Knife Defense Clothing

[FearlessFreep]

Last night it was cold and I was wearing 'layers'. I don't have a heavy check so I wear a shirt, a medium sweat shirt, and a medium suede/cloth jacket.

It had me wondering how well normal or layered winter clothing would stand up to knife slashes or stabs

 

[arnisador]

It's of little help against stabs unless it's a small knife--which certainly happens--but yes, it can be helpful against slashes. Still, don't count on it!

People test this by putting an old jacket on a beef roast or the like and slashing. (Wear safety gloves and glasses.) The bigger and heavier the knife, the less the benefit of clothes...but there's a reason why the military doesn't wear thin clothing.

 

[Tom]

Lotsa places, only a "small knife" is legal and there are lotsa peeps wearin the big puffy jackets in winter that would protect a lot against a small knife.

 

[still learning]

Hello, Just that the knife attack maybe to an open area? ...face?...neck? ...or ?

You can use your clothes for protection.....just that the knifer may take another tarket ...wouldn't you to too?

Aloha...best to escape than again...it will be your clothes that may add some protection for defense ....? use what you got on!

Hawaii is warm for thick clothing...unless you live in Waimea...where is gets cold everynight,almost every home has a chimmy. (On the Big Island of Hawii) It snow last week on top of Mauna kea mountain.

at 12 ,000 feet and up...we went up there and play in snow. The air is 40% less oxygen, cannot play too hard or stay very long.....it was nice!

Aloha

 

[Doc_Jude]

Leather jackets (thick, not these paper thin things you buy at the mall) are probably the best protection you're going to find, besides motorcycle leathers. Enough layers of denim will even stop thrusts from light swords, if you look into the history of padded & quilted armor use in rapier fighting.
Remember, you can buy stab vests that are put together different than flak jackets or "bullet proof" vests.
I'd say, practice your evasion & wear alot of leather. PETA be damned!

Some things like large leather wrist cuffs or watch bands can really protect you if you get ahold of the knife wrist, since most knife arts train to cut the wrist if you try to grab. They can give you that second you need for a disarm, throat strike, or whatever you need to do to survive.
Wrist Bands
Watch Bands
You'll see many "old boys" wearing things like this, esp the watch bands. Sometime, pay attention if you ever get the chance to see their bare wrist. For them, it may not be a fashion statement but lessons learned...

 

[Em MacIntosh]

I think the jacket will aid your defense more as a weapon than armor. Personal preferance. It's most effective for obstructing vision, IMO. All either you or your opponent needs is about half a second.

 

[Doc_Jude]

I think the jacket will aid your defense more as a weapon than armor. Personal preferance. It's most effective for obstructing vision, IMO. All either you or your opponent needs is about half a second.

How often in a knife attack will you have the time to take off your jacket to use it as a "weapon"? I mean, I respect cloak & dagger stuff, but you have to survive the initial attack.

I say, heavy leather jackets & footwork.

 

[tellner]

I can't quote the whole thing, but Richard Pryor gets the last word about knives.

He was talking about the movies and said very close to "You take off your jacket. Dum-dum-dum. Wrap it around your arm. Dum-dum-dum. Kick the knife out his hand. ********. Mother****er will cut that **** all up. And if he's mad he'll cut up the ambulance drivers when they show up. If a guy comes at you with a knife you run. If you can. If you can't run, fly!"

 

[SKB]

Leather and thick material are the best. Anything between you and the blade. You just don't want to have so much on you can't move! I also would not count on the material but use it or think of it as extra protection in case you can't move fast enough. A arm brought up to defend the face covered in a leather jacket is better then a bare arm!!!!

 

[JBrainard]

Leather jackets (thick, not these paper thin things you buy at the mall) are probably the best protection you're going to find, besides motorcycle leathers.

I guess I'm set, then.

 

[Cruentus]

Clothing, especially leather, can be very helpful. This is because most people who are criminals aren't necessarily knife enthusiasts like some of us may be. Their knives may tend to be cheap and not razor sharp, and they may tend to slash rather then stab. If any of these factors are the case, then your clothing may be a lot more help then one might ordinarily expect.

 

[Cruentus]

Clothing, especially leather, can be very helpful. This is because most people who are criminals aren't necessarily knife enthusiasts like some of us may be. Their knives may tend to be cheap and not razor sharp, and they may tend to slash rather then stab. If any of these factors are the case, then your clothing may be a lot more help then one might ordinarily expect.

That all said, it isn't going to be really practical to dress specifically for a "knife fight;" this should not be happening to you enough to justify dressing especially for it, and if it is, then you are a douche bag.

 

[Marvin]

That all said, it isn't going to be really practical to dress specifically for a "knife fight;" this should not be happening to you enough to justify dressing especially for it, and if it is, then you are a douche bag.

Yep. Cruentus is right, you prolly have other issues you need to work out.

 

[FearlessFreep]

That all said, it isn't going to be really practical to dress specifically for a "knife fight;" this should not be happening to you enough to justify dressing especially for it, and if it is, then you are a douche bag.

Yeah, I was more kinda obliquely curious in how much natural defense would be gain from normal winter wear in the event it was ever an issue, not armouring up for a street knife fight

 

[Grenadier]

Even a smaller knife with a sub-3" blade (such as my trusty Spyderco Delica) can penetrate layers of clothing with a stab.

Remember, clothing is compressible, and that knife flying towards you will certainly have enough force to puncture it.

Now, this may seem silly to say, but if you are in a situation where you could be regularly stabbed, there is a company called StabPro that offers a stab-resistant vest.

http://www.surveillance-equip.com/body-armor.html

Their disclaimers, though, aren't exactly reassuring:

CAUTION: Although overall puncture, cut and slash resistance of these products is high, some stiletto-like, needle-like or very sharp knives and instruments may penetrate these all-fabric vests. The end-user is advised to determine for him/her-self whether or not these products meet his/her needs

 

[Cruentus]

Yeah, I was more kinda obliquely curious in how much natural defense would be gain from normal winter wear in the event it was ever an issue, not armouring up for a street knife fight

That's cool. Not criticizing you or the thread or anything, just stating the fact.

Only exceptions would be people who work in corrections and those types of situations; but in that case stab resistant vests would be the solution rather then winter clothing and such that we are talking about...

 

[frank raud]

Lotsa places, only a "small knife" is legal and there are lotsa peeps wearin the big puffy jackets in winter that would protect a lot against a small knife.

Big puffy jackets are filled with down feathers or other light fill that compress quite easily. You are looking at essentially a nylon shell. Minimal protection compared with leather or even a Carhart style barn jacket.

 

[foot2face]

+1 for those recommending heavy leather. Back in my bouncing days I often wore a Motorcycle Jacket that my girlfriend got me. The thing felt like it weighed 10 pounds but man was it great. Broken bottles, glass, knives, nothing got trough. Now I'm not saying it would stand up to a hard stab but moderate slashes and glancing cuts, the kind that would fillet off a flap of skin, didn't do a thing.

 

[thardey]

I was wearing my heavy leather jacket one day while working with a knife -- it slipped and I stabbed myself in the forearm hard enough to cause a bruise, but it didn't penetrate the leather. (But it was a heavy leather jacket).

I have a friend who wears motorcycle jackets (leather) with the heavy-duty zip-up sleeves - the metal zippers add a bit of protection to the inside of the forearm -- a prime target to experienced knife-fighters.

 

[howard]

I can't quote the whole thing, but Richard Pryor gets the last word about knives...

Oh man, that is one funny skit! One of his best.

You left one great part out... when he gets all indignant because the victim "got blood all over my $#@%!'g pants..."

Doesn't he call the guy who wraps his jacket around his arm and challenges the knife-wielding dude "Macho Man"?