Momma needs a blade!

[DRod]

So my mom recently moved out on her own. Divorce. Shes in her early fifties and practically hasn't lived alone since she was seventeen. She asked me if she should get a small gun. I said, go to the range, rent a small gun and see how you feel with it. I told her that whether or not it scares her at first isn't so important. That will pass with time. But it has to be comfortable for her. Not feel like a strain to pull it aim it and shoot or anything. Be small enough to be carried and such.. But I told her before she buys anything to take some safety classes of some sort. She said thats fine. So I suggested to her until then, to get a good small pocket knife. She liked that idea. And since mothers day is right there... Hey! good idea, buy mom a knife! Might need a little help deciding though.
Now, my mom is this kind of person. Shes has a leviathan of a purse, but still manages to take things out. I know if I get her a SS handled anything bigger than a Native, its going to get taken out since she said my E4 was too heavy! :eek: Then came size. She wont carry something thats going to get her bad looks or anything like that. A Mili would stick out too far and its large enough that she wouldn't take it out for anything less than a gun to her head. I know her.. A harpy scared her so that was out. But then she settled on the Caly III. it seemed to suit her best. The blade is small and non threatening, strong, the longevity of the ZDP is superb form what Ive experienced if I get her that one, and could clip in her purse and not look too far out of place. She doesn't know how to sharpen but the ZDP should hold out for LOOOONNGGG time with her use. She mainly wants protection from small animals and such and to have a nice upscale EDC for every other day things. Shes smart enough to know not to pull a knife if shes got a gun to her, but still just wants something to fall back on. To make her feel a little more safe at night. There are alot of dogs in the new apartment complex shes at. Thats what spooks her. Shes also getting some pepper spray, but Ive seen dogs just stop, snort it out and keep on truckin. I thought about a Delica ZDP but told her about the green handle and it didn't work for her. the CF Caly III is really just about right for her I think. Or maybe a Scorpius if it isn't too heavy. Oh and her birth day is also mothers day. DOUBLE WHAMMY. Then again.... She might like a nice Kopa clipped next to her pepperspray if its looks nice enough. How heavy are Kopas in regards to E4s? I bet she'd even show off a nice Gold Pearl or any stone Kopa. GAH! I don't know what to get her! HELP! :p Suggestions are welcome!

[tap]

D4. Probably a CE . There are two greens, black, and blue (or are they all gone) to chose from. The steel doesn't matter as she is probably never going to use it.

[Puyallupknifegu]

Hello my friend,

A knife for your mother? Oboy!!! What a tough choice!! Well, first, I think it's a great idea!

My suggestion would be a Delica 4. Nice size, shouldn't scare anyone, your mom included, and it's long enough for SD to do some serious damage!!! Or maybe a yellow handled Salt series! :p Easy to find in the purse.

Is your mom considering a knife to use on a dog? Maybe Doc has some suggestions for that...I'm thinking Paramilitary with the compression lock might do the trick nicely...although I'd rather tell her to run!!!

Good luck with your choosing my friend, and Happy Birthday and God bless your mom!!!


Tim :D

[ASmitty]

You know, my mom needed a knife for outdoor and garden work and I got her a Pacific Salt. I always try to get a Salt if I'm getting a gift for someone I think isn't going to necessarily maintain it the way I would. Especially in my mom's case when it's gonna be used outside and possibly put away in the garage without cleaning or anything. I think a Salt I would serve your mother well. A D4 as suggested above would also be a great choice.

[spydutch]

How about a Cricket?

She won't even know it's in her purse and it's a very sturdy little knife that cuts like a demon

[disko]

In the same sort of situation with my mother. Plus one on the cricket, have one in transit as we speak.

[dalefuller]

Two thoughts...

First, my wife carries uses, and likes her D3/D4 set. She started with a CF D3 and used that for about a year. Now she's using a ZDP D4 and likes it just as much. She's also concerned about weight with the stuff she carries, but she manages to include her PDA and her D4 (unless she's going through a metal detector somewhere). That said, I can understand preferring the Caly 3... I really love mine and it does seem almost the perfect EDC for my needs as well as for a lot of other people.

Second... my sister and I breed working Dobermanns and she does Shutzhund and protection training with them and with other breeds. I know what a dog attack looks like and how fast it happens. My best suggestion for your mom is for her to ring up and talk to some reputable dog trainers in her area (and I mean people who know what they're doing and have the experience to back up what they say) and find out how to avoid a confrontation with a dog. In many cases (not all), there are things people can do to defuse a dangerous situation, even with an aggressive dog. Human body language, while not threatening to other humans, often antagonizes dogs because it mimics behavior that would be threatening from another dog.

There are exceptions in the dog world,of course. Some dogs are physically sick or injured and will attack... some dogs are emotionally unstable and will attack... some dogs have been trained by their owners (often criminals who are using the dogs as guards against LEOs) to regard every human as a threat... and, as much as I hate to admit it, some few dogs are outlaws just like some few people are. In these rare cases you are probably going to be attacked, and a knife will almost never help prevent some injury to you. In fact, attack-trained dogs are trained to continue attacking through their prey's efforts to defend her/himself. Often, these attempts just infuriate the dog more.

Get your mom the Caly 3 because everybody needs at least one Spyderco. Then help her find a couple of local trainers or dog behaviorists or even the local Humane Society/dog rescue organization that can give her some tips on avoiding dog attacks. If you can't find anyone close to her there are online resources that can help. Whole Dog Journal has published articles in the past about this very subject.

Good luck to her in this new phase of life. I hope all the dogs that live near her are friendly and that she grows gracefully and peacefully into her new situation.

[Dallas_TX]

Daryn,


Fox Pepper Spray. Period.

Assuming that your 50 year old mother will slash her way out of danger may not be realistic.

Altough WE love them, Spiders may not be a real "chick-thing". And, it's my belief that they're WAY down the list of choices for security options for a 50 year old lady.

It's kinda close to buying your momma a table-dance for Mother's Day.....

By the way, you're a good-guy for being concerned for your momma right now. I'll keep a good thought for her right now as this has GOT to be a tough, tough time. Best wishes.

[cobrajoe]

I'd vote for the caly 3 or caly jr, the CF caly 3 looks really nice, but it is a little pricey. There is a ZDP caly Jr in FRN and there was a micarta caly Jr if a classy look would be better. I'm sure both would be lighter than an endura, and much less scary than a harpy.

But like what was said, I don't know how much a short blade will help in SD against a dog, but I guess a little peace of mind always helps.

[Hannibal Lecter]

My Dear Daryn,

OK - a couple of points I will address.

First - if you are genuinely concerned for your mother and her safety, instead of purchasing a knife for her I suggest enrolling her in a good handgun safety course immediately. That will give her the knowledge and confidence that she needs to use a handgun effectively and safely.

Second - when the time comes to purchase a handgun, make sure it is a revolver. Nothing against semi-automatics, but you have to participate in ongoing training regularly to stay competent with them. Revolvers are a point-it-and-pull-the-trigger proposition, which can be a lifesaver in an emergency.

Third - make sure whatever revolver she winds up with is double-action ONLY. No external hammer would be nice, like the S&W Centennial Models 342 or 642. No hammer to snag, no hammer to cock (trust me on this one).

Lastly, if you do get a knife for her, make it a Salt I. It is sharp, maintenance-free, smallish, lightweight, and best of all, you can get it in a friendly yellow color. :D

These are my opinions after over a decade as a Certified CCW Instructor. YMMV.

--------
Hannibal

[druid]

my experience, is a little disheartening in this regard. I have tried on a number of occasions to get my sister to carry a knife. She is not timid and would be a handful in an assault type situation. But she as I suspect a lot of non-knife people, has so little concept of the knife is a defensive tool. that when I put a reasonably well matched defensive knife in her hand, a Masters of defense wait Hawk, she actually seemed more vulnerable almost pathetic. it seems that you can tell, whether somebody has the ability to use the knife effectively are not fairly readily. And a half heartedly brandished inexpertly gripped knife seems to be an easy thing to disarm. Although inexperienced or not somebody who is significantly scared and determined, is a serious threat knives are very dangerous if used against the human body, and a thrust can happen very quickly. so they should never be underestimated.

One of my most alarming, encounters along this line was when I was roughhousing with one of my young cousins, doing some kind of Christmas event, and this young boy and say 10 years old. pulled my pocket knife or my pocket opened it, and brandished it not entirely inexpertly. I did not think this was cute at all. socially embarrassing and potentially dangerous. I'm sure he thought I overreacted. as I just about instantaneously, grabbed his wrist rather firmly pulled his arm forward in stripped the knife out of his hand. the incident went pretty much unremarked but I remember clearly. I also once and a girlfriend pick up and on sheath, and medium-sized double-edged dagger. and pray playfully brandish it, saying I'm in control now, again the effect seemed kind of pathetic, I felt no more concern than if she was brandishing a rubber knife. Partially due to the situational nature of the interaction. but also just because of the way she was holding it, the potential for a serious reaction just wasn't there.

Guns however I feel entirely different about anyone and I do not have first hand experience of this. shakily or otherwise pointing a gun in my direction would have my undivided attention. Given the situation my determination I might still be able to overpower them, but the motivation would have been much greater.

I know you're supposed to rush a gun, and flee from a knife, but a gun I think, please for me gets more respect.

Ironically if our facing myself in close quarters a knife might actually be more concerning.

[KaliGman]

Get your Mom a nice Spyderco she can be proud to carry and actually use. A nice, small, attractive Spydie for cutting open envelopes and other light utility duties would be a great gift.

As for knife defense against dogs, I posted something responding to Bolstermanic's questions on dog defense with a blade--

http://spyderco.com/forums/showpost.php ... stcount=17

You need to be in fairly good shape, have decent reflexes, a good blade and quite a bit of training to want to use a knife as a primary defense against a dog. Mace and tear gas do not work on dogs. Pepper spray usually does.

As for firearms--training and practice are required. A reliable firearm of adequate caliber is also required. You will find that your Mom, unless she is a firearms enthusiast, is going to have a hard time hitting anything with a small handgun. Small handguns have a shorter sight radius, which magnifies, compared to bigger handguns, errors in aiming. In addition, as the grips are smaller, most people can't grip them as well as they can grip a larger handgun. Small, light handguns also provide heavier felt recoil for any given caliber than would a larger, heavier handgun.

As for it being a revolver--
I used to recommend revolvers almost exclusively for those who weren't going to train much with their firearms. I now end up recommending autoloaders for many people. The reason is that many people, especially those who, as did my mother, suffer from arthritis, lack the hand strength to fire a double action revolver the way it should be fired in a defensive situation, in double action mode. My Mom had one of my revolvers, a nicely tuned Colt Diamondback, for years, but ended up not able to fire it in double action. For those with weak hand strength, carpal tunnel, etc. I usually recommend a Glock or Springfield XD in "medium frame" (Glock 19 size) in 9mm. For those who can't draw back a slide to chamber a round or who can't handle the recoil of a 9mm, I suggest the Beretta 86, a .380 caliber handgun with a "tip up" barrel for easy loading, and which is a large enough, considering its caliber, to make recoil almost a "non-issue." The .380 round doesn't give me the "warm fuzzies" but it is a lot better than chunking rocks. I believe that Beretta may have discountinued this firearm, but there should be some on the used gun market if the gun is no longer available new.

[DRod]

I didn't really feel a revolver was that great of a choice for her anyway short of an AirLight or what ever the light ones are. I know they aren't full of maintance and such as much anymore. But I know she would not clean it much or anything. I was thinking more along the lines of the compact Springfield XD. The short barreled version with the extended clip. Its smaller but has more to hold on to and has a higher capacity than a revolver. Plus its likely lighter. She has shot my brothers Berreta 92 and was fine with that caliber. But the handle on the 92 was a little to wide for her tastes. Shes getting a knife, and she understands this, more for EDC not so much thought of having it to fall back on as a last resort although it helps.. She thinks she would feel safer knowing she has more avenues of defence so to speak. And I can kinda agree with her. The dog issue is primarily going to be answered with pepperspray and we, ironically enough, have talked about how to look non threating. Don't show your teeth, don't move overly fast towards them and if you can try to stay of the yard where they are. Things like that. But I will suggest to her to talk to some trainers and such. MOST of the dogs in her area are medium sized owned dogs. I got barked at more than three times yesterday by people walking theirs. And frankley the people walking them didn't look all that capible of holding them back should they want to attack.
Shes probably going to get a Salt or Caly. She liked my Caly Jr in ZDP, but she wasn't too keen on the black. She might like a burgandy. I bet she would. Should be able to score her one on Ebay shouldn't I?
So shes getting a small framed auto, more than likely.
A good pepper spray, probably the Fox that I read about.
And either a Salt, Burgandy Caly Jr ZDP, or Caly III.

[Capt. Carl]

She might like a burgandy. I bet she would. Should be able to score her one on Ebay shouldn't I?

Oh god! :eek:
My suggestion: SE Salt 1 Yellow.

[DRod]

Oh god! :eek:
My suggestion: SE Salt 1 Yellow.

lol, you got one cheap? :p

I think I see her best with the Caly. Its much more her style really. But, looking at my bank account.. She might have to carry a Salt, :o Atleast until I get her and myself a CF Caly III. :cool:

Wait, why didn't I think of this!? Salsa!

[Capt. Carl]

lol, you got one cheap? :p

I think I see her best with the Caly. Its much more her style really. But, looking at my bank account.. She might have to carry a Salt, :o Atleast until I get her and myself a CF Caly III. :cool:

Wait, why didn't I think of this!? Salsa!

I'd worry about the compression lock on that. I don't think that will get along with her at her age and especially as she grows older. It is a little bit more tricky. I'd definitely go with a lockback. Safe, easy, and well-known.

[Sterno]

Oh god! :eek:
My suggestion: SE Salt 1 Yellow.

That's exactly the one I got for my missus to keep in her handbag and she's quite happy with it. Wish there was a pink one available.. :)

Next time I order some more spydies, I'll surprise her (!!!) and get her the gold-pearl inlay cricket. I think it's more feminine and an absolutely lovely little knife for a woman.

Sterno

[Agent Starling]

how sweet and thoughtful to get your mother a knife for mother's day! that's a great idea! :D

what about a delica 4 wave? a guy at a local knife shop bought one for his mom for SD and it worked out well for her.

Starling

[cjgrad23]

Same exact sit. here about 3 weeks ago. My mom settled on 3 :eek: of my knives. She snookered my old school K-bar for a field knife, and my native and D3 as street knives. Then, I leave my Tasman down there and poof!! its gone!! (into her pocket)

Id say get your mom something that, closed, can be concealed by her fist. This way, any knife you do get her will be fairly small, and she can walk down the hall ways knife in hand sans problems.

As for the gun thing, im not sure how much experience she has had with guns, so a j frame smith may not be a bad choice. but, beware of the trigger on some smiths. the one my mom got I could barely pull, much less my mom. Definetly check it out first.
If she decides to go auto, a sig 232 isnt bad at all.

[jaislandboy]

Red Salsa sounds good....looks kinda "cute".... :p
Salt, Delica4, Cricket, Caly3.....all great gifts for Mother's Day! :cool: