Mike,
Thank you so much for looking into this as well and reopenning my thread. And also for setting ground rules "from this day forward".
The review is already posted in the Knife Review Forum- I posted in both forums right at the beginning.
As far as that Gaucho.com site, was that a joke? That site has absolutely nothing to do with me. I don't even have the right software to view it. In fact, I would have to download some program for over 12 minutes just to browse it correctly.
Anyhow, I hope that we are done with this now once and for all. All I wanted to do was update everyone on the progress of Jerry's new A-2 Espada prototype, which- when perfected- I believe will be a boon to F/IMA Espada y Daga afficionados like myself.
I asked for imput on several different knife and sword forums, and put the Espada through every serious test that I could find and it not only survived, but passed with flying colors. Which actually surprised me a little, as I've said before, since this was his first effort at making such a sword. But, I believe, based on my results-
and my twenty years experience in one type of sword work or another- that the Espada could be even better. It could safely be lighter and faster.
Jerry is therefore going to grind another one in 3/16th" A-2 stock and we will see if I'm right. He is also looking into the feasability of using other steels- like CPM-3V- with even higher impact resitance and edge wear values than A-2, to see if an
even lighter, faster, yet fully combat worthy Espada is possible.
I will let you all know what I find- good
and bad.
As far as testing for other makers is concerned, I again make that offer. Jerry and I do not have an exclusive agreement. In fact we have no agreement
of any kind other than that we both share the same goal of furthering the blade fighting arts by creating the best weapons possible.
Jerry Hossom has the balls to put his reputation on the line by allowing myself and others to independantly test and then publicly review his knives for all the world to see. He has never seen one of my reviews before it is posted- feedback yes, Jason and I, just like Don and Matt and the other MA's that he works with, give him that all the way along- and he has
never asked me to change anything that I've written. He has readily accepted criticism and new ideas and put
his money where his mouth is over and over again, ordering new steels and making very expense prototypes for us to test differences in handle shapes, blade shapes, guards, and so on- all to create better fighting blades. Yes, one may argue that a fighting knife is a very individual thing, but all of us players know a real good knife when we play with one, and everyone that has had an opportunity to play with Jerry's blades- from World Class to Tyro- has been blown away by what's coming out of his shop. He should be commended for his efforts, for his commitment to us, the end users.
If other makers out there want to make the same commitment, we are out here ready to help- even privately at first if that is what you want. If any of you makers want to know my credentials for doing this type of testing, I will be happy to provide details privately. But I
will say here that I have been training continuously- empty hands and weapons- since age 6, formally(outside the family) since age 10, in several different arts. That's thirty four years this July. I believe that anyone who has trained with me, empty hands, sticks, blades, or whatever, will attest to the fact that I'm a
serious player. Anyone who is unsure- or simply wants to learn what we know- I've offered before, and I'll offer again now, you have an open invitation to contact me and come train with us at EEMD and see for yourself.
End of Story.
Let's get back to discussing the good stuff
.
Mario
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Gaucho
Tuvo muy mala suerte...se callo en mi cuchillo.
[This message has been edited by Gaucho (edited 03-05-2000).]
