Knives Books

I anxiously awaited this book, and received one this holiday. I read it Christmas Day. It contains a brief overview of knife history, including flints to bronze to iron to steel, and more than one account of how many acres of trees it takes to make charcoal for fueling furnaces. Not exactly SAK information, but OK. And it contains more info about the founder, and his family, than I ever care to know.

Having had SAK knives since 1962, when I was 7, and still preferring them to all others as a hiker, camper and climber, I remember changes over the years, and was curious as to when and why they ocurred. Not here.

In fact, while there are pictures of various historical SAK knives, (all closed so you cant see actual blade/tool evolution-which my lil geek mind was hoping to find) the actual info for dating and other details is not included.

Im not a collector, but I wanted to know why one of my SAKS of old is marked Elinox instead of Victorinox, why some are marked "officer suisse" and yet others, by Victorinox of even, date were not. SAK trivia, but why else buy the book?. No help, other than to confirm that Elinox was a trademark used at one time, and officer suisse was used on the knives. NO explanation of vairations in the SAK sheild shape (shield with indent on top versus the short lived traingular vrsion i used to see in the early 70's)-no pictures of various models and variations-in tools and designs, but lots of pics of the knives being used as promos and as ads.....

The book seems to contain the type of factory promo info that is 'happy and wonderful' but not really objective. I have always been curious about Wenger, the German competitor of SAKs, versus Victorinox, the latter being my preference of the two-having owned several of both and finding the latter to be the more lasting.

Seemingly the 'gentlemens agreement' not to disparage or otherwise butt heads or tout products between the two companies is observed by the author-no comparisons, no opinions, no real information, other than both supply the Swiss Army with knives (which I already knew). To put it simply, I glean neither passion nor enthusiasm about the subject matter from the author-hes not 'into it' and the book is a cool drink of water. There are a few vignettes of people who relate tales of wonder in using thier SAK's.

Why do my Wenger SAK knives seem to never be as sharp as my Victorinox versions-whats the difference in steel-admittedly all geek type questions, but who else buys this book? It also contains several pages of detailed info on what each tool in teh current production SAK actually does-i.e. an instruction section-you get the same with the small paper foldout slip with the knife in the box when purchased-

Sorry, but quite a disappointment regarding some of the information I had hoped to find, and typically are addressed in other 'enthusiast' type books. I suppose if you are very new to SAKs altogether, this book might be interesting. Would I buy it had I been able to peruse it first?-not sure. I doubt it will be re-read or used as a reference.

This book is divided into 3 distinct parts: Part 1 addresses the history of the tanto (various types, sword & tanto construction, metalurgy, tradition, etc.), and was -- by far -- the best part of the book. Part 2 shows photos of dozens of tantos that were available for sale during the 80s -- both custom and commercial, with a brief commentary on many. Part 3 discusses how to fight with a tanto.

The knifefighting section was divided in 2 sections. The first purports to be traditional tantojutsu. There are about a dozen "scenarios" (long sword vs tanto, short sword vs tanto, and tanto vs tanto), but in every single one, both opponents face each other whist kneeling on a tatami mat! Furthermore, the techniques were rather advanced, thus impractical for most. The second showed "modern" techniques from a variety of systems (Kali, Hwrang-do, ninjitsu, etc.). While a few examples had merit, most appeared to be fight choreography intended for Hollywood action-adventure films. A lot of reliance on complex moves and joint locks. Two different instructors even showed their secret techniques for forcing the bad guy to stab himself with his own knife! It seemed like the various instructors where more concerned with trying to "outperform" one another by showing off their alleged mastery of the fighting (performing?) arts, rather than attempting to convey anything of value to a reader who truly wanted to learn. It would surely impress the ignorant, though.

The first part of this book was outstanding. Even the second part was better that I'd expected. But as for the "instructional" value of this book, I'd strongly advise you to look elsewhere.

I did not like this book, and of all the books I've acquired pertaining to this subject, it is one of the few I've actually discarded. Sure, it'd be cool to have a title like "The Complete Book of Knife Fighting" on my shelf, if just to round out my collection . . . but I have limited shelf space, and this text is not only substandard, but it failed to amuse me.

On Mr Cassidy's behalf, I will allow that the original printing was from the 70's, making this one of the very first books on the subject (barring WWII combatives manuals, which it borrows heavilly from). If you're a collector, this is an essential text; but if you want to LEARN, you really need to look elsewhere. Much has been written on the subject since.

First off, I recommend that you buy this book if you are at all interested in knife fighting. This is one of the first and one of the classical American books on knife fighting. It covers all of the basic techniques that American forces have used for many, many years. At the same time, this book is a little short on techniques, and it is entirely absent the escrima techniques that have become very popular over the past couple of decades. If you don't look at this book as everything for everybody, you will find it a very good buy and not be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're looking for the snappiest way to open and close your balisong, you're going to have to look elsewhere, as this book was written before that time.

On page 69 of this book, Cassidy makes it clear that, "Knife fighting is not a glamourous face- to- face duel..." And yet the bulk of the book seems devoted to just that- two guys duelling it out with knives.

The problem is that unlike certain areas that are known for their knife arts, modern day Americans do not usually run around openly carrying knives or swords. The chances of a knife on knife duel are somewhat slim in this case. But the techniques taught in this book, based as they are on fencing, almost all depend on both guys being armed with knives and nothing else. Passata Sotto, In- Quartata and Stoccatta all are pretty much the teeth of what is taught in this book, and all depend on both guys being armed with something pointy.

The idea of taking fencing stuff and applying it to knives is quite obvious if you know what to look for. There seems to be no use of the free hand at all except for one technique. And the idea that the other guy might grab your hand is not explored at all.

Many of the techniques make me pause. As the thrust and such are demonstrated in the photos you can see how the demonstrators are seriously off balance and would not be able to dodge quickly should they be attacked in this position. Many of the counter moves they show work because the attacker is using these types of off balanced thrusts.

Some things also make my jaw drop. For example, a kick to the crotch is shown. But you can easily reach the same area with your hand and can guess how easy it would be to slice the kicking leg with the extra length of a knife. And when thrusting in passata sotto and the like the person is open to a counter strike by the wounded adversary before he can get out of range. All in all, this book seems to be a collection of those techniqes that street fighters giggle about and tell you not to do in a real fight.

There is some good history in this book about some of the big names in knife fighting instruction. Some myths about Jim Bowie are laid to rest. But it is all too little to make up for the technique section. And the section of different types of knives does not deal with popular modern knives like the ballisong. And some of the knives shown are no longer made. Worse, the author takes up a good deal of space touting his own design, which probably is also not made anymore.

In short, if you want to round out your knowedge of knife fighting history you might want to pick up this book. If you are looking for a first book on how to use one, get something else.

This is just an outstanding reference on knife fighting. It is a historical overview and technical look at employment of all the classic methods as developed by Fairbairn, Applegate, Sykes and others. This book does a good job in balancing the critical and relevant matter of the techniques with the historical information, making this the ideal book for the novice and expert in bladecraft. This book covers the famous and influential blade masters of the time, their techniques, tools of the trade and finally tactics for the knife fighter. This book is by no means the best "how-to" book on the market but it was never meant to be strictly a "how-to" book. It is clearly and intelligently written, as well as clearly illustrated. Overall for historical study this book is highly recommended. I personally do not agree with many of the methods depicted in this book, but this does not make this book any less worth studying for the professional combatives enthusiast.

The original publication in 1975 was ahead of its time on publications relating to this topic. To date there are many books written on "knife fighting" most of them junk, by authors who's only knowledge about edged weapon training is from some time spent in a dojo or reading some other uninformed author. This book outlines the forefathers of close quarter combat with knives and writes about their contributions to this warrior art. The book gives an above average curriculum for training with knives for defense as well as offense. It will serve well as a primer on the topic. As of yet, I can not recommend any one book as the best on this topic...

This book covers everything from old factory made folders to custom knives and their makers. It is a very useful book for finding old knives in one place.

As a neophyte to knife collecting I thought a book with the sub-title "The Complete Handbook of Knife Collecting" would be a great start. NOT. There are bits and pieces in the book that are interesting. It lists the different materials used for knife handles, but fails to give even a basic idea of how to identify them. In the listing of American Knife Makers, the list isn't alphabetical. For a resource book this is insane. While this book appears to have logical sections, nothing in the sections appears in a logical order, and they seem to be merely touching the surface of each topic. There is a suggestion to be sure not to confuse two companies with similar names, and not even a hint how to do that. It appears to be more of a compilation of unrelated articles than a guide. There is more history about companies than information about the knives they made. This is a book for the "immediately useless reference book" shelf.

This is the latest effort from the same folks who destroyed "Levines Guide to Knives and Their Values" by publishing the emasculated 5th edition. This effort is a step up, albeit a small one and from a position pretty low on the ladder. The format of the book has been improved, with clear page numbers and reformatted data tables, but most of the photos are the same and the text is still the same as that in Levines 4th edition.The listing of knife markings and manufacturers is pretty good with lots of additions, but still missing the quality ratings of the manufacturers. Pricing examples for individual examples of knives have been updated. Some sections are unchanged from data displayed in Levine's 4th edition. The process for valuing a a pocket knife has been improved? to one taking 4 pages to explain and it is hidden in the middle of the volume and not listed in the Table of Contents. MY guess is that somebody wasn't too proud of the effort or process. In Levine's 4th edition the process is explained using 1/2 a page inside the back cover. I bought it because I thought it was a real update to Levine's 4th edition, but I'm disappointed to find in most areas it is not and definitely not worth the expense if your copy of Levine's 4th edition is still in one piece. Just one man's opinion.

I'm a history buff and enjoy the history behind different patterns. There is a fair amount in the book. Unfortunately, my expectations were set based on the local library having Levine's 4th edition. As an example, compare the jack knife sections and the descriptions on patterns. I assumed this book would be an update on values, but leave content intact. Instead, big chunks are missing. Blade is a fine magazine, but this book is a big disappointment.

I was excited about reading this book, I usually enjoy creative coming of age stories but this was far from it. This was the first book in a very long time that I was unable to finish it. On more than one occasion I was tempted to rip the book to shreds. The store is about a blond rich country cluber who has been giving everything he has wanted on a silver plater. He "grows up" to be a frat football star at Dartmouth. The summer after his freshman year he decides to impress the girl he has a crush on, by becoming a knives salesman. Once again using his upper class status to gain an unfair advantage over fellow sales people who do not have the luxury of using his parents friends and there social bs to force friends into buying over priced cutlery. On one occasion in the book the boy's mother forces her maid to buy kitchenware she can't afford. Time and again I was hoping for something bad to happen to the character, he is the guy in high school we all hated, and in this book we find that there isn't a single quality worth saving. It was a waste of money and I felt guilty leaving it in the trashcan that someone might pick it up and waste their time.

In the debut novel by Author Tod Harrison Williams we catch a glimpse into the bizarre subculture of knife selling. The often hilarious and surprisingly deep novel reveals a talented and humorous first time offering from a young auteur on his way up the writing food chain. The book is strangely touching, as the lead character reveals himself to be a person of dynamic emotions and fierce drive, more than just a superficial frat boy at an elite university playing football and pong trying to impress a girl. Highly recommended to all as an entertaining and exciting read. The book moves quickly and flows well, the first 40 pages are a bit slow and then it takes off like a rocket! Well worth the read! As a side note the author is also a screenwriter and director with a film coming out soon titled "Trainwreck, my life and idoit" starring Sean William Scott and Gretchen Mol.

I'm not sure what drew me to this debut novel, I suppose the combination of coming-of-age story and door-to-door salesman antics. Both are promising fictional material when done right, however, neither element really worked much magic on me here. The book gets off to a bad start with several very awkward opening chapters introducing the reader to Jay Hauser. It's the end of his freshman year at Dartmouth, and the story opens with a scene involving his future with the football team that establishes a heavy-handed metaphor for the rest of the book. This segues into a whole bit about pledging a frat and whether or not the cool guys like him, again, rather heavy-handedly establishing certain aspects of his character.

Then the story moves abruptly back to the tony Detroit suburbs he grew up in, and his life with his divorced parents (emotionally blackmailing mother and wealthy father), somewhat whiny kid brother, and the hot girlfriend he couldn't care less about. It's here that he embarks on his summer job as knife salesman, under the management of a college buddy. Jay's initial dedication to this rather unlikely summer job was born from an off-hand comment from Isabelle, a girl Jay is close friends with at Dartmouth and has a huge crush on. She said he wasn't charismatic enough to handle a salesman job and in order to prove her wrong, he makes the job his mission -- at the expense of everything else, his family, his girlfriend, and his high school friends.

The knife-selling stuff is pretty interesting at first, as Jay learns the ropes and manages to come up with his own patter and spin on the established sales pitch. However, this is all established rather quickly, and despite the introduction of various sales competitions, and a few minor characters, doesn't really evolve or escalate in an engaging manner. Yes, Jay gets more and more cutthroat, and there is a big final showdown, but the rabbit Jay pulls out of a hat at the end isn't a surprise to the reader at all. And contrary to the book's description, his job is not door-to-door sales at all, he operates on a referral scheme.

The central problem with the story is that Jay is built up into such an unlikable cad that the reader ends up really hoping for his downfall more than anything. And while we're supposed to be rooting for his relationship with Isabelle to finally move from friends to lovers, from the very outset she seems like an unpleasant personality as well. Ultimately, despite a few compelling scenes here and there, it's hard to care about Jay's rise and fall, or whether or not he's learned any lessons -- you just want out of this annoying football-playing, frat boy's life.

Unless,someone has no clue how to throw weapons this book can be some help.Otherwise,do not waste your money and time.I hope there are some good books out there.

Being a self-tought thrower, I found alot of useful information as far as grip and stance. The directions for how to make a light spear has given me the idea to start spear throwing. This is a great book for beginners, but people who can stick 8 out of 10 times or better will find little use for it. If you stick less than 50% or want to try throwing spears, hatchets, tomahawks, shuriken or boomerangs for the first time, you will benefit from it. If you're a fast reader, you'll be done with this in 30 minutes. It's less than 100 pages.

This series of books is a compilation of examples of custom knives made by custom knife makers from all over the world (although mostly in the US). They include a few articles (some geared more towards the collector, some towards the bladesmith), a rather extensive directory, and page after page of some of the most beautiful knives you'll see anywhere (all b&w photos, regretably). As a beginning bladesmith, I love these annuals because they show me what the current trends are in the field, and give me endless inspiration for both design and embelishment.

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Compared to other books in this field, this one is lacking for the avid collecter. It is a very good book for the beginner because it covers the most common types of points pretty well. The pictures and discriptions are as good as most in this field.

The book contains excellent, black and white actual-size photographs of points and blades from the Eastern United States. The photos are labeled with the point name, approximate archeological period, typical states in which found, and approximate value to collectors.

There are only four pages of general information text. There are no descriptions of material types associated with the photos.

For someone interested in information on point methodology, material types, or significant historical information, the book will be a major disappointment. Additionally, though the title is "Flint Arrowheads & Knives of the North American Indian" I could find only three pages containing point types found in the Northern Western United States.

For Eastern US collectors, the photos may be of some interest, but for a novice artifact hunter out West, information in the book is virtually non-existent.

My name is on this book as co-author, but I had nothing to do with producing it. I have never even seen a copy.

This appears to be the second in a line of bad references written by this author. His first book was abysmal and this one is pretty much a repeat of that one. He has obviously brought in a co-author, and it shows. There are some sections in this book that are quite lucid and fairly accurate. However, Weland not only repeats the same errors, but it appears that he has simply cut and pasted into this book. If I were Bernard Levine I would not want to have my work combined with Mr. Weland's. We are who we associate with, and this association is problematic, at best. The high point of this book is that it was on the disposal table at Barnes and Noble for $3.00.....if you find it cheap, it does have some good photos, and would be a excellent picture source for decoupage....except,of course, for the photo on page 103 which is printed in reverse.

This is a small, thin and very simple book on fighting offensively with a knife. I read it at one sitting and then talked to my son who was home for leave from the Marine Corps. They are taught to do just the OPPOSITE of what this book teaches and he convincingly demonstrated to me why. So it left a lot of doubts in my mind about the author's knowledge of the subject. There must be better manuals out there.