"combat" knives ...

some prefer edged weapons.

i do not, as i have never received any training in their use, and really do not want to be that close to someone for whom i have no affection and who has no particular love lost for me.

in my view, were the ordinary schlep such as myself in a situation in which recourse to a knife were necessary, then it would be quite likely that one were very deep into the soup pan.  you know, at the point where we are talking posthumous medals, and that sorta thing.  i have often voiced the opinion that fights are to be avoided at all costs, because people can get seriously killed in a fight, and i cannot imagine a situation in which this would apply more strongly than a knife fight.

no, in my view, almost anything worth doing at all can be done from a comforting distance, and from a hidden position.  leave it to jackie chan to whack someone with a ninja throwing star.

that being said.--

i have a couple benchmade folders, and regard them as being supremely well made.  i have been using one for about five or six years now, and have never had reason to sharpen the blade, after repeated use with cardboard, packing tape and other edge killers, such as whittling sticks for wienie roasts.  and, the lock works as tightly now as when new.

then, there are fixed blade knives.

now, if you want, you can go out and spend some serious money on cold steel knives, or a randall, or gerber daggers, or s.o.g. combat knives, sometimes well in excess of $250.  well in excess of that amount.

and, for people who know how to use them, and have necessity of frequent use of such a weapon, i would imagine that they are well worth every penny of the tariff.  personally, i would feel sort of silly having a weapon who utility far exceeded my skills to use it.  (no, that didn't stop me from buying a gibson guitar some time past, but, that is another story.)

i know just a little of edged combat from having read some of the drill, and i can tell you that it is exceedingly complicated, requires a lot of training to master, and i can assure you that if you or i ever came up against a person good at it, we would either be dead or reduced to helplessness, accompanied by copious blood, in mere seconds.

why waste money on a fancy knife.  you can get carved up perfectly well by a skilled opponent if you possess only a cheaper knife, commensurate with your "skill levels."  you are never gonna lay an edge on him anyway, and you will feel really silly standing there with a biceps muscle on your "knife hand" severed, you hand open, and expensive knife lying on the ground at your feet because you cannot grip it, having just lost the use of your arm.

so, a more utilitarian knife will do for you and i, just as well.  and, if we get into a situation if we are facing a duffer as helpless and scared as we are, well, an inexpensive knife will do there, just as well.

do i have a favorite?

i most certainly do.  it is the "uncle henry" "golden spike" model, model number _____, costing about $30 or so brand new, and ubiquitous in pawn shops the nation over for far, far less.  it has a spear point, slightly upturned, and a brass finger guard, and a brass thingie on the end of the handle very handy for knocking people on the head, if it comes to that.

it is fairly easy to sharpen.

and, it will double as a hunting knife for field dressing game, as a fairly nice steak knife, and is pretty good for spearing vienna sausages from the can, which is what i use mine for.  it comes in a nice leather sheath, usually with a small stone for field dressing the knife.

and, it is kinda cool and sinister looking.  hey, how neat is that.

now, i suspect that someone very well versed in knife fighting could make very good use of the "golden spike," for slicing and thrusting, and the like.  and, a budget minded soul, despite his skill level, might actually prefer one over a far more expensive knife.  hey, just leave the cheap knife in you, and buy another at a pawn shop, and the chain of evidence "issue" really isn't an "issue" anymore for such a person.

never thought of it that way, did you.

you can rectify your lack of skill in such matters by taking lessons, and engaging in fighting contests/competitions, to, ... , ahem, ... , sharpen your skills.  (and, they don't use real weapons, as it would seriously deplete the pool of those paying entry fees.  just in case you were wondering.)  but, it takes a lot of time, and like any physical skill, a lot of effort to master.

buy a firearm, and lots of bullets and magazines.  you'll have more luck.  avoid blind alleys after mid-night, and hold the high ground, with clear fields of fire.  hide behind solid things, like rocks and stone fences.  don't gawk.  don't sit with your back to doors.  and, if you get aces and eights, fold, and walk away from the table, very carefully.  and, watch out for the bartenders, they always have a loaded double barrel under the bar.  that sorta thing.

john jay @ 07.11.2010

p.s.  i can dull a knife by looking at it, or "sharpening" it, depending on whether i am in a hurry or want to spend an hour so so bathed in honing oil and swearing as the knife endures repeated maladroit efforts to put a keen edge on.  ah, no reason for praise, it is just a g_d given talent i have, you know, along with my ability to make friends amongst the bloggers.

so, i have learned to love and wholeheartedly adopt the "lansky" brand of mechanical sharpeners.  no, not a powered "stone," to be avoided like the plague, you can destroy a blade with one of the damn things in seconds.  the "lansky" is a hand tool, but set up with little jigs that hold the angle of the edge steady while you work.

it is just about idiot proof, witness the fact that i can sharpen an edge with it rather handily, and in very short order.  if you cannot sharpen a blade quickly, then you are simply doing it wrong, and prolonging the agony of your ineptitude is not going to get you any closer to a sharp blade.

and, we need a sharp tip on our "combat" knives, so that we can dip that last little fat sausage out of the can, be it hormel or something from argentina, made out of g_d knows what.  buy american cardiac arrest, it is much better.

Comments

[Jewel]

I used to use exactos in my now obsolete job as a compositor for the newspaper. I always liked knives, and there are many places which specialize in the sale of them.