The Knife Thread - Pocket Knives, Kitchen Knives, Knife skills- and everything in between -A place to discuss your knife layout and use

[VF-1J Armored Valkyrie]

An eight inch KA-BAR I ordered last week. I carry it on the shoulder strap of a canvas backpack I use daily. Whole lot of homeless crazies roaming around my community now, one threatened me directly a couple weeks ago and because of momentary financial constraints I'm unable to procure a gun. I've been practicing drawing and sheathing it to get a feel for it. This is the first non-kitchen knife I've owned.
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Knives have a relatively high floor for training to use effectively than many other tools, but in lieu of detailed and realistic lessons, a good X-pattern will serve you well to keep someone at a distance unless they have a lot of nerve or confidence in their approach. Stabbing is more effective at incapacitating than slashing from an anatomical standpoint, so at some point you'll want to consider the idea of clearing hands and gaining a secure grip to deliver stabs. This is significantly more involved than just slashing whatever comes into your bubble, but not so much that there aren't simple methods for the task that will do well enough against most people. Google 'grab and stab' and you should find basic info and references to further reading/watching.

Use of a knife like this is every bit as much of deadly force as a firearm would be. Don't shirk the legal side of self defense and get yourself into a pickle with brandishing or a disproportionate response.

 

[The Dude]

I ordered a custom pocket slip for my new Poikilo Blade balisong. I got it from A51 Projects who is on Etsy. This is my second A51 slip for a balison. I got one when I bought my Daniel Pena Penasong four years ago, and it has held up well. Definitely the best way to carry a balisong, especially a latchless bali.

 

[BelUwUga]

I have an ESEE 3 that I like, but frankly would have been happier with a second Izula kicking around. I've bought/received several Kershaw Leeks and love them as smaller everyday knives if not for the fact that I can't help but lose the fucking things constantly. Far and away my favorite/most-used knife is actually my Gerber Artifact I keep on my keychain:

It's just long enough to hold/work like a normal Exacto knife for small/detail work. It's hidden by the unfolded blade but it even has a Phillips screwdriver tip. It's not a workhorse or anything but when one cut/screw/pry is between me and a finished job I appreciate it saving me a trip to my toolbox. For some reason Gerber discontinued them and I cannot find any for less than 10x retail so it would seem I am not alone.

As far as maintenance goes I'm a big fan of Smith's pull-through sharpener with adjustable angle (50264). Not perfect but usually more than good enough and fast. If I'm actually going for really sharp I love my DMT stone. I only have a full sized coarse but the W7EFC mini set is awesome when you want to sharpen things you can't do with a normal stone. I recommend either carving into the plastic or using a paint marker to delineate the coarse/fine/extra fine if you forget the color coding like I do. I like to use ISO68 oil on my whet stones and on my knives for rust prevention. It's actually come to replace WD40 in my lineup for things that actually need oil/lubrication.

 

[Agares]

Where my Blazin' Blade (tm) appreciators at?

 

[Taser Confetti]

Knives have a relatively high floor for training to use effectively than many other tools, but in lieu of detailed and realistic lessons, a good X-pattern will serve you well to keep someone at a distance unless they have a lot of nerve or confidence in their approach. Stabbing is more effective at incapacitating than slashing from an anatomical standpoint, so at some point you'll want to consider the idea of clearing hands and gaining a secure grip to deliver stabs. This is significantly more involved than just slashing whatever comes into your bubble, but not so much that there aren't simple methods for the task that will do well enough against most people. Google 'grab and stab' and you should find basic info and references to further reading/watching.

Use of a knife like this is every bit as much of deadly force as a firearm would be. Don't shirk the legal side of self defense and get yourself into a pickle with brandishing or a disproportionate response.

Keep in mind - stabbing some nigger to death on the subway is going to look worse to a DA and a jury than putting two rounds of 9mm in him.

 

[VF-1J Armored Valkyrie]

Keep in mind - stabbing some nigger to death on the subway is going to look worse to a DA and a jury than putting two rounds of 9mm in him.

Knives, especially small pocket knives, are objectively bad self-defense tools. They carry all the legal responsibility of any other lethal force option while having a strong social stigma for an inefficient method of killing that can't be applied without exposing the user to the same sort of means. I practice contact weapons-based martial arts, I'm sure many of us do, and the more I learn and the more experience I gain, the more I'm of a mind to leave knives to boxes and lines; self-defense is much better served by common street sense, a solid asskicking waiting in the wings, and a pistol if you can get one. Most people only consider knives at all because they can't get the last one. I think of my knife more for defense against dogs than people.

 

[Count Grishnackh]

I've wanted a Boker automatic for almost 30 years, got myself a Kalishnikov. Good knife, holds an edge well.

 

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Just sharpened up my 'chete, got me feeling like a brazilian

 

[Frostnipped Todger]

Despite the posts saying they're not good for self defence, I'm considering making an edc "dagger". Not specifically double bladed, but a point focused weapon, rather than blade focused. Does anyone have thoughts on the ideal length of the blade? I want it to be as small as possible, but to incapacitate a threat if need be.

 

[VF-1J Armored Valkyrie]

Despite the posts saying they're not good for self defence, I'm considering making an edc "dagger". Not specifically double bladed, but a point focused weapon, rather than blade focused. Does anyone have thoughts on the ideal length of the blade? I want it to be as small as possible, but to incapacitate a threat if need be.

If you're not going to go with a dagger, or at least a dagger-like profile left unsharpened on one side, I'd suggest a drop or tanto point. Clip points and other stuff like that is more prone to breaking the tip off. I'd say 4 to 6 inches of blade, any less will be ineffective, any more will be harder to conceal with diminishing returns for effectiveness. 4 to 6 is enough if you know what you're doing.

 

[The Dude]

Despite the posts saying they're not good for self defence, I'm considering making an edc "dagger". Not specifically double bladed, but a point focused weapon, rather than blade focused. Does anyone have thoughts on the ideal length of the blade? I want it to be as small as possible, but to incapacitate a threat if need be.

Daggers are fine for thrusting, but generally bad at slashing and cutting. Especially ones like the Fairbairn-Sykes or the V-42 that have narrow, sharply tapered stiletto style blades. 4" for the blade is probably the shortest you'll want to go for a thrusting blade.

 

[VF-1J Armored Valkyrie]

Daggers are fine for thrusting, but generally bad at slashing and cutting. Especially ones like the Fairbairn-Sykes or the V-42 that have narrow, sharply tapered stiletto style blades. 4" for the blade is probably the shortest you'll want to go for a thrusting blade.

Thanks again for reminding me why Applegate-Fairbairn is one of my favorite fighting knives. Idgaf if it's the ugly duckling of the family.

 

[Dean Pentel]

It's not one of my Mad Dogs good but I've come to appreciate the quality of Fallkniven knives in Elmax. I've been running the R2 Scout for the last 2 years at work and it's been a decent knife. I wanted something with a slightly larger blade.

I found the anniversary edition of their F1 in Elmax on sale a few months ago and picked it up. I use Armatus Carry sheaths with both of these and I'm impressed by how well they perform for common tasks. Worth a look for a solid EDC piece that's not that expensive, though I dislike the factory sheaths. They use convex edges on these and they come damn sharp.

 

[Vexillology]

If you're going with a folding knife, the Kershaw Blur by Ken Onion has served me well, especially if you like a serrated portion. It's survived countless fires, I've cut myself out of wire entanglements, forced doors, even chopped through ice with it when my car got frozen in once, and haven't had to do anything but sharpen it once in a while. If you want something that clips to your pocket or fits in a pouch on your gear, these things hold up better than any folding knife I've ever used.

 

[VF-1J Armored Valkyrie]

If you're going with a folding knife, the Kershaw Blur by Ken Onion has served me well, especially if you like a serrated portion. It's survived countless fires, I've cut myself out of wire entanglements, forced doors, even chopped through ice with it when my car got frozen in once, and haven't had to do anything but sharpen it once in a while. If you want something that clips to your pocket or fits in a pouch on your gear, these things hold up better than any folding knife I've ever used.

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I regularly buy Kershaw Chills as gifts. It's a big market with lots of options but I think for the $30-50 light use EDC slot, they're pretty hard to beat.

 

[Dfackt0]

Anyone into throwing knives?
Ive kept two of these little fucks from SOG on my belt on the daily for close to 6 years now,, theyre weighted to fly but theyre not awkward to carry and theyre not a bad backup either they can take a beating, ive replaced the paracord on my dominant draw but mine have seen use and practice 1-3 times a week for 5 years
if youre into alternatives for firearms and youre willing to practice about as much as a gun nut does at a shooting range, you can become pretty scary with just a set of weighted knives and practice

 

[LowlyPheasent]

Picked up a Montana Knife Co. flat tail after breaking down and borrowing someone's since my dog shit knife was dull and they kept shit talking me for taking to long. They had a speed goat but that has paracord and I'd prefer hard handles if I'm gutting. Expensive as hell but made in the USA and worth the price of admission with how nice the speed goat was.

 

[National Defense Advocate]

Gents, I'd like a Trench knife. Yes they're legal in my state.
Does anybody have good recommendations?

 

[Agares]

If you're going with a folding knife, the Kershaw Blur by Ken Onion has served me well, especially if you like a serrated portion. It's survived countless fires, I've cut myself out of wire entanglements, forced doors, even chopped through ice with it when my car got frozen in once, and haven't had to do anything but sharpen it once in a while. If you want something that clips to your pocket or fits in a pouch on your gear, these things hold up better than any folding knife I've ever used.

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I've got one of those with the 8cr13mov blade and it's survived 8 years of abuse and one move to another state.

 

[Dean Pentel]

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Picked up a Montana Knife Co. flat tail after breaking down and borrowing someone's since my dog shit knife was dull and they kept shit talking me for taking to long. They had a speed goat but that has paracord and I'd prefer hard handles if I'm gutting. Expensive as hell but made in the USA and worth the price of admission with how nice the speed goat was.

Did your knife come to you acceptably sharp? Mine sure didn't. For the price they charge for these things that was a surprise. And fuck that "working edge" bullshit. Send me a knife that's fucking sharp.

You all ever heard of Off-Grid Knives? They're an American owned company whose knives are produced in Taiwan. I picked up their drop point Stinger XL recently. It was on sale so I got it for less than $100 shipped. Good quality all around and its price make it a solid knife for the money. Worth a look for folding stuff, I think.