Cold Steel Katana

[red-beard]

Well, not a Katana. I'm looking for a good legal boot knife. Legal in Texas is 5.5" or less.

Cold Steel has one that seems fits the bill:

http://www.coldsteel.com/Product/COUNTER.20_TAC.20_SERIES/COUNTER_TAC_SERIES.aspx



Kershaw had a knife a little shorter, but it is discontinued.

Any other ideas? Suggestions on a good custom knife shop?

[vash]

i seriously hate cold steel. i have one..a folder. i drank the koolaide when they first came out. sandwiched steel..laminate steel..whatever gimmicky thing they called it. i bought a folder, with a Tanto tip for way more money than my lame late teen ass should have been spending. if i could find it, i would send it to you so you can see what i mean. the blade is awful. i remember paying $125 for it..back in 1980's or so. (it was very close to when the company came out)

lemme see if i can find it. i know i used it to open letters for a long time at the office. hahhaa..

you have a budget?

[red-beard]

Not really. I'd be willing to go several bills for something decent.

[winders]

That double edged knife is illegal in Texas, is it not?

“Illegal Knife” means a:
(A) knife with a blade over five and one half inches;
Rainer v. State, 763 S.W.2d 615 (Tex. App.-Eastland 1989, pet. ref’d) To determine length, measure entire length of blade past handle, not just the sharpened portion of the blade. Same result in McMurrough v. State, 995 S.W.2d 944 (Tex. App.-Ft. Worth 1999).

(B) hand instrument designed to cut or stab another by being thrown;
Albert v. State, 659 S.W.2d 41 (Tex. App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 1983, pet. ref’d) Martial arts throwing star qualifies as “a hand instrument designed to cut or stab another by being thrown”.

(C) dagger including but not limited to a dirk, stiletto, and poniard;
Armendariz v. State, 396 S.W.2d 132 (Tex. Crim. App. 1965) A knife slightly over seven inches in length when open, equipped with a double guard, blade that locks open and is sharpened on both sides of blade for over an inch meets the definition of a dagger.

(D) bowie knife;
Mireles v. State, 192 S.W. 241 (Tex. Crim. App. 1917) A knife in a scabbard with a blade nine inches long and a handle four or five inches long described as a butcher knife was embraced in the term “bowie knife” as defined by the Penal Code.

(E) sword; or

(F) spear.

(7) “Knife” means any bladed hand instrument that is capable of inflicting serious
bodily injury or death by cutting or stabbing a person with the instrument.

[red-beard]

I'm under the impression that anything under 5.5" is OK. The "dagger" above is 7".

Edit:

Nope: It can be sharpened 1" on the backside

[onewhippedpuppy]

5.5"? Sniper says you're a pussy.

[winders]

Originally Posted by red-beard

I'm under the impression that anything under 5.5" is OK. The "dagger" above is 7".

Edit:

Nope: It can be sharpened 1" on the backside

"A knife slightly over seven inches in length when open"

That is including the handle.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Eddie White makes a great "budget" custom boot knife:

Shadow Knives

If you're looking to spend some serious dough, have a look at some of the work from guys who make knives in the Loveless Hideout and Boot patterns. A Mini-Wilderness or Chute pattern might work if you wear really, really large boots.

John Young
Steve (S. R.) Johnson
Marcus Lin
Alain "Deso" Desaulniers
David Sharp
Thad Buchanan
Chad Nell
Dietmar Kressler
...and of course R.W. Loveless, though if you can afford to carry one you could just buy the presidency in 2020.

Knives made in the Loveless style ain't cheap but when done right they feel better in the hand than your own deek (to paraphrase Bob L).

[Pazuzu]

(1) Why do you want a boot knife? The Heights getting to weird for you?

(2) Ka-Bar.

If you want to carry something illegal (and, well, if the cops find out about your double edged boot knife, it's because something far worse has just happened, and getting busted on weapons charges is probably the least of your worries), then look for one of the Applegate-Fairbairn variations. 5-6 inch double edged fighting knife with a history as long as the Ka-Bar.

Neither is some high end gourmet knife, but both are hewn from warfare and have earned their design. also, both can be cleaned, sharpened and maintained while doing stuff like washing them in the Gulf while fishing, while the $500 custom knives will wilt and fail under duress

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

while the $500 custom knives will wilt and fail under duress

If you find a good Loveless-style custom for $500, be sure to buy it. You'll be able to double your money on Ebay the next day.

[red-beard]

Several of my buddies are in Texas criminal law. I'm going to check with them on the meaning of the case law. I was under the impression than anything 5.5" or less was OK. When I think "dagger" I definitely think of something bigger than 5.5".

Anyway...

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

If you find a good Loveless-style custom for $500, be sure to buy it. You'll be able to double your money on Ebay the next day.

Mostly I meant that boot knives tend to be poorly maintained, living in the mud and such, while nice high carbon jobbies would become stained and have their edges turned. I like good quality pocket knives, but a boot knife? I want something basic, cheap, with some sort of blade coating, and a softer steel that can be sharpened in 3 minutes while camping with a pocket stone.

It needs to survive digging up roots and making holes for tent spikes, washing fish in saltwater, and constant sweat contact (what with being...in a boot...).


As for "dagger", that generally means any pointed knife designed for stabbing, usually double edged, or with a sharpened swage. In Cali they had to define it better because a ball point pen qualified as a dirk at one point. Generally, any double edged blade is a no no in most states no matter what length.



Also as an aside, that Eddie White stuff is CHEAP!! Holy cow, nice designs for only $200-300! I expected 3x that before I saw the pricing.

[lane912]

I have one of these-

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Well, not a Katana. I'm looking for a good legal boot knife. Legal in Texas is 5.5" or less.

Cold Steel has one that seems fits the bill:

http://www.coldsteel.com/Product/COUNTER.20_TAC.20_SERIES/COUNTER_TAC_SERIES.aspx



Kershaw had a knife a little shorter, but it is discontinued.

Any other ideas? Suggestions on a good custom knife shop?

If you are looking for a good pig sticker, look no further. I'm surprised you haven't ordered it.

[red-beard]

Actually, I'm going with Eddie knight. I'll post a picture when I get it.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

Mostly I meant that boot knives tend to be poorly maintained, living in the mud and such, while nice high carbon jobbies would become stained and have their edges turned. I like good quality pocket knives, but a boot knife? I want something basic, cheap, with some sort of blade coating, and a softer steel that can be sharpened in 3 minutes while camping with a pocket stone.

Actually...

Loveless made his knives from ATS-34 and 154CM, both stainless steels similar (but superior) to 440C. He also pioneered the use of durable Micarta for the handle scales.

His chute design was specifically designed as a paratrooper's survival knife, with much design input from....yes....a government-type named Archer who had a habit of arriving at his "office" via parachute.

Loveless-style knives are made to last and to look and feel good doing it.

That said, a "boot" knife is intended more as a hideout fighting knife than anything else. That's why they're generally thin and double-edged. If you find yourself digging a hole in the ground with a boot knife, you've really gone wrong somewhere along the line.

As for a "work" knife, I actually prefer carbon steel. I can put an edge on a carbon steel blade with a rock. And once you get a nice patina on the blade and build up some oil in the sheath, rust isn't really a problem unless you really neglect the blade. However, the newfangled stainless steels they have these days have such tough carbides in the edge that they're a total pain in the ass to sharpen without a belt grinder.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Actually, I'm going with Eddie knight. I'll post a picture when I get it.

Which will be about 3 months...

[vash]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Actually, I'm going with Eddie knight. I'll post a picture when I get it.

Gotta link? I love seeing various knife maker stuff

[red-beard]

See post #8 above

[vash]

Thanks. Never heard of loveless knives. Nice. But they look like show pieces. If I was rich. I'd buy one and hammer it thru a warthog with a rock.