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Is It Legal To Carry a Knife for Self Defense?

If you live in a big city or a desolate area, then you must take your self defense seriously. Since you are here, we are assuming that you are thinking to carry a knife for your safety or you may have bought a knife already. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the details of this delicate matter.

What Does the Law Say About It?

Whether you can legally carry a knife is an argumentative subject. That is because every state doesn’t follow the same law. Even in some countries, the laws are different for different cities. Generally, there are some legal aspects that you need to scrutinize when you purchase a knife. These factors include the size, mechanism, location, and intended use of the weapon.

What Size Is Ideal?

Sometimes, the size of the blade can get you in trouble in front of the judiciary. And, in some cases, the overall length of the knife is considered. The length of the knife has been set to 3.5 inches in a few regions. In other areas, according to the law, you can’t keep a knife with a blade that is broader than your palm. To find the right size, you have to study what the law in your area says about it.

What is the Suitable Mechanism?

A knife is also a very diverse weapon as comes in a variety of shapes and mechanisms. There are places where opening mechanisms that have a spring are illegal. These are also popular as automatic or push-button knives. If your area disallows one mechanism, you can always opt for another one. There are fixed blade knives that can be folded into pocket knives.

Where You Should and Shouldn’t Carry a Knife?

Obviously, you shouldn’t even think about taking a knife with you when you are going to places that have strict security systems and metal detecting machines. In Japan and Australia, you are not allowed to keep a knife anywhere. Remember, if a police officer ever asks you the reason for carrying a knife, never claim that it is for your safety. Because if you do that, you may get arrested. Instead of arguing, use your right to remain silent.

Intended Use

There are some knives that are for non-defensive work use, for instance, cooking knives, knives that are used for cutting cardboards or ropes, and a hunting knife. Nevertheless, make sure that the nature of your work and your knife coincide when you give a statement. That means, if you have a knife, you must have a valid reason for carrying it.

This brings us to another factor that is quite essential—responsibility. Don’t use a weapon that can hurt anyone without proper training. Who knows? You may end up getting serious wounds. Moreover, self-defense doesn’t mean that you can take someone’s life to protect yourself.

Conclusion

Before you put a knife in your bag or pocket, make sure you have done your research. Your one careless act can have serious consequences that may disturb your whole life. We are sure that you are not up for dealing with anxiety and nightmares for the rest of your life. So, ask yourself if you are ready to handle it. In case, the answer is yes, then you can carry it. Not to be outdone, you must be trained and have all the understanding of the knife that you own. Without this, you won’t be able to tell the legal authorities why you have it in your possession.

Survival Knife vs. Fighting Knife – Which one should you choose?

The expert knife makers have been striving since ages to serve their users with the knife that is appropriate and super suitable to their requirements. The survivalists go for the quality survival knife that is multipurpose and is meant to perform many tasks, predominantly wood processing, hunting and skinning of the game small or large, in short all the possible chores in a survival situation. Whereas a fighting knife is specifically designed for fighting, having no delicacy and any extra feature in it, it has an aggressively textured handle and a super sharp blade to get through into soft material effortlessly.

Survival knife vs Fighting Knife – Which one should you choose?

When it comes to what you should bring on an outdoor adventure, the answer is “it depends“. If you are heading towards wood where you need a versatile and a reliable tool to do cutting, dicing, chopping skinning, gutting then a fine premium quality survival knife would be the only and the perfect choice. The fighting knife would simply fail you as it is not optimized for doing all the above mentioned jobs.

But when you are expecting to have a fight, a military expedition, or a close combat with someone then your fighting gadget will guarantee your life. No matter how best the fighting knife is but if you possess the true strength and skill of using it, this ensures you success in the battle field. Improper employment will harm you and fail you in your respective task.

Functionality and usability:

The survival gear looks smart and handy and it is usually the part of one’s backpack when the adventurer has just few essentials to be packed. So the survival gear is a little bit thick and heavy to work like an axe, the sharp pointed blade does the skinning job well as to replace the gutting tool, the pommel is strong enough to work like a hammer, to do baton without bending or chipping the blade is strong and it works great in prying, digging and scratching that is why the clip points, drop points are common. It comes in variety of sizes, shapes, styles, edge configurations and points.

On the other hand, the fighting knives are made of quality steel so are strong enough to pierce through into your rival’s skin but are designed for fighting purposes only. When it comes the job of batoning and prying, this leaner piece of gadget will completely be flopped.

Size, design and Color:

The survival knife can be of different sizes from around 4 inches up to 14 inches, can be as small as to be hidden in boots and as massive or huge as to be worn in belt. It comes with other additional features as fire starter, a stone used as sharpener, sheath, a fishing line, compass map and many more etc. It is available in different attractive colors, shapes and designs.

But the fighting knife is just like a short sword of five inches or so. This is constructed for aggressive use thus the handle is too grippy and fits into user’s hands if he knows the real skill and owns mastery over using it. It owns rough and tough looks as it is made for tougher goals. The market will offer you dark and sober colors in fighting gears that reflect their serious and grave purpose.

The game starts with your real and appropriate selection as there is no second chance neither in the battlefield nor in the survival kind of situation. Wrong choice will simply take your life questioning your skills of using the most suitable gadget as per the requirement. By visiting the link, you can help yourself to get super smart gear that suits to your objective; ensuring your survival or confirming your victory over your opponent.

If you are on a budget, here’s our pick list of survival knives under 100 dollars.

Survival knives are more likely to be massive, such as machetes, but their large size is not always an advantage. However, it does offer a huge sheath and handle that can hold copious survival items such as matches, sharpening stone, fishing line, snare wire, water treatment tabs, compass, map and more.

Choosing between a survival knife vs a hatchet – What’s best for you?

In the weaponry world, the debate over the issue that which is really the best knife that can ensure your survival is endless having different opinions of different people. The only answer to all questions is actually, “purpose defines the suitable gadget”. The expert hunters and survivalists know that different knives are intended for different goals. The user needs to focus on his goals to get the most capable gear.

A good survival knife guarantees your survival in a hazardous situation so is extremely versatile as to serve you in all kinds of unexpected circumstances. Whereas a hatchet works more efficiently and quickly when it comes chopping, cutting or clear felling of the tress like job is the target, no matter how huge they are. Let’s have a look over the differences between a survival knife and the hatchet.

Portability:

The knife is smart in size and easy to carry as they come in different designs and different styles to be carried and worn with the help of a belt. The user may wear them or carry them the way they like. The folding gears can easily be put in the pocket, because they are light weight and nifty in size. On the other hand, hatchet even of the smallest size is hard to carry and needs a prior decided place to be put in.

Proper concealment:

Survival knife in case of fighting or any other life threatening situation can be concealed easily but hatchet being heavier and bulkier is not a gear that can be concealed and hidden.

Fire starting:

The survival knife comes with the feature of fire starting that can be an indispensable requirement of a particular event that questions one’s survival. On the contrary, the hatchet is meant to do the hard chores only not to light fire.

Skinning and cleaning the game:

Skinning and cleaning the game need a sharp and thinly designed blade. Survival knife can do such delicate tasks more efficiently and capably in less time and using less effort of the user. The hatchet can do the above chore too but not as fine as survival knife can do. The hatchet comes ahead when chopping and cutting the meat is intended.

Fine chopping:

The survival knife takes time in chopping finely but hatchet can do this chopping with amazing speed and ability. A fine quality hatchet can chop the rocky materials and hardest of the substances with superb skill what a survival knife can’t do at all.

Self-defense:

Both the gears that are built with premium quality blades and materials ensure one’s defense in a particular situation. Although some experts believe that due to increased access and momentum a hatchet is more likely to win the votes when the close combat is the case.

Durability:

The material which is used for the construction of survival knife or hatchet certifies its durability. A truly strong constructed weapon will definitely last longer. The survival gadget is intended to face all kinds of unexpected challenges so it is built with fine quality materials and proves to be a durable one. The hatchet is meant to do hard chores so it is built with strong and quality materials so it is quite long lasting and durable. In short, both the weapons if constructed well with fine quality steel and other materials they give life time guarantee to their users.

Hammering:

As the name suggests, the hatchet being heavier is ten times better in hammering than survival knife which is smart in size and weight.

While summing up all the above details, we conclude that there are a number of chores where the survival knife is the best choice than all the other gadgets, where as in some tasks the hatchet can perform superb. You can find some quality survival knives under 100 from here. Being the user you yourself know the purpose so the selection depends on your respective objective. The quality, durability and versatility are the pre requisite for both to serve you the best. The inclusion of both in your survival kit will help you in tackling the jobs in which they are best at.

How to make a Survival Knife

When emergency strikes it doesn’t allow the sufferer to make preparations accordingly, so the expert survivalists are aware of the necessary skills of preparing the things they need in case of being trapped in the wild, facing any natural or manmade disaster or disruption of services and supplies due to some catastrophic situation. The expert explorers and professional campers are given the emergency training that how they can make themselves self-sufficient and ready to face any adverse situation.

Thus in a situation when outdoor ventures are stuck they must know the handy skill of making a survival knife with the things they can possibly find in wilderness or in their garage that is no more useful for them.

Common DIY Techniques to make a survival tool

Here we are listing down some very common and easy DIY techniques that will help you to acquire a handy tool to perform the survival related chores at a perfect ease. The following steps will enable you to have your gadget ready to secure you in the wild or to do the required tasks.

If you are stranded in the woods then you need to find quality rocks for the making of your survival knife’s blade. You may find the suitable quality rocks near the streams, so don’t miss such places while exploring for the right rocks.
For knife making you need to find the rocks that create a ringing sound when they are banged together as they make the premium quality blade for your knife. Make sure to have larger rocks as the outer surface is usually weathered and worn so only the inside of it is used to build the blade.
Now you need a hammer stone, a medium-sized rock with a round surface and it will simply get you to have your blade from the rock you have selected to build your blade.
Now use the hammer stone to bounce off the edges of your blade.
This bouncing off will chip out your blade and it will be as big as the size of your rock that you took to build your blade.
This is your stone knife, use it carefully; rough usage, dragging, pulling and drawing will break its delicate edges.

Now if you are trapped in some urbanized emergency or you are a passionate explorer and love to innovate or want to create your own survival gear then the below are some handy technical steps to have your best companion with you.

1. Heating the piece of metal:

Find a piece of metal and to mould it into your required shape soften it by heating it up at a high temperature. Place the piece of steel upon fire so that the severe temperature could make it to bend or warp. Heat the blade till it glows and it will take several hours to be kept in the real hot fire to get the required reddish glow. Cover the fire or leave the stove to become cool overnight, in the morning when you will check the steel it would be far softer than before.

2. Shaping the blade by removing the extra material:

Just sketch or at least have the picture in your mind (shape of the blade), whether it should be drop point or have a gentle curve. Use the hacksaw blade and shape your blade accordingly with the help of a pair of pliers or tongs. Bending the extra material back and forth repeatedly will give your blade the respective shape. If the heating process is done well then you can also shape the blade with your bare hands without using any tool.

3. Grind the Profile:

This step will help you to have the required face of your steel, the way you want your knife look like. So with the help of your drawn shape just grind away the extra material of your blade. Through the hand filer you can easily shape the blade profile. Not only the filer, but rough sandstone can do it ideally. Hacksaw blade can easily be shaped in a very less time. Bench grinder must be avoided as its grinding speed is too high.

4. Creating the Edge:

Here comes the step of giving your blade a perfect edge. Maintain the right angling while grinding the edge. For this you can visualize a tall isosceles triangle to get the exact angle that needs to be grinded. The more steep the blade the sharper the edge will be. Before filing, try to ensure the right adjustment of the file and maintain that angle throughout the process. Your pushing will move the file forward along the length of the knife blade.

In case of a short hacksaw blade the entire length would be filed with each push. View the knife regularly which could easily be seen in wider materials but hard to see in thin materials. While approaching the center line you need to repeat the process to even out the bevels on both sides to get a perfect symmetry. Don’t make your edge too sharp as it can damage in the very next step of hardening.

5. Hardening:

At this stage your knife is actually ready to perform most of the cutting tasks. But this very process will make it a perfect survival gear. To harden the knife, again the knife will go under the heating process, for this you can use a standard propane torch then a rapid cooling will harden your steel making it tougher like rocks. Right after heating, shift the knife to your cooling medium and make sure you are moving the blade parallel to its length. Any other kind of movement can warp the blade. To get your blade come to the normal you can use water, oil, liquid animal fat etc.

6. Tempering:

The very color of the steel represents the temperature it has. The hotter the steel the brighter it would be. The color temperature spectrum of steel is like grey, blue purple, gold, straw white where each color represents the different temperature. Purple one is more suitable for knives. Be prepared it is a quick process so when the purple color hits the edge shift the blade to your cooling source to get the relative hardness.

7. Final Sharpening:

This stage will make it sharper than before, now your due care will last your knife longer. Avoid doing anything wrong that can damage the blade or make its edge dull. Use of sharpening tool specifically course stones or diamond-plated sharpening stone or homemade sandpaper will give the knife super sharpness as new.

8. Handle making:

By building the handle you make your knife easy and comfortable. The grippy handle will make your blade an ideal weapon for you to do all kinds of chores. You can make use of wood, bone, any synthetic material and preferably creating slapping scales on it will provide your gear extra strength and add to your comfort too. Just peg them in the right place and grind the extra handle’s material to have a perfect smart handle.

So above are the steps through which you can build your own survival knife which is more powerful and versatile than the knives available in the market. The way you keep it and take care of it will certainly make it durable and sturdier. Remember your survival gear is a sacred thing as it saves your life when time threatens it so protect it like a warm friend.

How to use a Survival Knife

A survival knife is the most important part of survivalists’ backpack, this only gear makes possible for the outdoor ventures to face the most intimidating phase of their lives with the best skill and with the best gadget they have selected for their survival. The versatile survival tool enables the users to enjoy their toughest and hardest of experiences. We have listed down some of the tips and techniques that will help you to use this multipurpose gadget for a long time with the same perfect ease and flawless features.

Learn the Art of Using a Survival Knife

The following techniques will increase your gear’s life, multiplying its utility reducing the chance of risky applications that may harm the user.

1. Sharp blade:

Make sure the survival knife you are using must have a sharp blade, a dull blade will not only consume your extra effort but time as well. Moreover as in a survival situation there is no second chance, so sharpness is a pre requisite to do any of the survival chores where you don’t have time to bother its dullness and dreariness, so be very careful while buying your perfect gear for your perfect experience. Always check its sharpness before going on an outdoor venture.

2. Keep your knife sheathed:

Always keep your knife in a perfectly fit sheath when not in use. A good quality sheath will definitely protect the blade from any possible harm and damage. This sheath will give your gadget a longer life and secures the blade’s tip, sharpness and its respective edge. Even the sturdier and premium quality built blade can be damaged if not kept in a perfect sheath. You can wonderfully increase the longevity, utility and functionality of your blade just by using a good quality sheath.

To find quality survival knives have the best sheath, click here.

3. Cut away from your body:

While cutting move the blade away from your body so as to avoid any kind of accidental mistake. Always keep yourself focused and attentive, have your eyes on what you are doing. Extra firm grip can’t make your hands slipped up. Cutting towards your body may harm you so avoid such actions and be alert while using this beast as even a single slash can take your life.

4. A first aid kit:

Another necessary item you must bring with you to your outdoor exploring site is a First Aid Kit, it is nearly as important as your gear itself. In case of any serious injury or wound you need to bandage it and clean it by using some medicated gauze and an antiseptic cream.

5. Avoid distracters:

You need to be vigilant and watchful while using your knife, so be very careful as it can equally be useful and harmful depending the way you are using your gadget. Hunger, thirst and sleep can be some of the powerful distracters that can take away your attention and may cause to bring deadly consequences. Use both of your hands while closing any of folding weapons.

6. Avoid triangular death posture:

While using your survival gadget, don’t sit in a posture where your legs are making a triangle having the floor as its base. Cutting in that posture may bring threatening consequences, as if you get a cut over your legs it may take your life or can put you into a deadly situation.

7. Proper oiling and regular cleaning:

Proper oiling and regular cleaning are the unfailing techniques to guarantee lifelong usage of your gadget so it is ready to perform vigorous jobs. This will not only keep your blade secured and strong but will also ensure its sturdier performance.

Along with the above techniques your expertise and proper usage are the pre requisites to make your hunting adventure, camping experience or an outdoor exploration worth remembering and successful. Hoping you have a good time with your skilled hands and the superb survival gear you have chosen for your respective outdoor trip.

Check out top 10 list of Survival Knives under 100 Dollars.