Hank Reinhardt's Book of Knives: A Practical and Illustrated Guide to Knife Fighting (20 page)

ABOUT HANK REINHARDT

Hank Reinhardt was a widely known authority on medieval arms and armor. He wrote numerous articles on swords and knives for the magazines, and his book on the use of the sword was published posthumously in 2009 titled
The Book of Swords
(Baen Books). He produced two videos with Paladin Press on the sword, and appeared in
Reclaiming the Blade
and other documentaries and TV shows about swords. In his last years of life, he was a columnist for
Blade
magazine on swords in the movies.

A sword and knife buff from early teen age, Reinhardt received an education in both during Army service in Europe in the 1950s, visiting famous museums. Upon returning to the United States, he worked at various jobs before meeting Bill Adams, founder and president of Atlanta Cutlery. With Bill, Hank was a cofounder of the mail-order business Museum Replicas, Ltd., and later a consultant to many sword makers.

He has received numerous awards for activities in science fiction and for his work with bladed weapons, including the Industry Achievement Award given at the 2006
Blade
Show in Atlanta.

Unlike many experts, Reinhardt insisted on actually making and testing the weapons he wrote about, and through his various activities he has been instrumental in increasing the popularity of arms and armor in mainstream America.

ABOUT GREG PHILLIPS

I met Hank Reinhardt when I was a ten-year-old kid, and he introduced me to the world of weapons and armor. He taught me the mysteries of swords and knives and how to use them—always cautioning me in the iron restraint one must always maintain when using such dangerous objects.

Hank bestowed an encyclopedia of knowledge on me—knives and how to sharpen and use them; the secrets of swordplay and unarmed combat; the history of weapons and armor.

Later on I met Jim Fikes and he taught me how make these weapons. Fikes is the undisputed maestro of the bladesmith’s forge and from Jimmy I got one of the finest educations in the secrets of Damascus steel and how it is produced, plus the knowledge of knife edges that are beyond sharp.

Many of the lessons I learned from Hank have helped me survive more than thirty years in private security. This book is about those lessons. I hope you enjoy reading about them as much as I did learning them in my youth.

PHOTO CREDITS

Knife class, by Richard Garrison.

Hank and his knives, by Richard Garrison.

Hank at Dragoncon, by Nils Onsager.

Flint knife, by Charlotte Proctor.

Nepalese kukri, HRC 45, by Suzanne Hughes.

Arab jambiya, HRC 516, by Suzanne Hughes.

Fighting knife, HRC 43, by Suzanne Hughes.

Standard folder, HRC 617, by Suzanne Hughes.

Historic Bowie, from
The Antique Bowie Knife Book
, reproduced by permission of Bill Adams.

Reproduction Fairbairn-Sykes, HRC 612, by Suzanne Hughes.

Typical pocket folder, HRC 616, by Suzanne Hughes.

Concealable boot knife, HRC 32, by Suzanne Hughes.

Hank’s Queen, HRC 650, by Suzanne Hughes.

Grab the wrist, grab the back of the guard, photos by Elizabeth Arthur.

Hank Reinhardt, by Greg Phillips.

Massad Ayoob & Hank Reinhardt, by Richard Garrison.

Mercator, by Suzanne Hughes.

Al-Mar folder, by Oleg Volk.

Spyderco, by Suzanne Hughes.

Button-lock knife, by Suzanne Hughes.

Knife with thumb stud, by Suzanne Hughes.

Spyderco wave, by Oleg Volk.

Cutting a tube, before & after, by Casey Ferguson.

Cutting a rope, before & after, by Casey Ferguson.

Sparring Fairbairn-Sykes, by Suzanne Hughes.

Modified sparring knife, by Casey Ferguson.

Sparring Bowie, dagger and kukri, by Suzanne Hughes.

Kukri, HRC 42, by Suzanne Hughes.

Reinhardt combat kukri, HRC 649, by Suzanne Hughes.

WWII kukri, by Suzanne Hughes.

Small kukri, by Suzanne Hughes.

Cutting water bottle, by Kevin Gravitt.

Gladius, HRC 218, by Suzanne Hughes.

Jim Fikes Bowie blade, by Suzanne Hughes.

Bowie, HRC 129, from by Suzanne Hughes.

Historical Bowie, from
The Antique Bowie Knife Book
, reproduced by permission of Bill Adams.

Randall No. 1, by Suzanne Hughes.

Cutting newspaper, by Whit Williams.

Reproduction bronze dagger, HRC 175, by Suzanne Hughes.

Baselard, by Suzanne Hughes.

Main gauche, HRC 121, by Suzanne Hughes.

Randall No. 2 kit blade, by Suzanne Hughes.

Reproduction Fairbairn-Sykes, HRC 612, by Suzanne Hughes.

Randall No. 2, HRC 618, by Suzanne Hughes.

Jim Fikes Bowie with hilt, HRC 602, by Suzanne Hughes.