Do you carry a knife every day for “personal defense”?
I actually have at least 2 on me at all times (but hey, that’s how I roll baby! 🙂 )
I carry a small (almost “tiny”) fixed-blade at my belt buckle and a “combat folder” in my pocket – both are for cutting and as “backup weapons” to my handgun.
I love my little fixed-blade but of course it’s not exactly the IDEAL defensive blade because it’s so small – but it DOES have one big advantage over my combat folder…
… it’s ALWAYS “at the ready” whenever I need it.
No need to “open” it at all.
Most pocket-folders, on the other hand, need to be drawn… get to the stud that opens the blade… and “flicked” away from your body using your thumb and a wrist snap.
This is super easy if you’re standing there about to open that box of industrial size dog poop bags that Amazon just plunked on your doorstep (why didn’t I just get a cat?!).
But if you really have that knife for “defense” and some thug is swinging you around like a rag doll as he’s trying to get to your wallet and you’re trying to get to your weapon, that’s a whole lot of wrist action that you’re most likely NOT going to be able to pull off – especially if you’re dragged to the ground and don’t have any room to “flick” the blade open, right?
That’s why “switchblades” and “out-the-front” (OTF) knives work great for tactical reasons because they sorta open by themselves using a “spring assist”, activated by a button.
I have a few OTF knives, but, like switchblades, they’re often illegal in a large (and growing) part of the country.
The best alternative I’ve found – and the type of combat-folder I use – has a “flipper” on the blade instead:
These are little guards on each side of the blade that are operated with just one finger (any finger).
I like these “flipper folders” best because they’re usually still spring-assisted so they open lightning fast, but I don’t need to flick my wrist at all, so even if I was struggling with someone in a space the size of a phone booth, I can open it with no problem.
(To all my “under 45 y.o.” readers, a phone booth is a tiny public room we codgers used to go into to use our version of a cell phone that had a cord attached to a box that we slipped dimes into to ask our spouses what they needed from the grocery store.)
Even better… if you have some giant thug on top of you trying to beat you into the intensive care unit, grabbing your “flipper” combat-folder, you can actually even dig the flipper into his clothing or body and just pull.
Basically, you’re using his body as your finger, and that pulling action will open the knife FOR YOU so you can use it to “cut him off of you”.
I’ve owned a LOT of knives over the years, but when I started pressure-testing how to REALLY get a knife out for personal defense, this was the absolute best option I found and still carry today.
More and more of these types of knives are coming onto the market and they can be pretty pricey.
But you get what you pay for, right?
And when it comes to my life… well… I don’t like to skimp, know what I mean?
There are some “value” knives on the market that can get you started if you don’t want to drop $100 or more on a new knife that has this relatively new technology.
One of my employees (who’s one of the “knife-est” guys I know and used to write for Tactical Knives magazine) picked up a few from one of the companies that sponsor our newsletter sometimes.
It’s spring-assisted and has the “flipper guard” I told you about.
If you want to check it out you can go here…
Yup, the page is kinda gimmicky and it’s a “free” knife you pay shipping for, so I’m not saying it’s “John Wick level” quality.
But knife-fighting is relatively easy (stick the pointy end into the meat) and at the very least, it’ll let you test-drive whether you like this type of combat-folder knife at a LOT less than the big name blades on the market.
Either way, when you’re ready to go knife-shopping again – and you want one for personal defense – I HIGHLY recommend you look for a (legal) spring-assisted, “flipper” blade like I use.
If you already own one, you know exactly what I’m talking about, eh?
Welcome to the club! 🙂
