Knife Guide

Knife Guide

In the book there is a complete chapter on training equipment and choosing a fighting or self-defense knife located here.

NEVER USE LIVE BLADES IN PAIRED TRAINING! Even WITH taped blades THEY are too dangerous!

In my opinion the best rubber training knives are, the Applegate/Fairbairn®[1] replicas made of a stiff, durable rubber allowing hard contact while still flexing in a thrust. They are not cheap ($18.00/pair at the time of writing) but they are well worth the money. The wooden tanto is the most commonly found training knife and is sold by practically every martial arts supplier. These tanto work fairly well and are usually inexpensive. If money is tight you can make your own knives. Use any scrap of hardwood, but be sure that the point is well blunted and that you apply a wood sealer to reduce splintering. Aluminum training knives are available from several custom makers[2]. If you become serious about your practice I would suggest buying an aluminum or wooden knife that duplicates your personal carry knife. I make my own training knives with aluminum blades fitted with wooden grips. I sell these and solid hardwood knives in presentation grade figured maple and other exotic woods on special order. Knife is a blunted five dollar folder, and is an inexpensive commercial aluminum training knife.

D~S #6 Cobra Self defense Knife

In high-risk areas I prefer to carry fixed blade knives despite their added bulk and difficulty to conceal. My preference is based on their ready availability, not having to fumble around to open one, and their inherent strength. For practical everyday carry, my knife choice is a Benchmade® CQC-7 or a 910 Stryker, both liner-lock designs. In my continuing search for an ideal fixed blade knife in a reasonable size, with all of the attributes I desired, I contacted my friend Brent Sandow to make my latest knife (17), the D~S #6 as shown here, (top of photo). This is prototype #001, which Brent named the Cobra. This photo is a timeline of sorts, of the evolution of a single design concept as my understanding of the requirements in a self-defense knife matured.

[1] The Applegate/Fairbairn® fighting knife was designed by Colonels Rex Applegate and William Ewart Fairbairn post WII as an improvement of the renowned Fairbairn/Sykes Fighting Knife.
[2] EDGES2® is a company that manufactures the highest quality aluminum knives I have seen.

SAMPLE ONLY - NOT TO BE COPIED OR SOLD