The Fighting Arts Armoury

Been meaning to photograph and post mine and the Wife's knife/weapon collection for ages, and have now finally got around to it

For those who are interested:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=214646&id=674764186&l=bcfc667424

Nice collection Cord. Perhaps one day I'll post a few things that I have.

Casey

Nice collection cord.

Very nice, Cord! Are those Wolverine-type claws with the brass knuckles on the second page? I have Gil Hibben blade that a student gave me as a gift a while back.

And, to be off-topic and totally inappropriate, your wife is HOT! If she's got a sister, give her my email, man!!!!

Yep its called a 'Pantera Claw' and it is a design by custom Knifesmith Tom Anderson. This one is part of a 5000 production run by Master Cutlery (I think, though it might be United Cutlery). Its a really meaty Aluminium knuckle, with 3x 10 inch stainless blades protruding from it. Not technically a 'functional' weapon, but I wouldnt want to be swiped with it - it cuts thick cardboard like warm butter



Nice student - give em a promotion!!



Yes, my wife is insanely hot, and she thanks you for the compliment. I am afraid she is a one off though, her parents didnt go into mass production

sweet collection..I should post mine one day...no where near as cool as yours but I have a few big blades floating around the house. :-)

I can already imagine it..

The Cord project.

Take Wolverine's andamantium skeleton + claws, mix it with Xavier's intelligence and deadpool's madness, and put combine them into the hulk and you get...

DAVE LOYD!

-Donnie out

On a more serious note however;

I've noticed you have many classic like fairbarne sykes styled knife, and the one invented by that guy who did the movie 'The Hunted' with Tommy Lee Jones. Also saw a kukhri!

But the best of 'em all.. a swiss army knife! The versatility!

-Donnie out

I'll have to check that out when I get on my home computer and befriend you as well.

As for my armory, it's more of longer range type stuff you guys probably aren't allowed to have unfortunately.

Do it dude!! I love knives! Got my 1st swiss army knife when I was 5 years old, and never looked back
Going to re-title the thread actually to open it up for others to add their photos. Bring 'em on!!




Fixed that for you, but thanks for the compliment

Re the knives, you are absolutely right. The Tom Brown Tracker (Hunted movie), was a real stroke of luck, as it retails around £240, and I got it unused off of ebay for £75 !!. It is a very heavy duty knife, and to be honest, I quite like to use it to cut back the bushes and thick foliage in the garden. It holds a great edge, but has zero stabbing ability, so despite how the movie portrayed it, it was never designed to be a fighting knife. It throws well though, but you have to throw like a hatchet, not a knife, as you want the belly to strike wood, not the point for a deep bed and guaranteed stick.

Most of my blades are 'Drawer queens' in that some have not even cut paper, and are collected for aesthetic value and the pleasure of ownership alone. The movie replica's are prime examples of this.

For a functional blade, I have come to trust carbon steel over stainless every time in any blade over 4 inches long. They take more care (cleaing, oiling etc), but for robust use, and on the spot re-honing I dont think you can beat it as a material.

My swiss army knife is something I always carry. A lot of the guys at work prefer leatherman style multitools, but I just find them bulky, and you can't get the ease of rotation in the screwdrivers on them. Also, my swiss army has a relatively large 4 inch blade, allowing enough edge for proper cutting. Multitools just dont have that, so I find them inferior for purpose.

My Pride and joy on their is my self designed, forged to order Bowie. A lot of thought went into that knife, and it is a serious piece of kit.

Next up is a John fitzen knife. Not sure if we will go for the Tank or the Bulldog, but either way, they are serious knives.

My bowie is my pride and joy. It was or is the only thing I have from when my Dad passed. He left me all his guns/hunting stuff.. I sold all the guys and just kept his bowie..

I will try to post my pics this weekend....Me loves cold steal.

I would armbar my grandma for those blades of chaos. thats some badass sh*t

I saw fairbairn sykes too..

If you've used to play Splinter's Cell, then it's a very familiar knife. I think it was used quite a lot during WW1 era, so it's quite a surprise to see it in your collection.

http://www.fightingknives.info/Collection/FairbairnSykes/OtherMiscFairbairns/tabid/944/Default.aspx


Yes, Tom Brown, that's the name.
You should see his Mohawk line of axes.. they're just amazing.

http://sayocwinklerhawk.com/

I don't own axes and the like cuz of current political situation, however, I can see a lot of utility of they were able to modify those axes for military purposes (breaching doors, opening canisters, chopping off wires and bushes, etc etc). I don't really believe in the combat use of these weapons as frankly, if you're going CQB your best friend would be a small type of firearm or a shotgun..


-Donnie out

The Fairbairn/Sykes is still the emblem of the Marine Commando's, and was first issued for WWII . Interestingly enough, it, and the CQB system that accompanied it, were devised by police officers in Singapore, based on their experiences.

My F/S Dagger is MOD issue, as they are still official equipment to any Marine who requests one.

The Straw man regarding what would be best for CQC , knife or gun is pointless, as if you look hard enough, you will find enough evidence on both sides of the argument that the only accurate conclusion you can reach is that neither can be relied upon as a sure thing.

I collect knives for their aesthetic value anyway, most of our knives have not even cut paper, and the knife training in the Escrima I have done is more to give me familiarity with concepts of defense against a knife, not using one myself. In my line of work, burglars/bike thieves are usually in posession of screwdrivers and/or crowbars, whilst we have maglight torches. Should any of them attack rather than attempt escape, that situation is a parallel to the stick and knife work I have done.

Nice! My brother is also a collector and enjoyer of things sharp and pointy. In fact, one of the nice things that his hobby/preoccupation has allowed him was the ability at one time to handle a bronze age axe and a sword used in the Crusades where he said you could feel the history in the metal.

On the other hand pragmatism in this modern age makes my armory more like Brian's than not. LOL

I would love to add firearms to my collection - I was taught to shoot by my Dad at the age of 5/6 with a crossman airpistol, and have shot air pressure weapons, crossbows, and shotguns (skeet), regularly over the years, but the UK rules on ownership of firearms is so ridiculously prohibitive, that its impossible to really indulge it as a pastime.

Did you know that the British olympic pistol shooting team have to travel to France and Switzerland to train? They cannot even keep their guns in the UK.

I, on the other hand, could source an illegal handgun within 5 hours if I had the inclination.

Such is the way with all such legislation, that only the law abiding citizen suffers, and those who pose a threat with such implements continue to do so with ease.

As a sidetracked Amen, Brother, (LOL) I can see the ease with which someone so inclined can get anything he or she wants to snort, swallow, or needle into an arm despite its illegality. In that case, a criminal so intent may obtain what he wants and will have no boundaries in the way he deems appropriate to take it. It doesn’t help that in many cases the law seems to grant greater leeway to those for whom abiding by these same civil structures is just a passing consideration.

On this side of the pond it is said that the 2nd amendment to our constitution preserves the rest of them.

I have a nice Kershaw folding knife with a blade that curves out slightly and is partially serrated, a Bench Made that needs tightened (both are like 4 inches), a couple tribal looking knives made by a friend, and a survival knife that is huge and then my pump 30.06, .357 from Taurus with a 6 inch barrel, 20 gauge shotgun, a .22 rifle and .22 1873 revolver. Thought about getting an m4 but I don't feel like shelling out that much cash right now.
Oh and a Gerber which is amazingly useful. I carried a knife or Gerber tool almost every day I was in Iraq and still do. Not for combat purposes (though they are always useful for that too if need be).but out of simple utility. Everyone should carry something like that at all times they really come in handy.

When I look at knives, I only see them in two lights;

For military use.
Or kitchen use.

I use with the latter. I wouldn't know how to kill a person with a knife, beside stabbing him 20 times in the stomache or maybe try to slash his throat.

Ask me how to make a file out of a lamb shank with a japanese kitchen knife, then I could tell you 20 different ways.


As a chef, I'm not even allowed to carry my kitchen knives in a my special kitchen briefcase in public. It's just retarded how they set up laws here in LOS (land of smiles). But if I really wanted to, I could get my hands on an 'Nam era M16 and start slaughtering people...

Gun vs knives is really pointless imo. It depends on variables and situation. Too many of them... All I know is handguns can only kill people, knives you can open canister, cut ropes/bags/whatever, unscrew.. the utility a knife is a lot more than a gun.

-Donnie out

Is cutting ropes/bags/whatever military use or kitchen use?

When I look at a good knife, I see one of the last examples of true craftsmanship left in the modern world.

Everything from ergonomics through materials used, are a display of where aesthetic form and functionality meet in perfect harmony.

I am unsure if it is one of the last examples, but it is one example, to be sure. And there are still artisans who make these works of functional and beautiful art.

I generally carry a small tactical folder with me, not for the "tactical" side of things necessarily but because of it's multifunctional use. And I have several of them. They fit my hand well; and I have opened up many a box and cut many a taped parcel with them. Not only that, but I had a 1990 Honda Civic hatchback, bought new, but which later had a recall for stuck safety belts. I never wanted to end up in a fiery car crash with a stuck safety belt that I would be slapping my head for eternity mubbling, "If but for not having that knife...."

Knives are indeed useful, and can be pretty too. As per use, I have taken a very few Filipino stick and knife classes which do outline the use of these things if the need arises (but I wouldn't trust myself there unless it was a last ditch effort). But for me, just having a knife has made much of my day-to-day life easier knowing that I don't have to search for a utility knife to cut open a box, whether for work or to cut the security tie wraps that go around a new toy for my daughter.

You have obviously never seen my kitchen.

One of my favorite 9mm's. Manufactured in Czeck Republic. It is one of the most accurate and well made 9mm's on the market today. It's design has stood the test of time for 35yrs.

The CZ75B 9mm








The magazine holds 16rds, but I recenlty bought a new magazine that holds 18 for less reloading.

Now we're talking! Thanks for the photos Brian .

You see it amazes me that in the UK, we are the 2nd largest arms producer in the world (maybe 3rd now), and it is only 70 years ago that the home guard were armed militia charged with defending their towns in case of Nazi invasion, yet somewhere from the 1950's onward, it was decided that we, as a nation, were suddenly not to be trusted with firearms.

A gun is inert. When handled and cared for properly, it is not a dangerous thing. The danger comes from the owner/user. Don't ban guns, ban idiots! or at least allow me to protect myself from idiots!

Anyway, this clip is for you Brian. In a parallel universe, these guys are my drinking buddies, and so are you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrl08uUApRA

Sweet. NutNFancy does some good reviews on youtube. I don't know why, but he is completely enamored with glocks, I hate them. Those were some nice grown-up toys there for sure.

This one is a 100yr old design. It was designed around the .45acp and made for combat. Yes, it is cocked and locked. That's the way it is supposed to be carried. It is extremely accurate and powerful.





From 21ft.


I've actually gotten better since the gun has been broken in. I can do better than that at 10yards. This one is also equipped with tritium night sights for good sight acquisition in low light conditions.

I think he likes glocks because he is obsessed with lightness and compact design over everything else. This is a long running theme of Banter with the Razor's edge crew in their footage, where Nutn' is always arriving with pea-shooters and toothpicks ;)/ Personaly, i think he should hit the gym and treat himself to something with a bit more 'oomph'

Some sweet skills:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3fgduPdH_Y

Did you see this one in there?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9AJzv8gb2A&NR=1

Nice, Brian! Lately I have been more enamoured of the 1911 than just about anything else I have shot. Single stack for smaller hands and enough weight to attenuate recoil. And big, slow bullets in .45acp. Have four that get circulated into my regular practice, but use two the most. As for polymer, I like the XDs since the standard grip frames are smaller (have less girth) than Glocks, or CZs or Sigs for that matter. I would really like to wrap my paw around a CZ, but my smallish mitts don't seem to hang onto them as well as a 1911.

That, and my Remington 870 with 7 in the tube, are all I need for homestead protection. But I am eyeing and M1 scout rifle. Nothing like a .308 to reach out and touch a target at 500 yards plus.

GODDAM, SON!!!!!!

The Hibben Claw in the center was the gift I referred to earlier. Double edged in Parker Kenpo tradition (Gil Hibben was a student of Parker's, and did his black belt thesis on bladed weapons for use in kenpo), so you could slice in both directions.

The throwing stars are from when I was a ninja-wannabe in my teens, and yes, I actually threw them at things. Mostly things I wasn't supposed to throw them at, LOL.

The bottom one is my dad's WW2 Navy-issue combat knife. It was re-wrapped a few years ago by my brother, but the blade is original.

Intruders will leave my house very well-ventilated.

Cross-reference with this thread here:

http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=429428&#Post429428

Awesome!!

The Hibben Claw is essentialy a Karambit, and a nice one at that.

Did you ever see the Hibben Kempo knife? also referred to as the Hibben Karate Knife. Really nice. His second version of it got renamed as the Hibben Alaskan Survival knife, but when you look at the sharpened false edge, and the deep choil and finger grooving, you can see it has a weaponised application.

Your dad's knife is just tremendous. It's interesting that for you, me, and Jason, there has been a 'handing down' of knives from father to son, and that we instinctively react to that on a primal level as somehow significant.

I also see you have a balisong/Butterfly knife. I dont know what your state laws are, but it is obviously a plastic bladed trainer knife and legal across all 50 states, right?

And to think I almost got rid of his bowie knife. I probably would have regretted and beat myself up forever if I did....I dunno, I like guns but always loved knives more...And Dave is right, something primal about it...

And who hasn't thrown ninja stars..hehe...i killed many trees in my youth and a door or two in my dads house..

One time I was practicing with my wooden katana and took out my light to my ceiling fan...Tried to hide it but step daddy saw the damage. :-(

My personal favourite way to dissarm myself, being demonstrated with a great deal more proficiency than I have yet to achieve:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut5KDoi3BEg

That was sweet!! Would love to be that accurate...

"More Extreme Marksmen" on The History Channel tonight had a short clip of Gil Hibben making a throwing knife. Used a band saw to cut out the shape, then grinding out the blade, and tempering it in the oven. Pretty neat.

If you have a spare grand, you can spend a week with Gill Hibben in his workshop, where he will teach you basic knife making, and help you make a knife of your own choice/design that you get to keep at the end of your course.

So you know where to find me a week after I announce my lottery win

He judges all grinds and angles by sight only and does all by hand. Now that is skill.

peek a boo.....where'd that come from?





Lightweight carry 38+p with lasergrip.



20rds of 9mm +p hollowpoints.



Cocked, locked, and ready to rock. Practicing with handguns is alot of fun and much easier on the face.

My babies..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27922312@N06/4701550575/in/set-72157624153343959/

Here is a better view, tks to cord. :-)

https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2046472&id=1064653695

Not sure the link has worked Jason, Its asking me to log in to see them

oh cr@p.....

lemme work on it...

ok, how bout this..:)

My next two investments....:-)






and this one when I win the lottery..:) It is about $1750.00

That official Blade of chaos is really nice

When it comes to katana, just remember that they are ornamental - stainless steel is too brittle for cutting. I mean, you could kill someone with them no problem, but the sword would be screwed in the process. You need a proper carbon steel shinken for it to be a 'real' sword, and then you are looking at some serious cash, even for a solid entry level sword.

I hear ya. I don't plan on cutting off heads and screaming there can be only one, anytime soon. :-)

It would definitely be for show. Again, if I hit the lottery I am getting the real deal. I would want a katana that could cut an tissue falling onto it. :-) Okay, might be dreaming on that one. A katana that cuts you when you look at it..hehehe

Had a few updates to the collection - big love to Joel for sending me a Hibben Claw that he had 'lying around'. Crazy generosity, and its a beautiful blade

Got a Boker replica vietnam issue bowie knife from the wife for my birthday which is sweet as a nut.

Pics of both to be added when I get a chance.

But now my heart (and bank account is set on one of these!! : http://budk.com/Knives/Gil-Hibben-Expendables-Bowie-Knife-with-Sheath

Oh I needs it Bagginses. I needs the precious.

You know the BudK warehouse is about 4 hours from me. They have a small store connected to it, mostly clearance and seconds, but kind of neat. Pass it when I go to Florida.

Now you see, if we traded locations, I would be broke, and have nowhere to sit

Some very tasty stuff in there guys!

I can only add this eye candy pic of me in my 15thC semi gothic armour.





Its still a work in progress as I haven't had the helm finished yet!

Awesome!!

Wanna see my tiny battle horsey...?

ditto on being broke..:)

I wonder if bringing nunchucks is legal these days..

Great collection, Cord! I particularly like your Gurkha kukri and your Fairbairn-Sykes... So British!
Your self-designed Bowie's a mean-lookin' thing, too.

Tell me about it!
The pearl of my own collection used to be my grandfather's diving knife (he was a hooka-diver in the French military), but some day it was mistakenly given away...
It was pretty similar to this one.
As for blades passed from father to son, me Dad still has his boyscout knife that was handed down to him by his own father, and which I hope to inherit as late as possible.

He he...
I have been personally invited to Zhou Zhengwu's forge, where he said he'd show me how he works. For those who don't know the name, that's China's very best traditional swordsmith, an amazing craftsman and a relly nice dude whom I was lucky enough to meet at an exhibition of his gorgeous blades in Paris. Apparently I happened to be the first Chinese-speaking person he'd met since he'd arrived in the country, and we spent the whole afternoon talking as if we'd known each other for years! To think I had expected some kind of prima donna...

If you're not familiar with his work, check it out here (symbol in the top-right corner to disable the quickly-annoying background music).

You can bet that's one of the first places I'll be headed to next time I go to China!

Beatiful tsubas and fittings
His hamon appears quite high up the side of the blade, giving a smaller percentage of blade to the softer tempered spine than is common on japanese swords I have seen.

Did you make a purchase in Paris?

I wish!
But that kind of thing wasn't in my budget, no. Some day...

Actually, I had bought a Ming/Qing-style sword in China that I had been told was from his forge, but the unusually low price, even for China (less than four thousand yuan, i.e. a few hundred £/$/€) had led me to believe it might not be. When I heard the guy was in France for an exhibition, I thought there was my chance to ask him in person... He confirmed my blade was not his work.
Oh well... I don't regret my buy: that's still a nice folded-steel, differentially-tempered, hand-forged sword that I would have paid triple that price in any other country.

Here's my little collection (didn't include folders):



From top:
-Ming/Qing-period-style straightsword. Folded steel, hand-forged. Bought in Tianjin.
-Tang-period-style saber. Hand-forged, differentially-tempered. Bought in Tianjin.
-Qin/Han-period-style straightsword. Pretty-looking cheap stainless-steel wallhanger.
-Iaito. Inocuous, unsharpened, light-alloy-bladed practice katana.
-My faithful old bokken, from my iaido years.

Short weapons, left-column:
-Aluminum-made telescopic Chinese practice sword.
-Cheap knockoff of Cold Steel's "Oyabun" tanto. Still of decent quality.
-Sig assault rifle bayonet.
-Fairbairn-like dagger of French Foreign Legion's airborne commandos. A funnily balanced weapon (the barycenter's well into the heavy handle), particularly smooth to handle and juggle with.
-CRKT's "Hissatsu" aikuchi. Just beautiful.

Short weapons, center column:
-Russian AKM bayonet, late model.
-Russian AK-74 bayonet, late model.
-East-German AK (MPi, to be technical) bayonet, transition model.

Short weapons, right column:
-two sets of fei-biao (short throwing daggers or darts), bought in Tianjin.

Bottom-right corner:
-Tie-di, a type of Chinese iron flute that was used by itinerant musicians and intended to double as a self-defense weapon. The sheer weight of that thing makes it something to be feared (probably the most effective way to use it), but it also has a short, concealed blade. Bought in the same Tianjin weapon-shop as most of my other Chinese weapons.
-Some ancient, Freddy-Kruger-like Chinese weapon, articulated gauntlets with spikey palm-backs and mean-looking talons. Bought in an antique market of Beijing - although they're not genuine antiques but cheap recent replicas.

What my babies look like unsheathed: