Sharpening your knife sales

Shooting Industry, Jan, 2007 by Massad Ayoob

Gun guys are knife guys, which gives you a strong customer base for knife sales. There's a little "weapon people" thing going on there. However, there are a lot more "tool people," "gadget people" and "appreciate-finely-made-items people" things going on, also. Thus, you have a wide market for a lot of different knives in your shop.

Utility folding knives and tactical knives are steady sellers among the kind of customer this column addresses, the buyer oriented toward self-defense. If your customer is licensed to carry a gun, why then would he be interested in a tactical folding knife designed for defensive deployment? Isn't that redundant?

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Yes, it is, in a good way.

When your customer who carries a handgun asks why he should buy a defense-oriented knife, the operative term is "backup." None of us would drive a car without a spare tire. None of us would want to be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance that had only one oxygen tank. If any of us arrived at that hospital in need of lifesaving emergency surgery, we would want there to be a powerful generator in place in case the power went out.

Ditto the blade.

In addition, remind your customer that it isn't kosher to carry a gun into the U.S. Post Office. There's no rule against carrying a knife in there, though.

Many police departments, knife instructors and tactical firearms instructors teach a method of handgun retention that involves the folding knife to thwart an attempt by a criminal to disarm a citizen or officer. The dominant hand of the good guy secures the firearm in the holster, while the non-dominant hand deploys the knife and slashes the attacker's arms.

A person who has his hand on your gun in the course of a violent attack can be reasonably and prudently understood as attempting to kill you. The very fact that his hand is on the handgun and you cannot totally control the firearm puts you in mortal peril. Thus, the deadly force of a knife is absolutely justified.

A fixed-blade knife will be the fastest to deploy. Any good fixed-blade knife can be used for this tactic, but one that was designed expressly for such use is the TDI knife produced by Ka-Bar and designed by John Benner of Tactical Defense Institute, the school for which the blade is named.

Some jurisdictions may not allow fixed-blade knifes to be carried concealed. Many customers simply prefer the lower profile of a folding knife clipped into the pocket, a concept that began with Sal Glesser's patented Cliplt design at Spyderco. The theory holds that this same defensive maneuver can be accomplished with a folder worn in the front trouser pocket on the weak-hand side.

Now, this method isn't something you should attempt to show a customer unless you're a certified trainer. The technique takes expertise and lots of practice, especially when using a folding knife. There's nothing more embarrassing than bleeding all over yourself when you're trying to impress a customer.

Check with police trainers and martial arts schools in your area and locate a local instructor who you can refer your customers to for defensive-knife training. Being able to say, "So-and-so teaches a class on how to use the knife to protect your gun in a struggle" is useful and responsible advice--and it makes his purchase of that knife in your showcase seem to be that much more the thing to do.

Of course, your smart customer will eventually ask you, "Uh, couldn't I just pull a little second gun out of that pocket and shoot the guy who's trying to disarm me?"

The honest answer is, "Yes, you most certainly could!"

Congratulations. Your customer just sold himself on buying a small pocket gun from you, along with a pocket holster. You're now writing up a sale that will exceed the value of the knife you were trying to sell initially.

I've been asked several times. "Mas, you're supposed to be into both guns and knives. How come you don't carry a folder in your weak side pocket, like the gurus say we're supposed to, for handgun retention?"

My reply has always been, "Because it would get in the way of the gun I have in that pocket for the exact same purpose (among others)."

However, I also recognize that a lot of people will carry one gun and one knife, period, and those folks need advice and equipment, too. I just give them advice. You, however, get to sell them both.