No one wants to think about getting attacked, but if you do, you need to win. Having a weapon like a pocketknife is good and bad for self-defense. On the one hand, you need to survive for it to matter at all. However, you can also find yourself in a ton of legal trouble in court, as usage of deadly weapon without just cause is a felony in United States.
Funnily enough, learning the legal ins and outs of self-defense in relation to knife laws is not tricky. If anything, understanding how to correctly defend yourself is the tricky part. The goal of owning a knife in most cases is to ensure safety. Although a knife should always be used as a last resort.
As for the million-dollar question; Is a pocket knife good for self-defense? Evidence suggests that a pocket knife is a valuable tool to have for self-defense. Whether it’s wild animals or urban attackers, having even a small blade gives you an advantage your bare hands cannot provide. Self-defense is all about ending a fight as quickly as possible to escape, and a pocket knife will help you achieve that goal. It may even help prevent an altercation.
How to Use a Pocket Knife in Self Defense
A pocket knife is good for self-defense, but only if you can reach it. You must make sure your pocket knife is both reachable and in good repair. Moreover, you should practice smooth pulling and deploying the blade.
Unlike a non-folding knife, most pocket knives require an extra step. The simple mechanic of using a thumb to release the blade may seem unimportant, but it can make all the difference in a dangerous situation. Someone who fumbles to open their knife loses time and looks like an incompetent target.
Muscle memory is more important than most people’s credit. Practice drawing and deploying your knife daily. When your brain goes into that fight, flight, freeze mode, your hands will still know what to do. Additionally, you should check the blade sharpness and hinge motion at least once per week. Although it won’t always need sharpening or a good hinge cleaning, your knife could become useless if you don’t perform regular maintenance on it. It would not be ideal to have a broken knife in the middle of a self-defense situation.
Smith & Wesson SWMP4LS from Amazon is an outstanding pocketknife from a very well-known and trusted company. At just over seven and a half ounces, this stainless-steel knife won’t weigh you down, but it’s substantial enough to get the job done. With a convenient pocket clip, finger actuator, and M.A.G.I.C. assisted opening; you’ll always have access to your blade when you need it most. Read the Amazon reviews for yourself by clicking here.
How to Use a Knife for Self Defense
There are four things to consider if you want to use a pocketknife for self-defense. First, the balance and sharpness, third is your grip, and fourth the aim. I will cover each one briefly, so you know what to look for in a defensive blade.
Balance
Balance is the easiest thing to determine with knives. Fancy blades are fine for wall displays and gag gifts, but a well-balanced knife is often a straightforward design. The balance of any knife should be at the center of the blade. Take your blade and unfold it. Place it flat side down on a finger. You should have your finger in the middle of the knife, near where the edge meets the handle. If the blade won’t balance and keeps falling to one side or another, it is not a balanced knife.
For those with shaky hands, you can balance your knife on the side of a pencil flat on the table. It’s okay if the balance is off slightly. Move it back and forth until you find the balance point. Most multitool knives are weighty on the back end. Hence a fighting knife should be a simple, one-blade, no fancy additions functional tool.
Sharpness
You might expect that a dull or jagged knife makes a more dangerous wound. While it’s true that this kind of damage is difficult to stitch up, there is a downside to this thinking. A torn artery tends to contract. By pulling back into the skin and partially closing, your opponent will bleed more slowly.
Meanwhile, a clean, sharp cut doesn’t cause this issue. The bleeding is faster, and it looks less like you tried to butcher someone and more like you were fighting for your life. Self-defense is about fighting for your life and safety. Anything else is an attack.
Grip
Not only the firmness of your hold but the style matters. Some people prefer to hold a knife with a standard grip. Another option is that you can also use a reverse grip where the point is ‘down’ at the bottom of your fist. Both styles have advantages. However, the downward hold also allows you to use your arm for blocking quickly while still pointing your weapon at the attacker.
For this reason, I prefer it, but I recommend practicing both. Additionally, you should practice with both hands. Use your offhand more than your dominant hand. This will help balance out your skill. It will also give you a defensive option if you hurt your usual writing hand.
Aim
Where you place your blows can change a fight. Naturally, you are more likely to kill someone if you go for the main arteries. Likewise, a stab to the eye is devastating. However, in a self-defense fight, you don’t necessarily need to murder your opponent. The goal of self-defense, especially in the law’s eyes, is to prevent damage and death to yourself and escape. Practice cuts that disable, rather than trying to destroy your assailant.
Called the ideal ‘last option’ knife, a KA-BAR TDI Law Enforcement Pocket Knife from Amazon lives up to the hype. Law enforcement and other first responders favor these incredibly durable small knives. Not only is this knife light at three-point-two ounce and five and five-eighths inches long, but the black powder-coated blade is made of robust AUS 8A stainless steel. Learn more by clicking here.
Can You Use a Knife in Self Defense?
Surprisingly, though a pocketknife is good for self-defense, using it is a legally grey area. It is always vital to defend your own life. Moreover, taking a tactical nuke to a fistfight might seem like the best way to win. Who could fault you if the other guy started it?
Sadly, the answer is that the law can fault you for this sort of thinking. Using unequal force is often considered assault. You can use that knife against someone with a weapon in their hand. If you are tiny or otherwise have impaired movement, you might argue successfully that you needed the assistance of a knife.
However, just pulling a knife in any dangerous situation could land you in jail. It is critical to remember that self-defense means you are in fear of severe bodily harm or death right now. Anything more is not defending. You don’t want to be pegged as the attacker in court, especially if you didn’t start the altercation.
I recommend a Tanto style CRKT Septimo EDC from Amazon. The Tanto style blade was made initially for daily practical necessities in Japan. Columbia River Knife & Tool prides itself on making top-of-the-line blades and offers a limited lifetime warranty to back up its products. Jeremy Valdez designed this model in Olalla, Washington. Find out more by clicking here.
Can I Carry a Knife for Self Defense?
Intriguingly, carrying a knife for self-defense only purposes isn’t the same as using a knife to defend yourself. By choosing a knife for self-defense, you are violating the law in many places. The difference is that you are carrying a deadly weapon with the sole intent to harm.
Always check your local laws, and if necessary, consult a lawyer about them. Keep in mind that I am not a legal professional, and everything I say is an opinion. Nothing here constitutes legal advice.
Does Carrying a Knife Make You Safer
Whether you intend to use your pocketknife for self-defense or not, it can help you stay safer. Regrettably, the other side of that coin is that it may also make you more of a target. An openly carried knife can make potential attackers believe you have something valuable to take. Carrying a knife incognito is an excellent solution if you can. Many states don’t allow concealed weapons without a permit. A knife is indeed a weapon.
Regardless, knives are useful for more than just self-defense. They can be used to cut ropes or a seatbelt in emergencies. A good sharp knife will cut a boot or constricting item of clothing off if you are injured, and there is swelling. It all depends on how you use your blade. Still, having a reliable knife in your everyday carry equipment can help keep you safe.
Stay safe with the excellent Kershaw Clash Pocket Knife from Amazon. The textured handle offers a secure grip, Speed Safe assisted opening those locks open and closed, plus a reversible pocket clip for convenient carry anywhere. Have a Kershaw Clash delivered to your door by clicking here.
Final Thoughts
Carrying a pocketknife can help keep you safer. Once you know how to use it properly, a blade makes a good self-defense weapon. Moreover, you can use a knife for other emergencies as well.
Cutting through ropes or even fabric if you fall and hurt yourself is something we all need the ability to do. The world is a dangerous place, and self-care is about more than showers and spa days. Self-protection and situational awareness aren’t taught in school, but you deserve to be healthy and safe. Keep yourself protected with a good pocketknife. So long as you maintain it and remember to practice your self-defense, your knife could someday save your life.