Monday Night Knife Fights Archives

Knives of Alaska is headquartered in…Texas. That might sound a little strange, until you think about the similarities between the two states. Both are what we consider free states, known for an independent streak, full of good natured but frequently quarrelsome folk (well, if they’re maligned or wronged).

Apparently Knives of Alaska actually has a second HQ and a resort in Alaska, they just build the knives in Texas due to material availability. They have a wide variety of knives and tools, from stuff for cleaning a kill in the field to blades meant to trim the beard (and throat beneath) of some dickhead in a man-dress with a six-year-old wife.

Note: most of the “lifestyle” shots you see below are from social media. Where we know it we’ve advised the source (cover image is from IG account @pearbird69). Note that this ain’t a review, it’d just a suggestion that you check Knives of Alaska out. Much like the MILF stars of PornFidelity’s Dirty 30s, we’ve yet to actually get our hands on them.

From the @that_vice_dude Instagram account.

Knives of Alaska has several different types of edged weapons and tools available, each dependent upon need, but they got their start in the outdoor/hunting realm. That might be why their Fixed Blade and Combo sections have the greatest variety, and why they offer implements like the Bobcat, Light Hunter and 3-Way. Who doesn’t like a 3-way?

3-way Sharpener (left), Light Hunter (right) and Bobcat (bottom). Tools not to scale.

This is the Knives of Alaska philosophy (or part of it anyway). You’ll like it.

Your knife should shave, and hopefully the boots will be well broken-in before tackling a major extended hunt. As outfitters in Alaska, we have guided hunters and fishermen into the Alaskan bush for years. One fact is – and has always been – 1: each man’s gear is going to play a major role in determining his success, comfort, and enjoyment. At Knives of Alaska, we understand what it means to rely on your gear. We’ve never lost sight of the fact that the knife of a dedicated hunter, fisherman or outdoorsman has two important aspects. First, and most important, it is a precision tool that must perform the task at hand efficiently, safely, and reliably time after time, year after year. Second, a man’s knife is an investment and one of his personal objects of pride. It is a measuring stick among his peers.

Note that they do have task and tactical knives for guys who need them. We’ll talk more about those in the future.

A Knives of Alaska tactical model by Jim Root.

We’ll be talking more about Knives of Alaska in the weeks to come. Maybe we’ll even get a chance to stab some al-Shabaab dickhead in the eye with one! Stay tuned.

Here’s a video with Mr. Allen (who founded the company and designed the Bobcat) putting some of the gear to work.

Here’s another look at using Knives of Alaska to do butcher work.

Make sure you take a look at their knife sharpening tutorial. It’s good.

Knives of Alaska is online here. They don’t have an Instagram account that we can find but there are some tagged posts out there (#alaskaknives and #knivesofalaska).

I reckon I’ll leave ya with a right powerful phrase from John Bernard Books (may God rest his soul). Talking about Alaska and Texas certainly make it seem apropos.

“I won’t be wronged. I won’t be insulted. I won’t be laid a-hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.”

-Slim Call, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!

Comms Plan
Primary: Subscribe to our newsletter here, get the RSS feed and support us on Patreon right here.
Alternate: Join us on Facebook here or check us out on Instagram here.
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Emergency: Activate firefly, deploy green (or brown) star cluster, get your wank sock out of your ruck and stand by ’til we come get you.

About the Author: Jake “Slim” Call is one of the two most famous action figures in the world. Contrary to what Swingin’ Dick says, he does not like fat chicks. Slim has been a part of Breach-Bang-Clear since about ’05, and since then has traveled around the world spreading awesomeness, fighting evil and putting single dancing moms through college. Slim hates hippies, sissies and when the MRE Tabasco leaks into the toilet paper and dries there but you don’t realize it until its too late. Together with his comrade Richard “Swingin’ Dick Kilgore” Slim manages and directs an eeeelight blogging team of writers that thinks you can be a warrior and a patriot and still be amenable to civil discourse.

Incorrigibility breeds contempt.

The post MNKF: The Knives of Alaska (from Texas) appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

[Today’s post was made possible by JTF Awesome Team Member, Propper]

A couple weeks ago we saw the 118th birthday of Ka-Bar Knives. This week we’ll see another birthday — that of Spyderco Knives, founded in 1976 by a married couple who traveled across the country in a converted bread truck selling knife sharpeners. That’s right, Spyderco turns forty in 2016. They’ve certainly come a long way in the last four decades.

Like many companies, Spyderco displays their products at shows and conventions around the world. Unlike some of those companies, this traveling salesmanship is an integral part of the company. Maybe this stems from those cross-country state fair days, maybe they’re gluttons for punishment and just enjoy visiting friendly TSA agents. Whatever the case, if you get out and about at all you’re bound to see them — and from our experience at Blade Show, SHOT Show, the USN Gathering and other such events, they’re actually happy to talk to you.

Says Spyderco,

“When we exhibit, we are not there simply to pitch our products. We go to grow the industry. We’re here and waiting to show you new Spyderco knives and accessories. If you want to talk steel, style, edges and design, visit Spyderco at these upcoming shows.”

Although Spyderco is known chiefly for their knives, they build other hard use tools — like this hatchet, in a photo by Hille James. They also involve some really squared away SMEs in the design process (as you’ll see further down).

“Spyderco’s Reverse fixed blade literally represents a ‘meeting in the middle’ of co-designers Craig Douglas (aka ‘Southnarc’) and Michael Janich. Douglas and Janich were featured instructors at the recent NE Shooters Summit in New Hampshire and couldn’t resist the opportunity to celebrate their new design with a photo op. (Photo courtesy of Andy Dickason)”

Here are some upcoming events where you can see ’em, if you’re so inclined.
April 30- May 1
Globeboot Event. Cologne, Germany- Globetrotter Retail Store

May 24-26
SOFIC, Tampa, Florida

June 3-5
Blade Show. Atlanta, Georgia

June 14-17
Seaworks International, Southampton, England

July 13-16
Outdoor Friedrichshafen, Friedrichshafen, Germany

August 3-6
Outdoor Retailer. Salt Lake City, Utah

If you want to keep track of Spyderco (or of course buy a knife) there are a number of places to do so. Find them online here. They’re on Facebook (/Spyderco/), on Instagram (@spyderco_inc) and on YouTube too. Believe it or not they’re on Tumblr as well, which is pretty kewl (though we should warn you guys who’re deployed — this Tumblr page has no naughty bits on it). Hell they’re even on Pinterest, which we used to think was for insect collectors and dependapotamuses but apparently is something to keep an eye on. There’s some other places you can find ’em (Google +, Twitter, etc.) but honestly we’ve done enough for you already. If you want ’em you’ll just need to use some Google Fu — seriously, lazyass, we shouldn’t have to do everything for you.

Lead photo by Kyle Wright from a Spyderco contest.

Happy birthday, guys.

Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!

More about Propper: Propper was founded in 1967 by William T. Propper, an entrepreneur with a passion for manufacturing. With hard work and a dedicated staff, Propper eventually landed its first government contract with the U.S. Navy, manufacturing caps known as “Dixie cups.” As the years marched on, they grew their business – and their reputation for quality.
Today, Propper continues to design and manufacture gear for tactical, law enforcement, public safety and military professionals that works right, right when it’s supposed to. Checkout our shenanigans with them at this year’s SHOT Show here. Follow ’em on Instagram, @wearpropper. They are also on Facebook.

The post MNKF: Spyderco Turns 40 appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

OLEAN, NY based EK Commando Knife Co. recently notified us they are releasing the Ek/Spartan Dagger for limited production.

It’s hard not to like a knife from a company called Commando. Hell, it’s hard not going commando.

Anyway, here’s what they tell us about the new blade. We haven’t used one, haven’t even seen on in person. We’re just passing it along without opinion.

Ek Commando Knife Co. is proud to announce the release of the limited production Ek/Spartan Dagger, an Ek Commando Knife and Spartan Blades collaboration.

A commando.

The Ek/Spartan Dagger is made from CPM S35VN. It has a black tungsten DLC coated blade that measures 6”. The overall length of the Dagger is 10.8125”. The handle material is G10 and the sheath is made of MOLLE compatible nylon cordura. The Ek/Spartan Dagger is made in the USA.

Another view of a commando.

Ek Commando Knife Co. and Spartan Blades will each have 200 daggers that include a serial number.

The Ek/Spartan Dagger has an MSRP of $385. The Ek/Spartan Dagger is now available at EkKnives.com and SpartanBladesUSA.com

Product Specs:

Manufactured: USA

Overall Length: 10.8125”

Blade Length: 6”

Bulk Weight: 0.60 lb

Handle: G10

Blade Stamp: Spartan/Ek Commando Knife Co.

The commando.

Steel: CPM S35VN

Black Tungsten DLC Coated Thickness: 0.1875”

Grind: Hollow

HRC: 58-60

Angle: 20°

Sheath: Nylon Cordura, MOLLE Compatible

This dagger will run you $385.00 If you are interested in purchasing your own, you can getcha one right here.

Here’s some history on the company, assuming you’re interested. If not, fine, waste the time we spent on it.

Ek Commando Knife Co. or Ek Knives was a combat knife manufacturer founded by John Ek in 1941. Following several changes in ownership, in May 2014 Ek Knives was purchased by Ka-Bar who began selling their versions of Ek knife designs in 2015. Although not officially issued gear, Ek Knives have seen use by US Forces in 6 major conflicts: World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Iraq War. Ek Knives manufactures Bowie style blades, daggers, and a Fairbairn-Sykes MkII.

If you would like to learn more, you can use yer mouse and click here to be directed to their website. You can connect with them on Facebook here, Twitter here, and Instagram right here.

Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!

The post MNKF: Ek Commando Spartan Dagger Limited Release appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

“They glided out of the heat-haze on their camels like specters. There were twenty of them, and they were Tuareg. Their faces were hidden by black veils that left only slits for the eyes, and they wore purple robes that fluttered in the desert wind. They carried swords, muskets and seven-foot iron spears, and wore stilettos in sheaths on their left forearms. They were an impressive, sinister sight.”― Michael Asher, Death in the Sahara: The Lords of the Desert and the Timbuktu Railway Expedition Massacre

The new TOPS Knives Desert Nomad came out a bit ago. It’s different from a lot of their knives because it’s stainless steel instead of 1095 and it has a full handguard instead of just a finger guard.

The manufacturer describes it thusly.

It is a solid tactical design with well-thought features. The splitter on the pommel provides a less-than-lethal strike point and works well for prying. There is an aggressive full-hand guard to prevent slipping with holes for lanyard options. The blade is long enough for slashing cuts with a tip design that provides strength and penetration power. It’s a combat-oriented design perfect for entry and small space conflicts.

Desert Nomads: Fixed Blade Specs

MSRP: $220
Overall Length: 11.75”
Blade Length: 6.5”
Cutting Edge: 5.6”
Blade Thickness: 0.19” (3/16”)
Blade Steel: 440C RC 58-60
Blade Finish: Tumble
Handle Material: Black G10
Knife Weight: 10.8oz
Weight w/Sheath: 16oz
Sheath Material: Black Leather
Sheath Clip: Belt Loop
Designer: TOPS Team

The Desert Nomad ships with a leather sheath.

Learn more on the TOPS Knives website.

Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!

The post MNKF: Desert Nomads Are Coming appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

So it looks like longtime badass (and Ranger Hall of Fame inductee) “Mad Max” Mullen has a new signature series knife available: the Mad Max Mullen Maximus Fighting Knife. How’s that for some alliteration?

Grunts: alliteration.

The Maximus was inspired by MSG (Ret) H. “Mad Max” Mullen and is a numbered, limited edition. The knife is 11” long, with the blade taking up 6” of those. The blade is 3/16th” thick 1095 steel with a Black Texture powder coat, features tri-color G10 handles and ships with a Nylon Sheath.

Don’t like leather except for your pants and gimp ball? You can add a Kydex sheath for $25. Without the sheath, the price is $195. If you want one of these, you can call Justin Gingrich at 507-230-0398 or email him at justin@gingrichtactical.com for PayPal orders. You gotta put 50% down now with balance due upon delivery, which is currently 8-12 weeks.

“Mad Max” Mullen, MSG (ret.), the inspiration for this knife, is a 2013 (75th) Ranger Hall of Famer. He was a Ranger Instructor, was recognized as a Distinguished Member of the Ranger Training Brigade, co-authored the US Army Combatives Manual and combat dropped (from 500’) onto the island of Grenada with 2/75 during Operation Urgent Fury. He was a Master Parachutist (with CBT star) and received numerous accolades during his career for leadership and ability. For instance, at one point his Ranger rifle platoon had the highest number of EIB (Expert Infantry Badge) recipients of any other platoon in the Regiment. He self describes as an American first and foremost, Christian second and military veteran third.

He’s also a damned good guy, so we’re glad to share another story of his success.

This guy even has his own action figure, which is just another reason to like him. If you want to learn more about him, you can read more here. You can find him on Facebook here.

Swingin’ Dick, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!

About the Author: Richard “Swingin’ Dick” Kilgore is half of the most storied celebrity action figure team in the world (and the half that doesn’t prefer BBWs). Swingin’ Dick has been a warrior gyrovague for many years now and is, apparently, impossible to kill — he once had a complete body transplant after an IED hit the gun truck in which he was riding. True story, one of the Cav guys mailed his head and arm home. Swingin’ Dick comes from a long line of soldiers and LEOs (his Great Uncle commanded an Air Cav battalion in Vietnam and his many times removed great grandfather was one of the few original Burt Mossman era Arizona Rangers). Swingin’ Dick detests Joy Behar and Chris Matthews almost as much as he enjoys traveling the world to crush crime vice and evil. He believes the opportunity to lead eeeelight team of Breach Bang Clear minions is the most improbably awesome thing an action figure has ever done and he’s immensely proud of his perfect hair.

Loyalty and respect should start from the top down.

The post MNKF: “Mad Max” Mullen Maximus Fighting Knife appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

A Hasbun and Half Face Blades Collaboration, today in Monday Night Knife Fights. Mad Duo

MNKF: Hasbun – Half Face Collab: SEAL Admiral Bowie

Mike the Mook
On May 21, 2016 Vice Admiral Robert S. Harward was chosen to be honored by the SEAL NSW Family Foundation, and was presented with this custom handcrafted Damascus Bowie knife. The knife was designed and built by Andrew Arrabito of Half Face Blades, and scrimshaw was performed by the legendary Presdential scrimshander, Mike Hasbun.

[Photos courtesy of Hasbun]

About Vice Admiral Harward

Vice Admiral Robert S. Harward, Jr. is a U.S. Navy SEAL and a former Deputy Commander of United States Central Command. He served there under the leadership command of General James “Mad Dog” Mattis. He filled a billet as the Deputy Commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command and previously commanded Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435.

Harward assumed command of Naval Special Warfare Group 1 in August 2001 and deployed shortly after September 11, 2001, to Afghanistan. He commanded Task Force K-Bar and directed special reconnaissance and direct action missions throughout the country. In October 2002, Harward deployed as Commander, Task Force 561 where he commanded Naval Special Warfare Task Group Central in Iraq. His forces included all the assets in the Naval Special Warfare inventory and forces from the Polish GROM, the British Royal Marines and the Kuwaiti Navy.

In August 2003 he reported to the Executive Office of the President at the White House and served on the National Security Council staff as the director of Strategy and Defense Issues. In April 2005, Harward was assigned to the newly formed National Counterterrorism Center in Washington, as the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff representative to the Senior Interagency Strategy Team.

From June 2006 to July 2008, Harward served as the Deputy Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and has served multiple combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. On Nov. 3, 2008, Harward assumed the position of Deputy Commander, United States Joint Forces Command.

In 2011, Harward was reappointed to the rank of Vice Admiral and assigned to the position of Deputy Commander, United States Central Command.

About the knife

The knife was designed and built by Andrew Arrabito (Navy SEAL Ret.), owner and bladesmith of his small veteran company Half Face Blades. Half Face Blades wants to take the bladed tools we use in many different walks of life a little further, making functional yet personalized custom knives and tools with a distinct beauty and rugged nature.

These knife bolsters are made from a retired American flag and WW2 wool military uniform.

Jeffrey Case (a Marine from 3/5 with combat tours during the beginning of the Iraq war) sent Half Faced Blades a retired American Flag he carried with him during the war, plus his grandfather’s WW2 wool trousers. Case’s grandfather was a 3/9 Marine who fought in many battles during World War 2 including the Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, Guam and Iwo Jima, and was present for the original flag raising on Mount Suribachi.

Arrabito made these items into a stabilized substance similar to Micarta in order to craft the bolsters for this knife.

The scrimshaw was performed by Presidential Scrimshander Michael Alexander Hasbun.

Hasbun has performed similar work for other Naval Specwar officers as well as for President George W. Bush, President George H.W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Sarah Palin, Lt Col Oliver North, Mexican President Vicente Fox and a host of other VIPs and celebrities. He is known throughout the world for his painstaking photo-realistic detail with regard to scrimshaw and other art forms.

The SEAL NSW Family Foundation was established to support individual and family readiness through an array of programs specifically targeted to assist the Naval Special Warfare community in maintaining a resilient, sustainable, and healthy force in this era of persistent conflict and frequent deployments.

–Mike

Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!

About the Author: Mike “the Mook” Searson is a veteran writer who began his career in firearms at the Camp Pendleton School for Destructive Boys at age 17. He has worked in the firearms industry his entire life, writing about guns and knives for numerous publications and consulting with the film industry on weapons while at the same time working as gunsmith and ballistician. Though seemingly a surly curmudgeon shy a few chromosomes at first meeting, Searson is actually far less of a dick and at least a little smarter than most of the Mad Duo’s minions. He is rightfully considered to be not just good company, but actually fit for polite company as well (though he has never forgotten his roots as a rifleman trained to kill people and break things, and if you look closely you’ll see his knuckles are still quite scabbed over from dragging the ground). You can learn more about him on his website or follow him on Twitter, @MikeSearson.

The Mook doing his Boondock Saints thing (and accurately, perhaps not surprisingly).

The Mook, many years ago. We think this was taken sometime during the Banana Wars.

The post MNKF: Hasbun – Half Face Collab: SEAL Admiral Bowie appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

JTF Awesome member Freedom Munitions — This evening’s Monday Night Knife Fight is brought to you in its entirety by FREEDOM MUNITIONS.

Like Magua on a Little Bird: the Winkler Operator

A Classic Blade for the Modern Warrior

by Anthony Winegar

What if I told you that you could have a knife that looks equally at home in a buckskin sheath on Magua’s beaded woven belt as it does on a nylon MultiCam plate carrier flying through a war zone on the side of a dark-skinned Little Bird?

Such a knife exists.

I select knives based on looks and manufacturer. Yep, I am unabashedly that shallow, and although it seems contradictory I also need a blade to accomplish simple tasks but remain unnoticeable when not in use. I need different blades for different tasks, and when one blade can accomplish those tasks and has the classic American style I love so much, I’m in.

Enter the Winkler Operator, a short-bladed belt knife with a classic American design for the modern era.

The Operator was designed by an actual operator, who wore the official title as it was originally coined. He has seen action as a Navy SEAL, a law enforcement officer, and an Army Special Operations soldier at the highest level. More importantly for Winkler Knife end users, however, is that the designer not only understands knife and tomahawk designs but also chose to work with Daniel Winkler. Winkler, of course, is the is the guy who can make it all happen. The four inch distal-tapered Operator was born from their joint expertise and love of classic knife designs (the Operator’s blade shape is similar to some early British trade knife shapes of the 18th Century).

Photo Credit: woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com

The shorter blade makes it less cumbersome, lighter, and quicker in and out of the sheath. It is an ideal blade length for most knife uses because it has plenty of depth for gutting and skinning while also having plenty of spine for stabbing and cutting heavier materials. The shorter length allows for a multitude of carriage options as well, from horizontal or vertical belt mounting or mounting on kit.

Photo Credit: woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com

Like any good operator, the knife is equally at home on a hunter’s belt or warrior’s plate carrier; it transitions into any situation with ease. The blade is designed to cut and stab, making it useful as both a cutting tool and a self-defense knife, which is where the blade and handle design really shine.

As a law enforcement officer, having a large dagger handle sticking out of my tactical kit doesn’t always fit the situation. Right, wrong or indifferent, I have to be concerned with my image. The shorter handle of the Operator fits right in as anything from a useful flex-cuff cutting tool to the covert self-defense edged weapon described above (you can get a sheath from Winkler Knives for any of those purposes). The knife also comes standard with a no-glare finish and a choice of wood, rubber, or Micarta handle material. I chose wood; the designer told me that was his favorite handle material because it felt like home, which has always resonated with me.

Take this opinion from a person who is not a knife guy. I bought all of my knives with my own money, including this one. This article is short because I can’t tell you about carbon composition, ideal tang length, etc. I sharpen my knives with stones and hone them with the bottom of ceramic coffee mugs. I gut and skin deer, and cut rope, flex-cuffs and seatbelts with my knives. I trust the craftsmen and experts to tell me what will work for my needs. The Operator does everything I need in a fixed blade. It is an everyman’s knife that effortlessly melds into the everyman persona.

If you’re in the market for the same, try it out. You can find Winkler Knives online here.

freedom_JTF_Alpha000 — This article (and lets face it, it was awesome) was brought to you by Freedom Munitions. Click the picture and buy some bullets dammit.

About the Author
Although he looks like he’s about twelve years old (even with the beard), Anthony Winegar is actually a seasoned, long-time law enforcement officer with a federal land management agency. Despite working in a major metropolitan area for the past fifteen years, his major areas of study have always focused on rural operations (with a special love for tactical tracking and fieldcraft). He is a firearms and use of force instructor whose major criminal apprehensions have included armed robbers, rapists, suicidal subjects, poachers and artifact looters. The study of tactics, techniques, and procedures for criminal apprehension in rural environments has been (and remains) his true professional passion – to that end he has trained with and sought instruction from a veritable wish list of military and civilian specialty and SOF units and teachers. The unique demands of law enforcement activity in his jurisdiction have given him the opportunity to work alongside personnel from unusual agencies in the conduct of a few singularly interesting operations. Those experiences have given him some rare insight, though sadly they’ve yet to help him start shaving any more often. Winegar is one of those primitive weapons nerd who enjoys knapping, fletching and assorted similar tool building activities. This ~~obsession~~ hobby allows him to bloviate at length about such things as the relative merits of oak foreshafts, pine pitch glue, river cane arrow shafts as well as the varied properties of turkey feather fletchings and whiteail sinew. Unfortunately it also has the tendency to set him at odds with many of the Mad Duo’s other minions, who’d just as soon go hunting with an SBR and a spotlight from inside the warmth of a pickup cab.

The post MNKF: Like Magua on a Little Bird – a Classic Blade for the Modern Warrior appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

We all know what happens when you give an Australian a knife. So of course, we set out to do just that. Learn about some old school cutting practice tonight on Monday Night Knife Fights. Mad Duo

Monday Night Knife Fights: Old school Cutting Practice

Apocalypse Josh

There are all kinds of cool-guy articles about putting lead to steel at the range, also many articles with serious-looking folks in pajamas bending arms and throwing bodies. But something I haven’t seen a lot of are action shots of the Japanese training method known as “tameshigiri“, or practice cutting. Much like ballistic gel is used to simulate how bullets react to human flesh for firearm testing, the practice of tameshigiri involves cutting practice on a realistic simulation of human flesh, without all the mess (and paperwork). I have fifteen years of kendo (Japanese full-contact fencing) and hold a 3rd Dan grading, but even with all that my school never trained with live blades nor practiced tameshigiri. So whilst I had countless hours of swinging at and hitting my opponents, we did so in the knowledge that it was all blunt-force. Again, we were simulating combat, and simulating cutting.

I am fortunate enough to know a senior instructor of a different art, iaido, another modern Japanese martial art and sport that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to a sudden attack. But whilst its practitioners use metal blades, and at advanced levels, live blades, they don’t participate in full-contact opposed combat. Because, well, dismembering your training mates is poor form. They do occasionally practice tameshigiri however, to test the techniques they are performing. The targets are made of wet, tightly rolled tatami mat sheets, which need to be cut correctly or they bind up or crumple, immediately demonstrating an ineffective technique.

I have quite a collection of pointy and slicey things, and when my friend suggested I come over and not only try my skill but also test my blades, I was only too happy to bring them along. As well as a traditional style Japanese sword (which, no, doesn’t cut through tanks, no matter what the Internet tells you) I tried out my Zombie Tools Deuce sword, my Cold Steel Gladius and my Boker-Plus Tomahook tomahawk. Non-traditional blades from a variety of cultures, all in modern interpretations and used in a traditional style.

This was my chance to put into action, in a realistic way, the skills I have practiced in the dojo, and to trial how different blades handle a flesh-like material in a controlled way. I’ve done test cutting on different sides of meat, which was quite informative but inconsistent. Anyone who’s spent any time doing combatives will tell you that for best results, training needs to be repetitive to back up lessons learned. Failure brings better understanding, and having consistent targets like the tatami mats used in tameshigiri gives a similar effect to using standardized targets on a shooting range.

Not all blades are created equal, just as no firearm is, nor the wielder themselves. Even the best-made blade in the wrong situation or in unfamiliar hands may not work nearly as well as a different style, used differently, in the same situation. You don’t use a Barrett M82 to hunt sparrows, and you don’t use a tack-hammer to break a boulder. However, the principles are the same and you can train using the same methods. I found that test-cutting on tatami mats really indicated the principles that my kendo had taught me. The concept of ki-ken-tai-no-icchi which translates as “spirit-sword-body as one”. A good comparison would be the four fundamentals of marksmanship: “steady position, aiming, breathing, trigger squeeze”. A well-made cut will cleave the tatami, an off-kilter cut will fail.

With a blade, probably the most important aspect of cutting is getting the angles right. This is known as hasuji, in Japanese martial arts, the correct cutting angle of the blade as it passes through the target. Just as a a lumberjack learns to chop effectively, a chef learns to slice and a butcher to carve, the wielder of a blade must learn, and practice, to cut effectively. Whether it is a double-handed sword, a machete, a long bladed knife of a tomahawk, (which, I have to say, was the hardest to cut cleanly and straight with) actual cutting of targets is the truest test I have found to test my training.

It’s one thing to cut sides of meat, which is obviously a true representation of cutting a person, but it’s an expensive proposition. Cutting corpses or live human targets is obviously out in the vivisected world. All manner of fruit and vegetables could be cut. Free standing lengths of ships rope, water filled bottles, and a variety of other materials could be the cutting target. For my mind though, the truest and most reproducible test is cutting something consistent, tried and true.

The tatami mats I was cutting were calibrated to simulate human bicep and neck, from a flesh simulation perspective. We didn’t insert a green-bamboo core, to simulate bone in these efforts, but the principle is the same. When properly executed, a sharp blade passes through the mats like a hot knife through butter. Not effortless, but just about. My years of training came together and my blades sang.

Whether you intend to take a big blade into the field, practice a sword martial art of some kind, swing hatchets or tomahawks, have any of these strapped to your webbing or even just hanging on your wall after a trip to mall-ninja HQ, do your self a favour: get some instruction, pay attention, and when you’re ready, do some live-blade cutting in a controlled, supervised situation.

These may be archaic weapons, they may have very little place in the rank and file of modern warfighting, but they’re still effective in the right situations. They are effective tools worth mastering if you are planning to carry one, or anything like it. Practice. Train. Be effective.
-AJ

Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!

About the Author: Josh Orth is a second generation expat currently dwelling in the arguably civilized outskirts of Melbourne, Australia. He’s lived in deserts, jungles and urban sprawls around the world and traveled/adventured into assorted inhospitable places around the world and has a keen sense of the speed with which the trappings of ‘civilized Western life’ can disappear. This has led him to begin writing about his interests and observations when it comes to the gear, skills and other necessities of self reliance of being equipped for whatever a capricious, occasionally indurate life might throw at him. This isn’t by any means to say our eccentric friend truly experiences genuine vorfreude about dystopian life, but if he had to he might not complain. Read more by Josh at Apocalypse Equipped.

Grunts: vorfreude.

We’re not saying Josh flies a PL-12 Airtruk. We’re just saying this guy and Josh have never been seen in the same room together at the same time.

The post MNKF: Old school Cutting Practice appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

Monday Night Knife Fights: The Shiv

Craig Metzger
The term “shiv”, as most of us know, relates to a stabbing instrument fashioned from ordinary objects usually found in prisons. The classic shivs are fashioned from toothbrushes, broken glass, found metal and for the artisans, rolled paper (arts and crafts for the criminally inclined).

(Check out CorrectionsOne for some great examples)

Sometimes we get a bit caught up in fancy folders and limited edition stabbers, but there’s something interesting about these “homemade” single-purpose instruments. I’ve always been intrigued by the design and ingenious approach to fashioning these “blades”. Disturbing and frightening as they might be, it’s still worth understanding the concept to further build your knowledge base for, if nothing else, self preservation. Yes, there are instructors out there who have studied and been surrounded by those in society’s underbelly and are willing to teach the dark arts, whether it’s for understanding your opponent or as just another building block in your training.

(You can buy this collection for a “small fee”, shipping is extra)

I had picked up a “shiv” or a boot-knife that was fashioned from an old saw blade and made by Ru Titley a year ago. The blade is 3.5mm high carbon saw blade steel 175mm overall (6.8 inches) with 70mm edge (2.7 inches). The handle is wrapped in Technora cord. Technora cord is abrasion resistant, UV resistant and doesn’t stretch.

The kydex sheath was designed for multiple carry options. The extra rivet holes allow for various belt clips so you could customize how you carry. It’s also thin enough to disappear or run along the belt.

Yeah it’s a bit more refined than a sharpened piece of fence with a torn bed sheet for a handle, but those are the benefits of not being locked up.

What’s really nice about the size is that it can be tucked away in really sneaky places. Behind mag pouches, between a pouch and chest rig, or of course strapped to your ankle or tucked into a high boot. The great thing about prison shivs is their adaptability and ease of concealment.

Those were the main inspirations in choosing a piece like this. Now, who makes a good rolled paper knife?
-Craig

Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!
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About the Author: Craig Metzger is some sort of evil creative genius who enjoys everything from Billabong to Zev Tech. He’s one of those dudes who mountain bikes, hikes and snowboards with the same enthusiasm he has for spending time on the range, offroading in Moab and attending Renaissance Fairs. He’s definitely our first minion so far to have a subscription to Thrasher magazine. Kyle Lamb (the Viking Tactics Kyle Lamb) really does call him the Tactical Hippie, that’s a true story. Although we cannot confirm rumors that he played the role of Everett in Delta Farce, we can advise you to check out his work on his website or on his blog.

The post MNKF: The Shiv appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

EOTech, from L3, is a member of JTF Awesome — Today’s article was brought to you in its entirety by EOTech, a member of Joint Task Force Awesome

MNKF, Review: CRKT Stiff KISS

Apocalypse Josh
It’s no secret that I’m fond of my pointies. I’m usually the go-to blade person around the office, in the labs, in the campsite or in the pool. Need someone to shoot out a spotlight? I’m not the guy. Need to butcher a pig or cut a birthday cake? I’m your guy. Airport security does NOT like me.

This is the Columbia River Knife & Tool Stiff K.I.S.S. by Ed Halligan. Keeping to the principles of its name, this blade has been engineered to Keep It Super Simple. The blade is made of a single piece of 8CR13MoV stainless steel, reportedly hardened to Rockwell of between 55-57, and the entire piece is titanium nitride-coated for protection. It comes with a Zytel injection-moulded sheath and belt adapter. Unfortunately the Stiff KISS is no longer in production, although they can be picked up online, and CRKT offers a next generation of it, in the Sweet KISS.

The blade features the same tanto-tip and straight blade as the folding version, and the same serration patterns but with a considerably longer blade, following the same elegant lines. The handle is skeletonised and features two lanyard holes midway, and a third in the pommel end. I have added a paracord wrap which gives it some nice body, and a good positive grip. I keep this blade in my car, along with my “bug-out-bag”. It goes camping, to picnics and on hikes with me. One of the things I especially like about it is how light it is in the hand.

Its slim cross section is sufficient to ensure it’s able to cut and slice, and the back of it is flat like its smaller folding sibling, which gives it an even slighter profile. The blade is stiff even for its thickness, which I suspect is due to the steel and temper, but I wouldn’t want to use it as a pry bar. Best leave that to actual pry-bars, frankly. I have been able to punch holes in cans for drainage however, and the finger notch and thumb-groves on the spine make for a very sturdy and secure grip even when wet. A nut affixed to the blade around the midline acts as the friction lock to keep the knife firmly in its Zytel sheath, as well as being a good rest point for the thumb during delicate cutting.

The sheath is well made, including a selection of lashing points both for cord and a pair of webbing-sized holes as another option. The final attachment option is the steel clip, which used to have an option for fitting at the bottom for a downwards draw but now appears to only attach at the middle, for an upwards draw.

I keep mine behind my sun visor, because of its slim lines, low weight and utility. It sits out of sight, out of the way, and ready should I need it. The knife has cut and shared more than one roadside meal, it’s cut ropes, dispatched car-struck mortally wounded animals on occasion and generally been put to a variety of small but important tasks.

Want a pry bar? get a pry bar. Need to cut down a tree? Get an axe. Have sentry problems? This might well do the trick, but I’d leave that to the professional hard-men. Need a general purpose knife? Get a Sweet KISS.

-AJ

This article was brought to you by EOTech, a member of Joint Task Force Awesome

Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!

Grunts: vorfreude.

We’re not saying Josh flies a PL-12 Airtruk. We’re just saying this guy and Josh have never been seen in the same room together at the same time.

The post MNKF: A Review of the CRKT Stiff KISS appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

Monday Night Knife Fights: The Blade-Tech “Riptide” Karambit Folder
Matt Stagliano

Curved blades are nasty. Acting like a razor sharp talon, they can be used to pull, slice, stab, and slash their way out of tough situations.

Since I was first introduced to the karambit at a week-long class with Steve Tarani, I’ve been a believer in their efficacy and have been carrying one daily. My folder of choice? The Blade-Tech Riptide Karambit. By no means do I tout myself as the human Cuisinart that Tarani is, but his mantra for increasing your chances in a fight is to perform two moves in two seconds. With the Riptide and its Emerson Wave feature, I can easily get the knife out of my pocket and deployed in less than a second, faster than any of my other folding knives. In fact, I tore it out of my pocket and tossed it onto to the table for some photos – no cleaning, no adjusting.

An Emerson Wave on a Karambit? Yeah, in fact Emerson has their own version that I’ve lusted after for quite a while, but never pulled the trigger. They licensed the Wave patent to Blade-Tech for the Riptide, as well as several other models. If you’re unfamiliar with the Wave, it’s described on the Karambit.com site:

This “wave shaped” hook-like opener on the back of the blade is used to catch the edge of the pocket as it is drawn, allowing it to be instantly opened as it is removed. In a situation where precious seconds count, this is the advantage you need in your pocket!

The unique design of the Riptide Knife features a rarely seen double curved blade, where the second curve acts as a large serration for massive ripping power.
—

The slightly serrated design of the blade annoyed me visually at first. But after thinking about how a curved blade cuts through materials, having the double curve actually makes some sense when you’re all about the ripping and the tearing. While I haven’t tested on actual flesh like I did with other knives in training with Tarani (it was hog flesh, before you get all PC on me), I’m looking for the right opportunity in the upcoming hunting season.

The blade itself appears thin and while I wouldn’t use it as a prybar like I would a Strider, I have no concerns of it snapping under moderate stress.

The ring is generously sized without feeling too large. I would have liked more aggressive texturing on the grips panels but this knife is built for speed and it’s possible that heavier texture would slow down the deployment and wear out your pocket.

Designed by Mike Vellecamp and with a street price of right around $100, the Riptide is a budget-friendly entry into the folding karambit world without dropping all your coin on more expensive folding hardware like the Emerson, or a high-end fixed blade karambits.

My daily use has it cutting boxes, rope, and the occasional closed end of a cigar. People in traffic may or may not see me absent mindedly flipping it open and closed from time to time.

After about three months of daily carry, the ambidextrous pocket clip hasn’t lost any rigidity, the blade deploys just as fast as it did on Day 1, and I haven’t had to sharpen it. Of course, it lost some of its black finish on the finger ring and clip, but that’s to be expected. I’ve been impressed with how solidly the blade locks into place, and how well it’s retained in the folded position.

I’ve been really happy with my purchase of the Riptide, and while it may not last as long some other knives in my collection, it’s become my daily defensive knife that won’t break the bank when I need to replace it.
-Matt

Specifications:

Overall Length: 7.25” in
Blade Length: 2.5” in
Closed Length: 5″ in
Blade Thickness:0.125″ in
Blade Material: Aus-8
Blade Grind: Plain
Liner Material: Stainless
Lock Type: Liner Lock
Handle Length:5.25″ in
Handle Material: Polymer
Handle Thickness: 0.52″ in
Weight: 4.85 oz
Color/Finish: Black
Extra Features: 4 way reversible pocket clip

Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!
Comms Plan
Primary: Subscribe to our newsletter here, get the RSS feed and support us on Patreon right here.
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Emergency: Activate firefly, deploy green (or brown) star cluster, get your wank sock out of your ruck and stand by ’til we come get you.

About the Author: When Matt Stagliano is not busy scoring with legions of Japanese girls who think he’s Chris Costa or character acting a bit part in cheap Westerns (he usually plays a syphilis-ridden cowpuncher or similar saddletramp) he can be found shooting some of the best photos and video in the tactical/firearms industry. A former Fortune 50 consultant who is (no shit) a former DJ with a degree in Physics he never uses, Matt is not only brilliant behind the lens but also a helluva nice guy with great taste in booze. Oh, and his dog has a fierce, unnatural love for porcupines. Learn more about Firelance online or follow them on Instagram (@firelancemedia). On Facebook here.

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Monday Night Knife Fights: Half Face Blades Crow Scout

One of the in-jokes about the custom knife world is that every knifemaker makes knives for the Navy SEALs. There is some truth to it, or else it would not be funny. However, one small custom shop stands a little bit apart from the rest: Half Face Blades.

Founded by retired Navy SEAL, Andrew Arrabito, Half Face Blades was born out of filling a need for knives with personality in addition to function and lethality.

When we said he stood apart, it’s because he was actually in the Teams. Not too many “SEAL Knife Makers” can say that.

Half Face’s knives have an eerie and antiquated feel about them. They may not have a hand rubbed mirror polished finish or a fancy CERAKOTED camo pattern, but they have the look and feel of a good working knife with an artistic kick. Arrabito is skilled in forging blades and does a fine job at blade engraving on a few models.

Arrabito works primarily in Crucible’s CPM S35-VN. This is a stainless steel said to be an improvement over Crucible’s S30-V. The chemical composition includes vanadium and chromium, and is supposed to offer improved toughness and wear resistance over S30-V. Crucible states that it offers superior edge retention than other stainless steels such as 440-C.

Half Face sent us one of his flagship models, the Crow Scout, to use in our tracking course last month in the wilds of Southeastern Arizona.

The Crow Scout reminds us of a traditional 19th century clip point trade knife in size and shape, but Andy put his own unique style into it and you can tell this design is built on things that were proven and probably as he saw them first hand.

Yet, he still makes his tactical features “artlike”.

Like a trade knife it lacks a guard, but Arrabito puts a nice good-sized choil as a safety feature to prevent your hand from slipping forward should you be working in a wet environment (caused by water, oil or blood).

Robust filework which looks aesthetically pleasing actually fits the bill as traction grooves on the spine, too.

We had a timeless design made in the best modern materials: a razor sharp blade, an ergonomic G10 handle and a leather sheath.

Yes, that’s right, a leather sheath.

When we signed up for Jim Grasky’s and Freddy Osuna’s classes, we were anticipating a journey back in time and envisioned ourselves riding through the Southwest with a brace of Single action Colts or Rugers, a lever action carbine and a period style blade.

That is, until we had heard that the Cartel dumped a body in our AO a week prior.

A Smith & Wesson M&P with a lot of magazines and a Chiappa Rhino in 357 replaced the brace of Colt six guns and a Sionics Carbine with a rig full of 30-round magazines stood in for our saddle ring Winchester, but our Crow Scout in it’s period leather sheath remained a constant.

Like his blade work, Arrabito’s sheath work is outstanding. As a maker, he truly embraces all of the craftsmanship that goes into a knife.

As a knife the Crow Scout seems to fall into that sweet spot. It is light, fast in the hand and capable of just about anything you throw at it. Too many fighting knives tend to go overboard on size. When you’re in the Fleet or the Field or Off the Grid and every last ounce counts, you won’t leave this one behind to carry more water.We found it to be the perfect fixed blade for carry.

The sculpted G10 made for a very ergonomic design in the forward and reverse grip.

This was one of those knives you pick up and never want to put down.

We particularly liked the oversized lanyard hole because it actually works should you need to attach a lanyard while wearing gloves or don’t have midget sized dick beaters. It seems too many “tactical makers” make these holes so small that you need a needle and thread to get paracord into them!

Overall length: 8.75″
Blade length: 4.25″
Handle length: do the math (and show your work)
Blade steel: CPM S35vn
Rockwell Hardness: rc61
Handle: G10

[You can find Half Face Blades online here]

Breach-Bang & CLEAR!

This Post is part of our Trails Found Series. What is Trails Found? Members of BreachBangClear and some other badass media outlets assembled together this last September to train with one of the last of what has been called the “old Border Breed”, in the desert of Arizona. That man they were training with was no other than the legendary Jim Grasky. In 1965 Jim Grasky was a young Special Forces soldier in Vietnam, then in 1970 he was a the squadleader for a team of smoke-jumpers parachuting in to fight remote wildfires. For about a quarter century after that he was a Border Patrolman, and literally named BORTAC. Though Grasky is a man of many talents, one of his specialties is man tracking–which is why he developed programs specifically for USSOCOM and has taught the world over. Through your various social media outlets you can track other articles and photos related to Trails Found by searching for #TrailsFound16 and #GoodGearMatters.

The post MNKF: Half Face Blades Crow Scout appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

[This post brought to you in it’s entirety by Gemtech, a member of JTF Awesome]

Monday Night Knife Fights: Sentinel Gear SKOLL Short
Craig Metzger

Sentinel Concealment Gear specializes in making concealable fixed blades. These blades tend to be purpose driven in terms of self defense or as a back-up blade to your trusty CCW blaster. I’ve been following Sentinel Gear on IG and got inspiration for a custom take utilizing two of their models as inspiration. I envisioned a combination of their Palm Shank and the Skoll. I wanted the blade to be 2.5 inches long with an overall length of 6 inches. This size would allow for ease of concealment in various configurations ranging from behind the belt buckle to inside a pocket. The blade size would provide just enough bite to create distance in the unfortunate circumstance someone tries to tuck you in for a dirt nap.

The Persian style blade is a brutal cutting shape. The upper portion of the blade is sharpened about an inch while the rest of the top portion provides a platform to choke up on the grip. The blade is a chisel grind. Chisel grinds tend to be stronger, more effective in cutting and easier to sharpen. The scales are G10 with a rough cut to provide exceptional grip. The kydex sheath came with an IWB clip with a few rivet holes to customize how you carry. I’ve been carrying it with a cord that loops around a belt or internal hook in a pocket. This allows a quick break away from the sheath. The method also keeps it more low profile and allows quick adjustments. It takes a bit of time to figure out the proper length of the draw but I’m finding it works with this particular blade.

The steel is 1095 which is great for holding an edge. However, you need to maintain 1095 blades to prevent rust, so Sentinel Gear has cerakoted the entire knife and the finish is high quality. The blade is fairly thick to increase strength and has enough weight to feel comfortable and stable when doing hand work.

When practicing with the knife the first thing you notice is how comfortable the blade is. The ergonomics are superb and when striking hard targets the blade remained stable in the hand. The blade is ultra sharp and cuts with ease. The upper side being sharpened allowed for pulling maneuvers that delivered pretty deep slashes for a small surface. I didn’t use the blade for every day cutting duties; you obviously can, but the knife is a purpose-driven tool.

Sentinel Gear is a small knife maker so be prepared to be patient, because wait times vary. Check with their site for the most updated wait times. You can request customizations to the blades, but your wait time will increase. In my opinion it’s worth the wait. A nice thing about this custom knife is that they are now offering it as preorder if you’re interested.

Don’t cut yourself, friends.

-Craig

Breach-Bang & CLEAR!

Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!
Comms Plan
Primary: Subscribe to our newsletter here or get the RSS feed.
Alternate: Join us on Facebook here or check us out on Instagram here.
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Emergency: Activate firefly, deploy green (or brown) star cluster, get your wank sock out of your ruck and stand by ’til we come get you.

The post MNKF: Sentinel Gear SKOLL Short appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

Monday Night Knife Fights: G10 Face Stabber, The Senka
Craig Metzger

A few months ago I talked about shivs and today I’m going to look at plastic knives, specifically the G10 sculpted sticker by Sentinel Concealment Gear. Most of us see plastic knives as a sneaky way to elude metal detectors or wand-waving security ninjas in non-permissive environments. These plastic cutters are last ditch protection when you’re toe-to-toe with some not-so-nice folks. You can’t whittle with these or fashion a bushcraft style shelter, but you can give a bad dude a nice little reminder he fucked with the wrong person.

The origin of these plastic stickers is all over the place, and depending on who you talk to, you get a different story. They range from working with explosives to covert weapons for individuals straight out of an espionage movie. There’s no shortage of designs or materials and with a quick search you can find all sorts of options and prices range from $8USD to $65USD. With that in mind let’s look at this sculpted piece of bad assery, The Senka.

Senka is a Croatian (Serbian in origin) word meaning shadow. This is a fitting name for this point-driven instrument. The blade is made entirely of G10 and sharpened to a point with a chisel grind for added strength. You can’t cut anything with the blade portion because its main purpose centers around point-driven methodologies. Of course you can open letters with it, and maybe those Amazon Prime boxes. But make no mistake, this last ditch tool is meant for soft targets on criminal types who need a little extra coaxing to back off.

The Senka measures in at 6.5 inches with a thickness of .5cm (.20in). The handle is wrapped in nylon cord for improved grip. The sheath material is Kydex and features a small curve that allows a quick pocket draw and it even works from drawing from a sock with this feature. There are two holes drilled into the kydex for a cord in case you want to carry it around your neck or lash to a belt and store in your waistband. There are no metal rivets on the sheath, maintaining that non-metal profile.

Besides all the functionality this edged weapon boasts, it’s aesthetically pleasing. The Senka’s light weight and performance focus make it a great backup knife or extra protection in places where being discreet is paramount.

-Craig

The post MNKF: G10 Face Stabber, The Senka appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

[This post brought to you in its entirety by Gemtech, a member of JTF Awesome]

Monday Night Knife Fights: Three Finger Stabber, the Wilmont K23
Dave Merrill

You may recall that we paid a visit to Wilmont Knives a couple months ago. For Monday Night Knife Fights you’re getting a little more Wilmont, and I do mean little.

It’s called the K23 and it’s handmade by Chris Williams of Wilmont Knives. The K23 was a collaboration between Williams and his apprentice, Justin Thompson. At just 5.5 inches overall with a blade ground from 3/16″ CRU-WEAR steel, the K23 disappears just about anywhere. You probably shouldn’t try to put it in your prison pocket, but it hides nicely on the beltline without adding too much bulk.

For concealment and access, the K23 ships with a custom kydex sheath specifically made for the Spyderco G-Clip. The clip is reversible and has a ton of adjustment. You can wear this baby IWB or OWB, and easily configure it for either dominant or support hand. It’s also noteworthy that the securing hardware sports torx heads instead of hex; torx heads are much harder to strip on screws of this size, so this is only a plus. The clip can also be removed for wear around your neck.

Though the K23 is small, it isn’t hard to keep your hand on it. The jimping on the blade is perfectly placed for the draw, and the G10 grips are contoured just right.

Though she be but little, she is fierce!

The K23 ships already sharpened. And I mean it’s sharp. Like had-to-buy-more-band-aids sharp. No problem slitting the throat of that chili mac MRE with this one.

Though custom blades normally (and justifiably) carry much higher prices, the diminutive K23 retails for $175. So while it’s not exactly a knife you can purchase just by skipping Starbucks for a week, it’s far from unobtanium.

-DFM

[You can visit Wilmont Knives online here]

Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!

About the Author: A combat veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Dave “Mad Duo Merrill” is a former urban warfare and foreign weapons instructor for Coalition fighting men. An occasional competitive shooter, he has a strange Kalashnikov fetish the rest of the minions try to ignore. Merrill, who has superb taste in hats, has been published in a number of places, the most awesome of which is, of course, here at Breach-Bang-Clear. He loves tacos, is kind of a dick and married way, way above his pay grade. You can contact him at Merrill(at)BreachBangClear.com and follow him on Instagram here (@dave_fm).

The post MNKF: Three Finger Stabber, the Wilmont K23 appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

Monday Night Knife Fights: Emerson’s Purpose Driven Knife, the Rhino
Mike the Mook

After building a number of custom tactical knives for the US Navy SEAL teams in the 1980s and 1990s, the Department of the Navy turned to Ernest Emerson to develop a specific knife for what most people imagine when they think of military knives: sentry elimination.

We think this was mostly a product of top Navy brass watching too many movies movies or reading too many Mack Bolan pulp novels when they were in the Naval Academy. If such a task is needed by a military unit, 95% of the time the top choice is a suppressed firearm. For the remaining 5% it is the fighting knife.

Personally, I would rather use a framing hammer, but that’s another story for another time.

The problem with textbook sentry elimination is in the execution. Military manuals and misguided martial arts instructors taught the classic method of drawing the blade across the throat while driving a knee in the back. This might work well in a movie or in a classroom with compliant students, but in reality it means the operator must struggle with the target who’s fighting for his life. It also means drawing the blade toward oneself with an over compensation of strength, which has caused serious injury or death to some attackers (as well as their intended target).

The solution was to design a knife to go into the base or rear of the neck, and for the SEAL to push it forward and away from himself.

Emerson came up with a folding knife that fit the bill and was originally called the SRT (Sentry Removal Tool). It had other nicknames such as the SSDS or the Rhino, because the profile is shaped like the prominent horn of the animal with the same name.

Its one-sided razor sharp chisel ground blade is curved and features a top section which is equally sharp and fully serrated. Emerson crafted a handful of prototypes which were heavily field tested by the SEALs.

One change he was asked to make was the addition of a “grenade pin hole” to keep the blade locked in place because the knives were causing injuries to SEALs when they would unintentionally open on parachute jumps. Grenade pins are actually a little too big, but a paper clip works well.

Two of the knives were destroyed in missions and the remainder have become valuable collector’s items, selling for thousands of dollars. Emerson has made a few of the custom versions over the years for sales at shows to collectors, but these have titanium bolsters and lack the retaining pin hole. Still, they bring as much money as the original military issued versions, which is a rarity in the knife collecting world.

SEALs liked the design, but its intended use and appearance were too hardcore for the Navy Brass to accept in their inventory, so a more genteel design was requested. That knife would be known as the ES1-M and would evolve into the Commander series of knives.
-Mike

The Mook doing his Boondock Saints thing (and accurately, perhaps not surprisingly).

The post MNKF: Emerson’s Purpose Driven Knife, the Rhino appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

Our tamed Australian breaks things. This time–an Mtech. Mad Duo

Monday Night Knife Fights: MTech “Tactical” Tomahawk
Apocalypse Josh

I have a great fondness for hatchets and tomahawk and quite a collection, ranging from the low-key Fuller camping hatchet to the knockabout United Cutlery M48 to the singular Boker Tomahook. A new addition to my armory was the very blingtastic MTech – Tactical axe.

At 36cm (14 1/4″) overall, this is a decently sized chopper and at 650g (1.4lbs) it’s lighter than I expected. It has a black rubberized ABS handle with lightly textured lanyard loop, and is peppered with seven locking bolts and nuts with Torx fittings. The axehead is 18cm (7 1/8″) with a 9cm (3 1/2″) cutting edge. It has a spike on opposite end, interesting secondary edges, and to top it all off it’s titanium anodized to a gold finish.

One thing that struck me was that ABS, which felt really flimsy. Not that it was flexing under my grip, more that it was light and sounded hollow. The black nylon sheath was simple enough, with a press stud retention loop, and press-stud closures at the rear to keep it in place.

The blade was shipped sharp and had a knife edge, with deep secondary grinds not only along the primary face but also a deep inwardly curved bite in the top of the axehead as well as the underside of the beard. The top of the axe features a set of aggressively cut jimping.

I was hard pressed to think of what that top scalloped edge would be useful for, other than an “upwards” axe thrust. However, scalloping the blade inward rather than having it sweep forward into a point like in a Dane Axe seemed counter productive. Perhaps as a branch trimmer? More likely to make it look extra cool and scary. Gold. Plated. Scary.

The edge at the underside of the beard was alright as a down-sweeping cutting edge although it did come back quite close to the very top handholds, and my delicate pink flesh, when using a choked-up grip. There are cutaways in the bottom of the axehead for thumb and forefinger to rest in, and they were well placed. But again, there was no beveling, and the sharp edges seemed too close and unguarded.

At the back of the axehead is a spike, ground down into a diamond cross-section, and down to quite a significant point. I liked the geometry of it, and it certainly had a fair “bite” when punching holes in logs, chipboard and cans.

Overall, the cutting power of the axe was somewhat limited by its lightweight design. The knife-edge blade was sharp with a thin cross-section, chopped into boards well enough and cut through bike tyre like nobody’s business, but on a meaty target like a log it bit and stuck.

Too light to travel deep enough to cleave, too narrow to form a splitting wedge.

I gave the butt-end a strike to test durability and its utility as an impact weapon, and THIS happened. The ABS plastic, which is what LEGO is made out of, shattered at the shock of impact.

It also exposed the inside of the axe handle, which is something else I wanted to mention. Having felt how light and “hollow” it sounded, I had taken the handle apart with my trusty min/Inch TORX screwdrivers, and popped it open.

It turns out that as well as the thin and hollow framed handle, which I could have lived with and probably filled with resin or replaced with a cord-wrap, the handle itself was made of three separate pieces of different steel. One for the Ti-anodized blingtastic head, a powder coated lanyard loop piece at the butt-end, and a plain piece through the middle.

I’m sure that made the fabrication easier. But I don’t know what kinds of steel are in there, and the welds don’t look all that flash to me. I would have some concerns about wailing too hard on a solid door, wall, or even a tree-trunk with this.

Perhaps a metallurgist out there can tell me otherwise, but I’m going to relegate this to the back of the collection and save the serious work for serious tools. It seems my MTech Extreme Cleaver was the exception to the rule that these are not hard-use tools.
-AJ

The post MNKF: MTech “Tactical” Tomahawk appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

Yes, the “BT41” is a letter opener…. sure. Mad Duo

Monday Night Knife Fights: BT41 “Letter Opener”
Richard Kilgore

B&T Industries is mostly known for their Atlas Bipods and Accu-Ahot monopods. But… letter openers? Admittedly, when we think of letter openers we picture grandpa mumbling over bills, probably using something like this:

But since you’ve already seen the featured image of this Monday Night Knife Fight, you know this ain’t your average letter opener. We doubt ol’ grandpa’s letter opener was made by Spartan Blades, but the BT41 certainly was.

Tha handle and pommel are 300 series stainless steel, and the blade itself is “machined from 440C Stainless Steel given a Rockwell Hardness of C 58-59 with a Cyro treatment followed by Alumina then Ceramic Blast and finally a PVD Chromium coating” (We had to quote it because we don’t entirely know what it means).

In truth, it reminds us a bit of this 90’s classic:

[The Truth is out There]

The BT41 comes with its own sheath, which absolutely can serve as a bludgeon all by itself.

The blade is extracted much the same way you adjust an Atlas Bipod.

You can actually leave it that way for a little extra length if you want.

But really, it’s probably best all the way out ~~and ready for work~~ for opening letters.

It’s noteworthy that the sides do not come sharpened, but the point can easily pierce just about anything. Being made by Spartan Blades, we have little doubt the sides can be razor-ready very quickly if desired.

Either way, it’s a hundred times better than some safety opener sold at Office Depot.
-Swingin’ Dick

[You can visit B&T online here]

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[This article was brought to you by JTF Awesome member Daniel Defense. In case you have been living in a cave or communist country: they’re the semi-subtle-yet-totally-baller AR manufacturer that the free world knows and loves]

The Zero Tolerance ZT 0095BW (Black Wash) has been available in the US for about a year now. Unlike many of ZT’s folders, this one was designed and built “in house,” but the lack of a celebrity name has done nothing to subtract from the quality. It’s a production version of a previous limited edition 0095BW; some people refer to it as the ZT Harpoon Flipper. We prefer ZT Grey Man, and yes we’re using grey with an e. It’s a very nice daily carry folder, and we’re gonna tell you about it.

You’re welcome.

Monday Night Knife Fights: Spotlight on the ZT 0095BW Grey Man

The ZT Grey Man is made in the USA. It’s a little slimmer than many of their other designs (particularly the brawnier models like the ZT0456), and is about the length of a standard pencil (8.4 in.) tip to butt once the blade is deployed.

The flat grind drop point (they describe it as “harpoon style”) combines with a sleeker but broader-bellied blade than we expected when looking at the website. This makes it a great “slicer” (for food prep while camping or backpacking, for instance), though obviously it would work just as well for a wide array of your typical EDC activities: opening packages, pruning in the garden, working in the shop, or, if you’re really lucky, emasculating guys like Mohammed Karrar and William Charles Thomas.

No, we don’t mean metaphorically.

Nice, modern knife – Victorian era book (more on that here).

The action is smooth and crisp, moving on a KVT ball-bearing system, and the Ti handle has a nice blackwash finish — which will quickly scratch (as you can see in these images) if you use it like a tool. (Which, you know, is kinda the point.) It uses a steel tube spacer, a reversible clip (left or right handed, tip-up carry only), titanium frame lock, and a steel lockbar insert so it doesn’t fold up on ya. Lockup is what you’d expect of a ZT production folder, which is to say it works just fine.

The 0095Bw is an open pillar design, which has come in handy a couple of times when we needed to wash fish guts or other viscera out of it, and there’s an overtravel stop so you can’t hyperextend the lockbar…or at least, not easily. Theoretically you could hyperextend it, but you’d have to subject it to some retard-strong mishandling to do so.

There’s a scooped thumb ramp on the spine of the blade, which we appreciate, but given our druthers many of us would prefer a more overt thumb ramp. That’s a matter of personal preference, of course, and isn’t a deal breaker in any event — though if you’re one of those who subscribe to the code duello, we’d recommend looking at some of ZT’s other options.

Grunts: code duello.

There are some people who don’t like the ZT logo on the pocket clip. We respectfully disagree. Mostly because that’s a stupid detail to piss and moan about.

Specs

Made in the USA
KVT ball-bearing opening system
Flipper
Reversible clip (left/right, tip-up)
Titanium frame lock, hardened steel lockbar insert
Decorative pivot hardware
Steel: S35VN, tungsten DLC BlackWash finish
Handle: Titanium, BlackWash finish
Blade Length: 3.6 in. (9.8 cm)
Blade Thickness: 0.121 in. (0.307 cm)
Closed Length: 4.9 in. (12.4 cm)
Overall Length: 8.4 in. (21.3 cm)
Weight: 5.3 oz. (150.3 g)

The ZT Grey Man has an MSRP of $275 right here on their website, but there’s at least one on Amazon here for $229, which saves you enough money for a lap dance and cab fare (or three lap dances and the breakfast buffet at Nancy’s Squat’n’Gobble if you have less discriminating tastes).

ZT Knives is on Facebook, /ZTKnives/, and on Instagram, @ZTknives. They’re likely also on Twitter, but we don’t have the attention span for that.

Hit us up in the comments if you have any specific questions.

Other Perspectives on the ZT0095BW Grey Man

Looking for more info on it? PROTOOL Reviews gave it an overall score of 4.7 (using the 5 categories of Build Quality, Features, Sharpness, Edge Retention, and Value) out of 5 in this review.

The overall tone of this PROTOOLS review of the ZT0095BW was resoundingly positive.

Tactical Reviews published a very thorough review a few months back as well. You can find that one online here.

Tactical Reviews recently published a very well done review of the ZT0095BW a few months ago.

Phil White reviewed this knife on The Firearm Blog as well. Read that here on TFB.

TFB discussed how they liked the ZT0095BW as an EDC knife in the linked article above.

Lastly, if the written word is just too much for you, check out the following video.

More about Daniel Defense: Chances are that if you’re reading this page, you’re at least familiar with AR-15’s. Most all of us here at BreachBangClear have carried AR’s or M4’s in professional capacities the world over, and we’ve even managed to learn a thing or two about guns along the way. We won’t sell you a line of shit–Daniel Defense is definitely a go-to manufacturer for us and has been for a long time. It’s easy to go cheaper (note that we didn’t use the term ‘inexpensive’) but much harder to do better. We are proud and enthused to have them in JTF Awesome, and it’s through JTF Awesome we make this all possible. Read about our exploits with them at SHOT Show, be sure to visit their homepage here, and give them a follow on Facebook and Instagram.

The post MNKF: Spotlight on the ZT 0095BW Grey Man appeared first on Breach Bang Clear.

In this evening’s installment of Monday Night Knife Fights we’re gonna give you a look at an edgy threesome. Not MFM or MFF in porn parlance, but rather our own version of FFF…Folder, Folder, Folder. Here’s some keen insight (see what we did there) about something new from Jake Hoback Knives, the Benchmade Presidio II and the latesst Kershaw Leek. You’re welcome. Mad Duo

Monday Night Knife Fights: Keen Insight I – Folding Knives For Fun and Fighting

by Jake “Slim” Call and Richard Kilgore

1. Jake Hoback Knives MK ULtra Second Run

This isn’t so much a new product announcement as it is a, “Hey dude, do you want ’em to do these?”

Last Jake Hoback Knives they did a limited run of MK Ultras in anodized aluminum with a natural finish. Right now they’re trying to decide if anyone would be interested in another limited run, this time in William Gregor‘s Titanium. They’re apparently looking at a variety of finished, including DLC (Diamond Like Coating) Black Fallout, DLC Black, and Camo.

The MK Ultra in any material/color combo is JHK’s smallest knife yet (you can see it in the picture compared to their Kwaiback). It has a Ti frame (.125 in. thick), with a blade that will be equally…well, thin. They type of steel to be used has yet to be decided. Overall length is 6.25 in., blad length is 2.5in., closed length is 3.6 in., and weight will likely be in the vicinity of 1.9 oz. You’ll be able to carry it tip up, right- or wrong-handed. It’ll have pivot thrust bearings (*snicker*), hardened stainless bearing races, standard sized screws for ease of replacement, the Hoback lock insert, and 17-4 pivots and standoffs (which have a +.0002 tolerance, just like your mom).

Says Hoback,

“Experience gained through 12 years of knife-making guided me in building this knife. Everything was thought out and engineered to make it as strong as reliable as possible.”

You can weigh in on the matter here or check out the video down below.

2. Benchmade Presidio II

Benchmade Knives tells us their new Presidio (the Presidio II, believe it or not) has a 150% strength increase over its predecessor, making it what they describe as one of their strongest Axis knives to date.

As Benchmade tells it, “While the original Presidio has ample lock strength and has been trusted and reliable tool of military and law enforcement for many years, we are pleased to say that the new 570 performed exceptionally well.”

How they define that 150% increase we’re unsure, but since the previous Presidio was a pretty nice edgy-stabby-carve’em tool, we have high hopes for the II — unfortunately there aren’t as yet any details on the Presidio II’s specific page yet.

You can see the entire lineup of new Benchmade knives here online.

See the video below.

3. Kershaw Leek

Kershaw Knives actually has a couple different types of Leek, including the recently release camo and gray aluminum versions you’ll see shortly.

The newest Leek available is all gussied up into a Sunday-go-to-meetin’ outfit of carbon fiber (which also lightens it considerably, not that it was all that heavy to begin with). Some of you will remember the Leek from it selection as a “Best Buy” by Outdoor Gear Labs last year.

The Carbon Fiber Leek (Model 1660CF) has a blade of CPM 154 steel and a Tip-Lock slider to lock the blade closed when folded. The stonewashed finish blade tapers to a slim (just the) tip, which is great for detail work of going full sewing-needle on some recalcitrant child molester in a manjams and a pakol. Or the creepy dude with the screwed up eye in Legion.

Grunts: recalcitrant.

The Carbon Fiber Leek uses Kershaw’s SpeedSafe ambi assisted opening system and a pocket clip that allows for tip-up or tip-down carry. There’s also a lanyard hole for those of you who favor a dummy cord (as many of us do). Get in on some Kershaw Leek action right here.

Learn more about the Carbon Fiber Leek right here. Check out all their new knives here.

[The Kershaw Leek all cammied up]

[The Kershaw Leek Blackwash (with an L)]

Video below.

Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!

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