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Felt nice to hear my wife’s explanation to her best friend, regarding why she now carried a knife.
Times change and smart people adapt. 8 years ago my wife wouldn’t have even carried OC spray.
When she told me she wanted a knife to go along with her spray, I took a look at my knife collection. She wanted something small, and given her small hands a big knife just didn’t fit well.
We tried these, and I believe they are good choices for someone with small hands.
Left to right:
Gerber’s Guardian: Designed by legendary Bob Loveless. Very much a downsized classic fighting knife, the tension adjustable plastic sheath is as good as the knife, and that’s a compliment.
This knife? Yep, for stabbing the living hell out your attacker. The narrow tipped blade sinks easily into soft tissue.
Poliwog knockoff: A knockoff of the Spyderco Poliwog. I wanted to have a general idea and take a look at the unique locking system. Overall good small blade, the steel in my DX Knockoff was actually good and sharpened up well. The design with finger groves allows a firm grip. The blade is short but thick, so it would make nice bleeding wounds when stabbing (looks almost like a large broadhead hunting arrow). Mrs. FerFAL didn’t care for it, but worth checking for people looking for a small blade with big blade type of grip.
Gripping the Poliwog knockoff. Notice the small yet wide blade. This model offers good weapon retention thanks to the deep figer groves. On my desk: Vault Dweller Bobblehead, just because I love the little lunatic.
Cold Steel Voyager (small): This was my first Cold Steel many moons ago, and it’s the knife my wife liked the most, the one that she now claimed for herself and carries it on daily basis.
Clip point blade, would stab with little force and also cuts very well for slashes. The grip is ok and the blade locks tight.
For a knife you’ll be using for defense, ALWAYS buy quality. If my wife had liked the Poliwog I would have bought a Spyderco for her, never let he go around with a $ 6 blade for defensive purposes. The quality of that tool may as well be the difference between life and death one day, literally speaking.
Mrs. FerFAL gripping her Cold Steel Voyager. "As if a sociopath is attached to it, impaled and twisting like a fish out of the water” as I explained to her.
Cold Steel Defender II push knife (discontinued?): This one is a bit too big for my wife, and maybe a bit too small for an average man’s hand. I can't find it at Amazon or Cold Steel's website, closest thing I found is the Urban Pal. I used to have one of these but gave it away to a friend that used to get into trouble often for some reason. A few months later I came by him again, and he couldn't stop saying enough nice things about it.
I liked thE Defender II for her because it allows excellent weapon retention, something that may be an issue for people, specially women that get overpowered by a male attacker. Of course this type of knife is used mostly in a similar manner as punching, sometimes that requires a bit more skill I suppose. Still, the blade is thick and wide, a wound with this little guy would be worth 4 or 5 stabs will the Voyager. The Voyager has a longer blade though, and may reach internal organs, while this push dagger would make wounds that have a greater chance of bleeding more.
You want the guy to be leaking like a busted radiator, bleeding freely and immediately wanting to care for his wound or risk bleeding until he passes out/dies, so the thicker and wider the blade, the better it will work.
FerFAL
18 comments:
The push knife looks like the Safekeeper III which I think at one time was called the Defender. Unfortunately has been discontinued in favor of the Safemaker series.
http://www.ltspecpro.com/samase.html
A shame IMO since I really liked the Safekeeper. It is not only a good extreme close quarters knife it makes a heck of a skinner too.
As an ex-defensive tactics instructor, I specialized in edged weapons and baton tactics. I admire your collection and concur with your comments.
Just a couple of comments:
(1) if you don't like the implications of carrying a knife... try to find common, every day items/tools that one can carry that may be modified for slicing and stabbing. My personal fav is a slot-head screwdriver sharpened to a razor edge. Everyone's preferences and needs are different, so... see what your imagination can do.
(2) I usually recommend females carry a push knife as the handle seems comfortable for people with small hands. I feel the pusher is easier to learn to use for someone not interested in training in knife fighting. And... as you noted, the blade is wide and thick for A more devastating wound channel. I carry mine upside down on a cord around my neck... and practice with it: slashing and punching. I do not worry about the short blade length because if you slash, it cuts as well as a longer blade... and, if you punh with it... a two inch blade make a six inch wound channel if you punch four inches into a belly.
As an instructor... I taught that stabbing is not useful in most situations, and sought to have students practice tried and true slash techniques. Stabbing is easier to learn... it's basically target practice.
These comments are not intended to talk anyone into breaking any laws.
CapnRick, seems I need to get another mini pal . :)
We'll probably be around you're neck of the woods some time in January.
FerFAL
CapnRick, forgot to mention, there no law here in Arg banning knives, you can really carry anything you want. There's a myth about 5 inches long being maximum, but there's really no law, nothing at all regualting knives.
Of course if you commit some cirme it is a wepaon, but a law abbiding citizen in Arg. can walk around with a knife, no problem.
FerFAL
I carry the Spyderco Civilian
http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=60
Not really a stabber, but a really vicious slasher. And its very thin so I can carry it constantly without it being a bother.
Wouldn't it be better for a knife to have a finger guard so your hand doesn't slide up the blade?
I'd collect all the Fallout bobble heads if they were available. Vault boy FTW!
A finguer guard would be nce for sure, since there's a big chance that the hand may slip forward and cut your own finger. Problem is, finger guards kind of defeat the purpose of teh small knife. its not easy to fing a finget guard in such small blades.
FerFAL
Remember OJ came close, allegedly, to decapating his wife with a Swiss Army Knife. If you stab hard enough a small blade will nearly always cause very serious wounds. I personally cary a small CRKT M16-10KZ or sometimes a larger SOG Flash II with me at all times.
I'm kind of surprised she/you went with the folding knife as they require space to flick or pull open and the time spent ficking could be spent slashing. But straight blades tend to scare some women. The woman I showed the knife picture to pointed to the folding blade knife as one she would want. Where does she keep it? In her purse or pocket or on a belt? What is the best and worst place for a woman to carry one?
Thinking about the times I tried tickling women, they do tend to get their arms free... but not for long.
I hope you do a post about guns for women next. I know many women can carry guns equally to men, but some can't. There are quite a few office worker types with weak wrists or problems such as carpel tunnel but they can still shoot a .22 ok without any pain. What's the next level up from a .22 and is it worth the expense compared to a .22? A .380 is too much recoil, but I know nothing about the guns inbewteen to give advise.
Hi Ferfal, could you tell us what you think of this man?
He presents an extensive array of videos. What is your opinion of his techniques?
http://www.youtube.com/user/chosonninja?blend=2&ob=4
I would like to know your opinion about Bujinkan's usefulness in the real world.
Here is someone who doubts it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxxb6eVxrqI
My wife likes the CS Nightshade series of plastic knives as a boot knife. Being synthetic, won't pull her sock down, and being non metal won't attract corrosion either. She likes the Skean Dhu for its very slim profile.
I have a couple of the other models, a small push dagger, Tanto and standard boot blade II (I think) around. Have one in my shower in case if attacked when using Head and Shoulders (IT COULD HAPPEN!), as well as other occasions. These are to be used in last ditch occasions against soft targets, I have no illusions of using them to for cutting purposes, they are stabbing tools, plain and simple.
The hideaway is probably the best knife for this purpose. Light, easy to conceal and unbeatable retention. Too bad its expensive and takes months to order.
I like the cold steel nightshade series too. Light as a feather and since its made of plastic not to scary looking. Great stuff.
Just picked up a black ionized Ka-Bar today at a local gun and knife show. The old Army/Marine classic knife is relatively inexpensive, but I'm uncertain of its utility from a knife fighting/self-defense point of view.
It's a classic and I'm certain I'll find some constructive use for it.
I share your selections, and therefore think you have good taste! :)
Though I was surprised to see the Gerber knife, because I picked up a S&W H.R.T. boot knife, which is almost the same knife and sheath, but for much less. I know sometimes cost is an issue, so people should know it's out there.
Push knives are illegal in some areas, even for self defense FYI. the best self defense knife should be an EDC knife in my opinion.
Hey Mike, FYI pretty much everything is illegal in one place or another. Simply follow your own local laws and use common sense. If something I suggest isnt legal in your specific area, simply dont do it. ;-)
I think The Ontario RAT is the best knife for women. I've used it personally and it's just an awesome knife.
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