Kwaiken, Kwaikens and More Kwaikens

Hey guys! As you know, I'm running a pre-order on my version of a Kwaiken. Let me tell you just a little bit about it.

Some Kwaiken History

The kwaiken was once carried by the samurai class in Japan. It was kind of like a no frills tanto. Think of it as a backup for a backup. It came in handy in close quarter, indoor spaces where the user didn't have space to sling a katana or wakazashi. You could also consider this knife as an off duty, self defense weapon. Women also carried them in their kimonos and were expected to bring a kwaiken into their husband's house.

Some of My History

As a kid, I studied martial arts. Yes I took classes, but I also liked to read martial arts books and take notes (I know - I'm a nerd lol) I've always been fascinated with the samurai and ninja culture. It has been said that ninjas wouldn’t carry swords they were to big and bulky because it wouldn't allow them to do what they had to do best. But believe... they kept a blade with them. This is where the kwaiken came in. The ninjas M O was to sneak and evade but if necessary they would lash out with a small sharp blade and then escape (Fun Fact: There is a myth that ninjas were actually vampires. This is where that myth came from). But I digress... Through reading and learning about the kwaiken, it became one of my favorite knives. So, when I started bladesmithing, it was actually one of the first designs I learned to make and carry.

The Str8 RemixMy take on the kwaiken is an interesting mix of modern and historical concepts. In the age of the gun, I feel that the blade is not given its due respect. Just because people are now more likely to use a gun, it doesn’t mean that the blade can’t be every bit as capable. I took concepts from all the modern martial artists concepts I respect and study and I put them into this blade but I think I could explain that better by video…(Hmmmmmmm - Youtube: STR8 STUDIOS!!!! - link coming soon). First, I exchanged the traditional hidden tang for more modern tapered full tang. This along with the tapers of the full height convext ground blade puts the balance point on or right behind where the front of the handle scales which, in my opinion is optimal for any fighting knife. I replaced the cotton cord with stripped paracord. Traditionally,the sheath would have been made of wood. The sheath for my version of the kwaiken. is made of kydex.

I love the kwaiken. I love making the kwaiken and if you think you might love the kwaiken check out my pre-order. Also don't forget to spend some time checking out the rest of this site.