Blade Page

    One additional passion I have are knives made for combat both fixed blades as well as folders. I hope you enjoy these very handy backup tools! I’ll start with the larger fixed blades and work into the folders.

   This is a Muela Mirage with a very durable blued finish. These are very reasonable in price and are very high quality blades made of ATS34. They are made in Spain and have a long history behind them. The blade is 7 inches long and 3/8th inches thick. Overall length is 11 1/2 inches and has a Kraton grip with a brass fitting for a lanyard. It comes with a leather sheath also. Price on this model is $80 which is an excellent price for the quality.

  This is another Muela Knife in their Tactical series called “Storm”. It’s constructed of 440 stainless and has a full tang with Micarta grips attached with hex screws. The rear of the tang has a skull crusher along with attached lanyard. The grip is very good. The shape lends it self to aggressive use without loosing your grip. The blade is 5 1/2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Overall length is 10 3/4 inches. This one has a matte black finish. As with all knives of this brand they are very sharp as they come from the factory. A leather and cordura sheath is included. Retail is $65.

  This is an Ek Bowie PB-5 and the best knife of the group. They were originally issued to special units starting in WWII. 1941 was the first year of issue. After WWII they were also used in the Korean war as well as Vietnam. They were hard to get and a very prized possession for special forces troops. The company never did release what kind of steel they were made of. Up until Vietnam they had a leather grip but later parachord was used with an extension lanyard. Ek went out of business but was later resurrected by a company in Effingham,IL. They were made for four years and again the company went out of business. They produced an exact copy of the original but used a heavy cordura sheath. The bottom of the sheath has a ring so the user can use a piece of chord to tie it off around the thigh. The blade is 6 3/4 inches long and 1/4 inch wide at the tang. This is a very heavy dity knife that maintains it’s thickness all the way to the end of the butt. I paid $200 for mine several years ago. The value of these has risen to close to $500 and are considered collectors items now. Original knives from the WWII era are even higher in value.

  This is the M9 combination bayonet, fighting knife and wire cutter made by Ontario knife company in Canada. It’s the current military issue for the Army and Marine Corp although you will still see a lot of the old standard bowie with the Marine Corp. Several companies have produced this design with various degrees of quality. The Ontario version is considered the best. The M9 will attach to a full size M16 or the M4 carbine. If you notice the bottom of the sheath has an attachment that fits in the hole in the blade to act as a scissor to cut wire with the front top of the blade. the sheath is a heavy polymer with a cordura attachment for wearing on the belt or Moly gear. The rear of the blade houses the clip for attachment to the rifle and is spring loaded. The grip is also a polymer material. The finish is a solid matte black. The blade is 7 1/2 inches long and 3/8th inches thick at the tang. The top of the blade also has a saw tooth for cutting wood or opening ammo crates etc. This is one sturdy knife and believe it or not it can be thrown without difficulty. It’s very heavy so when thrown it penetrates very deep. I throw it from 15 feet with a 1 1/2 turn with a handle grip. Most Ontario M9’s sell for $100 but I found mine at an army surplus store that was going out of business and got it for $50. Since not all troops are issued these knives I also purchased one for my son to take with him to Iraq.

  This knife is unique and you won’t find it in any store. Back in the 1980’s I had a Special Forces Trooper who’s hobby was making large fixed blade knives. I had him make this Bowie for me so it’s one of as kind. It’s marked Wade 001. It has a carbon steel blade with a matte gray finish, brass tang and micarta grips. Bolsters are made of steel with brass fitments and a lanyard hole at the rear. He also made the heavy duty leather sheath for it. This is my only knife I don’t use. It’s a prized knife that I will hand down to my son at some point. The blade 7 inches long and just under 1/4 inch thick. The top of the blade is also sharpened.

  This knife is called a Hissatsu by CRKT. The knife is designed after an ancient Japanese design that is several hundred years old. It’s razor sharp. The blade shape is unique and was made strictly for fighting. The Kraton grip is pebbled for a positive grip and has a unique design on one side so in the dark you can feel which side of the blade is up. It comes with a Kydex sheath. Blade length is 7 1/4 inches and just under 1/4 inches thick. The fitting on the back of the sheath allows it to worn vertically as well as at a 90 deg angle to the belt for concealment.

  I carried this Kershaw boot knife for many years while on duty both in uniform and plainclothes. It’s still made even after 20 years but with a black grip. It’s just a great all around boot knife that has a clip on the backside of the sheath. The blade is 440 steel. It’s held up well for more than 20 years of carry. Never any rust. The only thing I had to do from time to time is polish the brass tang.

  This is an inexpensive diving knife made by Taylor in Japan. It’s made from 440 stainless. I bought this one as a throwing knife more than anything else. Good balance and a tough finish that in spite of throwing it many times the finish hasn’t worn at all. I have a sheath from another knife that fits it well so I’ll use it as a belt knife when I practice throwing.

  This Cold Steel is a handy very large blade you can use for camping or chopping limbs around the yard. It has a Kraton handle that keeps your hand from getting beaten up when chopping. Of course this is an oriental design originally made for farmers and later turned into a weapon.

  Buck 110 utility folder. These knives have been around a long time. It’s a large folder that works best carried in a belt sheath. Gorgeous wood and brass.

  A Bud Neely design by CRKT made from an old Persian design that is made for penetrating. The end of the blade is much thicker than the rest of the blade. The handles are made of G-10 and has a liner lock along with a manual button on top for additional security.

  A Magnum brand by Boker of Germany. This is an automatic knife with the push button release on the right side front. A good sturdy blade that holds an edge very well. Handles are aluminum.

  An inexpensive copy of the S&W SWAT series of knives. It a good all around knife to use when you don’t want to damage one of your good knives.

  This is a CRKT Ryan design with a very deep blade with G-10 handles. This one also has a pocket clip and a manual lock on top. This is a very good daily carry knife.

  This is a knife I carry more than any other. It’s a SOG assisted opening knife with the gray and black camo on the blade. It also has a secondary manual lock. It has a pocket clip on it as well.

  This is another CRKT design by Carson. It has a flipper nub seen just at the rear of the blade. The handles are a hard polymer. Also with a belt clip. These CRKT knives are the best buy for the money there is.

  This is a true classic boot knife from AG Russell. Called the Sting 1A this is the knife that started the boot knife craze. Made in Solingen Germany for AG. It has a double sided sharpened blade with Micarta handles and comes with a cordura sheath reinforced on the inside to make re-holstering easy. The patent has expired and another company makes them now that are all steel. The blade on this one is ATS34. I bought this one in 1978 from AG’s shop in Springdale,Arkansas. At that time they were $75 they are of course much more expensive now since AG stopped making them. These knives were also a featured weapon in the 1980 book series “The Survivalist” by gunwriter Jerry Ahern. I carried this one many a year in uniform.

  This little jewel is called the Guardfather. It looks to be a steel pen. While you carry it in a shirt pocket you can’t tell it’s not a pen. After you remove it you press the clip and the shaft is driven out by a very strong spring and locks into place. Don’t start looking for one they were taken off the market back in the early 1980’s after some run ins with the ATF. As a police officer it worked out well as a backup weapon. I leave it stored with the shaft out so the spring doesn’t loose strength.

  A Gil Hibben designed Karambit. These are weapons widely used in Indonesia. They have become very popular in the USA over the last several years. They are a vicious weapon to be sure! It does take time to learn the techniques for proper use. They are held with the blade reversed behind your hand and used to slash then stab on a counter direction blow. This one is made of 440 stainless by Frost Cutlery. Check your local laws before carrying one of these.

  Also a Karambit but this is a larger version made of a polycarbonate material. This one is for practice and is made by Cold Steel.

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Tags: ColdSteel, CRKT, SOG, Military knives, Folder knives

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