hidden blades

The importance of having a self defense weapon on you at all times, can't be underestimated. If that weapon has a hidden blade, the chances of you emerging intact from an attack skyrocket.

We know carrying a knife for self defense is a dangerous proposition for many. But below is our list of 10 hidden blade knives for your self defense that are as harmless to carry as they are to look at.

Lipstick Knife

When talking about hidden blade knives, this one has to be at the top of the list. A lipstick knife is a self defense weapon custom built for the 21st century.

No one wants the hassle of carrying around a fixed blade knife or a gun to protect oneself. If you are a 21st century woman who desires a discreet self defense weapon that doesn't come in the way of daily life. This hidden blade knife is designed precisely for you. 

A lipstick knife is crafted to look like your everyday cosmetic-a 3" long plastic lipstick case- but instead of a colored wax, embedded inside is a hidden blade. The blade can't be too long-around an inch at most-and can be revealed with just a twist of lip case or by removing the top half of the lipstick.

Bear in mind that this hidden blade is unable to wreck lethal damage to your attacker. But-as in all hidden blade weapons-it is the shock element of your self defense weapon that does half the job. By the time your assailant gets his bearings back from what has cut him, you will be on your way to safety.

Pen Knife

Looking for a  hidden blade knife with a utility function? Look no further than a pen knife. This hidden blade weapon is designed to look and work like a sleek pen.

You can carry this hidden blade knife inside your front pocket and everyone would think you are carrying a pen. You can even keep the pen knife in a pen holder in your office or bedroom and this clever hidden blade weapon won't raise eyebrows.

Remove the bottom half of the open cover, and out pops a thin spear point blade. The other half of the pen has a fully functional nib that you can write with while the second half protects you from unforeseen attacks.

The hidden blade inside the pen knife, unlike the one in lipstick knives, is long and sharp enough for some cuts and thrashing. If wielded timely and at right spots, this hidden blade weapon can inflict lasting injury on your attacker. 

Knuckle Knife

Talk about a hidden blade knife that comes as an add on feature of an existing self defense weapon-and you will have a knuckle knife. This hidden blade weapon is probably the most lethal amongst all the self defense weapons we have talked about so far.

Firstly, the knuckle knife is hidden inside a knuckle duster. The palm brace has a cartridge design, and it is within this rifle cartridge that a drop point hidden blade rests. Remove the cap of the metal cartridge and unleash the wrath of God on any attacker.

If you aren't confident in your punching skills as yet, not to worry. Although this hidden blade weapon can be used a brass knuckle with its tough metallic (usually zinc aluminum alloy) construction with each finger hole indented with a bullet, you can use the hidden blade instead.

The cartridge is hardly 2" in length so the hidden blade can be expected to produce much damage, but it is about the technique of attack that matters. You can knife your attacker sideways swiftly or you can do a normal forward plunge by swinging your arm overhead.

Either way, make sure that the hidden knife cuts deep. If you aren't sure whether a small hidden blade would do more than scratch on a big and muscular attacker, then try to throw him off balance with a knuckle punch first before doing repeated stabbings with your hidden blade.

Karambit Knife

If you are looking for a self defense weapon that has zero chance of failure, go for a karambit knife. This hidden blade knife isn't your typical disguised weapon, but it can turn into one easily.

The karambit we are talking about here is a folding karambit pocket knife. Don't buy a fixed blade karambit if you want a hidden blade weapon. A folding knife like this will make your everyday life easier but carrying out utility tasks like rope cutting or letter opening as well as act like a self defense weapon.

Buy a folding karambit knife that in a closed position won't be more 4" long. Try to get a rainbow titanium finish handle that will easily pass for a colorful toy. Many karambits are camouflaged with a variety of coatings to make them as inconspicuous as possible and ideal as hidden blade knives.

The C-shaped tiger claw design common to most karambits with a finger ring makes for an ideal self defense weapon for close range combats. Spring assisted mechanism launches the hidden blade out and you can hook it onto the attacker's clothes.

This style of attack is unique to karambit knives allowing the user to rip and slit his opponent whilst remaining grounded. This makes karambit the most lethal hidden blade knives in this list so far.

Neck Knife

You might be thinking that any knife that can be worn around the neck with the help of cord can become a neck knife. Well, it might be true. There are hidden blades like that of a karambit or a push dagger that can be worn around the and hidden under the shirt.

But the hidden blade neck knives we are talking about here specifically, belong to the disguised knife category. Nobody would ever guess that the necklace you are wearing  (even if it is not hidden under the shirt) has a hidden blade inside.

These neck knives come in a variety of shapes or pendants. The pendant holds the hidden blade. Just like the lipstick knife, these types of hidden blade knives are limited by blade length. A neck pendant can only hold up to 2" long blade without betraying its secret.

A typical hidden blade would be thin and covered by a scorpion or grenade shaped pendant. The neck knife coles with a chain cord to wrap  around the neck as well as a lanyard hole in the pendant. If you aren't in the mood to carry the hidden blade on your neck but would rather keep it in your purse, you can attack the chain and do that.

Comb Knife

No object is as basic as a comb. But a hidden blade can elevate the importance of a comb manifold. A comb knife can be used to set your hair because it has a proper comb cover with long teeth.

A gentle tug of the upper part of the comb would reveal a long hidden blade with a plastic comb handle. Most comb knives are too long to be carried in the front pocket but you can easily put one in your back pocket to have it on you at all times.

Once you sense an attacker coming or feel a situation becoming threatening, it is time to reach for your comb, that was innocently sitting around on your shelf or purse until then. The shock element we discussed before is apparent here. Not even you would believe your everyday beauty item could contain a hidden blade .

Boot Knife

Hiking on a deserted mountain terrain may sound adventurous, but one needs to understand the dangers involved. The risk just doesn't come from wild animals but also robbers and assaulters who hide in the wilderness to attack unsuspecting hikers.

A hidden blade knife can come to your rescue in these dire circumstances. A boot knife is built keeping strength in mind. The knife blade is curved and extra sharp with usually 3cr13 full tang blade.

No weight is added to embellish the handle since ease of carry is a priority here. Usually the handle is an extension of the hidden blade making the boot knife one solid piece with a large index finger hole in the center to provide extra grip and protection while holding onto the knife.

While the construction is compact enough that you can slide the knife inside your boot as the hidden blade will be covered with a sheath, there is another way to carry a boot knife. A long (usually 24") chain can be attached to the knife. This makes for an ideal knife to be suspended around the neck because the length goes all the way to the belly button.

The boot knife also comes with a nylon cord that you can tie along your leg with the hidden blade fixed inside the boot making it easy to unleash when someone jumps suddenly in front of you. 

Push Dagger

Not necessarily a knife, this hidden blade self defense weapon is a favorite to carry amongst many knife enthusiasts.

A dagger is much stronger than a hidden blade knife. The strength comes from the thick double edged blade which is attached to a T-shaped handle making it ideal to plunge into someone at a close range.


A push dagger can be transformed into a perfect hidden blade self defense weapon because of its tiny size and blade. All push daggers come with a sheath and a cord. Many people prefer carrying a push dagger as a hidden blade inside their belt or back pocket.

You can also hang the push dagger around your neck and tuck it inside your clothing with a sheath covering the sharp blade. The cord length could be adjusted and your hidden blade weapon is ready to strike when push comes to shove.

The ideal way to use this hidden blade for self defense is to hold the handle between your index and middle finger and plunge the dagger with all the force you can muster when the attacker is close enough and not expecting a hidden blade coming from an apparently unarmed citizen. 

Belt Knife

A belt knife is an epitome of all hidden blade knives disguised as everyday objects. Firstly, the knife features a 50" long nylon belt-a size that can easily fit anyone. The buckle hook then gets attached to a buckle system of the belt knife when you are feeling the need for some extra protection while going out.

What is a belt knife all about? It is a full blown tactical gear which may transform into your survival kit. The hidden blade itself may be just under 2" long to make it safe to carry, but it is attached to a long wooden handle that has extra tactical features.


The hidden blade may be partially serrated to retain the edge longer and allow for gruesome ripping. A full tang 440 Stainless Steel construction makes the hidden blade durable and reliable in emergency situations.

The belt knife is loaded and can pass for a tactical knife easily. It has a bottle opener, and may even have a glass breaker or screw driver tip at the handle to complete the tactility package. What more do you want in a hidden blade self defense weapon?

Rainbow Pocket Knife

A pocket knife doesn't have to be a Karambit to make it into our list of best hidden blade knives for self defense. Sometimes, the best self defense weapon is the one hiding in plain sight and these pocket knives are it.

On the outside, this pocket knife is a simple drop point folding knife and stainless steel blade. The handle is also steel and both blade and handle are titanium coated to give them a rainbow tinted appearance.

This hidden blade knife is so pretty with its swirling array of colors that when it is closed, no one would suspect that the handle carries a hidden blade inside it. The bold simplicity of the design is what makes this knife a perfect hidden blade self defense weapon.

These types of knives have spring assisted opening means you can use a flipper to snap open the knife and plunge the hidden blade on whoever thinks it's ok to trouble you.

With that, our list of top 10 hidden blade knives ends. Hope you found what you were looking for and are ready to arm yourself with one of these innovative self defense weapons.