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Old February 17th, 2013 #101
keifer
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If I had a dollar for every-time I reached for my twelve dollar Mora knife instead of my hundred dollar knife, I would have enough dollars to buy a thousand Mora knives. The best steel is from Northern Europe.

 
Old January 30th, 2014 #102
Bubba Kalashnikov
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How about the Cold Steel Machete Gladius? Anybody hear bad stuff on them?
 
Old August 1st, 2015 #103
keifer
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A lessom on how to throw a knife.
 
Old August 2nd, 2015 #104
Brooklyn Rick
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Learning to throw axe's and knives is a useful skill. I spent a lot of time this winter tossing a coupla knives around. I bought one of those cheap bowie type throwing knive, and a more expensive Tru-Bal Dixie defender from Branton custom knives. Using large sawed logs as targets, it was a fun way to pass time. This winter, I'm going to buy an axe to throw. It's nice to know you can hit a mid sized target with 10-14 inches of sharp steel. Skills like this cannot be confiscated.
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Old August 23rd, 2015 #105
Crowe
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Its important to carry something that's legal if you plan on using a knife for self defense. As far as a legal knife you can carry that's designed to cut really deep, nothing beats a hawkbill. You could eviscerate someone with a single swipe with one of these. I tested one out on a deer carcass that got tainted, and these cut very deep, very easily. When you swipe through, you can make a deep cut without a whole lot of resistance,. It doesn't even feel like you cut deep, until you examine it more closely. Flip your wrist into it when you swipe. Mine is sharp enough to shave with. If anyone knows of a knife that's 3" or under that can do more tissue damage easier than a hawkbill, let me know.


Last edited by Crowe; August 23rd, 2015 at 12:09 PM.
 
Old August 23rd, 2015 #106
keifer
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But it cant poke.
This blade profile has just one trick that it's real good at, which is pulling the blade toward the user. It's a dangerous knife for user that cant be used for thrusting. It might be good for cleaning horse hooves.
 
Old August 20th, 2016 #107
Jack Robertson
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there is are reasons why the French school predominated in my own experience in trying both asian martial arts and fencing I found fencing more interesting. The fencing school that I went didn't emphasize technique (at first) they just set you up with a sword and mask and let you try and discover it for yourself (after a while you could take lessons to and learn more complicated aspects of it). So basically it was you try to stick them they try to stick you. In a gym where I studied an asian style we spent a whole year learning to disarm a person with complicated joint locks then we were given padded sticks to beat on eachother with. I'm sure that some of these styles have something to offer but basically I've found that the learning curve and the ratio of time invested efficacity are more advantageous in fencing just as they are in wrestling and boxing.
 
Old August 29th, 2016 #108
Crowe
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keifer View Post
But it cant poke.
This blade profile has just one trick that it's real good at, which is pulling the blade toward the user. It's a dangerous knife for user that cant be used for thrusting. It might be good for cleaning horse hooves.
I haven't been in a knife fight, but I've been in plenty of fights otherwise, but I reckon the first thing both people would do in a knife fight is stand/position themselves in a way where a thrust to a vital wasn't gonna be easy. If the most vulnerable spot your opponent leaves you is his arm/wrist, then a purely slashing blade seems like it would be better anyway. Especially one as sharp as mine. I had mine professionally sharpened by a bladesmith. Its as sharp as a straight razor, and most knifes aren't even half this sharp. I'd take a back stance and use my left arm to cover my heart + lung area and keep my head low to protect my neck area. And try to swipe at their arm/wrist when they'd thrust at me. My reflexes are above average, they've always been. I've been cold cocked before, and with a mouth like mine some of you probably understand why. Vast majority of cases they deal a grazing blow because I see the punch coming. So I'd take my chances with my hawkbill. If I get even a couple good non-vital swipes that inflict lacerations, they might get light headed, lose concentration, and make a serious mistake, etc. Whereas a puncture wound on the back of my arm wouldn't bleed out too bad. If they landed a couple of those it wouldn't be a huge deal. Someone only has to get sloppy with a single thrust, and I could open their wrist up with a single swipe. Against someone skilled in blade fighting, I'm likely to lose anyway, so I doubt my odds would be any better with a blade that could do either.
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Last edited by Crowe; August 29th, 2016 at 11:30 PM.
 
Old September 1st, 2016 #109
Fred Streed
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Default Cold Steel Tanto

I'm not a "knife as a weapon" guy, more of a knife as a tool type. I have never had any knife combat training so truth is I don't know Jack Shit about knife fighting. I have never planned to take a knife to a gunfight but I realize that a situation could arise where I didn't have a firearm and a good knife would be a hell of a lot better than nothing. I have packed knives of one kind or another since I was a young kid and have owned several brands and styles; pocket knives, larger folding knives worn on a belt, and fixed blade knives. I have literally worn out several, mostly pocket knives, blades worn down to toothpicks from sharpening, springs and catches worn out, handle scales coming off (usually fixable).

I have owned a Tanto from Cold Steel for over 25 years now and have a few thoughts about it. I bought it from a sporting goods type store in the town of North Pole, Alaska, just south of Fairbanks, somewhere around 1990 or '91. I was working as a wildland fire fighter on the Midnight Suns hotshot crew and also the Chena Hotshots at the time when I bought the knife. It mostly lived in my fire pack but I also carried it on my belt at times, depending on what we were doing. The knife cost around a hundred bucks if I remember correctly, which would be $183 in today's currency. It got quite a bit of use in Alaska. At the time it was a rather unorthodox style of blade and got a lot of attention. The Indian and Eskimo crews we sometimes worked with were fascinated by it. Most of them lived in little villages and did a lot of subsistence hunting and ran trap lines in the winter months so knives were rather important to them. Most of them loved the Tanto.

Mine is one of the first generation style of Tanto. It has the brass guard and pommel, they changed to stainless furniture in the early-mid '90s. The pommel is an interesting feature, it is shaped down to a cone shape with a flat surface on each side and has a hole drilled through it for a cord if one desires, which I don't. Cold Steel referred to it as a "skull crusher" and I think it could perform well at doing that. The handle is a some what sticky synthetic hard rubber type material, with checkering, long and a bit too slender for some people's taste but I grew to really like it, and it has held up well, it feels good in my hand. The handle measures around 5 3/4" from front surface of guard to tip of pommel.

The blade is, according to some collectors and knife nuts, made of 400 series stainless steel, which may or may not be the same as AUS8A, depending on who you believe. It is not one of the San Mei laminated blades. The balance point is just ahead of the guard. It holds an edge really well. Sharpening it is complicated at first because of the two angles but one soon figures it out. The blade measures 5 3/4" in length. It has a slight curve to it, both spine and belly. It is fairly thick, .190" according to my calipers. It has held up well, no chips in cutting edges. The blade was made in Japan, to Cold Steel's specs. I think the rest of it was made in the USA and assembled here but I could be wrong on that point

It came with a leather sheath. The sheath is another feature I really like. It has the belt loop fairly low which causes the knife to ride high with most of the handle above the belt. This makes it comfortable to carry. I have worn out several sheaths and it is about due for another. I used to get them straight from Cold Steel but I don't know if they still have them, they seem to have discontinued that model of Tanto. The sheath uses a velcro strap to retain the knife, I keep it just tight enough that the knife won't fall out but I can still pull it out with a good tug. I can pull it free with one hand and do so "right now" without fumbling with straps and snaps.

So anyway, how well does it work? I packed it full time, every day while in West Virginia. And used it about every day. Those here who knew me back in the National Alliance in the 1990s-early 2000s will probably remember seeing the knife on me. I did a lot of construction work at NA headquarters and found the Tanto handy for that. I used it to cut with, used it as a chisel, used it as a hammer at times (flat of the blade), used it as an axe, it was used and sometimes abused almost every day. For me it feels comfortable in my hand, almost alive, like an extension of my arm. The blade length is just right, short enough to be comfortable, long enough to get the job done, with plenty of heft and strength, weight just far enough forward to make it very slightly blade heavy, which I like.

I have used it to gut a hog for a friend. It did well opening the abdominal cavity without getting into a gut. The blade shape rules it out as a skinner, although I suppose it could be made to work for that if one had to. If I was packing a knife for hunting I wouldn't choose a Tanto, there are much better designs, although it is versatile enough that it would work for that. As a camp knife I would prefer something a bit bigger and heavier. Again, it is a very versatile tool and could earn its keep around camp, doing most jobs very well. For back packing and camping where weight is an issue the Tanto is about ideal.

As I already said, I'm not a knife fighter and have no intentions of becoming one. But I think this knife would be formidable as a weapon, able to cut and slice quickly, and deadly at thrusting or stabbing, and the pointed "skull crusher" pommel adds another dimension to its capabilities. A quick backhand blow to an opponent's face or arm with that pointy pommel should get his attention.

Bottom line; I love this knife. This is the knife that got Lynn Thompson and his Cold Steel company off and running. I am not sure what year they started, I remember seeing their advertisements throughout the 1980s in publications like Shotgun News. I thought they looked gimmicky and never gave them much thought until I finally had a chance to look one over and hold it. I was impressed so I bought it. The price is high on them, but the quality is also high. I like stuff you can buy once during your lifetime and don't have to replace. This knife fits into that category. Knives are kind of like women, a personal thing. What one guy likes may not appeal to someone else. I like my women to be capable of changing the oil in my vehicles, chopping firewood, patching a roof, cooking and cleaning, mowing the lawn, and still looking nice while fetching me a beer. So I don't recommend anyone just buy this blade because I like it, but I also don't recommend you not buy it.
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I even agree with some of your points, Fred. God did regret making mankind (Genesis 6). You just kicked both God's and my ass. Congratulations.
 
Old September 4th, 2016 #110
Ray Allan
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I'm pretty much like you Fred, in the knife as a tool category and never trained in actual knife fighting. I'd rather have a gun in a fight in any case. Guess I'm pretty old-fashioned and low-tech when it comes to knives--I've owned a Marine Corps K-Bar-style fighting knife (mine was made by Ontario, actually). Since it was designed in WW2 to be a fighting knife, you could stick somebody real good with that 7-inch blade. But it's been my main camping and hunting utility knife along with the 5-inch blade Air Force pilot survival knife and the old reliable Victorinox Swiss Army Hunter model pocket knife for smaller tasks. Can't do what McGuyver did with his, but it's adequate. In the early 2000s I did purchase a Gerber Leatherman multi-tool to join the 21st century. I don't have the budget for these expensive knives around today, so my old stuff still works fine for me.
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Old September 4th, 2016 #111
Brooklyn Rick
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Streed View Post
I'm not a "knife as a weapon" guy, more of a knife as a tool type. I have never had any knife combat training so truth is I don't know Jack Shit about knife fighting. I have never planned to take a knife to a gunfight but I realize that a situation could arise where I didn't have a firearm and a good knife would be a hell of a lot better than nothing. I have packed knives of one kind or another since I was a young kid and have owned several brands and styles; pocket knives, larger folding knives worn on a belt, and fixed blade knives. I have literally worn out several, mostly pocket knives, blades worn down to toothpicks from sharpening, springs and catches worn out, handle scales coming off (usually fixable).

I have owned a Tanto from Cold Steel for over 25 years now and have a few thoughts about it. I bought it from a sporting goods type store in the town of North Pole, Alaska, just south of Fairbanks, somewhere around 1990 or '91. I was working as a wildland fire fighter on the Midnight Suns hotshot crew and also the Chena Hotshots at the time when I bought the knife. It mostly lived in my fire pack but I also carried it on my belt at times, depending on what we were doing. The knife cost around a hundred bucks if I remember correctly, which would be $183 in today's currency. It got quite a bit of use in Alaska. At the time it was a rather unorthodox style of blade and got a lot of attention. The Indian and Eskimo crews we sometimes worked with were fascinated by it. Most of them lived in little villages and did a lot of subsistence hunting and ran trap lines in the winter months so knives were rather important to them. Most of them loved the Tanto.

Mine is one of the first generation style of Tanto. It has the brass guard and pommel, they changed to stainless furniture in the early-mid '90s. The pommel is an interesting feature, it is shaped down to a cone shape with a flat surface on each side and has a hole drilled through it for a cord if one desires, which I don't. Cold Steel referred to it as a "skull crusher" and I think it could perform well at doing that. The handle is a some what sticky synthetic hard rubber type material, with checkering, long and a bit too slender for some people's taste but I grew to really like it, and it has held up well, it feels good in my hand. The handle measures around 5 3/4" from front surface of guard to tip of pommel.

The blade is, according to some collectors and knife nuts, made of 400 series stainless steel, which may or may not be the same as AUS8A, depending on who you believe. It is not one of the San Mei laminated blades. The balance point is just ahead of the guard. It holds an edge really well. Sharpening it is complicated at first because of the two angles but one soon figures it out. The blade measures 5 3/4" in length. It has a slight curve to it, both spine and belly. It is fairly thick, .190" according to my calipers. It has held up well, no chips in cutting edges. The blade was made in Japan, to Cold Steel's specs. I think the rest of it was made in the USA and assembled here but I could be wrong on that point

It came with a leather sheath. The sheath is another feature I really like. It has the belt loop fairly low which causes the knife to ride high with most of the handle above the belt. This makes it comfortable to carry. I have worn out several sheaths and it is about due for another. I used to get them straight from Cold Steel but I don't know if they still have them, they seem to have discontinued that model of Tanto. The sheath uses a velcro strap to retain the knife, I keep it just tight enough that the knife won't fall out but I can still pull it out with a good tug. I can pull it free with one hand and do so "right now" without fumbling with straps and snaps.

So anyway, how well does it work? I packed it full time, every day while in West Virginia. And used it about every day. Those here who knew me back in the National Alliance in the 1990s-early 2000s will probably remember seeing the knife on me. I did a lot of construction work at NA headquarters and found the Tanto handy for that. I used it to cut with, used it as a chisel, used it as a hammer at times (flat of the blade), used it as an axe, it was used and sometimes abused almost every day. For me it feels comfortable in my hand, almost alive, like an extension of my arm. The blade length is just right, short enough to be comfortable, long enough to get the job done, with plenty of heft and strength, weight just far enough forward to make it very slightly blade heavy, which I like.

I have used it to gut a hog for a friend. It did well opening the abdominal cavity without getting into a gut. The blade shape rules it out as a skinner, although I suppose it could be made to work for that if one had to. If I was packing a knife for hunting I wouldn't choose a Tanto, there are much better designs, although it is versatile enough that it would work for that. As a camp knife I would prefer something a bit bigger and heavier. Again, it is a very versatile tool and could earn its keep around camp, doing most jobs very well. For back packing and camping where weight is an issue the Tanto is about ideal.

As I already said, I'm not a knife fighter and have no intentions of becoming one. But I think this knife would be formidable as a weapon, able to cut and slice quickly, and deadly at thrusting or stabbing, and the pointed "skull crusher" pommel adds another dimension to its capabilities. A quick backhand blow to an opponent's face or arm with that pointy pommel should get his attention.

Bottom line; I love this knife. This is the knife that got Lynn Thompson and his Cold Steel company off and running. I am not sure what year they started, I remember seeing their advertisements throughout the 1980s in publications like Shotgun News. I thought they looked gimmicky and never gave them much thought until I finally had a chance to look one over and hold it. I was impressed so I bought it. The price is high on them, but the quality is also high. I like stuff you can buy once during your lifetime and don't have to replace. This knife fits into that category. Knives are kind of like women, a personal thing. What one guy likes may not appeal to someone else. I like my women to be capable of changing the oil in my vehicles, chopping firewood, patching a roof, cooking and cleaning, mowing the lawn, and still looking nice while fetching me a beer. So I don't recommend anyone just buy this blade because I like it, but I also don't recommend you not buy it.
I too have an old, brass guard Tanto from Cold steel. For some reason, my photo keeps bouncing back. One of my fav's as well...
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Old September 5th, 2023 #112
James Radov
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testing the idea that ancient weapons look cool and all but they are not practical..
 
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