An upcoming trip to a very gun-unfriendly locale piqued my interest in fixed blade defensive knives. I had been meaning to get another smaller EDC knife anyway, as backup and for retention when carrying a pistol. I also wanted a larger fighting knife that can still be carried concealed.
This week I bought a SOG Instinct and a Spyderco Street Bowie. The Instinct is a small, very thin knife with a 2.3" blade. I really like it... more than I thought I would. It is small enough that you forget you have it clipped to your belt, and it conceals really easily under a shirt tail, even worn horizontally OWB. One thing that sets it apart from other cheaper, smaller knives is that it comes with a really nice sheath that holds it very securely, yet isn't too hard to draw from. It is very versatile, and lets you attach the belt clip on either side and at any angle. I wear it horizontally at 10:00. The only thing I think could be better about it is if it had just the first finger choil, and a straight grip after that.
The Street Bowie is a full size fighting knife with a 5" blade. It feels great in the hand with any kind of grip. I like how streamlined it is, with a big finger choil instead of a guard, which is good for CC. It is very light for its size. Being bigger, it is harder to conceal though. I like it best vertically at 2:00, IWB. It also comes with a pretty nice sheath, with a belt clip that is very versatile, though it is a pain to switch it around. It is everything I was looking for in a fighting knife. And it is a pure fighting knife... with its thin blade, you wouldn't want to use it for any heavy utility use like you would a survival knife.
I also have a Cold Steel Safe Maker II push dagger, which I have had for some time. I don't much care for it. It is a little awkward to wear, and is not very versatile in that it can only be held one way. It doesn't have a very nice sheath, either... it takes a lot of force to draw from it. Also, the belt clip broke, and could not be configured any different ways. It came with a neck chain, but I've never really understood the idea of carrying a knife that way. Also there is the issue that daggers are illegal to carry in Oklahoma and lots of other places. That didn't stop me from carrying it here, but I don't like the idea of traveling/flying with it. Also it is a pain to use a push dagger for ANYTHING besides defense... it sucks for even light day-to-day cutting chores.
So what kind of fixed blade defensive/fighting knives do y'all have, and what do you think of them?
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