One of the first things I talked to Arete about was knives. I had a folding utility type knife I carried, but I wanted something else for self defense. Again, I will say that in the event that my life is threatened and I am forced to defend it, I will use any and all things available. A rock, a pen, a lamp, a coffee mug, my fingers, legs etc. However, I do like to have with me tools that up my chances of survival. Hopefully quickly and with little harm to myself. A gun and good knife are my top 2 choices for that.
Everyone I spoke with wanted me to get a folding a knife. It’s easy to conceal(check your state’s laws. In Virginia we can’t actually conceal. At least the clip has to be visable. Although there seems to be some wiggle room) and the blade can be longer because the folding part makes the knife more compact. I did not want a folding knife because that would require me to open it before using it. Now, if you are Arete and you are freakishly talented and have already been in a knife fight or two that works. If you are me, well, lets just say the simpler the better.
I applied the same thinking I used to select my gun. I wanted a gun that had a long history of being well made and reliable. I did not want a manual safety. I wanted to be able to draw and shoot without having to mess with anything extra before I could take the first shot. I wanted to carry that gun in a holster without a retention strap or any other thing that I would have to unhook, unsnap, press or pull before I could remove my gun. Same with my knife. I wanted a knife that I could simply remove from the sheath and immediately try to stop the threat. To me that meant a fixed blade.
TSM, John and Arete all helped me research different fixed blade knives for me to carry. There were several I liked, but nothing that screamed buy me and carrying me around allday everyday. One afternoon I was watching different videos on You Tube and came across a young man reviewing the TDI Last Ditch Knife(LDK). He carried his in his boot. That looked snazzy to me and was very inexpensive, so I bought one. I liked it so much I bought 5 more. My son has one, my husband has one and I have three. Then I found out that TDI makes bigger knives, so I bought both the large and medium versions. The large knife is not a knife I wouldd carry unless I was maybe camping. It is very large and the sheath is not to my liking, but the medium one is a nice size.
I like that the total package is compact and that the handle is curved. I can draw quickly and slice a turkey’s butt(I practice on turkeys from the store not ones that are roaming around my neighborhood)in no time. No muss, no fuss. Very comfortable and very affordable. I don’t know if they make a left handed sheath, but I carry it on my right side since my gun is on my left. 
My only issue with the knife is when I put my shirt over the handle(part of the clip shows. No laws being broken here) the handle pushes out pretty far. I wear it appendix and cant it a bit to tuck the handle down, but it still doesn’t blend as well as I would like. Not a huge issue for me. The price, easy of use, sharp blade and size outweigh the handle issue.
So in addition to my gun and flashlight, this knife is part of my EDC set up.
I wish fixed blades were legal for NC Carry.
Ugh. Not a fan of restrictions.
I’m a fan of the blade too and carry one and sometimes two. Then again, sometimes it’s 2 guns and a knife. Is this your only carry knife, or are there others?
I usually have at least one of the LDKs on me somewhere and I carry a folding knife too. The one I carry I can’t open without 2 hands, so it is more of a utility kind of carry. I ordered the Benchmade Griptillion and then cancelled it. I wasn’t sure, but I have since seen it in person and met several folks who have it and love it. It is now my Christmas wish list. I also always have with me(not alway on my person)my handmade knife from Crawdaddy. Gee, that’s a lot of blades…:)
I carry a folder in my pocket, which is about the only place I can have a clip showing if I’m wearing an untucked shirt. I fixed blade knife would be great. Changing Virginia’s asinine knife laws would be better.
I am with you on our knife laws Andy.
Get with Michael (the Evyl Robot himself) and see if he can’t make you an IWB sheath for it. That will keep it nice and hidden.
Links? 🙂
I have a S&W folding knife that I can open left OR right handed and flip open easily but not so easily that it falls open. But something fixed like this could be nice to carry too. Any links you have would be great!
That is a nice knife, will have to pick up one of those for work.
You won’t be disappointed.
link for Michael is http://www.theholstersite.com
Assisted Opening is the way to go for a folding knife. Legal as a Plain Jane old fashion “brass & rosewood” Buck lockback, fast as a switchblade, SAFER than a switchblade (under no circumstances will it just snap open if your pocket accidentally presses the wrong spot), but NOT a switchblade.
One handed opening, without having to “flick” it or anything similarly tricky — just push the stud on the blade as if it were a switchblade button, and once the blade opens a small amount (like 30 degrees), only then does an internal spring take over and snap it all the way open. If it’s a frame lock, you can even close it one handed without having to manipulate it like you’re trying to text one handed from inside your coat pocket.
Used to carry a 4″ knife (not for the blade — but because a 4″ blade means a handle that’s full size) until I found myself having to go on school grounds every now and again, so now I carry a 3″ knife. (CRKT Mini My Tighe; not my first choice for a “fighting folder”, but then, I don’t carry it for defence — I’ll use it as such if I must, but it’s for opening boxes, etc.)
Thanks for the info. Good stuff.
I carry a Kershaw assisted opener myself, mostly for utility work, but also as somewhat of a last ditch. Assisted opening not withstanding, all folding knives have an Achille’s heel due to the way you must secure a less than full grip when deploying the blade itself. At one particular seminar I took, almost all those using a folding blade trainer dropped it at one time or another. It really opened my eyes. I had been reluctant to carry a fixed blade because I though it would be much to long for discrete carry. After I got some formal training and learned where to aim and how to cut, it was clear that even 3″ was plenty of knife for self-defense.
Sounds like a good set up. I love knife trainng. Can’t wait to do more of it!
I’m glad you like the little LDK! I don’t know if you knew, but I designed that little knife! I get about 25 cents royalty off of each one sold, so I thank you for contributing to my Brazilian beach house!
I also had some input on the larger TDI knife (TDI stands for Tactical Defense Institute, the shooting school where I work). You can reverse the clip to carry it any way you want. Just take out the 4 little allen screws and put the clip on the other side of the sheath. Make sure you put some loctite on the screws…they have a way of loosening over time.
If you need any info about that line of knives, let me know!
Greg
Lol, well I do what I can. I expect an invite to the beach house. I want to see what a $1.25 buys in Brazil.
A month or so after I bought my knives I read a review you linked from Lima’s blog. In it she mentioned you designed the knife. I thought what a small world.
great decision for this knife. I thought this could be a knive for me too. But later I found out, that this kind of knife was banned in my country in July 2012. It’s forbidden to own one.(Also folders you can open with one hand). The reason shall be the contruction, it is to close to the fist knifes. So only allowed are knifes with straight blades smaller than 4,7″. Sad, but you have to know and double check everything! Otherwise you will be fast convicted. So – good luck and “use caution” for changing the laws and regualtion in your country. kind regards from the old world…..Hans
Ugh! Sorry about those silly regulations. It’s crazy the thinking of some people. All the proof is against them and yet they continue to make crime so much easier for the bad guys to commit.
I really like my TDI but the sheath just wouldn’t work for me. The sheath from FIN Designs was absolutely worth the money for me.
You might also want to consider an Emerson (or Spyderco) with the clip to catch and open on the pants pocket as it is drawn. There are different blade lengths, styles and grinds available. The Emerson CQC-18 with this feature has been one of my favorite pocket folders for a very long time.
Good luck with your choices and training.