Somebody once told me the best knife for self defense would be one that shoots bullets. I realize a knife is at-best a second-chance weapon, especially for pencil-necked geek types like myself.

I fairly widely held practical minimum for a self-defense handgun seems to be somewhere in the .380/.38 range. Is there any such similar view on the minimum size knife, i.e. blade length, considered what you might be able to save your skin with?

Opinions pleeezze -- thanks.

Hello there Blackscott,

I'd say minimum blade length would be just the amount required to reach your opponent

On a more serious note, I can tell you that my daily carry is a Kasper/Crawford folder.  However, at a lil over 3.5in most folks might think that's a bit large. Something that you might be wise to consider is the handle size/shape for any knife that you'd consider for defense. A positive grip and retention will be pretty high up on your priorities if SHTF.

BTW, using a knife in a self defense situation is always going to look bad in a courtroom(if it gets you there). A lawyer acquaintance said you are almost better off with a shooting situation over a stabbing with regard to social/media stigma. Might want to consider an smaller ASP baton tucked in the front of your pants. Those give you reach beyond just about any practically carryable knife, are impressive when presented, and have a slightly less evil view from sheeple.

YMMV

Blitz

if your serious...

you need to have the largest knife you can legally carry.

Something the size of your arm maybe a sword........ jk

Well, if the blade and handle are longer than 6 inches then you must have to show it, if it's 5 and under you can hide on yourself as a warning note

Any stabbing implement can be deadly.  Some of the shivs used in prison are less than 2" long, yet when the victim is stabbed rapidly and repeatedly in the chest and abdomen they die pretty quickly.

Good question. Think about your targets. If the heart, then you might have trouble reaching it with a 3" blade. If the jugular, a box cutter will do just fine. I carry a Spyderco with a 4" blade, which I figure will do just fine in most situations. Plus it's very concealable. I carry it at work every day of the week, which would freak out most of my uber-liberal coworkers if they knew it.

Whichever you choose, training is absolutely necessary. You'd be surprised how easily a trained individual can strip your weapon from you. Arnis/kali/escrima classes are a good start. Kelly Worden's tapes are another possibility if there aren't any good instructors in your area.

" the largest knife you can LEGALLY carry"

Minimum of three inches.  Three inches will reach ever organ in the human body, so anything past that you are good to go, as long as you have the know how.  I carry 3.5 inch carsons designs m16, with the zytel grip.  But I would carry a larger knife if I wasn't packing a HK USP 45c, as a primary.  

I carry a Kershaw Boa or Emerson CQC-7 for social occasions(stuffed in my waistband) and a Kershaw 1/2 serrated Blackout for working.

BadKarma

For a true defensive knife, 5" is the minimum. I carry two knives, one a fixed blade fighter, worn concealed to be used strictly in a life or death situation. The second is a pocket clip folder, used for all of the things a pocket knife is used for. The 3 fighters I carry range in size from 5.5" to 7.25" while the pocket knife is generally in the 2.5 to 4" range.

Any blade lenght can be highly lethal, You just have to hit the right targets. For an SD blade I wouldn't go any shorter than 3 inches, if I had a choice. 4, 5, and 6 inches is what I carry.

4" is really the minimum to reach anything vital.  With a small knife you have to pick your targets carefully and be precise (just like shot placement with your pistol).  With a big knife 9" blade and longer it's still important, but you can start hacking shit off as well.  More important than the knife is the training.  I do FMA and variants of it.  You wouldn't carry a gun if you didn't know how to shoot.  Any idiot can stab someone.  What these guys in prison or irate housewives take 237 stabs to do a good knife fighter can do in a couple quick moves.  The difference is shot placement.

That being said.  If someone came at me with a knife i'd be using my collapsable baton, not my pocket folder.  Reach wins every time.  They could have an 11" bowie knife, they're still gonna loose.  Not to mention less stigma then turning someone into a fillet.  Americans are squeemish when it comes to cutting.  Monadnock Autolock gets my personal vote, ASP is quality as well.  21"

The only time i'd use the knife in self defense if i had the baton on me (we're just gonna skip over the gun) is groundfighting.  Too close to swing a baton.  I don't care what kind of jiu jitsu the guy knows, the knife trumps.  Watch a little MMA and imagine how fast those long drawn out ground battles would be over if the guy in the guard whipped out his Emerson.

I have a SOG seal pup, and don't feel like I would miss anything with it...  I believe it's 4"

I remember a case that happened in the city I use to work for. The man using the knife was 5'6'' tall and was legally blind. He could see 2-3 feet in front of him. The other individual was over 6' tall. the tall guy kept telling the small guy he was going to kill him when he walked outside . As the small guy gets up to leave the big guy stands in front of him and the small guy fearing for his life pulled a small Schrade Brand folder ,with a less than 3" blade, stabbed the big guy once. The big guy hit the floor dead. Iknow these facts 1st hand as I transported the small guy to the detective division. I seen the knife used. As for me the biggest knife I could legally carry

Quoted: I remember a case that happened in the city I use to work for. The man using the knife was 5'6'' tall and was legally blind. He could see 2-3 feet in front of him. The other individual was over 6' tall. the tall guy kept telling the small guy he was going to kill him when he walked outside . As the small guy gets up to leave the big guy stands in front of him and the small guy fearing for his life pulled a small Schrade Brand folder ,with a less than 3" blade, stabbed the big guy once. The big guy hit the floor dead. Iknow these facts 1st hand as I transported the small guy to the detective division. I seen the knife used. As for me the biggest knife I could legally carry

Any idea what happened to the little guy? Based on this account, he seems justified to me.

Quoted: The only time i'd use the knife in self defense if i had the baton on me (we're just gonna skip over the gun) is groundfighting. Too close to swing a baton. I don't care what kind of jiu jitsu the guy knows, the knife trumps. Watch a little MMA and imagine how fast those long drawn out ground battles would be over if the guy in the guard whipped out his Emerson.

The knife is definitely a good counter to grapplers, most of whom don't train with weapons in mind, but lots of grapplers are plenty capable of controlling your arm, negating the knife. All depends on the fighter.

That said, I learned the hard way that arnis vs. grappling can end bad for the grappler. I have some judo training and used it against one of my arnis instructors when we were playing. Took him down easy but failed to control his weapon hand. He smacked me good with the baston, opening up a nice gash on my nose. End of fight.

Case was ruled self defense.

Quoted: The knife is definitely a good counter to grapplers, most of whom don't train with weapons in mind, but lots of grapplers are plenty capable of controlling your arm, negating the knife. All depends on the fighter.

That's also why i do a lot of unarmed combat.  You gotta do something while gaining access to your weapon.

The vast majority of guys who will try to tackle you are not these excellent martial artists.  Usually some asshole who was on the wrestling team in high school.  If they were they'd probably know better than to take you to the ground , though, we do fight how we train.  An instructor of mine was at a MA convention and saw one of gracie's boys on crutches.  Turns out he got mugged and shot in on the guy and busted his knees on the concrete.  Ouch...works better in a padded octogon.

Quoted: I remember a case that happened in the city I use to work for. The man using the knife was 5'6'' tall and was legally blind. He could see 2-3 feet in front of him. The other individual was over 6' tall. the tall guy kept telling the small guy he was going to kill him when he walked outside . As the small guy gets up to leave the big guy stands in front of him and the small guy fearing for his life pulled a small Schrade Brand folder ,with a less than 3" blade, stabbed the big guy once. The big guy hit the floor dead. Iknow these facts 1st hand as I transported the small guy to the detective division. I seen the knife used. As for me the biggest knife I could legally carry

i'm sure there are people who have been killed by BB guns.

In our Aiki-jujutsu class, we have done some interesting drills that really illistrate to you how, even when you are familliar with or know a knife will be deployed, you will be totally surprised by it.  We would give out a few knives, then mix up the groups.  You and your training partner could have no knives, one of you could have one, or you both could.  We'd hide them in our Gi's and then bring them out when on the ground.  really illistrates that you don't want to be on the ground for very long.  When we'd train with batons, even against two knives, as it was said earlier, "Reach wins every time."  It's scary to come in on a guy that knows how to use a baton, even if you know how to use a knife.  I carry two knives.  One, a SOG neck knife that opens beer bottles and so much more, and two, a 4" CRKT M16 in my back pocket where my wallet used to go.  Go ahead, tell me you want my wallet.  Here in Wa I think 4" is the legal limit.  I think the little neck knife would be the good go to knife in a scrap on the ground.  good retention, and unexpected.  just my two cents.

jim

5 1/2" blade is the maximum here in TX.  My mostly carried knife is a Benchmade Osburne 940.  I sometimes carry a Cold Steel Voyager 5"  Having said that I use these for pocket knife things like opening boxes etc.  I would only resort to there use in a defensive situation as a last resort.  Hardly ever a winner in a knife fight.

Quoted: Hello there Blackscott, I'd say minimum blade length would be just the amount required to reach your opponent On a more serious note, I can tell you that my daily carry is a Kasper/Crawford folder.  However, at a lil over 3.5in most folks might think that's a bit large. Something that you might be wise to consider is the handle size/shape for any knife that you'd consider for defense. A positive grip and retention will be pretty high up on your priorities if SHTF. BTW, using a knife in a self defense situation is always going to look bad in a courtroom(if it gets you there). A lawyer acquaintance said you are almost better off with a shooting situation over a stabbing with regard to social/media stigma. Might want to consider an smaller ASP baton tucked in the front of your pants. Those give you reach beyond just about any practically carryable knife, are impressive when presented, and have a slightly less evil view from sheeple. YMMV Blitz

just check your jurisdiction before going w/ a baton.  unless things have changed in the republic of cally ( man i'm glad not to live there any more), simple possession of a baton is a felony.  go figure, a concealed hand gun is a misdemeanor.

Quoted: just check your jurisdiction before going w/ a baton.  unless things have changed in the republic of cally ( man i'm glad not to live there any more), simple possession of a baton is a felony.  go figure, a concealed hand gun is a misdemeanor.

Felony means federal, right? Like for the whole country? Then how can something be a felony in some states but not others?

(Not a lawyer.)

2" bbl,Never take a knife to a gun fight.

I know this is not the type answer you were looking for,but,unless you take your opponent by surprise,with a knife,you'll more than likely sustain serious wounds yourself.

well, you should consider throwing knives, if your talking about defense against another person with a gun, then if you can get cover and trhow some of those things accuratly u might have a chance