Expected (Sad) Results of Taking a Knife to a Gunfight

[308Mike]

Not the recommended response to someone being robbed with a gun:

Good Samaritan who tried to thwart robbery dies
By The Associated Press
10:13 p.m., Jan. 18, 2012

LYNWOOD, Calif. — Authorities say a good Samaritan shot by a parolee while trying to thwart a Southern California meat market robbery has died.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says 43-year-old Jorge Alvarado died Tuesday morning at St. Francis Hospital in Lynwood.

Alvarado and a co-worker stormed into the market Sunday after a cashier ran into their business and told them she had been robbed at gunpoint.

Sheriff's Lt. Mary Leef says the two good Samaritans confronted the robber as he was fleeing the market.

Deputies say the co-worker was armed with a knife and stabbed the robber in the neck. The robber then opened fire and shot Alvarado in the torso.

Authorities say three suspects were arrested.

[308Mike]

You know what's also really sad about this whole incident (besides the "rescuer" wound of dying from getting his expected shooting after stabbing the armed suspect), is that he also (apparently) didn't use a large enough and sharp enough knife to do enough damage to incapacitate the guy he stabbed IN THE NECK.

*IF* you're going to take a knife to a gun fight, AT LEAST do yourself a favor and try and tip the odds in your favor by using a VERY LARGE and EXTREMELY SHARP knife, and NOT some little shop or pocket knife (unless your shop or pocket knife is something like this):


Cold Steel Leatherneck-SF
Specifications:
Blade Length: 6 3/4"
Overall Length: 11 3/4"
Steel: SK-5 High Carbon
Weight: 10.4 oz
Blade Thickness: 4.75 mm
Handle: 5" Long Grivory & Kraton®
Sheath: Secure-Ex® Sheath

Or even this one:


G.I. Tanto
Specifications:
Overall: 12"
Thick: 4mm
Weight: 10.6 oz.
Steel: 1055 Carbon
Blade: 7"
Sheath: Secure-Ex®

I don't know what kind of knife he used, but I wouldn't have complained if he even used a Katana (and instead of simply STABBING the suspect in the neck, he REMOVED HIS HEAD) against someone armed with a gun.

[Termite]

You know what's also really sad about this whole incident (besides the "rescuer" wound of dying from getting his expected shooting after stabbing the armed suspect), is that he also (apparently) didn't use a large enough and sharp enough knife to do enough damage to incapacitate the guy he stabbed IN THE NECK.

If you are going to take on a gun armed suspect with a knife, this is much better:

Cold Steel Kukri.jpg

[308Mike]

You know what's also really sad about this whole incident (besides the "rescuer" wound of dying from getting his expected shooting after stabbing the armed suspect), is that he also (apparently) didn't use a large enough and sharp enough knife to do enough damage to incapacitate the guy he stabbed IN THE NECK.

If you are going to take on a gun armed suspect with a knife, this is much better:

That would be much preferred over a smaller knife, and is perfectly acceptable, as is a Katana, or Wakazashi - basically anything that can take off someone's head with one swipe.

[Aegis]

Maybe it's just me, but the Leatherneck knife up there bugs me. Kinda along the same lines as the Ruger LCP; if I'm going to have a decently designed device of any sort, I'd prefer the original over the photocopy (Ka-Bar vs Leatherneck, P-3AT vs LCP) unless the original is simply untenably bad.

[Aegis]

Maybe it's just me, but the Leatherneck knife up there bugs me. Kinda along the same lines as the Ruger LCP; if I'm going to have a decently designed device of any sort, I'd prefer the original over the photocopy (Ka-Bar vs Leatherneck, P-3AT vs LCP) unless the original is simply untenably bad.

"The Original" wasn't an original anyway, it was a mil-spec contract. It has been manufactured by dozens of companies over the last 50 years.

The original design was the Western States Cutlery L77. A large number of them were acquired privately by marines and soldiers from the late 30s through 1942. The marine corps took the original design, evaluated for their issue use, and didn't like the hilt and cross guard. So they redesigned the knife, and let a contract out for bid to various vendors in 1942. They awarded the contract to five different companies; with Union Knife Company as the primary contractor.

Union knife company used the trade name "Ka-Bar" for their knives from 1922 until 1952 when they changed their name to "Ka-Bar" knife company. They operated as Ka-Bar, until they went out of business in the early 80s, and their assets acquired separately by Case, Alcoa, United Cutlery company, and Ontario knife company.

Several of those companies have since merged and/or been acquired by each other.

Technically speaking, the design of the Marine Corps Utility Fighting Knife model of 1942 mark 1, is in the public domain, and has ben since the 50s.

Huh. The things you learn...

[toad]

Hmmm if you have a short bladed knife, what would be your targets and techniques? I'm guessing a hard stab to the temple, a slash to the side of the throat, a slash across the underside of the wrist, a slash across the arm opposite the elbow, a stab , twist and slash to the arm pit. A slash inside the leg high and as close to the groin as possible, A stab and twist to the groin, a slash to the back of the knee, a stab into the back bone. A slash across the forehead about the eyes might blind him. Stabbing one eye or slashing at the head can be difficult because of the flinch effect. The kidney is sometime a hard target to hit even with a long blade, you get the hip bone or a rib. You would have to do a lot of cutting with knife to short for core organs to get a bleed out. I'm guessing you're going to have to make a lot of cuts at the same time avoiding or removing the firearm.
The problem I think would be practicing this. I'd like a couple of years training before I tried it. As stated, a short blade kind of limits your slashing ability and it is hard to keep a grip when you are trying to punch the blade in deep.

[SeekHer]

Minor points--Camillus Knife Co. helped design and was the first contractor with the Navy for the Mark 1 Fighting Knife that the USMC adopted and produced the most number of blades during WW2 and I believe through Korea as well--Union (Ka-Bar) was second.

After the war they concentrated more but not entirely on making knives for other makers and for the public instead of the military until Vietnam when again they tooled up to supply the military where they got most of the USAF contracts.

[Combat Controller]

If the store is empty after she was robbed I would just call the cops. No need to run into a bullet.