Personal Protection.

Knife for personal protection = NO!...for numerous reasons.

1. A knife requires you to be physically close to your opponent. Close Quarters Combat (or hand to hand) is a highly dangerous and highly specialized action requiring extensive training.

2. A knife is no more, or less, deadly than a firearm, this is a common misconception. The big advantage with a firearm is stand-off distance (i.e. distance between you and an attacker). However, as you state; if you are emotionally unable to operate a firearm properly then you are correct saying this is not an option for you.

So what other options do you have?

A personal taser type device is an option, but much like a knife it requires you to be physically close to an attacker to employ...bad ju-ju in all but the most dire of circumstances. (Note: Tasers like law enforcement carry are not available to the public). Think of this as "the last resort". Plus, the other downside of a taser type device is they can be just as deadly as a firearm to individuals with heart or neurological issues.

My best suggestion to you for a less than lethal option would be pepper spray. True OC pepper spray will stop all but the most crazed attackers dead in their tracks and send them fleeing in the opposite direction IMMEDIATELY (it will stop a charging grizzly bear...I know...I've done it).

Pepper spray is small enough to carry on your person (although I don't recommend the tiny purse sized versions because they just don't hold enough). They are totally non-lethal so you don't have to worry about the legal complications of killing someone with it.

Bottom line...a knife is your WORST option! Do NOT do it! In better than 50% of all knife fights the knife actually winds up getting used on its owner (not the attacker). And if this wasn't bad enough, don't allow yourself to be swayed by all the MSM reports about skeery guns; knifes are fatal far more often than the media leads people to believe.

Hope this helps.

originally posted by: skunkape23
I'd recommend starting with a small can of pepper spray. You don't want to use a blade unless the situation is life threatening.

Yep... Pepper spray is the way to go, especially if you're apprehensive of carrying self defense items of the more lethal variety.


1: Make sure you know the laws of the state/country you reside. There are usually limitations in regards to the potency and amount you can carry.

2: Make sure it's real pepper spray and not mace. There is a difference. If I recall correctly, a bunch of police forces discontinued the use of mace due to injuries of LEO's when dealing with suspects under the influence. You'll have no such issue either way with pepper spray.

Make no mistake, pepper spray is very effective at neutralizing threats.

a reply to: Kandinsky

No. Not really. Everyone has sharp kitchen knives. But if someone really loses their #, it's the gun they go for. I'm not anti gun. I've just seen a lot of #.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Sure, it helps. I just lean towards knives because I saved myself from domestic assault with one. Easy as a cakewalk.

The other thing you might consider is getting yourself some physical self defense training such as jujutsu. Taekwondo (true Korean taekwondo, not the foo-fooey kids stuff) is another option. I spent several years in competition Taekwondo in college and can tell you it is more than effective. In retrospect though, I think my time and efforts would have been better spent in Jujutsu.

Many of the really successful MMA (mixed martial arts) fighters you see on TV now days have strong Jujutsu backgrounds. All of the martial arts (or most anyway) draw upon physics. Jujutsu is probably the best at conservation of momentum, which allows you to use your opponents energy to defeat him, rather than just raw power of your own.

a reply to: Moana

Glad you saved yourself.

A friend was tricked into taking a man to where he was killed with a knife. The killer has now served his sentence and campaigns against knife crime. What he says is this. The man he killed haunts him. He see's him, hears his voice, and has nightmares about him. That's the cost. You never get over it.

The knife I recommend has dual purpose as a rescue knife. The one time a sharp knife is needed to cut rope or seatbelt in an emergency is worth a lifetime carrying a suitable blade. Lightweight is essential or you'll leave it behind because you're sick of the weight.

a reply to: Moana

Easy as a cakewalk UNTIL you are confronted with...

A. Someone else with a knife or weapon, or..

B. Someone just crazy enough to not care about your knife (which is common).

Keep in mind, better than 80% of all attackers will never see your knife.

From the sounds of your post(s) it sounds as if you may need to re-think some things. It appears you are looking for a psychological deterrent (visual, audible). This is akin to racking the slide of a shotgun to deter an opponent. Actions like these are more likely to get you injured / killed than not. Bravado is seldom successful in real world situations.

As always, restraint is the better part of valor, but when push comes to shove you need to be ready to act, and act in a decisive way. Contrary to the movies, real-world fights don't last very long. Standing around brandishing any sort of a weapon to achieve some psychological advantage is a recipe for disaster...and seldom successful.

Case in point...let's examine a likely scenario

Let's say you are confronted by some thug with a baseball bat (pipe, rebar, whatever) who's intent on doing you harm. You pull out some flashy bladed knife...

Now what?

There's a better than even-money chance your attacker is going to swing at you. No matter what, he can connect from further away than you can (unless you've got one hell of a big knife!). You get hit by a baseball bat and the first thing you're going to do is drop the knife. Then what? Bend over and pick it up (gives him a free shot at you)? Now you've been struck twice (probably once on the arm, and once on the back). The best you can hope for at this point is he will retreat, that is...if you're still standing. Your trusty knife succeeded at only one thing...getting you hit a second time.

With pepper spray, you'd have "reach" on your attacker. He swings, you let the OC go from a distance...fight over!

Your call.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I can't remember the name of the site. Something like practical self defence. It's a couple who have all the required experience. Page after page of good advice. Not a single word on anything physical. Page after page telling you how to avoid trouble.

One teaching I remember is the Roman and Barbarian societies with their different rules. Frequently violence erupts when Roman style people enter Barbarian territory and behave as if they still have the protection offered by Roman society. For example in Roman society you might answer back because you are 'right'. In Barbarian society unless you can KO the person and all their friends you don't answer back. It's stressed that being 'right' doesn't matter. Getting away unharmed is what matters.

Another teaching is if you're getting a beating you may be better to take it without fighting back, then hold yourself responsible for not avoiding the situation.

The man behind that site grew up taking part in extreme violence then went on to be an adviser to the justice system.

He stresses that the mental health effects of successfully defending yourself with a knife can become worse and worse over the years till you wish you'd had the sense to avoid the situation or taken the beating without resistance.

a reply to: Kester

Totally agree.

Restraint is always the better part of valor, as noted (above).

ETA: As a strong RTKBA advocate as well as firearms instructor, obviously my choice is going to be for a firearm for personal defense. Equally, I recognize this is not for everyone, hence my posts above. However, my worst fear is ever having to actually use a firearm for personal defense. When I say 'fear', it is for the emotional consequence after the fact, not fear of the actual act itself. For this reason I know my life (or the life of a family member) would truly need to be in grave danger of death or grave bodily harm to ever use one for personal defense. I believe this is the correct mind-set.

a reply to: Moana

RE: a gun....its better to have and not need than need and not have. If someone invades your home, you may only get to pull a single trigger, if even that. And even that may not hit them....but it could scare them off.

A knife? If you don't have the nerve to pull the trigger, you will never have the nerve to get up close and personal with a knife.

My recommendation: buy a little Ruger 380. Its very small, easy to shoot, inexpensive, and easy to hide. Just enough gun for a lady to protect herself. I bought one for my younger sister this past week. She's taking her CHL in April.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I must respectfully disagree...in this case. The OP plainly states...

A gun is not an option. Too many people here, including me, who have mood swings and impulse problems.

If the OP is worried about discharging a firearm at another person based on a mood swing, or an impulse problem...then firearms are clearly not for her.

As a firearms instructor I can rarely (if ever) advocate putting a firearm for self defense into the hands of a person who does not feel they possess the mental stability to use it with pure objectivity. Simply being in a crabby mood, or not thoroughly understanding one's actions in the moment (i.e. impulse), does in no way justify the use of lethal force.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

you're right. I didn't see the mood swings thing.

that's a shame.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I too like the LCP also. I love how small it is (almost too small / light though). It's way lighter than the Kel-Tec in the same form factor. I can just stick mine in my front pocket and it won't print. Do tell your sister to practice often with it though. Because it is so light and compact they are easy to limp-wrist and can be wildly inaccurate as a result. Big handed people also can get some slide-bite from them (I have).

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I have a Taurus S&W .40 that is quite small for a .40. Man, "slide bite"....it ripped my thumb open across the top. The scar looks like another wrinkle on my thumb now....but man, it boogered me good.

Semiauto's...the smaller ones just don't have much grip. I really like the little hammerless S&W revolvers. The 357 has a lot of punch, but the 38 fires nicely.

Still...the little Ruger....i want to go shoot it with her. It's gonna be fun.

ETA on topic: while i have no experience with this particular knife....it gets high reviews. And I am very familiar with the maker, having several benchmade knives myself (as well as my son). The Benchmade 178SBK looks to be a nice dagger that gives plenty of leverage. But its not real flashy/intimidating:

www.personaldefenseworld.com...

Also, the BLACKHAWK! Garra II looks rather gnarly, and like it could intimidate as well as punish.

Spyderco Tenacious.

It's a folder, it's got a clip, it's not huge, it's relatively inexpensive (feels like it should cost a lot more) and it stays sharp.

a reply to: mikeone718

Spyderco is a fantastic knife. I have a couple, but the blade needs professional sharpening.

But you can literally baton them into a rock without curling the edge when properly sharpened.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I have a few also and didn't know that about getting them sharpened....thanks for the heads up

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Spyderco knives are good value for money. The basic models are light, strong, and will take and hold an excellent edge. The Spyderco Sharpmaker enables anyone with reasonable motor skills to get a good edge.

a reply to: mikeone718

the best knife i own is a spyderco navaja



You really can't go wrong with their steel. Unless you do a lot of twisting work with it (like a screw driver).

One more ETA:

OP, consider this:



Its an automatic center punch. That spike recesses into the handle when you exert pressure on it, until it hits a trigger point. THen it resets quickly and with force.

It would absolutely devastate any animal flesh.