- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
- Messages
- 1,109
I have been collecting daggers since I was 13 years old. I started with some useless wall hangers and a souvenir my grandfather got in Spain 40, perhaps 50 years ago. I stayed like that for many years until I was old enough and I had my first job. I've moved up since then and here is how my collection stands today:
From left to right:
1) Cold Steel Counter Point II. AUS 8A SS. I like the Tri Ad lock on it and the fact that it is legal to carry in LA(AFAIK) since the blade is less than 3 inches. Not a true dagger, as the blade is only sharpened on one side but close enough.
2) PUMA Sgb Big cat Boot Dagger. It is the smallest fixed blade I have(OL 8''). 440 A SS. I like the overall design. It is the only "Chinese" lady in my collection as it was assembled in China although the claim the blade is made and tempered in Germany.
3) Vehement Knives Plan B. Made in Colorado by Vehement knives with ATS-34 SS. It is extremely well made but it was not what I expected in terms of dimensions(I was expecting the blade to be a bit bigger).
4) Gerber Applegate-Fairbairn combat folder. 154CM SS I was very pleased and surprised when I got this as a present from my wife. It is most unfortunate that due to the restrictions in my area I cannot carry it everyday.
5) Joker Throwing Knife/Boot Dagger . Steel Type: Unsure, says "Molybdenum Vanadium". Made in Spain. Specifically, in Albacete by Joker Knives. Albacete has a long knife making tradition which these guys are taking into the 21st century. Good quality.
6) Aitor Botero("Boot knife"). Another Spaniard. Steel: X42 (INOX 46 CR13) whatever that means? This brand, Aitor, is from the Basque Country in Spain. They have produced knives for the Spanish military meeting NATO specifications for decades. This particular knife served or serves with the Spanish parachute brigade. It did not come with a very sharp edge. I took it to my local knife store and had the false edge sharpened as well. I liked the result. Wicked sharp!
7) Gerber MK 1 35th Anniversary. S30V SS. My favorite. If I were Sultan Suleyman this would be my Hurrem. Since I was 13 years old I have been in the quest to find the "Perfect Dagger", which explains why I have hoarded so many of them for years. As far as production daggers go, I believe I have found the 'holy grail' with this one. I just love how it feels and looks. I do not believe my quest has ended, though. Now I intend to go to the yet unexplored(at least by me) "realm of custom knives" where I'm sure I'll be able to find something better. Although, this lady will hold a special place in my collection forever.
8) FOX Knives Marine Short Dagger. First Italian lady in my collection. Gift from my wife during Christmas 2014. 420 SS. It is very light but very thin. The handle is comfortable, though.
9) Joker CF00. Another Spaniard BY Joker made in Albacete. 440A SS. I read in a Spanish forum that they are used by a cavalry division in the Spanish army. I really like the design although it is a bit heavy.
10) Custom Pugio by Dave Akers from Missouri. Dave specializes in historical reproductions from antiquity. This dagger is really not historically accurate but that is not Dave's fault as he simply followed my instructions and specifications. He did a great job.
11) Fake Fairbairn Sykes. I found out about the Fairbairn Sykes Fighting knife since I was in my first college years and I have been wanting to add one since then. I found this dagger at a Military shop in Burbank very near to Tony Swatton's Sword and the Stone. I was very disappointed when I visited Swatton's store due to the way I was treated. Swatton is cool but his fame and reputation put his work beyond my reach. Plus his staff were a bit rude to me and my wife. I guess that's another side effect of fame, I did not even know how famous he was or that he had a youtube channel. All I wanted was for a little dagger to be made for me. On the way back home after that failed visit I saw a military store on the same street as Sword and the Stone and I decided to stop. I found this dagger in the knife section and I was intrigued because not only was it clearly a Fairbairn Sykes inspired blade, but according to the marking on the blade it was made in Toledo Spain. I believe that to be false since: It was less than 15 dollars and I've never seen a Spanish knife with such a crappy "Made in" mark. According to the Fairbairn Sykes Fighting knife website it may have been made in India or Pakistan as similar daggers have been found from there and have been also attributed to Spain and Egypt. I'll keep this one but I sure hope one day I'll add a good quality Fairbairn Sykes to my collection.
12) Custom Damascus by Hellize This dagger was made by Hellize who is a member of this forum. It is clearly based on the Gerber MK1 I like so much. Hellize did an excellent job with it. I highly recommend him.
13) Sheffield Made Boot Dagger I got this one on ebay when I was first exploring damascus steel knives. It looked great on the pictures and it looked great when I got it but it is very slim and it cost too much money because it was "made" in the UK. It may have been made in Pakistan for all I know so I'll just keep it as a display piece.
Odin's Dagger. My first dagger, the wall hanger. My parents bought it for me at the Queen Mary in Long Beach after my trip to Canada. I will keep it as it has sentimental value although it is not worth the steel committed to it.
My grandfather's dagger. Like I said, he bought it during a trip to Spain maybe 40 or 50 years ago. It is really beautiful but it might not even be made of steel from what I've researched. It is also blunt. He also bought the pistol replica above the dagger during that trip. I will always keep it again for sentimental value although I'm thinking of passing it to my firstborn when she comes of age. That is, if she inherits my collecting hobby.
Torino Main Gauche by CAS Iberia(Hanweii). I bought it from the defunct armsofvalour.com. My very first "real" dagger and the largest one I have. I bought it after reading a positive review on it's cousin the 'Gustav Main Gauche'. Very well made for having been made in China.
This little dagger was a gift from a friend who was in the army and build a collection of this own. He is such a kind person he almost gave me his mint Gerber Mk 1 that he carried with him on Panama although I didn't take it because I knew how much it could be worth and I would have felt bad. He did give me this beautiful dagger though although I don't know anything about it. He may have bought it somewhere in South America but he wasn't sure. He has been, after all, all over the world.
Last, but not least, this is an original dagger from Albacete. I believe it may be from the late XIX century or early XX century. I am not sure since I have no info on it but it looks legitimate and I dared a test to see if the white slots in the handle were actual ivory or if they were plastic as it was the case with more modern souvernirs produced in Toledo and Albacete. It did pass the test so I believe it is the real deal. Sadly, they don't make daggers like this in Albacete anymore. The closest thing is a flimpsy and overpriced letter opener by Exposito.
That is it for now. I hope you have enjoyed my collection and I sure hope you'll share yours. After all, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. You may think your ladies are equally, if not more, beautiful. Prove it.
From left to right:
1) Cold Steel Counter Point II. AUS 8A SS. I like the Tri Ad lock on it and the fact that it is legal to carry in LA(AFAIK) since the blade is less than 3 inches. Not a true dagger, as the blade is only sharpened on one side but close enough.
2) PUMA Sgb Big cat Boot Dagger. It is the smallest fixed blade I have(OL 8''). 440 A SS. I like the overall design. It is the only "Chinese" lady in my collection as it was assembled in China although the claim the blade is made and tempered in Germany.
3) Vehement Knives Plan B. Made in Colorado by Vehement knives with ATS-34 SS. It is extremely well made but it was not what I expected in terms of dimensions(I was expecting the blade to be a bit bigger).
4) Gerber Applegate-Fairbairn combat folder. 154CM SS I was very pleased and surprised when I got this as a present from my wife. It is most unfortunate that due to the restrictions in my area I cannot carry it everyday.
5) Joker Throwing Knife/Boot Dagger . Steel Type: Unsure, says "Molybdenum Vanadium". Made in Spain. Specifically, in Albacete by Joker Knives. Albacete has a long knife making tradition which these guys are taking into the 21st century. Good quality.
6) Aitor Botero("Boot knife"). Another Spaniard. Steel: X42 (INOX 46 CR13) whatever that means? This brand, Aitor, is from the Basque Country in Spain. They have produced knives for the Spanish military meeting NATO specifications for decades. This particular knife served or serves with the Spanish parachute brigade. It did not come with a very sharp edge. I took it to my local knife store and had the false edge sharpened as well. I liked the result. Wicked sharp!
7) Gerber MK 1 35th Anniversary. S30V SS. My favorite. If I were Sultan Suleyman this would be my Hurrem. Since I was 13 years old I have been in the quest to find the "Perfect Dagger", which explains why I have hoarded so many of them for years. As far as production daggers go, I believe I have found the 'holy grail' with this one. I just love how it feels and looks. I do not believe my quest has ended, though. Now I intend to go to the yet unexplored(at least by me) "realm of custom knives" where I'm sure I'll be able to find something better. Although, this lady will hold a special place in my collection forever.
8) FOX Knives Marine Short Dagger. First Italian lady in my collection. Gift from my wife during Christmas 2014. 420 SS. It is very light but very thin. The handle is comfortable, though.
9) Joker CF00. Another Spaniard BY Joker made in Albacete. 440A SS. I read in a Spanish forum that they are used by a cavalry division in the Spanish army. I really like the design although it is a bit heavy.
10) Custom Pugio by Dave Akers from Missouri. Dave specializes in historical reproductions from antiquity. This dagger is really not historically accurate but that is not Dave's fault as he simply followed my instructions and specifications. He did a great job.
11) Fake Fairbairn Sykes. I found out about the Fairbairn Sykes Fighting knife since I was in my first college years and I have been wanting to add one since then. I found this dagger at a Military shop in Burbank very near to Tony Swatton's Sword and the Stone. I was very disappointed when I visited Swatton's store due to the way I was treated. Swatton is cool but his fame and reputation put his work beyond my reach. Plus his staff were a bit rude to me and my wife. I guess that's another side effect of fame, I did not even know how famous he was or that he had a youtube channel. All I wanted was for a little dagger to be made for me. On the way back home after that failed visit I saw a military store on the same street as Sword and the Stone and I decided to stop. I found this dagger in the knife section and I was intrigued because not only was it clearly a Fairbairn Sykes inspired blade, but according to the marking on the blade it was made in Toledo Spain. I believe that to be false since: It was less than 15 dollars and I've never seen a Spanish knife with such a crappy "Made in" mark. According to the Fairbairn Sykes Fighting knife website it may have been made in India or Pakistan as similar daggers have been found from there and have been also attributed to Spain and Egypt. I'll keep this one but I sure hope one day I'll add a good quality Fairbairn Sykes to my collection.
12) Custom Damascus by Hellize This dagger was made by Hellize who is a member of this forum. It is clearly based on the Gerber MK1 I like so much. Hellize did an excellent job with it. I highly recommend him.
13) Sheffield Made Boot Dagger I got this one on ebay when I was first exploring damascus steel knives. It looked great on the pictures and it looked great when I got it but it is very slim and it cost too much money because it was "made" in the UK. It may have been made in Pakistan for all I know so I'll just keep it as a display piece.
Odin's Dagger. My first dagger, the wall hanger. My parents bought it for me at the Queen Mary in Long Beach after my trip to Canada. I will keep it as it has sentimental value although it is not worth the steel committed to it.
My grandfather's dagger. Like I said, he bought it during a trip to Spain maybe 40 or 50 years ago. It is really beautiful but it might not even be made of steel from what I've researched. It is also blunt. He also bought the pistol replica above the dagger during that trip. I will always keep it again for sentimental value although I'm thinking of passing it to my firstborn when she comes of age. That is, if she inherits my collecting hobby.
Torino Main Gauche by CAS Iberia(Hanweii). I bought it from the defunct armsofvalour.com. My very first "real" dagger and the largest one I have. I bought it after reading a positive review on it's cousin the 'Gustav Main Gauche'. Very well made for having been made in China.
This little dagger was a gift from a friend who was in the army and build a collection of this own. He is such a kind person he almost gave me his mint Gerber Mk 1 that he carried with him on Panama although I didn't take it because I knew how much it could be worth and I would have felt bad. He did give me this beautiful dagger though although I don't know anything about it. He may have bought it somewhere in South America but he wasn't sure. He has been, after all, all over the world.
Last, but not least, this is an original dagger from Albacete. I believe it may be from the late XIX century or early XX century. I am not sure since I have no info on it but it looks legitimate and I dared a test to see if the white slots in the handle were actual ivory or if they were plastic as it was the case with more modern souvernirs produced in Toledo and Albacete. It did pass the test so I believe it is the real deal. Sadly, they don't make daggers like this in Albacete anymore. The closest thing is a flimpsy and overpriced letter opener by Exposito.
That is it for now. I hope you have enjoyed my collection and I sure hope you'll share yours. After all, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. You may think your ladies are equally, if not more, beautiful. Prove it.
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