What you did today

[Hurlshort]

My wife had ACL surgery about 6 weeks ago, and we went wine tasting today.  Given that she hasn't had anything to drink since the surgery, she became a pretty cheap date and then promptly passed out.  Good times.    

[Orogun01]

I don't. Man's an unfunny clown.

 

Looks like I may get that job after all, huzzah. Will miss the freedom of unemployment, was nice to wake up at 7 AM and just do whatever I wanted. Ah well, back to being a slave to The Man.

Happy for you, wish you luck on your quest to become The Man and just do whatever you want while being paid.

[Calax]

Working towards assistant Branch Manager position at my job... but got told to take today off because it's stupid slow this week and we don't need a full staff.

 

Either way even with all the various days off and half days over the week, I'm still at 40 hours per paycheck (I'm averaging about 55 right now)

[Guard Dog]

I'm going to try my hand at making furniture out of trees I harvest myself. I've never done anything quite like this so it should be interesting. Let's home the trees don't die in vain. Well, I always need firewood.

[Malcador]

Happy for you, wish you luck on your quest to become The Man and just do whatever you want while being paid.

Pft, being The Man is too much work, I feel I'd be comfortable being the assistant to The Man, even if I end up filling in for him and ending up being turned to dust after.

[Woldan]

Today I went to the knife & cutlery store to buy a new carry knife.

Asked the shopkeeper if he could make me a few suggestions for a good all-season self defense knife, told him I'm not such a knife pro and I'd appreciate some help. 

He showed me some interesting tacticool daggers, but they all had the same terrible design flaw. As he was showing me the blades I told him I don't like blades with saw backs since they get stuck between ribs all the time. After a few seconds of awkward silence I added ''Or so I've heard!!'' 

 

Needless to say he was kind of ''distanced'' for the rest of the sales talk, but I cant blame myself, its absolutely true that people in WWI in the trenches had massive problems with sawtooth bayonets and trench daggers getting stuck in their enemies bodies. Always use a plain straight blade! 

 

 

But I got what I wanted. Nothing fancy or earth shaking, but it gets the job done, size and weight is nearly perfect. Its pretty damn hard to find a decent dual-edged blade without a sawback. (I've got huge hands, the blade isn't that small)

 

 

 

[aluminiumtrioxid]

He showed me some interesting tacticool daggers, but they all had the same terrible design flaw. As he was showing me the blades I told him I don't like blades with saw backs since they get stuck between ribs all the time. After a few seconds of awkward silence I added ''Or so I've heard!!'' 

 

Needless to say he was kind of ''distanced'' for the rest of the sales talk, but I cant blame myself, its absolutely true that people in WWI in the trenches had massive problems with sawtooth bayonets and trench daggers getting stuck in their enemies bodies. Always use a plain straight blade! 

 

I really don't get the squeamishness. I mean, if you didn't want to murder the absolute living **** out of somebody (or at least inflict grievous bodily harm), you wouldn't use a knife to begin with. That's what a self-defense knife is for!

[Guard Dog]

Careful Woldan. Have you ever heard the story of the guy who brought a knife to a gunfight? It's a pretty short story.

[Woldan]

Careful Woldan. Have you ever heard the story of the guy who brought a knife to a gunfight? It's a pretty short story.

 

I agree with you to 100%, unfortunately getting a concealed carry permit - while in theory possible- is virtually impossible to get as a normal person around here. Which is strange as all the thugs and burglars seem to have a carry permit (lol).   

 

So the next best and legal option is to carry a knife. 

Edited December 22, 2015 by Woldan

[Drowsy Emperor]

Today I went to the knife & cutlery store to buy a new carry knife.

Asked the shopkeeper if he could make me a few suggestions for a good all-season self defense knife, told him I'm not such a knife pro and I'd appreciate some help. 

He showed me some interesting tacticool daggers, but they all had the same terrible design flaw. As he was showing me the blades I told him I don't like blades with saw backs since they get stuck between ribs all the time. After a few seconds of awkward silence I added ''Or so I've heard!!'' 

 

Needless to say he was kind of ''distanced'' for the rest of the sales talk, but I cant blame myself, its absolutely true that people in WWI in the trenches had massive problems with sawtooth bayonets and trench daggers getting stuck in their enemies bodies. Always use a plain straight blade! 

 

 

But I got what I wanted. Nothing fancy or earth shaking, but it gets the job done, size and weight is nearly perfect. Its pretty damn hard to find a decent dual-edged blade without a sawback. (I've got huge hands, the blade isn't that small)

 

 

I don't know about Austrian laws but in Serbia it would be straight to the police station if that thing was found on you. To have deniability it would need to be a folder type of innocuous design. 

 

Generally speaking, a knife is not a good option for self-defense since there are no ways of using it without killing or maiming the other person - in other words, getting into a situation where you're the guilty party. If someone is out to murder you yes (not likely, is it?), but if get into a fistfight and pull a knife that's attempted murder and its straight to jail for you, even if you didn't start it. On the other hand, if you're attacked in a determined manner with any tool (bat, tire iron, knife) that would give you the excuse to use it the likelihood of being able to draw and defend oneself in time is remote.

 

If you want to carry a stabbing weapon, there is nothing better than a screwdriver with a sharpened tip, because its impossible to break regardless of what it hits and the handles are usually much better for grip. And its easy to find an excuse to have one on you. And you can't get cut if your fingers slip on it.

 

In the absence of guns, I'd prefer pepper spray, shock devices, caution and quick feet. This coming from a guy with a drawer full of various knives. I used to carry a pocketknife but its utility was low and it was easy to get into the habit of carrying it to the point that I sometimes forgot I had it on me. Not a good thing to walk into a government building with a metal detector with a knife that just sits in your pocket all the time. Police tend not to believe explanations at that point.

Edited December 22, 2015 by Drowsy Emperor

[Guard Dog]

When I was in the military I knew this grizzled old Gunnery Sergeant named Hess. Never knew his first name but everyone called him Skeeter. As long as you were a Corporal of better. Otherwise you called him Gunny Hess. He was this tough, seen-it-all-done-it-all, old school man of the world and he gave me the best advice I've ever heard about knife fighting. He fixed me with a steely eye and said in his gravelly voice "Don't get in one s--t head!"

 

True story!

Edited December 22, 2015 by Guard Dog

[Gromnir]

 

In the absence of guns, I'd prefer pepper spray, shock devices, caution and quick feet. This coming from a guy with a drawer full of various knives.

 

 

caution and quick feet is our choices.  that being said, Gromnir doesn't have a family.  we have lived in a few rough neighborhoods, and while we never particular feared for self, having a family to protect would change our self-defense calculus.  a baseball bat next to the bedstand has been our go-to weapon o' choice for confronting burglars, not that we need such nowadays.  we have never owned anything that we valued enough to kill somebody to retain, so am doubting we woulda' ever swung our bat at anybody in anger.  our sister became ill and lived with us a number o' years and before we moved to our comical safe neighborhood, we did have a large & noisy dog to protect her when we weren't around.

 

if we had kids and a wife and we couldn't have a big dog, we would at least consider a gun.  

 

a knife?  can't think of a situation we would want a knife.  is hardly an ideal home protect weapon, and for any other scenario we is gonna use the "caution and quick feet" option.  the ridiculous small possibility of being attacked after we has happily surrendered our wallet, class ring and computer (our shoes and suit is likely gonna be our most valuable possessions at any given moment, but we ain't yet been threatened for our shoes) to the person robbing us does not make us want to purchase a knife.  if we is attacked before we have a chance to surrender our goods, a knife woulda' been pointless in any case.

 

however, we do have the full damascus series o' MAC knives.

 

 

gorgeous, no?

 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited December 22, 2015 by Gromnir

[Nonek]

In case of robbery I carry a pocket full of lollipops at all times. It's amazing how being offered a wowwipop can disarm even the most aggressive individual, i've even bribed Jehovah's Witnesses with them long enough to get away.

 

Edit: Well off on sunny jolly hols one goes, goodbye cruel fora, may sweet dreams sweep me to your bosom ere we meet anew. Ta ta.

Edited December 22, 2015 by Nonek

[Woldan]

Caution and quick feet is my number one armament since the best fight is the one you are not even involved in. I rather run way than fight, few things are worth fighting for, but things rarely go after plan in emergency situations so its nice to have a backup plan if the first one does not work.

My backup plan is a knife since an edged weapon beats fists, and the only fight I want to fight is the one where I have an an advantage in.
If my opponent has only fists and I have a knife I have a better chance of winning the fight, and there is also the psychological factor - nobody wants a knife fight so showing that I'm armed and able to inflict a lot of physical damage might make the average hooligan who wants to fight reconsider.

And I'm well aware of the places where a knife can and can't be carried. The laws about carrying edged weapons is very open around here.

Also I do not consider a screwdriver to be a good weapon, the surface of a knife is much MUCH bigger which means it does far more damage than any screwdriver. Its very easy to slip since it does not have any guard. And its much easier to disarm somebody who uses a screwdriver as a weapon, you can't grab a sharp knife blade and wrestle it out of somebody's hands, a screwdriver can be easily grabbed. There is a reason why people who do need a meele weapon don't carry screwdrivers on their belts or vests.
A screwdriver is hard to carry, clumsy and unsafe and therefore a terrible weapon.

As for any weapon system, a good knife is an excellent weapon if used correctly and under the right circumstances, same goes for rifles, shotguns, pistols and what have you. As for home defense: two big holes, 12 gauge, #1 Buckshot is all I have to say.

Oh and.... 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki4hl7NRjWs

Edited December 22, 2015 by Woldan

[Orogun01]

 

Happy for you, wish you luck on your quest to become The Man and just do whatever you want while being paid.

Pft, being The Man is too much work, I feel I'd be comfortable being the assistant to The Man, even if I end up filling in for him and ending up being turned to dust after.

 

A smart man, being the KingMaker is better than being King.

[HoonDing]

Like any real man I rely on my sword

 

[ShadySands]

however, we do have the full damascus series o' MAC knives.

 

 

gorgeous, no?

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

If I ever had two thousand bucks to spend on a set of kitchen knives this would likely be my pick

[Malcador]

I just use my teeth.

[Gromnir]

 

however, we do have the full damascus series o' MAC knives.

 

 

gorgeous, no?

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

If I ever had two thousand bucks to spend on a set of kitchen knives this would likely be my pick

 

oh, we don't use them as kitchen knives.  we got one o' those walnut surfaced magnetic knife racks so we can stare at the MACs while we use our cheap wusthof blades.

 

...

 

am only kinda joking.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

ps edited out picture

Edited December 22, 2015 by Gromnir

[Woldan]

As for quality blades, I still like my Swiss bayonet / combat knife from 1915. The steel quality they achieved back then without modern electronics and machines is breathtaking and puts any modern blade under one grand to shame.  

 

 

My German 1908 bayonet is not far behind. 

 

[Gorgon]

I hate losing my cool. I lost my cool today, won't bore you with the details but I gave a stranger the finger like an 8 year old. Now come the endless recriminations and cool comebacks that I could have used in a sudden flash of inspiration.

 

Where were you when I needed you sudden flash. 

[Malcador]

Aw, I thought you were going to stick with the theme and stab them or something.

[Guard Dog]

I hate losing my cool. I lost my cool today, won't bore you with the details but I gave a stranger the finger like an 8 year old. Now come the endless recriminations and cool comebacks that I could have used in a sudden flash of inspiration.

 

Where were you when I needed you sudden flash. 

[Hurlshort]

I hate losing my cool. I lost my cool today, won't bore you with the details but I gave a stranger the finger like an 8 year old. Now come the endless recriminations and cool comebacks that I could have used in a sudden flash of inspiration.

 

Where were you when I needed you sudden flash. 

 

Hey man, that 8 year-old probably deserved it.

 

I may have misread your post.

[Gfted1]

Gorgon better never drive on the Chicago highways.