TexasCHLforum.com

As I look at all the posts about your daily carry, I see a lot of knives. I am not talking about folding pocket knives that we all had as children, you know the Case 2 1/2" blade that you played mumble d peg with and cleaned your fingernails with. I am talking about those that can do serious damage in the hands of someone who know what they are doing. I can't believe those are for fingernails. What is the purpose for them?

The reason I ask goes back to my days in basic training. We were being instructed in bayonet tactics. At one point, the DI said that if you stabbed someone with the bayonet, it might get stuck in a bone and be difficult to remove. He suggested that firing a shot would cause the recoil to dislodge the bayonet. At this point, John D**** from Thomasville Georgia piped up and said some thing to the effect of "Drill Sgt, if there are any bullets left in my weapon, there aint gonna be no bayonet fighting." Wit the presence of the gun in the picture, I ask the same question. Why the need for a knife in a gun fight?

Welcome to the forum TEXAS70

For me the answer is I've always carried a knife, even before I carried a gun. I see it as a tool in my day to day life.
Also, since there's no law restricting it, I'll carry a knife that is suitable as a last resort in a self defense situation.

I try to be prepared for the worst case scenario, although the chances are that scenario will never play out.

The way I see it, if you're going to carry a knife you should carry the biggest, meanest knife legally allowed.

You may find this going overboard but I personally carry two knives (among other things) at all times.

Practice close quarters with a grappler and find out!

Someone was making fun of Jim Bowie, saying that before the Alamo he was most famous for bringing a knife to a gunfight.
I reminded them that he was famous for winning a gunfight with a knife.

My lockblade is a general purpose cutting tool, which could be used as a last-ditch weapon. It'd probably be way down on the list, behind chunks of pipe, chairs, etc. Yes, I can open it one-handed, and can do it fairly discreetly.

I've carried a pocketknife of some sort for about forty years. It's as much habit as carrying a wallet.

TEXAS70 wrote: Why the need for a knife in a gun fight?

Guns fail. Guns run out of ammo. Knives do not need reloading, and have few or no moving parts to fail. I am convinced they are as deadly if not deadlier in a close fight when used vigorously. Knives can be "open carried" often in places that guns are not legally permitted, and they are easier to hide when necessary. They are often easier/faster to reach when clipped or sheathed in a pocket versus a firearm under a shirt or vest. You can put knives where you can reach them with the non-gun-hand, in case your gun hand becomes occupied. You can carry more than one much more easily, if necessary.

Don't believe me, go ask John Farnam or Gabe Suarez or some other serious self-defense instructor. They are very good shooters, and they carry and advocate knives as well.

Always be prepared.

Many police officers and other people who carry guns will tell you that the purpose of the knife includes the ability to defend the gun.

If a bad guy tries to take your gun, you can put downward pressure on the gun, keeping it in its holster, while at the same time, deploy the knife and use it to cause the attacker to abandon the quest for your gun.

Of course, this is less of a concern for concealed handguns. The attacker may not know you are carrying and thus not hatch a plan to take your gun.

A case could also be made that, if the situation escalates to a point that a weapon being displayed may diffuse the situation, displaying the knife can, in some circumstances, be a better alternative than displaying the gun. Obviously, this is purely situational and there are times when this might be a bad idea.

ELB wrote:Guns fail. Guns run out of ammo. Knives do not need reloading, and have few or no moving parts to fail. I am convinced they are as deadly if not deadlier in a close fight when used vigorously. Knives can be "open carried" often in places that guns are not legally permitted, and they are easier to hide when necessary. They are often easier/faster to reach when clipped or sheathed in a pocket versus a firearm under a shirt or vest. You can put knives where you can reach them with the non-gun-hand, in case your gun hand becomes occupied. You can carry more than one much more easily, if necessary.

Well put.

I carry a knife everyday, everywhere. To me, a good quality tactical folder is as basic as a first aid kit. Yes, knives are excellent weapons and a very reliable backup to your gun in a dire situation, but they are also a tool. If I need to open a box, or cut someone out of a seatbelt, I am ready. Odds are you will need a quality knife many times over before you need to draw your gun.

What is the legal length for a knife blade in Texas? A reg knife not a folding one. Stabbing someone is def different then pulling a trigger.

You ever try to cut a seat belt with a gun?

Before getting my CHL, for years it was all I had for defense and it still feels wrong if I don't have it with me, kind of like leaving your wallet at home or your gun. There have been plenty of times I've needed it for various tasks that just come up.

AndyC wrote:I can't pick my nose with the muzzle of my .45 - I got small nose-holes

But you can do you nails with a knife...(scraping all the crud out from under them)

Keith wrote:What is the legal length for a knife blade in Texas? A reg knife not a folding one. Stabbing someone is def different then pulling a trigger.

The blade of the knife must not exceed 5.5" in length, whether or not it folds, & the handle size doesn't matter - for carry knives.

If you have a knife at home, it can be as large as you like.