How much of this is hardware solutions/failures to a software issue? IIRC, the SOCP dagger was the hardware that was optimized to go along with Greg Thompson's combatives program for doorkickers. Is at least part of the problem that troopers are sticking this, or even more accessible knives to their upper centerline, without any training on real close range grappling?
Not intended as a knock on anyone, in this thread or on the streets, just food for thought.
Mine is the serrated version, but otherwise yes, hence my reconsideration. Ironically, I almost passed on this knife because it doesn't have much of a handle and can be relatively difficult to access compared to the K-Bar and Ademas knives. So I'm surprised (and somewhat skeptical) that a legally blind person was able to recognize and and grab this knife off of a plate carrier. He could have just been blindly grabbing at the officer and got (un)lucky. I'm not saying it didn't happen, only that the odds of this happening seem very, very low. The odds of needing to use the knife is very low as well though, so I'm definitely reconsidering. But I've put a lot of time and sweat into training with this specific knife, so I'm hesitant to switch to something new. One of the upside of this knife is that it comes with a cheap trainer, which makes training much easier.Originally Posted by El Cid
"I need your help. I can't tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it later, and we're gonna hurt some people."
"Legally Blind" can mean blind like "being on disability" means disabled.
Sometimes a scam is just a scam...
And it is Portland.
My old agency provided a multi day edged weapons combatives course. Folders were emphasized, one in each of two pants pockets allowing access with either hand, and one in the plate pocket of the body armor. About half of ran a fixed blade in our armor. Cold Steel was the preferred blades because they were used prominently in the course materials and Cold Steel used to give away all those VHS Proof videos. I did not find the Voyager series to be so super fantastic, and their Ginsu like serrations turned me off from day one. The really innovative designs got discontinued or made more cheaply and there is a list of Cold Steel I really wished I held onto and even stocked up when I had the chance.
I was already heavily invested in Spyderco, and have carried a Military folder in uniform for over 20 years. It gets used for everything and is easy and relatively safe to open and close one handed under stress. Big pockets in the rear of 5-11 pants greatly help in that aspect. I think the constant use, to include one handed closing and securing is what makes so easy for me to use it under stress.
I like the Rescue variant of the SOCP with everything but the strap cutter blunted.
At the risk of pissiing a few off, I remember how fond Pat Rogers was of the Strider on his holster's leg shroud. It was there for one reason. A team environment when deliberate operations are the rule and not the exception are different animals than patrol (even tactical patrol like crime suppression and gang unit type stuff). Most guys I see with fixed blades exposed seem to be of the "dunno, looks cool" reasoning. There is very little thought to employment, and as I pointed out before, stowing to free hands. Officer Survival is the stock answer I frequently get, but these guys don't seem to seek out training or even sporadic practice. Same to a lesser extent with the K-bar sticking up like a boomerang from behind the mag pouches. Remember the old Caliber Press Surviving Edged Weapons video? It can be called fearmongering at one level, but it was to sole resource available for a lotta years. I still remember the officer carrying the folder behind his speed loader pouches and being stabbed by a handcuffed suspect due to poor blade positioning and prisoner control. Staged and scripted, but point learned just the same. In many cases those running fixed blades have a great solution in search of a problem.
Very few gun grabs that I have seen in my career started out as intentional gun grabs. The norm seems to be a scuffle where the suspect's hand finds the gun, recognizes it, and tries to avail the opportunity. I would imagine access to blades to be similar, and would bet the odds of an intentional grab would be a bit higher since many figure "it is only a knife", and think in terms of the object and not Ability, Opportunity, Immediate Jeopardy and lethal force.
I get the desire for a hideout last ditch lethal weapon. I greatly prefer a good one handed folder for 99.9% of day to day use, including pressing it into use as a last ditch lethal weapon. But I am dinosaur. I also think 90% of the guys running thigh rigs shouldn't be, and I even buy the back pain argument.
pat
Last edited by UNM1136; 03-03-2019 at 05:57 PM.
The SOCP carries well with a strip of Velcro on an inner vest, aligned with buttons on a uniform shirt, remaining accessible with either hand. Or so I’m told....
As with all things, it requires practice that most are not willing to undertake. I see a number of(usually new) officers conspicuously carrying fixed blades, usually TDI’s, center mounted on their duty belts. A quick discussion usually corrects the issue.
Better training, not liability driven policies.
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Last edited by Treecop; 03-03-2019 at 06:03 PM.
That is how I used to carry my REKAT Hobbit Fang on my armor, using velcro behind the plate . I had to carry high up as our issue uniform shirts only had working buttons at the top, over the zipper.
pat
With or without the sheath? I found the sheath to be too sticky, half of the time I pulled the knife I ended up pulling the sheath with it out of MOLLE. I ended up tying the sheath to the MOLLE webs with Paracord.
"I need your help. I can't tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it later, and we're gonna hurt some people."
With the sheath. I removed the clip and ran a strip of Velcro the entire length of the sheath, never had an issue.
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The TDI Hinderer knives have locking sheaths. I haven't handled one personally.
https://www.amazon.com/KA2486-BRK-TD...r=8-1-fkmrnull
Last edited by Chuck Whitlock; 03-08-2019 at 09:42 PM.
"It's surprising how often you start wondering just how featureless a desert some people's inner landscapes must be."
-Maple Syrup Actual
I don’t get them wanting to take mags off the vest. I moved mine there still in front just like most carry them on a belt, but it gets weight off the belt which is why I wear an external carrier with pouches to begin with.
I personally wouldn’t mount a fixed blade knife to the front of my vest though.
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