# Fear or performance of a knife?



## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

As a knife salesman, I can own and carry what I like. With all of the really great knives in stock I carry a 33 dollar flipper and a 20 dollar Spline.

The bigger knife is a Ruger Stag-2 Compact. I polished the edge considering the research RJ Martens and ancient designs for piercing. The Spline is kind of like a little switchblade, I use it for cutting threads and opening the mail.

Yes, two expensive Protechs (one a Tuxedo Emerson) sit on the shelf.

Here's my question--even considering Massad Ayoob's comments on fending--do you think aggressors fear the knife, or the action of opening one? Let's face it, we're the good guys. If we're lucky, the buffoon will run. If he won't, well, I know where more of the tendons and arteries reside. But that means a trial, an attorney and lots of money.

_*If I could show you a picture*_, you'd see that even my pocketknives are polished to 500,000 grit.

I ask the question because the most dangerous place I go now is the mall--where there are kids. I was taught that if I have to shoot among people, I should kneel and shoot up at the aggressor. I would like to get out of these jams with the threat of a cut.


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## MuzzleBlastMD (Dec 9, 2017)

The Tourist said:


> As a knife salesman, I can own and carry what I like. With all of the really great knives in stock I carry a 33 dollar flipper and a 20 dollar Spline.
> 
> The bigger knife is a Ruger Stag-2 Compact. I polished the edge considering the research RJ Martens and ancient designs for piercing. The Spline is kind of like a little switchblade, I use it for cutting threads and opening the mail.
> 
> ...


Most people don't have the fear of the sight of anything...Particularly if they're high or mentally impaired.

The best defense is concealment, and use in a last minute tactic, when all non-lethal attempts have been made. If you're with a knife and they have no weapon, you can be seen as an aggressor.

You're better off avoiding any conflict from the start. When I see a suspicious person, I cross the street, go into another place or change directions.

I carry pistols for defense. 3 of them, actually. It's my variant of the NY Reload, which I termed the Carolina Reload.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

MuzzleBlastMD said:


> You're better off avoiding any conflict from the start.


I agree. In fact, I was going to get that tattoo etched on the inside of my right forearm in case I ever wanted to date a redhead again.

Then, we have to deal with the world. And while I was never a fan of the magazine "Tactical Knives," I modified the Ruger for offensive/defensive situations. And you know something, I've never admitted that to anyone--either in person or on a forum.


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## Smokin04 (Jan 29, 2014)

As a member trained in knife fighting techniques (Arnis practitioner) and a karambit carrier, I can tell you that I only draw my knife if deadly force is authorized (meaning, if I'd draw my gun, I could also draw my karambit), or if someone is attempting to disarm or otherwise use excessive force (mainly weapons) against me. If no weapons are present, I'm happy to go empty hand with up to around 3 untrained opponents. More than 3, I deem self defense weapons are necessary.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Dont recall ever trying to dissuade a bad guy by displaying a knife while pretending to know how to use it..but will testify the sight and/or sound of a .12 gauge pump being shucked back can make bad actors check their hole card. Might also work with a knife. Who knows?


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## Lunatic Wrench (May 13, 2018)

The size of knife is going to play a factor. A 3-6" blade is going to make me adjust my stance, a 9-12" blade is going to make me rethink my whole game plan. For me, I'm probably going to need an equalizer if I'm going/forced to stand my ground.
Deployment of my knife is going to be based off who I'm up against, it might be as a deterrent, or I may hold it in reserve to pull and strike in one movement. 

500,000 gt. that's seriously sharp. I take my wood chisels to 6,000 and power polish with a leather strop and I can shave my arm no problem, the balance is all wrong to put it to my throat.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

The Tourist said:


> ..............even my pocketknives are polished to 500,000 grit........


I'd just like to see a photo of a 500,000-grit stone. :vs_smile:


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

We had a heroic guy where I used to work at who disarmed a bad guy with a knife by squirting him down with a dry powder fire extinguisher. Pretty sure he got an attaboy for that.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

Back Pack Hack said:


> I'd just like to see a photo of a 500,000-grit stone.


I only use stones to 20,000 or 30,000 grit.

Ken Schwartz sells Alumina and PDP Emulsion which can get you to that 500,000 grit level.

The real performer is nanodiamond slurry. With a nanocloth and a glass mount you can take an edge to 3.2 million grit.

Of course he called me last week and the company now makes slurry to 5.4 million grit. And you know, while the human eye could not tell the difference, I'm temped. My clients are amazed at the keen level of slicing.

Until this picture thing straightens up, you can go over to KimberTalk and see the pictures of the knives edges using these polishing pastes.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

The Tourist said:


> As a knife salesman, I can own and carry what I like. With all of the really great knives in stock I carry a 33 dollar flipper and a 20 dollar Spline.
> 
> The bigger knife is a Ruger Stag-2 Compact. I polished the edge considering the research RJ Martens and ancient designs for piercing. The Spline is kind of like a little switchblade, I use it for cutting threads and opening the mail.
> 
> ...


So do you have a website?


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

The Tourist said:


> ..Until this picture thing straightens up,............


Thanks to Cricket's efforts, it has.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Good job Cricket! Thanks.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

If you ever watch that guy on Best Defense with a knife. Gives me a whole new respect for a knife.


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## Ken S LaTrans (Jul 24, 2018)

The Tourist said:


> As a knife salesman, I can own and carry what I like. With all of the really great knives in stock I carry a 33 dollar flipper and a 20 dollar Spline.
> 
> The bigger knife is a Ruger Stag-2 Compact. I polished the edge considering the research RJ Martens and ancient designs for piercing. The Spline is kind of like a little switchblade, I use it for cutting threads and opening the mail.
> 
> ...


Most...and by most, I mean the extreme vast majority of doods who carry a knife have _zero_ knife skills. They may carry the tacticoolest, most expensivist, most cerakotedtest, and most brand-namedest, bad assedest knife on the planet...and wouldn't have the first idea on how to employ it effectively, efficiently, or in an attack or defensive mode.

That said...even in the hands of one of the doods mentioned above, the knife is still a vicious and deadly tool only because of its edged nature, and if by some dumbass luck or combination of equal amounts of incompetence on the part of the attacker and the defender the blade does make contact...someone will get a boo boo. A clumsy melee attack against another dood who has zero defensive skills (regardless of how cool his tactical clothing might be) still has a damned good chance of making the meat sack bleed with profusion.

Cool.

I don't "fear" the knife, but I damned sure _respect_ the knife and I respect what the knife...even incompetently wielded...can do.

Whether or not the "bad guy" fears the knife or not is immaterial. The _bravado_ of the bad guy is going to be such that he will challenge you anyway, because he probably doesn't fear _you_. This could be because he is tweaked, feeding a habit, or showing out in front of his friends. Whatever the case may be, your knife is irrelevant to his _emotional state of being_. You have challenged him and his self image as the tough guy. He has, not only his life (possibly) to lose, but "da respeck" of his homies. You're pretty well ****ed now, because you either have to put up, shut up, run away, or take a beating, lose your knife, and a lot of blood from your leaking meat sack.

BUT...as you have challenged him with your knife...He MUST now put up, and he will probably say something very much like "Oh what is you, a bad mother****er with that knife?" or "I finna take that knife from you and (insert threat here)". The point is, if you pull it, you better damned well be visually and verbally commanding enough to at least _appear_ to know what you're doing...and then to actually use it.

*I have a rule. If someone pulls a knife on me..._they get shot_. I know. _I have seen me do it_.*

*I have another rule. I don't go around with my head up my ass. I am always alert and scanning for that which is "not right". Jeff Cooper, whom I trained with at Gunsite several times before he died, codified the "Color Codes Of Mental Awareness" or sometimes called "Cooper's Code"...whatever the nomenclature. Learn about it. Adopt it. Live it.*

*Bad Guy + Knife = BANG BANG BANG (repeated as necessary)*

*I have another rule that ties into the rule above that states I do not go around with my head up my ass (cranial rectosis or cranio-rectal inversion). Two and a half arms lengths is close enough. If you allow someone whom is "not quite right" or whom you perceive as a threat to get as close as two and a half arms lengths...then you have exponentially degraded your ability to effectively attack or defend. A smart, or reasonably skilled, knife user will avoid the _blade ballet_, get real close and open you up like you have a zipper. Oops. Leaking meat sack. Shit.*

Sooooo....what do you do if you know, and I mean you KNOW the shit show is about to kick off and you don't have a stand off weapon like a pistol (shame on you if you don't), and you can articulate to LE later why you KNEW the shit show was about to kick off? You don't let the ****er know you even have the knife until YOU close the distance to INSIDE two and a half arms lengths and YOU open him up like he had a zipper. Learn _MOBILITY KILLS_. Your goal is not to "kill" your adversary. An immediate kill with a knife is as rare as a fat chick in a marathon. So, you learn about the MOBILITY KILL which will cause enough pain, and injury to seriously, or totally kill the mobility (ability to move and cause YOU harm) of your attacker and for you to un-ass the area and get to a safer spot in which to call the police.

Remember...the knife is generally a melee weapon and it REQUIRES close contact to be effective. If you are close in, _and in contact_...you are at a disadvantage because you are also within reach of the bad guy. This is the area that I call The Bad Tie zone. If you're involved in a knife engagement that the bad guy knew was coming...you're going to leak. And only luck and some close-in ninja shit is going to allow you to prevail unless you gain some skills in the mobility kill. _The worst place to try to learn new skills is in the middle of the fight_.

_*Note: Most fatalities involving a knife attack are because of massive exsanguination (bleeding out) with literally dozens of wounds inflicted. So, in order to actually kill someone with a knife you have to remain in contact and deliver many, many, many wounds...or get shithouse lucky. Look at prisons. Rarely is a knife attack a "one and done" stabbing. It is a massive, violent, and repetitive stabbing and exsanguination attack._

Also remember this...the extreme vast majority of people...no matter how tacticool you fancy yourself to be are mere babes in the woods when it comes to immediate, overwhelming, and vicious violence. You're probably not a fighter. You may have been in a tussle or two in school that was little more than a couple of haymakers tossed which devolved into a "rasslin match" and you may even have won and that cemented your personal view of yourself as a fighter. If you bring those skills to a fight with a true human predator who has been raised on immediate, overwhelming, and vicious violence...you will be a leaking meat sack.

So, no, most bad guys don't fear your knife and they don't fear you.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

*Using a knife.*

Okay, here's my test picture.









Edit: Hey, it works now! Thanks, Cricket!


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

*Polished Ruger*

Excuse me, I grabbed the wrong picture. The one below is Shrade SCHF15 fixed blade. In a bundle of thumbnails, they all look alike...


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

*Hope this is the right one*

I meant to load this one. This edge was polished with slurry.


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