I'm not sure what you mean about not being able to deploy the knife after accessing it. If your arm is disabled, you won't be very effective with a knife. If you carry an automatic blade like Wayne, then the point is also moot.
I should have been more specific in my original post. With a folding knife you need to draw the knife and then open it. With a fixed blade you only need to grab the knife.
The Benchmade 710 I carry can be opened very quickly with one hand. A slight flick of the wrist is all the force that is required.
I have no doubt that you can open your knife very quickly. However, circumstances may not always afford you the opportunity to flick your wrist. Fixed or folder may not make a difference if the bad guy(s) are five feet away when you go for your knife. It may make a world of difference if you are wrestling two guys on the ground.
Sometimes the "Go Code" is a guy in a dark alley demanding your wallet and sometimes it is a 2x4 to the back of the head.
The knife is primarily a tool and can be considered as backup.
For you. I have been places where my knife was my primary weapon. Guns were not an option. I have been in situations where a knife was a better choice than a gun based on the circumstances. You may consider your knife a tool first and a weapon second but that does not mean it has to be that way for everyone.
You know the saying... "Don't carry a knife to a gun fight".
Who said the knife will be employed in a gunfight?
There are plenty of situations that justify the use of a knife or gun where the other party does not have a gun.
Instead of carrying the extra bulk of a large knife and it's sheath, I would carry an extra mag of ammo.
That is a perfectly legitimate point of view. By all means carry that spare magazine. That does not mean that is the best choice for everyone. A knife affords me a greater range of options than a third spare magazine. But I am me and you are you. Stick with what works for you.
This is not about fixed blades being better than folders or folders being better than fixed blades. Everyone needs to examine their circumstances, determine their requirments and select their equipment accordingly.
It seems to me that Para Bellum has examined his circumstances, determined his requirements and is now asking for recommendations on a piece of equipment to meet those requirements. I see no reason to substitute my judgement for his.
