Shaving or working edge?

[Ahriman]

Well, I always use the excuse of being a moving advertisement of my shop, or I'm just taking along my stuff to show them to some my friends. When they ask that why didn't I put them in a bag... "in a BAG? You know better than me how much of them gets stolen...."
I train in literally every free second I have with anything I made - though I prefer those I carry.
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And as I make MY knives for ME, they always fit me. And as I MAKE my knives I don't have to care for their edges too much - even if I totally destroy one somehow, the shop is 5 minutes away by foot...
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"even a fairly dull blade will cut and stab very effectively."
Stab yes, cut no... trivially even a freshly cut piece of steel will cut - skin and tissues. But even a rather sharp blade will have difficulties with thicker clothing. This can be helped with either a "razor" edge, or with the sooooo much overmistified microserration. Btw microserration can be simply achieved with roughly grinding the edge. Personally I prefer method 2... needs less caring, cuts nicely, and allows for a higher edge degree thus allows for a thicker blade... and I love thicker blades.

 

[punisher73]

I've heard all the usual about "I have a multitool for utility work. I keep my knife razor sharp, and it is only for cutting human flesh." It's fantasy ********.

You should keep knives sharp and in good repair, but even a fairly dull blade will cut and stab very effectively. We just aren't put together all that well. There's no need for it to be shaving sharp.

You're best at what you're most familiar with. If you use your MilSpecOp MarkVI BlackTac TinyPecker 13 with Kung Fu Grip every day you'll be familiar with it and use it easily and naturally. If you're always taking out the Spyderco and doing things with it, that's the one that will practically be a part of your hand. Why trust your life to the one that will be more difficult to use? That's simple. It adds to the mystique and makes your SD knife some sort of magic totem. It violates Musashi's old common sense dictum "Strive to make your fighting stance your everyday stance and your everyday stance our fighting stance."

I already carry around a lot of stuff. Adding an extra knife that I will almost certainly never use when I'm already wearing one that works perfectly well just doesn't make sense. If I'm carrying a pistol, I'm carrying a pistol. It's its own thing in its own place, not an extra copy that has to compete for the scarce "ready to hand" real estate.

Legally it's just stupid. Compare and contrast the following:

"Why yes officer. I have two knives because I want to keep one razor sharp just for cutting on people. I was extra careful to only use the special killing knife on him. I wouldn't want to use just any old tool for something like that. Nosiree. What do you mean 'Were you really afraid he was going to hurt you or were you looking for an excuse?'"

"My pockets? Sure officer. There's a wallet, a cell phone, a pack of gum, a pocket knife, some business cards, my keys, and an iPod. When he attacked me I was afraid he was going to kill me so I grabbed my pocketknife to defend myself."

When on duty I carry a specific knife that I do use as a "work tool", when I'm off duty and carry my knife, it's the exact same knife. So I don't have different knives for different jobs.

Also, when I'm carrying my off duty knife in public, I don't need a "work knife" I have never had to cut a box at the mall or anywhere else for that matter in public.

As to your two "scenarios", those are straw man arguments to justify your position. You could very easily have a small utility knife on your keychain for cutting boxes and have your "carry knife" as well. Why do you have the other knife? I am trained as a first responder and I needed a little bit larger knife to be able to break a window if needed to get into a vehicle with someone trapped and be able to cut the seatbelt without putting them at risk, or if I need to quickly cut clothing or a tourniquet until other medical help arrives. My off duty carry knife is always carried for the protection of life, mine or someone elses.

 

[tellner]

Straw man? I don't think the word means what you think it means.

I'm talking about the perception of the legal system from the judge down to the cop. In the US carrying a knife specifically for self defense is viewed with a lot more suspicion than carrying a gun. Outcomes in the courts were worse for defensive knife use than defensive gun use the last time I saw any sort of study which was admittedly years ago. Knife carry laws are often much harsher than gun carry laws.

A knife is already problematic.

Now suppose you are being interviewed or interrogated. If you say you picked up the kitchen knife when the burglar came through the door or you have a pocket knife that you carry anyway and used to defend yourself that's one thing. But if you say you specifically carry a second knife just for that you're running straight into the psychological issues I already mentioned.

If you say that you only keep that knife for stabbing and cutting people you're looking worse by the minute even if you add "only for legitimate self defense of course." If you add that you make sure your long-pig-only knife is kept - and I quote - "razor" sharp so that it's more effective at wounding people you are going to lose the arresting officer, the investigating officer, the district attorney, judge and jury. Look at how much trouble the more socially acceptable gun owners have with "Black Talon" and other SD ammunition and why a lot of the best defensive firearms instructors are awfully cautious about any mods on self defense guns. Multiply that by the knife pucker factor.

I will admit to having a bayonet that fits on my shotgun. But if the situation is so bad that eight rounds of #0 buckshot or Remington Solid Copper slugs don't stop a home invader the added legal hassles of stabbing him with a bayonet are the least of my worries. I'll probably be looking for garlic, wolfsbane, crosses and a priest to finish the job.

 

[punisher73]

Straw man? I don't think the word means what you think it means.

I'm talking about the perception of the legal system from the judge down to the cop. In the US carrying a knife specifically for self defense is viewed with a lot more suspicion than carrying a gun. Outcomes in the courts were worse for defensive knife use than defensive gun use the last time I saw any sort of study which was admittedly years ago. Knife carry laws are often much harsher than gun carry laws.

A knife is already problematic.

Now suppose you are being interviewed or interrogated. If you say you picked up the kitchen knife when the burglar came through the door or you have a pocket knife that you carry anyway and used to defend yourself that's one thing. But if you say you specifically carry a second knife just for that you're running straight into the psychological issues I already mentioned.

If you say that you only keep that knife for stabbing and cutting people you're looking worse by the minute even if you add "only for legitimate self defense of course." If you add that you make sure your long-pig-only knife is kept - and I quote - "razor" sharp so that it's more effective at wounding people you are going to lose the arresting officer, the investigating officer, the district attorney, judge and jury.

I believe I used it correctly. You posted one scenario/response to support what you believe, that is a "pocket knife" that you carry and use for everything is one thing. The straw man scenario/response is a characture and an exageration of a self-defense knife.

I have two knives because I want to keep one razor sharp just for cutting on people. I was extra careful to only use the special killing knife on him. I wouldn't want to use just any old tool for something like that

That is an EXTREME exageration of the position that everyone would agree is dangerous and would prove the other position right.

My response is a reasonable one and supports carrying a knife specifically for self-defense when asked by the police.

I am trained as a first responder and I needed a little bit larger knife to be able to break a window if needed to get into a vehicle with someone trapped and be able to cut the seatbelt without putting them at risk, or if I need to quickly cut clothing or a tourniquet until other medical help arrives.

People would look at that statement and find it reasonable, and it is a reason to have a very sharp knife for more than cutting open a box at work.

I agree, that ANY weapon brings a special attention to you from LEO. I have told many people I would rather shoot someone than have to stab them. The public perception is a HUGE difference. I am in total agreement with that. My only disagreement was the characterization of people who carry a knife that is for "shaving only".