Advantages of the Push Dagger for Self-defense

I was going through my knife collection the other day and came across an oldie but goodie: The Cold Steel Safe Keeper Push Dagger.

In the world of edged weapons you rarely see or read much about push daggers/knives.

It’s usually folders or traditional fixed blades that end up in the spotlight. Nothing wrong with these no doubt but the push dagger does deserve your attention because it certainly has its attributes.

1)Fixed blade

It’s not a folding blade, usually a single piece of steel. This means you have all the rigidity and strength of a fixed blade knife.

2)Ease of carry

Because the handle is perpendicular and not in line with the blade. Push knives can be very compact in spite of blade length. It is fairly easy to carry concealed a four inch blade, let alone smaller 2 or 3 inch ones which are still formidable weapons. The one pictured was carried by me on several occasions in Argentina. I remember how comfortable it was and feeling rather well armed with it.

3)fast deployment

Unlike folding knives there’s no blade to flip or other deployment mechanism. Just grab and pull out ready for use. Neck knife models are particularly well suited for quick access. The Cold Steel Mini Pal can be kept handy in a key chain. Don’t let the small size fool you. That little Min Pal can cut.

4)instinctive use

Because it is held in a balled fist and used in the same manner as punching, the push knife lends itself nicely to not only different martial arts disciplines but also more instinctive punching.

Safe Maker II at ColdSteel.com

5)Almost impossible to disarm

Besides its ease of carry, this has to be one of its most valuable traits: retention. Anyone that ever took a knife fighting class and practiced some CQC with practice knives knows how likely it is for knives to be dropped during a fight. In the case of women or smaller frame people there’s also the risk of being overpowered and disarmed, a position you certainly never want to find yourself in. With a push knife, such a thing is almost impossible. For most models none of the handle is left exposed for grabbing and the only surface protruding is the blade itself, which your attacker certainly doesn’t want to touch.

FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”