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Friday, June 8, 2012

Meet Tamara

Some of you will read this and think I'm paranoid. Of course, you probably think I'm paranoid anyway because I carry a concealed pistol. Oh well.

Anywayz, earlier in the week an article was brought to my attention by Tamara Keel, the gunnie Patron Saint of Snark. After I read her post, I read that article, and then I read on a couple other blogs (whose names escape me at the moment, sorry gents) about how someone had tried to forcibly disarm them from behind.

All these posts got me to thinking, "What would I do in a situation like this?" After I thought about it some I consulted with my mother, who despite her age is a third-degree black belt in Shotokan karate. We both decided that the best course of action would be as follows:

  1. Grab my holster with my right hand to move the butt of the pistol against my body. This makes it difficult to remove the pistol from the holster since my waist is now in the way of the draw.
  2. If possible, use my elbow to lock the guy's arm. 
  3. With my left hand, draw a knife. 
  4. Rotate to my right. This will probably break my opponent's grip on my gun. Use momentum to power knife attack to opponent's face or neck. 
  5. Use whatever means necessary to remove opponent from my immediate area, allowing me to draw my pistol. 

A few practice sessions confirmed this. The only problem was that I had no fixed-blade knife I could draw and use with my weak hand. Therefore, like a proper girl, I went shopping for accessories.

I originally thought about getting a karambit of some kind, because they did exactly what I wanted and looked mean to boot. However, karambits are big, expensive, and (allegedly) useful only with specialized training. That's when someone -- I think it was guest contributor Jeff W. -- suggested I look into a Ka-Bar TDI.





Oh my, yes. This will do nicely: less expensive than a karambit, expressly designed for exactly what I want, and it's law-enforcement issue to boot. So I went ahead and ordered one.

Imagine my pleasant surprise, then, when my choice was blessed by none other than St. Tamara, who said "Kabar TDI is a fine knife, and specifically designed for defending gun grabs. Don't worry that it doesn't have any mystic woo-woo. ;)"

Well then. Not only did I make the right choice, but clearly this is some form of divine providence, as the woman who got me thinking about it approved of my decision. Obviously, my only course of action was to name the knife Tamara.


(My guns are boys because they are big and loud and, let's face it, phallic. But knives, swords -- anything sharp, really -- are girls. This is because while it's easy to make a boy go bang, females require skill and technique. Also, they'll cut you if you fuck with them.)


So this is Tamara, my new EDC knife:

Pointy!



And this is her with Oleg, my EDC pistol. Don't they make a lovely couple?

Black makes it more tactical.

Hopefully both Tam and Oleg will understand that naming my tools after them is meant as praise and not mockery. I have nothing but the deepest respect for them both.

27 comments:

  1. Gun Blog Black ListJune 8, 2012 at 4:26 PM

    When you start carrying a P-38 can opener, will you name it after me?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'll second the K-bar.  I've got the smaller "sister" to that model and found it a handy knife.

    And nice Tam, first a comic book character, now a blade.  You're getting up there with Excalibur.

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  3. Ooh...  that is a very nice knife.  I'm kerambit trained, but haven't gotten around to picking one up.  This might do better indeed; thanks for bringing it to my attention.

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  4. I thought about getting the smaller one. In truth, I have about an inch of "too much handle," but the blade is exactly the right length. I'd rather have too much handle than not enough blade.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My pleasure! You also have many options with the TDI that you don't have with the karambit, such as serrated blades, tanto points, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  6. But "GBBL" isn't a girl's name!  ;)

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  7. Yeah, the handle on mine is a great length and the overall size is nice and compact, but more blade would be nice.

    Ah well.  I do like that the scabbard can be changed for IWB or OWB and right and left side.

    ReplyDelete
  8. now you need an impact weapon and a flashlight and a couple of extra mags and a backup gun, and then maybe an equipment belt to hang it all on.

    you'll rattle everywhere you go, but you'll always be prepared. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Don't forget a lighter, multitool, compass, canteen, and army chocolate.

    Actually in seriousness, a little miltitool and a flashlight can be pretty durn small, and even the cheapo ones are better than nothing.

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  10.  Also a wide brimmed hat, water absorbent if possible.

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  11. Have a 100+ lumen tactical light with impact crown as part of my EDC, and I have a spare mag in a cellphone case. Send me a backup gun and I'll name it after you. ;)

    Oh, and the belt from Michael should be arriving any day now.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Respectively: in my EDC bag, in my EDC bag, in my car, in my car, and how is army chocolate different from regular?

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  13. Why absorbent? This is the rainy season, I want to stay as dry as possible. I have a wide-brimmed boonie hat that I used half a can of waterproofing on, and a surplus poncho in Swiss alpenflage.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Army chocolate comes in two types, the moral boosting which is normal chocolate that's packaged a bit differently and emergency ration which is... chocolate-like.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_chocolate

    Though the line itself is from Watchmen about what NightOwl keeps in his utility belt.

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  15.  I have the same knife a Jack.  What's great is the 2" fixed blade takes it 100% of the radar of Mass Law.   So its what I carry when I'm legally barred from carry.   They're an AMAZING design, and great name choice!

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  16. I still don't understand why people live in Mass.

    Here in Florida, anything with 4 " blade or less is considered a common pocket knife, which may be worn openly.

    And yes, Tamara is right at the 4" mark. :)

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  17. Actually that's a desert trick. Water evaporation is an endothermic reaction, therefor as the hat dries it will cool your head.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Yeah, I bought one of those cooling bandannas a while back. It's supposed to work for "hours and hours" but in reality stopped working after about 15-20 minutes.

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  19. Splash more water to keep the evap  cycle going.

    It's like those zee pots and the like.

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  20.  And your answer is, for us the work is in the Boston Area, and our family is all in New England.

    Also we found a town that doesn't seem to be aware its in Mass.  I hate my state...I do love my town!

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  21.  Yeah in a Florida summer water doesn't evaporate...it BREEDS!

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  22. You joke but it's true. Some summers, going outdoors is like walking into a sauna.

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    ReplyDelete
  24.  But that name is already used for the MP40 submachine gun in the book "Mila 18".

    ReplyDelete