I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard someone ask that question! Each month we talk about the role of various firearms and ammunition for personal defense, hunting and sport. This month, I’d like to change focus a bit and get primitive. Long before the invention of the firearm, our species fashioned stone tools and weapons from whatever resources could be found in the environment. These took two primary forms. First was that of blunt stones, shaped for ease of grip and used to crush grains, plant fibers and bone. Second were those that were knapped. Knapping is the process of manually chipping or flaking of one stone with another to create a crude edge for use as a cutting tool. Over tens of thousands of years these implements evolved as did our society. Simple stone tools of flint, obsidian and chert gave way to the working of crude elemental metals such as copper, iron and tin. As we grew more adept at manipulating the resources available, and technological progress allowed for the creation of more advanced materials compounds such as bronze or steel, our tools became more capable and varied in form and function.
Indeed from our earliest beginnings we were distinguished from other species by our ability to conceive, create and use tools, and certainly no tool is quite so ubiquitous in our history as the blade. They are found in virtually every part of our lives across the span of our history. From flint skinning blades used by early man to the bronze swords used by Greek Hoplites, to the folded Tamahagane (tom-a-hog-gan-ay) steel used in the traditional Japanese swords of the Samurai, and even the humble Swiss Army knife, blades have certainly had a long run. I would argue that cutting edges are so built into what we are as a species that we now take them for granted. Neanderthal society would have had no clue what to make of a $1.49 stainless steel toenail clipper, but it would have been a source of wonder and awe as if created by the gods themselves.
From paper cutters to steak knives to surgical scalpels, knives are simply everywhere in our modern world. They are built into our machinery, they are in every kitchen on the planet, and they are used in our gardens. Their roles are indeed endless from decapitating the Medusa to spreading grape jelly, so riddle me this… why do we keep asking the question, “Hey buddy, you got a knife on ya?” Why doesn’t everyone carry one? They are so universally useful, shouldn’t a blade be part of your every day kit right alongside your iPhone, wallet and car keys? I’ve always thought so, but I have always found it curious that most people, yes most, don’t carry a blade of any type. I grew up around a Granddad who always had a little double-bladed Case foldable in his pocket and my Dad, being a Marine, was never without a sheath knife.
So, what’s the big deal? Why should I carry a knife at all times? Well, honestly, the answer is far bigger than the question. A knife is many things in many different situations and it would be difficult to predict when you will need one next and for what reason. I’ll break it down into two primary use cases that we could face at any time. The first should also be the most obvious. In today’s world of Amazon and Walmart home delivery, most folks encounter a box that needs opening on a weekly, if not daily, basis. Boxcutter, check! From cutting zip ties to tape, opening cartons to dealing with a snag on a fingernail, the knife as a tool of convenience is indispensable. So, what about the common knife as a weapon? Well, given a choice, most people would rather bring a gun to a knife fight than the other way around, but if no other option is available, I would rather be armed than not. A quality blade can be a profoundly effective weapon on many levels, especially in trained hands. We’ll dive into this shortly, but suffice to say that as a common tool or defensive option, a good knife should always be a part of your everyday carry.
We touched on the two primary uses for a blade, but we haven’t yet talked about form following function. Clearly a Swiss Army knife makes a better tool than a weapon, but circumstances being what they are, I’ll take anything over nothing. Along the same lines, my trusty Karambit makes a better weapon than tool, but it has opened far more boxes than assailants. The simple facts are that most knives are designed for one role or the other. Sure, you can open boxes with a rifle bayonet, but would you want to? The point here, pun intended, is simply to help us all understand that a quality general-purpose knife is a solid choice for everyday carry as it transitions between the roles of tool and weapon rather elegantly and doesn’t look or feel out of place in either. What style, size or quality of knife you choose is a very personal, and often budgetary, decision that you should consider carefully.
There is a saying that first heard from a martial arts instructor as a teen that went something like this, “There’s no such thing as knife fighting as a skill. There’s no winner. Everyone is going to the ER. It’s just a matter of who gets the most stitches.” Now I can absolutely agree or disagree with that statement depending on circumstances. Much of it, in fact, goes back to a deep dark recess of human psychology that bears exploration. If I told you that we, as a species, are hardwired to fear knives more than guns, you’d likely immediately call BS. Bear with me though as we try to understand this concept. Instinct is a powerful survival mechanism. It is sometime referred to by naturalists as genetic memory. All creatures have it in some form or another. Have you ever wondered why animals from remote places on the Earth, for example the Galapagos Islands, have no natural fear of humans? They’ve rarely encountered one so there was never tens of thousands of years of programming that told them humans were predators to be feared. Early sailors found it quite easy to capture these animals as they had no instinct to flee. So how does this apply to knives?
The use of firearms on a battlefield is generally accepted to have begun somewhere in the middle 1300’s and the common carrying of one off the battlefield began a few hundred years later. In the scope of evolutionary time, that is the blink of an eye and not long enough to cultivate or shape instinct. In short, a child isn’t born with a fear of guns. Our earliest ancestors, however, had a million plus years of experience being preyed upon by sabre-toothed cats, crocs and other apex predators to cultivate a healthy visceral fear of long sharp things. Now let’s be abundantly clear. Modern people know what guns are and no one is comfortable having one pointed at them. Knives, however, have a unique ability to tap into something primal and instinctive in every human brain. On its most basic level, most of us have no idea what it’s like to be shot, but most of us definitely know what its like to be cut. Nothing tugs at those fears quite like the sight of a sharp blade in someone else’s hand.
As a defensive weapon, a knife has a unique set of characteristics that cannot be ignored. They are generally lighter and smaller than guns and therefore easier to carry every day. In a situation where you are approached by an assailant, not armed with gun of course, the flash of a blade in your hand is a compelling deterrent to those that may wish to do you harm. It not only conjures that primitive human fear, but it also let’s the assailant know you aren’t going to be an easy target. All of this naturally assumes that you have the personal will and presence of mind to employ a knife in the role of weapon. Keep in mind that laws governing the use of ANY weapon apply here. Just as we are always pushing training in the firearms realm, so it is true for knives. Frankly, it is going to be difficult to find someone who teaches knife defense but it is not difficult to learn basic grip, stance, carry locations and draw techniques. Most important of all though is simply having a quality blade on your person that you can access quickly. As they say, if you can’t bring a gun to a knife fight, at least bring a knife.
I mentioned quality earlier in terms of a carry knife. Quality means a lot of different things to different people. The true quality of a knife can be boiled down to only two primary factors - the metallurgy of the blade and how it is built into its handle. Take it from someone who has been training with blades of all configuration for 45 years, little else matters. Sure, there are fancy grip textures, colorful coatings, elk antler this and titanium rainbow that, but I’ll take a stout high carbon steel blade with a full tang and simple oak grip any day over a craptastic high tech carbon fiber ninja grade dragon wing folder that you found for $29.99 at the local truck stop. When it comes to knives, generally, you get what you pay for. Pay for quality steel and engineering, not looks or other superfluous bells and whistles. Buy a knife from someone who knows knives. Avoid gift shops in the local mall, gas stations or comic book stores. Even a budget blade from BassPro is probably better than an over-priced toy from a flea market.
So, folder or fixed? This is also a loaded question. The short answer is that it depends on the use. The so-called tactical community and hunters often prefer fixed as they draw quickly and have no moving parts to get gunked up with deer guts or dirt. They tend to be, curiously, less restricted in terms of carry as they are frequently worn in a sheath outside the waistband so they are not concealed. This frequently allows for a blade much larger than would be practically concealable. Winner winner chicken dinner! Folders, conversely, are the “gentleman’s” choice. Often called pocket knives, folding blades have the advantage of being more concealable as a rule and less likely to draw condescension from the anti-weapon crowd. Ultimately, it is your choice. Me personally, I have different blades for different wardrobes. My clients rarely catch me wearing a fixed blade to business meetings and my choice of folders are rapid deployment so they may as well be fixed blades for how fast I can draw them. Your mileage may vary, but what you carry, much like a gun, depends largely on where you carry it, both in terms of on your body (purse, belt, pocket) and where in town (restaurant, range, church).
Thus far, I have said nothing about sharpness. This is a topic of much debate that inevitably comes up in a knife discussion. While sharpness can be very much a quality issue, it isn’t always. A garbage knife can be sharp. A quality knife can be dull. Metallurgy and blade thickness play awfully important roles in getting a blade sharp and keeping it sharp during routine use. It will mostly comes down to maintenance and care, and is largely going to come down to how frequently you give your blade some TLC. Sharpening a blade is a skill in itself and you should learn to do it right. The retail world is slap full of gadgets, gizmos and systems for sharpening knives. Some work, some don’t, some only work with certain types of blades and some exist simply to part a fool from his/her money. Do your homework. Ask somebody who knows more than you do and be an informed shopper. Serrated steak knives and Dad’s K-bar require different sharpening methods and tools. For me, nothing beats a quality whetstone and some well-practiced technique. YouTube is a great option here.
I could literally talk knives all day and am happy to do so. If you have any questions about blade selection, type, carry, laws, training or maintenance, please reach out to me through the shop. I would love to share some additional thoughts on what I consider to be an essential of daily carry and personal preparedness.
Until then, stay sharp and carry on!
Todd Johnson - Contributor-at-Large
Lawful Defense ╾━╤デ╦︻ ShootGTR
