Knives that women were carrying in a shooting class I assisted with last summer. I can’t identify them all (because all but one of them aren’t mine, natch). The one at the very top is a rainbow “Chive” designed by Ken Onion for Kershaw. In the middle, there’s a pinkoflage knife from Browning. Underneath the camo, there’s a pink Griptilian from Benchmade and another Kershaw knife. Not sure about the others.

Kevin (of Misfires & Light Strikes) lists four things you should carry every day, in addition to your gun. Good article, and I agree with every item on the list. I will add that the other advantage of carrying a knife is that you can use one to save a young child’s life when every second counts and you really, really need to cut a window curtain cord or a seat belt. One of my teenage sons used his knife to cut his seat belt after a rollover car crash left him trapped with an injured friend on a deserted country road. After freeing himself, he checked on his friend and went to call help, then stabilized his friend while they waited for the ambulance crews to arrive. He would not have been able to do any of those things if he hadn’t carried a knife in his pocket.

Tammy at Mom With A Gun talks about a situational awareness fail. She writes, “I was out for a ‘road hike’ when it happened. … When the stray dog approached me, I was two miles into a 3-1/2 mile walk. I had a good pace, good rhythm, and I was feeling relaxed and confident. And just like that, relaxed and confident, I let my guard down and my attention drift, for just a minute.” Read the whole thing for her list of lessons learned.

Guns Save Lives recently posted the story of a woman who was shot in the neck by an armed robber who tried to execute her after she gave up her purse and complied with his demands. She will probably survive, but may need three more surgeries, and it could be more than a year before she is able to eat and speak normally. From the original news article: “A police report said she was approached by 20-year-old convicted felon […] who demanded her purse. … She gave up her purse and moments later she was shot in the face.” Here’s the reminder: criminals are criminals. They don’t play fair and you cannot trust them to tell you the truth. Yes, even if they say they will not hurt you! Trusting your life to the mercy of a person without mercy often ends badly.