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Training: Good training teaches you what you need from a self-defense knife
and is the best way to develop the judgment necessary to choose a good
one.
A knife can be an excellent self-defense tool. Lightweight, easy to carry, and
legal — in one form or another — virtually everywhere, it offers lethal
potential that could literally save your life. Even if you regularly carry a
handgun, in the event you suffer a catastrophic malfunction, have to travel
someplace where you don’t enjoy reciprocity, or have to spend time in any
other gun-free environment, carrying a high-quality, well-designed tactical
knife is a smart thing to do.
Knife laws are complicated, confusing, and notoriously imprecise. They also
vary wildly from one jurisdiction to the next. Nevertheless, it’s your job as a
law-abiding citizen to research all the laws that apply to you (including
municipal laws that could be stricter than state laws) based on where you
live and travel. A great way to do this is with a Smartphone app called Legal
Blade, which is maintained and updated by KnifeRights.org. It allows you to
quickly research the laws of states and major municipalities to determine
what types of knives are legal and what types are not. Once you understand
those parameters, they should form the foundation of your knife selection
process.
Online videos and social media posts can be a useful means of learning about
knife designs and narrowing your choices, but only if you use them
intelligently. Instead of just looking at the number of followers someone has,
look at the comments those followers leave. If they are intelligent, well
reasoned, and seem to come from people who share your values and
concerns, you’re getting potentially useful information. If you post a
respectful, inquisitive comment asking about other people’s experiences and
satisfaction with a design and get insightful responses in return, you’re on a
roll. However, if all you see are vapid or overly aggressive fan-boy posts,
keep looking.
Related Stories: 6 Types Of Hunting & Field Knives: What You Need To
Know
Even if we ignore social media, popularity still does not mean a particular
knife design is right for you. Think for yourself and learn to set specific
criteria that meet your personal needs.
Just because
a knife is popular or its designer has lots of followers on Facebook doesn’t
mean it’s worth trusting your life to.
If you are ever forced to defend yourself, drawing a knife and hoping for the
best is not a sound plan. To use a knife effectively, you need some degree of
physical skill. And the best way to develop that skill is through high-quality
training — Ideally training that focuses on using knives in legitimate self-
defense circumstances. Such training not only allows you to develop solid
skills and tactics but should also help you understand what qualities are
necessary in a knife for it to “do its job.” This can vary greatly depending
upon the specific techniques and tactics of the system you learn.
A good defensive knife system should teach you the mechanics of cutting and
thrusting and, in the process, help you develop a sound understanding of the
qualities a knife must possess to function effectively as a weapon. Really
good systems quantify and validate the cutting performance of knives with
test cutting on various types of targets. That type of experience teaches you
volumes about how different types of knives really perform, which designs
work, and which don’t.
Also, if you are really serious about carrying a knife for personal-defense,
you’ll want to train diligently and will need a training knife that closely
matches your actual carry knife. For production knives, that requirement
alone will narrow your field of choices faster than anything else.
A self-defense knife must be able to cut and puncture its intended targets.
Validating that on realistic facsimiles like this “Pork Man” target is a great
way to separate good knives from unworthy ones.
What does all that mean when it comes to choosing a knife? Well, besides
the fact that a sharpened toothbrush in a Kydex sheath should not be your
number one pick, you need to focus on a self-defense context and the tools
and tactics appropriate for that context. You should also avoid designs that
are associated with martial arts, knife systems, or other groups that
advocate tactics and behavior inconsistent with responsible self-defense.
Most people who have concealed carry permits do not carry on a regular
basis — primarily because carrying a handgun is uncomfortable. Although
knives are smaller, lighter, and much easier to carry than firearms, a good
defensive knife must still be compatible with your wardrobe and lifestyle for
you to carry it consistently. You may live someplace where a giant, crew-
served folding knife is perfectly legal to carry. Tucked in the pocket or
waistband of your jeans, you might even get used to it. But as soon as you
put on a pair of shorts, your clothing choice no longer supports its weight
and bulk well. Dress up in a suit or even business-casual attire and it not
only sticks out like a sore thumb but makes your officemates nervous enough
to report you to HR.
In summary, the best way to choose a good self-defense knife is to first arm
yourself with good training, good judgment, and the ability to think for
yourself.