James Morgan Ayres - The Tactical Knife: A Comprehensive Guide to Designs, Techniques, and Uses

Praise for The Tactical Knife

Ive really enjoyed The Tactical Knife . James Morgan Ayres has gotten down through what seems like miles of words and opinions from those who mostly are not trained. He has defined what really matters. Hes the real deal, been there and done that.

Wayne Goddard, Master Smith of the American Bladesmith Society.

It has been a unique experience to get to know James Morgan Ayres over these past years. He is well known for his rugged style of testing and fair and realistic evaluations of field tools. James is a true professional and uses his own years of real field time experience in Special Forces to hard test knives and tools.

I have come to realize that each knife that he tests and reviews is a reflection of his ability to use and depend upon the knifes ability to perform under continual stress and in rugged environments. The quality of the reviews and the fine photos add to the enjoyment of the readers of his books.

James has got great empathy for those who read and use his reviews to finalize their own choice for a personal knife, after all it is true that your life may depend upon it.

Mike Fuller, President, TOPS Knives

Its hard to imagine a book on this or any other subject that is more encyclopedic, better illustrated, or more fun to read. Knife lovers will drool over this one.

Jim Morris, author of the award winning War Story , and Special Forces Major (retired)

I must admit, I was excited at the thought of a definitive book on tactical knives. Why? As a long time special operations soldier and knife maker I was curious as to the definition of a Tactical Knife. I then quickly realized that as a sniper and combat veteran, I should probably be the guy who knows! Therein lies the reason for the writing of this book. Mr. Ayres definitive, well-illustrated guide to a task-specific genre of knives will be a mainstay of my knife reference material.

Curtis V. Iovito, SFC, US Army Special Forces (retired), Spartan Knives LLC

Copyright 2014 by James M. Ayres

All photos copyright 2014 by M. L. Ayres unless otherwise noted

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN: 978-1-62873-701-1

Printed in China

CONTENTS

FOREWORD BY MYKEL HAWKE

D eath comes to us all. Every Warrior knows this. He not only understand this, he embraces it and spends all of his days making ready for it. A Warrior knows that every engagement may be his last. So, he avoids them when he is able. A Warrior never makes the foolish assumption that his opponent will be easily defeated, because to underestimate a foe is an invitation to disaster.

To this end, a Warrior studies all weapons and all ways that can help him be best prepared for battle to prevent that inevitable death for as long as possible. Short of hand-to-hand combat, the knife is the most intimate among the pantheon of weapons. The stick and stone may be older, but they are blunt and their death brutal. The knife is lethally swift. This speedy, deadly tool, when wielded well in the hands of a seasoned practitioner of the art of knife fighting, can strike more fear into the heart of an opponent than even the most modern firearms.

Therefore, the knife, as a weapon, as a tool, is a symbol of the Way of the Warrior. It means life or death as well as close combat. It means stealth, and it means skill. These reasons resonate in any Warriors heart when he sees the knifethat it symbolizes one of the most ancient and sacred tools of mankind. The knife itself has a rich history in medicine, religion, politics, society, and even simple culinary and cultural aspects of humanitys endeavors. But there is nowhere the knife is more powerful than as a symbol of the art of war.

James Morgan Ayres comes from a diverse background, which is vital to addressing such a weighty topic. As simple as it seems on the surface, The Tactical Knife is likely one of the most important and influential tools in the development of mankinds fate from the beginning of time until the modern day. As well as being a practiced martial artist, James is a tried and true Warrior Class human, a former member of the US Army Special Forces.

Known as the Green Berets, they are considered to be some of the best soldiers in the world among elite military forces today. Ayres comes from an era of serving with the Green Berets when they were at the forefront of modern day guerrilla warfare. The 1960s were a period of change in the world, and the Green Berets, created from the OSS in World War II, were at the forefront of that change as they adapted to the new face of warfare and conflict through guerrilla warfare, deception, and stealth.

From these Warriors comes their nickname the Quiet Professionals. These soldiers are the worlds only dedicated unconventional warfare specialists, and as such, their crest bears the symbol of the dagger, intimating the requirement for one to get close to his foe in order to silence him forever with the fatal stealth of the blade. It is this background Ayres brings to the book, as well as the same exacting and demanding standards of discipline, training, testing, and performancethe hallmark of Special Forcesthat Ayres brings to his testing methods for The Tactical Knife .

Every blade was put through the same paces, all based on real experience and real use, to evaluate all the properties we value, need, and demand in the performance and purpose of The Tactical Knife .

I must confess, that I had some trepidation about my own blade being put to such arduous testing, knowing James Morgan Ayres and the other quality blades he was testing. But I knew he would not falter or favor any one blade over another; as a true warrior and professional soldier he would seek truth above all. Thankfully, the blade held and I was honored to be able to write some of my thoughts regarding how I felt about this book, the history of the tool, and the man doing the testing.

It is a wonderful thing, when one turns to a book for real knowledge, and one finds that the power of the truth was not lost to modern demands for hype and sales. It is this honest and honorable approach to such a classic symbol and powerful tool that makes James Morgan Ayres book, The Tactical Knife , such a worthy and worthwhile read. Whether youre a newbie or an old school aficionado, this book is a great addition to your knowledge base and your reference library.

Mykel Hawke, author of Hawkes Green Beret Survival Manual , star of Discovery Channels Man, Woman, Wild and Travel Channels Lost Survivors , and Special Forces Captain (retired) and combat commander

INTRODUCTION