>>575733
>In what sort of self defense situation would you have time do do that?
Anon most self defense situation are not instantly, they have a time in which they develop hence why situational awareness is the best tool in self defense.
It takes less than half a second to do this and people in that age constantly had these items with them, because paper tissues were not a thing back then.
If you don't have the time for that, you would also have no time to draw your weapon.
Situations back then would be:
-being in a bar, tavern or public restaurant when a fight breaks out
-public unrest in the streets or the break out of street fights around you
-going for a walk in the park on Sunday and encountering suspicious people or street dogs along the way
-doing your house work in the garden alone
-camping outside in the country or woods and being in the process of making food or doing your daily chores
There is also no point in over thinking this, it just a neat little trick to prevent hurting yourself if you come into such a situation and just have a folding knife, razor or kitchen knife at hand.