Ten Points On Using A Fighting Knife

[coletech]

Gabe,
First let me say that I enjoy your writing very much. I appreciate and respect your knowledge as well. If ever push came to shove, I would want to be on your team.

You are absolutely right, if all you have is a knife and TSHTF you have to be like the movie title “Fast and Furious.” I watched video of an actual knife attack; the attack was real, the knife wasn't. It was like your force on force. The attacker was allowed to start when he wanted and do what he wanted and the victim was to avoid the knife. Fat chance, in 5 seconds it was all over and the victim had been stabbed and sliced multiple times. And the defense for that kind of attack? You already know, “get off the X.”

Now comes the but.

I made my first knife 50 years ago and at one time toyed with the idea of becoming a knife maker. I have collected knives for 40 years and have, except for short periods of time, always carried one. I currently carry four knives at all times, ranging from a give away razor knife to a Cold Steel Gunsite, which is carbon V (a CS designation) it is likely that this is a chrome-vanadium steel which would make it slower to rust. My work knife is a CRKT, Columbia River Knife and Tool M16 03, which I use on a daily basis.

I have only two points I would like you to consider and a couple of comments I wish to make.

Point one. Although in the beginning, the use of stainless steel turned out to be less than desirable because of poor edge holding ability, that is no longer the case. For instance 440C SS is used for making ball bearings; pretty hard stuff. 154CM is, I understand even better for knife blades, Benchmade uses tons of it, and ATS34 is often compared to O1 tool steel. The big factor here is that oxygen is the enemy of high carbon steel, whereas it is the friend and protector of SS. If you get high carbon steel wet for whatever reason, it starts to rust within microseconds and a rusty edge is totally worthless. Don't get me wrong, I love high carbon and prize my Damascus knives, but I wouldn't carry one for daily use.

Point two. The linerlocker, invented and trademarked by Michael Walker, is one of the strongest locking systems that can be used on a folding knife. All other knives that use this system of lockup are call frame locks. My CRKT uses a frame lock and in addition has a manual safety that prevents the lock from being disengaged. Please read Bernard Levine's article at:http://www.knife-expert.com/liners.txt

I've thought this out and there are three levels of knife use against another human. The three D's, discourage, disable, death. Discourage; you just want the guy to go away, so you nibble away at his fingers, hands, forearms, and so forth until he goes away. Disable; you slash to the inner aspects of the joints and stab to the large muscles. Death; you slash to arterial areas and stab to soft areas. The only possible instant death stop is to stab your opponent in the brain and even this is not a sure thing, and difficult at that.

[Gabriel Suarez]

Bro, I replied in the Ten Points Thread

[bonehedz]

10). Contrary to the advice of others, use your fighting knife for everything. From opening letters to cutting cheese or tomatoes. Handle your knife daily, keep it sharp, keep it handy. make accessing it as natural as scratching your butt.

...see Quote #2 in SigLine below...

Prior to WWII, Finnish men carried their puukkos with them everywhere, a practice the Ruskies vigorously discouraged after the War...probably because the Finns cut so many Red throats with them. There is a familiarity approaching reflexive instinct which comes from the constant handling and use of an implement...if you want examples, watch a campesino hoe beans, or Gabe or Sonny swing an AK...Me? A puuko on the trouser belt, tucked into the right hip pocket (drawing is somewhat the same motion as ass-scratching, come to think of it), and a DMT blue/red Trifold in the left front pocket for the basic EDC cutlery. It peels potatoes, cuts steak and twine, trims hangnails and guts fish (as well as anything else that needs gutting):D...forgot to take it off the last time I went to la Ciudad Juarez, and walked across the border both ways wearing it...no one noticed, and if they did, they didn't say...

[Eric]

All great points and number 10 is one i live by!!!

Big Time! Got ripped around here a few years back when I advocated the same. Good to see I'm not in the wilderness anymore! 100% agreed on all 10 counts...

[Eric]

Likewise. Heck, I've been known to have one on me even when wearing pajamas. :D


Nothing wrong with being a knife nut, or a knife junkie as I call it. See: http://www.warriortalk.com/showthrea...t=knife+junkie

S.

Amen, bro! The only time I don't have a blade is when I'm on a plane. Other times it's physically attached. When sleeping or showering, its within arms reach. And I attach it to my PJs too. All the time.

And you were right, the Voyager X2 is awesome! Takes time to get used to it as I'm a switch-grip but... Yahoo! Nuff said.

[fldback]

Huh! It never occurred to me to not use my fighting knife for everyday purposes. In fact it never occurred to me that a knife could be something other than a fighting knife that was useful for other things. (I don't buy pen knives).

I carry a Streamlight flashlight in to work with me (a prison) clipped to a bdu pocket. I get stopped occasionally by someone who is worked up that I am carrying my knife inside. I don't offer up that I would hammerfist someone with it in my hand in a heartbeat if TSRHTF.

[KevinInstructor]

Thinking of items 1 and 2, what I would add to that is that without the right mindset you have already lost. As Gabe says this is not fancy stuff done by the book but violent and you must meet violence with more violence done surgically.

The average person does not have this mindset as they do not have the warrior mentality to survive. I truly believe they think that one class without practice is enough to keep them safe until they see the reality of a violent encounter or have been the loser of such encounter.

[mr. right-wing]

My EDC knife, letter opener, fruit cutter, rope cutter, everything else cutter

[blackballed]

10). Contrary to the advice of others, use your fighting knife for everything. From opening letters to cutting cheese or tomatoes. Handle your knife daily, keep it sharp, keep it handy. make accessing it as natural as scratching your butt.

I have a Hibbon set I bought almost fifteen years ago that in addition to throwing, I still use for cutting chicken when my wife lets me cook.

The practice knives are all scuffed from wear and throwing, while the main one is still sharp like it was never used.

[AceOfShades]

10). Contrary to the advice of others, use your fighting knife for everything. From opening letters to cutting cheese or tomatoes. Handle your knife daily, keep it sharp, keep it handy.

first time i've seen such a simple concept being carved into stone.
kudos, gabe, for making it obvious, but I really wanted to say "duh" when i read that.

Ace