Conrad “Ben” Baker was a problem solver. When special operations troops during the Vietnam War needed a “non-attributable,” or sterile, knife for cross-border reconnaissance and irregular warfare, Baker was uniquely positioned to design and procure their plausibly deniable piece of kit. From this request were born the rare and legendary MACV-SOG knives. Background In…
Category: Knife History
Improvised Weapons for the N(o)PE
Improvised Weapons for the N(o)PE Good read on keeping it REAL and PRACTICAL. Lot of Bullshit artist out there in the “tactical” community looking to make a buck. Caveat Emptor. An old street cop friend of my dad’s told me one time: “Never discount a determined individual with a screwdriver.” One Mind, Any Weapon….
Five Reasons You Should Carry A Fixed Blade
Five Reasons You Should Carry A Fixed Blade Neck Knives, Boot Knives, Swords, Daggers, Cleavers, and Steak knives, oh My! It’s true. Man’s oldest tools have been around forever and are not going away anytime soon. There are thousands of custom knife makers and manufacturers across the globe who are pumping out millions of…
Knife Corner: Deep Pocket Fixed Blade Concealment
Blade Drills: Perfecting the Snap Cut & Thrust
Lately I have been working on some drills with my small “hideout” waist-carried fixed blades: Benchmade CBK and SOG Snarl. Training Notes: Since both of these shivs have an unconventional grip (CBK is a syringe type, the Snarl a single-finger loop, raptor-claw design), striking is a bit more unorthodox than if I were…
The Combative Continuum
As you journey through the world of self-defense you will ultimately discover that few combat systems are compatible. For example, you may have one stance you learned in martial arts and another you learned for knife, another for your pistol and another for your rifle. Soon, your brain becomes jumbled and you have information…
One Mind, Any Weapon: South African Dad Fends Off Carjackers With a Knife
South Africa: Badass dad fends off pack of carjackers with just a knife… When the Chips are Down and the Dindu’s are at the Door (literally) You’re gonna have to FIGHT with whatever you got handy. Never forget the most important word in ANY FIGHT whether it be GUN, KNIFE or FIST is still…
Last Ditch Weapons of the Street
A while back Ed Calderon did a piece with Shawn Ryan on EDC (Pocket Dump) and Improvised Street Weapons or weapons you will typically find people living or working in the streets carrying besides firearms. This could be anything from a simple box cutter to a screwdriver to a sock filled with spark plugs…
Myths about Bringing a Knife to a Gunfight
Myths about Bringing a Knife to a Gunfight If you carry a Handgun for Self-Defense you should dedicate a LARGE block of your monthly training to knife attacks. They happen more frequently than you think and due to Hollyweird and Fantasy Gunfight Training most armed civilians and sadly a large percentage of law enforcement…
Most Common Blade Profiles and How to Choose the Best
MOST COMMON BLADE PROFILES AND HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST Lot of choices out there for Blade types. Just remember: A Knife is a TOOL above all else, not a play pretty or something to show off to your friends. Choose the TOOL that is right for the Job. My 2 cents: I have never…