White Shadow Dojo

web site

2012-01-29T06:06:00.000-08:00

I have been busy again adding new material to our website on fairbairn sykes fighting knives. http://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/ Check out the section on third pattern knives, V-42,and commemoratives. The above selection of knives are from Wilkinson Sword Co. and were marketted through the American Historical Society. They are featured on our website now. Enjoy!

Very Neat Dagger

2012-01-21T15:39:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting little WW-II style dagger I recently bought. It fits into the category of "Theater Made" knives although it was professionally made. The blade is only 5.5 inches long but it is a lethal bit of steel.

There are absolutely no markings to let us know the nationality or the maker. Most likely it is English or possibly American. Three professional style cutlery rivets affix the handle scales. The handle has the same look to it as a kitchen knife. Could someone have ground down a larger butcher knife and added a guard from the front? I briefly had that thought but a close look with a magnifying glass showed the guard butted up against the blade from the back side. I cannot tell whether the handle scales are wood or some phenolic material. It looks a lot like the work of the mysterious John Paisley, even the size and shape of the oval nickle silver guard. But since it lacks any stampings of any kind I guess we'll never know who made it, or who carried it.

http://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/

Pleasant Distraction

2012-01-15T06:21:00.000-08:00

Working on my new web site has been a pleasant and probably a healthy distraction from the news and politics in general. Besides my regular job, which has become a bore, and waiting for Spring to come, life has gone on with a certain lingering trepdation for "what next." Its Sunday morning and I have added some more material and photos to the website while watching the news. The temperature outside is 7 deg F. and not looking like it will rise much above that. Still as Obama says things could be worse. Don't you always hate it when politicians say that? His latest words gave me a chill: "the government that you have is not the government you want." He knows what you want, and to acomplish this he is asking for the power to downsize govt. This flies in the face of everything he has done so far. We know from past, and recent, experience if he is not given what he wants, he will just seize it. What does he have in mind to downsize? The TSA, DHS, the number of czars in his cabinet, welfare, obamacare, NO. Maybe he will just dissolve Congress and the judiciary in order to give us what we want.

So I am going to keep this one short and go back to working on my website and bury my head back in the sand. I have added a lot of stuff. How about if you watch the news and let me know how it turns out.

I forgot to explain the knives in the photo. The top one is by an unknown maker, could be Australian, not sure. The middle one is a French "Avenger", could be WW-I or WW-II because they used the same design for that long. The bottom one is handmade from the blade of a WW-II "Nazi Youth's Dagger" or so I was told. They are interesting knives anyway.

Castle Knife Fairbairn Sykes

2012-01-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I fixed the links in this post so they go to the right places : ) This is a page from my new website. We invite you to go check it out. www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com

These two knives were produced by the beneficence of Mr. William Cassidy and they come with quite a story. I first saw an advertisement for them in the pages of “Soldier of Fortune” magazine. Yes at the time I fancied I might like to pursue the life of a mercenary. To my eternal benefit my wife did not share that same enthusiasm. So to assuage my stunted dreams of life in the Congo I ordered a copy of Wm. Cassidy’s lovely Fairbairn Sykes knife. It cost all of seventy five dollars plus shipping. I mailed off a check and before too long it arrived in a shipping tube with some paperwork. If I had been more visionary I would have found the means to order a dozen of them.

Rather than infringe on Mr. Cassidy’s copyright I will provide you with a link so that you may read his interesting story in full. Cassidy’s knife is a sweet amalgamation of several designs which results in a very unique but functional and highly attractive knife. For example: it’s handle is
reminiscent of the OSS Stiletto, having the same coarse knurling which runs all the way to the guard. The guard itself is nickel plated and “S” curved, very much like those on a P-1. The blade is
comparable to a thin bladed P-2 or P-3 and delivered sharp. Unlike the late war P-3s the blade is well finished with a near-mirror polish. The blades were then etched with Wm. Fairbairn’s signature also exhibit the traditional F~S logo near the guard. In profile, the blades resemble the OSS stiletto.

In the years since, I have picked up a couple more, these being the sterile ones which sold for eighty dollars. You can rest assured that I did not buy them for that price at the later date. The knives came equippedwith a commercial style sheath which was well made of fine leather. Should you have the fortune to come across one it is a viable fighting knife with a nice story to tell, and I recommend you buy it. My personal thanks to Mr. Cassidy and the British workmen for producing these fine knives. http://fl-websites.com/time/fs/castleco.htm

Merry Christmas aftermath

2011-12-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

Well I hope all of you had as wonderful a Christmas as we did. Being together and sharing time and memories of christmasses past, visiting with friends, and a midnight church service. These are the traditions we cherish. The gifts each year become less of a surprise as we exchange lists. Might seem crass but it keeps us out of the gift exchange-return lines the next day! Our presents ran the full gamut from many exciting books, movie and music cds, M-4 carbon scrapers, new clothes, to commando kinves. Typical American family right? All we lacked was a little snow to top off the celebration. So we made it through Christmas and here we are wishing you a prosperous and Happy New Year! Here is a photo of the newest additions. They will be discussed in detail on our new website as time allows me to add them.

Merry Christmas to you

2011-12-23T19:38:00.000-08:00

It is hard to read, but the Christmas card in the background says "Christmas 1943." The knife is a 1941 Wilkinson Sword Fairbairn Sykes commando knife.

War is always toughest during the holidays. We are grateful that our troops will be home from Iraq for Christmas (regardless of the political motives involved in the timing). It would be great to have all of our brave soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen home, from all foreign nations, and home for good. While a strong defense is necessary to the security of a nation, Peace cannot be established by constantly waging war. Let us all pray for peace and pray for a cessation in the hostilities around the world. We wish all of you the peace of the prince of peace, the blessings of your God by whatever name you worship him, and a safe and prosperous New year.

New web site

2011-12-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/

Here is the link to my new website dedicated to the Fairbairn Sykes commando knife. Please check it out and see what you think. It still has a lot of empty folders but I will be filling them in as time allows and adding more material for your viewing. We will explore many of the obscure F~S knives from WW-II and modern interpretations of the genre. It is an exciting topic which I have been studying for many years and decided to share with you. There will be some of the rarest of the breed illustrated here along with many of the standard production knives. Shown above is an example of one of the more obscure knives that we will be sharing with you. If you know who manufactured these please let me know. ghdave2@hotmail.com

No Takers?

2011-12-12T15:24:00.000-08:00

I still have a lot of very nice knives and a few Hanwei Japanese swords for sale at good prices. For a current list email me at ghdave2@hotmail.com Send one to someone you love who is stationed in the sand box. Also keep an eye here because in a short time I will be publishing a site dedicated to British Commando knives with all sorts of info and photos of many WW-II originals. Once its ready I'll post the link and let you see what I have been working on. Here's a teaser, a photo of a rare Tom Beasley Second Pattern.

Am I Out of My Mind?

2011-12-08T06:41:00.000-08:00

“Am I out of my mind? I am seriously considering getting rid of my rifles. I have an AR or two set up for home defense…..” No, not me but a man on a forum I belong to. He says he doesn’t need the money but despite taking training courses twice a year he doesn’t see any need for a rifle for self-defense. As others offered suggestions and well-meant advice he decided to argue their points. Yeh, that’s right he asked for advice and then argued why he should not take it.

One of his arguments was; where does being able to shoot beyond 20 yards enter into self-defense? This is a good debating point for a lawyer. I should thank him for this question, and I would if he deserved my thanks, but his baiting everyone on the forum was rude.

The samurai’s favorite weapon was his bow. That’s right not his sword. That was his second favorite weapon right? No, the spear came next. Then, if all else failed, he would draw his sword. Then his tanto, bare fists, teeth, etc. Do you get the message? Its all about maai, engagement distance. Self-defense today has de-evolved to what can you do to protect yourself and not end up in prison. Can you shoot someone breaking down your front door, or, does he have to be in the same room, does he have to be within arms reach or actually have his hands around your throat? If the latter is the answer, then a knife is your best defense. Uhh how long a knife? Can I use a katana, or maybe a machete, a bowie knife, a Spyderco ladybug? I know I am being annoying but you see my point.

The US government has decided that in its own best interest we can DEFEND our nation by attacking people in Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, or any other point on the globe. The Senate has declared the entire world our battlefield. But as individuals we are expected to allow "bad guys" to enter our homes and not take action? There are still states that have not passed "Castle Doctrine" laws that would allow us to ensure the safety of our families. Would I personally engage a threat at 200 yards to protect my home and family? If that is what it takes, yes, and face the consequences as they came. I could not do this with a shotgun or a hand gun. And, by the way, I can shoot someone at 3 yards with a rifle, but once again at that range a knife is the best option. One final point, if all you want is a pat on the back, or the validation of your foregone conclusions, don't bug folks on the forum, go talk to your mom.

Sale Items

2011-11-27T16:44:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to let you know that since we closed out the old White Shadow website I am selling off the remaining inventory. This includes many fine fighting knives new and used as well as several new Hanwei Katanas at very reasonable prices! If you would like a price list with photos please send me an email at ghdave2@hotmail.com Here are a few examples of kninves for sale.

See something you lke? Send me an email.

Commando Dagger

2011-11-20T08:04:00.000-08:00

The quintessential killing knife. Designed for use by the British Commandos in WW-II. Here is a photo or two of a superb reproduction British Commando knife made by my good friends Peter Parkinson and Brent Sandow of Auckland NZ. Unlike any original first pattern F~S knife, this one has a beautiful damascus blade and guard. The guard is also unique in that it has thumb reliefs ground in the guard (by my request) for proper hand placement in the dark.

The handle is a knurled bronze that has developed a wonderful patina over the last few years. This is a fully functional combat-ready knife with a traditional sheath. It will never be mistaken for an original WW-II knife, but in many ways it is superior to some of the late war knives that were produced. There is a unique beauty to any first or second pattern Fairbairn Sykes knife that is due in part to its pure form and symmetry, surely the ultimate example of form following function. I hope you enjoy this pristine replica of one of the world's most renowned fighting knives.

Occupy Gone Wrong

2011-11-17T05:05:00.000-08:00

I want to add a note here. As opposed as I am to the use of violence in a peaceful protest, there is no way to absolve the police from using violence to remove peaceful, lawful protestors. The video of the stupid cop spraying those kids with pepper spray shows just how out of control things are getting on both sides. His actions are symptomatic of a growing police state. How long before we have another Kent State on our hands? That would play right into the president's plan.
Well a few weeks ago I pulled down my controversial blog about the Occupy movment. One of my followers said he thought it waas an unfair assessment of the movement. He believed that they were only voicing legitimate concerns, and I agreed with that in principal. He also commented that he did not know where it would end. Well I did, When socialists, anarchists and union thugs are allowed to co-opt (a popular term today) a movement, the only end can be VIOLENCE. Violence is their modus operandi. Innocent merchants, tired workers, private property owners, and tourists are having all of their "rights" interrupted/co-opted by a small unlawful minority. This is not the way to represent a democratic movement by denying the rights of everyone else. They say they don't want any confrontation with the police. Well that is no surprise. But they want to be allowed to break the laws under the guise of exercising their first ammendment rights.

Wait a minute! So its rights for some but not for others? "Four legs good, two legs bad." Do you know where that saying came from? Google it! There is a reason why our progressive, liberal education system doesn't teach history. These types of movements have always ended badly and led to chaos and the eventual subjugation of the commmon man to tyranny. Don't understand? Check out life under Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Lenin, Kruschev, Castro, Chavez, Idi Amin, Sadaam Hussein, go ahead, pick the dictator of your choice, they were all "revolutionaries," and "visionaries" for freedom before they became bloody murderers, cruel despots. And these are your heroes? These are the policies and methods you believe will lead to equality! This is where you want to take America! God help us!

God Bless our Troops

2011-11-11T16:34:00.000-08:00

I have tried to post this all day but Blogger was having problems. On this day, this Veterans Day, we should remember and honor all of the brave men and women around the world who have fought for peace. Some have survived with minimal scars, others have suffered great pain and injury, hundreds of thousands have died violent deaths, for peace. They did not choose the battle, they did not pick the countryside in which to fight and die, they merely followed orders, a code of incredible conduct and their conscience. God will have to determine whose cause was righteous and whose was not. Let us do our best to be worthy of their sacrifice and honor their service.

Where You Find It

2011-11-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for some serious, no BS, training DVDs I would suggest you check out the ones available from either Pete Kautz or James Keating. I will provide links to their websites at the end. I have just ordered the newest four disc set from Pete on Bowie Knife techniques. You might remember that a year ago I did a blog on the terrific Bowie Knife Fighting Seminar that I attended, taught by Pete and a few of his senior students. The DVDs convey the same quality of instruction at a reasonable price compared to the expense of travel and lodging of a live class. Do I wish he was holding a live seminar again? Sure, but you learn to take what is available and find wisdom where and when you can.

In a similar vein, I recently had a visit from a man, his son, and two grandsons. The youngest grandson was extremely bright and also fascinated with Samurai culture and History. A mutual friend, Mr. Yamaguchi, recommended they contact me as the local authority on kenjutsu. Whether I am an authority or not is certainly debatable. But as far as I know I am one of the few people in this area practicing or teaching any form of Japanese swordsmanship. So when they arrived I led them down to my dojo. I changed into hakama and keiko gi so that I could demonstrate a few of the techniques and kata that I practice. I figured they would find this more interesting than sitting around my kitchen table looking at pictures of Samurai in a book. It seems like this was a good choice because the questions from both the adults and the kids were numerous. They also commented on the rack holding fencing foils and small swords, the bo staff and Yari (spears) standing in the corner, and the Bowie trainers lying by the blackboard. When they asked about the poster of a custom M-4 Carbine I explained that a warrior must know how to use all forms of weapons.
As they got ready to leave the grandfather offered me some money for my time. I politely declined, explaining to him that my sword teachers had always shared their knowledge freely with me, and I did likewise. He said that sharing something this rare for free was in itself quite unusual. Well finding a school of ancient Japanese swordsmanship in a small rural western NY town is pretty rare, but it is what it is. You find knowledge where and when you can. If you are ever out my way call me, and we’ll go down to the dojo.

http://www.alliancemartialarts.com/
http://www.jamesakeating.com/

Get A Grip

2011-10-29T05:54:00.001-07:00

The handle on a fine fighting knife does more than provide a means of simply holding on to your knife. Its shape, size, and subtle contours will define the manner in which you manipulate it. In my other writings on the subject I have stated decisively that a knife is primarily controlled through the gripping force exerted by the thumb and first two fingers. This grip provides a delicate balance with the knife pivoting loosely between the thumb and index finger. But, slight differences in the shape of the handle can shift the emphasis clear back to the pinky finger, more like the way a Japanese sword is gripped. What is the difference? The top knife, a Laci Szabo designed Jaws IV, is a perfect example of the thumb and index finger control.

In the bottom knife, a Matt Lamey Bootlegger, we see a very different style handle which is more suited to the thumb-pinky finger grip. These handles are much broader near the pommel. The thumb-pinky method works best for broad, circular movements, ie chopping and cuts. In my opinion the thumb-pinky style also provides a slightly more secure grip, less likely to be knocked from your hand. This is good for a less confident fighter or one with a weak grip.

Which style do I prefer? This really is a personal preference and each student has to decide for themselves. Due to my past training I prefer the handle style of the top knife, thumb-forefinger. How can you determine which one best suits your hand or your style? The cheapest way would be to make one of each out of aluminum and wood. These could be used later for training purposes and will not cost you a lot of money. This is a much cheaper method than buying live blades with different style handles. (But who am I to talk?) I would suggest making these “trainers” with over-sized handles and slowly working them down with a rasp and sandpaper until they perfectly fill your hand and your style. Once you have accomplished this you could find a custom maker and send off your knife to him as a pattern. This is assuming you can find a custom maker who will build a knife to your design. If nothing else, ask him to match the handle size and configuration of your trainer. As a note of warning, I have had to remind one of my favorite makers a couple times when his handles started getting too big for my hands. How important is the handle? While, the blade is the part that does the deadly deeds, the handle is where the human operator interfaces. A properly fitting knife will feel almost weightless, a poorly fitting one, like a club.

The Honeymoon is Over

2011-10-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

First Osama Bin Laden, then Hosni Mubarak, then Anwar Al-Awlaki and his son, now Muammar Gaddafi. Hey Hugo you might want to be careful about hanging around with this guy, remember he's from Chicago.

Train Like it Matters

2011-10-21T16:38:00.001-07:00

Looking at a marker stained T-shirt from a knife training exercise: “Do you think any of your techniques really work?” I was asked this question by a very skeptical combat veteran as he fingered the brilliant red marker “cuts” on the T-shirt. The T-shirt belonged to the dubious “winner” of the bout and it was obvious she had taken a number of, what would have most likely been, lethal cuts. Many of you may have participated in this type of training exercise.

We have all read the plethora of articles on the effects of adrenaline rush, fight or flight, loss of fine motor skills, auditory exclusion, always expect to get cut, etc. But the question remains, do any of my techniques work? First I have a couple questions for you. Why do people think that training with a knife is any different, more valuable, or less valuable, than training with a gun, a basketball, or a guitar? Do people who play tennis or a cello practice or do they just do it, you know off the cuff? It depends on whether they want to be any good or not. Why does NASCAR have practice sessions and do the drivers have any techniques or do they just push down on the gas pedal and hold on for dear life?

Does every knife technique work every time against all comers? No of course not. When I was asked about the lethality of the simulated cuts on the T-shirt I asked my friend if he had ever trained with air-soft or simmunition firearms. Yes of course he had. And I asked, “Did you drop over dead every time you got hit in a lethal zone or did you continue to shoot back?” “Well,” he said thoughtfully, “I guess I kept shooting back.” Exactly! If the knife duelists had to accept the cuts at face value they probably would have not lasted more than a few seconds, based on the wounds they received. But instead they continued on as if nothing had happened because it was only an ink marker. No matter what type of combat training you do it will always fall far short of the real thing, that is why it’s called training not killing. Given the choice, I would rather train and not need to use what I have learned, than to have never trained and suddenly realize I need it.

There are four major facets to surviving an attack: Awareness, Ability (ie practice, training), Mindset (courage, fear, fortitude, anger) and Luck. (If I could make these letters into a good acronym I could probably market it.) Luck is as important as the other three combined. If you’re having a bad day then your attacker may get in a “lucky” hit. Many of the knife techniques that I learned in my early karate days seemed very “do-able,” after a few years I found many of them were instead dubious. The ones I learned from Cook sensei and Hanshi Juchnik taught me the difference. Set aside what doesn’t work for you and hone what does. Then every once in a while go back and review those techniques you set aside and see if there was something you missed. Train hard, train safe, but for God’s sake train.

Arkansas Toothpick?

2011-10-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

The Bowie Knife: Unsheathing an American Legend, at http://www.amazon.com/Bowie-Knife-Unsheathing-American-Legend/dp/193146412X

If you love Bowie Knives or just enjoy American History you ought to have a copy of this book in your library. People still do have home libraries don’t they? Anyway, it is not a cheap book, at Amazon it is $79.99 but it is a great read and the full color photos are terrific. One of the book’s chapters discusses the difference, real or not, between an Arkansas Toothpick versus a Bowie Knife. I was always taught that there was a difference and the toothpick was a double-edged dirk style blade rather than the Bowie which was a clip or spear point style. According to Mr. Flayderman’s extensive research these names have been used interchangeably, or not, throughout history. In the following photo you will see a beautiful Toothpick made by AC Warren and my Big Matt Lamey Bowie. Both knives have twelve inch blades and are very typical of the powerful fighting knives carried in the mid 1800s. Of the two, the Bowie is the more versatile fighting knife. It is quite capable of thrusting but also of creating grievous cuts. The Toothpick has obvious ties to Scottish Dirks of the 1700 & 1800s, or possibly the main gauche of an earlier time. It is primarily a thrusting weapon.
Either one would ruin your day if they were in the hands of an agitated opponent. The Toothpick will require more finesse to be effective but, like the Bowie, it has a big intimidation factor. Kudos to Mr A.C. Warren for creating this beautiful rendition of an Arkansas Toothpick. The handle is ebony and the mounts are brass. The sheath itself is truly a work of art.

Whats your night-time defense?

2011-10-07T15:18:00.000-07:00

The question on the forum was: “What do you keep by your bed at night?” The answers varied from shotguns to various handguns. The one answer that stunned me was, “a bokken.” If you don’t know, a bokken is a wooden Japanese training sword. Another man said a katana, (a Japanese sword). A typical bokken or katana is 36-40 inches long. Those who said a small ball bat made more sense.

You have heard me rant about guys who say “If you don’t know how to use a knife don’t get one out during a fight or you will be in worse trouble.” Like somehow using a knife is a magical art, but using a Japanese sword is not? One respondent answered my question concerning the katana: "you don’t need to learn any fancy techniques just swing it." Really, is that all there is to it? I guess I have wasted twenty years training with a sword and knife. Take the word IDIOT and add a few colorful expletives and you get the idea of my mental response. Why is it that every red blooded American on a forum feels they are an expert on Japanese swordsmanship, even if they never held a katana? Baka American.

To begin with, a katana is much too long to use effectively inside most houses. This is why the Japanese traditionally placed their katana in a special rack when they entered a home and wore only their tanto or wakizashi (side sword) inside. After all, the Japanese worked at this for over 500 years they might have an idea or two about home defense. A typical wakizashi has a blade 16 inches or less. Swinging either a bokken or katana inside a darkened room in a semi-awakened state is sure to result in a lot of damaged real estate while your home invader is throwing lead your way from his handgun, not an especially good situation. All of the experts tell you to clear a house by using a firearm technique called cutting-the-pie, or maneuvering your line of sight incrementally around a blind corner. How well do you think that will work with a 40 inch sword? I am not saying a firearm is the ultimate solution either. The negatives of using firearms inside your home are numerous. The muzzle flash will ruin your night vision and the blast will deafen you. Stray bullets become potentially life threatening to other occupants or even passers-by. And last but not least are the legal consequences of killing someone with a firearm.
For years I have kept a legally registered handgun beside my bed. But I have other options as well. For example, a blindingly bright flashlight and a big bladed bowie knife. I also have a set of escrima sticks standing in the corner. They are much more maneuverable inside a bedroom than a bokken. These hardened sticks will easily crack a man’s skull or break his bones. A katana-kake (sword rack) hangs on my bedroom wall holding 5 shinken (live bladed swords). In a time of emergency they would be my weapons of last resort. I could also use my bronze tessen or iron kubutowari, but then what the heck do I know about Japanese weaponry, or home defense? Go ahead and stick to your bokken and play Last Samurai.

Chop Chop!

2011-10-01T13:04:00.001-07:00

A few years ago I bought a mid-tech Razel and wrote a report on it. Every since then I have thought that a larger cleaver syle knife would be perfect for a camp knife. There are a few makers that offer these and my prolific bowie maker Matt Lamey is one of them. However this knife is not a Lamey creation. It was made by a maker heretofore unknown to me, one A.C. Richards. http://www.woodchuckforge.com/

I bought the knife secondhand from a forum member in "as new" condition. It only arrived today and I love it. The balance is decidedly to the front, which is as it ought to be for a cleaving knife. The forged W-2 blade is artfully marked with the maker's name and his JS (journeyman smith) stamp. Measuring 11.5 inches by 2.25 (at the widest point) the blade exhibits a billowing, almost choji style, hamon with a nice wrap around at the tip. The black micarta handle and stainless steel mounts are masterfully shaped and expertly fitted. It came with a very high quality black leather sheath. While it is not your typical Bowie, I think you will agree it is a formidible weapon.

Arrgh Matey

2011-09-19T16:49:00.001-07:00

My wife walked into the room and said are you watching that pirate movie again? It was on last night! I replied it was either this or Obama, and Capt Jack Sparrow is more believeable. It pays to know your pirates these days.

Without a parrot its hard to tell them apart.

More Bowie Goodness

2011-09-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let you see the new Bowie that Matt is finishing up for me. It has a stout 9 inch forged blade with a very active clay tempered hamon. A mild steel guard and ferrule are topped off by a very colorful piece of cocobolo wood. The blade has an interesting profile with the tip lying below the center line of the blade. An exceptional fighting knife made for serious use. Now if someone will step up and buy the Bowie I have for sale it will make my wife happy. I'll do a more detailed report on this knife once it is in my hands.

A Small Man

2011-09-10T05:44:00.000-07:00

last night I wrote a rant against Mayor Bloomberg for his heavy-handed co-opting of the 10th anniversary commemoration of the 9-11 attack. He has taken religion out of it. He has denied access to many of the firefighters, police, and religious leaders whom people turned to for aid and solace during our darkest hour. Instead he has corrupted it into a political theater.
Then I deleted it. Why? Because I was concerned that there might be some on here who would be offended or who might even draw unwanted attention to a political statement against the people in power.
Survivors and people who lost loved ones have been un-invited or their credentials have been misplaced. Bloomberg says there was not enough time to co-ordinate with religious leaders. Really? There has been exactly ten years to coordinate the event. There was sufficient time to invite people who have no right to be there, except their political connections. Shame on you mayor, shame on you. This day, 9-11-2011 will never come again, and you have chosen to play politics instead of doing the morally right thing. (Who would have expected this from a politician?) The American people need a time for rememberance and healing not more politicians on a stage. You may have millions of dollars but you are a very small man.

Available Knife

2011-09-09T16:27:00.000-07:00

THIS KNIFE IS SOLD. I said once in a while I would post a knife here for sale. I have a new Lamey Bowie coming in a few days. If anyone is interested in buying this one from my collection, it is un-carried and never used to cut, contact me by email. I am letting this one go at the same price I paid, $475 shipped CONUS. It has a beautiful english walnut handle and copper double branch guard. The blade is a 1/4 inch thick, about 9.5 inches long and slightly re-curved. It has what Matt refers to as his "working finish" but the hamon is still quite distinct. It comes with a beautiful leather sheath fitted with a belt stud. This is a serious Lamey fighting knife at a price below what you would expect to pay now. email me, before I change my mind, at: ghdave2@hotmail.com The earliest time-dated email saying I'll take it gets first chance. It is also for sale on a forum I belong to.

A Magnificent Cutter

2011-09-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

Reading the book in the previous post gave me the urge to do some test cutting. The other night when I went to the dojo to practice Iaido I decided to take along the BIG Bowie that Matt Lamey forged for me. When I went to my gear closet the only thing left were three pool noodles! It would have been silly to cut just one noodle with a knife this size so I decided to splurge and taped all three together. As you can see in the first photo they would barely stay in my test cutting stand. The results speak for themself. Cutting through all three was effortless and all I had to do was make sure my angle was correct and let the blade sweep through the noodles. It was way too easy so I repeated it and decided I needed about six noodles or a real goza tatami mat to practice on. This was no test for this fine Bowie. The cutting power of a full sized Bowie knife like this is simply incredible.

Comments on the Book

2011-08-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Well I have nearly finished reading the Kirchner Bowie knife book. I wanted to say that it is good from front to back cover, all the more valuable as a reference since mr Kirchner points out where myth overshadows truth. Where fact rises its ugly head he still prints it even though it might go counter to established fables or flowery legend. One very importand point is that in those days a bowie knife was more than the equal of even a colt revolver, or the predominant double barreled muzzle-loading pistols. One story in particular, the attempted assassination of the Sect of State Seward, illustrates the difficulty of an unarmed man overcoming one armed with a knife. In this fracas several people are very seriously injured and the assassin still escapes. One final point. Many martial artists who teach knife defense as a sideline are fond of quipping: "expect to get cut." Well many of these characters in this book do get cut, some of them several times, many of them suffer permanent injuries, disfigurement, or deformities as a result. The good guys do not always win. So the next time your sensei says: :just grab his knife and do this, or that," you might want to rethink who you learn knife fighting/defense from.
This Southwest Style Bowie was hand forged by Matt Lamey

Bit By the Bowie Bug?

2011-08-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

First impressions can often be wrong. For some reason a description of the book Bowie Knife Fights, Fighters and Fighting Techniques by Paul Kirchner turned me off buying it. That was a big mistake. I finally bought a copy from Paladin Press and I am having a great read of it. It has 376 pages of well annotated tales of Bowie knife usage and the men who made it both Legendary and often Disreputable. Scalawags, murderers, thieves, slaves and slave hunters, Southern Aristocrats and redneck butchers: the Bowie knife was an equalizer when few men carried Colts.

I am only a third of the way through Mr. Paul Kirchner’s book and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the history or use of this iconic American weapon. The amount of research required to put together a book like this is daunting. If there are any shortcomings at all to the book it is the lack of photos. It does have a number of nicely done sketches to illustrate a few of the stories. If its Bowie knife photos you want you will need to spend a king’s ransom ($80 or more) for the book “The Bowie Knife: Unsheathing an American legend” by Norm Flayderman. Flayderman’s book is also worth the money if you are a true knife aficionado. I would suggest buying both books and spending the coming winter reading them. Then once you have consumed them purchase the two books on Bowie Knife techniques by Dwight McLemore and you will have caught a serious case of the Bowie Bug. It only gets worse because I can steer you to a few custom Bowie Knife makers and fine instructors to suck the last penny out of your life’s savings. Just teasing, sort of. Once you catch the Bowie bug there is no known cure.

Storm Clouds continue to gather

2011-08-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

There are so many things I want to say, and that need to be said, or do they? As Glenn Beck would say, "Do your own research." Check out the powers of the new "Super Congress," see how comfy you feel with the way things are going. Personally, I'm more worried than ever. Oh by the way, one little detail.....guess who has reserved the power to cast a tie breaking vote if the six Democrats and six Republicans are deadlocked?? So in actuality it is a committee of six Republicans and seven Democrats.

Bugging in or Buggin Out?

2011-08-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

Talk is cheap, prepping is not. How many of you sense something is majorly wrong with our nation, with the world? Are you preparing for tough times or sticking your head in the sand? I am collecting fighting knives at a much slower pace. Now every time I buy a knife I ask myself if the money wouldn’t be better spent buying MREs, or other survival preparations. Look at poor Japan. An empire built on electricity provided by nuclear power is fighting heroically to control that monster. Those poor people had little or no emergency stores put aside and any they might have had were wiped out in the tsunami.

Without being a doomsday soothsayer, we know we face the potential for that same disaster to occur here because of the nuclear plants built along the fault-line running the length of California. Storms ravage our nation from the Gulf of Mexico to New England, bringing ice storms, power outages, blizzards, flooding, wild fires, tornados and hurricanes. We face economic uncertainty the likes of which have not existed since the Great Depression. We are locked into wars against Muslims in three nations. Nation after nation is crumbling into chaos as established rulers are toppled by mobs and their economies collapse.

Like many of the people I converse with on forums, I have a BOB (Bug Out Bag) prepared. It can be simple or all inclusive depending on your finances, circumstances, and ability to carry it. But it would be prudent to prepare some type of backpack containing a few MREs, water purifier, flash light, fire starting kit, etc. There are forums completely devoted to survival preparations. Do some looking around. One of the forums I go to is http://www.survivalblog.com for good sound information.

Of course any BOB worth its salt will include a folder or two and a larger fighting or camp knife. Some of my BOB knives are a Grayman Kordorfan 8, a Fox XL Panga or the nice Fox Kukri, a Becker BKT-10 bowie/camp knife, etc. You get the idea, something brawny and reliable. Another good addition is a leatherman of some description and maybe a small set of wire cutters. Machete and tomahawks all have their uses, it depends the local terrain, on your mission, and your familiarity with various bladed weapons/tools. Keep a small sharpening tool in your BOB too.

Needless to say, firearms ought to be a thoughtful part of your preparations, whether intended for food procurement or self defense. Keep them legal, simple, and make sure you have enough ammo to feed them. Be completely familiar with their safe operation and cleaning. Do your homework first and avoid wasting money on things you don't need. Look around your home and see what you already have that can be incorporated into your BOB. Have fun, but don't put off doing it forever.The knife is a beautiful "Wendigo" by John Gonzalez of Dervish Knives.

Watson Push Dagger

2011-08-06T05:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a neat new knife from Channing Watson! I looked at it on my favorite forum, looked at it several more times, and finally I could not resist anymore. It is made from 1/4 in thick steel and the handles are G-10 on one side and micarta on the other. The four inch blade is chisel ground and then treated with an acid etch ala Kiku Matsuda who pioneered this finish. I already have a plan for this knife. It is going to be mounted on the shoulder strap of my bug-out-bag like from the movie "Full Metal Jacket." My second "BOB" is outfitted with a "Tops Knives California Cobra." Based on its profile and thickness I suspect that this blade would penetrate soft body armor. Unfortunately I don't have anyway to prove out my theory. I'd like to find an old cast off bit of chest armor to do some penetration tests with this and a few other knives but no luck finding any so far. Push ddaggers became popular items during the Gold Rush days and were carried by nefarious gamblers, thugs and riverboatmen. This genre of knives is still useful for close-range self defense, especially for people of weaker grip or small stature. The natural gripping shape of the handle makes its use instinctive and solid. The addition of a fingerhole makes this dagger unique. Channing has produced some very dramatic knives with aggressive looks and solid ergonomics. His designs are fresh and innovative. Looking at the shape and finish I can almost hear the fluttering of Batman's wings in the background. The photos are from Mr. Watson. Great work Channing!
For those of you who follow my political rants: Congratulations mr Sorros. Your Obedient servant, the Big O delivered what you wanted. I heard just last week that you had divested yourself of US Treasury Bonds. Nice move spooky dude.

Technique of No Technique?

2011-07-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

On one of the knife forums I frequent a self-proclaimed expert says that it is fantasy to talk about defending yourself with a knife and therefore your pick of a carry knife ought to be based strictly on utility needs, and carry a handgun for defense. BUT, you can take a knife defense course from this same man. What? He is also an expert instructor on handguns, sticks, rifles, shotguns, etc. You don’t have to believe me, just ask him. Opinions are a great thing until they inflate one’s ego to the point of incredulity.

I have seen this man work his magic. A lot of what he does might not work except for his size and power. Perhaps he is unaware of this because all of his life he has had a size advantage. Truthfully he is a powerful man, but a good technique cannot rely on any certain physical attribute or it will fail the majority of the people trying to apply it. This was the guiding premise of our book The Rhythm of One. I am a relatively small man, five foot six inches. My daughter is even smaller, five foot, one half inch. To be of value, every technique must rely on technique, not on bulk or strength. So when you go looking for instruction: whether knife, gun or sword, look for a teacher who can (and is willing to) adapt his techniques to your physique, age, weaknesses, etc. One time I had a young woman with one deformed arm show up for sword class. Her left arm was the size of a babies. Her spirit was strong and we worked hard to select techniques that she could manage or adapt those that wouldn’t initially work. We also cut down her bokken to duplicate the size of a ko-katana. I remembered what Yagyu Koichi sensei once said to me, that it is mindset that matters, techniques evolve. I have this bit of wisdom written on the blackboard at our dojo. With time, I have learned that the instructors who eschew techniques usually do so because they don’t have any.

Shinken

2011-07-21T16:49:00.000-07:00

I had a young man (Zak) ask me to explain my fascination with the katana, or shinken. This is my reply to him. One of the most famous Japanese sayings is “ken shin ichi nyo,” the sword and the mind are one. But the warrior’s mind and spirit being one with his weapon cuts across all cultures, races, and times.
A true warrior must understand the spirit within his weapons, whether that spirit is forged in or absorbed through the sweat and blood of its owner’s hands. It is not enough to be an efficient killer or a wild barbarian, which result from the mechanical use of the sword without the spiritual. Death comes to all of us but the real way of the warrior, the real bushido, is finding that middle ground and achieving a sense of balance.
Zak, as you said, the katana is a razor, par excellent. But, as we mature in our understanding of Western martial arts we also find that the better broad swords were well balanced and razor sharp too, not the crude armor mashers we originally thought. One of the main differences tactically is that the katana was both sword and shield to its master, unlike the Westerner who blocked attacks with a shield held in his left hand.

Many schools in America that teach Kenjutsu (combat swordsmanship) disparage the use of the blade for blocking, especially edge-wise, because they say the very hard edge will chip, ruining the sword. While it is true the blade may chip, not blocking is simply an old wives tales. Once when 80+ year old Japanese sensei Yagyu Nobuharu was asked about that his response was very pragmatic. Basically he said: Yes my sword blade may get chipped but if I do not block a cut I might get killed. When the battle is over, if I survive, I look around for a nicer sword. If I don’t survive, then it doesn’t matter.

To the samurai the katana blade was imbued with its own spirituality and soul. The mounts (however plain or fancy) were of a distant secondary importance. I think it was a major concession for the blade maker to punch a hole in the tang for the bamboo pin which holds the handle and guard on the blade. If the mystical or spiritual doesn’t appeal to you then I would revert to the original argument, the katana is one of the most capable cutters in the history of the world. It is a ruthlessly efficient killer capable of cleanly severing a human body completely through in one stroke. The metallurgical and tempering qualities are unique, and although Damascus and Wootz were also great sword making materials none of them surpassed the differentially tempered Japanese blade. A well designed and executed katana is exquisitely balanced for one or two handed use. By comparison most modern katana are over sized, over weight, with fat handles and crude mounts.

In use, a sword (like a fighting knife) has two primary functions, cutting or thrusting. A Japanese sword may also be used for deflecting or blocking as I mentioned. Different schools of swordmaking had different degrees of curvature forged into their blades based on the techniques taught by the schools of instruction. For example, if a school liked to use the thrust it would gravitate toward a straighter blade than a school whose principal attack was a slash. Makes sense right? While many people say that a thrust is more lethal than a cut, that rationale does not apply if the cut is so massive as to dismember or bisect the opponent. I don’t know if any of this actually answered Zak’s question. It may be a subliminal thing that is felt rather than a logical thing that can be argued or rationalized. Either way the katana is a fearsome, elegant, and sublime weapon. The photos are by Bugei trading Company of my Peace Sword.

Fire!

2011-07-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a week or more and I need to write a new blog. But I want to make a short comment, an observation. Whenever I post a political narrative I do not get any responses, on the blog that is. Sometimes I am playing devil's advocate, being provocative, purposely antagonistic. One of my good friends is on to me and he doesn't respond on purpose. A few of you email me privately in agreement but often say I don't want to comment publicly. Or I get comments like aren't you afraid to post such things? What if the wrong people are watching your blog? What wrong people, what are they afraid of saying? I once told my abbot that I feel like a mute screaming "fire!" in a theater full of deaf people. So I will continue to write knife and gun articles but forgive me if once in a while I scream "fire!" Whoever you are out there, thanks for reading what I post. ghdave2@hotmail.com

Give us Liberty?

2011-07-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

I am not going to comment on this, read it and decide for yourself whether this is healthy for American liberty or will end in abject slavery. If you cannot make the link work, google executive order 13575.
Copy and paste into your browser:

www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/7958-obama-signs-agenda-21-related-executive-order/

EDC Bowie

2011-07-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Here is an example of a very cool knife from Sage Blades the creation of Dylan Farnham. His site came to my attention through a posting on MAA James A Keating’s website. http://www.jamesakeating.com/maajak1.html

Initially I went to the Sage Blades site to buy a JAK designed Dao and ended up buying this Bowie knife instead. I’m definitely going to go back and order a Dao too. The EDC (every day carry) Bowie resembles a design I created and have on order from another maker. Mine is different is several areas but the concept/question is the same, how to carry a Bowie style blade in a compact package. No matter how big a Bowie you have in hand, the working part is only the last 4 inches or so. Some people may argue that point with me, but in my opinion, more blade length just increases the ma-ai not the actual techniques. I’m not going to share what the differences are in my design until I have a working knife in hand to show you.

From point of contact to delivered knife was less than three weeks and part of that was spent in communicating back and forth. This is incredible service! During our communications I expressed to Dylan my past experience with a “custom” knifemaker who shipped me a dull Bowie. With an electronic wink and a nod he let me know this one would be sharp, and sharp it is. Both the primary and secondary edges are hair shaving sharp. The G-10 handles are finely fitted and contoured to the full tang blade. What you cannot easily see in the photos is the precise bevel on the top of the scales which makes them very comfortable in the hand. The sharply recurved tip will deliver a very nasty back cut with a flick of your wrist. The curvature of the tip does tend to detract from the thrusting somewhat by moving the centerline of the tip to your left when you extend your arm. That is not a huge problem, the curve simply makes this knife that much more suitable for cutting or ripping techniques. That is part of the individuality, or personality, you find in custom knives. Gently curving like the grip on a 19th century dueling pistol, the handle of the EDC is both ergonomic and provides great leverage for executing comma-cuts. Remember what Frank Lloyd Wright preached, “Form follows function.” With the EDC Bowie you could almost say that “From defines function.”

So travel the world wide web to Sage Blades and you will find some extremely neat forms which will suit any edged function you desire. This knife will provide you with a stout, first-class, line of defense against any and all bladed attackers.
http://www.sageblades.com

Kaboom: Embracing the Suck

2011-07-02T05:44:00.000-07:00

I am reading an excellent book right now that ought to be required reading, for highschoolers, politicians and the damned Commander in Chief. The title is "Kaboom: Enbracing the Suck in a Savage Little War." I encourage you to go to Amazon.com and buy this book right now! The author, Matt Gallagher, writes of his experiences in Iraq. I have read a few books on that dirty little war but none have been written as eloquently as this one. I just finished the section on Dear John letters and it touched me personally, as did the dear john letter I got while in Vietnam in 1968. Well one was a dear john letter and the other was just a copy of the wedding ceremony of a young woman who stole my heart and a major part of my soul.

What are we doing over there? I no longer even believe it is for the oil. It has the foul taste of lies and betrayal to our troops and the people here at home. It has all the appearance of the death throes of a decaying empire. When an empire crumbles the emperor always trys to keep his armies at the hithermost outposts for his own safety. Its time that we retracted the tiger's claws, withdrew from Iraq, afghanistan, korea, germany, okinawa, cuba, and all of the other pestilent outposts around the world. Instead of empire building let's focus on nation building.

Please read Matt Gallagher's book, read some books by different authors and see whether you still believe that the wars we are engaged in are vital to our nation's interests. Bring our troops home, and this time lets give them a warm welcome, not like the one the Vietnam Vets got when they returned home. PS, I am the man in the photos with asteriks, or at leaast I was 40 plus years ago.

Independence Day

2011-07-01T17:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence day! How many people in the USA today even know (or care) what July 4th is all about? When will they change the name to hide the true meaning of the holiday? How long before Independence Day becomes a victim to political correctness, ethnic diversity or some other form of socialist cleansing? The July 4th holiday, celebrating our independence from an oppressive foreign power many years ago, follows the recent news story of a 95 year old, wheel chair ridden, woman being patted down by the TSA for potentially hiding explosives in her Depends™. Rotten terrorist grandmothers, I hate them the most. This July 4th holiday also follows the news that the Office of Veterans Affairs (VA) has prohibited the use of the words God, Jesus, etc in the funeral services of fallen veterans or to console their loved ones, because they are too overtly religious. These are the men who died for religious freedom as much as any other right.

Statistics say that 18 veterans per day are committing suicide but we are too fixated on the Casey Anthony trial to even notice. Veterans of all ages and wars are among the highest unemployed. Thousands are sleeping in boxes or shelters across our “GREAT” nation, but who cares? Hey did you see the news about Hillary and Lady GaGa? Now that’s newsworthy. And speaking of Hillary, did you know she is working arm in arm with the globalists and the UN to pass a treaty that will annul our constitutionally guaranteed right to keep and bear arms? Meanwhile, flashing back to the real news: What would Lady Diana look like if she were still alive today? Really, that’s news worth spending air time on?
I hope that you sleep better at nights than I do because I fear that by next year Independence itself may be prohibited as being too discriminatory or too American. Aren’t you ashamed that you live in freedom while others live under tyranny? Some people in our government think you should feel that way. I also hope that you remember those who have fought and died for your freedom. Say a prayer for them, say God Bless them! If you see a man or woman in a military uniform, thank them for their service. Fly your flag this holiday and cherish your independence while you still have it, or what little bit is left of it.

Slick Stabbers

2011-06-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

OK lets take a look at two very sweet knives. I have been remiss in writing this blog, somehow getting sidetracked. The knives are recent kogatana made for me by Gary Bradburn. Traditionally kogatana are the tiny, flimsy, useless side knives housed in the saya (scabbard) of a katana or wakizashi. I asked Gary to make me one as a discreet carry knife but stout enough for actual defense use. He ground the prototype with a chisel format but was not happy with it. (This is the one riding on my Bug Out Bag.) The next two came with double bevel grinds and nice clay tempered blade with hamon.

A knife this size is easily carried without creating waves of fear in the general public. There are many general uses for it besides its intended personal defense use. The blade is substantial despite being only 0.145 inches thick. Since they are each custom made the blade lengths vary. One is 4.5 inches and the other is 5 inches. The slender blades are natural piercing weapons but, as you can imagine, no slouch at slicing. The graceful curvature gives the blades the look of a miniature katana. The tsuka (handles) are full tang, copper covered, and then wrapped in epoxy saturated cord. Beneath the tsuka ito wrapping Gary has placed a high quality menuki. The menuki are decorative, but they also create a nice palm swell. Each knife is sheathed in a custom fit kydex sheath with nylon belt loop. Check out Gary’s new website and contact him if you are interested in ordering a custom Japanese style knife. You will not be disappointed that you did. http://www.bradburncustomknives.com/

Dark Side of "Democracy"

2011-06-18T05:15:00.000-07:00

According to the purveyors of the New World Order, including our president, this is what Democracy now looks like. Somehow I never envisioned it this way. Foolishly I thought it was represented by voting booths and free elections. In my simple mind democracy was filled with more hope and fewer demons. There is good reason why Africa is called the Dark Continent. Zimbabwe, Rhodesia, Somalia, the Congo, Angola, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, by whatever name you choose, they all conjure up the same images of butchery, rape, and genocidal massacres. The symbols of African Democracy are the machete and the RPG. The color of African Democracy is red, BLOOD RED. These are the types of people our administration is supporting. Now "Democracy has erupted in the Mid-East. Can you tell the Yeman rebels from the Rawandan or Libyan rebels? I hope the first family enjoys their taxpayer paid safari to the dark continent.

Take close look at the photos sometime on the internet and the news. How many American made arms do you see these paragons of democracy carrrying versus Russian and Chinese AKs? Either way it is terrorism sponsored by the world's major players.

Storm Mountain Training Center

2011-06-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

This post is a little longer than usual. Its something completely different and I hope you enjoy it. My pride almost kept me from having a great experience. Or more correctly fear of having that pride get bruised. Several months ago I signed up for a long range rifle class (LR-1) at Storm Mountain Training Center in WV. As the time got closer I started wondering at age 62 what sort of fool would I make of myself? My local shooting range only extends out to 200 yards and generally I was content punching holes in paper at 100 yards. Now here I was signed up for a class to shoot out to 800 yards, literally from one hillside to another. I could not back out because I was teamed to shoot with my daughter.

We showed up at the range (along with my daughter’s fiancé and his friend) at nine o-clock Friday morning for the classroom portion of the course. There were a total of 16+ students in attendance. I was packing a 35 pound backpack full of gear, including 120 rounds of ammo, and a 14 pound, scoped rifle. Everyone else was similarly geared-up. The morning session was very informative and almost overwhelming at times as we listened to lectures on the mentality of shooting, the technical and physical aspects, gear choices, ballistics, and much more. It was a no-BS presentation spiced with real world experience and a healthy amount of humor. After lunch we gathered at one of the 100 yard ranges to shoot a cold-bore shot and check the zero on our rifles. I was having problems with my zero even though I had checked it a week before. Danny, one of the instructors, took over my gun and discovered a nut had come off one of the bi-pod legs and was causing the inconsistency. Once we were finished at the 100 yard range we moved on to 200 yards. By the time I got there the instructors had run back to the admin. building and brought me a “loaner” bipod. You can imagine how grateful I was. We worked our way back to the five hundred yard line by the Friday’s end.
Saturday’s shooting was a near repeat of Friday’s except we started shooting at nine o-clock in the morning and moved all the way back to the 800 yard line, one hundred yards at a time. By now we were very grateful for the elevation and windage “Cheat-Sheets” provided by Rod and Danny. These generic sheets allowed us to get on target and then we could dial the scopes in for our individual rifles. By the time we reached 800 yards I wished I was 40 pounds lighter and 20 years younger. The weather was high 80s and humid, winds variable in direction and magnitude. The good news was that I was already beginning to feel more confident with my gear and my skills. My rifle was bought used and it came with a trigger set well under one pound pull, which made it very touchy. I was beginning to learn how to cope with that as well. One of the things that amazed me most was the ability of either instructor to see where your shot hit and immediately give you accurate scope corrections for your rifle. I cannot imagine how many rounds they have both sent down range into targets and under combat conditions. It was an honor to be in the company of men who had been there and done what was required of them.

Sunday we repeated the course with the exception of having a set number of qualifying shots at each range. There were a total of 20 shots for qualifying. Passing was a 70%. I shot an 85% and Gwynne shot a 95%. What can I say, the kid is good! What did I learn besides how to shoot better? I learned a lot about reading wind, how to adjust my scope to correct for errors, proper breathing, and how to “lay down on the gun.” The most important thing I learned was how important your spotter is and how tough that job can be. The spotter calculates wind and elevation and tells you where to set your scope. They make sure that you fed a round into the chamber, adjusted the scope the correct direction and amount, and if you miss give you a quick correction for a rapid follow-up shot. As Rod said, the shooter is just “a monkey on a string.” I also learned there is good and bad gear but it’s never the rifle’s fault when you miss. I was more than pleased with the ability of my rifle. The last shots of the day were at 800 yards in gusting wind conditions and I had 224 inches of elevation and about 68 inches of windage cranked on. I was holding a half “mil” off the left edge of the target and was happy to get one hit and one near miss. Sound like fun and a real challenge? Contact Storm Mountain Training and sign up for a course, you might just see me there. If you do your part you can expect to get more than your monies worth. Thanks again Rod and Danny, thanks a lot!
http://www.stormmountain.com

BOB knives?

2011-06-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

This post is about the knives in, or hanging on, my BOB (Bug Out Bag). The bag itself is an Eberlestock™ Gunslinger II. These packs rank among the finest on the market. If you’re looking for a great back-pack check out their website. http://www.eberlestock.com/
So what sort of cutlery do I pack? You can rest assured that there are several folders of various quality and size, but nothing costing hundreds of dollars. One smaller bag mollied internally holds a MilTac folder, tactical pen, and a Leatherman tool. Originally I bought a Cold Steel Machete for my BOB but I had forgotten how light weight a machete is. That is nice when you’re looking at pack weight, but sucks when you’re trying to chop firewood, make tent stakes, or split kindling.

So in place of the machete, on the left-hand side of the pack, I have attached an indestructible BK&T-9 combat bowie. The bottom of its sheath is tucked into a pocket intended for a water bottle while the upper part of the sheath is fixed in place by 550 cord. In the front pocket of the BK&T sheath is a Chinese folder from Schrade. Its cheap, reasonably reliable and sharp as a razor. For an all purpose knife I included a modern kiridashi made by ECOS in the top part of the pack.

There is a KaBar TDI that I mounted on the front of my Tactical Tailor chest rig. This way if for any reason I have to dump my entire pack I still have a small utility/self-defense knife with me.
I have also added a small kogatana by Gary Bradburn to my pack. Wicked little stabber. I'll review them next week.

Honor Duty Sacrifice

2011-05-30T06:28:00.000-07:00

Please remember our Heroes today. Men and women, Vets and active duty, the wounded and disabled. Thousands of women and men have sacrificed much that we can live freely. This is the greatest nation on earth and its time the POTUS came out and said so instead of apologizing for our greatness. God Bless our Nation, God Bless our Troops.

Channing Watson Hawkbill Knife

2011-05-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Check out my September-0ct0ber 2009 blogs about cutting testing of different style blades. Two blogs with sketches

I bought this awesome little hawkbill knife from Channing Watson a couple weeks ago. I finally got down to the dojo to do some cutting tests. Pool noodles might not seem like an especially tough target, try them. If your cutting angle is incorrect the knife may just bump along the noodle. If you misjudge your approach the knife will just hook cut part way through the tube. Will it cut? I think the photos tell it all. The cuts that did not go clear through were my mistake by not gauging my distance quite right. Thrusts? Hell yes! It goes through targets like a light saber. The curvature of the blade precisely aligns the tip of the blade with the forearm allowing full power thrust without the danger of torquing or spraining your wrist.

Channing gave me a little background bio that explains why his knife is more than just an attempt to be different. "We are escrima guys over here and I do try to make things cool looking while still remaining 100% useful. The idea behind that particular knife was to try to blend every day usefulness as a tool with good self defense ability, the longer "thumb groove" on the spine is there to give a resting place for the outside of the palm of the second hand during pressure cutting." This is a serious self-defense knife and I would not hesitate to stake my life on it.

A Must Read

2011-05-23T16:38:00.001-07:00

If you want to know who this man is who promised hope and change and why he acts so counter to traditional American mores, read this book. That is if you can stomach Obama's fabrications and outright lies about everything connected with his father and his childhood. Lying is a habit that becomes increasingly hard to break. There is nothing radically new here, its been exposed before and commonly ignored. But gathered here is an excellent compilation of his falsehoods and the author's interesting theory of why Obama hates America and wants to "fundamentally transform it". You can buy it at Amazon.com or from the authors own website. http://www.dineshdsouza.com/ A compelling read that makes sense of an enigmatic and dangerous man.

1,000 Knives

2011-05-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

“Beware the man with a thousand knives;” quipped one of my commentators. Well my collection of fighting knives does not quite number a thousand, but it is well over two or three hundred. They range is style and format from tiny to very large and include variations from most cultures and ethnicities. Unlike a projectile weapon, a knife is very intimate, and whether it has a five inch or a twelve inch blade that intimacy carries through. Yes, techniques must be altered in many small ways to accommodate the size difference, but you are still working within a combative range (ma-ai) defined in inches and feet, not hundreds of yards. Can a Bowie knife be manipulated like a karambit? The answer to that is patently clear; no of course not. But, as Musashi said in his classic text, a warrior should be able to pick up any weapon and apply it. Within a small space of time a good practitioner of Silat should be able to put up a good fight with a Bowie as well as a Golok or a Marine Corp KaBar. Illustrated here are a double-edged Bowie by Phillip Patton, a karambit by Richard Derespina, and an F/S Fighting Knife by Peter Parkinson. Knife formats don’t get much different than this unless you get into Mediterranean styles.
The toughest transitions are from a knife art that focuses on thrusting to one that concentrates on cutting, to one that relies on ripping or tearing. For years I considered the Fairbairn Sykes dagger THE ultimate fighting knife. I have collected and worked with F/S knives for many years, even designing a unique variation on it. I finally have to admit I was wrong and pass the accolade of “world’s best fighting knife” to knives in the Bowie format. People like Bill Bagwell will wonder what took me so long to figure that out. I am sure that many of my readers have similar likes or prejudices and that is what makes the world go round and also keeps knife makers in work. Within a couple weeks I should have my latest Big Bowie from Matt Lamey. It has had a long gestation period. Although I am by nature not a patient man I am confident it will be worth the wait. Pick up a Bowie of any blade size, from five inches to twelve inches and it will fundamentally handle the same. Pick up an Arkansas Toothpick of a similar size and it will not work the same as the Bowie. Select a four inch “bowie” and a similarly sized karambit and you will quickly discover you have two incompatible weapons systems which cannot be wielded in the same manner.

What is my point? When a skilled warrior picks up an edged weapon he immediately adapts to its format. He intuitively knows whether it rips, cuts, or pierces. He does not have to know barrel twist, projectile velocity, trajectory, or drop. He does not have to calculate windage or compensate for different projectile weights. The killing weapon is seated right there in his hand, flesh and steel become one. His opponent is scant feet away, not hundred of yards, and he can smell his enemies fear. This is the intimacy of edged weapons combat. The man who only knows how to use one blade size or shape has much left to learn.

Hawkbill Ripper

2011-05-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Update: The knife has arrived and it is a super little self-defense knife. I have not worked with it yet but it handles very well. I take back what I said about a six inch blade version. I think five inches would be optimum. I'll keep you posted on how it works and cuts. Envision comma cuts with this wicked thing. Nasty!
Coming to my house real soon! This is a smallish knife but the design intrigues me. My wife said "What knife doesn't intrigue you?" Fair enough question I suppose. ANYWAY, its made by a guy named Channing Watson, also an intriguing name (like from an old detective novel). Like many of the people I have bought from I never met Mr. Watson in person. He is a member of the USN Forums, a great place to visit and spend all of your money.

This hawkbill design is sure to be an awesome ripper. Only testing will tell how well it slices and thrusts. I'd like to have one in about a 6 inch blade. The Bowies I had for sale are sold but there will be more custom knives for sale in the near future as I weed out the herd. They will be sold at reasonable prices and not some crazy marked-up prices. So take a look at Channings very neat knife and soon I will post a review of how it works out.

Taking Credit

2011-05-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Seal Team Six (even if they do not exist!) Despite the profiling of some, America knows who did the deed. God bless America and make us ever mindful of all of the gallant men and women who go in harm's way to keep us safe.

Very Skilled Swordsman

2011-05-01T15:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a sword form very similar to the style (Yagyu Shinkage Ryu) I practice. I thought you might enjoy it.

Mindfulness

2011-05-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Seems like every week there is someone in need of prayer. This week and in the weeks to come it is the people in the mid-west and deep south who have lost everything, including loved ones. Please exercise mindfulness and keep them in your hearts and prayers.

Bailey Bradshaw

2011-04-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

Thought I would share with you one of the most beautiful and artistic Bowie knives I have ever had the pleasure of owning. Bailey Bradshaw is the maker. He is now making custom rifles and that is the knife-making world’s loss. His British style falling block rifles are equally artistic displaying fine lines, exquisite engraving, even in high relief, and exhibition grade woods. Check his rifle work out at http://www.bradshawgunandrifle.com/ The 10 3/8 inch forged blade exhibits a crisp and active hamon. The spine (or mune) has a graceful sweep and is ground to a peak like a fine Japanese blade. Bailey’s Japanese torri trademark is etched on one side and his MS (master smith) stamp is on the other side. There is an incredible presence to this blade. Remember that aliveness I mentioned in an earlier post? This knife has it in spades.

The handle has a traditional Bowie shape but clearly a Japanese treatment: with same gawa (rayskin) underlay with tsuka ito (cord wrapping) of Navy blue silk. The steel mounts are again Japanese in form, crafted of mild steel, inlaid with gold wire, and gun blued. This fighting knife exudes an understated elegance a samurai would appreciate. Mr. Bradshaw said he made this knife about 2004-2006. While it is of presentation grade, in materials and finish, hefting it leaves no doubt that it is also combat grade.

What would James Bowie have given to carry a knife like this? The heavy leather sheath is simple and perfectly fitted so that even inverted the knife stays put. It has the belt stud common on today’s sheaths allowing the wearer to slip it in and out of their belt whenever you need to sit. So I am not the first owner (more correctly caretaker) of this knife, but time and prior ownership have not diminished its exceptionalism. Thank God there are people out there like Bailey Bradshaw who create such works of art.
And now you know why I am selling some of my other Bowies. It is "time to pay the piper" as the saying goes.

Bowies For Sale

2011-04-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

I have these bowies for sale on another forum so if you are inerested contact me by email soon! ghdave2@hotmail.com

These Bowies are now SOLD! I am selling these bowies in anticipation of having to pay for a custom one from Matt Lamey. They are all custom knives by two different makers. One came without a sheath. They are excellent knives for re-enactors of the fur trade or civil war era. I am no longer doing re-enacting. They are priced according to what I feel is a realistic value based on the rougher finish on two of them. The finish in no way detracts from their function. Two of them have faint hamon. I am asking $175 for either of the knives with sheaths and $150 for the one without. I will sell the three of them as a set for $450. Numbered from the bottom to the top: #1 has 11 inch blade, #2 has 10 inch blade and #3 has a 9.5 inch blade. #1 has visible grinding marks on the blade that the maker did not polish out but its a hell of a stout blade. All are about 3/16" thick.

The Value of Friends

2011-04-21T14:55:00.001-07:00

I just spent a terrible three days traveling for my work. It took me almost 20 hours to fly from here in NY to Kansas. I flew from Elmira to Detroit, to Memphis, to Atlanta (cause my flight got in late and I missed a connection) finally arriving in Wichita at 11:30 PM. Crashing at my hotel about midnight. Oh this was not the hotel I was supposed to be in because that was another 4 hours drive west. So who cares about my travel woes other than me, probably no one. I would have turned around and gone back home from Detroit but for one thing, I wanted to spend a few hours with a close friend in Wichita.

I am not sure how many of you have a friend worth that sort of effort, but if you do, then cherish them. In the coming days things are going to get tough and you will find a true friend is worth more than all the gold in the world. Thanks for a nice visit Gary, it made it all worthwhile.
http://www.bradburnknives.com/

Class Warfare?

2011-04-16T08:42:00.000-07:00

The fallacy of the greedy wealthy and the reality of class war.
News Flash! Sunday April 17. The president said he believes that "the rich want to give back more to their country." Therefore I guess he is being their conscience and taking from them what they have not readily given up. I'm so stupid Mr. President, I thought this was stealing. Maybe its something you learned from Socialist Rev Wright.
I am far from rich monetarily, but up until two years ago I at least felt reasonably free. Now thanks, to Mr. “Hope and Change,” I am poorer financially and I have more of my private life being encroached upon by his massive, burgeoning government, bigger than even GW ever considered. The federal government grew by nearly 40% under the current Prez and in just two years! What annoys me the most is knowing that I am paying my own jailers’ salaries, and knowing that they are making more money than I am. That is ludicrous and it borders on insanity. The average federal employee salary is over $81,000, the median income in my part of NY is just over $43,000. Despite this disparity our taxes are among the highest in the nation. What about the wealthy? I don’t give a damn how wealthy some people get unless they are stealing it from me. Who is stealing my money and giving me nothing in return? Yes that’s right, the US government. Wow what a coincidence. So not only do I pay for the intrusions into my life and the endless erosion of my freedoms, but I am also paying more to the people who do it so that they can do it even more, and steal even more of my money. Well Mr. Obama why not go ahead and take it all, redistribute it all. Just give me back a pittance to live on? It is only a matter of time until we all will either be working for the government, a ward of the government, or stealing for the Government, from the few brave souls who have tried to remain free. A good friend of mine said his neighbor who has been on welfare all his life got a tax refund, even though he has never paid any taxes. Where do you suppose that money came from? Not out of Mr. O’s pocket I can assure you. Remember this man, who incessantly attacks the wealthy, has a net worth of $10.5 million dollars! Look up disingenuous in the dictionary and see whose pictured there.

Cash for Clunkers

2011-04-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

(I quickly cropped this photo to protect the "innocent") It is being sold as a custom knife. To be honest, it is one of the $19.95 versions.

There are people who call themselves knifemakers who are basically forging plowshares into knives. They take a piece of barstock, grind a low bevel about 3/8 inch up the blade, slap on some handles, and call it a custom knife. They charge you a custom price to make you feel like you got a custom knife. I could name a few of them who charged exhorbitant prices for their "custom" work but I haven't. Folks these are not custom fighting knives, they are chisels. You might cut open boxes or pry open doors with them but you are paying cash for clunkers. Can a heavy piece of bar or round stock be hammered or ground into a credible fighting knife? You bet it can! But it takes someone with rare talent and an eye for line, proportion, and balance. Can a small knife be used successfully for defense or a big Bowie flow lightly in the hand? Yes, yes is the simple answer. Finding the right people to make them is the difficult part of the equation. There are even production examples that fit our criteria but they are quite rare and maybe we will talk about some of them at a later date. There is an “aliveness” to a properly made fighting knife. I am not sure that a description of that feeling can even be written. Not every knifemaker will be able to duplicate that feeling in every knife he makes. It’s like people. We all know some people who are vibrant with life and others who are as exciting as a dog pile. (Remember our header says “always brutally honest.”) A person might be the most fastidious, detail oriented, knifemaker alive and still not be able to breathe life into a blade. In fact many of the over-polished, perfectly executed knives are dead in the hand. You will know the difference once you pick up a live one. If you want to know what the dead ones feel like, go to your local mall-ninja store and pick up a bunch of the shiny, stamped out stainless steel cadavers lying in their display case. There is a reason they only charge $19.95 for that huge Chinese Rambo-style Bowie. Live blades are going to cost you a lot more.

I just received my third blade from Johnathan Mitchell, this sweet little kwaito. The shipping box weighed more than the knife itself. Now here’s a hint, don’t base your knife selection by weight, its not like buying hamburger. This kwaito is formed from very thin titanium, not a metal commonly associated with traditional Japanese knives. I guarantee that you will not pry open any doors with this kwaito without destroying it. That’s not what it was designed for. If I were stupid enough to press my finger against the blade, with even moderate pressure, it would cut me to the bone. This knife is designed to cut flesh. Interesting that it has a bat menuki on the handle, a blood sucking Vampire bat maybe? On the other end of the size scale is this “working class” Bowie I received from my good buddy Matt Lamey. It is forged from round stock and the spine is nearly a ¼ inch thick. No need to pry open doors with this one either, just chop your way through, and once inside do what you need to do. This knife, like all of Matt’s knives, comes hair shaving sharp but it also comes with the gusto that only a kukri or a Bowie can bring to a fight. Neither one of these knives can be gotten for $19.95. This goes back to the old saying, just what is your life worth?

Blocking with the Blade Part II:

2011-04-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

If you are using a reverse knife grip then in general you should reverse the blocking rules given in Part I posted a few days ago. Depending on how fast and flexible you are you may be able to block an attack to any zone with your knife positioned in reverse grip with the tip-down position.
What about the middle zone? Because of the way that the human arm is articulated, this zone presents a unique set of problems. When the attack is to your middle zone it is extremely difficult to contort your body to safely and reliably place your knife between your flesh and your attacker’s blade. To mitigate the middle zone issue you must either raise or lower your body. What we are actually concerned with, is where does your elbow lie in relative to the attack. The best bet is usually to drop your body into a crouch and block tip-up. This way, if the attack is higher than expected you can ward it off and pass it over your head. Trying to block tip-down in the middle zone may allow your attacker’s blade to pass under your knife, or with a slight adjustment to his cut, to come over the top of your block. Keep in mind that whenever you are blocking you should always remain relaxed and allow your entire body to move. If you harden up your moves then you may not move quickly enough or fluidly enough to get into position to block the attack. Harden your posture only at the moment of contact to prevent your blade from being folded back and slipping his blade over or under your block.
Do not forget that you can perform a stop hit using the very tip of your knife instead of the edge, but it requires a lot practice and excellent weapon control. Stop hits with the point can be especially useful against knee strikes or kicks, should your opponent be stupid enough to use them. Be careful to not lean your head into his range when performing any stop hit to the lower zone, just drop straight down by folding your knees. These techniques do not require any power, just perfect blade placement, body positioning, and timing. You use the attacker’s own energy to do the damage. Knife point stop hits may also be effectively targeted to your opponent’s hands when he thrusts or punches.
Your blocks should be reinforced by placing your body solidly behind your blade through proper foot placement and hip alignment. More importantly, keep in mind that the block is not the end-play. Your block should be thought of as merely the launching point for your riposte. Should you successfully block the incoming attack, but are not positioned to redirect the attack to your opponent, you will find yourself in the predicament of either having to block again or, worse yet, being tumbled by your attacker. At all times you must pay attention to your base and make sure it is not compromised. In brief, stance is nothing, stance is everything.

The Art of War

2011-03-31T16:41:00.000-07:00

An Update: Well now our fearless leader is intervening in the anarchy and slaughter in the Ivory Coast. Has he gone insane or just drinking in the ambrosia of Presidential power?

It took the Big O. nine days to decide to talk to the American people about why we are in Libya. In less than an hour he could have read Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” in its entirety and never gotten involved in Libya at all. There is a lot more to running a nation than there is to organizing a community. Here are a few lines from Sun Tzu that could have saved us hundreds of millions of dollars a day and spared a lot of Libyan lives. As the old saying goes, “A man who won’t read is no better than a man who can’t read.”

“1. Sun Tzu said: In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers, with provisions enough to carry them a thousand li, the expenditure at home and at the front, including entertainment of guests, small items such as glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armor, will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day. Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.

2. When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men’s weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.

3. Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.

4. Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.

5. Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been associated with long delays.

6. There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.”

What we have for a commander in chief is also described by Sun Tzu in rather disparaging words. 18. When the general is weak and without authority; when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there are no fixed duties assigned to officers and men, ……………., the result is utter disorganization. Translation by Dr. Lionel Giles. Ca. 1910

Blocking With the Blade

2011-03-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

I did some editing of this and hopefully it reads better now! I had grabbed an older unedited version by mistake. Blocking With the Blade: Part One This and next week's posting are taken from my coming book "When Two Tigers Fight." Unless you can expertly perform rhythm-of-one-techniques (block-strike in one move) you should always block with your knife blade, not your empty-hand or arm! I have said it before but it is worth repeating, always apply steel against flesh, not vice versa. That sounds simple enough in theory but it is not as easy in the heat of practice or a fight. Let us consider three basic zones for blocking or attacking. 1)Upper, top of the head to the solar plexus. 2)Middle, the solar plexus to the crotch 3)Lower, the crotch to the feet Learning how to block with your knife is essential, but those of you who have trained in an empty-hand martial art you may find it unnatural and difficult at first. If you are performing solo drills with a live blade you must practice the blocks very carefully to prevent cutting yourself. It might sound stupid but now your one arm is longer than the other by the length of your knife blade. When working with a partner always wear the appropriate protective gear and use blunted blades (not taped up live blades) to prevent injury to the hands or tendons of the forearm wear arm guards at least on your knife arm. When using double-edged blades for blocking, absolute concentration and coordination are necessary, they literally cut both ways. S0 pay attention and stay focused! The biggest difficulty in blocking with the knife is determining in a split second whether your blade should be positioned tip up or tip down to intercept the incoming attack. If you are using reverse grip it will always be oriented tip down. The difference is critical and dependent upon your height, and the height and angle of the incoming attack. Don't forget that you can change your body height by rising up or dropping down at the knees. With the advanced practitioner, the blocks might not rely totally on the steel blade. If you are using a small folder for instance, you might find yourself blocking with your hand and/or forearm as an extension of your blade against your attacker’s arm (not his knife). Here's a hint, research the fencing term "glissade." Thinking “blocking with the blade,” rather than with your empty-hand/arm, will help you improve your blade/arm positioning. The last thing you want to have happen is to throw a picture-perfect block with a too short blade and find the attacker’s knife whizzing right past your block and lodging in your throat, stomach, or leg. There are several basic rules when using your knife for blocking. These rules also change depending on the grip you are using. If you are holding your knife in any of the blade-forward grips, and your attacker targets: 1) Your upper zone, block with your knife positioned tip up. At times you may use tip down in the upper zone. 2) Your lower zone, block with your knife positioned tip down Next post we will look at reverse grip and the middle zones for blocking. Til then play safe and practice blocking with your blade, steel on steel, or steel against flesh.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2011-03-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this make you feel just a little bit uneasy?

An Apology

2011-03-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

Dear readers I must apologize. I was wrong and this is not a war. The Obama administration prefers to use the term "kinetic" military action. (What the hell does that mean?) I wonder what term Muamar Gadhafy prefers? And by the way how many different ways can you spell Gadhafy? It must set a Guinness record for multiple spellings of one terrorists name. OOPS can't use the word terrorist either, or I will have to apologize for that too. We are so PC while bombing the shit out of a country. OOPS probably shouldn't use the "S" word either. Well its an awful mess over there Mr. "O" and you did not inherit this mess from GW. Its all yours, all $100 million per day!

No More War!

2011-03-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

Now we are at war with Libya. Why? To support democratic reforms? We are supposed to be "A republic, for which it stands," not a democracy. But this is the pledge that the president personally disapproves of. To enforce American Imperialism? To preserve our access to the oil? Now I hear POTUS professing this to be American Policy! Is it? Did he get Congressional approval to enter into another war against a foreign, sovereign nation? Isn't this galavanting, globe-trotting president the same one who promised to get us out of war in the middle east? Isn't he the same one who wanted to try Bush and Cheney for war crimes for doing the same thing? This is the man who said he did not want the world to "be afraid of us." Funny how a little thing like power, like the thirst for blood, once tasted is unshakeable in some men. Lets just say no more wars. Give the power back to the two parties of government not currently functioning, the supreme court and congress.

Impeach Obama

Forumites - Idiots?

2011-03-18T05:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just cringe when I hear people say really opinionated and stupid things. I’ve been known to do it myself and I have no excuse. How about this for a response to why you should not use a weapon to defend yourself or others? It came from a firearms forum.

“Just for your information, if you try to use a knife against someone, and you have not been extensively trained in how to use it, you’re probably going to get hurt really bad.”

I guess he is saying if you do not know how to box you should not use your fists either? Or maybe he means if the other guy has a knife or gun, and you are untrained, you’re better off using your bare fists than a knife or a gun? I am really glad he shared this invaluable “information” with us. Once again we see the idiotic assumption that some karate dude is going to take away your knife and stick in places where the sun doesn’t shine. Really! Wow, now I am rethinking whether to leave my EDC folder at home so that doesn’t happen to me. (note heavy sarcasm) This is some seriously bad juju! Here I always thought that a man with a weapon was more than the equal of a man unarmed. This is probably because I didn’t realize how many counter-knife experts are out there walking the streets. Idiots, we’re surrounded by idiots! All they need is a modem and a mouse to become experts.

Ask any martial arts instructor when the last time was they got hurt. They will probably tell you it was when they were working with a new guy who did something totally unexpected. I can tell a skilled fighter by the way he moves, and be reasonably sure where and how he will move. It is the untrained guy who will hit you with a cut or thrust from out of nowhere. Why? Because he didn’t know any better! Nobody taught him that he couldn’t do what he just did. So take the above bit of forum advice/information with a huge grain of salt. Trust me, carrying a weapon and not needing it, is better than needing it and not having it. Being trained is better than not, most of the time. Training can also become indoctrination, which is not good. We’ll talk about that difference at another time.

Johnathan Mitchell strikes again

2011-03-13T16:48:00.001-07:00

Here is a second knife by Johnathan that I could not resist buying. It is a beautiful kiridashi, basically a Japanese utility knife, but done up in grand style. It has a double hollow ground chisel ground blade. The back edge is beveled but not sharpened. The curvature of the blade is pure elegance. His hamon is striking and bold. The handle is wrapped in black samegawa and then covered with a traditional cord wrap lightly epoxied. A silver dragon menuki graces the handle. The sheath is a slip of kydex, light and well fitted. Keep an eye on this guy cause he is doing great stuff. http://www.mitchellknives.com/ Is it sharp? What do you think, it's like a razor.

Pray for Japan

2011-03-11T16:51:00.000-08:00

Please offer up prayers to whichever God you honor for the People and Nation of Japan. May all of the nations of the world join together to come to their aid.

A Travesty of Justice

2011-03-09T06:13:00.000-08:00

Well If you followed either of the topics "Project Gunwalker," or "Project Fast and Furious," you are now aware of the travesty of the ATFE losing control over more than a thousand Assault rifles which they allowed to be sold to the Mexican Drug Cartel. One of those rifles was used to kill Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. You can google his name and find out more. My condolences to his friends, loved ones, and family. What amazes me about this is a week ago my nephew was refused the right to purchase a WW-II bolt action rifle because his record showed multiple DUIs, no crimes of violence, no firearms offenses but no hunting rifle for him. This was refused by the same dept that allowed, even encouraged straw sales of the many hundreds of AK-47s to known buyers for the Mexican drug lords. Agent Terry R.I.P. America, WAKE-UP.

If you really want to feel incensed read this post. Agent Terry was armed with a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with rubber bullets!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2644259/posts You may have to cut and paste this link to get it to work.

GUNWALKER

2011-03-06T06:59:00.001-08:00

The truth is that American Border Patrolmen are being killed by illegal aliens shooting weapons procured in the US. Is that the whole truth? Time for a walk down Memory Lane. How many of you remember Secretary of State Clinton’s visit with the president of Mexico? Do you remember her vow to take action to reduce the transport of illegal arms across our border and into Mexico? Now, how many of you remember Janet Napolitano’s assertion that the border is safer than ever? Do you know that the BATFE has requested special, additional powers to harass American gunshop owners and gun buyers along the border? Are you interested in the truth? It appears that the current administration isn’t. But I’ll let you decide. Google the following two topics and see how you feel about increased gun control over law-abiding Americans vs arms flowing to the Mexican drug cartel.

“Operation Gunwalker” or “Operation Fast and Furious”

Neat Knife Site

2011-03-03T15:02:00.000-08:00

It’s amazing how we sometimes meet people. In the past meeting new people happened either vicariously, by post, or in person. The internet has vastly changed the way we meet and interact with people. Recently I had an inquiry by a martial arts teacher from the other side of the world. He wanted to buy one of our Cobra Fighting Knives. It was going to be difficult for him to get it shipped. He will soon be picking it up direct from the maker in Auckland, NZ.

At nearly the same time I had a gentleman directed to me by a second friend in NZ. I mean how many people living in rural NY have three friends in NZ?) Anyway, this new cyber acquaintance, Dan Policastro, maintains a website dedicated to knives and knife people and he asked to interview me. His curiosity was based on comments he heard about my knife designs.

If you like knives, you will find his website interesting, and the super interview he did with me is posted there. By the way, I am blaming Dan for my recent purchase of a Benchmade® 860 Bedlam folder. I read his review of this knife on his blog and it convinced me to buy one. His review of the folder was very accurate and helped me make an educated purchase. Go take a look at his reviews. http://bladereviews.com/ Don’t blame me if you end up buying a knife though!

Here is my new Bedlam

How Long?

2011-02-23T14:25:00.001-08:00

What ever happened to American Gunboat Diplomacy? Four White Christian missionaries had their yacht taken over by Black Muslim pirates. Said pirates then murdered the Americans. Can it get anymore black and white? Are we still not at war with Islamic radicals? I don’t understand. When a Black professor was arrested for what appeared to be breaking and entry into a home our president was venting his outrage on national TV within a few hours. He had no problem declaring this was a racist act and that the white police officer acted stupidly. As a right wing, gun toting, Bible hugging, conservative I am used to being labeled a racist? You sir have raised the ugly head of racism and whenever you do not get your way you play the race card. This is a stain on the dignity of the office of the president.

But Mr. President, where is your outrage over the murder of these four Americans? Isn’t this a little more serious than an erroneous arrest of one man who happened to be your friend? Did I miss your declaration of war on the pirates or your condemnation of muslim violence against Americans? Maybe you’ll invite everyone to a beer summit at the white house? Oh, the four Americans won’t be attending, because they’re dead! Thank God our servicemen and women are capable of taking action when action is needed. My deepest sympathies go out to the victim’s relatives and friends and to the servicemen who tried so valiantly to save those four Americans. How long before we admit there is a problem with Islam, how long before you take action Mr. President?

Impeach Obama

Guns and knives

2011-02-12T14:52:00.000-08:00

I decided to work on some photos for my next book this weekend. The focus of the book is custom knives, knifemakers, and knife fighting techniques. Thing is, I love good handguns too so I decided to combine some of them here are a few for your viewing. My recent affliction has been for Bowies but my tastes run the complete gamut of fighting knives. No fantasy knives here folks, just serious steel on steel. So lets look at some fine Matt Lamey Bowies and a few Smith and Wessons and a Colt.

Titanium Kogatana

2011-02-02T16:52:00.001-08:00

Life has been crazy lately and I have been travelling more. So I apologize for the bigger gaps between posts. I have here for your viewing pleasure a new kogatana by a new maker. His skill level is already high and likely to only get better. This lovely little knife is made from Titanium. The chisel ground 4.5 inch blade has a sprayed on coating of carbide. I do not know the exact process but it helps stiffen the edge and increases its cutting ability. The blade is indeed razor sharp and slices paper like a light saber. A cord wrapped handle is underlaid with genuine same gawa that is dyed a light grey. It is enhanced by a very detailed silver dragon menuki. It came in a tight fitting kydex sheath making for a very light weight, low profile, self-defense knife. All in all it is one exquisite knife and I hope Johnathan doesn't mind me using his photos, since they are far better than ones I tried to take. Check out Johnathan Mitchell's other knives at

http://www.mitchellknives.com/

Matt Lamey Bootlegger

2011-01-22T05:30:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you don’t know how a knife will feel until you’ve actually handled it. This ten inch bladed fighter by Matt Lamey is another example of his phenomenal knives. I hesitated to buy it at first because of the broad shaped handle. My first thought was it looked like a moose palm (section of antler), sometimes used to make knife handles. The handle resembles those on Ed Fowler’s knives, whose work people tell me is very ergonomic, but which I personally don’t like the looks of. Trusting in Matt to not build a knife which did not work, I bought this knife that he calls his “Bootlegger”. In cross-section the handle is quite thin, made of black Micarta©. It has just enough palm swell to make it fill the hand. Usually a fighting knife is manipulated primarily between the thumb, forefinger, and second finger. This knife works more like a Japanese sword with the grip of the last two fingers being emphasized more. However you look at it, it works.

The blade has a working finish created by polishing on a Scotch-Bright belt. There is a broad, fairly plain, hamon lurking under the coarse surface. Typical of a Lamey Fighter, or Bowie, the primary edge is hair shaving sharp and the long clip is nearly as sharp. A forward-swept double-guard made of 410 stainless provides good protection and a comfortable fit for the thumb. The shape is also very aesthetically pleasing. Matt’s guards are always perfectly fitted and nicely sculpted. The ricasso is also well formed and properly sized. His name, deeply stamped in script, makes a bold statement and adds a distinctive touch of class to his knives.

The sheath is plain Jane, just the way Matt knows I like them. Quality, not flash, is what I want in a sheath. Perfectly fitted to the blade and guard, with heavy leather, burnished edges, and neat stitching, what more do you really need in a sheath? Yes I am glad I bought this Bootlegger model to be a part of my Lamey collection. Keep watching here for my custom ordered “Big” Bowie from Matt with a 12 inch blade. Yes I am still waiting and he has kept me in nervous anticipation since I have not seen any photos since the first rough forging of the blade (top knife in the photo of two blades). The suspense is nearly killing me.

Day Two

2011-01-09T06:11:00.001-08:00

All normal, sane, and caring people are praying for Congresswoman Giffords and the others touched by this tragedy. But the Witch Hunt has already started. The media declared her dead and then not dead, two shooters, not two shooters, maybe a person in the crowd returning fire, or not. The story is more important than the truth!

Before the gunsmoke even cleared the shooter was described by main stream media as: rightwing, teabagger, afghanistan war veteran. He was labeled as a "possible" member of the Patriot Movement, The American Rennaisance, and an advocate of Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto. People in line for blame are Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck (of course) Glock and hi-capacity mags. Semi-auto pistols and concealed carry laws. Lets get a rope and lynch them all!

Congress has stopped their work, not out of respect to the dead but out of concerns about their own safety, like this was an epidemic spread by hate mongering conservatives. I must be deficient. I have never read the communist manifesto or mein kampf. I fail to see how these writings are in anyway aligned with patriotism or the tennets of the conservative party. But I am sure some will find a way to further poison the already toxic state of divisive politics and, in the words of Rahm Emanuel, not let a good crisis go to waste. Let us focus back on the pain and suffering of the wounded and the survivors and wait for the truth to reveal itself.

2011

2011-01-08T16:14:00.000-08:00

Looks like my New Years wish is not going so well. Please offer prayers for Congresswoman Gifford and all of the others wounded in the senseless shooting in Tuscon, AZ. Pray too for the souls of those killed and the very soul of our ailing nation.

Happy New Year?

2010-12-29T13:41:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and hopefully a safe one.

Just a comment or two on my previous post on Entitlement Mindset. Look at the picture and ask yourself, how did we get here? Young people rioting, looting, pillaging, throwing firebombs. Not for a righteous cause or liberty. It is, after all, their liberty that allows them to do this and not be shot and killed. Look at the police geared up like storm troopers ready to bash in heads, hidden aggression and violence, masked behind armor and face shields. Is this the way we really want our lives to be? Any of us? How have we degenerated to this? How do we reverse this trend, how do we back down the angst and hatred? This is what we need to concern ourselves with in the coming year lest we devolve into anarchy, and serfdom. Let us all pray for an end to this insanity and for lasting peace.

Just Die Quickly?

2010-12-27T06:57:00.001-08:00

Remember Congressman Grayson's description of Republican health care? Well maybe he had it all wrong. Merry Christmas from the Obamanation. Just when you thought it was safe to grow old or get sick, along comes the 2011 Obama death panels. Behind everyone's backs the president (aka the annointed one, the exhalted Sureme ruler) has reinstated (by use of Presidential Rule, bypassing the congress) the end of life counselling on an annual basis, paid for by tax-payers money. This was thrown out of the official Obamacare plan by congress. I wonder what other good news the new year will bring? Once Obama's FCC Czar takes control of the internet and the News media you will never hear when these type of benevolent Presidential Rules are instituted.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T08:21:00.001-08:00

As we approach this most holy day may we remember the sacrifice of the Son of Peace and His message. I don't care what you call Him, or what faith you follow or your creed. This is a time to extend a hand of peace and friendship, not the mailed hand of violence and hate. Give peace a chance, try giving love instead of hate, violence and murder. May God bless you and keep you and your family safe throughout the coming year.

Entitlement Mindset

2010-12-18T04:59:00.000-08:00

Remember the old time Christmas tree lights, where if one bulb burned out they all went out, keep that thought in mind. Growing up around a bunch of western NY Scots Highlanders I developed a different perspective on life. Those bonds of clanship remain strong today. Your familial clan is important but even more important than birthright is what you have done with your life and how you live it. Arrogance is looked down upon, but pride is considered a positive and valuable trait. Pride in your lineage, pride in your work, and blended with a certain amount of humility, pride in who you are. Now this has little or nothing to do with what you might own or how much wealth you have accumulated. In fact, you are more respected for what you have built than what you have bought. Amongst our people virtues come mostly from sweat and tired muscles, not bundles of cash or government handouts. The movie “Rob Roy” with Liam Neeson will give you some sense of what I mean.

It is with a great sense of relief that I saw the one trillion dollar plus omnibus bill go down in flames. I think if the budget isn’t passed then the congressional paychecks ought to just stop. If they load the bill up with pork again I think we need to have a referendum and remove from office every person whose name is attached to an ear-mark. Yes I know that is cold hearted, and people will be dying in the streets for lack of medical care and food. We all know that’s liberal left wing BS. When was the last time you heard of anyone in this country being denied life saving services? Do you know that a high percentage of the people sleeping on the streets are armed forces veterans whose service a nation has forgotten while catering to the never employed?

This is the season to be charitable but I want you to think for a moment about the difference between charity and entitlement. Someone asked me, “Don’t you get money from HEAP to help pay your heating bills?” They were dumbfounded that I had not applied for it. When for most of your life you receive assistance to pay for your food, heat, housing, free cell phones, medical assistance, unemployment, welfare, or disability payments, I suppose it is hard to understand the concept of working for everything you have. I am not opposed to giving a helping hand, God only knows how many charities my wife sends donations to. I am OK with that, except, when it turns into a way of life, and the recipients forget to be thankful and instead begin to demand what is “rightfully theirs.”

Call me Ebeneezer if you will, but when there are three people on the government payroll or welfare dole for every single working person, it is like a pack of wolves shredding a lone sheep. In the end the sheep is dead and there is not enough meat to feed all of the wolves. And that my friends, is how the lights flicker and slowly go out, in a dying civilization. The light in Greece is going out, the light in Ireland, Portugal, and Britain is flickering.

A Snub-nose and a Snake

2010-12-07T14:39:00.000-08:00

For a good back up nothing beats a small snub-nosed revolver. I know that small semi-autos are very popular right now but I prefer the reliability of a revolver. Too often small equates to cheap when it comes to semi-autos. A lot of guys will spend a princely sum on their main gun but go cheap on a back-up. Well if your back-up fails to feed or stove-pipes a round what good is it? This early Smith and Wesson Model 36 only holds five rounds of 38 special but that is a lot more wallop than a .380 or a .25 ACP automatic. Having only a 1.5 inch barrel and small fixed sights does not prevent this handgun from being sufficiently accurate out to 10 yards, even in my hands. If you are down to your back-up, things are happening at close range, or your primary weapon is down for some reason. For commonality of ammo, this gun can be paired with any of my 357 magnums since they can shoot .38 special in place of .357 magnum rounds. If you pack any of the popular 9mm, then your primary weapon does not have a lot more muzzle energy than your back up, and maybe less than this snub nose.

The knife would be a good one to take to a gun fight. It is an early Blackjack Mamba modified by Wayne Goddard in an attempt to streamline the original Mike Stewart design. I rather like this version, it being sleeker and more sinuous than the hard lines found on the original recipe. I thought these two looked good together, sharing similar textures. The S&W is wearing its new Hogue grips, that I wrote about a few blogs ago. The Mamba is decked out in its original kraton with snake scale texture. The handle scales are held in place by six screws. The original versions had glued on scales that quickly fell off. This caused no end of grief for Blackjack knives and the terrible publicity nearly destroyed the company. The simple addition of the screws quickly fixed the problem but the design was so maligned as to never recover its popularity. I always felt Blackjack was dealt with unfairly by the staff of Fighting Knives magazine. So enjoy this Chief’s Special and Mamba. Like the old song about John Henry the coal miner; “One fist of iron, the other of steel, If the right one don’t get you then the left one will.”

TAX BS

2010-12-04T11:03:00.000-08:00

The senate and congress cannot figure out how to compromise on tax cuts so Obama appoints who else but a tax CHEAT, Geitner to help sort it out. Maybe if we all paid our taxes when it was convenient like Geitner or Rangle then it would solve the problem. Only a liberal could view reduced taxes as "giving money to the wealthy." This is like a crook saying, by not robbing you I have gifted you. Seriously, and how can obama say that maintaining the taxes as they are is costing the american people Trillions? His spending is costing us trillions, not maintaining the taxes status quo. We all have to live within our budget and so should the govt. Maybe if he parked airforce one for a few weeks and stayed at home where he belongs, he could reduce the debt! I hope the republicans stand their ground and do not give in. When ever was it right to give some Americans tax breaks and not others, this is nothing less than class warfare.

Fox Knives Panga XL

2010-12-04T10:18:00.000-08:00

Panga XL:

After a very long wait, I finally received my Fox Panga XL. I am not a patient man by any means, but it was worth the wait. Now if I had been shipping out to Borneo or Haiti and I had to wait over two months for a commercially made knife I would be less enthused. Hopefully they will be shipping on a more regular basis henceforth. First impressions are very important, or that’s what my mother said when I went on my first date. Well it wasn’t exactly a date, but anyway, first impressions are important. Out of the box the Panga seemed a bit too light. I had expected something more like my native-made Barong, which in today’s economy probably isn’t going to happen. Does a Panga need to have a blade as hefty as my 3/8 inch thick Barong? Maybe not, it depends on how much chopping you are going to do and how heavy the undergrowth is. Still the overall blade shape and size is very nice and could be easily packed on the side of a backpack.

Some extra meat in the blade would have been handy for splitting firewood or batoning it through if necessary. It’s all a trade-off. The lighter machete-weight blade will make it a formidable, fast handling, fighting blade. I was disappointed that the handle material is a hard plastic, not the nice material Fox Knives used on the Kukri. Also the screw holes in the handle slabs have sharp little burrs around them that will need sanded off to prevent raising blisters. Not a BIG deal, and I would suggest wearing gloves for any serious chopping anyway.

The sheath is similar to the one that came with the Kukri, made of Cordura and other miscellaneous synthetic materials. Not bad, but if I were going off to a third world country somewhere I’d have a kydex replacement made for it. Unfortunately since it took so long to get here I will most likely not be using this Panga XL for camping chores until next Spring. I am getting too soft for Winter camping.

Dimensions: OAL 17 inches
Blade length: 10.5 inches
Blade Width:2.25 inches widest part
Blade thickness: just over 1/8 inch

Limited Time Sale

2010-11-25T07:42:00.000-08:00

We are going to be closing out the store portion on our White Shadow website to focus more on training and EP work. If you see something there you want, contact me ASAP for our best price at ghdave2@hotmail.com with a good description of the item. Here are a few good examples of the quality product offerings.

Hogue Service

2010-11-25T06:45:00.000-08:00

Occasionally you find a product and a company that provide both quality service and products. If you are really lucky it will even be an American Company selling American made products. Recently I bought a new replacement grip for my S&W snub-nosed revolver from a seller on Ebay™. I installed it and then threw out the packaging and paperwork. About a week later I noticed a small split forming in the rubber halfway down the backstrap. Within a couple days this split had grown to over an inch. I emailed the manufacturer and asked if they would replace it. Realizing that I had not bought it directly from them or a distributor I was just hoping they’d take pity on me. Several emails went unanswered and when I had all but given up I got a response. Seems my emails were going to the wrong person. The person who contacted me confirmed the style I needed and said it would ship the following day. Within three days it was at my house. No charge, no questions asked. I have Hogue™ grips on my S&W 686 Combat Magnum, Bushmaster M-4, and Kimber Stainless II. Hogue™ has always been my grip of choice and now I have more reason than ever to stick with them. My next purchase will be a replacement grip for my Colt Python. Great products and great service, a winning combination from Hogue™. http://www.getgrip.com/

Like a Woman Buying Shoes

2010-11-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

Although I said I would talk about semi-auto pistols next, I decided instead to talk about holsters. For someone intending to actually carry a pistol, concealed or otherwise, finding the right holster is akin to finding the Holy Grail or a woman finding the perfect pair of shoes. In this near-communist state of New York I am lucky to have a CCW, a concealed carry pistol permit. That means not only can I carry it concealed, I MUST carry it concealed. Twenty miles to the south, in Pennsylvania you can carry openly. Such are the foibles of firearms laws in America.

Six months out of the year it is easy to carry concealed because of the rotten weather which requires wearing outer garments for warmth. Summertime it’s a different story. So, the cowboy style holster you bought, the one that jauntily dangles from your belt, will work in winter or afield hunting, but it will not work once the spring and summer seasons return. What are some of our CCW options during the briefly warm part of the year?

Shoulder Holster: This Don Johnson style of carry is excellent for a large, heavy pistol but it won’t work unless you constantly wear a jacket or shirt over it. The shoulder straps are hard to hide under thinner clothing and uncomfortable in hot weather. The other disadvantage to a shoulder holster, anytime of year, is it requires a very telegraphic cross-draw. Because of their complexity they are also usually the most expensive holster.

Hi-ride: There are two basic styles of hi-ride holsters, those that hang from your belt on a loop, and the pancake style. The first type tends to lean outwards with anything but the lightest of pistols. This causes the butt of the pistol to “print” and give away your secret. I prefer the pancake style which is in fact one of my top choices. This style pulls the holster in flatter against your body reducing printing. Quite often pancake style have three belt slots which allows you to have the pistol ride upright or with a forward slant, sometimes referred to as the FBI cant. The cant is especially helpful drawing longer barreled handguns. I like the El Paso Saddlery Crossfire™.

IWB Inside the Waist band: IWB is one of the better systems for concealed carry since the lower portion of the holster is hidden inside your pants or skirt. Thus a short upper garment covers the handgun much easier. I really like an IWB setup, the Galco Summer Comfort™ in particular. Depending on your build you may find this method presses the butt of the gun into your ribs. Also, you may have to buy garments with a larger waist size to accommodate the bulk of the holster. In summer you will still want a layer of clothing between you and the holster to reduce sweating and galling.

SOB, Small Of the Back: I use one of these (or the IWB) if I am riding in a car a lot. Instead of placing it six o-clock, at the small of my back, I slide it around to a four o-clock position with the butt facing forward and upside down. This does not give me the full advantage for concealment but it places my handgun parallel to my waist, keeping the muzzle out of the seat and the butt out of my ribs. While this position is very comfortable it does not encourage the most correct method of drawing.

Ankle Holster: Last ditch, used for a secondary, backup weapon or deep cover. Obviously this arrangement is not easily accessed without drawing a lot of attention and it requires long, loose fitting, pants legs. Finding a well designed and comfortable ankle holster may be difficult.

Ladies also have the option of carrying in their purse, but access is very slow and if your purse gets snatched, guess what else goes along with it. No matter which method of carry you choose you can be assured that your first holster will not be the best choice and, like me, you will end up with a box full of holsters. Always buy from a reputable company and make sure the mouth of the holster is reinforced so it will not collapse like a soggy taco. This makes it impossible to re-holster your pistol one handed. Ultimately there are no cheap holsters, only good ones or bad ones. Good luck!

Guns For a Change

2010-11-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked what I would recommend for someone buying their first pistol. I am not a firearms expert, just an aficionado. Since Guns and blades go together well I thought I’d post my suggestions for those of you who might also be thinking about buying your first handgun. Ultimately a lot really depends on your hand size and what feels comfortable. The other major qualifier is what do you want the gun for, self defense or target shooting. Either way, a revolver is often the best choice (rather than a semi-auto) for beginners. For inexperienced shooters I think they are easier/safer to operate. I know a lot of people will probably gnash their teeth over that comment, oh well. So lets look at revolvers first and then next time I’ll talk about Semi-autos. Handguns come in a bewildering array of sizes, calibers, and finishes. It might be best to start with a brief description of the parts. This photo should make easy work of that.

Frame Size: A small frame pistol is easier to conceal in a purse and fits smaller hands but there are two trade-offs. One, the felt recoil is worse (which sometimes makes people flinch when they shoot them). Two, the shorter barrels found on most small frame guns seriously reduce accuracy anywhere beyond 7-10 yards. The second issue is not as important if the pistol is simply going to be used in the home or carried for self-defense. Mid-size pistols generally provide better accuracy for target shooting and their extra weight reduces felt recoil. In revolvers I prefer a mid-size frame. Thos photos shows three different frame sizes.

Caliber: My first choice of calibers is 357 magnum. My reason for choosing a 357 magnum is that I can shoot cheaper, lower recoil, 38 special ammo if I want to. Or I can shoot 357 magnum ammo, in the same gun, for more power. A pistol made for 38 special is limited to shooting 38 special ammo only. I would recommend staying away from 22, 25, and 380 calibers (most of these are only available in semi-auto pistols anyway.) There are some promising new calibers like 327 magnum but one big advantage to shooting 38 specials is the ammo is available in pretty much every gun shop, Walmart etc. across the nation.

Barrel Length: Barrel length is a very personal thing. Longer barrels are not necessarily more accurate, it is just easier to shoot them accurately. The further apart the front and rear sights are the greater the “sight radius.” This means that small movements of the barrel are more easily detected and therefore you can see when you are moving the barrel too much. Longer barrels will give higher velocity than short ones because the powder has more time to burn and build pressure in the barrel.
Self Defense In-close: Even a 1 ½ inch snub nosed barrel will work where the range is 5-7 yards or less. These are often referred to as “belly guns” or back-up guns.
Self Defense Street-Carry: For street, concealed-carry, I recommend barrels of four inch length. They provide the best compromise of easy carry, concealment, and accuracy.
Self Defense, Target, or Competition Shooting: Once you go past a five inch barrel, concealed carry is difficult for most people. Longer barrels are good for target shooting and hunting. Anything with a barrel over 6 inches is probably going to require a shoulder harness to carry it or sit with it (as in a car).

Makes: In my opinion, Smith & Wesson is the best name in revolvers, with Colt a very close second. Ruger is also tops, and Taurus is cheaper but reliable. Prices are according to this list with S&W most expensive and on down to Taurus. By the way, there is nothing wrong with buying a good used gun, especially from a reputable dealer.

Double Action: A double action pistol operates by pulling the trigger cocking the hammer and then dropping it all in one motion, shooting the gun. Most Double action guns can be fired single action too.

Single Action: You must cock the hammer manually for each shot, then pulling the trigger drops the hammer, shooting the gun. This is obviously slower. Old West style pistols were mostly single action.

Hammer guns: Most revolvers have an external hammer like the ones in the photo.

Hammerless guns: Some revolvers and semi-autos are hammer-less, using an internal or shrouded hammer or a striker. Hammerless guns are safer if you are going to carry it in a purse or a pocket where the hammer spur could accidentally snag on something cocking it. They are usually only made in the smaller "Pocket Pistol" models.

Grips: The choice of grips is very personal. Some people like checkered walnut or rosewood. Some like textured plastics, G-10, or Micarta. Pachmyer is an old name in aftermarket grips, using a hard rubber type material. Personally if I am going to shoot it a lot, or rely on it for self defense, I prefer grips by Hogue. They are extremely ergonomic, for comfort, and made from a tacky material for excellent grip retention. One other option is Crimson Trace grips which have a red laser sight installed.

Finishes: Some people like the traditional look of blued steel. It is very attractive but the least wear resistant of all finishes. Nickle plated revolvers are also attractive but can also wear with time and are very light reflective. There are many new coatings on the market that are wear resistant and come in various colors. Personally for a work or carry piece I prefer a brushed stainless steel. This is easy to maintain and does not reflect light. Green, blue, red, and even pink guns are available, but you might want to consider their resale value compared to a more traditional finish.

So you can see there are a lot of options to consider when making your first or even your tenth purchase. Take your time, shop around, and find a gun that fits your needs for a fair price. When everything is taken into consideration what do I carry? Personally I prefer a double-action, hammer-gun, with a four inch barrel. A stainless Smith & Wesson 686 Combat Magnum is currently my favorite revolver.

Just when you thought your troubles were over, once you have bought the perfect gun you are faced with finding the perfect holster to carry it in.

The Narcissistic Campaigner!

2010-10-31T05:46:00.000-07:00

No matter what your party affiliation get out and vote, BUT vote your conscience not party line. Our nation's future is in your hands. This may be the most important election in yor lifetime. I know it is in mine.

Here we go again, Obama back on the campaign trail. Actually he never got off the campaign train. He is already stumping for his 2012 election. Do you think he really cares about democrats or the poor, latinos, gays, or blacks? All he cares about is his and his minnions re-election. He proved that when he rammed through Obama-care using the "nuclear option" knowing the fallout that would hit the democratic party. I guess George "Sorrows" is gettin his monies worth. The worst terrorist threat of the year is unwinding and where is our fearless leader? He is in Ohio, Connecticut, Illinois, and everywhere except in the white house. While he is trying to save his agenda who is running the nation? Are you comfortable knowing that Obama, Biden, Pelosi, Reid and Janet Napolitano are keeping our nation safe?? Couldn't he at least pretend to care instead of being out cheerleading?

Stag & Steel

2010-10-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the opportunity to own something very special comes along once or twice in a lifetime. It was that way with my purchase of an original Larry Harley Battle Bowie and later a Harley Battle Dagger. It was like that with an early Bagwell Bowie that I owned and traded off. (We all do dumb things in our lives, that was one of them.)

Not all knives are irreplaceable but any finely crafted handmade knife deserves our respect. In the past year I won the bidding on this lovely austere Howard Faucheaux Bowie (top knife). A crack ran the full length of the stag handle, caused by age and shrinkage. Probably this defect accounted for the anemic bidding. I mixed up epoxy, along with some coloring, and forced it down into the crack with a thin metal shim. Now I defy you to find the crack. The classic lines of Faucheaux’s knife define the Bowie knife of the late 1800s. The forged and flat ground nine-inch blade is hair shaving sharp. The heavy leather sheath is excellent quality, although left-handed. This is an elemental fighting knife, in both proportions and balance.
As luck would have it a Bill Bagwell bowie (bottom knife) came up on auction at a time when I had already committed monies to buying knives from other custom makers. If you do not already know, Bill Bagwell and his Bowies are legendary. I decided that I would do my utmost to add this knife to my collection. To say I am fortunate to have won the bidding on this knife would be an understatement.

Importantly, above and beyond any price paid, I think it is imperative that collectors recognize their responsibility and privilege when owning such irreplaceable items. This Bowie is unlike most of Bill’s big knives, being made, as the seller stated, in a distinctive “Sheffield Style.” The 8 ¾ inch long blade is extremely sharp and forged from a very thick (nearly 3/8") piece of steel. Despite the heavy stock he forged it from, the knife is well balanced and only slightly blade heavy. In the end I paid four times for the Bagwell what I paid for the Faucheaux Bowie. Is the Bagwell four times the knife? I seriously doubt it. The Faucheaux would serve just as admirably in a knife fight. When my wife asked why I paid so much, I just shrugged and pointed to the name stamped into the ricasso. It is hard to explain, but this is a Stradivarius among Bowies.

What's your carbon footprint?

2010-10-23T09:10:00.001-07:00

Isn't anyone else upset that the man supposed to be running the country is running all over the USA spending your tax dollars to campaign for his buddies? He get a $400,000 salary, a $500,000 budget and is leaving a carbon footprint the size of texas flying his and Biden's 747s all over the US. This is an outrageous abuse of his office! Let the democrats stand on their voting record and see who wins the elections. Impeach the poser, this community organizer. In 2012 Tell him to get a real job!

Cathedral Builders

2010-10-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

Nearly a thousand years ago, during the era of cathedral building, architects knew how to control acoustics by adding small ante-chambers or by shaping the spired ceilings of a Cathedral in a particular way. It took researchers hundreds of years to rediscover this. While I was sitting in a hotel room in a 3rd world country I watched a fascinating program on ancient pyramids around the world. Archeologists are still unraveling their mysteries. Why is it then, that each successive generation thinks they are smarter than the one before, and that the cathedral builders or the pyramid builders must have been absolute bumpkins? Have you looked at the Neanderthals roaming the malls lately? When was the last time you met someone you considered a Renaissance person? Do you even know what I mean by that? I am not trying to insult you my readers, only to mildly irritate you, to make you take a look what is going on around you. Do you see any Gallileos or DaVinci at your health club, any Shakespeares sipping latte’ at your corner Starbucks™, or Aristotles in the cubicle next to you at work? Are we all succumbing to a mind- numbing proletarian lifestyle without even realizing it or resisting it?

We consider ourselves an enlightened society, but we are so far from that now, and speeding blindly away in the opposite direction. Have we have lived too well for too long? Have we forgotten what it was like when we were morally taut and bright eyed with an insatiable appetite for Truth, Liberty and Freedom? Socialism is the new narcotic offered by the Obamanites to the weary and the hopeless but its fruits are poisonous. When I was in my “salad years” (to quote Shakespeare) my elders used to say that America was following down the same path as the Roman Empire. Being young and foolish and full of certitude, I scoffed at that idea. Folks, may I welcome you to the end of the Second (or is it the third) Roman Empire?

Where we go from this point forward will permanently alter the path of history and the face of humanity. Do I overstate the importance of the American influence? I do not think so. If Lady Liberty’s torch goes out who will come along to relight it, England, Germany, France, Spain, Greece? Who will remember what noble people have lived and passed here on this hallowed soil? US history books are quickly being rewritten by apologists to present us as the most corrupt and vile empire ever to suppress the poor peoples of the world. Who will remember the thronging multitudes we have saved from famine and disease, earthquake, floods, typhoons, and the butchers of mankind? Who will remember that we were the only nation ever to say:

"Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Emma Lazarus 1880

Edged Weapons Etiquette

2010-10-16T14:00:00.001-07:00

This is the class photo from the Bowie seminar with Pete Kautz instructing. Pete is the 6th person standing from the left. I am the tired old guy in the lower left corner next to me is my training partner aka as my daughter.

Here is the code of conduct that I use for class, whether its kenjutsu, Iaido, or knife fighting.

Edged Weapons Etiquette:

There are certain rules of etiquette that apply to any martial art and some specifically to edged weapons arts. This is true whether you are studying a Western or an Eastern Art. Many schools tend to be very strict regarding these rules and breaches of etiquette are considered a serious lack of respect and a display of ignorance. Therefore, I offer these suggestions (which I give to each new student at my school) as a guideline. Hopefully these will guide you so that if you attend a seminar or train at another school you will not be taken off guard or found lacking in your manners. Remember that these rules come from an age of honor when men lived and died by the sword.

1) The most important rule is that you never touch or pick-up another persons weapon without their explicit permission. Never!

2) Never step over, or on, another person’s weapon (even a training weapon). If the weapon is lying on the floor walk around it. Do not presume to move their weapon without asking and receiving their permission (unless it is in danger of being stepped on by another person.)

3) Do not draw another person’s weapon from its sheath/scabbard without their permission. Given that permission, never pull it out part way and shove it back in. This is a serious insult. It means you did not feel the weapon was worthy of your close examination.

4) Once drawn, Do Not touch the blade without permission and never go swinging the weapon around in mock combat, etc. If it is a folder or a balisong, do not go flicking the blade in and out, over and over again.

5) When transferring an edged weapon from one person to another always pass it handle first. If it is a long weapon, like a sword or large Bowie, it is permissible to hand it over, blade pointing straight up, sharp edge turned toward you. It should be returned to you the same way.

6) If you touched the blade, Do Not re-sheath the weapon with your finger prints all over it. Either ask permission to carefully wipe it down or hand it back to the owner for them to wipe it down.

7) Last and most obvious. Never engage in any horseplay or point any weapon at another person unless you are actively training or sparring with that person, or you intend them harm. For safety sake, be conscious of your blade’s position at all times.

Foxxy Lady

2010-10-08T16:41:00.001-07:00

My new Fox Cutlery Extreme Kukri arrived. It was like Christmas, but then I am always like a kid at Christmas when a package comes. Lately though I have had several disappointments. The box seemed too small and too light. I was hesitant to open it for fear this might be one more in the string of disappointments. So I puttered around until I had no more excuses and I opened the box. Inside was the Fox box. It’s amazing how a smaller box can feel heavy while the bigger box feels deceptively light. Opening the Fox box I found the Kukri tucked neatly inside in its Cordura™ sheath. My first impression was, hmmm….Cordura, not my material of choice but I knew that was what it came with. Being objective I noted that it is a very well made sheath, set up for a low riding profile, presumably designed to fit below body armor. There are two adjustable leg straps to keep it from swinging around as you walk or run. So now you know all about the boxes and the sheath. What about the knife?

Hell Yeh this knife is great! This Extreme Kukri is one beautiful piece of steel. Fox has done a terrific job of creating a fighting kukri that any Ghurka would be proud to carry. The bronze tint coated, nine inch blade, is 0.23 inches thick. The complex grind lines are perfectly symmetrical. Look out Cold Steel because this is the most attractive modern Kukri I have ever seen, retaining all of the classic lines of an original while using modern materials and processes. The handle material has the right amount of give without being squishy soft, it is ergonomically shaped and fits my hand nicely. Someone with really big hands might find it a little on the small side. Full tang construction guarantees you won’t have to worry about the blade going flying while chopping, like some of the cheaper Indian versions whose blades are glued into the handles. A broad flat grind to the forward half of the blade lightens it, making it somewhat less tip heavy than your typical Kukri. This makes the pointy end of the blade livelier, even if the chopping force may be slightly reduced. I think it is a good trade-off myself.

Next to a Bowie I think the Kukri is one of the more fearsome fighting knives. The Extreme Kukri’s protruding pommel has an opening which would permit attachment of a lanyard, or the pommel could be used for butt-strikes. Overall length is just over fourteen inches. I would love to see one with an 11-12 inch blade. No doubt this knife will perform any camp chores with aplomb but it really is a fighting knife at heart. Retail price is $175.00 and well worth it. Now I am awaiting the arrival of my Fox XL Parang. Christmas is coming again, soon I hope! Check out all of their fine cutlery products at Fox USA: http://www.foxknivesusa.com/en/home.html

A New Bowie Rising

2010-10-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

I have one more Bowie coming from Matt Lamey. That may be it for this year. I have asked him to take photos as he progresses. As I get them I will post them here, so you see it first rising out of the forge ashes. Here it is in the first stage. The top blank is mine. This is about 2 inches longer than my other ones. I especially wanted one with a 12 inch blade so here we go. I'm excited.

Bowie Seminar

2010-10-01T19:46:00.000-07:00

The Photo is one of Matt Lamey's phenomenal Bowies. I will post a class photo from the seminar once I have one.

I don't have the T-shirt but I did survive the Bowie seminar. September 18-19 Gwynne, Mike, and I attended a Bowie Knife Fighting seminar in Ithaca, NY. It was hosted by instructor Pete Kautz of Alliance Martial Arts, Alpine, NY. To say we had a great time would be a gross understatement! The only thing to top the fun was the learning that took place. Every student’s skills advanced visibly over the two days. The class went from the very basics of stance and stepping, which are foundational skills, to more advanced moves like passatta soto and in quartata. We also learned the proper distancing, in a classic format, and were treated to historical anecdotes explaining where the techniques evolved from as the day’s lessons brought up many questions.

Pete’s teaching skills are excellent as he paced the class to meet the student’s abilities to absorb the instruction without losing anyone. He knew when we really needed a break and when to push us a little more to force us to work harder. We had sufficient time to practice each new set of moves but kept moving steadily forward in a logical progression. The final few hours were spent in sparring at full speed. Safety was always practiced (gloves and fencing masks) as well as consideration for your training partner. Students from around the US and the world trained together amicably with a positive and enthusiastic attitude fostered by Pete and his staff, including Curt and Lilly. We are already looking forward to Bowie Knife Fighting Part II. Pete, you are going to have a second one, right? Either way, check out Pete’s website for a terrific selection of instructional DVDs and upcoming events at: http://www.alliancemartialarts.com/

The Rest of the Story

2010-09-25T05:54:00.000-07:00

Now For the Rest of the Story:

In less than a week my dull knife traveled from NY to Colorado and back! Now it is really sharp like a fighting knife ought to be. And now, I will tell you who made it and why I was convinced that it was not the maker’s fault that it was dull. Shown here (top photo) is the re-sharpened knife and my other fighting knife (bottom photo) by Mike Irie. Mike says the top one was a customer design and it left his shop sharp. Based on my other Irie knife I knew the high quality of his work. Now I also know the high quality of his commitment to the people who own his knives, even those, who like me, bought it second or third hand. The third party to this transaction was a knife dealer, Lee Beene.

Lee said if I was not happy, he was not happy and to send the knife directly to Mike. Lee never questioned my judgment and within a few days I had a check to cover my postage. These actions are consistent with professionals and the type of people whom I like to deal with and who I will go to again for the best service and quality in edged weaponry. So as Paul Harvey would say; “That’s the rest of the story.” You can google Mike Irie to find several dealers who carry his knives. Or go straight to Lee Beene and see what he has available. Here is Mike’s and Lee’s contact info. Go buy a good knife from good people.

Mike Irie Handcraft, 1606 Auburn Dr., Colorado Springs, CO, 80909

Lee Beene, http://www.leescutlery.com/

LIBERTY!

2010-09-15T04:41:00.000-07:00

Pundits are already predicting that the primary election wins of the Tea Party favorites are bad for the Republican Party. I have been a registered Republican all my life and I say tough! For years the pendulum of power has swept back and forth with the American people being rudely knocked aside and trampled under foot by both parties. Pundits are saying that these new people have no experience. What they are really saying is that they are not career politicians and they have not suffered any corrupting influences yet.

When the lines of battle formed at Lexington and Concord how many professional, career soldiers stood in the American ranks? The ragged ranks were filled with Tea Partiers, merchants, artisans, farmers, hunters, and men from all walks of life. Each and ever one of them had one thing in common, they were all patriots. Each one of them had found the moral courage to offer up their lives for Liberty. May God give us men and women like this again to lead our great nation. Let him fill the halls of congress with people willing to fight and die for liberty. May God Bless America and our sons and daughters of Liberty

Lest we Forget

2010-09-11T05:54:00.000-07:00

On this day pray for our nation, pray for our people, the souls lost on that day, the survivors who still grieve and those who served to save, despite their own safety. Pray for peace. Remember this day and all of those who have died in service to their country since fateful 9-11. Do you still wonder why we want the mosque moved? Really, are you that stupid? Call me insensitive, call me a racist, then look at these photos and ask me if I care what you call me.

Its a Frank Burns

2010-09-10T17:08:00.001-07:00

I used to be an avowed MASH fan, watching every TV episode. One of my favorite scenes was when Hawkeye was telling BJ about his childhood visit to the beach. He ran up to see what was lying on the sand and his mother said, “Don’t touch it, It’s a Frank Burns and the dullness comes off,” or something very close to that.

I find dullness in a lot of people today. There does not seem to be that spark of aliveness that joi de vivre that people exhibited only a few years ago. They seem to lack breadth or depth. Maybe it is the fault of the public education system. Maybe it’s the economy stupid, or the never ending wars in the mid-east, or maybe its just that we have become immune to the simple joys of life.

Dullness versus aliveness is something that one also looks for, or senses in a fine fighting knife. The lack thereof is a good reason to pass it by. This is not an easy task when buying a knife over the internet. Some people’s “Razor Sharp” is medium dull to me. If it won’t shave hair or slice paper cleanly it isn’t sharp! You can develop a certain appreciation for aesthetics and balance with time and experience but there are still intangibles that can only be defined by holding the knife in your hand and swinging it in a flow pattern to feel how it moves.

The other thing that I talk about a lot is the two primary functions of any knife which are, to cut and to stab. Stabbing is a simple motion and requires very little of the knife, or the knifemaker, except that it be pointed and not overly thick nor excessively thin. Cutting is the true litmus test of a fighting knife’s suitability for hand to hand combat. A dull knife is only slightly better than an empty pistol. Both are close range weapons that won’t function. The bane of sharpness today is usually the steel itself, many of the stainless steels being nearly useless. I have two identical Benchmade knives, one made with ATS34 and the other with a D-2 Blade. Despite my best efforts the ATS34 refuses to take and hold a keen edge while the D-2 blade is always sharp.

The concept that form follows function was the mantra of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. One without the other is an abortion of sorts. I learned this in 9th grade Art Class. A fighting knife without a keen edge is also an abortion[1]. A recently purchased custom fighting knife arrived in an unacceptable state of dullness. How is it that a knifemaker could fail to grasp Wright’s simple concept, or the fact that to be complete, an object needs both form and function? The other major obstacle to sharpness is edge geometry. This knife is neatly hollow ground to a near-edge and then given an abrupt saber grind for the last 1/16 of an inch. This is a common practice and it is probably responsible for the dullness. I used to teach building muzzle-loading rifles and I told my students that the last 1% of the work made 99% of the difference in how well the rifle turned out. The same is true of grinding a knife edge. There is much to commend this knife (for example the terrific handle and overall blade shape) and it is worth some time on a whetstone to touch up the edge. Assuming there is the sharpness in the steel to bring out. The seller has offered me the option of sending it back to the maker. That might be the prudent choice.

[1] an offensive term for something so badly done or made that it is a complete failure

Peace and Quiet?

2010-09-06T07:19:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago I finally had an opportunity to go camping. When I go camping it’s a very austere exercise because I don’t like to take a lot of excess baggage. I don’t take a pop-up camper trailer or even a pop-up tent. Nor do I hop on a four wheeler and drive in. I shoulder my backpack and trek back in about 3miles. Part of the purpose of this hike was to test my gear and my stamina. The gear did fine and I got a so-so grade but I can definitely feel my years. It was near 90 and 98% humidity which did not help. The other reason for camping was to get away from politics, rotten news stories, and relax in the peace and quiet of nature. That was only partly successful as well.

Barely did I have my camp set up and my peace and quiet was rudely interrupted by ten four-wheelers roaring up the dirt road that had a locked gate at the other end. This happened three times! Their last hurrah coming at 11:30 PM, waking me from my sleep with the noise of their engines. At first I thought it was the Zombie Bikers from Hell. As the fog cleared from my brain I realized it was just the same idiots. I wonder how much wildlife they saw? They probably missed the deer and beaver, the squirrels, bluejays, and chipmunks that I enjoyed watching. Although I would have killed for one of their cold beer, I never approached these outriders. I am pleased to say that my hide went undetected by them with their motorized cacophony of spinning wheels, headlights and spotlights, and clouds of dust. My sleep was further molested by a lone coyote, an owl, beavers slapping their tails on the water, and the devil’s own squirrel who insisted on dropping pinecones on my tarp from forty feet up in the air and then chattering about it. I guess he didn’t like that they were ricocheting off into the brush.

Along with my usual compliment of firearms I had the Grayman Knives Kordofan 8 attached to the side of my Maxpedition™ backpack. It came in quite handy hacking dead branches into supports for my tarp and clearing the few briars out of my sleeping area. The deadwood was hard as nails and it took quite a bit of hacking to cut and sharpen the few pieces I needed. (I prefer to not cut up green trees just for an overnight camp.) The edge on the Kordofan 8 stayed sharp and did not knick or roll during hard use. In fact it stayed sharp enough to slice my finger when I brushed against it pushing back my mosquito net in the wee dark hours as nature called. I had driven it into the ground beside me in case the coyote came with his friends looking for supper. The black coating on the blade held up well during the chopping and being driven in the dry hard ground. My only complaint is the handle slabs need a little more radius on the edges to soften them. This is an easy task that I will attend to before my next outing.

Other than a deer nearly trashing my camp out of curiosity no other wildlife came close, that I know of, and the Zombie bikers did not come back anymore. Not quite the serene camping experience I was looking for but any time in the woods away from “civilization” is good time.

TAK Training Knives

2010-09-03T15:33:00.001-07:00

This is just a quick review of the TAK training knives. I will post a full one after the Bowie Knife seminar I am attending Sept 18-19, 2010. When I was at the dojo one night I dumped my bag of training knives out on the floor to see what ones I should take to the upcoming seminar. The closest thing I had to a Bowie was two rubber versions of the Cold Steel Blackbear, a subhilt knife. Looking on line I did find one bowie-esque trainer in aluminum that was actually listed as a kitchen knife. It still wasn’t what I wanted. But there in the pile of trainers was a little one duplicating my TOPS Scalpel. It was made by TAK Training Knives. A quick check of their website showed that their selection of training knife styles had greatly expanded. My initial idea of buying the aluminum knife was scrapped and now I had to choose between three big Bowies and one smaller one.

I bought two that resemble the Bagwell/Ontario Hells Belle and two of the Ridge Bowies designed by Dwight McLemore. Both styles came with leather wrapped handles. I called and visited with John Stanley on Friday and placed my order. The knives arrived Tuesday. John’s enthusiasm for what he does, and the products he provides, was absolutely contagious. I warn you that if you call you will not be able to hang up before buying at least one trainer. Buy two and find a friend to train with. The Bowies are very impressive, made out of a thick polycarbonate material that is tough, slightly forgiving, and collect light. They are nicely radiused on all edges and the points are sufficiently blunted. You must always wear eye protection and limit your thrusts to avoid the head. The leather wrap gives a nice tactile gripping surface and will cushion the impact of blade on blade better than 550 polycord will. My only question is whether the grips will remain tight after serious use. Stay posted and I’ll let you know after the September seminar. http://www.takknife.com/index.htm

Acting Stupidly?

2010-08-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

I am going to get away from the politics for awhile but I want you to consider one thing. Obama is not a stupid man, I do not believe he acted stupidly when he ignited this mosque firestorm. Nor did he do it without a good reason or by accident. Remember my blog on Sheng tung? "Sheng Tung, Chi Hsi:" Uproar in the East, Strike in the West. Keep your eyes to the west.
Sun Tzu Now on to something about knives.......

Recently a young man said he wanted to do some more knife training with me. The last time we worked out he held his own pretty good. He was in the Army Rangers but I do not know how much actual knife skills they teach. His techniques were simple and powerful; rush your opponent and smother them with stabs. In a prison shanking against an unarmed opponent this is the preferred method. This technique will always work in the dojo or training hall too. How many times have you heard me say that? Would it work in actual combat? Maybe. In the dojo there are two things at work: One, you are not really going to get stabbed by the defender, unless you count the jabs of a rubber or wooden knife, to physically stop your assault. Two, there is no instinctive fear of being stabbed to mentally prevent you from driving right in. Combined, these two create an unhealthy sense of invincibility.

Talk about acting stupidly, life is not so simple with live steel. I did not tell you about stabbing myself with my iaito (Japanese training sword) did I. A bit of a cock-up as the Brits would say. I was teaching my sword student a new draw, and as I pushed my katana to the rear for an overhead cut, the tip caught in the opening of my left sleeve. This drove the tip downward into the top of my forearm, where it dug in and then bounced off the bone, and skipped across my arm lightly grazing me. When my young, impressionable student saw blood trickling down my forearm he got ashen faced. So with mild disgust at my own ineptitude I stopped and stuck a bandaid over it. Had I been working that night with a live blade I would have needed a dozen or more stitches. As I have said many times before blades show no discretion they will cut friend and foe alike. But how quickly will a blade stop a person who is under attack and adrenaline ridden?

By many accounts it has been proven that a person shot or stabbed in the heart can continue to function for as much as ten seconds. (If you are the attacker do you know how many times you can be stabbed by your victim in ten seconds? Try it.) Even with no blood flowing, it takes roughly that long for the brain to run out of oxygen, unconsciousness to take over, and the body to collapse. Now in our practice session while this young Ranger was busy stabbing me, I can assure you that I was doing likewise. After all, every good deed deserves another! Therefore in the real world probably both of us would have succumbed to our multiple wounds. I don’t consider this a good policy. So, two points to learn from this: One, in a knife fight ‘tis better to give than to receive. Two, working with blunts or training weapons (while necessary) is a far cry from the reality of bladed combat. When people tell you techniques are not important because you have a knife, don’t you listen to them. When they say they can teach you a killer one-move “stopping-technique”, don’t you listen to them. Do your homework and learn everything that you possibly can, and as always, be discriminating about what techniques you save and what you throw away.

The next blog will be a review of the excellent training knives from TAK knives check them out at http://www.takknife.com/

Who is Fanning the Flames?

2010-08-18T06:45:00.001-07:00

RE: the Mosque: It appears that once again the president has interjected his personal opinion as empirical fiat, which is also once again counter to the majority of the will of the American people. For a man who believes in social justice and the democratic will of the people, who campaigned on reaching across the aisle His divisiveness as a president is unprecedented. Now to fan the flames Nancy Pelosi says that those opposing the mosque (all 64% of Americans?) should be investigated. If you oppose placing this mosque at ground zero you are the problem not the radical Imam, or the founder of Hammas who insists there is no other location in all of NYC to build this $100 million dollar insult.

Pray for Peace

2010-08-14T08:46:00.001-07:00

I want to thank all of my readers but in particular one who said I interject some sanity into his life. I am a simple man, sometimes exceedingly simple. But there are some things that seem desperately obvious even to a simple man like me. I am not an intolerant man, nor generally a racist. But we are all being driven by forces in the media and in the creeping globalization of governments to start taking stands, making choices that are aimed at dividing us into religious, racial, and ethnic categories. We are purposely being set one against another. For what purpose?

This morning I awoke early unable to sleep. Things rumbling through my head. Maybe it’s the book I am reading (War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning) and the unsettling tales of the author’s experiences as a war correspondent. Maybe it was the In-My-Face headlines on the internet that Obama supports the Mosque at ground Zero. Why doesn’t he champion an inter-faith house of worship, or better yet why doesn’t he keep his damned nose out of it. This is a very personal nightmare that New Yorkers still deal with. Why is it that the Liberal hue and cry of separation of church and state does not apply to the separation of mosque and state? If the Imam is a man of God and desires to make Americans see how compassionate Islam is, then why doesn’t he work to help fund an inter-faith house of worship? What could be more compelling than Muslims and Jews, Baptists, Catholics, Buddhists, and Mormons all worshipping side by side for peace? What could be a bigger insult to New Yorkers than a mosque at Ground Zero? Where is obama’s support for the tower to replace those destroyed by muslim radicals? The State dept has set aside money to send the Imam on a worldwide publicity tour, for what purpose? But there is no money to rebuild on the site of the destruction wrought by them? I struggle to focus on who are the good guys and the bad guys and to find purpose behind all of this.