I carry an assortment of things from pens to a folding knife. As with any kind of self-defense, use of a weapon must be "reasonable" in the eyes of the law. If you use a knife, it's going to be considered a deadly weapon even if it's just a box cutter, so deadly force would have to be "reasonable" for your defense. Anything you pick up and use can be considered a "deadly weapon" in the eyes of the law; its the way us use it that defines it. But for no-kidding defending myself, I carry a beretta PX4. On a side note, I've always wanted to smash someone across the face with one of those heavy glass ashtrays from a bar.
