was a Police Officer. I hung out there until I was sure they were gone and left the area quickly. I always try to avoid trouble, but it's been getting weird lately.
 
Pilot1 said:
Carroll or Baltimore County? .... The criminals are stupid, but they're not that stupid. They know where the expensive goods are. They also know where the kinder, gentler, victims are and in ain't in their neighborhood. .... just because you live in a "nice" area, doesn't mean there aren't predators.
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Baltimore County (right now I live in Towson). The shooting was a teacher from St. Paul's (local private school), who was blasted with a shotgun when he tried to morally instruct his two juvenile-delinquent muggers.

It's strange but true... In an area like this, people come out from the "rougher" areas of the city and look at everyone as an easy target. In the city, they think twice because they don't automatically assume "this guy lives out here, so he must be a weak, soft push-over."
It creates a strange illusion... that it's safer to live in the city than on the edge. Or, maybe it just debunks the illusion that it's safer to live outside the city than in it.

Whatever...
Peace.
 
puukkoman said:
Baltimore County (right now I live in Towson).
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I know the area well. I used to live in Cockeysville near Hunt Valley. There are some tough areas of Baltimore city not too far from the Inner Harbor and Fells Point too. And Maryland gun laws suck. Everyone is a potential target because the bad guys know your unarmed. I guess in an environment like that where I couldn't legally carry a firearm, I'd keep my Sauconys on.
 
Interesting stuff fellas. I guess most y'all never been in a knife fight yet. I was & didn't have anything with me. That's why I carry one now.
 
rowdy27 said:
Interesting stuff fellas. I guess most y'all never been in a knife fight yet. I was & didn't have anything with me. That's why I carry one now.
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I'm glad that you came out well after such an incident friend and are now a lot more wiser and prepared/enriched by such an event. :thumbup:

But what's more important to have---wwwaaaayyy more---than the knife or any "hardware", are the lessons ("software") that one should have taken or learned from that particular experience. Lessons such as awareness, listening to the "gut" feel, avoidance, "de-escalation talking", reading body signals of a potential attacker, using your environment for cover, etc.

Not allowing yourself to be "in the pocket" in the first place is what truly seperates the prepared from the not. Whatever you may have on you is only a mere tool and any tool is only as good or functional as its owner.
 
I was 21, 2 19 year old Jamaicans kicked my youngest brother's friend off his bike & took it.
They came to me for help. I caught the 2 in the schoolyard nearby & was challenged. One taunted me on the bike & the other attacked! I got slashed below the wrist when I blocked his thrust & popped him in the chops. He went down & I pounced. He raked my shoulder again in the scuffle, then his friend found a cinder-block & laid me out cold with it while I was atop the knifer.
Not a fun day..
 
I don't worry about getting mugged, but I carry a knife for utility purposes always, usually a tanto Spike from cold steel. If you need anything for SD I would get a pistol.
 
Jhansenak47 said:
I If you need anything for SD I would get a pistol.
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They're not allowed to carry them in Canada and if the ban goes through, not even own one in the home.
 
I live in a Communist country where they want to take guns off of law-abiding sportsmen..it's called "Canada" & it's a mess up here!!
They even have gay weddings & welfare for them now!!
I wish I was American myself.
 
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