"Weapon retention"/backup knife--suggestions?

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  • Revopop

    Marksman
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    Oct 11, 2009
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    Evansville, the Shallow South
    I've been considering adding a knife to the daily kit as a backup to my carry gun. I carry a waved Spyderco Delica on my strong side always, mostly just as a tool that could be pressed into service when I'm not totin' a roscoe. I can't carry a gun at work, but I have to open boxes every day so that knife doesn't raise any eyebrows. If I ever found myself on the ground & either unarmed or unable to get to the pistol on my belt, I don't think I'd be able to get at the knife in my right back pocket.

    I'm pretty spoiled by the wave feature, and it's the only fast opening knife that actually works left-handed for me. I just don't seem to have enough dexterity in my left hand to make an assisted opening knife work consistently. I was thinking I'd just get an Emerson Karambit (or Fox, if I can ever find one), but they ain't cheap and it occurred to me that I oughta look at some fixed blades too.

    I'm not gonna say that money is no object, I don't mind paying up for quality but I'm not made of money either.

    I would appreciate any suggestions you can give me.
     

    DaKruiser

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    May 6, 2010
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    I'm probably not the best one to answer your question, but I will give it a shot! If you can get away with carrying a fixed blade I think it would be a excellent option, IWB, or horizontal along your belt. That Emerson karambit is awesome, just keep it away from your neighbors jacket!;) ask Que about that!

    I am very interested in what everybody else has to add to this, I just made a knife for my wife to carry weak side for this very same concern.
     

    glockednlocked

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    I am a huge Emerson Wave fan and I carry my Gentleman Jim in my off side pocket most days in the thought that it could be employed in the case you describe. I own a Emerson Kbit and am slowly adding it to the mix. My feeling is the Kbit for me is a one trick pony and I dont mean that in a bad way just a fact. I dont currently have the skill set to employ it to its fullest and I find I instinctivly am more a stabber than a slasher thus prefer to have a "stabber" available if all breaks loose. In your case allready having "wave" experience maybe just add another of the same to your other side pocket and see if that works, for me it usually does. That said and my Emerson love expressed lol. Kinnards point about a small fixed blade is a great one. Many trainers I respect including our own Mercop have discussed the challenges of deploying a folding knife under stress. This compounded by decreased dexterity and or strength in a non-dominant hand really makes a very good arguement for a fixed blade(maybe a la-griff). Life is about weighing options. I find for me adding a folding knife is my daily(in town) choice. I just dont have enough real estate on my belt for the fixed, but if in the boonies or not worried about concealment I love fixed blades. So you have my blessing buy more knives, experiment and come to your own conclusions but they may be just as simple as duplication of what you allready know :)
    Remember tools are just tools.
     

    Revopop

    Marksman
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    Oct 11, 2009
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    Evansville, the Shallow South
    This is all good info. I hadn't thought of just adding a second knife like my first to the offside, that's a pretty good idea.

    I'm from Iowa originally, only been in Indiana for a couple years. In Iowa, it's illegal to carry any kind of fixed-blade knife(we can have throwing stars though), so I never looked at them much. Suggestions of specific models with pics and/or links would be helpful too.

    Thanks!
     

    Revopop

    Marksman
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    Oct 11, 2009
    192
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    Evansville, the Shallow South
    This is all good info. I hadn't thought of just adding a second knife like my first to the offside, that's a pretty good idea.

    I'm from Iowa originally, only been in Indiana for a couple years. In Iowa, it's illegal to carry any kind of fixed-blade knife(we can have throwing stars though), so I never looked at them much. Suggestions of specific models with pics and/or links would be helpful too.

    Thanks!
     

    Cru

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    Aug 4, 2010
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    I am eyeing the Ka-Bar TDI. Theres a pretty good youtube video of some people training with it on their off side for weapons retention. I'm new to knives, but I really like this one. :dunno:
     

    bwframe

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    Feb 11, 2008
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    Around my property, I've been carrying my RC4 with sheath loose lanyarded to a belt loop. I carry it for weak side draw, with inverted edge, in my left front pocket.

    I've been pretty happy with this rig for a couple months. Not a great concern for weapon retention at home, but you never know... In the mean time, every time I need to cut something, I'm practicing my left hand knife draw.

    I wear different clothing when I'm out and about. The Karambit lives in my left front pocket then.

    ...I just made a knife for my wife to carry weak side for this very same concern.

    Got any pics or a link?:yesway:
     

    Revopop

    Marksman
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    Oct 11, 2009
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    Evansville, the Shallow South
    No experience with this but it looks interesting. CQB Tool [SB9] - $160.00 :: Spartan Blades USA - Knives with Intent

    I can say I carried a Kabar Tdi for over a year... then I actually got a trainer and did minimal training with some friends... haven't carried the tdi since if that tells you anything.

    That looks very, very interesting. I also like that their trainer is actually reasonably priced. I've never understood that, I know you gotta use a lot of the same materials and all, but isn't the most expensive thing on a good knife quality blade steel and the man-hours required to hone it? Why should I have to pay just as much for the same knife without the high quality blade steel properly honed?
     

    Tinman

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    Actually, these tiny handled skeletonized knives like this often look and carry MUCH better than they perform. I encourage anyone to grab your defensive knife and a cut stick then see how well it cuts, and how much it hurts you!

    I'd recommend a fixed blade carried close to centerline if at all possible. The deployment issues are much simpler! When I worked with the TDI, I had some issues with it, do a search and you'll find the old thread. I prefer the Clinch Pick, or the Ryan Plan B from CRKT. If you have a strong boxing skill set, and the law will allow it, the push dagger is a devastating option.

    Waved folders are kind of like the best of a crappy option. If I'm limited to a folder, it's going to be waved, but I count on the thing failing to open, or worse, partially opening at the worst possible moment. Experience tells me I'm not that far off on that assumption. A closed folder is not completely worthless, it makes a good striking tool, it's just not as effective as it could be. A partially open folder is probably a bigger danger to you than the bad guy because anytime you try to assume a solid grip, you're going to get the blade, bad juju all the way around.

    Just my 2 cents

    Tinman....

    P.S. Hideaway became a nonviable entity several years back when the previous owner had some shady business practices. I'm not sure they have return to being a viable company yet, but their products always looked good.
     

    mercop

    Expert
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    Dec 21, 2008
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    LaGriffe, the knife you carry when you are not carrying a knife. The J Frame of the knife world- George
     

    tyler34

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    Dec 2, 2008
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    P.S. Hideaway became a nonviable entity several years back when the previous owner had some shady business practices. I'm not sure they have return to being a viable company yet, but their products always looked good.

    last I knew they do still produce and sell them, and if you(not specifically you) don't want to buy from them for whatever reason there are a few makers producing the same thing.
     

    tyler34

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    Had not heard they were back up and running yet. I had heard that a new player was trying to make that happen. Thanks for the heads up, if they are shipping product again, they did have some very interesting looking concepts.


    well last I heard being about a year ago. but like I said there are a few custom makers producing hideaway knives also so they are available one way or another.
     

    clt46910

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    Dec 4, 2008
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    Akron Indiana
    These are the two fixed blades I carry. Not at the same time but usually one or the other. I also have a Sog folder in my weak hand front pocket.

    ncnxpu.jpg
     
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