What blades, fixed or folder, do you think would be stout enough to neutralize a 12 f

The knife you have in your hand would be the "best" for that situation. Hopefully, it won't be a butterknife.

Since there are no dedicated "gator-dispatching" designed knives I'm aware of, I'd say a nice, stout, sharp and pointy knife in excess of 6" in the blade length would be my choice. Plenty of those around to choose from. Get the one that appeals to your taste.

Actually, I have serious reservations that a knife would be a weapon of choice when it comes to SD against an 11 foot alligator actively trying to eat me alive like the one you referenced in your link. I'd choose something that goes BANG!!, a really loud BANG!! in the area of 12 gauge. Preferably with Brenneke slugs in the chamber and tube. Leave the 00 buck at home.:)
 
I guess, in lieu of major firepower, I'd go with a HI Khukuri. I'd want some crazy chopping ability, and these knives have it in spades. Also works well at machete duty getting through the denser areas, which if you're in wildlife territory, might be useful. After all this, you can chop some firewood with it.
 
There are folks who hunt wild boar with knives. They have dogs grab em by the ears and then jam the knife down through em. Wild boar are mighty dangerous even when hunted with guns and have thick hide. I figure if you could take one of them out with a knife a croc should be no problem. Gettig in position would be the tricky part. A large bowie is what the boar hunters interviewed preffered. I think a Bowie with a sharpened swedge and a stout blade would be my choice. Steel? Anything wicked sharp as I dont think this would be a weekly hoby. Not like it has to last, just preform really well right now. I think a swift deccisive blow to the proper part of the body (heart, lungs, spine) would do better than any other attack. Crocs and othe reptiles are somewhat predictable in the responses to touch. Alot of long time reptile handlers have it down to a science. Of course these are probably the last people on earth who would stab a croc in the first place. Actually I guess people who farmed or hunted corc for profit might be expert reptile handlers without the sapy animal lover part. =P
 
Crocodiles are not that hard to kill. I am talking about real crocs, not Alligators. In the Northern Territory of Australia, croc farmers generally kill their stock with a .22 rifle. Crocodile egg collectors (researchers and licenced breeeders) walk through croc infested swamps with little more than a long pole or boat oar to fend of aggressive female crocs.

The people who are taken by crocs usually don't see them coming as the animals are cunning stalkers. They are mostly taken in or at the edge of the water. Crocs jaws are enormously powerful and if they hit you by surprise it is unlikely that you will defend yourself with anything.

There are some instances where people have been rescued from the jaws of crocs by other people but they are the lucky ones. I think the choice of knives of potential victims is really a bit academic.

By the way, there is currently a croc at a popular fishing spot in the Territory that is 6 metres long (that's roughly 19 feet). There have been bigger ones.
 
Actually, croc jaws are pretty weak in comparsion to other animals. They lock the jaw and kill by twisting the entire body and by drowning the prey, but that just as an asside.
 
Actually Croc jaw strength is highly Directional. The muscles used for opening a crocs mouth are something like 1/5 the muscle mass of the ones used to close them. Therefore when you see a croc get it mouth pinned shut you are not seeing its closing force. When snapping them shut there is more force than any human can hold back and more than enough power to snap bones and cause massive trauma to the area just from crushing force alone. This is on top of there teeth of course. Once the jaws have snapped shut they are much easier to mannage and can even be pried open. I dont think one should confuse this with crocs having "weak" jaws. I agree with 2manyknives, if you were suffering an average attack from a corc or gator deffending yourslef is unlikely. You have a much better chance that someone else could help you. Once the jaws are closed they attempt to "death roll" you wich is what actually kills most of its larger victims far before the trauma of the wounds kills them. If you however were the aggresor and had a good knowledge of croc bahavior I think it could be done without to much risk. I handled monitors in the 8-12' range and they have much smaller jaws and less muscle for closing them and even those guys could easily take off a finger. Lucky for humans crocs and most reptiles (herps, whatever you wana call em) have somewhat predictable bahvior and you can learn it well.
 
I've seen an alligator killed by an old timer folder (5" blade). I think technique is the most important aspect of this endeavor. Don't try this at home, my father was an expert.:D
 
Your definitely watching way too much TV ....
no crocs in bay area of lala land, but a few GOOD size Great Whites.
 
Rent an old Tarzan movie and see what he uses.:D I am pretty sure that it is a carbon steel of unknown composition, though.
 
I don't know anything about crocks, but just by looking at their anatomy I would try to thrust my knife into the soft spots of their body.

Assuming it is my only chance to save my life I would try to stick him in the eye, or in the soft underside of the throat area, or belly. From their armor like apearance it looks unlikely that the knife could pennetrate the plating on their backs or head.
 
BigJim: I only meant "weak" in relative terms, not that I would be willing to stick my hand into the opened jaws of a croc. Even my jaws can easily snap bones and cause massive trauma.....no I haven't tried lately ;). In terms of relative strength, the jaws of a croc are actually not very strong even on closing. In comparison to many vegetarian species the jaws are not very strong for example. The Hippo's for example are a lot more dangerous or in comparison to an animal as the Jaguar, which, if I remember correctly, holds a record in jaw strength in the animal kingdom among the predators and kills unlike most other predators mainly by biting through the skull of the prey.
 
HoB said:
BigJim: I only meant "weak" in relative terms, not that I would be willing to stick my hand into the opened jaws of a croc. Even my jaws can easily snap bones and cause massive trauma.....no I haven't tried lately ;). In terms of relative strength, the jaws of a croc are actually not very strong even on closing. In comparison to many vegetarian species the jaws are not very strong for example. The Hippo's for example are a lot more dangerous or in comparison to an animal as the Jaguar, which, if I remember correctly, holds a record in jaw strength in the animal kingdom among the predators and kills unlike most other predators mainly by biting through the skull of the prey.
Click to expand...

If youre comparing a 3000kg animal with an 90kg animal, I don't think the jawstrength is the biggest issue when it comes to the fatal factor. But yes, hippos are insanely aggresive and kill more people than any other animal in Africa IIRC.
 
The last thing I would want to do is fight a Crocodile or Gator in their territory with just a knife. But if I had to choose an edged weapon for such a task it would likely be a Randall 12" Arkansas Toothpick (left) or a Randall Model 12 - 13" Raymond Thorp Bowie.

tn_toothpick-big.jpg
tn_bowie-big.jpg
 
misque said:
The knife you have in your hand would be the "best" for that situation. Hopefully, it won't be a butterknife.

Since there are no dedicated "gator-dispatching" designed knives I'm aware of, I'd say a nice, stout, sharp and pointy knife in excess of 6" in the blade length would be my choice. Plenty of those around to choose from. Get the one that appeals to your taste.

Actually, I have serious reservations that a knife would be a weapon of choice when it comes to SD against an 11 foot alligator actively trying to eat me alive like the one you referenced in your link. I'd choose something that goes BANG!!, a really loud BANG!! in the area of 12 gauge. Preferably with Brenneke slugs in the chamber and tube. Leave the 00 buck at home.:)
Click to expand...

Yaaaa ... Get whatever looks good. Dork Ops perhaps?

One should do as well as another with a gator that size.

Ya'll come on down, we got plenty to jump on and test out your favorite blades. LOL

12ga with slugs sounds about right to me. I kinda like bang sticks. Handy, but the second shot is a bitch.

Makes life interesting!

Smoking Crack also helps for a knife attack on a gator, or, getting attacked by a gator.

Actually, it seems gators like humans in a drug stupor.

We had a woman killed and partially eaten here that had passed out on a canal bank from too much Xanax(?).

There is a message or moral here somewhere.

Rob
 
Some of the members hunt alligators in Florida and caimans in the Amazon by jumping on their backs in the water with a knife. They avoid the big ones.
 
Cougar Allen said:
Some of the members hunt alligators in Florida and caimans in the Amazon by jumping on their backs in the water with a knife. They avoid the big ones.
Click to expand...

I'll bet!!!

To go jumping on the back of a gator longer than you are tall with just a knife .... would take better drugs than I've ever seen.

These things just do NOT play at all!

For the most part, very placid, but for the second part, don't forget what they are and what they can do.

Rob
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top