Benchmade Bedlam and Other Great Self Defense Knives

When many people think about a self-defense weapon, they think about a gun. While a gun is a fantastic, there are many drawbacks to them. They are expensive, they require a carrying permit, and in many areas, guns are illegal. This is when carrying knife comes in handy. You can conceal a knife better than a gun, you can use it for other tasks, and knives are often times legal where guns are not. Just make sure that you do know your local knife laws before you decide to start carrying one as your self-defense weapon of choice. You should also consider taking a short course so you know the dangers of using a knife as a self-defense weapon and the small drawbacks to it. You should be familiar with your weapon before you try to use it as your self-defense weapon.

When choosing your knife, you should consider a few things. You should consider what style of knife you want. Many people prefer a fixed blade because they are more durable and all you have to do is draw it. You won’t have to fumble around trying to get your knife open in a critical situation. You are also going to want to consider whether you want a double bladed knife or not. The thing with a double bladed knife is that it is going to cause more harm, but it is also easier to hurt yourself when using it. You also are going to want to consider shape—many people love the Kerambit. Because it is small and has a blade the shape of a claw, it is easy to conceal, easy to use as a tool, and can make deeper cuts than other knives.

There are so many different self-defense knives on the market and each one of them offers slightly different things. I picked a few of the best self-defense knives out there. Today we will go over the pros and cons of each one and what makes them unique.

 

The Kershaw Cryo:

This knife was designed by Rick Hinderer; it won the 2012 Best Buy of the year award. The blade on this knife is 2.75 inches long made out of 8Cr13MoV stainless steel. This steel is a Chinese steel that is mid-range. It holds an edge pretty well, but tends to dull quicker than other steels because it is soft. But, because it is soft, it is easy to re-sharpen when needed. The blade has a decent belly, which helps when you are trying to slice something. The tip does get pretty thin, but it stays tough.

This is a folder knife, so it isn’t going to be as durable as a fixed blade. The locking mechanism is a framelock. For the most part, there are no complaints when it comes to this locking system, but there is a little bit of play to the blade.

The handle is made out of a titanium carbo-nitride coated stainless steel. This is a very aesthetically pleasing material, but grip does lack with this material. The grip is going to get you by in most scenarios, but if the knife becomes wet, it is going to be very slippery. But, to make up for the slickness of the material, Kershaw added jimping on the top of the blade and the bottom of the handle. Because this is a smaller knife, it probably will get uncomfortable if you are using it for long periods of time, but for self-defense it will work great.

The pocket clip on this knife is made out of a black coated steel. This pocket clip can be attached in four different ways—right handed carry, left handed carry, tip up, or tip down. It also allows you to carry your knife pretty deeply in your pocket.

This is a cheaper knife, so people were worried that it was going to be cheap in quality as well. But clearly, you have no reason to worry about that.

The overall length on this knife is 6.5 inches, with a closed length of 3.75 inches. The knife weighs 4.2 ounces

Pros:

• Easy to sharpen.
• Has a decent belly.
• Knife looks great.
• Pocket clip can be attached in four different ways.
• Small, so it is easy to conceal.

Cons:

• Steel isn’t highest quality.
• It’s a folding knife.
• The handle offers less grip than many prefer.
• Small, so it can be uncomfortable to use for long periods.

 

The Ka-Bar TDI Law Enforcement:

This knife series was designed by a collaboration between John Benner, who is the president of the Tactical Defense Institute, and KaBar Knives, who are famous for their Marine Corps and Navy Fighting knife. TDI has trained civilians and law enforcement for over 15 years. They know what they are talking about when it comes to self-defense.

The drop point blade on this knife is 2 5/16 inches long made out of AUS 8 stainless steel. This is a Japanese steel that has a great balance between corrosion resistance properties, toughness, and edge sharpness. The steel is coated in a non-reflective, black powder coated finish. This makes it great if you are trying to be stealthy because it limits the ability for light to reflect off of it. There are actually three different blades that you can choose from: straight edge, combo blade, and serrated blade. This makes it easy to get your ideal knife so that you feel very comfortable while you are using it.

This is a fixed blade, so it is going to be more durable. This knife has a unique angle of the blade coming off of the handle. This angle allows you to draw your knife with your wrist already in the position of optimum strength instead of needed to twist the wrist. The angle also gives you a better reverse grip.  With this fixed blade, it is going to be much faster to draw and get into a position where you can actually use it.

The handle is made out of Zytel, which is a very strong material. The handle grips come in a variety of different colors: black, coyote brown, foliage, green, orange, and red. There are a variety of colors so that you can choose one closest to your shirt color. This will make it less noticeable and easier to blend in. Or, if you are going to be outdoors, the brighter colors will make it easier to find.

The overall length of this knife is 5.625 inches long. This knife weighs 0.2 pounds.

Pros:

• It is a fixed blade, so the knife is more durable, you can put more force into it, and it is quicker to draw.
• The AUS 8 steel is a great steel option.
• Three different styles of blades to choose from.
• The blade and handle have a unique connecting angle.
• Zytel handle with a variety of different grip color options.
• This is a very light blade.
• Has a non-reflective black coating on the blade.

Cons:

• This is a very small knife.
• This is more of a backup weapon, instead of the main one.

 

The SOG Seal Pup Elite Fixed Blade:

The blade on this knife is 4.85 inches long, made out of US8 stainless steel. This steel has then gone through SOG’s Cryogenic Heath Treatment process. This process actually strengthens the steel on an atomic level. This means that the blade is going to be more durable and retain its edge for longer periods of time. The steel is then coated in a titanium nitride which then strengthens the blade even more. This is a crazy tough blade. This blade is also very, very, very sharp. It is sharp even when it is right out of the box. Plus, it keeps its edge without needing a whole lot of maintenance. This fixed blade is a full tang knife that gives you even more durability.

The handle is made out of glass-reinforced Zytel. SOG has then added finger grooves, so that it can fit better in your hand. The handle has textured scales on it, which make it comfortable, even after long periods of use. The texture also gives you amazing grip, even during the wettest of conditions.

The sheath on this knife is a fantastic sheath. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, when your knife has an amazing sheath, you know that you have a very quality knife. This is because often times, the manufacturer will pour most of the money into the blade and handle and then produce a shoddy sheath. When the manufacturer has put so much detail in the sheath, you know you can really trust the knife. The sheath on this knife is made out of reinforced Nylon, with a Kydex insert. The insert protects the blade while it is inside and it stops it from moving around inside. On the front of the sheath, there is a pocket that can hold a small item, such as a lighter.

The overall length of this knife is 9.5 inches and it weighs around 5.4 ounces.  You can find it here on our website.

Pros:

• The steel is fantastic quality.
• The heat treatment and coating make the knife much tougher and more durable.
• This is a crazy sharp knife.
• Doesn’t require a lot of maintenance.
• Handle is very comfortable and gives you great texture.
• Fantastic sheath.
• Not too heavy, so it is easy to have with you.

Cons:

• This is a larger knife, so it’s not going to be one that you can conceal easily.

 

The Benchmade Bedlam:

You can pick up the Benchmade Bedlam as a folder or an automatic knife.

The blade on this knife is 3.95 inches long made out of 154CM stainless steel. This type of steel has fantastic edge retention, especially compared to regular stainless steels. This makes it a good option for blades that are going to be cutting a lot and knives that are going to be cutting heavier duty things. This steel also has pretty good corrosion resistance properties. This blade has an upward curve to it. Because the blade is long and upswept, it makes it ideal for slashing. You can get this knife in a plain edge or a combo edge, depending on which one you prefer. There are also two different finishes—a satin finish or a black coated finish.

The handle on this knife is made out of textured G10 handle scales. This is a very strong material for you handle, so you don’t have to worry about it breaking. The liners on the handle are made out of 420J stainless steel black oxide.

The locking mechanism on this knife is the AXIS locking system. This is a fantastic system, that creates one of the smoothest openings and closings that you will ever witness. Plus, once the knife is open, it locks solidly into place so you don’t have to worry about it snapping shut while you are using it.

The pocket clip on this knife is reversible, so you can attach it to carry right handedly or left handedly. However, you can only carry it tip up.

The overall length of this blade is 9.71 inches long with a closed length of 5.76 inches. This knife weighs 7.1 ounces, so it is a heftier knife. This is a more expensive knife option. If you want a sheath, you can purchase one separately.  You can purchase the Benchmade Bedlam here.

Pros:

• The steel option is fantastic and gives you great edge retention.
• The shape of the knife is great for slashing.
• The handle is very strong.
• The locking system is super smooth.
• Reversible pocket clip.

Cons:

• This is a more expensive knife.
• This is also a heftier knife; you are going to notice it in your pocket.
• This is a folding knife, so it will never be as durable as a fixed blade.

 

Conclusion:

Choosing a knife as your go to self-defense weapon is definitely not a bad option. There are many pros to having a knife, whether it is your main self-defense option or just your backup. You should consider what style of knife you want—fixed blade or folder blade. You should consider what shape of blade you want. And you should consider the size of your blade. These four options would all work great to keep yourself safe and not a victim.