Self Defense Blade

[Fragunov]

I am a college student in an extremely rough part of my home city. I find myself walking a good distance on and off campus from my car, work, or a friends off campus house. Basically I'd like some recommendations for a fixed blade or large folder that is quality enough for self defense if (God forbid) the necessity arose. My price range is between 1 and 40 dollars. Id prefer it to be in black with an extremely serviceable sheath. Perhaps some rescue capabilities, and preferably not serrated. Thanks!

[bladechick777]

I'm Taking A Look For You Now!

[jzmtl]

Read this over before you decide on this route: http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/knifefighting.html

If you decide to go ahead, cold steel makes a lot of cheap fixed blades, take a look here: http://edcdepot.com/search.aspx?manufacturer=13

[Grant Lamontagne]

I would not suggest a knife for self defense if you can avoid it.  With the modern day zero tolerance policies at schools everywhere you are more likely to get thrown out of school than you are to actually use it.  If you want or need something for self defense I'd suggest a baton and/or pepper spray, and more importantly, get some kind of training to use said items.  Otherwise, whatever you have, knife, stick or spray is very likely to be used against you.

If you are willing to put the time in to some training- and I mean proper training then anything you have on you can become an effective weapon, and every day items like a pen or backpack is a hell of a lot easier to defend in court.  I realize that it's better to be judged by twelve than carried by six, but it's even better to not f*ck up your whole life while defending yourself.

I know you probably aren't going to listen to my advice- at your age I probably wouldn't have either but take it from someone who has been in a lot of street fights, bar fights and so on- it's not worth it to carry a knife for personal defense when there are so many other options available to you that won't get you kicked out of school, a criminal record and/or jail time.

Def

[bladechick777]

Folders:
Kershaw Vapor III Black
Kershaw Scamp
Kershaw RJ-I

Or Actually... Kershaw Guy Offers Some Blems.
If You're In The USA.
Here's Some That May Fit(7"+):
RAM Black 1910CKT Blem
Price:$39.00

Tanto Groove 1730TBLK Blem
Price:$30.00

Blur 1670BLK Blem
Price:$35.00

He Has A Black Leek Blem For $25.00

Blackout 1550 Blem
Price:$29.00

Black Shallot Blem
Price:$38.00

Brawler 1990
Price:$25.00

RJ1 1985
Price:$25.00

You Can Get A Scamp For $20 On Amazon.

Take A Look At:
Byrd Knives
CRKT
Buck
And Many Others.

Fixed Blades:
Kabar Becker ESEE Eskabar
Ka-Bar Becker Necker
Buck PakLite Caper, Black
Buck PakLite Skinner , Black Traction Coating
Buck PakLite Large Skinner, Black Traction Coated Handle
Buck Hartsook Neck Knife, S30V, Black Oxide Coating, Molded Nylon Sheath

[bladechick777]

You Really Wouldn't Need A Large Knife...
A Small Knife To Make Small Puncture Wounds To Hurt Long Enough While You Get Away Would Be Perfect...
But The Guys Are Also Right.
I Always Carry A Knife, But Not For Self Defense. If I Needed It For Self Defense... It Would Be There.
But A Kubaton Or Pepper Spray Would Get The Job Done.

There Are Also Small Personal Stun Guns... Look Into Laws For That Though.

[bladechick777]

If You Get A Knife.. I'd Look Into Getting One You'll Actually Use.
I Forgot To Mention The Meyerco Maxx-Q.

I've Met Someone Who Carried A Cheapo Knife For Self Defense... Well I Taught Her How To Do File Work And Such And All The Things You Could Do With A SAK And Showed Her A Few Nice Barlows....

Well She Now Owns And Uses I Might Add(They Were Mine):
Meyerco Maxx-Q All Black PE Bowie.
Victorinox Pink Classic SD.
And Took One Of My Barlows Haha.

She Uses The Maxx-Q For Everything... Cutting Tasks, An Antennae For Her Phone, And Sleeps With It Near Her Bed If Needed For Self Defense.

She Uses The Classic For Things A Small Blade And Nail File And Scissors Are Handy For.

And The Barlow Is More Of A Show Knife For Her Lol.

And This Girl Has NEVER Had To Use Anything As Self Defense.
We Live In One Of The Most Dangerous Cities In The United States. Columbus, Ohio.
She Takes The City Bus Regularly, Walks In Bad Neighborhoods, Hangs Out On Campus.
I Walk A Lot, Hang Out In Some Places That Aren't The Best And Have Yet To Need To Use A Knife For Self Defense.

So Chances Of Actually Needing A Blade For Self Defense Is Kind Of Rare.
Would I If I Had To? Hell Yes I Would. Would I Do All I Could To Avoid Using A Knife? Yes.

[jekostas]

Forget the knife.

Get a nice, sturdy 2AA flashlight that you can bash around people's heads and not worry about it breaking.

If someone in this "bad neighborhood" you're worried about really decides to do you harm, they will jump you from behind.  Likely with numbers.  Knives have a very, very limited role in self defense.

[bladechick777]

Honestly... If Someone Is Looking For A Quick Robbery, A Knife May Just Scare Them Off.
If They Are Seriously Trying To Cause Harm Or Pull A Gun.. Well What Can You Really Do With A Knife?

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

I agree with all the sentiments above.  I'm a college professor and we have a campus law that no student is allowed to carry any blade over 2" on campus.  Our by-laws are a bit biased toward faculty though, and as a faculty member, I'm exempt from that by-law, so I do carry my SAK Outrider in my EDC bag, and I randomly rotate through my different Spyderco's for EDC carry as well.

But as Jessie said, if someone is really intent on robbing you, a knife isn't going to do you much good.  Save up and get yourself a quality LED light with a high output strobe function that you can access quickly (Quarks are a good brand for that), and if you're really concerned about it, get something you can put a strike bezel on.  There are some on the market now days that there are no laws against and will mess someone up just as badly, if not worse, than a medium size knife.  A quality strike bezel will not only cut flesh like a knife but also give you the effect of an impact weapon as well, doing additional damage.  The best thing to do is not put yourself in a situation where you're going to be at risk, but if you really want something for personal protection, get a good, bright light with a strike bezel, and a can of pepper spray too.

[bladechick777]

Actually... How About This?
Get Yourself A Whole EDC Set Up.

Knife - Check Your School's Rules. It May Be 3" and Under. In That Case.. Get A Spyderco UKPK Or A Spyderco Persistence. Or A Spyderco Native. Maybe A Delica?

Pen - Get A Tactical Pen - Most Of These Can Be Doubled As A Self Defense Weapon.. Kubaton.

Flashlight - High Powered... Turn This On While You Are Walking. This Will Help. You Will Have Light And Someone Is More Likely To Notice If Something Happens To You.

Multi-Tool - Not Only Is This Handy.. But It Has A Knife On It... And Also.. Would Hurt If You Hit Someone With It With Good Force Behind It.

[jekostas]

Unless you are trained in using knives or kubotans, they make extremely poor self defense weapons.  They require movements based around either fine motor skill (knife drawing and control) or the ability to aim and hit specific targets under stress (kuboton at pressure/control points).  Not only that they require you to be in very close range to your attacker.  This requires training.  A substantial amount of it.  There's a reason why even though LEOs are generally armed with both guns and knives, they also carry a nightstick or baton.  Simple to use, simple to deploy, no fancy movement required.

Just... just get a flashlight.  A heavy one you can whack someone over the head with.  Strobes are useful in this situation for disorientation but even a strong enough light in someone's eyes will give you 10-15 seconds to extricate yourself from the situation (meaning run like hell to a well-lit area).

[asupernothing]

No.
This feels like a repeat of a thread from a few months ago.
You do not get a knife for self defense. The fact that you are asking for advice indicates that you do not have the proper training to use a blade defensively. Without proper training, if you are ever in a dangerous situation, the only thing I can guarantee is that you will get hurt.

I don't mean to sound so negative, but this topic just seems to get beaten to death.

[mvyrmnd]

I tend to agree. I believe anyone that carries a knife for the explicit purpose of self defense is going to wind up in hospital or a morgue. A knife is a tool, not a weapon. It just happens to be a pointy tool.

[jekostas]

Oh, and for the love of God  - if someone wants to rob you, GIVE IN.  If you're seriously worried about being robbed, carry a dummy cell phone and fake wallet, wear a cheapo dollar store digital watch.   You can get 1:1 replica iPhones off of ebay for $7.  Criminals aren't going to stop and examine what you give them, they'll take it and run.  If they do stop to examine what they got, YOU take the opportunity and run.

Trying to pull a knife in that situation is a dangerous escalation.  What if they're carrying a gun?  Or a baton?  Or have buddies waiting around the corner as "backup"?

And if you're really, truly worried about your safety, walk with friends or get a Campus Security Officer (or a few of them) to walk with you.  That's what they're there for.

[Gareth]

Read this over before you decide on this route: http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/knifefighting.html

If you decide to go ahead, cold steel makes a lot of cheap fixed blades, take a look here: http://edcdepot.com/search.aspx?manufacturer=13

A very brutally honest site that and well worth the read.

I'm totally with the rest of the guys on this, whatever you decide to carry you must get some realistic face-to-face training with it before you even think about carrying it.

Don't even contemplate carrying something that's going to get you in trouble with your school or (especially) the law.   I genuinely don't think a knife, as a weapon, is going to do anything other than land you in even more trouble.

[AHB]

Your money is way better spent on some good running shoes and use some time getting in good shape to outrun any attackers.. Or simply get a high decibel Personal alarm in your bag or kaychain.. 

[tosh]

I can't believe other members are actually recommending this guy a knife for the purpose of self defence - isn't that somewhat irresponsible. 

A  kubuto ??  - BUT a knife.....what's wrong with you people.

What if the would be attacker takes it off him and proceeds to use it on him???
 
He's obviously a nervous guy, what if he reads the situation wrong

Personally I think it's plain daft to go out armed when you have absolutely no experiance in self defence. That's clearly the case here.

[mvyrmnd]

I have a 120dB twin chamber whistle that'll make your ears bleed... That might be an option.

[Essexman]

Get a dog, job done 

[Mr. Whippy]

Oh, and for the love of God  - if someone wants to rob you, GIVE IN.  If you're seriously worried about being robbed, carry a dummy cell phone and fake wallet, wear a cheapo dollar store digital watch.   You can get 1:1 replica iPhones off of ebay for $7.  Criminals aren't going to stop and examine what you give them, they'll take it and run.  If they do stop to examine what they got, YOU take the opportunity and run.

Trying to pull a knife in that situation is a dangerous escalation.  What if they're carrying a gun?  Or a baton?  Or have buddies waiting around the corner as "backup"?

And if you're really, truly worried about your safety, walk with friends or get a Campus Security Officer (or a few of them) to walk with you.  That's what they're there for.

This exactly.

IRT pepper spray:  In some states, it's illegal to own it/carry it.  For this reason, many now recommend carrying a can of bug spray (RAID, or those jet hornet/wasp sprays).  They have the benefit of a 20 foot range, will termporarily blind, and causes enough respiratory distress that you will gain an advantage if you run.

[Top-Gear-24]

Read this over before you decide on this route: http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/knifefighting.html...

Great site, finaly some "advice" that will keep you alive instead of getting you killed ... 

For me, a knife is a tool, and buying it for self-defence will only create situation that will (in the long run) cause more strict "knife carrying rules" that will effect all of us ...

That's why I like the old style (inside opening) Leatherman tools so much , for someone who knows nothing about multitools, for example a MUT will be viewed as a knife, while a Supertool 300 will be viewed as pliers, Swiss Army knives are even better, not many people see a SAK as a knife, it is mostly viewed as a handy tool (thank you MacGyver  ) ... (don't know if this makes sense ... I can explain my point better in my native language  ).

[Chako]

I agree with the advice of that web site. It was great reading and I agree with it wholeheartedly.

I can tell you from personal experience that a flash gun off a camera is debilitating to a would be attack in the dark. A few pops in the face allowed me plenty of time to remove myself from that situation in a hurry.

A strong flashlight is your best bet. It doesn't have to be big either.

[Styerman]

First , get some knowledge . Marc McYoung's site "No Nonsence Self Defence " is very good , Mercop's Modern Combative Systems is also pretty down to earth . They both explain the practical/legal ramifications well , they also explain how the "conventional wisdom " Smurfs the bed in the real world .

FWIW , those in the know who pack an edged backup piece ( LEO's types ) seem to tend towards folders like the Spyderco Enduras etc, Emerson products have some adherants . The Boker Trance , and Subclaw are also in contention . Of these gents who go the F/B route , it's all over the map . Kbar TDI's have a degree of popularity , as do Emerson LaGriffe's . Most of the blades are in the 2.5"-3.5" range . Bear in mind these Dudes are pretty experienced , with good skills and special needs . What applies to them , may not apply to you .

No mater how you roll , you will also need some empty hand skills , to give you time and distance to deploy .

As a general piece of advice , i would advise impact over edge .

Chris

[asupernothing]

I can't believe other members are actually recommending this guy a knife for the purpose of self defence - isn't that somewhat irresponsible. 

My point exactly. The worst part is that most of the recommendations are utility blades, not designed for defense.

[Styerman]

No value judgement Bro. Just info . McYoung and Mercop will set him straight . Massod Ayob has written several good books on use of lethal force for civilians , well worth a read if you live in a U.S. jurisdiction .

Forget about using it as a threat display , prolly get ya killed !

Chris

[bladechick777]

I'm A Knife Nut... So When Someone Asks About A Knife I'm Like "Dude! I Can Help!" Lol.
Well The Thing Is.. Like I've Said In My Other Posts...
If You Want A Knife, Get One For General Use. If You Absolutely Needed It If Something Happened It Would Be There.
But.. The Thing Is, You're Better Off Spraying The Guy In The Face With Pepper Spray.
Hit Him With Something That Can Cause Enough Pain To Give You The Minute You Need To Run Away.
A Whistle Is Also A Good Idea... If You Want One That's Really Handy... Buy A Victorinox Whistle Classic. That Thing Is LOUD And Also It Has Scissors, A Nail File/Screw Driver, And A Small Blade. Very Useful Little Thing.
Also.. If You're Walking.. And You See Someone "Shady Looking" Avoid Them. I'm Sure You Can Walk Around Them Without Coming Too Close To Them. If Someone Bothers You.. Pepper Spray.. Or A Kubaton.. Or Like A Mentioned.. A Multi-Tool Would Cause Enough Pain With Force That You Could Run.

Actually.. I Have A Kubaton That I Can Let Go.
Do You Want It?

[Styerman]

Kubo's are easy to use , just forget all the Smurf about restraint and pain compliance . If you are a Civilian , you have no duty to restrain or arrest . Hammer fist + Kubo. to area above the lip and below the eyebrow will do it . If attached to keys , you can even walk around with them prepositioned in the hand . A AA MiniMag works well in this capacity , as will any rod like object 3/8"-5/8"-5-6" .

Chris

[Grant Lamontagne]

Actually a civilian does have some power of arrest, and that includes restraint.

However it's not something you want to get into if you don't know what you are doing as it's very easy to get in trouble legally for doing the right thing.  And, that's assuming that while you are doing an arm bar his friend isn't sneaking up behind you.

Def

[bladechick777]

Be Careful Hitting Someone In The Nose.
If You Hit It The Wrong Way You Can Kill Said Person Or Cause Serious Damage - Like Brain Damage.

There Are Some Pressure Points That Would Help.

Also The Eye Would Be Fine.. It's Much Better That Killing Or Causing Serious Damage.

The Nose Is Okay To Hit Just Look It Up First. I Mean, Being Attacked Or Robbed Would Suck.. But You Don't Want To Become A Murderer Or End Up Really Really Hurting Someone.