Sales of Volume 2: X-Daggers, has been very satisfying. Nearly half of them being posted overseas. Copies have gone to the Netherlands, Britain,  Australia, New Zealand and Scotland. A large number of them have been purchased by folks in Texas! There must be a big population of knife loving people there. All of the money from book sales is going into the fund to pay for printing the next volume. I want to get the last two volumes printed by the end of this year 2026. Then I need to consider another run of the Clandestine Knives book. I wish I were independently wealthy. I would just do all of them and offer a four volume set.

Anyone know of a patron or sponsor who loves knives and is willing to donate money toward printing costs? Printing a hundred copies is the best way to save a little money but that is expensive. Shipping costs on the second volume was over $300. Figure the weight for the books, without packaging, was 200 pounds!

I thought about creating a go-fund-me page but I felt that route was mostly for people in desperate need for some sort of calamity. The idea of pre-publication sales was another idea, but I don’t want to take money for a product that doesn’t fully exist. I don’t know what other sources of funding I can come up with. If you have suggestions, please email me. By the way, selling off my collection is a non-starter. It took too many years to acquire it, and it all goes to my daughter when I check out.
​
Anyway, I want to thank all of you who continue to support my writing by buying my books. I realize they are not inexpensive. But I think compared to other books on the subject, they are better illustrated than most, and the detailed close-up photos and the large color images really add to the value. Plus, you are not going to find some of these knives anywhere else. Thank you again for your support.

The story about the sale and recovery of this knife is going to be in Volume 3. 

At the request of Mike Silvey's son: I was told that although Mike was a Veteran he actually served in Germany, not Vietnam. I apologize for the mistake. Mike's excellent book on military knives and his beautiful reproductions of SOG style knives probably led to my incorrect assumtion that he was in country. Either way, he served his nation and is therefore among the great minority of those who did. We have still lost a great knife maker and author. Thanks to his son for correcting the record. He said that Mike would not want to be remembered for something he did not do.

To those who knew Mike I cannot offer anything in the way of contact info. His Son posted a notice on Facebook on his father's account. I am not on facebook myself. All I know is Mike had knee surgery and a fews days later was found dead at his home. The assumption is that a blood clot took him out. An unfortunate loss of a pretty sepcial person. Here are some photos of his work that he shared with me. These are knives featured in my book "X-Daggers. The Long Road From Shanghai"

​Michael W. Silvey
Knifemaker, Author & Vietnam Vet.
It’s embarrassing how insular I have become. Over the past decade I have become more introverted and prefer time with my wife and cats to being out in the public. As a result my news comes mostly from YouTube or friends whom I text or email with. So it was, by email from a friend in New Zealand, that I learned of the passing of one of today’s late great knifemakers, Michael W. Silvey.
Michael Silvey might not be a knife household name like Bagwell, Randall, or Moran, but his work was exemplary. I deeply regret not having bought more of Michael’s knives while I could. That is always a problem when there are so many talented makers and only so much cash. I purchased several of his excellent books on knives. His books are blessed with great color photographs and informative text. They inspired me when writing my own books. Quite by accident I did come into possession of one of his F-S knives. I saw the knife in an article somewhere and I emailed to ask him how long I would have to wait for him to make me a similar knife. He said that particular one was still available and I bought it without a moment’s hesitation. His work was always clean, polished, with crisp grind lines, perfect proportions and an artistic flair. When I asked him for permission to use photos of his knives in my books he responded with numerous images that made me regret even more that I didn’t pursue his work with more zeal. I guess that’s the way life goes. Today the knifeworld is going to be short one excellent maker, author and man. Join me in saying, "May God be with you Mike." 

Okay, last week I shipped one of the new books to the Netherlands.  It cost me $49.20. That's outrageous but it gets worse. This week I went to the same post office with an identical book, same packaging and going to the Netherlands and the clerk quoted me $83.00. I explained to him the previous weeks shipping and he said that's what the computer is telling me. He said come back tomorrow and talk to the  lady. He also said shipping to New Zealand was going to be $53.00. This was reasonable but I didn't have that book ready to post. I said that does not make sense because New Zealand is a lot farther away than the Netherlands. Same response, thats what the computer says. Okay round three, my third trip to the post office. Now the New Zealand package is $78.00 and the one to the Netherlands is $58.30. SO  until I find out what is going on I am not taking any orders outside of the United States. I have a hard time justifying selling a book to someone for $60 and charging them over $70 for postage. This is the final straw with all of the problems I had with the publisher and now this. It is making me wonder if I want to continue to sell my books anymore. Certainly not overseas. I don't do it for profit but out of a passion for the knives and for those of you who share that passion. 

Experts:
I have become addicted to You-Tube and the wide variety of news, documentaries and other forms of education it offers. I have also found a fair share of videos that are less commendable. Some of them have to do with an unhealthy fascination of some posters with wartime atrocities and horrific torture stories especially of women. Whether these are true or not I am appalled that You-Tube permits them. I have to admit that I rush past those videos and refuse to open them, even if only for the opportunity to give them a thumbs down. I don’t want to be counted as visiting them at all.

The other videos I find somewhere between laughable and lamentable are the many “unboxing” of knives. They treat this as some mystical, magical moment. Almost a religious experience like unveiling the holy grail.  I also cringe at the knife reviews posted by people ignorant of knife usage and verbiage. I am waiting for the video of some one of these idiots cutting off one of his own fingers while doing trick moves or knife spins. There is one of a man slicing the top of his head open with a Smatchet while clearing brush. Then there are the hundreds of people who feel they are morally obligated to do a video on the dreaded Bowie “Back cut.” You would think that any other use of a Bowie knife was somehow a sign of the unenlightened knife fighter. The back cut is certainly a very effective move, but not the only one in the repertoire of Bowie knife fighting. But now if I get into a knife duel I can expect to encounter my opponent performing a back cut and therefore be prepared to counter it. Oh yes, it can be countered, like any other angle of attack. Once you expose your “trick move”, it is no longer “trick”.

I wonder if Jim Bowie ever used the back cut? Certainly the late Bill Bagwell and James Keating made it famous. Both men deadly proponents of the Bowie knife. Not every Bowie knife is well adapted to performing the back cut or thrust. Its success all depends on the shape of the tip of the blade and to a large extent, the user’s flexibility and reflexes. In addition the fencer must set-up his attacker so that the attack comes at the right height, time and angle. Most of the posters do not go into this baiting, or invitation as it is called. Perhaps they are not aware of it as the key to applying the back cut.

Just remember, every move has a counter, and there is a counter to the counter, if you seriously practice your art. In reality it is not a give and take, a back and forth. Remember also, what my instructor once told me. Everything works everytime in the dojo. Winning is giving a target and taking the victory. And now I have told you my trick.

Hello folks. I have addressed the rising cost of buying knives and the frustration at the number of copies flooding the market from India and Pakistan. I find photos of my knives all over ebay on paki sales sites. NONE of my knives are for sale and I am really tired of these people pirating my photos. But ebay doesn't care and I am probably only one of thousands of people being used/abused by these people. One of the reasons I am taking the time to write and illustrate my books is to help beginning collectors. That is why I include closeups of stampings and etchings, checkering etc.

All of this takes an incredible amount of time. And there is the eternal process of editing, reading and re-reading what you have written. Making sure that photos don't overlap text boxes or that text boxes aren't cut off. I discovered the page layout i was using has isssues with text and photos getting sucked down into the gutter between the pages. So, I had to increase my margins. This pushed everything out of place. This is all a learning process. Photos have to be of a certain file size or they lose definition. This makes the file size of the book huge! Especially when you use full color and large photos as I am. The second volume is about at the limit of my software program to handle it, even on my new-ish computer. And I think I mentioned that the software i am using and comfortable with is going away in the fall. I have to find a new software and learn how to use it! CRAP. 

Now I am waiting for the delivery of the 100 books I ordered. Still waiting. Paid a bundle of money and still waiting. I have orders already and an upcoming book-fair to attend. One friend wants five copies. A friend in Australia wants a copy despit the stupid cost of shipping. The publisher offered to arrange global marketing for my books using my website, for two books I have already finished, and $4,800 of my money. What a deal. I have already spent over $200 on proof copies to make sure everything is okay before finalizing the order.

Some people think you ought to be able to sell a book for $19.95 and make a profit. Some people in my writers group are selling on Amazon and on a twenty dollar book sale they will get about three to four dollars. I went to Barnes and Noble the other day and treated myself to a magazine. One magaziine. It is 66 pages long and 50% of it is advertizing. It cost me Ten dollars. Its great quality printing and photos but that's 15 cents per page including the adverts. My first volume was 172 pages long for fifty five dollars or 32 cents per page, with no advertisments and limited printing. I cannot afford to print 250 copies to reach the next price break. A quick check at FEDEX printing for a color copy, one page, same paper weight is $1.31 each. Who says that inflation is down? 

Achnacarry Commando Training Center, Scotland

Well I have taken the plunge. I hope it all goes well. I have submitted my manuscript to a printer/publisher in NYC. It has been five years in the making, 240 pages with full color images and lots of never before printed information from many different sources. A section on Paisley and on the late Peter Mason with a page about Bruce Hand. I know they are all ficitious characters. I think you will find the controversy worth the read. The real truth may never be known because it has been so obscured by time, tribal stories and ego driven falsehoods. Maybe AI could sort it all out? A good friend did use AI to actually reveal the stamping on the guard of one of my favorite X-daggers which had been obliterated by someone with a chisel. That exposition alone might be worth the price of the book.  

Speaking of price I have been warned there is a huge price difference between "standard" color and "Premium" I have ordered a proof copy of each which cost me $100. I imagine that I will have to go with the standard color and hope it is as good as my last book. If the premium is really exceptional I may offer that as an option in prepaid orders. We'll just have to see. There are some really great photos in the book and some everyday quality so I am anxious to see it in "Real life." 

Maybe now I can get back to work on volume three covering Second and Third Patterns and variants like Beaded and Ribbed, Fatman, Smooth Gripped, etc. Keep your fingers crossed!! 

I said Photos would follow. This is a quick photo of four of my daggers. Left to right they are: WW-II J. Clark and Sons second pattern, the new HDG Hydra, a Parkinson/Decker Chisel-tip first pattern, Channing Watson's HN-9 Havocworx dagger. They are illustrated with their corresponding sheaths. Note that the WW-II F/S blade has been retipped during its life due to breakage. The sheath is obviouly worn and tired but intact (except the retaining strap is missing). The HDG sheath is compact with a stout retaining strap. Its method of mounting it on gear or a belt is lackluster. The sheath for the chisel-tip is beautiful, high-quality leather. Retention is by friction in the sheath. Carry is limited to straight forward belt mounting. The Watson dagger has a perfectly fitted, minimalist kydex sheath with a rubber belt loop. It is designed for IWB discreet carry (Inside the waistband). Knife retention is by molded friction fit. Watson's dagger blade exhibits the same grind concept as the Hydra (of being six sided to the very tip) for added rigidity. 

The least rugged dagger of the bunch, by far, is the Clark WW-II original. The least satisfactory sheath is the one from HDG. If I were going into combat and could take only one of these daggers, it would be the Channing Watson Havocworx dagger/sheath combo, without question. I think the Hydra and the Parkinson/Decker chisel-tip daggers are of equal functional value but neither sheath is as suitable for combat carry as the Watson sheath.