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Training Blades (aluminum practice knives and my #1 heavy-duty plastic dagger)

Folders (some now out of stock, such as balisongs, quickdraw)

Throwers (Gil Hibben – my favorites, and some budget throwers)

Exotics (kerambit neck-knives only at this time)

Why buy inexpensive knives?

1) Many cheap knives nowadays are produced overseas in modern factories and are pretty good quality. It’s been said this is the golden age of knife making, and that is as true of bargain blades as the high-end custom cutters. Low cost doesn’t mean junk; knives I sell for under $10 are comparable to those I got years ago for $30-50! Some people can afford $200-$1000 for a top of the line custom blade. These are for the rest of us.

2) Would you throw away a good knife? Let’s say you are out on the town for a weekend night. Something goes down in the club where you’re dancing – you might not even be involved, but the cops are pulling people over and checking for weapons. Which would you rather toss away, a $10 knife or your $200 custom blade? Heck, even $60 is a lot to throw in the dumpster. You could drop a cheap knife, go home and pull another one out of the drawer, and still have a stash left in there.

3) You’ve been training a long time. You’ve gone through training blades from wood to plastic to aluminum. You’re pretty sharp, and ready for the psychological intensity of training against a real blade, but you recognize that training is the place where you can afford to try things out and make mistakes. With a cheap knife, you can dull the edge and point to make it relatively safe. I’ll bet you wouldn’t do that with the expensive goods! I’ve met some experienced Filipino fighters who do exactly this.

I can get good quality name-brand blades at good prices, and in fact I have some nice Gil Hibben throwers for sale. It’s just that there are so many nice knives out there; it isn’t my core business and not worth investing lots of money for inventory. Instead what I’ve done is tried to find good cheap knives and stock up on them. If you have a specific request for a particular make and model, I can see what I can do for a good price on it for you. I will try to keep my knife inventory updated, but check for availability.

Espada y daga set acquired in 1966 at Pagsanjan Falls, Philippines

The bolo is 19”, the knife is 12”

Typical field knives from the Philippines.

The top blade is 16”, bottom is 20”.

Some people think that Serrada’s sticks (18”-24”) are too short, but they are the length of many blades commonly found in rural Third World countries, making them a practical size for training weapons in this range.