Very nice post, CJL101. The technique you intend to use (or the one you fall back on under stress) is critical to your choice of blade.
I would raise one minor point of disagreement. I feel that the slash is easier to connect with than the thrust. The entire outer arc your arm describes as it moves through the slash is dangerous and a potential contact point, versus the relatively small area a thrust can connect with, straight ahead. Think, for example of which you would rather dodge (were they moving at the same speed): a bullet or a scythe? Alternatively, think of how much easier it is to hit a baseball by swinging at it than by poking at it. When a moving target is involved, I feel the slash is more likely to connect.
You are right-on that slashes will generally be more superficial but also more upsetting wounds. The Civilian is the king of slashes, in-line with a hit-and run philosophy where the object is to create the opportunity for escape rather than killing an assailant outright. I feel that not only is this both morally and legally preferable, but it is more likely to succeed under duress. A thrust virtually needs to get past the assailant's limbs in order to be truly effective. The Civilian can do its work with a strike to virtually any part of the body. Under stress, I don't want to count on my ability to defeat someone's flailing (potentially armed) hands and deliver a precise strike to the torso. I may be reduced to flailing myself, and want a weapon that won't become ineffective should my presence-of-mind be less than perfect.
That's why I believe in the design of the Civilian. Others may feel differently. If one is interested in a thrusting knife, the Goddard with its large integral guard is a fine choice. It's belly will also let it slash fairly well. I don't personally recommend the Police model or the Endura because neither has any real guard, but of the two the Zytel Endura is far preferable. I love the Police model for many reasons (I had no fewer than four in my house this weekend, including my own!), but I cannot stress enough how easy it is to end up with your hand on the blade when thrusting with it.
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-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)
I would raise one minor point of disagreement. I feel that the slash is easier to connect with than the thrust. The entire outer arc your arm describes as it moves through the slash is dangerous and a potential contact point, versus the relatively small area a thrust can connect with, straight ahead. Think, for example of which you would rather dodge (were they moving at the same speed): a bullet or a scythe? Alternatively, think of how much easier it is to hit a baseball by swinging at it than by poking at it. When a moving target is involved, I feel the slash is more likely to connect.
You are right-on that slashes will generally be more superficial but also more upsetting wounds. The Civilian is the king of slashes, in-line with a hit-and run philosophy where the object is to create the opportunity for escape rather than killing an assailant outright. I feel that not only is this both morally and legally preferable, but it is more likely to succeed under duress. A thrust virtually needs to get past the assailant's limbs in order to be truly effective. The Civilian can do its work with a strike to virtually any part of the body. Under stress, I don't want to count on my ability to defeat someone's flailing (potentially armed) hands and deliver a precise strike to the torso. I may be reduced to flailing myself, and want a weapon that won't become ineffective should my presence-of-mind be less than perfect.
That's why I believe in the design of the Civilian. Others may feel differently. If one is interested in a thrusting knife, the Goddard with its large integral guard is a fine choice. It's belly will also let it slash fairly well. I don't personally recommend the Police model or the Endura because neither has any real guard, but of the two the Zytel Endura is far preferable. I love the Police model for many reasons (I had no fewer than four in my house this weekend, including my own!), but I cannot stress enough how easy it is to end up with your hand on the blade when thrusting with it.
------------------
-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)
