Why I abandoned the Pocket-Clip Folding Knife Once and for All

By Hammerhead7

For the CO,  having an outward “sterile” appearance is mandatory to retain tactical surprise. This is why I support concealed vs Open Carry for firearms. But what about knives? When it comes to knives, most CO’s are relegated to just sticking (ie “clipping”) a “tactical” folder in their pocket and moving on. But have you ever stopped to consider that a knife, just like a firearm, offers more tactical advantage if it is concealed from view, and I mean all of it, even the “pocket clip”?

It goes without saying that we now live in a world now that is becoming more and more hostile to people who exercise their rights to be armed. And sometimes, this hostility comes from the most unlikely of places. Just the other day a good friend of mine whom I served with in the military went to his local Veterans Clinic for his annual checkup. After checking in and sitting down in the waiting area, he was approached by TWO armed security guards. They asked him to step outside with him where they asked him if he had a pocket knife clipped in his front right pocket. He said “Yeah, always do”. They then pointed to a sign that had just been installed as you walk in the front door which informed him that all weapons, firearms and knives, were prohibited inside the clinic. The two guards said my buddy would need to go and put the knife in his vehicle before he could re-enter the clinic. My buddy laughed at the irony. For twelve years he toted and used with deadly precision all sorts of weapons while in the military, certainly things much more dangerous and deadly than an Emerson Commander pocket knife clipped in his front pocket. When I asked him if he obeyed the order he laughed; “Yeah I went to the truck and put the Emerson up, but I kept the “rest” on my person. What exactly my buddy meant by the “rest” will stay confidential between me and him for discretion sake. Suffice to say we both has a good, hearty laugh about it!

People see what we let them see folks. It’s just that simple.

Now there are those of you out there that will say, well why not just remove the pocket clip off the knife? Your problem is solved; there is no outward sign of a knife and you still retain the knife in the pocket. That would be one way to solve this issue, but as you will see, there is more at stake here than just appearing unarmed. It is appearing unarmed but being ARMED EFFECTIVELY.

Personally, I have never been a fan of a folding knife for self-defense. That is not to say I did not carry one back in the day, typically clipped somewhere on my gear that I could get to easy. I soon learned from experience, that a small fixed blade is much more suited for those CQ “Oh Shit!!” moments than anything I have to manipulate to open in a hurry, even an automatic. The bottom line is if you ever NEED a knife, you are gonna NEED IT IN A HURRY, and the golden rule in Self-Defense is whenever you can lessen the chance of Mr. Murphy showing up, do it.

Now in choosing a small concealed fixed blade, there are several factors you need  to consider, the biggest one in this day and age being Legality. I will cover TX Knife laws below briefly, but no matter where you hang your hat, it is your responsibility and yours alone to make sure you are legal before you step outside your door.

Now in TX, according to TX Penal Code 46.01 (6) the only issue you have to be concerned with on a FIXED BLADE are the following:

• Knife BLADE cannot exceed 5 1/2 inches
• DAGGERS are ILLEGAL (Sharpened on both edges, this includes PUSH Knives)
• SWORDS are ILLEGAL (because of length)
• SPEARS are ILLEGAL (because of length)
• BOWIE KNIVES are ILLEGAL (because of length)

Notice for that the manner in which you carry the weapon, Openly or Concealed is irrelevant, the law is only concerned with (at least for a FIXED blade) the length and if it is sharp on both sides. Sounds a bit retarded doesn’t it? Let’s do something about it. Please support Knife Rights and get involved; our Knife Rights, just like our Firearm Rights are being assaulted and have to be defended. Plus, some of these laws are just plain stupid and need to be done away with altogether.

Horizontal Carry on Belt

Hands down, the best way to carry a fixed blade concealed. I like carrying mine in front at around 5 or 5:30, if you practice with it, it gives you a nice fluid motion on your draw. Some guys like carrying it behind them in small of back, as they say it is a more natural motion drawing that way, I am not a fan of this ideal, plus I don’t like having a lethal weapon tucked away behind me out of my line of sight, which is why I NEVER preferred Small of Back carry Gun Holsters, but again, this is a matter of taste and comfort. Horizontal is also a great way to tote your extra pistol mag. I have never been a fan of toting heavy shit in my pockets, so carrying it on your belt where it is accessible by your non-dominant hand is awesome for quick reloads if need be.

Training

The key thing when you begin, is getting your draw-stroke fluid and smooth. The way that happens is to take out any “jerkiness” or un-needed motions. The old adage “Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast” holds true; when something has no rough edges to it and flows easy, it is naturally faster.

The second thing to work on once your draw-stroke is fast, is to practice getting the blade from the sheath into the flesh of your enemy as quickly as possible. No fucking around, no prancing around like a fag, simple concept: Draw the knife and Stick the Knife into a major organ as fast as possible (or slash a major artery) which ever is easier at that moment.

Now I am not going to get into knife training methods here, so we wont be discussing slashing versus thrusting. You will have to explore that yourself and there is plenty good instruction out there. Kelly Mccann and Southnarc are good places to start. Myself, I prefer the Thrusting Combative Knife over the more technique laden slashing Filipino Knife methods, but that’s me. Find what works for you, and stick with it. Just don’t get confused and think that killing with a knife is some kind of flowery art, it’s not, it is nasty business and I pray you never find yourself having to use a knife to defend yourself. But in the event that day comes, take all steps to be ready, sharpening not only your blade edge, but your combative mindset.

Stay Armed, Stay Alert, Stay Sharp and Stay Dangerous!