The Rhythm of One

Fresh copies of our first book, The Rhythm of One, are available again. They are still $30 shipping included in CONUS or to APOs. I will be out of town for two weeks but soon as I'm back we'll be shipping some. If you want one sooner contact our good friends at Spartan Blades US. These books have sold all over the world and the US. No magic, no razzle-dazzle, just plain tried and true techniques along with some of our personal philosophy about the edged weapons arts. Many thanks to our blog followers and the purchasers of our book.

Note: To reserve an autographed copy email me at ghdave2@hotmail.com

Truth or Consequences

“There seem to be a lot of police cars around here,” I remark. “This is a very bad neighborhood!” my taxi driver replies.

That is not comforting since the bad neighborhood extends to within two short blocks of my hotel. I am in a third world country and staying in one of the best hotels, but, just outside the door the streets teem with beggars and desperately poor people. Several months before coming here I told my boss about the safety warnings posted on the US State Depts. website. He laughed and said, “Maybe you will get a chance to try your skills.” A few months earlier a British couple wandered into the wrong neighborhood and were hacked to death with machetes. These sorts of crimes are not uncommon and seldom is there an arrest.

I am not especially excited about the possibility of testing my skills in a third world country. What was worrying me was the consequences of such an encounter. Reality sucks. If I should get into such a fight and lose I would simply be killed. If I won, I might spend the rest of my life in a very nasty prison. God knows my employer would not bail me out. What’s to like about these choices?

So I packed a cheap (expendable) folder in my checked bag and at the last moment threw in a tired Nealy Pesh Kabz. Neither one of these would raise any eyebrows in the USA. I figured worst case scenario they might get stolen. So as we’re approaching this seamy paradise the flight crew passes out the usual immigration/customs forms. One line asks if you are in possession of any firearms, explosive, or other weapons. Can you feel my sudden discomfort? I am normally a very straight-up honest person. What do I do, declare the knives and hope they don’t : 1) confiscate them, or 2) arrest me or refuse me entry because I have declared weapons? The other options are head to the bathroom and dispose of them. (Can you picture me throwing away a knife? Are there maybe cameras in the bathroom?) Do I just “forget” to declare them and hope for the best? As I stood in line, slowly, excruciatingly, crawling its way toward the customs agent I could see everyone being funneled, with their baggage, to an x-ray machine. After intense scrutiny of my paperwork and several probing questions concerning what sort of business I was there on, the Agent finally said “OK” and waved me on through. Somehow I had avoided the dreaded x-ray machine. I am not going to tell you which choice I made but I am safely back out of the country now. In a week I have to go through it all over again. What to do, what to do………

Iconic Fighters

Peter Bauchop of South Africa created the custom knives shown in this photo. Quite a few years ago I bought the smaller dagger he calls the “Witch” (top knife) and I had not come across many other Bauchop knives for sale since then. Luckily I happened on the black handled “Alleycat” for sale on the USN forum. Without a moments hesitation I purchased it. Then, a few months later, another one with a palm wood handle came available on the same forum.

Now it also a part of my collection. Bauchop-made knives are very rugged and well designed. They have always been highly sought after by South African armed forces and mercenaries (known euphemistically as contractors today). Bauchop knives are the African equivalent of a Randall-Made knife with their thick blades and graceful lines. Made from ¼ inch thick stock in a variety of steels, like A-2 and D-2, the blades of the Alleycats have a nice Persian sweep to the tip. The straight bladed Witch has a fully sharpened “false edge,” as do the robust Alleycats. Wth some difficulty I tracked down an email for Mr. Bauchop in South Africa. He is still actively making knives. All of you knife magazine writers and editors its time to get ahold of Mr. Bauchop and do a good article on him. His work is iconic and he will be listed in our new book when it comes out. I am very pleased, and honored, to have three world class Bauchop knives in my collection.