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Can you trust a folding knife wont accidentally fold back on your fingers in a self defense situation?
All these attacks on asians have gotten me thinking. There is not much you can carry in NYC to protect yourself. You cannot guns, retractable batons, or sprays of any kind. I am wondering what the asians can do to protect themselves. You also cannot carry knives. But . . . . .
You can probably get away with carrying a small folding knife or utility knife. You can say you need it to open boxes, or cut twine, and or you left it somewhere and are transporting it back. Now a utility knife is not going to be durable enough as it is just a small razor blade. A regular knife will need a sheath, and become cumbersome to carry. A folding knife can be carried in the pocket.
But what are the chances the blade folds back on your fingers? I have seen some that a little stub at the base of blade that you tuck your index under so it blocks the blade as it folds, or the button is on the bottom end of the handle.
I know this sounds kind of sinister, but I am talking about these LITTLE OLD ASIAN LADIES/GRANDPAS that are the majority victims of these asian hate crimes. What else can they do the protect themselves? You can also likely carry around a baseball bat. You just pretend you are going to batting cage or play baseball. You can likewise potentially carry a hammer around too. You just feign carrying it to and from construction work you are doing.
However both bats and hammers are a burden to carry. A folding knife can be kept in any pocket or even clipped to belts shirt. Very small profile makes for ever more attractive option.
edit:
Before mods say this thread is redundant, I did make another thread asking about folding knives that wont fold back from heavy use. But that is different topic because I am asking about self defense here. Heavy use means normal use like for construction, or wilderness/recreational activities in the other thread. Self defense is very different.
A knife small enough to not trigger New York's anti self defense KGB would be too small to use as a practical self defense devise.
You would need a lot of training and practice to use a small folding knife effectively against an attacker.
However, there is a weapon used by a former New Yorker very effectively.
Bat Masterson, sports writer for a New York news paper in his later years was a gunfighter, buffalo hunter, Indian fighter, and a Marshall in the old West. He was wounded in a gunfight shortly after being involved in the second battle of Adobe Walls against Quanna Parker's Comanches.
Wounded in the pelvis, he had to walk with a cane for the rest of his life. As a Marshall in Dodge City, Kansas during the 1870s he effectively used his cane many times to subdue belligerent cowboys, drunks, and various lawbreakers.
A good hardwood cane can be a very dangerous weapon and with a little training, very effective as a defensive and offensive weapon.
Nobody pays any attention to an elderly person using a cane, and you can even take your cane on the airplane as a medical device.
A walking staff would be better, and is acceptable to air travel as a walking aid, but a little out of place in New York.
Forget edged weapons for protection, they require a lot of skill and practice. A cane can be used like the Billy club the cops used before tasters with very good results, and require minimal training to be effective. You can disarm someone, keep them back away from you, trip your opponent, or break bones and crack skulls with a cane just as you could with a Billy club. If you're adventurous, a cane can even be used to restrain someone until help arrives.
A cane with a solid knob is deadlier, but one with a hooked handle is more versatile.
Personally, when out walking I always have a staff as I have a bad hip, and a staff, (or cane), works well against loose dogs, snakes, and other problems, and in a city environment, a cane doesn't get a second look from most people.
Just my 2 cents.
Last edited by MTSilvertip; 05-10-2021 at 12:03 AM..
A knife small enough to not trigger New York's anti self defense KGB would be too small to use as a practical self defense devise.
You would need a lot of training and practice to use a small folding knife effectively against an attacker.
However, there is a weapon used by a former New Yorker very effectively.
Bat Masterson, sports writer for a New York news paper in his later years was a gunfighter, buffalo hunter, Indian fighter, and a Marshall in the old West. He was wounded in a gunfight shortly after being involved in the second battle of Adobe Walls against Quanna Parker's Comanches.
Wounded in the pelvis, he had to walk with a cane for the rest of his life. As a Marshall in Dodge City, Kansas during the 1870s he effectively used his cane many times to subdue belligerent cowboys, drunks, and various lawbreakers.
A good hardwood cane can be a very dangerous weapon and with a little training, very effective as a defensive and offensive weapon.
Nobody pays any attention to an elderly person using a cane, and you can even take your cane on the airplane as a medical device.
A walking staff would be better, and is acceptable to air travel as a walking aid, but a little out of place in New York.
Forget edged weapons for protection, they require a lot of skill and practice. A cane can be used like the Billy club the cops used before tasters with very good results, and require minimal training to be effective. You can disarm someone, keep them back away from you, trip your opponent, or break bones and crack skulls with a cane just as you could with a Billy club. If you're adventurous, a cane can even be used to restrain someone until help arrives.
A cane with a solid knob is deadlier, but one with a hooked handle is more versatile.
Personally, when out walking I always have a staff as I have a bad hip, and a staff, (or cane), works well against loose dogs, snakes, and other problems, and in a city environment, a cane doesn't get a second look from most people.
Just my 2 cents.
I forgot about canes yes. But the canes wont have hitting power and they need to be light enough for disabled people to use.
The folding knives I am talking about dont have to be that small. The handles/blades are little shorter than a smartphone. Smartphones fit in your pocket. For protecting yourself against an H2H assailant, a short sharp edge should be enough to ward off the enemy. Just flash it out, and attacker be afraid to approach unless using a weapon with longer reach. So far we have not seen this. Its just all H2H.
I believe you can get away with those knives as long as you use excuses I stated. And yeh canes have arts revolving around them. I had know idea Bat Masterson is from NYC.
Location: When you take flak it means you are on target
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I'm old and I'm pretty sure my hand to hand and knife fighting days are behind me, so don't bring a knife to a gunfight. I still wear a cold steel fixed boot knife, horizontally on my belt. It conceals well under a loose shirt.
To answer the OP's question, there are folding blades that won't unlock on you, usually... I've had Buck 110s for 50+ years. These days on the very rare occasion that I carry one, it's a custom made switchblade version. Great knife if you need to peel an orange.
My shtf knives are either an original Gerber pig sticker. I bought it when I was in Army Basic in 1980. I had no idea it would become a collector item. My other "goto" is my Dad's WWII K-Bar. I have a modern molded kydex holster for it now.
But I think my all time favorite is this hand made bowie sailing knife I got in England 50 years ago, back when subjects of the queen were still allowed to own pointy things.
You can get a folding knife that locks open. I don't think that is the issue. The issue is that it takes training to use a knife properly and I don't think a frail senior citizen could do it. It's the senior citizens that are most likely to be attacked by muggers and freaks.
Just about anybody can swing a walking cane like a baseball bat and that is probably the best defense for senior citizen. At least in a state where people are not allowed to defend themselves. We don't get a lot of muggings where I live because if you are in the mood for violence or robbery, you take a big risk that your intended victim might respond by shooting you dead.
It really cuts down on crime when crime can have a serious and immediate response.
Even with a good solid cane, many senior citizens have been trained all of their lives to not hurt other people, so they might not be willing to split open a mugger's head like an overripe melon.
It depends if you're willing to take on the risk of using a NEW YORK STATE pistol license in a city of that state that doesn't think you should legally be allowed to carry it. (I think there is a SCOTUS case being heard with similar implications for NYC and pistol license).
How deep are your pockets to fight it? How knowledgeable of an attorney can you find?
Pepper spray/gel isn't a bad idea. I got some for my wife when we were out of state that I have her carry on her key chain since she doesn't have her pistol license yet.
You can get a folding knife that locks open. I don't think that is the issue. The issue is that it takes training to use a knife properly and I don't think a frail senior citizen could do it. It's the senior citizens that are most likely to be attacked by muggers and freaks.
Just about anybody can swing a walking cane like a baseball bat and that is probably the best defense for senior citizen. At least in a state where people are not allowed to defend themselves. We don't get a lot of muggings where I live because if you are in the mood for violence or robbery, you take a big risk that your intended victim might respond by shooting you dead.
It really cuts down on crime when crime can have a serious and immediate response.
Even with a good solid cane, many senior citizens have been trained all of their lives to not hurt other people, so they might not be willing to split open a mugger's head like an overripe melon.
If the senior citizen has to carry the cane then sure probably best option. But cane is pretty big and sort of annoying to carry. For those seniors who dont need a cane, they probably want something that is not so cumbersome.
They can just wave around a small pointy object to scare would be assailants away. From what we have seen so far, no guns or even weapons are involved. It just large men attack weak helpless old people.
Quote:
Originally Posted by drinkthekoolaid
It depends if you're willing to take on the risk of using a NEW YORK STATE pistol license in a city of that state that doesn't think you should legally be allowed to carry it. (I think there is a SCOTUS case being heard with similar implications for NYC and pistol license).
How deep are your pockets to fight it? How knowledgeable of an attorney can you find?
Pepper spray/gel isn't a bad idea. I got some for my wife when we were out of state that I have her carry on her key chain since she doesn't have her pistol license yet.
Pepper spray not legal and hard to find in these parts. If you live in NYC, you cannot get even a NYS pistol license let alone carry around with you.
If the senior citizen has to carry the cane then sure probably best option. But cane is pretty big and sort of annoying to carry. For those seniors who dont need a cane, they probably want something that is not so cumbersome.
They can just wave around a small pointy object to scare would be assailants away. From what we have seen so far, no guns or even weapons are involved. It just large men attack weak helpless old people.
Pepper spray not legal and hard to find in these parts. If you live in NYC, you cannot get even a NYS pistol license let alone carry around with you.
There is a case now being heard at SCOTUS in relation to NYC blocking NY state pistol licenses.
I am familiar with all these laws. That's all I'll say. I would rather deal with possible consequences later.
A: My standard buck knife, a Gerber, has a lock when the blade is open and another lock when it is closed so it doesn't deploy in one's pocket. It might or might not be used in a self defence situation. I say might or might not for in one, I'll use anything as a force multiplier. If I had to use it in one, I have confidence that it wouldn't fold back......to the limits of the lock, whatever those might be.
B: They say to take your pocket knife with you if there is a work place shooter. You wouldn't attack her head on but in close quarters, around the corner situations, there are possibilities.
C: This is Texas! We carry knives, too, here.
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I still wear a cold steel fixed boot knife, horizontally on my belt. It conceals well under a loose shirt. 
