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Old November 3, 1998, 12:02 PM   #2
Harry Humphries
Staff Alumnus
 
Join Date: October 13, 1998
Location: Huntington Beach, CA, USA
Posts: 59

Good question Don.
I suppose I could be cute and go to the old adage of never bringing a knife to a gun fight, but it is not that simply answered.

As I understand your question you are addressing a force continuum decision process. Under what conditions the folder should be used over the hand gun, physical strikes or hand to hand techniques, chemical irritants, and impact weapons.

As a law enforcement officer one is bound to comply with appropriate force escalation meeting the threat level involved - that's simple - the edged weapon now becomes the last choice or as a weapon of last resort. An example would be a multi threat situation where your partner, if there, and yourself are involved in individual battle gone bad and you are on the ground unable to retrieve the hand gun - the ASP is worthless as a blunt weapon close in unless you can apply pain compliance techniques but that is unlikely. The edged weapon now becomes weapon of choice in conjunction with appropriate grapple compliance techniques. It is therefore essential that the weapon is always carried in a manner facilitating deployment in ground grapple situation. I find low front strong side around the belt area accommodates this.

As a private citizen one is not compelled to comply with force continuum per say, but we must assume the citizen is in a defensive situation and even here reasonable force to stop a threat or perceived threat to one's life will be judged.. Being aware that brandishing a weapon, gun or knife, can lead to escalation or even put you in the wrong in some states, hello Californians, the weapon of choice should meet the threat level at the time threat is perceived to be immanent and not before. Simply stated the weapon should not be deployed, knife or gun, to simply impress or intimidate the opponent.

Without getting carried away let it suffice to say further that my personal choice for a defensive weapon is the edged weapon for close in encounters, it is deployed only at the onslaught of attack in a total surprise to the attacker. Now that does not mean that I would not present a hand gun if available in the same situation. Really the situation dictates the decision.

Often a charging individual from as far away as 20 to 30 feet can reach a victim before the victim can present a pistol, especially from a retention type holster whereas the folder can be deployed rapidly and meet the oncoming threat so as to inflict damage enabling the escape.

My favorite folder is Emerson's Commander and I have a litany of fixed blades on my favorites list Randall being up there.
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