Question: Better to carry, mace or a knife

[Faux Newbie]

I've been talking about this with friends, as a female friend asked me what to carry, and I favor a knife (I know, some states don't allow this).

What are your thoughts?

What kind of knife?

I don't favor mace because I was once in a car where someone accidentally discharged mace, my window was the only open window, and it was just cracked open, so it all went into my face. It sucked, but not in a way that I felt could be counted on to stop people. Mind you, not all mace is the same.

[GeneChing]

I like knives. Besides I am often called upon to cut stuff - envelopes, boxes, cheese - all kinds of stuff. I used to carry mace when I worked as an usher at a dive 3rd run movie theater. I only used it once to break up a fight there. Mace was a little cumbersome. I use my pocket knife regularly.

[Faux Newbie]

I like knives. Besides I am often called upon to cut stuff - envelopes, boxes, cheese - all kinds of stuff. I used to carry mace when I worked as an usher at a dive 3rd run movie theater. I only used it once to break up a fight there. Mace was a little cumbersome. I use my pocket knife regularly.

Same with me as far as knives. I used to work construction, having a knife was handy on a day to day basis, so I just got used to it.

Ironically, the only time on the job where weapons were an issue, some people attempted to steal my gear from a job site. At the time, I had a massive pry bar and a carpenter's hammer in my hand, this was back when I had Thor hair. The overall Wrath of Odin effect of big nordic looking guy coming in with primitive crush your skull implements meant my tools remained without me even making a move. Perhaps I should tell her to carry those!

[MightyB]

unless you like to spend a lot of time in jail, mace is the better option for non-lethal self defense. If you are at a point where you feel you need to carry a lethal weapon as a deterrent, then get a permit and carry a handgun.

[Faux Newbie]

unless you like to spend a lot of time in jail, mace is the better option for non-lethal self defense. If you are at a point where you feel you need to carry a lethal weapon as a deterrent, then get a permit and carry a handgun.

I can see your point, except that, in a potentially lethal situation, the knife is a better option and has legal grounds that a woman would benefit from more than many men who suffer under proving self defense. In non-life threatening, mace might be better, but having the second if the situation is that serious is problematic.

Additionally, police statistics for decades in both the U.S. and England have shown that the knife tends to win out under 21 feet. I can't recall the name that has gotten, I'll look it up when I get home, but knife wounds tend to be more debilitating, and aim with a gun seems to be heavily adversely affected in such conflicts.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I carry a knife so I am bias.
The crucial element is how quickly you can get to it ( mace, knife, rabid terrier, etc) and how well you can use it.
There are many improvised weapons that may be "better" than mace or a knife.
If you are gonna carry it in your hand, even a good pen or pencil can be effective ( in the right hands), same goes for keys for example.
If you are gonna kept it on your pocket, make sure you can get it out in a crisis.

[GeneChing]

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