I am always looking for ways to add to Emily Stone’s arsenal when she goes on her covert investigations hunting serial killers. I wanted to add a knife as back up to her Glock and Beretta, so I decided to ask the expert who would completely know what she should carry. Benjamin Sobieck is the go-to weapon’s guy for writers. I got my answer and MORE! I’m so excited! I’ve already outlined some scenes for the next Emily Stone Thriller using her new back up weapon.

Check out this guest post from Benjamin Sobieck for great insight and be sure to visit his site: CrimeFictionBook.com.

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GUEST POST

by Benjamin Sobieck

Jennifer Chase popped by my blog, CrimeFictionBook.com, the other day to request a recommendation for a knife for her Emily Stone character. I was more than happy to play the part of Q to Chase’s vigilante protagonist.

Step One: Profile the Character

The first step is to get a sense of Emily Stone. I’ve read Emily Stone books before, so I have an idea of her, but this super cool video Chase produced last year drives it home.

Stone is a professional who knows how to fight, although Chase mentioned to me her sidearm is sometimes knocked away by an antagonist. The knife would be used as a backup in a last-ditch situation.

Step Two: Identify the Requirements

Given what I know about Stone now, I’d say her knife requirements break down like this:

• Fast deployment (meaning the knife can be drawn quickly)
• Small and/or concealable
• Sturdy construction
• Ergonomic

Step Three: Select a Knife Type

Flashy knives with folding blades, such as switchblades and assisted openers, are tempting. After all, what opens faster than a switchblade?

Actually, that’s a trick question. A fixed blade knife (meaning the blade doesn’t move) will always open faster than any folding knife. The blade is always open. That leaves room within the design for a solid grip on the handle.

Fixed blades can also take a beating without fail, unlike folders that can become jammed after hard use. A character like Stone needs something she can count on in any situation.

The trick will be to find fixed blades that are concealable. Fortunately, there are plenty of options out there.

Step Four: Choose the Knives

Back in the days when I worked for a survival magazine, Living Ready, I learned about an old saying that rings true for this situation: One is none, two is one. If you know you need something important, bring an extra.

So I’m going to recommend not one but two knives for Stone. She’s a Class A ass-kicker, so a backup to her backup is in order.

Primary Knife: Ka-Bar TDI Law Enforcement Knife

The Ka-Bar TDI Law Enforcement Knife is designed for exactly the type of last-ditch defense Stone needs. Despite its name, it’s available to both civilians and law enforcement.

The TDI is lightweight and small, yet rugged and ergonomic to an extreme. Once Stone wraps a hand around the TDI’s curved design and thoughtfully integrated jimping (grooves for a better grip), there’s no letting go. She can hold the knife in almost any position, too, which perfectly matches her martial arts training.

This knife is best worn in a sheath fixed to a belt around the waist. A shirt could keep it somewhat hidden, but that’s where the secondary knife comes in.

Secondary Knife: Brous Blades Silent Soldier V1

If the going gets really tough, Stone can reach for the backup to her backup knife, the Brous Blades Silent Soldier V1.

Once Stone slips her fingers into the V1, she’ll have to lose her hand before it’s forced away from her. It’s small and sports sturdy construction, with aggressive jimping along the spine of the blade.

Those are admirable features, but the real kicker is where it’s worn. This is a neck knife, meaning it slips into a sheath that’s worn on a lanyard. Stone could wear it around the neck and under the shirt. If she needs it, deployment is as easy as reaching up her shirt from below and tugging out the knife.

The bad guys won’t know what hit ’em.

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Benjamin Sobieck is the author of The Writer’s Guide to Weapons: A Practical Reference for Using Firearms and Knives in Fiction (Writer’s Digest Books) and several works of crime fiction. Check out his website at CrimeFictionBook.com.