A new magazine issued by the Islamic State advises lone jihadists to get over any squeamishness about using knives and embrace sharp objects as "widely available" weapons of jihad in nighttime stabbing campaigns. ISIS Calls for Random Knife Attacks in Alleys, Forests, Beaches
All the more reason to start carrying if you don't all ready! A nut with no experience and a knife is far more deadly then a trained killer with a gun! Fact, a nut with knife is a guided missile toward your vitals, his aim doesn't need to be true, some how or another he will damage you bad!!! Knife comes out, bad guy takes half step in your direction, empty a mag in him!!!
Uh, that brings to mind the scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark where the Arab guy with the scimitar type sword and fancy moves runs out to confront Indiana Jones, who proceeds to pull his revolver and blow the guy away. Also in The Untouchables where Sean Connery, playing as the cop named Malone, blows away a guy in his home that is armed with a knife and come to do him harm -"Isn't that just like a wop. Brings a knife to a gun fight." Let me see, I'm not in alleys or at the beach, but in the forest I'm usually packing heat, and I always have my bent pig sticker in a shoulder harness under my left arm, a knife I've grown very fond of over the years which can take a licking and keep on ticking, and would probably give Abdullah a run for his money.
Seen those for sale on sites from the country that made em famous... used properly those things are probably better then a camp axe or knife...
In my 20's we dropped a couple dozen big alders for a BiL. When it came time to limb I kept up with others that were using chainsaws. On the trail in Nepal I've seen them used to cut down trees with 5' wide trunks. Takes them a while, but an axe wouldn't be any faster. They are ergonomic,efficient, and effective - chop deep and slice at the same time..
have care where ya get one... some of em don't have a real good temper on em... in fact ya want a good one? ... do a look up online for em and get one direct from Nepal if ya can...
Or do like I did - I bought mine from a local in the Langtang Valley somewhere north of Kathmandu (maybe ten days?). It's a real working tool forged from folded steel and not an export item - though many of them are excellent.
I got one of the New Lanske knifes that resembles those! Surprising at how good at multi tasking that blade is, and in a pinch, would be a good to great fighting knife! Still prefer a Bowie for that sort of thing, but this gives more options! I also found it battons very well!
Mine was a gift from a Commune Mate who spent two years in Nepal with the Peace Corps back in the late 60's..., There are pictures of it posted here on the Monkey, in the Knife Forum, somewhere. My buddy the "Master Bladesmith" put a new Handle on it, when the original failed, after 50 years of service. It is the only knife, I have carried for 55+ years, and always travels with me when I travel.