Adventures with a Pair of Bushmen

Ammoland ^ | 19 March, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

About 16 years ago, a close friend was involved in some dangerous affairs in far lands.  Because of the legal climate, firearms were out of the question.  I gave him a pair of Cold Steel Bushman knives.  They were inexpensive enough that confiscation or loss was not a great financial burden; they were big enough, tough enough, and versatile enough to be useful.  Or, so I thought.

I have maintained contact with my friend, and he has had adventures that make the hair rise on the back of my neck.  He has come through it all intact, gained a wife and now has three lovely daughters.  I won’t mention his name, because he is going back into danger as I write.

Somehow, the Bushmen never came up in our later conversations, but the article I wrote the other day, about the new Cold Steel Voyager, pricked his memory, and I was sent some of the uses that he put the Bushmen to.  As he is now persona non grata in Russia, I can say that is where most of the knife use occurred.  From my friend:

Back in 2000, I taped 2 Cold Steel Bushmans to my hockey skates to smuggle them into Siberia.  I literally cut everything from bread, to dressing out seals, to stripping wires and cracking crabs to reset my crab pots.  I carried them concealed almost everyday.  Awsome knives!

I almost lost my knives by Airport security in South Korea flying into Siberia.  They showed up on the Xray and they questioned me about what they were.  I said hockey skates, they opened the bag and saw the boots, but never looked at the blades.

[marktwain]

16 years ago, the Bushman knives only cost about $10 each, with sheath! I bought several, and often use them yet. Now the cheapest you can find them is over twice that price.

[Travis McGee]

Good tip about ice skates!

[marktwain]

My friend seems to be protected by devine providence. He has lived a purpose driven life. I am honored by his friendship, and am glad to say that I might have had a small part in forming his values.

[darth]

I once took a trip through Morocco with a buddy.

We encountered a lot of hostile natives, some of whom were in large groups. Many had large daggers at their waist.

I carried a pair of nunchuks as well as a couple of blades. I also had a Wrist Rocket with a bag of ball bearings.

The Moroccans had seen enough Bruce Lee movies to recognize the nunchuks which I carried openly.

They never had to learn that I did not know how to use the chuks; the intimidation was enough.

[marktwain]

Great story!

Americans have a reputation of being skilled with weapons. Compared to some, perhaps they are. Certainly, a much higher percentage of Americans are familiar and competent with firearms than in most places in the world. It is a reputation that I have worked to foster.

[TXnMA]

"Certainly, a much higher percentage of Americans are familiar and competent with firearms than in most places in the world."

~~~~~~~~

Rep builder:

Indiana Jones vs the scimitar swinger...

LOL!!!

[Stosh]

Neat article - his buddy certainly has balls of brass, but I hope he never tries to sneak his Bushmen into NORK land.

[Noumenon]

I’ve got one of those old style ones in my bug out kit. Suprisinly light but strong

[DuncanWaring]

No point in pinging you to this one, I see.

[LibWhacker]

Normally, finding out a knife has a hollow handle immediately kills any interest I might otherwise have had in it. But Amazon’s description says these knives have been tested by applying two tons of pressure at the blade/handle transition point, and they passed. That’s good enough for me.

Want a knife that will see you through any long, drawn out SHTF period? Forget those $200 - $1,000 safe queens that you’re afraid to scratch. Grab half a dozen of these, or comparable, knives and you’ll be good to go... Strong, high-carbon steel, inexpensive, multi-purpose, something you’re not afraid to trash if you have to, that’s where it’s at, imo. Keep your safe queens in the safe where they belong.

[Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I think I read this guy's memoir about his travels in South America...IIRC it was titled "Culture Shock: A Bushman in Brazil."

[Noumenon]

Yep. Always good to have a hard use blade handy. That bit about hockey skates was interesting.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Mr. GG2 just ordered and received two wrist rockets for us to put in our survival gear. We each had one as kids. They are still great little sidekicks and made in the USA. I always used marbles in mine.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Surprising that one of the least threatening places he visited was potentially the most dangerous: the abandoned mine. Abandoned mines are death traps in the truest sense of the word, filled to the brim with more unexpected and murderous hazards then you can shake a stick at.

I say this from experience. Speaking with mining historians, mining engineers, and miners, even they avoid the entire area around abandoned mines. This is because abandoned vertical shafts can look like solid ground until you walk on them.

There are unexploded unstable explosives, poison and explosive gases, very deadly chemicals, unexpected water; wall, ceiling and floor collapses, internal shafts, and critters.

[PLMerite]

“Normally, finding out a knife has a hollow handle immediately kills any interest I might otherwise have had in it.”

Hollow handle so you could make a spear out of it?

[rusureitflies?]

Headline threw me. I’ve studied the Bushman in Africa. Quite the folk. They do know how to survive. Bushman: a very fitting name for a knife. Yup, I learn something every day. Thanks for the post.

[marktwain]

I could tell you some stories...

Maybe another time.

[marktwain]

You only need a short screw or nail (screw works better and easier), and access to wood for a handle to turn these knives into very functional spears. A way to turn the screw (or pound the nail) is needed, but you can find or make a screw with a finger turned head, or carry a multi-tool or Swiss Army knife as I often do. Wire or cord can also do in a pinch; but takes more time to install and is not as sturdy, IMHO.

[marktwain]

Slingshots of one kind or another were almost constant companions of mine when I was a kid.

My early ones were made out of natural rubber inner tubes. I was disappointed when artificial rubber took over; then I discovered surgical tubing. It works even better, and is what the wrist rocket uses.

[Manic_Episode]

Just got one. $22 on Amazon. Worth every penny.