Cold Steel Spike knives: Better than a shiv but not much
Yes CS Spikes are affordable and there are quality-made. But like I say in the video, the neck carry option is fraught with some serious drawbacks you need to consider. Kinda' like how you can trap the sheathed blade underneath your grounded body in a defensive scuffle. I interweave some of this philosophy into the review as I cover the Spike series. The CS Spike series has enlarged to include some much improved designs (Tokyo, Bowie, and Scimitar Spikes are good improvements) that might offer some greater utility besides just pure stabbing capability. However these circa 2004 blades I show are the The Spike and Tanto versions. Like the rest, they suffer from tiny, hard-to-grasp, thin handles that could allow the hand forward in a thrust attack. They do offer great strength, excellent penetration, and a relatively lightweight 3.5 oz. Their neck sheaths include a blackened bead chain. If a under-the-shirt knife is your only viable backup option and the budget is tight, maybe the CS Spikes are good choice. But be advised these inexpensive blades are primarily stabbers and their handles are poorly suited for that task.