For the folks who like knifes

[Black Jack]

This is for the knife guys/gals, Szaboinc has some very interesting and high quality weaponry, James Keating endorses the company which states a lot, some of the stuff can be darn expensive for those who are not used to seeing $300+ cold steel.

They have a hybrid folder/fixed blade/Sacal Tripas, that has a unquie design that I have never seen before, either way check out the site, though I warn you, its euro-look will make a few of you smile.

I like a lot of their stuff, but I WANT the Ultimate Jaws and the UUK.

www.szaboinc.com

[wu_de36]

Laci Szabo rocks.

Hands down. End of story.

I'd love to get one of those Balisongs, or the Jaws IV, and the Kerambit.

[Black Jack]

we de36,

Do you have any of their knifes? Have you tested out any of their stuff?

I think the Ultimate Jaws is fierce, reminds me of one of those broad surgical scaples you see in the old movies, the UUK is nice to, I wonder where they got the idea from as its their main piece, it looks like it has some Kukri influence, and your right, the Kerambit is pretty sweet.

[Chang Style Novice]

And on a related subject...'

Why are single edged blades almost always curved, and double edged ones straight? The direction of the curve doesn't seem to matter; ie: saber and kukri both curve. I assume there's some ergonomic reason that I'm missing because I don't mess around with them much.

[jon]

Chang Style Novice
Here is a gory bit of information for you.
Strait blades if used in a swinging manner will stick in the opponent if hard contact is made forcing you to pull it out the other way. A curved blade will of course slice strait though nicely and allow you to continue to cut or move on to your next opponent.
Its a frequent misconception also within the Chinese arts, strait swords like Tai Chi blades are strictly dueling weapons and should not be employed on the battlefield. It it this very reason that china used almost exclusively curved blades in its melle military history.
Least thats what ive been told and researched.

To put it bluntly (oh the humanity)...
Strait blades are for stabbin and curved blades are for cuttin :D

[Qi dup]

Those are some crazy freakin' knifes! I like the UUK, the
Manhattaxe and the kitchen Knife Set!!! The thought of people on the streets with those knives is kinda scary:rolleyes:

[JWTAYLOR]

Sissies. All of you.

Any decent American should have a Randall. www.randallknives.com

They are
1. history in steel
2. 1 of a kind, each one hand made, no patterns
3. proven in every American war since WWII

Plus, some very special people have owned them

1. Ronald Reagan
2. Me. (Little Bear Bowie, stag handle, finger grips, top edge bevelled for chopping, thumb notches). I just got mine this year (after a 4 year wait for them to make the d@mn thing) and I must say that it has performed better than I ever thought it could.

JWT

[wu_de36]

Blackjack...

I don't have the jack to pull down a Laci Szabo original... :)

I have gotten to play with a RAD folder, and they are niiiiiice.

Spyderco is supposed to be making a folding version of the UUK soon. As well as a Fred Perrin Bowie and neck knife. Actually, the bowie might already be on the market.

Qi Dup, you are a sissy hoplophobe. Chances are, anyone who buys one of those knives is first off a martial artist or collector, and wouldn't use it unless necessary.

A thug is going to stab you with a screwdriver, not spend perfectly good crack money on a La Saca Tripas.

Don't start with your whiny "why does anyone neeeeed a knife like that? ewwwww!" nonsense either.

Of course, if you were being sarcastic, N/M :)

[Black Jack]

JWT,

If we are talking all American, yeah you got me, Randall is the bomb, that most of cost you a chunk of change for the bowie, IMHO the bowie knife is one of best fighting knifes/ourdoor tools on the planet.

Bagwell Bowies are also freakin nice.

Jim Bowie Rocks:D

[JWTAYLOR]

The b!tch wasnt' the is cost. The b1tch was the 4 year wait.

I have a model #2 red micarta handle and a model #1 with a single gaurd and walnut handle comming in sometime around September or October. The #1 is a gift to a friend. The #2 is for me.

The bowie is friggin awesome. I butchered a deer with it this year. Not just field dressed, but actually did all of the butchering with just this knife. Not only did the back edge split the hip and sternum in half when I chopped it, but I didn't have to hone up the blade even once during the process. I field dressed and removed the backstrap of 4 other deer this year as well. It also worked will with camp chores during my last trip to Big Bend. I have owned litterally hundreds of knives, and this bowie is the only one I think I'll ever need.

All of my blades with the exception of the #2 are carbon steel, not stainless.

JWT

[Black Jack]

According to some research I have seen their have been some different designs in some Bowies, mainly between what has been called a "Fighting Bowie", which from what I understand was used more not as a standard mountain man Bowie, which served both functions as self protection and a excellent all around field tool, the fighting bowie was more I believe from the duelling school of thought.

Take a look at the James Keating based bowies, like the one on the Szabo link I gave and tell me what you think.

BTW, I was told once that the men of that time could even use the bowie as a paddle, due to its broad frame, man what a nice knife.

What even more wild is I know of a person who carries one on him in a special rig.:D

[shaolinboxer]

Wow, these guys mean business. Nice craftsmanship.

[Qi dup]

wu_de36, Hahaha! I guess i'll have to trade in my knives and get back all that good crack money:)

JWT, One hell of a knife you've got there, I'm impressed. Everyone will probably give me crap for this, but my favorite knife is still my trusty old Ka-Bar.

[Ray Pina]

Spiderco makes a nice blade too for a resoanable price.

www.spiderco.com

[wu_de36]

ahem
http://www.spyderco.com/

[wu_de36]

I have always been a fan of the bowie, but I prefer the speed of a sabre style bowie. Bowie is always one of those poorly defined/used words by some people. Some people think anything capable of a backcut is a bowie :)

Keating's ABC methods are pretty slick. And while the Crossada is not my thing, it is a balls-out fighting knife.

Of course, this guy also trains his accuracy by aggravating a hornet's nest and slicing the little buggers in half :)

[Black Jack]

Wu de36,

Have you ever been to the Riddle of Steel? Man oh man, I would love to get in on some of that action, I would love to have some hands on training from Keating on the Western methods.

Another guy I would like to meet is Colonel Dwight Mclemore, curious to the differences between Keating and Mclemore's Bowie style, here is his website, go check out the technique of the month.

www.twoswords.com

Whats great about the bowie is that it adapted from the other Western sword fighting methods, It can fit in very well with saber and bayonet excercises, all good stuff for the longer blade.

[raving_limerick]

Those bowies sure look sweet, but are they even legal to carry in this day and age? I thought the blades on knives had to be ridiculously small so as not to "hit the heart" or some such nonsense?

Please tell me this is just another urban legend, like black belts having to register thier hands as deadly weapons...

[tnwingtsun]

Outstanding.

"Here is a kitchen knife set for the chef from hell."


Loved that one.


The waiting list for Randall is a long one but worth it.


Bill Bagwell makes some great battle blades as well and wrote for SOF magazine in the 80s,lots of good info came from him.

Anybody know if he still writes?

[wu_de36]

In many states, laws on knife lengths and sort vary. Most laws on the books banning dirks, daggers, bowies, arkansas toothpicks, etc, stem from the 1830s when Dueling was still an acceptable method of sorting out quarrels.

Modern day example... gang movies from the 50s were the impetus to ban switchblades and butterfly knives in a lot of states.

the whole "hitting the heart" thing is a myth. A fatal blow can be achieved with a small knife since the flesh will compress and push down when you stab.

[Black Jack]

wu_de36,

Yeah you don't need much of a blade because of skin compression but I still would feel much safer with a Szaboinc bowie in my hands than a Sypderco Clipit:D

Reavering Limrick,

On the issue of it being legal, well lets just say that their are some people who just grunt and don't give a $hit, if somebody is going to try to kill them in cold blood the last thing on their mind is "man I hope my self defense weapon is legal".

I know guys who carry large fixed blade knifes in perfect concealment with custom rigs, if you did not know they had it, you would not suspect a thing.

Its a personal choice.

[wu_de36]

I prefer to carry the biggest blade I legally can, and can easily conceal.

I like Cold Steel's Vaquero Grande :)

[dwid]

I have the old version of the vaquero when it still came in a sheath that can be mounted horizontally or vertically. When I carry it, I put the sheath horizontal on my belt. It has two loops, so you put a belt loop between those, and it holds it in place in the small of the back very well. The standard vaquero is a beast of a knife, I imagine the grande is crazy intimidating. Also, I'm totally for relatively inexpensive tactical knives. I'd be much more willing to toss my vaquero than a $200 plus szabo.

[dwid]

Just to clarify, I'm not trying to sound like a psycho, I meant that in case you think you're in danger of being busted for carrying a concealed weapon, etc... Not that I go around stabbing people and need knives that I can throw away so as not to get caught with a murder weapon.

Of course I now realize that this post makes the last seem even more suspicious.

;)

[guohuen]

Personally I think randall's are pretty wallhangers. Mine broke at the tang stabbing a haybail.

[wu_de36]

guohuen,

Your story made me cry. That's worse than buying a $14,000 Loveless original and seeing your wife prying open a paint can with it.

OK, maybe not that bad.


Dwid,

I too carry the same VG in holster, canted slightly forward. I managed to speed cut a pumpkin with it once:)

[raving_limerick]

Wu_De, BlackJack,

Cool. Thanks for the info. That's something I've always wondered about.

[Jimbo]

Spyderco's Chinook is a great Keating design...a heavy-duty clipit with Bowie-style clip point.

I often have either a Benchmade Axis lock on me (710, 550, etc.) or a Spydie clipit of some sort.

[tsunami surfer]

I like cold steels line. Good blades at affordable prices. But I sure wish I could put the bucks down for any of the blades mentioned in this thread. Geez we could be here all night talkin steel. Heard that cold steel is being bought out by buck knives, is this true???

[wu_de36]

Tsunami Surfer,

Don't worry, we're talking about some pretty high-end pieces, none of which grace my collection :)

Spyderco makes a great knife for the money, as does cold steel. I especially like their voyager series. If you feel like spending $100 or so, I'd definetely suggest something with either and axis lock or the new spyderco compression lock.

A Gunting is probably the most solid $100 sub 3" fighting knife on the market. Even if you don't know all the techniques the knife was designed for (a lot of pain compliance, pressure point/yawara based stuff) It also has some cool escalation of force concepts, like using it closed as a yawara, and using the ramp on the blade to open against the persons arm if needed.

That hump hurts like a mofo when it's jammed into your radial nerve.

[wu_de36]

My daily carry, FWIW is a Benchmade AFCK or BM 940. That or a Spyderco Jot Singh Kalsa or small carbon fiber dragonfly when I need something small.

The VG is part of the load out when I'm out in the woods, out running at night, or doing anything slightly more risky than sitting in my cubicle.

Usually, a small knife, OC, and Koppo stick is all I carry. There's also a very tiny LED light on my keychain.

Heavier duty would be the Vaquero Grande with a ASP baton, OC, and mini maglite. Until I can afford to purchase a new surefire light. Other things keep getting in the way.

[Black Jack]

wu de36,

I carry a koppo to, a bit back we had a thread on that weapon, very nasty, I love Spyderco and Cold Steel, and have some of both but at this moment, from a tactical folding perspective, though I am turning towards more of a fixed blade carry when time, clothing and enviroment permit, I carry the Gerber Applegate-Fairbairn Covert Combat Folder with a double edge, and once in awhile a CRKT Bear Claw on a neck sheath to go with it.

Have you seen the Chrsi Reeve Sebenza's??? Man they are nice, very, very expensive though, don't have the change to pull down one of those.

The Vaquerro Grande is one of the mosty brutal looking folders I have ever set eyes on, man that thing is huge with a capital h, I believe that has Cold Steel's Nosgales turkish blade design???

The gunting, which I think was designed by Bram Frank?, is a cool looking weapon, did that come off of the Escalator?

[rogue]

My daily carry is now a small umbrella attached to my briefcase.

[Black Jack]

Like that guy from the Avengers? Does your better half look like Ema Peel??;)

[tsunami surfer]

My daily carry is a cold steel scimitar. It is a hunk of steel. It also has a pommel ball on the end and that thing hurts. My buddies at work call it a pimp genie knife but I think deep down they are secretly envious of it.

[guohuen]

Anyone know where I can get a Blackie Collins knife shoulder holster?

[rogue]

Black Jack :D

Maybe not Mrs Peel (ah the fantasy gal of my youth) but Mrs Rogue is still quite the hotty even after two kids and putting up with me for lo these many years. And the gal is a great cook and a heck of a mom! I could go on forever about her. But back to the subject kind of...

Don't laugh at the umbrella it's legal in all states, clients don't hassle me about it even when it sets off their metal detectors, I can carry it exposed and ready in front of the police, and I can even carry it on a plane without having it taken away.

And to top it off it keeps the rain off my head during inclement weather!

All in all a very practical carry item.

[Black Jack]

So very true:)

It would be even better if it like shot sleeping gas out of its end or somethin:D

Oh, Miss Peel was hot, man she was smokin.

[rogue]

Black Jack, it was Mrs Peel. :cool: Lord only knows what happened to the Mr.

[Oso]

Sir Richard Burton's "Book of the Sword" has some good geometry lessons concerning curved vs strait blades.

Mrs Peel.................aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Uma did not do that role justice.

I always had it for Batgirl, course I'm probably a bit younger then some of you guys. :D

[rogue]

Ahhh Babs Gordon! Other 60's spy babes, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. and Honey West. What's this have to do with blades? I don't know and I don't care, I'm just remembering the women of my childhood.;)

[tsunami surfer]

Mrs Peel, a hottie with class and style. I think she had him wacked because he was such a bore.

[Kristoffer]

*drooling*

I've planed to go buy a old style Bowie knife for a long time now,
Ill probebly do it this week

[TaoBoxer]

None of the blade mentioned are really that "high end." Try laying out 800 for a Bladerigger ;-)

[Chris McKinley]

I usually have my Cold Steel AFCK hand-made prototype or my McHenry&Williams or both on me. I have an older Chris Reeve Sebenza that I just can't bring myself to make a daily carry item. If I'm toodling around in the great outdoors, I'll have an SRK or Recon Tanto and my Black Bear Classic at the belt, a folder on the pocket, some kind of boot knife, and either my Trailmaster Bowie or Kukri in hand. That leaves me just enough room for a pistol if it's warranted. Now I just gotta figure out where to put the **** cell phone.

[Oso]

although I wish I had not ordered it with the fully honed back edge.

my daily carry is a gerber 3 1/2 " folder, nothing special but
comfortable.

If I'm(ok, s**t, who are we kidding?!?) expecting a higher threat level, I carry a $30 tanto that I use to train with that I feel REALLY comfortable with. How much do you guys actually train
with these 400-800 dollar blades?

Matt

[Chris McKinley]

Daily...or nearly so.

[Oso]

...not trying to get anything started. I bought my BBC as a show
piece w/ no real intention of training w/ it. the stuff I train w/
is cheap and reliable and I carry them because I wouldn't mind
losing it to the gutter or the cops.

trust me, I get as much of a har don for beatiful weopons

i.e. Mrs Peel :D

[JWTAYLOR]

I do some basic drills with my bowie just about every day, but I seriously doubt that I would ever use it to fight. I bought it for the many hunting and camping trips I do, and it has performed exceptionally well for that purpose.

As far as a daily carry, my original large Cold Steel tanto folder. It's the old one, they haven't made it in a lotta years. It's the only folder with San Mai steel. The handle rotted off about a year ago and I put carbon fiber scales on it.

I have field dressed plenty of deer, havelina, and hogs with this pocket knife, and it has served me well in all my daily chores. Plus, I have personally put it through a car door, a 50 gallon drum, and an kevlar vest.

JWT

[guohuen]

For hunting I have a sweet Browning U.S.A. drop point hunter. For defense I have a gerber mark I.

[Oso]

........does everyone really see the knife as a SELF-DEFENSE weapon? and Why? Not trolling or flaming, honestly curious about everyone's pov on this.


I don't really see a knife as a self defense weapon.
A combat weapon, an asassination tool...more a warrior's
weapon.

How would using a knife to defend yourself hold up in court?

matt

[JWTAYLOR]

Although I train, "self defense" techniques with my knife, even when presented with the opportunity to do so I did not. Not because I was worried about what the damage might be to my opponent, but because I didn't think about the knife in my pocket as a weapon. I have always just used it, and considered it, a tool. It is a formitable weapon, but that's just not how I've grown up using it.

As with any weapon, it is significantly limited by the amount of time it takes to get out and get ready. In most impromtu attacks, this is unlikely. However, there are MANY "self defense" situtations where you can buy yourself some time and get the weapon out. The times that I was smart enough to recognize this situtation (not many) I didn't get out my knife. Again, didn't see it as a weapon, but as a tool. Others may, in a time of stress a crisis, have their knife come to mind and hand quite naturally.

As far as the legal ramifications, if you brandish, or use a knife you had better be able to convince a jury that you had a good reason for feeling like your life was in danger. If that knife was an illegal weapon, (like a double edged weapon of any kind in Texas, Weehawk doesn't count) then even if you prove it was in self defense, you will still be guilty of a crime.


As an interesting aside, my father killed a man once, (well, not just once but that's neither here nor there). In this instance he was mad at a friend and decided to kill him. He had a .45 revolver in his van that would have done the trick quite well. However, when he went to the van for a weapon he came out with a framing hatchet. Why? The pistol was a far superior weapon. But he thought of the pistol as a "self defense" weapon and didn't consider it when he was not under attack. He said later that he had thought many times about how that hatchet could really do some damage, and since he used it in his job it came natural that he would use it instead of the obviously superior weapon.

Gives some real clues about how people might think in a crisis and how important the "reality gap" in weapons training might be.

JWT

[Black Jack]

JWT,

Very good post, since I have grown up for most of my adult life in cities and in the suburbs, I can see the difference between how a person with a different enviromental upbringing would view one item as a tool where another may view it as a weapon, my own Topeka youth was spent with my father and his friends camping, fishing, and hunting (mostly duck/phesant) though that seems very far removed now.

On the aspect of using a knife for self defense and legality, that is a issue where one has to judge whether your life may be worth more than a Government imposed law, a weapon law in itself is pro-criminal and anti-self defense, as we all know, criminals don't care about the law, they use those types of laws to their own advantage.

The choice is personal, I would rather get busted for defending myself than become some stain on the sidewalk, just my thoughts.