How many own/carry "pure combat monster knives"?

Jim March

Jim March

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 7, 1998
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3,018
How many are *mainly* interested in fighters? How many own cutlery that under NO circumstances could be used to dice a pizza in public, and eagerly shop for such especially if they're as "gonzo as possible"?

Spyderco makes ONE such and won't admit it or give it web space on their site (the Civilian). Benchmade won't, neither will many other makers and manufacturers.

My question is, how big is the market? With luck, this thread will hit around 150+ and certain people in the industry will GET A CLUE!?

Jim March
 
My Black Cloud Knives 4th generation fighting bowie is not optimized for anything else but...

It would still be hell on a pizza though.

Benchmade actually does make big gonzo knives, just not very many of them. I just got a 5" Custom Elishewitz Tanto Bali-Song from them, and it is fierce.

Harv
 
The closest I come to the category you describe is a Cold Steel Vaquero Grande. I suspect it will be usefull for slicing pineaples, but I haven't tried that yet.

Oh, I almost forgot: I also own Gerbers Mark I and II, as well as some collection trinkets I acquired when I was a kid, i.e., replica F-S Commando knife and Mark I brass knuckle trench knife.

The fact that I nearly forgot I own these things tells you how important they are to me.

Have you tried the Outsider as a watermelon holder?

David Rock
 
I own a Randall #14 for military duty, also have a Mad Dog on order. I had a 9 inch blade Randall Bowie with a blade grind like a #14 but gave it to my son-in-law. I sure do miss that knife--maybe he will trade me back!
 
These are the kind of knives that make life worth living! I have some Black CLouds, Polkowskis, a Mad Dog, a Busse, an Emerson (fixed blade). They are the most practical, most comfortable, and most aesthetically pleasing knives I own!
 
devil-1.gif

Does this count?

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Mike Turber
BladeForums Site Owner and Administrator
Do it! Do it right! Do it right NOW!
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Mike: yes
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That's a POTENT beast, that is. Very much "brute force"...nothing wrong with THAT! One thing though, how well does it feel in grip styles that throw the tip "as far forward as possible", like Saber or Dagger or the "Reach" grip? *Seems* like it'd be better for "elbow slightly cocked" massive power strikes...The Outsider can do that too, although it lacks that COOL D-guard. But in return, I think the flexibility I got in "long reach" grips is a good tradeoff - for me. This is DEFINATELY a "your milage may vary" sort of thing...and I would NOT wanna face that critter!

(hmmm...scratches head...) Mike, you're not into the FMAs, are you? My memory says not...I ask because the "FMA Reach" hold (also known as the "Kali grip") might actually work on that thing, sorry, I've forgotten it's name. Try a hold with thumb and forefinger loose and relaxed, grip with the back three fingers and the blade reaching way the hell out there, in line with the forearm. I'm curious as to how well the finger cutouts and D-guard will mesh with that...

Jim March
 
I have the Applegate-Fairbairn Combat Knife from Boker. Never carried it, though. That would be asking for trouble. For more "utilitarian" type of a combat knife I have the U.S.M.C Fighting Knife from Ka-Bar. I think I'm going to order the Vaquero Grande tomorrow.
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My two bits,
Jani
 
I own a Vaquero Grande, 2 Sykes Fairburn fighting knives, Ghurkha Army issue Kukhri, my 26 year old Tris Mares Italian (Inox steel? 8 inch Bowie type blade back serrated) diving knife that I use regularly for camping and other tough chores, (don't dive anymore) and a couple of original British & French Military swords. Don't carry the swords anywhere for obvious reasons.
 
If you've ever looked at a Laci Szabo catalog or his table at a knife show, anything in there from the UUK's to the Jaws series to the Saca Tripas or Manhattaxe definitely fall into the tactical and fighting category.

(eagerly awaiting my Jaws IV on order)
Jason

[This message has been edited by Fenris (edited 25 January 1999).]
 
I guess the knife I used on the hog hunt discused last fall is as brutally useless for anything but stabbing and cutting as any I own.

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-Essayons
 
Well my Vaquero qualifies of course but my EDMF Trench Bowie is much more of a monster. 12"blued blade with a 4" sharpened false edge and a black D guard knuckle grip with paracord wrap and hammer pommel. If I *had* to get into a knife fight it`s the knife I`d grab hands down. Marcus
 
The problem I have is that I make something that I think is going to be a slicing fool of a blade, and give it a name like the "persian fighter", and then someone comes up ot me at a show and goes, "cool. that will dress out a deer real nice."
Right now my favorite sitting along the computer 'toy' is a 9" blade double edged, distal tapered, D-2 fighting bowie i made....just because ;-) Still, most of what I make is smaller hunters, but they all have enough of a tip and belly that they could double as a fighter if need be.

I've carried lots of 'stuff' over the years, from long, slim, Al Mar folders, to custom tactical folders, to a heavy camp knife, a big Buck General or a huge Western bowie....and a Browning Hi-Power or custom .45...... True, some would not come out in polite company, but others got used, maybe not for their intended mission, but used enough that I would know what to do with them if the occassion arose.

I do think there is more of a market for the practical stuff, but I have noticed at shows that if I put a fighter or a big blade out its going to get some attention, and more people are going to pick it up and handle it than anything else out there. They might not buy it, but the interest is there, and it does not have to be a radical design to catch their attention. Just make it clean and serious looking.

madpoet
 
Big honkin blades are AWSOME!

Narly looking freaky fighters RULE!

nuf said.

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Mouse Assassins inc.

 
A big nasty Khukuri. I don't carry the damn thing, of course, but I think I'll take it camping this spring and see how it does. Well, that and the 7" bowie I'm working on now (I know I keep talking about this but at about an hour a week with files it takes time!)
 
Vaquero Grande, CS Trailmaster -- yes sometimes for fun I carry the TM on my hip under my overcoat while grocery shopping, etc., or the 9" Oyabun. Too afraid to carry my higher end stuff for fear of losing/sacrificing it. Having a big Bowe strapped to ya while walking around doing mundane things like picking out pudding is a weird and wonderful feeling. <g>

Brian.
 
Let's see... Blackmoor Dirk (6" double-edge, convex ground blade) & Anaconda I Bowie (8" big belly, wide blade w/Moran edge) both from Blackjack, 8 3/4" Muela bowie w/5" false edge, Gunsite Voyager w/Jim March dremel mod
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, as well as several smaller, more covert pieces.

Unfortunately, Muela does not seem to be actively marketed in the US anymore. It's a shame since they had some really nice large fighters at reasonable prices. Mine has fantastic balance & is FAST -- feels like a natural extension of my arm.

Brian

[This message has been edited by bcaffrey (edited 02 February 1999).]
 
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