Knife Stopping Power?

[JayFramer]

Guys most will say a knife is not a really great defensive weapon. Well...



This is my Khukri. Why did I buy it? I was drunk. But, it’s a real one. I bought it from Himalayan Imports, supposedly the best made. Forged by a barefoot Nepalese blacksmith out of an Indian truck leaf spring. Deadly sharp. Weighs like two pounds. Bought it as a backup for my Beretta .25 automatic (for scale).

If any knife could be said to have “stopping power”, well, here you go.

-Jay

[Lee Barner]

I've got one too, but mine isn't as nice as yours. I got it from the estate of a WWII vet. no scabbard either so I just carry it stuck in my belt. LOL it is also deadly sharp. lee

[Drm50]

In late 70s I bought a case of Khukri from Century Arms Importers. They were Brit colonial issue made in India. They were covered in some kind of cosmoline that was PIA to get off.m They were not of high finish and heavier made than OPs. They were only couple bucks apiece by the case.
Had to put them in a bucket of gasoline to get them apart.

[THEmodelof1989]

Knives definitely have stopping power. Getting stabbed is no joke, and most people when stabbed start getting real serious about going to the hospital.

Kurki's are a great design for hacking. I like yours a lot. Mine is a Cold Steel machete and isn't as nice or as sharp as yours, but the $25 piece has payed for itself several times over in the field.

[Mike, SC Hunter]

ALL knives have "Stopping Power".........IF you cut in the right place.

[JDinAZ]

Pure effective. Better than a gun in close quarters.
Built these Buck 110 conversions bout 10 years ago. Love it. Can’t git no stainless enema with it. Bwahahahah
There's few 112 floatin round also. 112 is rare 7 exist. I have prototype ratworx bought the other 6 back then.
Ha reckon I ain’t too good with pics. But here’s the 110 fellers

[Gene L]

Here's my kukri. It's from the muzzle loading era, when I guess they had to rely on bigger knives. This one's blade is 14 1/4" and it weighs 25 oz. and I consider it a big-*** kukri.

I got it from Atlanta Cutlery years ago and when they bought all those old weapons from Nepal it was in the cache. AC is down the road from me and I walked through and got the knife and a sheath, which probably isn't the one for the knife, but it fits. Most of the kukris I saw were about the same size which seem a lot bigger than repeating firearms kukri.

[Ivan the Butcher]

My second son has a Cold Steel Kukri style machete, I have the 22" Wakizashi style machete. Both are fair or better mechetes. I wouldn't use a real Kukri or Wakizashi for tree limbs though!

I always wanted to see the Sheffield Kukri that is the regimental size for the annual bull sacrifice, there were 15 made, one for each regiments.

Ivan

[Echo40]

I actually carry a Cold Steel Ti-Lite VII with a 6" blade, unfolded it measures 13" OAL. Why? Because it's still easily concealed, would provide a distinctive advantage in close quarters, obviously has enough length to be deadly, and makes for a heck of a backup weapon.

[Jimmyjones]

I have a bunch of khuks & others from HI, used to hang out on their sub-forum on bladeforums, I was a closet Shark. Always looked for the 'deal of the day' from Yangdu, got some real deals, and it helps support the Kami's and their families.

[Ray]

Cold Steel has also a Kukri styled folder, a big one at that! the Rajah series. I have one , a Rajah II. It´s awe inspiring and yet easily concealable under the pants.
Regards, Ray

[Gene L]

That pouch on top of my sheath had fire starting material stowed in it, like tow...and maybe flint, can't remember. Been there for YEARS. I thought that was interesting.

[brucev]

Knife stopping power? In the right place, stopping power is out the roof. While in seminary a student was working one night at the Bonanza Steak House when it was robbed. One of the men stuck him w/ a steak knife. He was dead before anyone could do anything to help him. While working security in downtown New Orleans, one of the security guards was stuck in the stomach w/ a butcher knife by a vagrant. Made no sense. No one was after the man. He just stepped out of the doorway and stuck the man. Close up, knife in hand is tough to beat, even by a gun in the holster. Sincerely. bruce.

[Farmer17]

I have a Cold Steel Kukri machete that I really like for clearing limbs and brush and it works much better than a regular machete to me. I think it would have dang good stopping power.

[NYlakesider]

You can get serious penetration out of a knife.

A strong person if he gets the right chance can easily make a 3'' blade go into at least 5'' Of course the longer the blade the more penetration!

[CH4]

If I were carrying a kukri, I’d leave the 25 at home. I have two kukri, one a gift from my Nepalese security team and the other I bought in Nepal. Other than cutting the heads off gusts, the perfect use for a kukri is as a prop in gun pictures. 😁

[white cloud]

A lot of the knives used in tradional blade cultures are very serious weapons. I took a course in using a Fillipino Barong. Ghastly effective is the only phrase that describes the techniques. If I run into an opponent with a blade, I hope that there is enough time to deploy my revolver. Reflection on that causes me to think about stopping power.

[Marshwheeling]

Originally Posted by brucev

Knife stopping power? In the right place, stopping power is out the roof. While in seminary a student was working one night at the Bonanza Steak House when it was robbed. One of the men stuck him w/ a steak knife. He was dead before anyone could do anything to help him. While working security in downtown New Orleans, one of the security guards was stuck in the stomach w/ a butcher knife by a vagrant. Made no sense. No one was after the man. He just stepped out of the doorway and stuck the man. Close up, knife in hand is tough to beat, even by a gun in the holster. Sincerely. bruce.

Hence the 21-foot rule.

[Marshwheeling]

Originally Posted by Farmer17

I have a Cold Steel Kukri machete that I really like for clearing limbs and brush and it works much better than a regular machete to me.

I keep hearing that, but have yet to try it. I can see where the bend of the blade would act something like a billhook, gathering the brush toward the user while imparting a slicing action to the cut. This is not unlike using a draw cut with a golok or parang.

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

WHAT'S THE SPIRIT OF THE BAYONET !!!!! IMHO hard to beat cold steel at close range, no moving parts to break or jam, no ammunition supply to jam-or run out of. SBD !

[Fishinfool]

Looks deadly. Kind of reminds me of that Harrison Ford movie where he is being chased thru a middle eastern bazaar, fighting off bad guys, when he is confronted by a guy with a big blade, and he knows how to use it. Ford, looks at him, says "***** it", pulls his revolver, and shoots him.....

Seriously though, a blade like that can be quite deadly in the right circumstances. Heck, the simple machete has literally been used to commit genocide in several African countries.

Larry

[ISCS Yoda]

WHAT'S THE SPIRIT OF THE BAYONET !!!!!

It's like less than three days since I had to give someone a lecture on knife stopping power and as part of the discussion I explained United States Army bayonet training and I literally used the phrase "What is the spirit of the bayonet fighter??!! To Kill, Drill Sergeant!!" No pun intended, my point was very clear.

..... my kukri. It's from the muzzle loading era, when I guess they had to rely on bigger knives.

I submit that the kukri probably precedes the muzzle loading era by very many generations. There was a time when all fighting around the world was done with edged weapons. Some of us might be old enough to remember those times; I am not sure.

I submit that this pretty knife is at the lower end of knife stopping power but vut an aorta or a jugular vein and you're done.




I lost this beauty in 2018's fire but this is the upper end of knife stopping power unless you get into very long blades and swords. Kukris are around this long, I thing, but their blades are curved and more massive.




This is NOT supposed to be for fighting but if it's what you have when you need it then, by all means, it will work:



This is America's answer to the kukri, I suppose:



Remember not just the 21 foot rule but the old maxim, "in a knife fight, one of the fighters is going to the hospital; the other fighter is going to the morgue".

The problem with knife fighting is that most of us don't really know how while most of us truly do know how to gun fight. Watch your six and behave and maybe you can just keep these concepts academic my friends!

[diyj98]

Originally Posted by JDinAZ

Pure effective. Better than a gun in close quarters.

I'm not sure how a knife would be better than a snub nosed 38 special in close quarters.

[Peakes]

Always good to have a Sharp Blade available. 👍

[Narragansett]

Never leave home without one

[Kurusu]

The really dangerous knife fight is the one where the one being "knifed" does not even know there is a knife involved. It only takes a very small sharp knife in the hands of someone knowledged of how and where to use it. He won't confront you, he won't get loud, he'll just kill you and move away.

Pulling out a big knife and looking meanacing with it generally means the attacker only is trying to scare you.

Edit. Knives, as weapons, are mostly offensive weapons not defensive. Does not mean you cannot defend yourself with one. But again, it's better if your opponent does not even dream you got a knife.

[boykinlp]

Originally Posted by Drm50

In late 70s I bought a case of Khukri from Century Arms Importers. They were Brit colonial issue made in India. They were covered in some kind of cosmoline that was PIA to get off.m They were not of high finish and heavier made than OPs. They were only couple bucks apiece by the case.
Had to put them in a bucket of gasoline to get them apart.

Did you keep any? We need pics.😀
Larry

[delcrossv]

I keep looking at these and thinking "Off With Their Heads!"

I'm sure they're great for mayhem, but rather impractical for general use.

[Drm50]

Originally Posted by boykinlp

Did you keep any? We need pics.😀
Larry

I don’t own one but good chance one of my buddies still has one. They were marked with British broad arrow and had no sheaths. I think that might have been same time all the Nepal stuff was being imported.

[white cloud]

Some of you large blade fans may enjoy this.

YouTube

[Farmer17]

My cousin was at a car wash in Little Rock, AR washing his car in a questionable neighborhood getting ready to go to his daughters softball game. As he was bending down vacuuming his car he got hit in the head with some kind of metal box or briefcase. He's 6-2 and in great shape and was stunned but then jumped up and started hitting and kicking the guy but then another man came up from behind and grabbed him and he broke free and started to grab his Glock .40 under the front seat, but then two men ran away. He went to the softball game and was watching the game and realized he was bleeding from his back, one of the guys had cut him with a knife he never saw. Had to go get a few stitches but he never felt the stab wound.