Dark Luther
10-06-2006, 03:03 PM
Side Note:
I really wish to have great diversity in the weapons demonstrated in this theme - and my main hope is to teach some varied things that will open up for others the interest to research and learn further things.
One would be amazed how hearing one minor thing of interest can lead a person to discover an entire new area of knowledge. So with that in mind, I'll be happy to continue this line of threads...
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This week's weapon is the Arkansas Toothpick.
With all the weapons I know, I will admit that this one was unknown to me until just this year. One will look all over the world for diversity and completly neglect one's own backyard.
Of course I don't live in Arkansas, but this weapon is very well known north of me in the "deep south".
This "knife" was developed around the same time as the Bowie knife by the same man - James Black. While the Bowie Knife recieved great fame from being associated by the popular icon of the same name, the Arkansas Toothpick is considered in similar regards when concerning design and application - along with mutlible use.
The knife itself is more a pick than an actual knife, though many point to the blades and claim it resembles more a dagger than a pick. Over time the considerably very thin dagger has widened and modern versions resemble more a knife than the pick used in the past.
Uses of this weapon consist of multible utility as a cutting weapon, or as a way to pierce through wood, and obviously as a slashing/piercing weapon.
Less known is the application of this weapon as a calvary weapon. Because of the weight distribution and the narrow blade, the knife itself was a perfect throwing weapon - specially when thrown downwards at extreme short range.
Thrown in this fashion - the knife was similar to an oversized version of the Bo-Shurikan used by traditional arts like Aikido, Ninjutsu, and Katori Shintō-ryū.
The pick was of rather large size, and because of it's shape was more commonly strapped to the back -
or as I have witnessed, also along the the back of the hip at a slanted angle.
For reference, one can read about it from it's Wiki ( which is kinda limited ), or can see pictures of it online.
I hope you enjoyed this week's, I welcome feedback, and hope you guys stay tuned for next week's...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansas_Toothpick
I really wish to have great diversity in the weapons demonstrated in this theme - and my main hope is to teach some varied things that will open up for others the interest to research and learn further things.
One would be amazed how hearing one minor thing of interest can lead a person to discover an entire new area of knowledge. So with that in mind, I'll be happy to continue this line of threads...
---------------------------------------------
This week's weapon is the Arkansas Toothpick.
With all the weapons I know, I will admit that this one was unknown to me until just this year. One will look all over the world for diversity and completly neglect one's own backyard.
Of course I don't live in Arkansas, but this weapon is very well known north of me in the "deep south".
This "knife" was developed around the same time as the Bowie knife by the same man - James Black. While the Bowie Knife recieved great fame from being associated by the popular icon of the same name, the Arkansas Toothpick is considered in similar regards when concerning design and application - along with mutlible use.
The knife itself is more a pick than an actual knife, though many point to the blades and claim it resembles more a dagger than a pick. Over time the considerably very thin dagger has widened and modern versions resemble more a knife than the pick used in the past.
Uses of this weapon consist of multible utility as a cutting weapon, or as a way to pierce through wood, and obviously as a slashing/piercing weapon.
Less known is the application of this weapon as a calvary weapon. Because of the weight distribution and the narrow blade, the knife itself was a perfect throwing weapon - specially when thrown downwards at extreme short range.
Thrown in this fashion - the knife was similar to an oversized version of the Bo-Shurikan used by traditional arts like Aikido, Ninjutsu, and Katori Shintō-ryū.
The pick was of rather large size, and because of it's shape was more commonly strapped to the back -
or as I have witnessed, also along the the back of the hip at a slanted angle.
For reference, one can read about it from it's Wiki ( which is kinda limited ), or can see pictures of it online.
I hope you enjoyed this week's, I welcome feedback, and hope you guys stay tuned for next week's...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansas_Toothpick