"What knife would you pick if...."

M

MikeH

Joined
Oct 18, 2001
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These type threads are fun, and generate a ton of different ideas about the ideal knife for any type of emergency situation. BUT....

the truth is that we all make the decision every day about what knife we will have in an emergency situation. This is because emergencies by their very nature are not known about in advance. The guy who saved several people in the World Trade Center by opening a stalled elevator with a squeegee undoubtedly did not forsee that use when he picked up the squeegee that morning. The truth is that, in any emergency situation, you will have whatever knife you chose to put in your pocket or strap on that morning, and maybe whatever is in your vehicle. Also, if in places where knives are banned you probably will have none at all. You cannot call a timeout to run home and get another knife. So you will have whatever knife you have predetermined is appropriate for the planned activities of the day.

So, given this, the more appropriate question seems to be, what knife will you have at hand in the hypothetical situation.

My answer is that in my pocket will be a sturdy, fairly large folder. Currently it will be the LionSteel SR1.
There will also be a small knife, currently a Bladetech Mouse, in another pocket. If my car is at hand, a Swamp Rat Battlerat will be available. If the truck, a Busse Sarsquatch. If outdoors roaming or hunting, in addition to the folders will be a Busse Combat 6" fixed blade, (a thinner, lighter weight Natural Outlaw E Zero Tolerance), and the SR1 folder will be replaced with a lighter weight Swamp Rat Rat Trap. Although I love my Busses and have lots of large heavy Busses which would be great in specifically defined situations, the truth is that at age 65 I am not going to make it a practice to lug one around as routine practice, so one is not likely to be available.

I will also always have a small but powerful Fenix light in my pocket. Developed this habit during a long career as an electric utility engineer.

I am not talking self-defense carry here. That is what the Kimber Solo is for.
 
I'd want my Strider SnG for brute strength. Not the best cutting knife but its the strongest folder I own
 
I usually have a large stronger folder and a smaller utility knife with me at all times. Like a Emerson CQC 15 and a FFG Delica. Unless I carry my Socom Elite because it's big but a really good cutter/slicer.
 
00ChevyScott said:
I'd want my Strider SnG for brute strength. Not the best cutting knife but its the strongest folder I own
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That speaks volumes about the knife choices of many on this board. I'll never understand that trade off in the form of a folder.

To the OP, on me I have a SAK Soldier at all times and sometimes an Izula 2 or Spyderco Military. In my car I have a Condor Thai Enep, Imacasa 22" machete, a leatherman wave, and spyderco military. (Man I need to clean out my car. :D) In my go bag/dayhike bag I have the Farmer knife below or an Izula 2 with a folding saw.

IMG_1174.jpg
 
On myself right now is a spyderco PM2, Swisstech key, ColdSteel super edge and a Streamlight microstream, truck has a leatherman wave, hatchet, and my Becker tactool.
 
A Victorinox Hiker and a Fallkniven F1. It is legal for me to carry the F1 concealed or open. At work it's concealed, on my time it may be carried openly people in my town don't scare very easily.
 
Shotgun said:
That speaks volumes about the knife choices of many on this board. I'll never understand that trade off in the form of a folder.

To the OP, on me I have a SAK Soldier at all times and sometimes an Izula 2 or Spyderco Military. In my car I have a Condor Thai Enep, Imacasa 22" machete, a leatherman wave, and spyderco military. (Man I need to clean out my car. :D) In my go bag/dayhike bag I have the Farmer knife below or an Izula 2 with a folding saw.

IMG_1174.jpg
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Gorgeous Farmer there! Love the lines. In my pockets right now I have a Case sway back jack, ESEE Izula with a length of paracord wrapped around the sheath, and Benchmade 530. My key chain has a mag/ferro bar (from the Izula kit) a Victorinox/Inova squeeze light, and a Spyderco Honeybee. My pack has an ESEE-3 and Victorinox Swiss Spirit on the shoulder strap and I keep both a metal and wood saw in my bag with all the other survival goodies. My EDC bag happens to ALSO be my go-bag. I just find all my little gadgets useful enough on a daily basis to carry them all with me. I like to jokingly call it my "tactical Mary Poppins carpet bag." :) In the car I keep a Cold Steel 18" barong machete tucked next to the center console.
 
Right now I'mat work so that limits me to a small pocket knife. I'm carrying an SAK Tinker and a Kershaw Leek. In the car I have a small hatchet and a cold steel machete. I should probably add a large fixed blade or skinner to the car.
 
Depending on the day it varies for whats in my pocket. Right now I have a Wegner model 10 SAK, and a Case medium Stockman. I have a Gerber LSEK, a hatchet and a Buck 110 in my truck.
 
On me, most days, its Spyderco's Paramilitary - unless I'm wearing a suit - then it'll be their Sage1.
In the car, I have a SOG Fusion, and in the bag in the trunk, the real goodies - A Scrapyard War Dog, Spyderco Manix2 FFG M4, SAK Huntsman, Case Medium Stockman, and Leatherman Juice S2 - as far as edged items go.
If I'm purposely heading out to the boonies, I'll strap an RMD to my hip.
I rarely park in garages, and am counting on being able to get to the GHB in my my car, even if streets are unpassble. It's simply not practicable for me to carry it with me at all times, but I make sure to keep it nearby.
 
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I always carry a fixed blade, usually my Bark River Custom Highland Special, it's 4" long and .195" thick CPM S35VN. I also have my BRK PSK. In an emergency, I would do things with my Custom Highland that I would never do otherwise, like pry open an elevator door.
In the truck there's a old rusty axe, a demo hammer, double bit Marbles hatchet, and my .357 magnum, if it's not on me. I need to stash one of my machetes in there as well, or maybe a Ka-Bar Cutlass machete?
 
My normal carry generally consists of a heavy duty folder (Recon 1, JYD II, BM111) a sheeple friendly folder (delica ffg, slipjoints etc.) my LM wave and some kind of SHTF knife in scout carry (RC3, BK11, Bm 42, Mora 612) Ill always have some kind of combination of these catagories
 
I follow the 1-heavy, 1-light folder EDC, plus I have a Schrade Ti tool, a Swisstech mini folding pliers w/ screwdriver heads and a little Coast 3v LED flashlight on me at all times.
 
Today I'm carrying a SAK Spartan, Spyderco Delica FFG Blue, and my trusty old model Spyderco Military with a razors edge.

I also have a Glock gen4 19 and a 4sevens preon 2 on me.

Today or tomorrow my Bob Lum 760 show be coming back from Benchmade. I'm thinking of trading it, but it is such a tank I might keep it for heavy- duty use. I wouldn't be afraid to pry with it.
 
If I'm at work, it will be the Case Peanut or GEC Barlow in my pocket and the Vic Spirit in my bag which is always in reach. On my keys is a small LED light and there is a book of matches tucked into the cover of my pocket notebook.

If the crisis is such that I can get to my car, there is a get-home pack with all sorts of useful stuff.
 
Very well formulated question. My opinion is and always has been along those lines even before a career in the Military. Get up in the morning or go to bed at night prepared for the unexpected. "Prepare for the worst and hope for the best".
I have knives and guns all around at at hand. Not paranoia just habit.
I carry a Hinderer XM-18, a S&W .357 (spurless) and a Fenix. But have Glocks , Hk's and SureFires all around my house/vehicle/office etc.
You never know. At 50 years old I have found myself in situations where I was glad I had a gun and a CC permit.
 
Pretty safe to assume that I will have a large single blade folder, smaller slipjoint, and a Leatherman Juice II on me every day that I leave my home. Currently it is a Bob Dozier Workhorse, or BM275BK Adamas for the large folder, a large Gunstock by Case for my slipjoint, and the Leatherman Juice II in the outside pocket of my wallet. I don't usually carry a fixed blade in my truck, but have a few here at the house. I might start carrying the ESEE-4 I just got as my truck knife, until I pick up a ESEE-6 that is.
 
If it happened today, it would have been a Kershaw Rake with additional support tools in the Suburban.
 
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