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Author Topic: Minimum effective blade length  (Read 8323 times)

Ron

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Minimum effective blade length
« on: July 17, 2009, 12:01:20 PM »
I backpack in mountain lion country on occasion. Whether it is the news or an up tick in actual attacks it seems that more and more people are having encounters.

The nature of a catamount attack doesn't lend itself easily to the use of a pistol, plus I can't carry in most places I go so...

What would be the preferred blade length to reach the vitals on your typical north American predator? We might as well include brown and black bears for the sake of discussion.

Now I know the chances of a mountain lion attacking me are slim to none and the black bear even slimmer nonetheless inquiring minds would like to know.
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brimic

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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2009, 12:03:07 PM »
9mm
.45
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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2009, 12:05:30 PM »
KA-BAR seems to do the trick, if the story behind the name is true :cool:.
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charby

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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2009, 12:07:15 PM »
Bear Spray

I carry a Sog NW Ranger with me when I am out playing in the woods.

http://www.absoluteknives.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=S24
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Ron

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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2009, 12:11:14 PM »
This morning I went to SOGs sight looking for that knife, you had recommended previously. Then I started wondering if a 5 inch blde was long enough to get to the vitals on a 100lb cat.

For bears I'm on board with the spray. With a cat you probably won't know its stalking you until you are jumped from behind.



A KA-BAR has a 7 blade correct?

 
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AJ Dual

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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #5 on: July 17, 2009, 12:15:59 PM »
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freakazoid

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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2009, 12:43:27 PM »
Quote
"It was acting completely out of character for how a lion would normally act around a full grown man who has a chain saw in his hand," he said.

This made me laugh for some reason.  :lol:
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charby

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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #7 on: July 17, 2009, 12:45:31 PM »
Quote from: Ron on July 17, 2009, 12:11:14 PM
This morning I went to SOGs sight looking for that knife, you had recommended previously. Then I started wondering if a 5 inch blde was long enough to get to the vitals on a 100lb cat.

For bears I'm on board with the spray. With a cat you probably won't know its stalking you until you are jumped from behind.



A KA-BAR has a 7 blade correct?

 

I would worry more about a 2 legged predators than a puma.

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AZRedhawk44

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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #8 on: July 17, 2009, 12:53:03 PM »
A Buck "Special" model 119 is a classic that's pretty inexpensive.  6" blade and while it may be $81 at the Buck website, it's closer to about $40 at Walmart last I checked.

I've never gotten into a knife fight with a cat with mine, but it has done most other work pretty well.  Fairly sure the blade is sturdy enough to slice a cat's neck if I pressed it into service as such.

I remember sleeping in my tent up in Washington in my pre-gun owning days, and having a big cat trip over the guy wire to my pup tent.  It screamed at me while the walls of the tent shook, and I damn near wet myself.  I got out my 3" swiss army knife and realized exactly how screwed I was.  Woke up the next morning and found 3" wide cat tracks around my tent.

Got a big knife that same week once I was back in town, though what I got was a knockoff Tanto blade.  Probably would have been fine for stabbing kitty, but not very useful for anything else.  Sucked as a fishing or utility knife outdoors.
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charby

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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #9 on: July 17, 2009, 12:57:45 PM »
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SADShooter

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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #10 on: July 17, 2009, 01:15:29 PM »
In general I'd say fixed blade, 5"-7", with guard or handles articulated to minimize slippage and a lanyard hole. I carry a Cold Steel Recon Tanto.
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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #11 on: July 17, 2009, 02:56:09 PM »
Just carry a hatchet.  =D
Or a Fairbairn-Sykes - it's got a 7" blade, purpose-made for stabbing things.
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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #12 on: July 17, 2009, 03:04:06 PM »
Khukuri from Himalayan imports

I like the BAS
http://yhst-7333098713883.stores.yahoo.net/brarse1.html
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RoadKingLarry

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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #13 on: July 17, 2009, 03:40:36 PM »
Find yourself a good surplus M-4 bayonet.
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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #14 on: July 17, 2009, 03:51:09 PM »
I'd use a Puma  =D


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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #15 on: July 17, 2009, 04:07:31 PM »
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crt360

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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #16 on: July 17, 2009, 04:19:43 PM »
I saw a story about some guy who fought one off with a small pocket folder.  I'd rather have a pointy stick.  Every year, for about the last 10 years, I've been finding big cat tracks on one of our places.  I'm pretty sure it's just going to sneak up behind me and break my neck before I know what's happening, but I carry a fixed blade hunting knife or longer field knife on my belt just in case I have a chance to fight back.
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Iain

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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #17 on: July 17, 2009, 04:21:58 PM »
Aren't they ambush/bite to the back of head and neck predators?

Although I suppose most human/puma encounters happen when the puma is behaving defensively rather than predating.

There's a story about a guy who stabbed and killed an old toothless lioness who had his head in her mouth.
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crt360

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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #18 on: July 17, 2009, 04:29:15 PM »
Quote from: Iain on July 17, 2009, 04:21:58 PM
Aren't they ambush/bite to the back of head and neck predators?

Although I suppose most human/puma encounters happen when the puma is behaving defensively rather than predating.

There's a story about a guy who stabbed and killed an old toothless lioness who had his head in her mouth.

Yes.

I think most encounters happen without the human knowing.

If one bites me on the head, I hope it's the old toothless kind. :D
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Iain

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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #19 on: July 17, 2009, 04:36:22 PM »
When I wrote lionness, this story supposedly happened on the Zambezi river.
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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #20 on: July 17, 2009, 08:13:55 PM »
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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #21 on: July 17, 2009, 08:19:28 PM »
Quote from: vaskidmark on July 17, 2009, 04:07:31 PM
You mean like this one?
 


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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #22 on: July 17, 2009, 08:40:44 PM »
Reminds me of that self-tracking gun from Aliens.
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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #23 on: July 17, 2009, 08:55:45 PM »
You're going to try to win a knife fight with a giant wild cat?

Good luck with that.
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Re: Minimum effective blade length
« Reply #24 on: July 17, 2009, 09:43:34 PM »
Machete
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