Buddy Can You Spare a Dime?

Buddy can you Spare a Dime?

This was a common plaint from unemployed people during the depression and although I am not quite old enough to remember the depression, this phrase was still in use during my childhood. What has this got to do with knife fighting or self defense?
A few days ago I needed my knife to open a package. I whipped out my trusty Kershaw™ Speed Bump and thumbed the bump to flip it open. It didn’t open. Without bothering to look down I tried again, and a third time. I rolled the knife over in my hand and pushed down to release the lock. As usual, it was already unlocked. About this time, from out of the space between the liner and the blade, a dime fell to the floor, and the blade sluggishly half-opened.

Well luckily my package was not in the attack mode. If it had been a drug crazed, pill popping murderer I would have been in serious trouble. Not only would my knife have been ineffective, but, I was so distracted that there was a hole big enough in my self-defense to drive an Abrams tank through. So, even though this has become one of my favorite tactical folders, this lesson re-emphasizes the fact that in a tight spot nothing beats a small fixed blade knife, like a Bradburn Tanto or one of our Cobras.

Keep this episode in mind the next time you chuck some spare change in the same pocket where you keep your folder. Some day this lesson might save your life!