Novice Blade user

[botoi]

Hi everyone,
I will be moving to college in pune, and probably living in a hostel, and I was wondering, what kind of a knife would be good for EDC (self defense and general utility), and also keeps me out of (legal and police) trouble?
The options I have are-
1)Spyderco Harpy (Loving this one, my first choice)
2)Spyderco civilian (Probably bad for utility, but looks super cool)
3)SOG Flash 2 (fsa-8 and tfsat-8)
4)Cold Steel Safe Maker II (A push dagger, if legal in India )
5)SOG Vulcun (vl-2)
6)Spyderco Tenacious G-10
7)SOG Trident tf-2 tf-3 or tf-6.

Also, I will be (probably) getting a SOG SEAL Pup Elite. I tell myself that it is for hiking and general utility purposes, but apart from shaving, I really dont know how i can use it.

I will also be looking fora sharpener. Smith has a 3piece and the one from sog is also interesting.....

Lastly, I dont have a clue what I am doing, and i would really appreciate it if someone could point me tothe relevant laws. As far as knives go, the budget for the EDC and sharpener is about 10,000-15,000 rupees. The seal, should i decide to go for it, will be paid for seperately.

[rraju2805]

I think , you should learn well to handle & fight with a knife at first. ... ...
Otherwise it may be dangerous for you. ...

And aslo u learn karate for self defence..

[Bruno22]

Get your self a swiss knife. Its great utility and will not get you into trouble. Please don't try and shave with a knife. Buy yourself a nice razor. I don't think its a good idea to collect knives while living in a hostel.
Thats my opinion.
Regards
Bruno22

[shadow]

Get your self a swiss knife. Its great utility and will not get you into trouble. Please don't try and shave with a knife. Buy yourself a nice razor. I don't think its a good idea to collect knives while living in a hostel.
Thats my opinion.
Regards
Bruno22

Go in for a Victorinox Swiss Knife.

All the best!

Cheers,
Rup

[hunterjack]

+1 to swiss knife. you will be living in a hostel so people around will think as, its for an offensive use rather defensive. swiss knife is a great serves good for other utilities as well.

[Moin.]

Very sound advice from Bruno. At 19 I barely had money for Vada Pav and Pepsi, let alone buying Spyderco's and SOG's.

A Victorinox with a 3 inch blade, saw, a few screwdriverheads, bottle opneners is your best bet, won't cost you more than 2K, comes with a lifetime warranty and can be sent back to the store for sharpening any number of time so you don't have to spend on a sharpener.

If not the Spyderco Tenacious is an wonderful wonderful EDC knife. I'm so impressed with the build quality, the finish, the steel liners, superbly built and came razor sharp right out of the box. The Trident's an assited opener, not excatly spring actuated but you never know how laws are interpreted.

Where do you intend to get the Seal Pup from in Mumbai ? Please do not try and have with any knife let alone with a partially serrated Seal Pup. .I've been using a Gillete Presto since the last 12 Years, works fine .

All the very best for your education and hostel stay. Avoid carrying and keeping knives while in hostel, don't drink too often

Best Regards
Moin.

[Rajat]

As everyone says go for a Swiss Knife that meets your requirements. You will also be able to find a simple sharpener at any Base Camp store too.

[choombak]

If you intend to ask others what knife would suit you best for self-defense, you never understood what self-defense means in the first place. You should also read this excellent article on "Dangerous misconceptions about EDC knives".

So keeping it aside, I'd also vote for a SAK (Swiss Army Knife), which will serve you well in student life. As a sidenote, the Harpy is a very poor choice for EDC, as it is intended for very specific tearing jobs (say, use by a sailor to tear thick ropes). As a student, every plain knife like a Spydie is going to get you in legal trouble if caught, while the SAK is the best bet (it is not just the legality, but also the intimidation factor that counts - a folding knife like a Spyderco is more fearful than a SAK).

Good luck, and stay out of trouble - remember you are here in Pune for study, and not knife practice.

[botoi]

I have some experience with self defense, namely kickboxing and wrestling, along with some submissions. At least to avoid getting seriously hurt in one on one combat Clearly, the opinion of SAK seems to be good, but in a self defense situation, how would i Open it in time? Also, once opened, will it even be effective? The questions are many, but apparently a 19 year old in a hostel should NOT buy a serious blade..... Very well, I trust your judgment.
Where can I get a pepper spray, or taser then? Another problem, Me, being a guy, I don't carry hand bags, so a pepper spray or taser may be tough to carry and use.
How is the blade of the Victorinox? The sharpness, i mean?

[Bruno22]

The blade on a 'Victorinox' is very sharp. Of all the knives I handle I generally cut myself with the good ol Swiss knife most often. I personally use the Cyber tool which has the advantages of a fold out screwdriver with different heads. Though the bit holder is sometimes too thick to get into tight recessed areas (most of my kids toys for battery change). Go on the web site and see what suits your needs.

[Rajat]

I have some experience with self defense, namely kickboxing and wrestling, along with some submissions. At least to avoid getting seriously hurt in one on one combat Clearly, the opinion of SAK seems to be good, but in a self defense situation, how would i Open it in time? Also, once opened, will it even be effective?

In a self defense situation better use your kickboxing and wrestling skills. Lets hope that you do not need to use a knife for self defense. BTW you also have one hand opening blades with a thumb hole on the SAK's. And as for your second question: ANY and EVERY knife is effective in a self defense situation, it just depends on how you use it.

A number of IFG members have given you some sound advice. Stick to it.

[Subal das]

http://www.crkt.com/M16-01-EDC-Titanium ... Sharp-Edge

CRKT made m16 or m21 series are great folders for self defense, fastest opening knife, good lock, comes in different sizes, steel, handle materials, blade finish.

[rraju2805]

[quote=

All the very best for your education and hostel stay. Avoid carrying and keeping knives while in hostel, don't drink too often

[/quote]



It may be create some problem to keeping a knife in hostel. ...

[Kshatriya]

You may checkout the Leatherman Surge & other such large sized multitools, which have pretty decent sized knives in them.

[Rolf]

In hostel life, the best of the worst that can happen if one were to own a good knife would be that it gets stolen. The worst scenario --- four guys get drunk and one takes out a knife to settle the argument.
Very sound advice by everybody on the forum. Go in for a Victorinox SAK and pls don't try to flaunt it. At 19, carrying a knife may seem macho, but it doesn't take much time for an adventure to turn into a misadventure.
Regarding the quality of Victorinox, well Everest conquerors have used Victorinox to snap lines and thick tent covers to escape avalanche. Be rest assured of the quality.
Good luck and all the best for your studies.