This Veterans Day take time to reflect on the sacrifices made by men and women across the world who have served in the cause of freedom. Not only our own service men and women but those of our allies and all who gave time and lives to protect our liberty. It has become cliche', but freedom is not free. There are those in our own government and neighborhoods, who would deny us our Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms. May our enemies, foreign and domestic, be rooted out and  eradicated, so that liberty washes once again across our land. God Bless America.

Next time you see a veteran thank him for his service and mean it. Remember that they have been away from their families so that you can be at home safely with yours.

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.   George Orwell

Thank God these "Rough Men" are ours. God bless them.

It seems impossible to me that some greedy sellers are asking upwards of $300 - 400 for plain jane 3rd pattern knives. Even more incredible is some people are paying those prices. Now I expect the values of knives I bought 20 years ago to rise but seriously! I'd call it price gouging. Remember folks the combined manufacturer output of   WW-II 3rd pattern knives was nearly a quarter million. Most of those made since the war have ranged in quality from Wilkinson's excellent war-time models to the absolutely awful ones out of Pakistan and China. Some post war years (and into the Korean war era) saw the production of a few well made knives. But, even the last production out of Wilkinson Sword was very marginal, with non-traditional shaped handles (said to me made in China) and blades buffed out like tableware or letter openers.

Beware, because many sellers are describing their knives (3rd pattern) as Wilkinson commando knives when there is no justification. They could be made by one of a dozen makers of varying quality. If it doesn't say "Wilkinson", it most likely is NOT a Wilkinson. If it has a coarsely ground blade and thin, flimsy guard you can be sure it is not a Wilkinson. Personally I would prefer a raggedy second pattern dagger any day to a pristine 3rd pattern. Its all a matter of preference but just don't get taken by some unscrupulous dealer on the famous auction site and pay twice what a knife is worth. Then there are out-and-out fakes like this one. I bought it just to get it off the market.

I can hardly believe it. Saturday one of my oldest friends passed away. This is really getting to be a bad habit. He was my life-long mentor, spiritual guide, a father figure, my abbot and friend. I had known him 60 years. He was the bagpiper at our wedding in 1970 and at my father's funeral. He married my daughter and her husband. I spent decades under his tutelage. He was 87 years old. Most of his life he taught high school Arts and Humanities and he was an accomplished artist, wood carver, and author. The ancient Scottish Highland traditions ran through his veins. He spoke several languages including Gaelic and was a true Renaissance man. I shall miss him. I hope he is in the Highlands playing his pipes and walking the moors. The photo is one I took this spring in Glen Finnan.

I hate it when the only news I have is bad news. My good friend, and knifemaker, Gary Bradburn (right in photo) has passed away. We met years ago as I was shopping for a quality tanto. Gary made some of the finest Shobu style tanto I ever saw. I am pleased to own several of them, purchased over the many years I knew him. His hamon were spectacular when other people were just starting to get a feel for them. One of the most incredible cuts i ever made was with a large Shobu he called a Hogosha. Gary was a big man, in stature and heart. He helped many an aspiring student to learn the art of knife making. I only met Gary one time in person but we kept up a running train of emails for a dozen years. We debated guns, religion, politics and edged weapons of all kinds. We shared photos, ideas, and tough topics like illness and death. We did not always agree but we always respected each others opinion and sometimes apologized for stepping over the line.

Gary was extremely proud of his knife work and his time as a Marine. He still owes me a small Vest Bowie and I'm holding him to it. I'm also hoping he sneaks his anvil and forge into where ever he has relocated. If he's like me, the fire will be provided. If I were to chose a man to stand beside me in a fight to the death, Gary would have been at the top of a very short list. Damn I'll miss his caustic wit and fast retort. He was a patriot and a friend, God knows we need more Gary Bradburns in this world, not less. Some of Gary's tanto.

As I move forward with my writing i found a great way to get free editing help. I know anything free is worth what you pay for it. So I joined a writer's group. We meet once a week and share portions of what we are working on. The other members are a mix of male and female (no gender confusion, they are one or the other) and of all ages. We each get a print copy of the submissions being read that night. It could be four or eight depending on the writers energy. Each of us gets to mark down comments, suggestions, corrections etc as it is read out loud. The emphasis is on positive suggestions. These marked up copies are then given to the author. My first submission was a section from my book on Covert knives. Surprisingly several of the attendees suggested I write a full novel. Well not until my F-S books are done but it was good reinforcement for me to keep working. With my daughter working on the graphics we are making good progress and I think she is up to page 100+ out of about 180.

Now she is taking care of that I am back to working on volume one, Shanghai to the second pattern. New Flash: I may have a new link to the mystery of john Paisley. Time will tell if it pans out or not. I have added some new covert knives to my collection as well. Many thanks to my friend K.F. Here are a couple pf the pages from the covert daggers book with Gwynne's artistic touch.

I am re-taking some photos for the book as we work through the editing process. Seems like I learn something new every day about cameras. I was having issues with fuzzy images and finally discovered the fix. This is a really rare X-dagger similar to the one Fairbairn gave to Thomas Mason during the war. It has a broad "S" guard and is made from a clean blank of steel, not a bayonet. The sheath has a small knife on the side in a separate sheath. Both are stamped for John Paisley. The small knife is in my book on Covert knives of WW-II. The parent knife will be featured in the volume on full sized knives from Shanghai to the Second Pattern. Trust me, we are getting somewhere now. I may start a "Kickstarter" fund to help finance initial printing costs. This is the quality I am striving for, so that the book will be worth your purchasing it. Hang in there!

Close-up photo of the side of a thumb dagger once belonging to Johannes Happe. These initials are about a 1/8th inch tall!

Here is a snapshot of eight pages from my covert knives manuscript. It is 150+ pages long so far and practically wall to wall photos. There will be plenty of close-ups and some of the rarest knives you've ever seen. Have a great holiday.

This July 4th Pray for our nation and our President and administration. We are in the 3rd year of an ongoing coup d' etat and the worst crisis I have ever seen in my 70 years. We are being destroyed from within by the extreme far left "democratic" Socialist party and fascists like "antifa." Help keep America Great and let freedom ring out loud and clear over the rattling chains of socialism and communism. So much hate and criminality I cannot fathom it.

I am experimenting with some new lights for taking photographs. I am still figuring out the best positioning and intensity of the lights. But here is a knife you might like. Along with Fairbairns I have a strong attraction to big knives, choppers and Bowies. This Bowie has about a 10+ inch blade and was made by a skilled maker named Matt Lamey. I have a very nice collection of Lamey's knives which I have performed some test cutting and training with. Matt uses micarta (like in this knife) or nicely figured woods for handles. One of the things that sets off Matt's knives are the beautiful clay tempered hamons he creates on the blades. This hamon is actually fairly plain compared to some he has done. Terrific artistry. Maybe I'll post more photos of his work later.

The following Bowie is one I commissioned of a student who learned from Matt Lamey. Charlie Edmundsen made this to my specifications. He said it was the first Damascus knife he forged this big. I'd say he did a sweet job. It was also the first fighting style guard he had ever forged. It and the ferrule are also damascus, and formed to perfection for blade trapping. This photo was taken with my old lighting.

I hate it when I am looking for one type of knife and get side tracked by another. That is what  happened as I was looking on ebay for WW-2 knives and found this Kukri. The condition of its blade and the completeness of the scabbard are what attracted me. Seldom do you find an older Kukri in this condition for a good price. I was the only one to bid on this knife for some odd reason. I think bidders were scared off by the $25 shipping from England. On me sales page I warn buyers that it costs $25 to ship overseas anymore. Anyway it may not be WW-2 vintage but it is a beautiful example.

Whoever owned this Kukri really took good care of it and kept the blade clean of rust and the edge free of chips and dings. The maker cut the fullers pretty straight and crisp. All in all I think it is a lovely weapon. So I will sort out my other Kukri and find one to sell to help pay for this one.