What to consider in a good tactical self-defense knife

[Providence Ranch]

Ok, so ill admit I know nothing about knife fighting. But I am interested in learning. I already carry a concealed firearm, but I want to expand my training to edged weapons. I plan to take a course on personal defense with edged weapons soon. In the meantime I am hoping to learn about what best to look for in a practical, everyday carry, self defense knife. I always carry my standard 3" folding knife, kind of a utility thing, but I'm not sure its ideal for self defense. Anyone out there with good solid info or references? Id very much appreciate it.

[Austin]

Different styles of training dictate different blade styles. For stabbing you would want a tanto edge, for slashing you would want a more rounded edge. Fixed blades are better for hard use but folders are more practical. Not to mention some places fixed blades are not legal for carry.

I would go to the class and see what your training dictates. Also remember that there are knives out there that are too long for legal carry. I would look up your state law and see what is legal in your jurisdiction.

You might also want to avoid anything with a "scary" name as that could cause you problems in court. Things like "killer" "dominator" "zombie slayer" etc... makes it easier for an attorney or DA to make you out to be a person that was out looking for trouble.

Last and not least, get a good quality blade (not some gas station blade). I use and recommend Cold Steel products. They can be found a little cheaper on this site:
Special Projects - A Division of Cold Steel, Inc. thats an official Cold Steel site but they sell items for cheaper than coldsteel.com

[Tucker's Mom]

Good post! I will be eager to know what you finally decides on too.

[Bighouse Doc]

Why bring a knife to a gunfight?

-Doc

[vinesd]

Kudos on Cold Steel...My always EDC!

[blazemyowntrails]

Blade styles and steel and grips and grinds are all a matter of personal preference. But there are a couple things ALL self defense knives should have:

1. A solid locking mechanism
2. A thumb stud, hole or other mechanism for quick and easy one handed deployment.
3. A clothing clip or some other means to consistent orientation within easy reach.

I also get a trainer drone of the EXACT knife I will be carrying. Be it a second ground down blade or some companies make trainer drones. (Emerson, Spyderco, Bram Frank's designs.) I carry a Spyderco Delica with "wave" feature that deploys the blade as it is drawn from the pocket. As with anything self defense related, think objectively and practice till you're sick of it. Then do it another thousand times.YMMV

[roguejesse]

A lot of good suggestions in the above posts. Get a good quality knife; SOG & Cold Steel are some of my favorites. You might want to get yourself a few different styles, to see what works best for you. My personal favorites are the Emerson CQC7 & the SOG Twitch.

[Providence Ranch]

Why bring a knife to a gunfight?

-Doc

Well, like i said I'm not an expert, but I can think of a couple of reasons:

1. Knives never run out of ammo.
2. Knives are much more appropriate for use in a crowded environment where shooting would be ill advised.
3. If S ever really does HTF, ammo may be hard to come by. Knowing how to use a knives may prove quite valuable.

There may be other reasons to consider, but those are mine for now.

[Rich_S]

Have you thought about a tazer or a stun gun? I'd like to get one but they're illegal here in the People's Republic Of Massachusetts so only cops and criminals have them.

[WB9IIE]

Why bring a knife to a gunfight?

-Doc

I agree with Doc on this one. The reason you carry is so the BG doesn't get too close to be too personal. Distance is your friend in an encounter. Also, instead of hard ammunition, you might consider frangable loads. They nearly eliminate overpenetration, and usually disintegrate instead of ricochet in a missed shot.