Best Defensive Knife For $100 Or Less?! [Archive] - Glock Talk


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01-07-2010, 01:20
I received a $100 gift certificate for Amazon.com and I want to buy a great defensive knife. Any suggestions? I'm leaning towards Benchmade but I could be persuaded otherwise. Thanks GT!

01-07-2010, 10:26
RAT Izula or RC-3 are great knives for $100 or less.

Otherwise it is really hard to beat a Benchmade.

01-07-2010, 12:13
A 9 inch Chicago Cutlery chefs knife is about $25 from Walmart.

Learn to use it and you will be able to defend yourself and also make a nice salad when needed.

Both useful skills.


01-07-2010, 23:27
old hickory 7" butcher knife...takes a great edge and is made to cut meat and small bones....and people are made out of meat. Its a great feild tool, as well.

Richard Simmons
01-08-2010, 08:46
"Best defensive" is a pretty subjective term. As far as a well made knive that could easily be used for self defense in your price range I would offer the Kershaw G-10 Tyrade and the Spyderco Endura for consideration as far as folding knives go.

For a fixed blade you might be hard pressed to beat a good old KaBar for value and usefulness.

Hope these suggestions are of some benefit

01-08-2010, 18:24
Fixed: Ka-Bar (large, tough, inexpensive, proven)
Folder: Spyderco Military (dish out the extra $30 for the 4inch s30v blade and great ergos)

01-08-2010, 19:06
For a folder, the Spyderco Military is really hard to beat, and you can find them frequently online for around a hundred. The paramilitary is right up there if you need a shorter blade.

If you're speaking strictly of a fighting knife, then there's really no substitute for a fixed blade. If you need a knife that's more compact, concealable, or that can't tolerate belt wear, then a decent folder designed for utility and fighting is in order. Nearly any of the Emersons will work well for you.

I'm a big fan of the Emerson Commander, and am presently carrying a CQC-15.

For a smaller knife, the mini-commander works well. While these retail at nearly the three hundred dollar price point, you can find them all day long on ebay, new and used, for just over a hundred to one twenty five. That's a good investment for a knife to which you'll trust your life.

I carried the mini-commander for several years in places where I wasn't allowed other weapons, internationally...and in places where one really would have preferred to be well armed. Given I had very limited choices, I brought Emerson knives, and trusted my life to them, and my willingness and ability to use them.

That's the critical point to your decision; what are you willing to use, and to train to use? A knife for defense will only get you sliced to ribbons and get you killed, unless you seek out the training and understanding in using it. It doesn't matter how fancy a knife you get, you'll only bleed on it if you're not fully prepared to use it. Preparedness is far more than a willingness to use it; it's also the ability to do so under a wide variety of circumstances. That takes time and training and effort.

You indicated a low price point for a knife for defense. Perhaps it's because the budget is thin. If this is the case, seek out the training know, and save to buy the knife you will always carry and rely upon. In the meantime, if you need something to carry and slice with, I've found that nearly anything from Spyderco is an excellent choice...and like I said, Emerson works very well too. Emerson isn't really a surgical tool, but it's one I want with me when things get gritty. That they're carried from beneath the waves to the space shuttle ought to tell you something...and they're affordable, too.

01-08-2010, 20:41
My 1st post!
A folder-BUCK S30V bladed Vantage pro for about $50-$70(has micarta handle and is alotta knife for little $$). Been using one daily for a few weeks and so far so happy.

The COLD STEEL SRK USA from years ago is an excellent heavy fighting and multi purpose knife and can still be found on ebay every day. The Kabar is great too.
All under $100.

01-09-2010, 20:40
if you didn't mind throwing a 20 spot in with the gift card, you could get a BM Nimravus (not sure if you're looking for FB or folder). i bought mine almost two years ago, it's been carried/used almost daily since then. one of the best decisions/purchases i ever made.

01-11-2010, 18:02
Benchmade do have a good selection of defensive type knives. For $100 you can get a great and have alot of choices. I would get a Spyderco Endura or Tenacious or check out a SOG folder.

The Hawk
01-11-2010, 18:11
Cold Steel AK 47. Not only does it have a heafty blade, but the pommel is an excellent tool when used correctly such as pressure point strike, etc.

Carolina Drifter
01-13-2010, 18:54
My Ken Onion Kershaw carry 1670BLKST, 7.5" open, spring assist. Very fast and ungodly sharp plus I like their warranty. If you look in the right places you could probably get two.


01-14-2010, 02:26
SOG Vulcan...very popular with law enforcement and military. Reasonably priced for a VG-10 stainless Seki Japanese steel blade. This is one of the very best "super steel blades" hand made and sharpened to a high degree, and they hold their razor sharpness extremely well, yet are easy to sharpen.

Two Guns
01-20-2010, 19:52
For a folder I like the Cold Steel Recon 1 and for a fixed blade I like the Ontario Rat-3.

01-21-2010, 10:39
For a hair over 100 you can get an Emerson CQC-7, which is THE tactical folder.
I also agree with the spyderco military or para military being great choices
benchmade also has some outstanding offerings 710, 635, 940, The rift. just shy away from there red box line.

01-22-2010, 09:59
Kind of a nebulous question. What exactly is a defensive knife? Are you looking for a fixed blade or a folder?

The only knife I know of that was made with defense in mind was a Frank Bram knife. It was designed for multiple blunt striking and pain compliance options. :wow:

01-22-2010, 10:23
Best defensive knife= the one you have with you.

This really isn't my area since I'm not into knife fighting but, ...

If you actually did train in this sort of thing, then I'd imagine that chances are you probably already know what will work best for you. In which case you wouldn't be hear asking questions.

Since your hear asking, I'm guessing you don't train for it. So, with that in mind...

If you need to defend yourself with a knife, it will be with the one you have on you at that moment, and that means your EDC (every day carry) knife. How often do you use your EDC on any give day? I would think your best bet would be to use the weapon you are most familiar with.

Any of the good quality knife makers are going to put out a good product. the Wave (Emerson patent) is a good feature if you intend to use it for SD, or just like the feature of fast, and easy one-handed opening. I think the Spyderco Waved Endura/Delica series is a good choice myself. They are inexpensive, of good quality, and have the Wave feature (fun factor, as well as useful). You can spend more money, but you don't have to. I personally think that the Endura is probably the best all-around-multi-purpose knife, but only you can decide what's best for you. Go to as many shows and shops as you can and look and feel.

I'd recommend that you stick with only the reputable knife brands like Spyderco, Benchmade, SOG, CRKT, Emerson, just to name a few. Then when you think you've found one or fifteen that you like, go over to bladeforums and ask what they think about that specific model (do this before you buy). You'll get a lot of opinions, but once you disseminate the information, you'll be better able to make an informed decision.

01-22-2010, 11:22
Best defensive knife= the one you have with you.


Ghostrider, I like the way you think. I hope the OP reads your post and takes it to heart. Hope you don't mind if I steal your answer from now on. :supergrin:

01-22-2010, 11:49

Thank you.

sns3guppy had some valid points. If you intend to use a knife for SD, it would help to get some training. He's right. It would also be good for people to get similar training in using a gun in SD, and there will probably be about the same percentage of people doing so for both.

Fact is, not everyone is that dedicated, and lots of people who are untrained to use a knife have used them defensively over the years with success. Training is great, but if your not going to get formal training, then at least have the mindset to recognize the human limitations. One of the most basic aspects of any type of training is "drills". This is because the drills create a muscle memory that takes over when the stress is in effect. If you aren't going to seek out formal training, then at least try to incorporate it into your everyday routine. (I once had a Navy Chief tell me, "Don't practice what you don't need to learn.") Lot's of people like to change their EDC around, rotating between knives, and handguns. I like to keep it simple. Same gun every time, in the same place every time. Every time one uses a EDC knife, they are creating muscle memory.

Just like with firearms safety. Whenever I pick up a gun, I always perform a chamber check. Even if I take it out of my holster and set it on my bed, only to pick it up a moment later to reinsert in the holster. Even though I know there is no one else in the house, I still perform the chamber check. Why? Because I don't want to develop the habit of picking up a gun and not doing it. IOW, I don't want to practice something I do not want to learn.

01-22-2010, 11:51
I recently bought the SOG Flash II - assisted open - it gets great reviews all over the web

01-22-2010, 11:59

Funny. Your right about that. A lot of people like them. I even met a guy that said his saved his life. I bought one when they first came out and didn't care for it. A person needs to find the tool that's going to work best for himself.