Advice on a fixed blade knife please

Guns & Gear
41

I’m as much a knife guy as I am a gun guy and I never go cheap when it comes to knives.

There are as many different opinions on size, type, yada, yada and often it really depends on your size and where you can comfortably carry one and certainly on how you intend to use it.

I practice and use a rather unconventional knife fighting technique in which the primary goal is to use the knife in a purely defensive manner to keep the subject back off of me while I get to my gun with my other hand.

I go blade down, edge to towards the attacker where I can if needed brace the blade against my forearm and use it in the same way you’d use your forearms to block blows.

If I have to go on the offensive with the knife I simply reverse the edge so that it rips as I make downward strikes or sidestep the threat and use it to stab and rip upwards in the area of the groin, neck, back of the knee, or underarm.

With that in mind if I’m carrying a sheath knife it’ll be a Tops C Cheetah as it suits my purposes very well and my technique as well as being a great hunting knife. They make a very similar, slightly smaller knife known as the “Sparrow Hawk”.

If a “nick knife” is more to your liking the FIEL is an excellent choice, it’s seletonized and you can decide how thick/heavy you want the handle to be simply by how much para cord you wrap around it.

I’ve used knives both in self defense and in combat and as I was trained I’ve been convinced you really need no more than a 2-3" blade for self defense. There are no vital structures of the body that cannot be reached with a 3-3.5" blade used properly. Most important features, sharpens easily and keeps a good edge, and a thick blade so that if you get it buried in the “subject” and have to pull it out at an odd angle the blade won’t snap on you.

Known your state’s knife laws at in many states any double bladed “dagger” type knife is unlawful.

Oh, I also have a couple of old Gerber “River Survival” double edged knives/water rescue knives that fall into that latter category.

You can check on Ebay or any online knife source and you’ll find all of these are in your price range as well. Tops prices don’t get too nutty until you get into the

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42

Big fan of their knives here. I own about a dozen or so of them.

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43

I am a fan of the Karmbit. Fixed or folder. The Fox folder is easily deployed and properly trained very deadly.

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44

Hi @Anthony5. Welcome to the group!
What is it you like about the karmbits? I’ve never had one but they look cool.

45

Those are impressive. I know a veteran at work swears by them. I may need a boot knife - wonder if this would fit in my cowboy boots:

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46

Looks way too “tacticool” for me. I sharpen a lot of knives and that one would be incredibly difficult to keep sharp!

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47

Saw one of those Sunday at a truck stop on my way from MO to MI… it’s way big… cool and scary looking. Probably not my boot knife. I’m thinking more along the sgian dubh line

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48

It is “tacticool”, so I doubt I’d ever carry it. I just hadn’t seen a knife like it before :blush:

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49

I’m a very practical guy when it comes to “tools”. K.I.S.S is my rule.

Most of what’s marketed today in the way of knives is kind of like fishing lures, they don’t do anything that wasn’t already being done as well or better than existing tech, they just sell because people see them and think, “wow, that’s way cool”.

I’d say the chances of ever seeing an operator or anyone else with any real training that might have to rely on a knife in a fight carrying something like that are pretty well nil.

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50

Ok knife advisors, here’s what I’m going with for now.
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It’s a Benchmade hidden canyon hunter. A little smaller grip than what I’m used to, but with it blade down, my thumb goes right down on the butt of the grip and it feels very secure. Blade up, it feels like it would be very easy to work with.
Not sure how I’m going to carry yet. Ideas are welcome :grinning:

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51

I’m a big fan of inline rather than pependicular to the belt on either the offhand side or in the same manner at about five or five thirty behind the back on the strong hand side.

If one wears boots I’m also a very big fan of boot knives and your local leather shop can put a very handy, but still very accessible built in scabbard either inside your boot or by simply splitting the inner and outer layer then over sewing the outline of the knife slipped in between them.

If you intend on concealing a fixed blade knife be sure you know your state’s knife laws and laws in any state you visit.

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52

Not a design I’d recommend for SD, with no bolster or cut out to keep your hand/fingers from sliding down the blade you’re far too likely to end up cutting yourself as bad or worse than you are cutting the bad guy. The only real way to avoid slippage with such a handle is take a very unconventional grip with the pommel either against the palm of your hand or your thumb trapping it.

Looks cool, but I’d avoid such a design.

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53

Thank you, that’s a really helpful reply. I hadn’t considered a built-in scabbard, awesome idea.

Still working my way through the laws in the states I regularly travel… MI is basically impossible on fixed blades. Best I can tell, transporting even a kitchen knife in your car is a felony :woman_facepalming:

54

I’m telling you it’s just the urban areas of south Michigan lol

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55

Look at “one hand opening” knives by Kershaw, Gerber, Spyderco and of course Zero Tolerance if you have the budget. With just a little practice you’ll find you can deploy them about 90-95% as quickly as a fixed blade with just a little practice.

Pay close attention though to avoid switch blades or “gravity knives” if any of those states have restrictions on them as well.

Texas had some of the stupidest, most restrictive knife laws in the country for a very long time but we’ve finally straightened most of that out.

Believe it or not for nearly a hundred years carrying a Bowie Knife (Named of course for Texas Revolution/Alamo fame, Jim Bowie) legally in the state.

Small, thin/light, folding clip knives make great boot, belt, back pocket, front pocket, utility pocket knives, just get one with good clips or replace them with titanium or stainless clips.

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56

I’d be willing to bet it’s like a lot of other laws, it’s illegal all over the state but rather selectively enforced.

It’s the kind of thing where if a cop has suspicion you are hiding something and finds one, they can lawfully hook you up and then investigate their suspicions, or if there just an overzealous cop looking for any excuse to bust someone they’ll enforce it or if they have you for something else already use it to add a charge.

The rest get a pass. If you’re from out of state though it’s not worth the risk to push it.

In some states possession of an “illegal knife” can also be a felony and in those jurisdictions I absolutely would not push the line at all.

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57

The only restrictions by state law are “dagger, dirk or stiletto” and “double edge”.

As i mentioned before, knives are not pre-empted by state law so every mickey mouse jurisdiction gets to set their own laws regarding knives.

Southern Michigan is where all the left leaning, gotta have laws for everything, people live.

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58

I missed this post, very good advice.

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59

You guys made me go and look.

After reading through this page, honestly I think I’d not carry a knife at all in MI intended for self defense without an atty since by definition your intent would be to use it to “harm another” in the event you found yourself in such a situation as to need it.

While the laws on carry are pretty reasonable, there’s a big grey area in my mind on the legality of using one in self defense.

@Dawn, this might be a very good one to run past our atty’s and see if you can get one to comment. I’m sure there’s some case law somewhere but I see no exemptions for lawful self defense.

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60

:smiley:
in practice, I totally believe you. and part of my discipline as an instructor is to understand what, exactly, is permitted under the law so I can be very clear with my students. Each person has to make their own decisions about civil (or uncivil) compliance or disobedience, but gotta know the rules and risks before that can work effectively.
I called the Ann Arbor police department this morning and they, interestingly, quoted me something different than the state law. in Ann Arbor, my state-allowed 4" folder is definitely a law breaker. and they said my 3" fixed hunter would be just fine if I use it for my job or it was in my fishing kit (which is MORE permissive than what state law says).

:thinking: I’m thinkin’ I’m going to have to explain to my boss why it is I’ve started wearing fishing waders to work … :laughing:

that or he needs to move me to the mail room. :woman_facepalming:

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