Ten Points On Using A Fighting Knife

[Ride4TheBrand]

I'm one of the others. Why do you say this?

(I carry a second knife for all those other things.)

It's the familiarity thing. If you use it constantly as a tool, you will know it's heft, how it moves, how not to slice open your own hand, etc.

Constant use breeds proficiency. After training with Tom in Ft. Worth last year I bought this Benchmade with an axis lock. It hasn't left my pocket since, and I use it for everything. Having a pretty show piece negated the very principle of actually carrying this thing. The paint is scratched, faded and worn. It's a tool.

And I'm very familiar with it.

[judomayhem]

Something I do that helps is that I don't put anything else in my front pocket that has my fighter in there. Pen, business cards, smaller knife all go in other pocket. I don't use the clip, either. The knife is always there, in the same position, unobstructed.

[Gabriel Suarez]

Why the change?

We study...we learn...we test...we get better at things...opinions change

[John McCreery]

I would be one of those people that if I carried a small knife for everyday use I'd forget the big business one and draw the wrong knife. :D

[stanmann]

I would be one of those people that if I carried a small knife for everyday use I'd forget the big business one and draw the wrong knife. :D

My guess is thats one of the reasons for 10. " Ah, a knife problem, I know where my knife is.

[Matthew Sweeney]

I carry two knives...one in each pocket. One is for utilitarian tasks and the other is for "other" tasks. But make no mistake...I use my "other" knife...and I train with it constantly.

[FrankDude72]

Speaking of Spyderco Police model...



Probably not how you want that knife seen in front of a jury. LOL.
(Even if it is just corn syrup, water, and food coloring.)

+1 on the stabbing. Not only are the thrusts nasty, but some of the best damage you can do is all the slashing after you've go that stab inside flesh.

People on here probably know I rant and rave excessively about Hideaway Knives, but if you use that breed of blade, they slash a heckuva lot better once the stab is inside.
And HAKs are easy-breezy to integrate into principle 10. :D

[judomayhem]

I carry two knives...one in each pocket. One is for utilitarian tasks and the other is for "other" tasks. But make no mistake...I use my "other" knife...and I train with it constantly.

Bingo. And if for some reason I forgot my pocket machete (like tonight ), well the 3" utility knife is still there.

[Ragsbo]

Actually I usually have at least three or four knives on me. I got the Spyderco Enduro, a Spyderco Native, a swiss army knife, and a multi-tool. All have different uses and are used accordingly. The Enduro sits in the right front pocket, the Native in the left front. Oh, I forgot about the little multi-tool on my key chain. Yeah I am known as a knife nutt but they say it like is is something bad????

[michael]

Good stuff from Gabe, as usual. I agree that as we train and grow, opinions and other things are going to change. It is all about advancing our knowledge and becoming better at what we do. That is one of the things I have always liked about Gabe and SI---they are not stuck in one way of doing things, and if better things are discovered, they will change them and pass that on to us.

I always carry at least two blades, one in each front pocket so that I can access them with either hand. I practice deploying them daily, and check them daily to maintain them.

Re: the Spyderco Chinook, I have one, but have gotten away from it because it is heavy, the handle is a little too large for comfortable usage as a pocket stick, and the angle of the point for usage in stabbing. It is a great and very robust knife, but I feel there are better choices.

I carry a waved Delica set up for draw into Pikal in my LF pocket, and it works very well in that role. I have used the waved Endura, but do not like it as well for that usage. It seems the blade may be just a tad too large for that, but it will work. I think a blade size in between the waved Delica and waved Endura would be about perfect.

I have a Blackhawk Be-Wharned on order, and will give it some practice time to see what I think of it. It may well become my RF pocket folder, but time will tell on that. It is a liner lock which I generally don't like, but Michael Janich says that it is very strong, recessed, and can't be accidentally released. I hope that is the case, and my older Benchmade AFCK that has the liner lock will not release accidentally. I also have the Benchmade AFCK axis-lock, but they are getting so expensive I do not want to lose mine since they are discontinued. I may have to relegate it to the safe, if the Be-Wharned lives up to what I need it for.