I carry 2 knives with me most of the time. I went to the local high school as a favor to the maintenance supervisor to check out one of their boilers and had to remove my belt knife to satisfy the cop who is stationed at the school. I think back to when I was in school and we all pretty well had pocket knives. We also had rifles and shotguns in our vehicles most of the time. Things have changed and not for the better....
Why You Should Carry a Knife Instead of a Gun for Self-Defense
- Thread starter Billy1953
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We always carry both, and almost always two knives, one designed not expressly for opening boxes!
noahmercy
Blackhawk
I read the whole article, and it ignores so many realities it is laughable. If someone is 50 feet away and pulls a gun on me, they are most assuredly a threat, and a knife is pretty useless. I am also arthritic to the point of being crippled, so getting into any scuffle where the bad guy is close enough for me to effectively deploy a knife is not likely to end well for me. And I challenge anyone to tell me the presentation of a pocket knife is more likely to cause a bad guy to stop acting aggressively and turn tail than a firearm. I also want to know what percentage of violent encounters have been stopped by one or two pokes with a three or four inch blade. Kinda' willing to bet it's not as high as poking one or two 45+ caliber holes completely through an attacker. Sorry, the entire premise of using a knife as a primary defensive weapon is bogus. I carry a Kershaw Speed Bump (made in the USA, Ken Onion design) and a Leatherman REBAR daily, so I do have multiple blades on me at all times, but I sure wouldn't stake my safety or that of others on them.
coach
Hunter
The best of both worlds. 
...or maybe a harpoon gun?
black1970
Blackhawk
Only carry a BIG knife where I can't carry a gun. 76 years old. Don't want to get that close.
Rat76
Single-Sixer
I WANT ONE!!!
My wife said NO!!!! 
I read the whole article too. I have also been trained in Asian martial arts(Bo staffs, nunchucks, and edged weapons), and European sword and dagger arts. I prefer a gun, but since weapon free zones exist, I am down to #2 pencils, and my cane at times with a bar of soap and a pillow case thrown in. One doesn't "present" a knife til just before it is inserted into the perp. Done correctly, the knife makes much bigger holes than any .45!!! I carry both gun and a knife most of the time. Don't count out knives for self defense. At age 73, I have had to change how I would fight. Maybe even feigning a heart attack? Getting closer can happen quicker than trying to run away lol. That my friends is where a knife shines!
gramps
gramps
At about age 35 I carried a tiny CASE pocket knife to clean my pipe. I'm still carrying it at age 87. Today I also carry a SP101 .357 as well as a 36" hardwood cane. Which is best the defensive weapon?
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gramps
OK, we hit one of my favorites. I have always been an edged weapons guy. Guns came much later. I can still group nicely at 18 feet with my throwers. Not bad with hatchets and shuriken either. But that's throwing.
Ok, so I don't know about knives INSTEAD of guns, but would always carry one or more for back-up. The thing to remember about knives is training and experience under stress. If you are missing one or the other than it's best that you switch to another weapon so you don't hurt yourself. The stuff you see in movies- and in many Dojos for that matter- is pure unadulterated horse crap, and dangerous to the user. First and foremost is the knife in the forward hand- great way to either lose your weapon or have it turned against you......
I'm not doing a training seminar here. If you carry a knife for use as a weapon rather than an every day tool, either learn how or get a stun gun or maybe pepper spray.
Ok, so I don't know about knives INSTEAD of guns, but would always carry one or more for back-up. The thing to remember about knives is training and experience under stress. If you are missing one or the other than it's best that you switch to another weapon so you don't hurt yourself. The stuff you see in movies- and in many Dojos for that matter- is pure unadulterated horse crap, and dangerous to the user. First and foremost is the knife in the forward hand- great way to either lose your weapon or have it turned against you......
I'm not doing a training seminar here. If you carry a knife for use as a weapon rather than an every day tool, either learn how or get a stun gun or maybe pepper spray.
Gramps. You probably already know this, but you can do a lot of damage very fast with a cane. I used a solid aluminum one. Joints are no match for it.
I trained in Kali for a time. I keep thinking it would be nice to have some sort interrupted thread on the shaft to break it in two pieces quickly.
I trained in Kali for a time. I keep thinking it would be nice to have some sort interrupted thread on the shaft to break it in two pieces quickly.
oldcrab
Bearcat
I do carry a knife every day, a Buck 110, and have been doing that for over 40 years.
The knife is very useful (those Amazon packages and on my boat), but at 74, I am not going to take martial arts classes with knife-skills thrown in and delude myself into thinking that would be "smart" at my stage of life.
I do go to the range twice a week at a minimum and practice at 7, 15, or 25 yards with one of my 9mm's, or one of my 357 mag revolvers. Even though I'm getting older, because of the practice and range time I put in, I'm getting better/faster/more-accurate with the handguns (to my satisfaction and amazement)!
But I will continue to carry that Buck 110 everywhere I go, because you never know when you have to open another package or clean a fish or cut a piece of rope.
The knife is very useful (those Amazon packages and on my boat), but at 74, I am not going to take martial arts classes with knife-skills thrown in and delude myself into thinking that would be "smart" at my stage of life.
I do go to the range twice a week at a minimum and practice at 7, 15, or 25 yards with one of my 9mm's, or one of my 357 mag revolvers. Even though I'm getting older, because of the practice and range time I put in, I'm getting better/faster/more-accurate with the handguns (to my satisfaction and amazement)!
But I will continue to carry that Buck 110 everywhere I go, because you never know when you have to open another package or clean a fish or cut a piece of rope.
While I carry a knife daily it is way down the list of desirable weapons.
The closer you must get to an adversary the closer they are to you. At my age I am not going toe to toe with a younger, stronger and faster adversary and expect a positive outcome.
The closer you must get to an adversary the closer they are to you. At my age I am not going toe to toe with a younger, stronger and faster adversary and expect a positive outcome.
I should have added that if you are going to carry a knife for defense, make sure it is a full tang fixed blade. Full tang for strength, fixed blade so it's ready to draw, rather than fumbling around and then getting a folder open.
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I've always heard that the loser in a knife fight dies on the sidewalk. The winner dies in the ambulance.
Actually, I once met a fellow that taught the use of the knife. There may have been follks that were better, but they would be few and far between. I doubt he'd be dying in an ambulance.
