What makes a fighter a fighter?

T

Travis Fry

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Jun 11, 2010
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I see a lot of folks describing a knife as a fighter, but since not many people actually fight with knives (not like they hunt with hunters or skin with skinners, anyway) I'm generally stymied to figure out the category outside of actual combat knives. What is it that makes a knife a "fighter" rather than something more prosaic?
 
My loose criteria, and note I've never made one and have zero authority on the topic :) :

1) some sort of feature to prevent the hand from sliding up onto the blade during a thrust
2) a sharpened swedge of some kind

Also, something that doesn't have a lot of practical non-stabby application due to blade or guard shape, even though I suspect most knife-fighting techniques rely on cuts more than thrusts.

-Daizee
 
They're also generally light for their size, as opposed to bowie knives designed for chopping and other camp chores where extra thickness can be a good thing.
 
I feel that a double guard is a necessary feature. It prevents the opponents blade from sliding againt your blade and onto your hand.

Mike L.
 
logem said:
I feel that a double guard is a necessary feature. It prevents the opponents blade from sliding againt your blade and onto your hand.

Mike L.
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that makes sense in a sword-fighting context where blade-on-blade contact is expected.
i wonder about other styles that do that - actually curious.
 
What makes a fighter a fighter? - being used in a fight
a steak or kitchen knife works a lot better than nothng if thats what you can grab quick
 
kestrel57 said:
The fighting skill of the owner.
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Give that man a cigar he's got the best answer to the question. The knife itself is just a tool that's learned on. The RTAK II, BK9 or Buck Hoodlum could all be a fighting knife if the user wished, just like the Fairbairn-Sykes series used by British commandos.
 
Silly answers aside...(saying a steak knife is a fighter because someone's a bada$$ with a blade is ridiculous).
I think it's a valid category. A lot of thought goes into the design. Take the Jparanee/Wheeler fighters. They are typically lighter, faster smaller than a bowie. Though I believe the Paranee fighters were on the thick side...Often similar in shape to a knife that easily fits in the category of a bowie. Generally they have a blade that's not as tall as a bowie. Often a fighter a swedge, though not always sharpened. Handle drop is often optimized for reverse grip, or multiple grips.
Just because 99% of the people out there will never use a fighter, doesn't mean the category
 
In my opinion, the epitome of a "fighter" is a 1918 US Trench Knife with a full knuckle guard and a stabby dagger point.

The problem is there's hardly such a thing as a "knife fight" outside of movies... a real-world "knife fight" is usually just one of two things:

1.) A quick and ugly act with a straight up shiv one could make from a sharpened screwdriver, a $14 "boot knife" from the truck stop counter next to the lighters, or an ink pen broke off at a sharp angle.... anything will do because a sudden stealthy surprise attack is what harms the victim
2.) A victory based solely on the display of something big and menacing, which wards off the threat....

A 1918 Trench Knife will do either job pretty well.... plus be adequate-to-very useful in the unlikely Hollywood-style knife battle too.
 
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I should probably add that I'm interested, as a maker, in the category of knives that makers and collectors call fighters, not in designing a combat knife. I would be the last to suggest that it isn't a valid category, though I am certain that if I were to make a "fighter" it would be very different than what I would make for actual combat.
 
To me, fighters are like the sports cars of fixed blades. Sleek, light, lots of sex appeal. They look fast just sitting there. I know that's vaporous, but I can classify a knife as a fighter in my own eye if I see one. Typically an extended swedge, guard, great balance, and a contoured handle fit the bill for me.

Another analogy would be military aircraft. Choppers are like heavy B-52's. Bowies are like F-18 Super Hornets or F-111 Ardvarks. Fighters are like F-15's, F-16's, and Panavia Tornados.

--nathan
 
i would agree that what makes a fighter a fighter is the person holdin it, HOWEVER, IF im building a knife that I know has a intended use of defending life & liberty its going to have a long blade for reach, sharp on both sides, nice double guard, and handle that is very secure when wet, bloody etc.

Also want something hell for tough, and boog-a-boo sharp.

This one has a 12" blade, 5-1/4" handle, plenty to reach out and get things done.

101_8218.jpg
 
It's just my personal opinion, but the BK9 has all the makings of a decent fighting knife. It's strong without being overly heavy, decently balanced and incredibly sharp. The only thing it lacks is a longer forward guard portion to prevent the hand from sliding forward. If a custom set of scales were made to address this issue it'd be just about perfect.
 
silver_pilate said:
To me, fighters are like the sports cars of fixed blades. Sleek, light, lots of sex appeal. They look fast just sitting there.................
--nathan
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I think Nathan has it.

All personal taste aside as to "this knife vs that knife" in a fight, what makes the modern classification of FIGHTER is the look - sleek, light/fast in the hand, dropped handle, pointed tip with swedge, defensive guard.
Notice how most of these features are ones that are part of the balance of the knife. The biggest difference between a Bowie and a Fighter is balance.
In modern knife,making, a fighter often has more "extras" than other knives - special handle materials and features, fancier blade shapes and treatments, etc.

You know me, I always draw a mental image that any guy can picture in his head:
A bowie/Camp knife is like a female Russian weight lifter - Strong, blocky, heavy, a bit ungainly, plainly dressed and usually not all that attractive. It might be ugly, but you got to respect it.
A fighter is like a super model - sleek, thin, light, sexy, usually dolled up and well dressed. It seems to beg to be held and played with.
 
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