The Illustrated Directory of Knives, Daggers and Bayonets
The Illustrated Directory of Knives, Daggers and Bayonets

Author: Tobias Capwell

Publisher: Southwater Publishing

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781844769995

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Since the first sharpened tools used by early man over a million years ago, edged weapons have developed and evolved into many forms. They are now valued the world over as collectable antiques, admired for the intricate skill and workmanship that lie behind the lavish and often beautifully coloured decoration on the blade and hilt. This comprehensive illustrated chronology takes you on a visual tour of sharp weapons throughout history: from the hand-held flints of the Stone Age, through to the parrying daggers of the Renaissance, the original Bayonne bayonets of the 17th century, the survival weapons of the two world wars and finally the civilian knives of modern times. There are also intriguing blades from Africa, the Middle East and Asia, including the Japanese tanto and aikuchi, the Persian peshkabz, Sudanese throwing knives and Indian Katars. Presented in an accessible and easy-to-follow format there are specially-commissioned photographs of each item, clearly labelled with the blade's defining features as well as at-a-glance specification boxes detailing date, country of origin and length. Written by a leading arms and armoury expert and featuring over 350 pieces shown in more than 530 stunning pictures, this book is an indispensable resource for both the serious collector and amateur enthusiast, and will be a fascinating and engaging read for anybody with an interest in historical weaponry.

Bowie Knife Fights, Fighters and Fighting Techniques
Bowie Knife Fights, Fighters and Fighting Techniques

Author: Paul Kirchner

Publisher: Paladin Press

Published: 2010-11-01

Total Pages: 390

ISBN-13: 9781581607420

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In 1827, James Bowie carved his way into American history at the Sandbar Fight, and soon every fighting man of the South and West had to have a knife like his. The bowie knife could cut like a razor, chop like a cleaver, and stab like a sword, and many considered it deadlier than a pistol at close range. So great was the dread it inspired that by 1838 it was banned in several states—a ban that did little to stanch the flow of blood. Bowie's story is well known, but what of the other cutters and stabbers of his day? Gunfighters have long been celebrated, but those who fought with the bowie knife have been largely ignored—until now. Unearthing accounts from memoirs, court records, regional histories, and newspaper archives, Paul Kirchner, author of the Paladin bestsellers The Deadliest Men and More of the Deadliest Men Who Ever Lived , presents their stories for the first time in Bowie Knife Fights, Fighters, and Fighting Techniques. Kirchner identifies and profiles the four greatest bowie knife fighters of history, as well as numerous other wielders of the blade. He details the weapon's use in the Texas War of Independence, the Mormon exodus, the Mexican War, the slave system, the Gold Rush, Bleeding Kansas, the Civil War, the Lincoln assassination, the Indian Wars, and the Western frontier. The book describes bowie knife fighting tricks and techniques and provides numerous accounts of knife-against-knife and knife-against-gun encounters. Its final chapter surveys the continued use of the bowie and other fighting knives in modern warfare.