Why do most people like pocket knives?

I've never carried a knife with the thought that it was for personal defense. If I had nothing else on me, then yes, I know how to use my knife as a weapon, and I would probably do it if I needed to, but frankly, my knives are tools, as well as enjoyment for me, much more than they will ever be weapons.

That's why I carry a gun...
 
The OP never said anything in this thread about "knife fighting", as in two guys choosing to fight with knives. In fact, he never said "knife fighting" or "fighting knife" anywhere in this thread. He did use the term "combat knife", but it's pretty clear that he was specifically talking about self-defense.

Whether or not a knife is a good choice for self-defense, or whether it can be used effectively for that purpose can be an endless debate. As is the subject of which is best- folder or fixed-blade.

As far as why some people might choose a folder for self-defense rather than a fixed-blade, there can be a variety of reasons

for example-

It's not always legal to carry a fixed-blade, openly or concealed. And even when it's legal to openly carry them, some people don't want to risk being hassled over an openly carried fixed-blade that they will likely never need for self-defense.

Even if it's legal to carry concealed, not everyone wants to dress in such a way as to keep a fixed-blade concealed from view, especially when the weather is hot, or if their necessary work attire isn't suitable for concealing a fixed-blade.

Some workplaces may frown on carrying a fixed-blade at work, but be more permissive towards folders.

Even where it is legal to openly carry a fixed-blade, some businesses may not want people carrying what they view as "weapons" into their business. Folding knives are much easier to carry discreetly.

Depending on what activity a person is going to be engaged in, a fixed-blade could get in the way or be some form of encumbrance. Whereas a folder can be more compact, and carried in a pocket it can be less likely to snag on things.

I openly carry a fixed-blade on a regular basis. I carry it as a cutting and prying tool, and it's seen a lot of use for both tasks. If I found myself in a life-threatening situation, and if in that moment I believed that my knife were my best option for defending myself I would not hesitate to employ it for that purpose.

I also carry a pocket knife, for smaller, more detailed tasks, and for times when I believe that the situation is best served by a smaller, more discreet-looking knife. And when I am unable to carry my fixed-blade, or when I feel it isn't appropriate for the occasion, I carry a folder, which I would use for self-defense if I felt it were my best option (in the past it was an Al Mar SERE 2000, now it's a Viper Start).

Finally, as long as people are obeying the law and conducting themselves in a responsible manner, I don't see any reason why one person would care what another person chooses to carry for self-defense. I can understand being curious, and this being a knife forum it makes perfect sense to try and satisfy ones curiosity about why people choose the knives they choose on a knife forum. But I personally have never lost a moments sleep over why other people choose what they choose.

To each his own.
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure if this thread is using the term "pocket knife" as an umbrella term covering the modern folder and traditional knife, or if the meaning as used here means only traditional two hand opening knife. For me those are two different animals requiring two difference responses. I may have missed the definition that may have clearly been in a post I just skimmed over.
 
Welcome fellow Hoosier:)

Indiana DOES have some pretty lax knife laws regarding lengths and whatnot. However, the devil is in the details. State law prohibits automatics, gravity knives, dirks and daggers. Unfortunately, almost any knife carried on one's person can potentially be shoehorned into one of those categories by a crafty prosecutor.

I often carry a large-ish fixed blade knife on me when hiking around. Check out the HI forum, and you'll see what sizes Khukuris come in;) They're handy to have. On top of that, should I NEED to defend myself with one of my knives, they would be more than up to the task.

That said, a big fixed blade isn't my self defense knife of choice. I have a couple of reasons as to why:

Firstly, I don't want to go to jail because I gut a mugger with 12" of Nepali steel. Granted, I have a clean record and am generally considered a pretty model citizen. It would be a wrong place/wrong time situation for both myself (because I wasn't keeping a situational awareness of my surroundings) and the attacker (who probably wouldn't be aware that I had a kind of knife on my belt that I have been swinging nearly daily for over a decade and am very familiar with). It looks bad to a jury.

Yeah that may be true, but isn't my life worth more than the risk? Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6 and all that? Of course, and that brings me to my second point:

It's absolutely ridiculously easy to get a CCW gun permit in Indiana if you are not a felon. Pay your money, get fingerprinted, write a letter to the local Sheriff or Police Chief to approve, and you're done. You can carry any handgun on your person without having to take a class or pass a test...although i suggest everyone take some instruction and practice a great deal before they start carrying. That't the responsible thing to do, anyway. My point is that with minimal effort I can protect myself with a handgun much better than a knife (for the most part) and it looks better in a SD situation as I had to actually complete a very minimal amount of effort to get my permit.

That said, I DO carry a knife as a back up self defense tool. It's a folder with a 4" blade, frame lock, and a non-mechanical flipper. It's stout for what it is. I don't plan on locking blades with it, but if I can't get to my gun a 4" rapidly deployed knife may buy me the time to get away.

My main point of all this is, yes carrying most anything in our state is legal. However, USING it in a life and death situation may have more ramifications than you might think. If you can't carry a gun and decide to carry a fixed blade knife, I can totally see that as a viable way to defend yourself. I did that for many years, but it's probably not the most ideal if it can be helped.

Once again, welcome.
 
I like pocket knives because they fit in ones pocket.. Small but useful however I just like having one with me as anyone would choose to wear a man's bracelet or a ring. It is just a part of my daily me:D
 
I carry a traditional pocket knife for use as a tool and seldom carry a folder. I like to have a cutting tool with me as I have found that even as a disabled retiree I need a knife almost daily. I have been carrying a knife since the mid 60's when I was a kid and never found myself in a situation where I needed it for self defense. I also own several handguns the largest is a Ruger Super BlackHawk .44 Magnum however I never strap that monster on my side and take off to town. I do however conceal carry a S&W Bodyguard .380 and more importantly I practice with it weekly so I know if ever needed I will be able to use it with proficiency.
 
I'm not in endanger of anything, so no I don't need a combat knife on me hahaha.

My pocket knife is utility and serves it purpose opening boxes and other packages.

If I was endangered of being attacked by a predator or human, I'd probably be armed with a pistol, not a knife.
 
Couldn't have said it better myself and I've been carrying a lot of different knives over the past 50 years. Pocket knife is a tool that is used every day. I have never used a knife as a weapon and the thought of using one as a weapon has only crossed my mind a couple of times. Perhaps better than nothing but still not much of a weapon.
 
I carry a firearm for self-defense. My knife opens boxes, or cuts a sandwich or whatever. Sure, it's there in case, but get a firearm.
 
And do you know how long it would take for me to pull out my sebenza?
When someone attacks you, you don't have time to say 'hold on, let me grab my knife'. Unless it was waved... but not my thing.

I have a spyderco matriarch which is waved and ONLY for self defense. Still won't carry it. I have no shame in saying that I can run pretty fast.
 
Pocket knife for utility, gun for defense. Right tool for the job.

16601730048_9a3b15d986_c.jpg
 
We prefer pocket knives because we don't equate having a knife with only being armed. Hell I don't even equate carrying a gun with only being armed. Knives like firearms are tools that have many uses besides defense.

If defense was my only purpose I would consider just about anything before a knife.
 
Kwon Kwang said:
If I legally could carry for defensive purposes, I'd EDC my R1 Military Classic/CS BBC on the same belt with a 1911, or maybe a Leatherneck tanto & Glock 34.
I'm jealous of those who live in areas where they can legally carry weapons and don't understand those who can but choose not to.
Pocket knives tend to be bad weapons. Tiny blades, tiny handles, and locks that can fail. When using a knife for SD, reach is everything, and a little 2 to 3" bladed folder isn't going to help as much as you think. They're cutting tools.
Click to expand...

I am trying to recall where I saw this, perhaps Tactical Knives magazine, but it was an article about how much damage a box cutter could do in a fight. The writer used a pork loin wrapped it with plastic wrap for the test. They performed a swinging slice with the box cutter against the loin. The 'wound' the box cutter made was 3 or 4 inches long, and maybe an inch deep. They may have even hit bone. The article convinced me never to get near anyone looking to come at you with any sized blade.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
Welcome fellow Hoosier:)

Indiana DOES have some pretty lax knife laws regarding lengths and whatnot. However, the devil is in the details. State law prohibits automatics, gravity knives, dirks and daggers. Unfortunately, almost any knife carried on one's person can potentially be shoehorned into one of those categories by a crafty prosecutor.

I often carry a large-ish fixed blade knife on me when hiking around. Check out the HI forum, and you'll see what sizes Khukuris come in;) They're handy to have. On top of that, should I NEED to defend myself with one of my knives, they would be more than up to the task.

That said, a big fixed blade isn't my self defense knife of choice. I have a couple of reasons as to why:

Firstly, I don't want to go to jail because I gut a mugger with 12" of Nepali steel. Granted, I have a clean record and am generally considered a pretty model citizen. It would be a wrong place/wrong time situation for both myself (because I wasn't keeping a situational awareness of my surroundings) and the attacker (who probably wouldn't be aware that I had a kind of knife on my belt that I have been swinging nearly daily for over a decade and am very familiar with). It looks bad to a jury.

Yeah that may be true, but isn't my life worth more than the risk? Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6 and all that? Of course, and that brings me to my second point:

It's absolutely ridiculously easy to get a CCW gun permit in Indiana if you are not a felon. Pay your money, get fingerprinted, write a letter to the local Sheriff or Police Chief to approve, and you're done. You can carry any handgun on your person without having to take a class or pass a test...although i suggest everyone take some instruction and practice a great deal before they start carrying. That't the responsible thing to do, anyway. My point is that with minimal effort I can protect myself with a handgun much better than a knife (for the most part) and it looks better in a SD situation as I had to actually complete a very minimal amount of effort to get my permit.

That said, I DO carry a knife as a back up self defense tool. It's a folder with a 4" blade, frame lock, and a non-mechanical flipper. It's stout for what it is. I don't plan on locking blades with it, but if I can't get to my gun a 4" rapidly deployed knife may buy me the time to get away.

My main point of all this is, yes carrying most anything in our state is legal. However, USING it in a life and death situation may have more ramifications than you might think. If you can't carry a gun and decide to carry a fixed blade knife, I can totally see that as a viable way to defend yourself. I did that for many years, but it's probably not the most ideal if it can be helped.

Once again, welcome.
Click to expand...

I'm a Hoosier also where is the auto law the only one I've found is a south Bend law in parks just asking I'd like to know
 
I don't carry a knife for self-defense. I carry knives to cut things, which is why I enjoy folders. They fit in my pocket.
 
Just thought I'd throw this into the discussion. It's a case of a cop, armed with a gun, who used a knife to stop a suspect from taking his gun (and probably killing the cop with it).

http://www.news9.com/story/20617711...bs-suspect-trying-to-grab-his-gun?config=H264

The cop survived, and so did the suspect.

Many people believe that a gun is the be-all end-all of self-defense, and that as long as they have a gun nothing can hurt them. Many people believe that the bad guys will always present themselves, face to face, and from far enough away that they will always have time to draw, take careful aim, and shoot the attacker before he can close the distance.

But unfortunately, in the real world, the bad guys don't always follow that plan.

So what happens if the bad guy attacks from surprise, up close? What happens if he closes the distance before you can draw, aim, and fire? What happens if he knocks the gun out of your hands, or you find yourself in a struggle to keep the bad guy from taking your gun away from you?

I'm not legally permitted to carry a firearm, but if I were, I would train diligently in methods of weapons-retention. Not only to prevent my gun from being taken away and used against me, but also to prevent it from being taken away and used against others. If I were carrying a gun, I would feel a responsibility to have the means and skills to keep my gun out of the hands of a criminal.

And if I were permitted to carry a gun, I would also want the means to offer an armed defense if my gun were knocked from my grasp, or if I found myself grappling to keep it, or if my "gun hand" were injured and incapacitated during the attack.

Of course many things can happen during an attack, and it's impossible to be prepared for all of them, just as there are no guarantees of success regardless of what a person carries. But that's no excuse to ignore the very real things that could go wrong. If I had a choice between carrying just a gun, or carrying a gun and a knife that I could employ as a weapon, I'd rather have the knife and not need it, then find myself needing it and not have it.
 
Last edited:
slims_88 said:
Personally, I carry pocket knives for ease of use. I also carry a combat fixed blade as a weapons retention tool. Like my gun, it's something I carry that I hope I will never have to use.
Click to expand...

Thank you! Finally someone who shares the same view!
 
jackknife said:
Pocket knife for utility, gun for defense. Right tool for the job.

16601730048_9a3b15d986_c.jpg
Click to expand...

So tell me, exactly what are you gonna do when your FAMILY is anti-gun (like mine)? See my situation now? I can't have guns, or own guns because my family is ANTI-GUN. Would I consider a gun? Most definately.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top