Poor Man Survival
Self Reliance tools
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ISSN 2161-5543
A Digest of Urban Survival Resources
Choosing
a Knife-Which One is Best for Survival
Recently
I ran a piece on evaluating the best steel when choosing a knife for home use
or other purposes…this is a continuation of sorts. Choosing a knife.
The
fact is a quality survival knife can come in handy for a ton of different
tasks. But there are all kinds of knives out there, from pocketknives to
machetes...
Which
ones should you buy? How should you care for them? Is it legal to carry them
around?
Every state and many cities
have different laws regarding what kind of knives are legal to carry…Of course,
New York and CA are the most restrictive [as I have previously reported, they
are the most anti-freedom states in the union].
The
fact is New York City has some of the strictest knife laws in the country. Now,
I'm not a lawyer, but one thing I can tell you is that it's illegal to possess
a knife with a blade longer than four inches.
Also,
many of NYC’s knife laws don't address a specific type of knife but simply make
it illegal to expose a knife in public. For example, it would be illegal to
carry any kind of knife clipped to your pants pocket because it would be in
open view.
What’s the best way to sharpen and care for my
survival knives at home? Is there a sharpener you recommend?
If
you own expensive knives, I recommend doing an internet search for local
knife-makers. They’re all over the U.S. and will be able to take care of your
knives the way they should be treated. (Do not go to some large retail store to
have your knives sharpened.)
I
also recommend checking out the Lansky brand
of knife sharpeners. These are inexpensive sharpeners that are great to throw
in your bug-out bag for sharpening on the go. Personally, I use a bit of oil
and a sharpening stone as I was taught in the Boy Scouts.
Are you folks still championing the Guardian?
The
fact is a machete is a great survival tool. It can be used to clear brush and
chop wood as well as for self-defense. One of the top reasons a machete is an
effective self-defense weapon is that you can defend yourself without getting
close to your attacker.
In
other words, if you had to use a knife, you would obviously have to be right up
in your attacker’s face, but a machete lets you keep some distance. Plus,
unlike a firearm, a machete won’t run out of bullets.
I
recommend looking at the SEAL Saber XL. This kukri-style, full-tang knife is made of military-grade
3Cr13 stainless steel that won’t corrode or tarnish. Plus, the black oxide 751
coating prevents light from reflecting off the blade for added stealth.
You recommend always carrying a quality
pocketknife. My question is... which brand/model/manufacturer do you recommend?
I
am a knife junkie and I own a lot of knives. In my experience, both Benchmade
and Spyderco
make top-quality knives. You can’t go wrong with products from either company. I personally like ones which feature assisted opening and partially serrated blades.
I don't recommend carrying throwing knives for
two main reasons:
- Depending on where you live, it may be
illegal to conceal or even carry throwing knives.
- Unless you've spent years mastering this
skill, throwing knives can be very difficult to use. They’re not something
I recommend for someone who is new to knives.
That
being said, I do think everyone should carry some sort of knife on them for
close-quarters defense and survival purposes. A knife in the hand is a lot
deadlier than trying to throw one for 99.9% of people.
I am a former DOD contractor,
search-and-rescue member, prepper and survivalist living in remote Alaska. I
believe in a knife that will not break, crack or shatter… Do you have any
recommendations?
It’s
difficult to find a quality knife on the retail market. I suggest finding a
custom knife-maker and telling them exactly what you want. (Just know that a
custom knife is not cheap.)
The
fact is I spent years looking for a knife that would meet my survival needs. In
the end, I paid a custom knife-maker to produce a knife to my exact
specifications. I call it the NOC Knife — and I have personally tested it under a variety of extreme
circumstances.
The NOC Knife has no ring guard, which IMO
makes it less effective than the Emerson Gentleman Jim. [You can find these on
eBay]
The
Emerson Gentleman Jim is a quality folding knife — I’ll agree with you there,
Nils — but, frankly, the NOC Knife [custom-made-$500 range] is a better
survival and self-defense knife because it has a fixed blade.
I
always carry a folding knife clipped to my pants pocket that I use to open the
mail and all of the boxes I get from eBay. But other than these purposes, I
wouldn’t want to put my life in the hands of a folding knife.
A
“folder” is not built for prying or for intense force, and it will snap off at
the pivot point under significant pressure. A fixed-blade knife is much
stronger and more reliable. Here’s an
example of a reasonably priced fixed-blade knife:
Talon Fixed Blade
Tactical Knife With Bonus Belt Holder Sheaths
BEST WAY to Sharpen Any Knife RAZOR
SHARP!
How to Sharpen a Knife: Beginners Tutorial
…A parting note:
Benjamin
Franklin said "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a
little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
What
readers I have left know I have fought long against the un-Patriot Act even to
the point of trying to get a petition initiated via the White House to drop
this most insidious set of horrid laws.
I
think many civil libertarians and conservatives would argue that the government
should never have been given the powers vested in the Patriot Act, because
giving such power invites corruption and abuse. It was hard to argue against
the point then and it's even more difficult to argue against it right now.
We
must understand that this is one issue related to a bigger problem: The
character and worldview of those representing the administration in power.
Your
Constitutional Rights have never been at more risk than they are right now.
Your right to privacy have been tossed into the garbage.
This
Coming week my wife and I will be seeing President Trump when he visits
Michigan…perhaps we can steal a minute and bring this important point of
liberty to his attention. Wish me luck.
Bruce, the Poor
Man, free thinker, social critic & cynic
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2 comments:
I'm a bit of knife freak-I look at the vendors at flea markets in hopes of finding reasonably priced US, German or Japanese made knives. I used to visit the big annual Zippo flea market in Bradford, PA which was also home to Case knives to buy those items as well.
I watched the History Channel's Forged in Fire program & those guys are crazy about knives! Frankly, I'm not that extreme...I'll stick with off-the-shelf. Interesting piece.
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