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What is your pick for best self defense Spydie

SilvaSpyder

SilvaSpyder

Gold Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2018
Messages
743
Which is your pick for Spyderco best self defense knife? Mine is the Matriarch 2 w/ wave feature and added Wisemen signet ring. Finger in ring and pull. Reverse grip ready.
inpiSWN
 
Whichever Spyderco is the lightest. If a knife is the only weapon I have, I will be running away, not flicking it out...

My favorite Spydercos, on the other hand, are the Vallotton Sub-Hilt and Lil Sub-Hilt. I hope never to use either of them as a weapon of last resort.... I'd rather have a good pepper spray canister than a knife in a self-defense situation. If I can't have an Abrams M1 tank with air support. Yeah, that's silly. Almost as silly as bringing a knife to a gun fight!
 
rje58 said:
Whichever Spyderco is the lightest. If a knife is the only weapon I have, I will be running away, not flicking it out...

My favorite Spydercos, on the other hand, are the Vallotton Sub-Hilt and Lil Sub-Hilt. I hope never to use either of them as a weapon of last resort.... I'd rather have a good pepper spray canister than a knife in a self-defense situation. If I can't have an Abrams M1 tank with air support. Yeah, that's silly. Almost as silly as bringing a knife to a gun fight!
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Looks like you've had real life experience. My hat is off to you. Thank you for what you've done.
 
SilvaSpyder said:
Which is your pick for Spyderco best self defense knife? Mine is the Matriarch 2 w/ wave feature and added Wisemen signet ring. Finger in ring and pull. Reverse grip ready.
inpiSWN
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We’re talking folders? Spyderco Pikal is my favourite. The knife goes hand in hand with its reverse edge fighting system to be an excellent SD knife.

A self defense knife is not a fighting knife exactly and is basically only used up close when forced to fight. At a longer distance it is better to just run than stick around for a knife fight. The Pikal and its fighting system is tailor made for close range and grappling where alot of self defense would end up.

I personally didn’t like the way the wisemen signet ring changed the way I gripped the knife. The waved Matriarch is a good self defense knife designed for an untrained user to slash wildly. Of knives of the Matriarch’s family I actually prefer the waved Endura. Imho any self defense folder absolutely must have a wave feature or equivilent and imho reverse waving is the better way to wave a knife.

One of the things that attracted me to Spyderco was that they make a wide range of specialized knives designed for self defense that no one else does.
 
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I also have the p’kal which I agree is great for the claw and rip design for which it was made or the rapid upward jab like punctures it just personally for me doesn’t pop out as quickly but does have a better firm secure grip. That is my 2nd then Janich’s Yojimbo is excellent as well as more of a natural outward extension of the arm and hand. I like it’s grip and wharncliffe blade.
 
johnny_boy02 said:
My Spydie feet or last resort my Spydie Glock. If I am using a pocket knife for self defense things have gone horribly horribly wrong.
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Things seem to be going horribly wrong around a lot of places lately so anything is better than nothing. It’s crazy and sad. I have no guns, carry a knife and am trained in a few different things but prepare what you can and pray for the best. And yes depending on the situation Flashing yourself out of there is probably the best option
 
SilvaSpyder said:
I also have the p’kal which I agree is great for the claw and rip design for which it was made or the rapid upward jab like punctures it just personally for me doesn’t pop out as quickly but does have a better firm secure grip. That is my 2nd then Janich’s Yojimbo is excellent as well as more of a natural outward extension of the arm and hand. I like it’s grip and wharncliffe blade.
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With practice I can draw my Spyderco Pikal and “roll” it into reverse grip edge in very quickly. Typically I can get it out even faster than a concealed self defense fixed blade since I usually wear self defense fixed blades in waist band and thus have to lift my shirt to get the fixed blades handle.

The Pikal’s fighting system is largely point driven. Stabbing is the main strike with the edge only secondary for shearing blocking arm and also ripping as you noted.
 
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There are really so many Spyderco blades you could pick from that it is kind of difficult to nail it down to just one. Albeit there is one that I've always liked because of it's extremely ergonomic design. I'm speaking of the model C-60 Massad Ayoob model. But there are so many models that could also offer similar benefits in a self defense scenario.

Some other models I like in that area are the C-36 Military, the old C-54 Calypso, The JD Smith model and of course the two Reverse S blades made for such purposes>> I'm speaking of the Civilian and Matriarch models. I guess it just boils down to what you feel the most comfortable with.
 
I have a few.

I love my Ayoob in hand but the opening isn't ideal for me; I guess it falls into the best defense is a good offense category.

I really like my PPT but not a fan of flexy clip. It's OK worn IWB behind a heavy belt but not good in a pants pocket for me.

I could totally ruin someones day with my Civilian but overspecialized to the point of not being that useful; maybe if I was a secret squirrel then it would get carried more.

The serrated ARK looks good but I don't have one so I can't say how much I'd like it.

For me the go to is the Yojimbo. It ticks all the the right boxes and if I had to go looking for more trouble I'd consider the Ronin 2.
 
JD Spydo said:
There are really so many Spyderco blades you could pick from that it is kind of difficult to nail it down to just one. Albeit there is one that I've always liked because of it's extremely ergonomic design. I'm speaking of the model C-60 Massad Ayoob model. But there are so many models that could also offer similar benefits in a self defense scenario.

Some other models I like in that area are the C-36 Military, the old C-54 Calypso, The JD Smith model and of course the two Reverse S blades made for such purposes>> I'm speaking of the Civilian and Matriarch models. I guess it just boils down to what you feel the most comfortable with.
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^ this;

It all depends on your training and fighting style. They make so many excellent folding self defence knives.

Sadly more of them should come with waves. Luckily Spydercos are one of the best candidates for either a zip tie mod or grinding the Spydiehole into wave.
 
I carry a lot of different Spydercos from Delica to a Shaman. Probably the best SD spyderco would be the Harpy or Tasman Salt serrated. My primary SD tool is a handgun.

I don't think most people that carry a knife as a SD tool intend to use it as their first tool or wouldn't try to avoid any fight or scenario if at all possible, but I do think they carry it as a last ditch or get off me means of defense if their life is in jeopardy and they have no other choice.
If you think running is always the best thing to do, have you ever seen someone cut in the back?
 
I read that the Spyderco Civilian was made for undercover agents to defend themselves. Honestly I don't really understand that because the blade looks good for gouging and ripping but not stabbing. So I've been wondering what the ideology is behind it?
 
Danke42 said:
I have a few.

I love my Ayoob in hand but the opening isn't ideal for me; I guess it falls into the best defense is a good offense category.

I really like my PPT but not a fan of flexy clip. It's OK worn IWB behind a heavy belt but not good in a pants pocket for me.

I could totally ruin someones day with my Civilian but overspecialized to the point of not being that useful; maybe if I was a secret squirrel then it would get carried more.

The serrated ARK looks good but I don't have one so I can't say how much I'd like it.

For me the go to is the Yojimbo. It ticks all the the right boxes and if I had to go looking for more trouble I'd consider the Ronin 2.
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For micro SD fixed blades I prefer the Swick or Spot. The ARK has a pretty good handle for retention but for a knife that small nothing beats a finger ring.

That’s why I love my Silent Soldier neck knives and Perrin La Griffe/Le Shark so much.
 
Lapedog said:
For micro SD fixed blades I prefer the Swick or Spot. The ARK has a pretty good handle for retention but for a knife that small nothing beats a finger ring.

That’s why I love my Silent Soldier neck knives and Perrin La Griffe/Le Shark so much.
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I have a La Griffe too in the bag.
 
Never considered it. I guess if I was relying on my personal mall ninja skills and my Judo yellow belt at age 8, I'd just reach for the Darn Dao, swing like Frodo in the web, and hope for the best.
 
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