Sale Items

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

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

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

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

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/