has anyone defended themselves with a knife?

So double edged knives are illegal in MD? I have a Cold steel with a T grip handle, really just good for stabbing while punching. Blade is only about 2" though, but double sided. Not sue how I'd open carry it.
It has a belt clip and neck chain.

I worked with a guy that had a knife pulled on him. The guy was in his upper 60s when it happened.

He was coming out of a 7-11 early in the morning, when a thug approached him - & pulled knife on him, in an effort to rob him. He turned the tables on him, and beat the tar out of the assailant , within inches of his life. The assailant woke up in a hospital in critical condition.

Little did the assailant know, that he attempted to rob an ex Marine.

My point is if you have a knife, dont think its going to end a confrontation. Know how to use it too, especially if you have to defend your life with it.

All these stories make me want to move to a CCW-friendly state.

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I've never used a knife to defend myself, but, I've had a 'pig sticker' pulled on me, a time or two.

In the '70s, I used to frequent a nightclub in College Park.
I was there one evening with a friend, when a drunk guy started yelling at a young lady, then slapped her.

My friend and I got to her, before the bouncer did.
My friend grabbed the girl and got her away from this guy, and I went for the drunk.
He shoved me and drew a 'butterfly' knife.
Before I could react, he came at me, and swung that knife.
I backed up and he stuck the knife into my right arm, just above the elbow.
The blade went in and hit bone.
When he pulled the knife out, blood started flowing. It hurt like crap.

He stopped and just stood there, watching me. That's when I kicked him in the groin, and knocked him to the ground.
The bouncers got him out of the nightclub, he was arrested, and the ambulance showed up.

I got patched up, and my friend wound up marrying that gorgeous brunette almost a year later!!!

ChrisEvo8 said:

I hear many different things from many different people concerning butterfly knives. I know of a few knife stores that sell them openly and pretty much every gun show has them on display and sale as well. Either way it's more of a flashy knife and not really practical in a self defense situation considering most folders now deploy much faster with just a flick of the wrist or thumb.

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The Mackall decision's language indicates they are considered "penknives." They fold into their handle when not in use, and are not push-button operated. That is all. I have never once seen a conviction in MD for mere carry of a butterfly knife and anyone claiming such I strongly suggest posting the court record proving it.

rico903 said:

So double edged knives are illegal in MD? I have a Cold steel with a T grip handle, really just good for stabbing while punching. Blade is only about 2" though, but double sided. Not sue how I'd open carry it.
It has a belt clip and neck chain.

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"are illegal" is an incomplete statement. They "are illegal" if they don't fold and are carried concealed. They are not illegal to own or carry openly. I've walked through several trails with a double-edged dagger secured to my pack strap and never had a problem.

My uncle, a Korean War veteran once used a switchblade I got for him to scare away two teens who tried to rob him in a grocery store parking lot.
Met someone a long time ago who told me he got mugged in Washington DC by a robber armed with a handgun. He said he managed to pull out his knife(a concealed fixed blade dagger) and stab the robber in the eye then he ran as fast as he could as the robber screamed and shot his gun wildly. Who knows if he was lying, but anything's possible

I pulled a Spyderco Endura on a dude when I was in high school pumping gas once. He rolled up on me suddenly, out of nowhere, at like 11:00 pm . I turned around and he was right on me asking for a dollar or some crap.

I pulled it and flipped it open and yelled to back off. I was ready at the time to hit him up if he didn't immediately back up. He did.

After working night shift for the last 3 years off and on, I have maintained a much greater awareness of my situation when pumping gas or just being out at night. I have backed off a sketchy character or two just by eyeballing them and scanning my surroundings while out before.

I've never thought of a knife as a decent weapon, but more like an indispensable tool for everyday life. But that was the metanlity of the men who I was around growing up in the 1950's. In fact, my dad, and a few other men openly called a knife a "punk's weapon" and had great disdain for them. We lived in some apartments in north east D.C. on Blair Road, and back then it was just a so-so area. The bad area wasn't that far away, so we had some crime. I noticed that all the men if they thought there was some risk, carried some type of blunt force truma tool.

We had family living in some apartments that backed to ours, and when our aunt and grandmother came over for dinner, dad would walk them home at night over to their building the other side of the alley, and he carried a blackjack, or a piece of shovel handle. We had a neighbor that was a TV repairman, back when they used tubes, and he went on calls with his tool kit. To safe guard his tools, he carried a wood hammer handle in the side pocket of his pants. His wife had cut out the bottom of the pocket, and sewed a extension so the hammer handle fit in and hung down on the outside of his right leg. With the baggy pants of the day, no jeans, it was invisible, and easy to access. Mr. Briscoe would hold the hammer handle by the small end where the hammer head would go, and used it like a small night stick.

After seeing a real knife fight while in the army, when two your soldiers got into with Buck knives over a dope deal, I was never going to get into a knife fight. One died there on the scene, the other lived but it took a huge effort on the part of the Base hospital ER team. He ended up going to Ft. Leavenworth for killing the other soldier. But the clincher for me was when they had to bring in a water truck to hose down the bloody pavement. No, no knives for me in defense. I'll use a stick, fire extinguisher, pool sue, bar stool, trash can lid, sofa cushion, lamp, cane/walking stick, fire place poker, shovel, ANYTHING I can black and put between me and the knife, and retreat like hell. I'll run from a knife.

To this day, I spend a lot of time down in D.C. since it's my hometown I was born and raised in. I carry a stout walking stick in hand, all the time. It goes anywhere with me, even government buildings. No problemo.

To this day, I don't even carry a knife that could be used as a weapon. Pretty hard to get out a small SAK, or Case peanut in a hurry, so I won't be tempted.

nothing fancy. A punk i had a beef with in HS got off the bus a stop after mine one day and unbeknownst to me followed me home. A few minutes after my arrival he knocked on the door with stiletto in hand. Before i knew what happened I had the knife in my hand and had slammed the door in his face. The next day i saw he came to school with a lump on his head from the door. I carried that knife every day after that in school and still have it in my collection. I still have the scar at the base of my left thumb from grabbing the knife as well.

I was attacked by a killer birthday cake once.

Fortunately, I had a knife.

I didn't leave any evidence.......

I almost got stabbed stopping a shoplifter. Noped the **** out and let him go. Gave the description to the cops. I don't think they ever got him. But hey, at least I didn't get stabbed.

Had to pull my knife out of my pocket once, never opened it though. Walking back to my car from a 7-11 at 11 or so. 3 bigger guys did that whole fan out and block the path thing while mean mugging me. I just stopped and made a deal of pulling it out of my pocket and tilted my head at them. They all got out of the way and left. Should have called the cops but I didn't.

Of all the fights I've been in, I'm lucky in that none of them have involved knives.

That said, I was mugged at knife-point when I was 13...

I was visiting my family in NYC (home of ridiculous laws meant to oppress the law-abiding; they're going particularly crazy over "locking" knives), and as the oldest grandson, was allowed to go to the local mall with responsibility for the two oldest of my cousins (both guys - 1 and 2 years my junior). The mall was only a couple blocks away, and while there was gang violence nearby, our area was in low crime pocket (crime was by racial lines - Black vs. Hispanic but our area was mainly White/Jewish/Asian). I was excited to get the chance to go off on my own in the city, and was no stranger to fights or being aware of my surroundings (grew up out West). After having fun, we hit the bathrooms - one of my cousins was showing me something so my cousin who had to go was walking out as I walked in. Someone else was finishing up and left and someone else walked in behind me; I didn't think anything of it as I unzipped. So I was standing at the urinal midway through my piss when someone grabs my head from behind and smashes my face into the wall, then pushed something against my neck. He said something about a "knife" and a "wallet", and I said it was in my ****ing pocket. He grabs it, pushes me, and runs out. I catch a glimpse of his jacket and his skin/hair color; he was maybe 16 from the sound of his voice. So I stood there for maybe 5 seconds, finished up, washed up, cleaned the piss off of my shoes, and went outside the bathroom. Asked my cousins if they saw anything but they weren't really paying attention. In the end, I decided that it was better to just shrug it off ($30 and no ID) rather than go through the BS my Asian family would put me through.

For a good long time afterwards, I wouldn't use a urinal if I could help it. Eventually I got past it, but it did change my routine.

On another note - be careful about using a knife in self-defense against "unarmed" attackers: unless it's clear they're using something as a weapon, you can get shafted by overzealous prosecutors who decide you're the one they want to put in jail.

Me and a buddy were walking home from the bar in O.C. one night. We had stopped at 7/11 for some grub and on our way back to the house 3 dudes stepped out in front of us. At this point me and my friend were pretty drunk and in no shape for hand to hand combat. After the leader of the three hoodlums demanded my food and I declined he decided to show off by clockin me in the eye. About that time I deployed my 4" cold steel recon tanto and the looks on their faces were priceless. Ive never seen 3 sets of heels move so fast.

I was stabbed in the back when I was younger. Never saw it coming and got a free ride to Wolmack army hospital. Still don't know what the girl was thinking.

Everyone seem to have some interesting stories to tell, just think about the urinal one is scary haha.
I'm kind of thankful I don't have any stories to tell

I've pocketed/palmed folding knives numerous times, when I saw something I didn't like. Never had to use them, though. Maybe I'm just jumpy, or paranoid.
The only recollection I have of opening a blade for defense was very recently, when a big german shepherd came out into the road after me and my Rotty pup. I backed him down first with my voice. But then something happened that he changed his mind and charged again. When he did this, I drew my Benchmade Adamas and opened it, as I tried to back him down again with my voice. Fortunately for all of us, my voice worked again, and he didn't come closer after that. It would have sucked, because I know I would have gotten really hurt. But so would the dog, and I didn't want to hurt him either.

I've considered the tactics and I'd have to be desperate. I know the artery and organ targets to draw the edge through for a confirmed kill. I know some of the secondary targets that should buy some time for escape. Read several books of WWII resistance fighting and a few others. I could use more real training on knife fighting with small circles. Keep the blade close to your own body, an extended strike is more vulnerable to a take away.

Then there are the considerations. You have to use it with the full intent to kill. If they are bigger and get inside your defense, they can take it and use it. Like O.J., you will be covered with blood.

All these stories remind me that I need a knife. This week. Kershaws seem pretty good, no?

I'd rather be shot, than be in a knife fight. Scares the the crap out of me. Weird right?

Bafflingbs said:

I'd rather be shot, than be in a knife fight. Scares the the crap out of me. Weird right?

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Pretty normal, if you ask me. Getting carved up like a turkey seems more scary & brutal than being shot regardless of the mortality disparity.