Online:
Visits:
Stories:
Profile image
By Active Response Training
Contributor profile | More stories
Story Views

Now:
Last Hour:
Last 24 Hours:
Total:

Carrying and Using the LDK Knife

Wednesday, January 27, 2016 5:00
% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

(Before It's News)

Written by: Greg Ellifritz

519ZFhYCs+L._SL1000_

Many of you are aware that I designed the Ka-Bar TDI Last Ditch Knife.  I recently received a question from a reader about some design features:

“Greg: I noticed you mentioned you designed the Last Ditch blade for Kabar. I would be interested in an article about the design and how it works, and how it is meant to be grasped. I actually bought one, but could not get my mind around how it is to be wielded and it has ended up sitting on my closet shelf for a couple years.”

I designed it primarily as a knife that could easily be missed on a cursory search if one was taken hostage. I had been traveling through South America a lot and was worried about kidnapping attempts. There just weren’t any really good knives on the market that could be easily hidden.

My initial thought was that I wanted something no larger than a credit card, so that I could carry it in a wallet if I wanted to. If I did that, it had to be exceptionally thin as well.

I wanted a blade design that would do a lot of damage for its small size. That’s why I designed it with the straight edge and very sharp point. It isn’t designed as a general purpose cutting tool. It’s designed to cut flesh like a bigger knife.  It essentially duplicates a #11 scalpel blade, a tool expressly designed to cut flesh as efficiently as possible.

After I designed the knife, I wanted a sheath that could be hidden anywhere. I put multiple holes in it so that it can be laced in a boot or safety-pinned inside a piece of clothing.  I originally carried mine safety pinned inside and below the rear waistband of my pants when I travel in third world countries. That way I could cut myself free if my hands were tied or taped behind my back.  I also carry one in my wallet.

I have since modified the carry mechanism slightly by attaching a small keyring.  I loop the keyring around my rear pants belt loop at the small of my back and tuck the knife down inside my waistband.  I have also attached a small handcuff key and handcuff shim from OscarDelta to the same keyring.  Now, no matter how I may be restrained, I have a reliable option for escape.

LDK knife attached to keyring and belt loop. The knife is then pushed inside the waistband of the pants and is easily missed on a casual search.

LDK knife attached to keyring and belt loop. The knife is then pushed inside the waistband of the pants and is easily missed on a casual search.

The hole in the handle is not designed for a finger. Many people try to grip it by curling a finger through the hole. It doesn’t work that well. I put the hole in the handle to save weight and provide an extra means to draw it. If the sheath is flat against a hard surface (like laced in a boot), it is difficult to get a full hand grip on the handle to draw. The hole allows you to catch a single finger inside to pull it from the sheath in order to transition to a better grip.

LDK knife laced into boot. The hole in the handle allows a one-finger draw when it is laced flat like this and a proper grip can't be obtained.

LDK knife laced into boot. The hole in the handle allows a one-finger draw when it is laced flat like this and a proper grip can’t be obtained.

The proper grip to hold the LDK for fighting purposes is very similar to the way one would hold the original Ka-Bar TDI Law Enforcement knife.  It is held protruding from the fist so that it penetrates during a punch.  See the photo below.

Proper grip on the LDK

Proper grip on the LDK

That’s about it. I sent in the design in 2006 and it went into production in 2007. It has been consistently in Ka-Bar’s top three sellers since then. Right now they are selling about 1000 a month and demand has remained steady over the years.

The knife can be purchased wherever Ka-Bar knives or sold.  It is also available on Amazon.com.



Source: http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/carrying-and-using-the-ldk-knife

Report abuse

Comments

Your Comments
Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

Top Stories
Recent Stories

Register

Newsletter

Email this story
Email this story

If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.