Jim Wagner Reality-Based Defense Knife

Detailed Description
Just by looking at this knife for the first time, you know it's a professional tactical tool to defend yourself. After world-famous knife fighting expert Jim Wagner trained Germany's top counterterrorist team, GSG9, in knife tactics, we at Boker asked him if he would design the ultimate tactical folding knife for police, military and security personnel, and this is the result - the Jim Wagner Reality-Based Blade. This knife has tactical features that no other folder has - a gladius penetrating tip, a cutting kriss curve, two blood grooves in the blade, ergonomic finger grooves with anti-slip texturing, and a Thumb Guide Slide that guides the operator's thumb to the thumb stud for immediate deployment. Also featured is a clip kit that allows the operator to choose between a standard heavy-duty window-breaker or one that looks like an ordinary writing pen clip for undercover operations where conceiling the knife, and yet having instant access, is crucial. It has two lanyard holes for air, water and wilderness operations, and it comes in tactical subdued black. When the blade is retracted, the handle and exposed blade back is designed to be a tight impact weapon. To absorb the tremendous forces you can put to the knife, there is a solid lock back mechanism. Under the fiberglass-reinforced plastic, there are two 1 mm stainless steel liners to strengthen the construction and to give the right weight to the hand. The blade is made of 440C high performance stainless steel, which guarantees superior edge-holding ability and corrosion resistance. Not only does this weapon bear the name of the designer, but the blade is also emlazoned with the name of the fastest growing and most complete martial arts system in the world, Reality-Based Personal Protection. Jim Wagner's system has been taught to the American FBI, Brazilian GATE, Argentinean GOE, Israeli Special Forces, German Federal Police, Canadian Royal Mounted Police, and the list goes on. All the experiences the designer had during his several police and military missions were put into the concept of this knife. Overall length 9 1/16". Blade length 3 7/8". Weight 6.2 oz. Partially serrated blade.

Knife Related Acronyms and Terms

Knife RelatedBlade Shapes:

Clip Point - a drop point with a cut-out at the tip resulting in a sharper point, e.g. bowie, Buck 110
Dagger - a blade made for piercing usually having two sharp edges that comes to a very thin point.
Drop point - traditional blade type with sloped spine and/or sloped edgeHawkbill: Blade with a downward curving tip, like a claw.
Rescue: Blade with a totally blunted tip, designed to cut seatbelts or clothing in an emergency situation without harming a victim.
Reverse S: Blade with two curves which make a backward "S"Sheepsfoot - a blade with a straight edge and a curved spine that meets the edge so that there is no point.
Tanto - blade type with two straight front edges, chisel point, traditional Japanese sword blade style
Wharncliffe - blade type with one straight front edge and arched back

Carry Positions:

IBL: Inside belt loop
IWB: Inside waist band
LB: Left back pocket
LF: Left front pocket
RB: Right back pocket
RF: Right front pocket
SOB: Small of backEdges
CE: Combination edge.
PE: Plain edge
SE: Serrated edge

Handle Materials :

CF: Carbon fiber
FRN: Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon
G-10: Woven fiberglass in an epoxy. Very strong
Micarta: Layers of fabric in phenolic resin
SS: Stainless steel

Other Knife Terms:

AO - assisted opening
BM – Benchmade
DA - double action, auto open and auto close (e.g. MT UTX70)
Flipper - a protrusion on the spine of the blade that allows the knife blade to be deployed with a simple push of the index finger.
HAK - HideAway Knife
LM - Leatherman
MOP - mother of pearl
MT - Microtech
NKP - non-knife person
OAL - overall length
OTF - out the front (e.g. MT UTX70)
SAK - Swiss Army Knife
Wave – blade spine shape that catches the top of the pocket and opens the blade as it is drawn

Good Review of Spyderco Tenacious

Spyderco Tenacious

Spyderco product page

1. Construction and Measurements
2. Ergonomics & Carry
3. Lock & Grip Security
4. Fit & Finish
5. Steel Performance & Sharpening
6. Daily Use
7. SummaryConstruction & Measurements

The Tenacious is constructed of 8Cr13MoV bladesteel, G10 scales and full length skeletonized steel liners. The knife features a liner lock with open back construction and a 4 position pocket clip. The knife is held together by hex screws. The blade is fully flat ground from 3mm stock with a 13mm blade hole. The knife is 112mm long with the grip being 91mm, 42mm wide at it's widest point and 11mm thick. The blade length and cutting edge measurements are essentially the same, measuring roughly 87mm. The knife weighs in at 116.9 grams. Unfortunately I forgot to measure initial sharpness.

Ergonomics & Carry - The Tenacious features a choil free handle. The handle profile bears a strong resemblance to the Military model. The handle is quite comfortable in hammer and sabre grip, as well as reverse grip edge in or edge out. The lack of deep contours in the grip allow for the knife to be used in a variety of less standard grips without experiencing hot spots. The G10 texture provides adequate grip without being abrasive to the hands or pocket. The pocket clip is in a silver finish and bears the more rounded shape that recent Spyderco models offer which increases grip comfort. In tip-up carry mode roughly 2cm of knife shows above the pocket line with slightly less being visible using tip-down carry. It's comfortable for pocket and IWB carry, more so in tip-up configuration. Also, much to Mr. Stamps approval, the inner corners of the liners have been rounded enough to remove any sharp edges. Lock & Grip Security - The knife utilizes a standard liner lock. The liner engages just shy of it's full width, which provides a good compromise of security and longevity in the lock. The liners are both skeletonized, though the lock side liner has all the holes placed behind the part of the liner that engages the tang. The liner retains its full thickness throughout rather than utilizing a cut out like many frame locks and thicker liner locks. The lock was tested for security by applying increasingly greater loads of force to the spine with the knife open and locked, as well as spine taps throughout the time the knife was used. The lock has remained stable, completely free of play and has shown no movement at all across the tang during use or lock testing. The detent, which I initially felt was a little weaker than I prefer, provides an excellent balance of security and ease of opening that I've come to really appreciate. It's a small detail that makes a big difference in liner / frame locks. The handle shape and scales provide good security without limiting possible grips very much. Full strength stabs in hammer and reverse grip were free of any security issues even with wet hands or a grip numbed by cold weather. Doing the same with gloves on showed no security issues though the grip felt short with thick gloves on. Fit & Finish Fit and finish on the Tenacious is very good. There are such details as the mentioned rounding of the liners, well centered blade, bronze washers for the pivot, radiused tang where the liner engages, full screw construction, skeletonized liners and an overall polish on all metal parts. The attention to detail exceeds the expectations set by the Byrd line.Steel Performance & Sharpening - The full flat grind comes to a relatively thin cross section behind the edge, which came ground at an acceptably acute angle. The overall profile is robust enough for a wide variety of tasks, but can be thinned out some if the user doesn't cut damaging media often. The factory profile allows for slicing through aluminum cans, cutting through thick speaker wire or opening canned foods without any detectable damage to the blade to the naked eye or fingernail test and results in an insignificant amount of blunting. After slicing through 5 cans and making over 20 cuts through the speaker cable the knife could still shave, though it wasn't nearly as smooth as the freshly sharpened edge. I've been familiar with the steel used in this knife for some time now having owned multiple Byrd knives. To summarize, it sharpens very quickly, resists excessive burr formation, holds an edge a little better than most steels used in similarly priced knives but falls behind some when it comes to corrosion resistance. It will dull considerably more quickly than Spydercos higher end offerings such as S30V, but the edge can be brought back to an acceptable level of sharpness using common objects like jeans or cardboard as a strop. For instance, I could sharpen it to a hair popping edge, cut cardboard until it couldn't scrape away arm hair without considerable agitation to the skin, then strop it on the cardboard and bring it back to a hair popping edge. For more specific measurements of edge retention, the knife was used alongside a knife in S30V, CPMD2 and 13C26 in cardboard cutting trials. The results will be listed below. Daily Use - The knife was used to cut a variety of media, ranging from but not limited to drywall, cardboard, breads, facial hair, onions, carrots, apples, plastic pallet wrap, fingernails, mild steel, paper, soft and hardwoods, wild vegetation, cloth and various meats. The edge profile works well for general utility. It offers more belly than a lot of popular Spyderco knives which is useful during certain applications. The factory grind had respectable cutting performance, though dropping the edge angles will improve cutting ability. Summary - The Tenacious represents an outstanding value for the price it sells for. The combination of high cutting efficiency, quality materials, solid ergonomics and excellent blade to handle ratio make it a respectable entry level Spyderco.1.2008

Sharpening The Fairbairn-Sykes Commando-Dagger

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

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

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.