Blades for Self-Defense: Against Animals?

I have gone back and forth on knives over the years in my self-defense training.  Working in hand-to-hand, force-on-force, experiences led me to see the obvious utility of a small, fixed blade.  Still, as an overall preparedness tool, while a knife is essential, a dedicated “fighting” knife sits low on the totem pole for me regarding civilian self-defense.  The handgun is the obvious lethal tool of choice, and OC Spray the obvious less-lethal tool beyond having some hand-to-hand skills.  Therefore, though I always carry a knife for utility and emergency cutting, I have not carried a fixed blade in some years.

However, a consideration for knife carry remains when in environments where you cannot carry a gun.  there are many restricted places that ban blades almost as stringently as firearms, so often this tradeoff does us no good.  However, if viable, this is a consideration.  Personally, I favor impact tools over blades for a sole defensive tool……..against humans. 

What about animals?  Many of you might scoff at this as a ridiculous notion, but not so fast.  There was an incident in Michigan where a hiker fought off two coyotes with his pocket knife.  There have been others.  There have been defensive knife uses against dogs.  There have even been incidents where people have warded off black bears with a knife.  If not armed with a firearm, the blade is the next best thing.  Here is something to consider: animals, particularly dogs, the most common animal aggressor, are almost impervious to impact. 

A blackjack or sap, which proves so splendidly decisive against a human being if you land a hit to the temple or back of the head, does not have such effect on dogs.  There is a video of a delivery driver being attacked by a Pitbull, and a fellow driver is beating the dog over the head, full force, with a tire iron, yet the dog does not release.  The same blows would kill a large and robust man in short order, yet the dog is unphased.  A dog, however, is just as susceptible to cutting and blood loss as any human.  A solid cut down the neck behind the jaw line will do the trick in short order.

I had an interesting experience some months ago, overseas.  Obviously, not able to carry a firearm, or blade, I had a powerful flashlight on me at least.  I rounded a corner, late at night after a party, and ran into a pack of eight dogs ripping apart some trash in the parking lot.  Packs of dogs, not coyotes, but domesticated breeds that run wild, are common in this place.  Fortunately, the light had an effect and they backed off.  I could not help but think what would have happened if they had been emboldened to get aggressive.  I would much rather have a knife than nothing in such a circumstance. 

Even if a knife does not factor into your daily self-defense plan, if you can’t carry a gun, but can carry a knife in certain places, it is a good idea to do so.  Even if you prefer impact tools over a blade for human adversaries, consider animals as well; they are very impact resistant, but can be cut and bleed like anything else.