I spend a lot of time in the woods and I am often alone. When I am hunting I am either carrying my rifle and/or a sidearm but sometimes while hiking especially in warmer weather the weight of a sidearm and holster can be a burden to me. So I have long sought for a knife that could keep any man or beast at bay. I have a nice sharp hunting knife but I never felt entirely certain about its intimidation factor.

Having seen the movie Crocadile Dundee I was always impressed by the massive knife he pulled out on that would be mugger.

Being a woman and needless to say a bit less intimidating sans knife than ol' Croc Dundee I have thought that having that knife in my hand might just make me look a bit more powerful and menacing to any stranger I might encounter while alone in the woods.

After months of searching I have found the knife.

Here is link a to it and a video of it as well as a link to the original video clip from the movie so you can confirm as I did that it is in fact not just a knife but "the knife"

http://www.worldknives.com/products/dow ... -2403.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgLOQoVB ... _embedded#!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01NHcTM5IA4

Thanks for the info on the knife.

This could be the solution to a growing problem here - intimidating stray dogs. We have had several pit bull attacks here, one just the other day that caused an elderly man's death.

Had a stray pit and another dog together surprise me in the back yard the other day while taking my dog out. So far screaming at them and brandishing a fireplace poker has done the trick, but having some real protection would be best.

I like that knife!

Kat,
Please consider a lightweight .22 revolver such as the S&W "J" frame with a lightweight cordura holster.
An animal won't be intimidated by a knife & two legged animals might take it away from you if you're not trained in fighting with a knife.
If you need a knife for defense,it's last ditch & you're too close to your attacker IMHO.

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!!!

Use a knife to get a pistol, a pistol to get a shotgun and a shotgun to get a long gun but don't bring a knife to a gun fight unless you are well trained.

I had a feeling you guys would tell me that and I agree completely. If a man gets close enough to me he could easily take it away assuming I would be afraid to kill him immediately.

But I am not impressed with the little .22s either. I have shot them and find their accuracy is so poor you practically need to be on top of what you are shooting at. Plus you need to shoot the assailant multiple times since there is very little stopping power. The .22 also will do next to nothing against bear although it might stop a small coyote it will also most likely aggravate the bigger than average one we now get up here.

Trust me when I say that I am quite aware of the fact that I would not do well in close combat situation with any man but that is the reason I like this knife for it is so big that it is practically a small sword and therefore, I should be able to maintain some distance between me and any assailant.

If I need the thing I will probably already going to be in world of trouble and therefore it will be better than not having anything. BTW I also carry pepper spray.

My advice would be to stick with the sidearm, no matter the "burden."

It is much better to be powerful than it is to look powerful.

Kat,
I guess I should have said at Least a .22.Better than a knife.You were concerned with weight & that might be a solution.
The Ruger LCR .38 + P rated.Extremely light,can be carried in a pocket.
A Charter Arms .44 Bulldog might be another avenue for you,a bit heavier but great firepower.An extra pound of protection is well worth your well being.

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!!!

I've carried these puppies for a number of years.

http://www.coldsteel.com/tantoseries.html

I used to live a few miles from there west coast offices and been to some of their seminars.

The 7" is my favorite. But I also have a 9"

A big knife can be good for intimidation at first, but to really be effective you need some training with it in a hand to hand type situation. I do like them for other reasons than self-defense. They also have many utility purposes such as wood cutting, prying, tool making, ect...

For self-defense you may also want to consider some kind of metal shod walking stick or staff, if that's legal in your area. And when I say walking stick I don't mean one of those hiking poles that look like modified ski poles but something more substantial.

For a smaller "walking stick" that would look at home in the outdoors or in the city something like this http://yhst-1129393017033.stores.yahoo.net/index.html

This particular one just happened to be one of the first my search came up with, they are a bit pricy but are actually pipe shafts with a wood head so would appear to be able to stand up in a self defense situation.

The other approach is the more traditional walking staff such as found here http://www.backpacking.net/walkstik.html

The advantage of a walking stick/staff is that they increase the distance at which you can deal with an agressor. A pistol also increases that distance but as has already been said a small pistol would probably just piss off larger wildlife creatures. With the larger creatures the pistols noise would probably be more effective at driving the critter off than the bullets.

All in all it comes down to what you are comfortable with and what you can use effectively. Check to see if there are any classes in your area that teach the type of self-defense that appeals to you. It doesn't necessarily take years of training to make a substantial difference in your ability to defend youself. Additional training time brings efficiency and polish to the initial skillset.

As additional tools I have one of these in my trunk b.o.b. http://sogknives.com/store/F01T_tomahawk.html as well as a Kukri Machete http://www.coldsteel.com/kukrimachetes.html either of which I would feel comfortable carrying while hiking in the woods here.

Kat , whata ya got , phallus envy?
That pig sticker weighs more than my Victorinox multi tool and my Glock 26 combined and I could build a house and defend it with my stuff! Better yet , why don't you just buy one of those 1 gazzillion volt stun guns and carry that on your belt. You can also use the stun gun to neutralize one of them Eastern diamondback bites if you're man enough!

I agree with the fellow poster that positioned - Having a Knife is Different from Knowing How to Use One.

If open carry of a firearm is out of the question then my personal choice would be the OC / Pepper Spray aerosols. My favorite would be the large size that fits in a Tactical Holster type set up.
There is a version made for bear defense that may be legal where human versions are illegal.

Plus with an old adjustable spray bottle you could make your own "self-defense" with a little ingenuity, vegetable/mineral oil, and hot pepper OR some of the super, atomic style hot sauces it's even easier.

In the USA we have a Food Channel Network. They occasionally have shows on about hot sauces. Anything that has the workers using HAZMAT suits and respirators just to produce the hot sauce SHOULD do the trick.
DYODD,
JMO,
Gb

Good comments all. I personally go out alone a lot and have a nice little 38 Police Special that is light wt and a belt holster for it. I don't want anyone to know I'm armed until I need the gun. But I also carry a 6" knife for last ditch defence. You can do a lot of damage to soft tissue with a little knife in close. It is easily concealed in my shirt or jacket sleeve. Then of course the most important thing is to be aware of your surroundings at all times. Don't be caught by surprise. You lose the advantage.