Best, Meanest SD knife!!!!

[4 s ter]

Joe

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread, but I would suggest you take a close look at the Lil' Temperance. Not quite as specialized as the Gunting, the Lil' Temp is MBC-rated, built like a tank, has great ergonomics, allows tip-up or tip-down carry, and has more of a "normal" knife appearance (which could be an advantage for some). NGK even show the leaf-blade PE in stock :D

[BlackNinja]

Joe

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread, but I would suggest you take a close look at the Lil' Temperance. Not quite as specialized as the Gunting, the Lil' Temp is MBC-rated, built like a tank, has great ergonomics, allows tip-up or tip-down carry, and has more of a "normal" knife appearance (which could be an advantage for some). NGK even show the leaf-blade PE in stock :D

Good point, that is one of my favorites, I never realy thought of it as a SD knife but it would be perfect. I guess I just looked at it as a work horse. I bet the trailing point (which i unfortunately can't find ) would be even better. Thanks David!! :)

[Gamo]

Personaly i love Gunting. Its one of the strogest and best built folders that i own. I bought it for self defense carry but its too big. If you carry it in your pocket, 1/3 of it is going to stick out... There is a sheath carrying option, which i also own, but in both cases, the knife is too exposed to carry it arround every day.At least where i live.

This is why i prefer carrying my Military and Endura. They permit me the concealed carry. Other folders that i like are:
Spyderco:
Police
Civilian
Chinook
Yojimbo
You can't go wrong with any of these!

non spydies:
BM710,806
CS X2 Voyager (if you have deep pockets )
Emerson (CQC10,CQC7,Commander)
FOX Predator 2


I also like the Karambit. If you are trained in JKD (Kali, Silat), im sure you'd easly learn how to use it. To me, its a perfect dirty weapon.

[Texas guy]

Try out a Para Military. You can get a solid grip on the Para's long handle, and when not used for SD (which will be 99.999999% of the time) it makes a very convienient knife to use with a handy choil for great detailed cuts. If you insist on a 4" knife, then look at the reg. Military. The Para will also pass for a regular carry knife, with no legal implications.
But, me personally, I would never want to rely on a knife for SD. I have my trusty Glock .40 for that.
Don't bring a knife to a gun fight :cool:

[markg]

Yes, I agree... However it appears Black Ninja is from New York... Not the most friendly of "permit issuing" enviroments from what I hear...

I have a Para Military on its way to me at the moment... I think I am going to really like this knife... :)

[Texas guy]

I have a Para Military on its way to me at the moment... I think I am going to really like this knife... :)

No, your going to LOVE that knife :spyder:

[BlackNinja]

Yes, I agree... However it appears Black Ninja is from New York... Not the most friendly of "permit issuing" enviroments from what I hear...

I have a Para Military on its way to me at the moment... I think I am going to really like this knife... :)

Ya got that right!!! I don't have any Felonies (luckily), but a LOT of Disorderly Conducts from fights. I wouldn't even try to get a permit.

[SSB]

Blackninja ,sorry to hear of your surgery,hope you recover quickly!
Another option may be the model C60 Massad Ayoob.
It's very well made & easily carried>
Awesome in the serrated version :spyder: as well.
Just an opinion,the other suggestions are excellent also.
You would be well served by any of them.
all the best,regards,Rick.

[Fuglee]

I'd choose the Chinook II.

I'd never have to worry about grip slippage with it's handle. It's built like a tank, has got a decently long blade, and I love the shape for slashing and hooking/trapping.

Plus, it takes a zip tie very well. With a little practice I can now draw from front pockets, back pockets, and IWB and have instant deployment without any problems. You also already own one.

Plus it's just plain beautiful.


Fugs

[smcfalls13]

Blackninja, check your PMs.

[SSB]

Check your e-mails!
regards.rick. :spyder:

[2edgesword]

"Frankly one of the premier fighting knives (of any maker) is made by Spyderco. It is the Yojimbo."

Amen!

The Yojimbo is my premier carry knife for reasons of functionality, ergonomics (very personal issue) and legality. As far as 3" blades go the materal and shape of the blade are ideal for stabbing and slashing. The handle and large pocket clip make for a fast and secure draw while the box cutter look makes it very easy to legally justify it as an EDC knife.

Any folder is a compromise over a well made fixed blade knife but in most urban, civilian situations it's probably a compromise most of us are force to make.

[Michael Cook]

:spyder: Since nobody's mentioned it the Kerambit deserves consideration. With it's finger loop and very short opening arc the Kerambit can be gotten into action very quickly, either one or two handed(two handed is generaly better with any knife if adreneline is invloved) :spyder:

[ruxton]

I personally carry a yojimbo, living in the UK you hear alot of people say that lock knives are illegal full-stop, last I heard a knife is only as illegal as a policeman considers it to be at the time. For example, someone backpacking in the countryside may easily get away with a large 5" fixed blade whereas someone drunk outside a nighclub at 2am may just as easily be arrested for having a pair of scissors. A yojimbo is easy to explain as it looks like a glorified stanley knife, the shape of the blade screams boxcutter. Yet in my opinion it is one of the most effective SD knives on the market. More than any other spyderco it is geared to function, the only part of the knife which serves no purpose and is there for looks it the laser engraving on the blade. Truly "designed in the dark", oh and its cutting power is immense for such a (relatively) short blade.

Many people say the best knife for SD is the one you have with you at the time. Therefore the best SD knife should also be your EDC, unless you carry a dedicated SD knife (but very few people do as having a knife in every pocket doesn't look too good in court). I find most every-day cutting tasks I am faced with are easily defeated by my cricket, it has to be something fairly drastic for me to resort to using the yojimbo, yet I still find myself getting the yojimbo out, opening it, reversing grip, switching back to normal, closing it and putting it back in my pocket all the time (obviously not in public :D ). It just feels so good in the hand. If push came to shove on the street I would pick a yojimbo. In my home of course it would be a civilian (or maybe a katana ).

[JD Spydo]

Well Ruxton I totally agree with you about the Yojimbo being a viable SD knife. I personally have total respect for the short blade Spyders as far as self defense is concerned. The Lil Temperance in both blade variations is one knife I wouldn't want to come up again. The Yojimbo and Lil T have awesome slashing power with their blade geometry and superb handle designs.

The DODO could be a big help in a nasty situation. The new Burgundy Calypso Jr with the new ZDP-189 I feel is a very viable, stealthy weapon if need be. The SPOT, Ronin and Native are all potentially good SD knives.

The aforementioned blades are truly a case of dynamite coming in a small package. Short of Custom knives I do think you would have a tough time finding any small blades with the SD potential that these select Spyders posess. Easy to sharpen, easy to be maintained>> not to be overlooked.

[ruxton]

I try to steer clear of FRN, I just don't trust it. In my opinion FRN is too weak and SS, micarta, Alu, CF and Ti aren't grippy enough, all the best SD knives are G-10. I love G-10 :D . You have to decide which is more likely, being stopped by a policeman and searched or being involved in a violent confrontation where you are forced to defend yourself with a knife. If you are more likely to be involved in a confrontation (maybe you live in south africa or something) then carry a really mean looking fixed blade (personal choice: a proper Fairbairn Sykes Commando, i.e. not one of the millions of cheapo replicas) or ideally a gun. If you live somewhere where you are more likely to be searched then carry something smaller (but not too small, it's better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6).

[JD Spydo]

Ruxton you hit that one completely out of the park. What you just said is of Paramount importance. WE think about knives (blades) themselves being graced with ideal tactical qualities with blade designs, wicked looking/intimidating but there is hardly ever any consideration about the handle material. I totally agree with you that G-10 is a very grippy handle material and one that is one the top of my list.

Handle design and handle material are really probably where we should start from when considering a knife for self defense. IF you can't grip it firmly or hold on to it then what benefit would you ultimately derive from it? Why after all it is supposed to help save your life right? Well then I think Ruxton has made an excellent point about the handle material being a super high priority :spyder:

[ruxton]

Thanks JD :) That's part of the reason I like the yojimbo so much, the blade may be delica sized but the handle is nearly military size, the police invariably concentrate on the length of the blade rather than the overall length.

[Gerard Breuker]

I believe handle design and material are not exactly overlooked by Sal and company.
Although I prefer G10 in general I have a lot of faith in FRN too and in the combination of design and material in some other :spyder: knives.
In the end you have to choose a combination of features you are comfortable with and that you believe will work for you. Then you can test your beliefs in some training with the knife to see whether it performs as you expected or that you have to rethink your choice and need something else.
As a starting point I would say your circumstances dictate which kind of knife you can actually carry.

[4 s ter]

Personally, I feel the specific material used is of minor effect on grip. There is little inherent difference in the "slipperyness" or "grippyness" of different materials. What we have traditionally experienced as the "usual or common" surface texture is what makes it seem like there is more difference than there actually is. "SS, micarta, Alu, CF and Ti" can all be given surface textures which through machining or casting which accentuate "grippyness"

In my opinion, much more important than the material is the "shape" of the handle. Features such as palm swell, finger grooves including finger choils, pinky hook, and guard/hilt/quillion, scale divots and finally surface texturing have much more effect on grip than simply the materials used. There was an article a few years ago in Blade magazine which explained this much better than I am able to (it was based on comments by well-known knifemakers). I'll have to see if I can dig (literally :D ) it out.