What "edged" weapon has the greatest "Fear Factor" for you...

[Dr.Rob]

Any knife pointed my way is pretty scary.

But talk about impressive? A Philipino martial artist showing how to use a knife... in about a second (without you ever seeing the knife) he demo-ed an attack that cut all the tendons on the outside of the knee, inside the elbow and ending at the neck. (Likely it was faster, he also showed us in slow-mo)

OK even if he didn't get your neck you are hobbled and if he did it right he cut your brachial artery. You might not die from either but you would be out of the fight pretty quickly.

Ajhonnys tactical khukris look pretty cool.

You don't wanna get in a knife fight on purpose.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Yeah, AJ, what kind of khukris are those? They look awesome!

 

[squinty]

I've seen a lot of nasty, shallow cuts with box cutters (used to work in an E.D.) and utility knives.

 

[Macmac]

I am more afraid of myself knapping in obsidian, than anyone or anything else. Any time you get cut with this stone, you never feel it untill there is a pool of blood.

As it heals is when you feel it.

 

[ajohnny50]

Those are Extrema Ratio, an Italian company. They have a decent following, but are not that well known yet here in the U.S.

http://www.extremaratioknivesdivision.eu/inglese/azienda.htm

 

[dhranch]

A butcher knife

A butcher knife. I've lost a good friend and and an aunt to butcher knives. T-Bone's wife killed him, my uncle killed my aunt. So I sort of lost my uncle too when they put him in prison for a long time.

I see Ontario still makes the kind of knife I am referring to, under the "Old Hickory" brand, in 7" and 8" lengths: http://www.ontarioknife.com/oldhickory.html

 

[wccountryboy]

Any edged weapon wielded by somebody trained to use it scares the heck out of me....
Most intimidating to me in the hands of an "average" untrained assailiant would probably be a tomahawk or hand axe. Capiable of causing devastating injury, and almost instinctive to use. If you can swing a hammer, you can do a lot of damage with a 'hawk, even without "training".

 

[godsdog]

My girlfriends tongue when she's pi**ed...

 

[Duke of Doubt]

I've never faced a bayonet charge.

And I don't want to.

At present, few people are at risk of same. The last army to deploy long rifles with sword bayonets was Finland, until their Civil Guard retired the old Swedes. But even the cruciform pigstickers on short Mosin and Chinese SKS-pattern rifles would be nasty to face en masse. Just not quite as intimidating as all that shiny steel coming at you in front of several feet of walnut.

I generally shoot my rifles with bayonets attached, and the looks I get when I break out my Persian and fix the bayonet are amusing. That's a LONG weapon.

 

[srm970]

tomahawk

they are fairly light with about an 14in handle .. that head can get moving at a prety fast clip.. and if you know what you are doing . it makes a hell of a throwing weapon as well.. someone who knows how to throw can easly hit a 2foot target at 20 to 30 ft.. and even if it hits backwards. would be like getting hit with a baseball bat..

 

[red_metallic]

The hand axe on through the pole axe. So much force concentrated into such a small cutting area. I guess one swung horizontal going between my ribs gives me pause. As an aside, anyone in New England might enjoy a visit to the Higgins Armory in Worcester, MA. The collection of edged weapons & pole arms (halberds, pikes, lances, etc.) is staggering. The collection of armor, truly unbelievable. It is a great way to spend a few hours if you are interested in medieval edged weapons.

 

[squinty]

I've seen some pretty gnarly damage done by box cutters and retractable utility knives. You know the ones you can buy at the hardware store that have a 3-4" long razor blade that pops out the front of a plastic handle, scored so you can break off the tip whenever it's dull and push out a length of sharper blade? Something like this:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_307989-16878-53908_0_?productId=3032293&Ntt=utility%20knife&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?newSearch=true$Ntt=utility%20knife$y=0$x=0
I've seen patients in the ED with really harrowing, baroque cuts from those suckers. They are tiny, razor sharp, virtually weightless and therefore fast, and easy to hide. Someone really intent on hurting you can wip it across your face or neck before you register that they have a weapon, and there's little skill required just determination. I'd rather face a sword or machete than be surprised by one of these little ratsards.

 

[hso]

Machete, short sword, etc.

 

[Cosmoline]

Small swords or kitchen blades, a real spear (though I've never seen one on the street!) or a large axe. Box knives are also very nasty.

I'd much rather be stabbed with some chrome plated "military" style blade or Katanawana than a good quality Shun or other food blade.

I don't particularly fear chainsaws. They make a lot of noise but are incredibly cumbersome to wield in a fight and jam up on bits of cloth really easily. It's the wrong tool for the job, Sillywood aside.

 

[Aka Zero]

Any edged weapon..... But a khukri would get even me running. A knife can cut you, but if medics are fast... you can live. A khuk will go straight through an arm and then some.

Or.... a spyderco civilian.... nothing civilian about it....

 

[James T Thomas]

Shibui

The Japanese katana; a genuine one.

Even if drawn from the scabbard recklessly, you may find your fingers dropping on the floor!

A blade which can cut a man from forehead to groin in one stroke has to be respected.

 

[agent slice]

+1 on that!

The Japanese katana; a genuine one.

Even if drawn from the scabbard recklessly, you may find your fingers dropping on the floor!

A blade which can cut a man from forehead to groin in one stroke has to be respected.

i agree with you totaly!

 

[1911Tuner]

The small, razor sharp blade that can be hidden in the palm of a hand of an experienced, street-wise knife fighter is the one that I'm most afraid of.

 

[P.B.Walsh]

All this talk and I'm glad for firearms!!

 

[JShirley]

A blade which can cut a man from forehead to groin in one stroke has to be respected.

I agree. I just don't know many blades like this, and I believe the chances of finding any living person who can cut all the way through another living, muscular man wearing armor, from head to pelvis with a katana, are millions to one. IOW, this claims seems to be mostly hype from those who have bought into the myth that the katana is the ultimate battle blade.*

Hell, a study of deaths on Japanese battlefields reveals that more warriors died from thrown rocks than swords.


*Not only is the katana not the ULTIMATE!!!1!battle blade, it's not even the most effective Japanese fighting blade, at least in terms of cutting potential. Nodachi could cleave through much more than a katana.

 

[RS14]

I've never faced a bayonet charge.

And I don't want to.

At present, few people are at risk of same. The last army to deploy long rifles with sword bayonets was Finland, until their Civil Guard retired the old Swedes. But even the cruciform pigstickers on short Mosin and Chinese SKS-pattern rifles would be nasty to face en masse. Just not quite as intimidating as all that shiny steel coming at you in front of several feet of walnut.

I generally shoot my rifles with bayonets attached, and the looks I get when I break out my Persian and fix the bayonet are amusing. That's a LONG weapon.

I agree; a bayonet is probably the most frightening blade to me. An attacker's desire to close with you, rather than shooting at you, also almost requires a sort of aggression that I really, really don't want to face.

I've got to say that the cruciform bayonets seem more frightening.


The comments about straight-razors seem funny to me. I shave with one; there's not much frightening about it. Now, I'd rather not be attacked by anyone wielding one, but that holds for all blades.

 

[blindhari]

Any one here ever seen some one competent with a Firestone Hand Ax. Under a pound, hits like a hammer, throws like an axe, cuts like a knife, has a 4' sweetspot on the blade, skins elk and pounds in tent stakes, splits firewood. Up close and inside it is bloody murder in a small package at under $50.

Google, Firestone Hand Ax

The vikings were on to something.

blindhari

 

[James T Thomas]

so desu

JShirley:

Sir, give me the rock to the head any time.

The Nodachi cleaves, but those Katanas cut; whew!

 

[Nursie]

Opinion from this side of the pond

Hi Gents
A few years ago I was on a course with a respected chap from the UK
We had spent all day practicing cutting ( to see what blades were capable of) and defending ( to see how difficult it is)
The room was full of Doormen (bouncers), Coppers (LEO) and a couple of nurses (me and a mate)
The instructor then started recapping on tales from his past, all the time playing with a small folder, I think it was a hawkbill if I recall correctly.
The room came to a sudden quiet when he revealed its big brother, a Civilian and began to explain how he had trained people to use it.
That is one ugly SOB blade, it still scares me some 8 or more (i can't remember) years later.
My best mate bought one, I can't even seen to handle it without feeling sick, the damage that can be caused by these is truly awful
Just my 2 pence worth
Take Care
Graham

 

[hso]

Graham,

Glad to see you posting. Civilian, and the Mariah, are two of my favorites for creating a case of the willies (butterflies in the gut demanding that you be anywhere but "here").