Liner lock for self defense knife?

[Erminio]

Good evening everyone, I could use some educated advice.
I own a Sage mainly for personal defense - I like everything of the Sage but I don't know how to trust the liner lock; being not educated I wonder if it could fail on me and have the blade closing on my fingers - on the other side I see some brands more expensive and considered "tactical" knives using the liner lock too. So I keep "trying" the lock of my Sage (and the blade is always rock solid, by the way) and keep thinking about a frame lock where my grip should hold the blade in place...
What do you think?

Thanks
Erminio

[224477]

I would not recommend the Sage as primary selfdefense carry.
Myself, being left handed, I try to avoid linerlocks for this type of carry in general, but thats my personal preference. The Sage has a low rider clip which makes it looks low profile, but on the other hand one can face some difficulties during a rapid deployment of the knife. Finally I would choose different blade shape /more aggresive/ as drop point for a protection knife. Personally, I would take the simple Delica for SD over the Sage I /never handled the Sage II/ or if you have that choice try to get a Yojimbo... /hard to get and expensive../

In choosing a knife for SD carry, a lot depends on what style you prefer within MBC, if you are 'player' or just a 'greenie' with no training at all. With no offense intended, I would guess you have not too much previous skills on this field, strictly based on the fact a 'knife player' would not consider a Sage being a dedicated defense tool. :)
I may be wrong, of course.

If my assumption is hypothetically correct, then I would suggest you look better on the hawkbill bladed knives, like Tasman or MBC Superhawk which is still here for the best prices ever. The claw like shaped blade is more natural in terms of subconscious moves to be used in defensive situation for an untrained person, imho. Human is just another animal, at all.

[Creepo]

As far as liner locks go, as far as they're made by a reputable company and they feel solid, they're fine. But as mentioned, probably another bladeshape would suit the SD role better, clip point, tanto, hawkbill. The Civilian for example is a purpose built SD knife for unexperienced hands, but other hawkbill's are good too and probably more affordable.

[Erminio]

Thanks for your feedback and yes - I'm a newbie, no offense taken :)
How do you like the Chinook III?

Take care
Erminio

[224477]

Chinook III /or Chinook II/ are excellent choices as for defensive knives, but you have to consider the size and weight being slightly bigger than the Sage.

I would suggest, for a newbie, to get a Endura or Delica, with proper Endura or Delica trainer /which you can use for safe training and harrassing of your friends LOL! :D :P /
Those are great and affordable knives, which are easily replaceable in case of loss or seizure by the law. What country are you from, if I may ask?

[Erminio]

Sure - I'm from Italy but I currently live in Arizona, USA.

[224477]

OK, I am not familiar with Arizona laws for knives, I just thought based on your nickname that you are from Italy /and live there/ - I think locking folders are illegal there for carry /officially/ - but not really sure I am correct :o

[Pete2s]

A well made liner lock is fine for self defense. While not the perfect test, take a look at Nutnfancy's stabbing video--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BSDhLpXUMA

[Erminio]

OK, I am not familiar with Arizona laws for knives, I just thought based on your nickname that you are from Italy /and live there/ - I think locking folders are illegal there for carry /officially/ - but not really sure I am correct :o

You are correct - in Italy every folder, even a Victorinox, is illegal unless you are hunting/fishing etc; definitely a no go in town.
Arizona is very knife friendly (as long as you don't misbehave) - legal blade length depends on the town laws but a 3" blade is usually fine (hence the Sage) especially if carried in the open, i.e. with the clip showing.
And- Erminio is my actual name :) My father's family came from Germany and Armin is an (uncommon) German name.

[Dr. Snubnose]

ChinookII is better than III for defense....Doc :D

[LowTEC]

Endura wave is a much better of self defense tool than a Sage IMHO

[Toad310]

Sure - I'm from Italy but I currently live in Arizona, USA.

Hey, Man...strap on your gun. I live just down I-10 from you, and when I cross the border out of CA, I wear my gun. Love AZ.

I have quite bit of business in AZ.

[Reeper22]

Whoops, wrong thread.

[chuck_roxas45]

I love this forum, in another forum I was flamed for even mentioning knife and SD.

[Reeper22]

I love this forum, in another forum I was flamed for even mentioning knife and SD.

Yeah, they don't take kindly to self defense talk over on BF. Some will tell you that a knife is a horrible SD choice and it is better to just let them kill you than to use your folder.

This is why this is my favorite knife forum. You get relevant information back instead of nonsense.

[chuck_roxas45]

Well, It's good to get reliable information about another aspect of a knife's purpose. Thank you Sal, for this forum.

[Toad310]

Thanks form me as well. This is a nice forum, and I love the products, too!

[The Deacon]

There are Spyderco liner locks, including the Sage and the Military, that I have total confidence in and others I do not. Whether the Sage is the "best" choice as an SD knife, if it's what you're accustom to carry and you like it for general use, then carry it. Unless you're going into areas you should probably avoid, the chances of needing a knife for self defense are slim. The knife which is theoretically most effective for SD won't do you a **** bit of good if it's sitting on your dresser because it wasn't well suited for any of the things you actually do with a knife.

[LostOutThere]

A while back, I used to carry a certain liner lock as an edc/sd option. The brand and model are unimportant, but suffice it to say that the lock was weak and worn out, and I knew this at the time but still carried the blade because it had a lot of features that I really liked. Well, one evening through no fault of my own, except not paying enough attention to my surroundings, I ended up in a situation where I needed to use that blade for self defense and defense of a friend and family member. The lock failed and I bled a lot as a result. I was extremely lucky that night and everything turned out alright for us in the end, minus being quite banged up.

Why do I tell this story? Two reasons. First to illustrate that the hardware isn't as important as the software. Yes, a better kept knife, or one with a stronger lock would have done me good, but every step of the way I got the situational awareness and threat assessment wrong. Had I been paying attention the whole thing could have been avoided. Second, I wish to point out that the condition of the equipment you use can be as important as it's design. I still carry liner locks, but you can bet these days that they're well maintained and checked routinely to make sure they're still solid. As for what knife to choose, go with something well made ( :spyder: s are pretty good for this) that works for you, and go with something you like. Then take some time to learn how to use it.

[dalefuller]

One thing to consider with the Sage 1 is the cutout for lock access. It's rather large. A well made LL should work fine when using a knife as a weapon (and the Sage is a well made LL), just be aware that it has a large cutout compared to some other LL models so it may be easier to accidentally disengage the LL.

The Gayle Bradley does not have any cutout for lock access (which I like because the liners are far apart enough to allow easy unlocking for me) and the Military has a smaller cutout than the Sage and a bit stiffer lock action.

Like Deacon said, carry what you're comfortable handling and using, just be aware of the characteristics and limitations of whatever you carry.