Knife Advice

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Cold Steel sells some fine field knives. I can get all excited about the Cold Steel Trail Master Bowie, particularly in the smaller blade size for general civil use. If I were contemplating having to get in a knife fight with one on a Texas sandbar, then I'd tote the larger.

But then, I do own a Museum Replicas claymore, after all... and one of their dirks.

I wonder if the WASP has any tendency to blow itself back out of the wound under its own gas pressure.

@ Griff

Yes, better to be judged by twelve than carried by six. I selected my knife for field use in military scenarios when I was on active duty. It's now stored with other disaster preparedness gear: I use a firearm for personal protection. When neither firearms nor less than lethal alternatives are a viable option (for whatever reasons), I'll opt for a knife that is optimized for rapid incapacitation and not just deterrence. Given that there must be justification for the use of deadly force before a knife is employed, it is the most humane choice in the event of a fatality.

[Phage0070]

Originally Posted by BigV

Here's something new in the world of knives.

The WASP.

Now that is just weird. There is something available now that performs a similar function without being needlessly esoteric, and is very reliable.

A "powerhead" or "bang stick" is a steel shaft with a length of tubing at the end which serves as a chamber for a cartridge. The chamber has a firing pin at the back which generally has some sort of safety mechanism. To use it you simply press the business end into the target; the pressure will force the cartridge against the firing pin and discharge it into the target. The minimum length of the shaft is 18 inches, and the general maximum size cartridge is for a 12 gauge shotgun shell.

A 12 gauge shotgun shell discharged point-blank *will* stop whoever is coming after you, and afterwards you still have at least an 18 inch steel rod to fend them off. Of course, you might as well simply use a firearm at that point.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangstick

Originally Posted by BigV

Here's something new in the world of knives.

The WASP.

If you load it with a nitrous oxide cartridge, will it make 'em die laughing?

[TheMercenary]

I carried this in my ruck. It was a very usefull tool. I had it made by the 2nd Gurkha Brigade's goldsmith when I did a US/British exchange to Hong Kong in 1987.

Looks like this:

[TheMercenary]

Some of the toughest troops I ever had the chance to meet.

[HungLikeJesus]

I call that a knife!

What's the little divot in the blade, just above the hand?

[BigV]

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus

I call that a knife!

What's the little divot in the blade, just above the hand?

The "blood dipper".

Khukuri Notch:

The most appealing and distinctive part of the khukuri is the notch or “Cho” cut into the blade directly in front of the grip and the bolster. The Cho or “Kaudi” in Nepalese that separates the khukuri from the world of knives arouses much interest because of its unique shape and utility objectives. Practically the notch works as a blood dipper to prevent the blood or fluid from going towards the handle so that firm grip can be maintained throughout the execution and also as a stopper to stop Chakmak (sharpener) from reaching the handle area when sharpening while running down the edge of the khukuri blade. Similarly the notch also has religious significance as it signifies the Hindu fertility symbol (OM) and represents the sacred cow’s hoof (as cow is worshiped in Nepal).It is also believed to have been developed as a device for catching and neutralizing an enemy blade in close combat. However, myths like notch being a target device to capture an enemy’s sight within it and hurl the blade like a boomerang to snick of his head is not true as khukuri is never thrown. As well the notch being a can opener or rest curvature for index finger of the using hand while slicing are all fictitious. The first khukuri blade ever known to the modern mankind had the Cho and some drawings found in an Indian temple around 600AD also depict it in the blade. Almost all khukuri that originated in the past had the legendary notch and even the modern ones continue to carry this distinctive tradition.

[glatt]

They should call it a blood dripper, not a blood dipper.

It's just like drip rings on a kayak paddle.

[Shawnee123]

Mu dad has a nice collection of knives. He keeps them mostly in a nice wooden box. We tease him, and call it "Dad's Killin' Box." lol

[Troubleshooter]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

Well...to give a small amount of background on my situation, I live in a tougher neighborhood that has gotten worse in the past few months and a few events in the past month have led me to consider purchasing some kind of knife for protection in case the worse happens and I need to protect myself.

I would like to know what would be the best purchase and how I would go around doing this. As of now, I am thinking of getting a switchblade or something similar because I don't want to have an open blade lying around my room (I do not plan on carrying it outside with me) and I do not want to spend a large amount of money (under $100 for sure, under $50 preferable) because I do not have the funds.

So any recommendations on what type of knife I should get, where I should get one (I was thinking of a gun store but I'm not sure), legality, and any other advise?

[Troubleshooter]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Some of the toughest troops I ever had the chance to meet.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

So, Pierce, did you pick up a Ka-Bar at an army surplus place? That's likely an excellent ratio of Bang for Buck.

{Edit} Right, you guys were going to get yourselves a big stick.

My outfit now sells a 2 3/4" blade lockback folder, the first one-handed-opening Cutco design, with a pocket clip so you don't have a high profile when carrying.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

For somebody who wants a high-tech kukri, there's this one, endorsed by the American Bando Association, with which I once studied -- got promoted in, too.

Another model of the same thing, much less expensive.

Note -- no notches.

[BrianR]

I still stand by my advice...unless you're Dan Inosanto, or well-trained by experts such as SEALs, don't try using a knife. It's too easy to slip into the wrong mindset and make a serious mistake.