Recently a customer of mine asked Me if the Gerber Knife Sharpener I sell would be suitable for sharpening the Fairbairn-Sykes Dagger.
The following reply may be of interest:
xxxxxxxx,
To be honest I have never tried this sharpener on the Fairbairn-Sykes,even though I kind of doubted that it would work very well on a dagger.
Well I tried it and the angle of the sharpener is for a single-edge type of knife.
A single-edge knife will commonly be anywhere from a 20 to 35 degree angle too the stone approx. and it will take a razor or hair cutting edge pretty easily.
A true dagger like the Fairbairn-Sykes uses a much more blunt angle for several reasons:
1) It will not be dulled so easily as it is stabbed past bone.(Remember it is Primarily a stabbing instrument!)
2) A dagger uses a less than razor edge because a wound made with a scalpel like knife will close and stop bleeding;Whereas a more blunt blade angle of a dagger will not close as easily and will bleed freely.
Ok, history behind us, I will use a commonly available butcher steel too true up the edges if it is not actually dulled.
If it is truly dull,(as in you can easily see the edge) then you will have too stone it first.
When using the steel or stone hold the dagger at a 40 to 45 degree angle too the stone. Hone one side at a time,on the stone until the edge is not easily seen.
Then switch too the steel and true up the edge until it feels "KEEN" too the touch,it will not be Razor-Sharp.
Practice makes perfect and you will now have a true Dagger Edge!
Please feel free too visit My new website at http://lancesknives.myshopify.com/ and the start of My new Blog at http://lancesknives.blogspot.com/
Oh,and I will have stones and butcher steels available within a couple days. Best,Lance
Monday, June 16, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
New for 2008
The American Lawman by Cold Steel.
Being a police officer, deputy sheriff or state trooper is often a thankless job performed under frequently dangerous and trying circumstances. Long shifts that change from days, to swing, to graveyard and back again take their toll; not to mention the mediocre pay and missed holidays and celebrations with family and friends. Yet our nation’s law enforcement officers continue to tirelessly serve their fellow citizens and provide the “thin blue line” that holds evil at bay and allows us to live in peace and prosperity.
Now Cold Steel is pleased to give these real American Heroes a knife named in their honor and expressly designed to serve them—the American Lawman™. Built like a proverbial tank, it’s comfortable in the most extreme environments and will shrug off the harshest abuse like water off a duck’s back. This is one super tough knife that can be relied on, even in life or death situations.
The drop point blade is “civilian friendly” in appearance yet big, wide and most importantly, pointed enough for any cutting or piercing task. Made from Japanese AUS 8A stainless steel and hollow ground to a thin, hand-polished edge, it’s as sharp as a serpent’s tooth and will easily sever the toughest, most fibrous materials. To further protect it from rust and the constant exposure to inclement weather, it comes with a black, non-reflective Teflon® finish.
Since law enforcement officers never really know what is in store for them from one shift to the next, we thought it was very important to make the American Lawman™’s handle as versatile and user friendly as possible. Supplied with dual pocket clips and twin thumb studs, it’s completely ambidextrous and can be opened one-handed in a flash. Plus, due to its well thought out finger grooves, it’s equally comfortable and effective in either a forward or reverse grip and can be even “choked up on” for tasks requiring extra fine edge or point control.
Keeping a firm grip on their knife when their hands are cold, wet, tired or oily is also a major priority for law enforcement officers. That’s why we have made the American Lawman™’s handle with heat-treated steel liners (for extra strength and stiffness) overlaid with black, aggressively textured G-10 handle scales. We believe this construction method is ideal as it’s lightweight, enormously strong and most importantly offers terrific traction to the hand so the skin and flesh of the fingers stick to it like glue.
Having the lock break on your folder is serious and may result in badly cut fingers. But if the lock fails on a police officer’s knife, it could be a genuine disaster and result in loss of life or limb. That’s why we have provided each American Lawman™ with our new TRI-AD locking mechanism. Designed to withstand terrific impact forces and weight loads transferred to it’s mechanism from the edge, point and even back of the blade, it has passed with flying colors and never failed even once despite being subjected to the most gruesome torture testing scenarios we could devise.Specifications:Blade: 3 1/2"Overall: 8 1/8"Thick: 3.5mmWeight: 5.4 oz.Steel: Japanese AUS 8A Stainless
Now Cold Steel is pleased to give these real American Heroes a knife named in their honor and expressly designed to serve them—the American Lawman™. Built like a proverbial tank, it’s comfortable in the most extreme environments and will shrug off the harshest abuse like water off a duck’s back. This is one super tough knife that can be relied on, even in life or death situations.
The drop point blade is “civilian friendly” in appearance yet big, wide and most importantly, pointed enough for any cutting or piercing task. Made from Japanese AUS 8A stainless steel and hollow ground to a thin, hand-polished edge, it’s as sharp as a serpent’s tooth and will easily sever the toughest, most fibrous materials. To further protect it from rust and the constant exposure to inclement weather, it comes with a black, non-reflective Teflon® finish.
Since law enforcement officers never really know what is in store for them from one shift to the next, we thought it was very important to make the American Lawman™’s handle as versatile and user friendly as possible. Supplied with dual pocket clips and twin thumb studs, it’s completely ambidextrous and can be opened one-handed in a flash. Plus, due to its well thought out finger grooves, it’s equally comfortable and effective in either a forward or reverse grip and can be even “choked up on” for tasks requiring extra fine edge or point control.
Keeping a firm grip on their knife when their hands are cold, wet, tired or oily is also a major priority for law enforcement officers. That’s why we have made the American Lawman™’s handle with heat-treated steel liners (for extra strength and stiffness) overlaid with black, aggressively textured G-10 handle scales. We believe this construction method is ideal as it’s lightweight, enormously strong and most importantly offers terrific traction to the hand so the skin and flesh of the fingers stick to it like glue.
Having the lock break on your folder is serious and may result in badly cut fingers. But if the lock fails on a police officer’s knife, it could be a genuine disaster and result in loss of life or limb. That’s why we have provided each American Lawman™ with our new TRI-AD locking mechanism. Designed to withstand terrific impact forces and weight loads transferred to it’s mechanism from the edge, point and even back of the blade, it has passed with flying colors and never failed even once despite being subjected to the most gruesome torture testing scenarios we could devise.Specifications:Blade: 3 1/2"Overall: 8 1/8"Thick: 3.5mmWeight: 5.4 oz.Steel: Japanese AUS 8A Stainless
Go to http://lancesknives.myshopify.com to purchase.
Fake Cold Steel Knives
Beware, there are Cold Steel knock-offs out there. Click on the link for more information.
http://www.coldsteel.com/fakes.html
Here is a short run-down:
Beware of Cold Steel Counterfeits
Lately, there has been a proliferation of Cold Steel fakes appearing on the market. These are sub standard knock-offs and they damage Cold Steel’s reputation immeasurably. They are dangerous too! When you purchase a knock-off backpack, shoes, or clothing for example, it may fall to pieces because of shoddy workmanship, leaving you, the consumer, footing the bill. If a knife fails because of poor workmanship, you could end up being terribly injured or, at worse, dead, if you were relying on it for self defense.
Cold Steel knock-offs are being produced and sold at an alarming rate. By way of definition, a Cold Steel knock-off is a cheaply produced, poorly manufactured copy of one of our products that is being sold as the genuine article. These products are, naturally, not covered by the Cold Steel warranty. Be especially wary, because these items are being sold in fake Cold Steel boxes and are stamped or etched with a fake Cold Steel brand logo. As a Cold Steel customer you should know what to look for when you purchase a Cold Steel product.
Tell Tale Signs:
Unfortunately, like bogus currency, it is difficult to tell the difference, and usually it takes a direct comparison to an authentic piece to see the difference, but here are some red flags that should tip you off.
1.) Is the item marked down substantially from the suggested retail price? This, first and foremost, should be the most obvious clue. If an item normally has a suggested retail price of $100 and it's being offered for $50 or less, you can be pretty sure that you’re being ripped off.
2.) Is the quality up to Cold Steel's standards? Look at the fittings and the finish. Are the grind lines crisp, and clean or are they blurry and indistinct? Is the blade razor sharp, or is it just somewhat sharp? If you’re buying a San Mai knife, can you see the laminate line where the different kinds of steel meet?
3.) If it is a fixed blade knife, look at the sheath that came with it? Is it a sturdy quality piece, or something made of the cheapest materials available?
4.) If it is a folder, is the lock sturdy? Does the blade wobble? Is the locking mechanism strong?
5.) Make sure you research what you're buying. Get our catalog, go to our website and look up the item you plan to purchase from another vendor. Does it look the same? Many of these fakes are easy to expose, simply becase they don't resemble anything Cold Steel sells. They just trade on the Cold Steel name.
6.) Be aware of situations where this kind of commerce takes place. Flea Markets, Swap Meets, garage sales, and street vendors are places where you're most likely to be ripped off. Above all, use common sense, if a street vendor is trying to sell you a Rolex watch for $10, for example, your common sense should tell you that it is very likely a fake! Also be on the lookout for disreputable websites that list only a phone number or a P.O. box for contact information. We've even discovered some of this trash product on Ebay (to be fair, Ebay has been very cooperative with us and has removed fraudulent products when we request them to do so).
Most of these fakes are being produced in Asia. Our representatives there tell us that the fake knives are available from street vendors there. To protect yourself from this kind of fraud, you should only buy from reputable dealers or from Cold Steel directly. The sayings that “you get what you pay for” and “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” should be first and foremost in your mind when you think about purchasing one of these knives.
http://www.coldsteel.com/fakes.html
Here is a short run-down:
Beware of Cold Steel Counterfeits
Lately, there has been a proliferation of Cold Steel fakes appearing on the market. These are sub standard knock-offs and they damage Cold Steel’s reputation immeasurably. They are dangerous too! When you purchase a knock-off backpack, shoes, or clothing for example, it may fall to pieces because of shoddy workmanship, leaving you, the consumer, footing the bill. If a knife fails because of poor workmanship, you could end up being terribly injured or, at worse, dead, if you were relying on it for self defense.
Cold Steel knock-offs are being produced and sold at an alarming rate. By way of definition, a Cold Steel knock-off is a cheaply produced, poorly manufactured copy of one of our products that is being sold as the genuine article. These products are, naturally, not covered by the Cold Steel warranty. Be especially wary, because these items are being sold in fake Cold Steel boxes and are stamped or etched with a fake Cold Steel brand logo. As a Cold Steel customer you should know what to look for when you purchase a Cold Steel product.
Tell Tale Signs:
Unfortunately, like bogus currency, it is difficult to tell the difference, and usually it takes a direct comparison to an authentic piece to see the difference, but here are some red flags that should tip you off.
1.) Is the item marked down substantially from the suggested retail price? This, first and foremost, should be the most obvious clue. If an item normally has a suggested retail price of $100 and it's being offered for $50 or less, you can be pretty sure that you’re being ripped off.
2.) Is the quality up to Cold Steel's standards? Look at the fittings and the finish. Are the grind lines crisp, and clean or are they blurry and indistinct? Is the blade razor sharp, or is it just somewhat sharp? If you’re buying a San Mai knife, can you see the laminate line where the different kinds of steel meet?
3.) If it is a fixed blade knife, look at the sheath that came with it? Is it a sturdy quality piece, or something made of the cheapest materials available?
4.) If it is a folder, is the lock sturdy? Does the blade wobble? Is the locking mechanism strong?
5.) Make sure you research what you're buying. Get our catalog, go to our website and look up the item you plan to purchase from another vendor. Does it look the same? Many of these fakes are easy to expose, simply becase they don't resemble anything Cold Steel sells. They just trade on the Cold Steel name.
6.) Be aware of situations where this kind of commerce takes place. Flea Markets, Swap Meets, garage sales, and street vendors are places where you're most likely to be ripped off. Above all, use common sense, if a street vendor is trying to sell you a Rolex watch for $10, for example, your common sense should tell you that it is very likely a fake! Also be on the lookout for disreputable websites that list only a phone number or a P.O. box for contact information. We've even discovered some of this trash product on Ebay (to be fair, Ebay has been very cooperative with us and has removed fraudulent products when we request them to do so).
Most of these fakes are being produced in Asia. Our representatives there tell us that the fake knives are available from street vendors there. To protect yourself from this kind of fraud, you should only buy from reputable dealers or from Cold Steel directly. The sayings that “you get what you pay for” and “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” should be first and foremost in your mind when you think about purchasing one of these knives.
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