Cold Steel's plastic skean dhu

**Archangel** · 14th July 05, 09:28 PM

I'm thinking of ordering one of those kraton skean dhus from cold steel (actually from an ebay site). This knife was discussed recently but I can't find the thread. Can somebody please direct me there?
Or, can anybody give me a review of it? I didn't like their steel one's handle fit up but it was close to a good thing. How practical is this plastic (not really plastic) knife: I don't like toy weapons, unless, of course, they're actually toys? What's it feel like?

**Doc Hudson** · 15th July 05, 02:39 AM

If you get one, be sure to post a review.

I've been considering one for myself, just as a decoration.

**Macman** · 15th July 05, 09:54 AM

I tried to buy the Mini-Culloden from Cold Steel several times when it was in their "close-out" section. Each time they were out of stock. Today, I searched their site for it, and it directed me to their replacement, which is a folder, not a sock-type knife, and it's about 10 times the price of the Mini-Culloden.

http://store.yahoo.com/csstoreonline/60ce.html

Good luck with finding it. If you get one, I'd be interested to hear what it's like. Cheers,
David

**Archangel** · 15th July 05, 12:48 PM

an ebay store carries it and will ship to Canada, so getting it isn't the problem. just trying to figure if I really want it. I'm old school that way, I was raised with knives, especially the skean dhu, as near sacred. "let it drink blood each time you unsheath it", my mother is so weird. It's like the kukri thing.
I don't have toy knives, well, we got practice ones after I had to rush best friend to hospital when he missed blocking my "really good move". Now, when I have to instruct on knives, I use a red marker.

here's the ebay link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=6538724812

**Big Paul** · 15th July 05, 01:30 PM

Here is the link. http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=11680

**Dreadbelly** · 15th July 05, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by Archangel

an ebay store carries it and will ship to Canada, so getting it isn't the problem. just trying to figure if I really want it. I'm old school that way, I was raised with knives, especially the skean dhu, as near sacred. "let it drink blood each time you unsheath it", my mother is so weird. It's like the kukri thing.
I don't have toy knives, well, we got practice ones after I had to rush best friend to hospital when he missed blocking my "really good move". Now, when I have to instruct on knives, I use a red marker.

here's the ebay link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=6538724812

We have something in common. That whole "every time you pull it out let it drink blood" thing.

When I was a boy, prolly about 8 years old or so, maybe older, I had an Uncle (A Viet Nam vet) teach me the finer points of pig sticking. He used live steel as a motivator to get me to learn. And boy did I learn. After two cuts and a puncture wound, I was really on my toes. He had dull knives, but still pointy... They hurt! I lived with him for almost half a year. I even managed to draw blood on him a few times. I found out later in my life that he was a Ranger. He killed himself shortly after I left him. He had passed his skills on to somebody that was blood, which was important to him, and removed himself from the world that had become strange to him.

He had problems. He was kind to me, and a nice guy, great with kids. Bad with other people. He had horrible nightmares. He would scream some times for no reason at all, clutching his head and stomping his feet. He said he could still hear the his boys dying. When I got older, I understood. His was a very sad life. I can only guess what must have happened to make him so.

He taught me how to fight. I knew how to fight and quite well by that age, but he refined me. I am still very, very skilled with pigstickers of all types. I have a stilleto switchblade that has tasted a lot of blood in it's life. I learned how to throw knives. I learned a lot from him. Learned how to take care of my self. Learned how to use both hands while fighting.

It's funny how a simple phrase can bring up so many memories.

**Macman** · 15th July 05, 03:22 PM

Sorry, Archangel. That's different then the one I was trying to buy. I think it was around $39.99.

**Hamish** · 15th July 05, 05:56 PM

I do not know about the Skean Dhu from Cold Steel that you mention, but I do wear a faux Skean Dhu nowadays (ie: one with a plastic 'blade') whenever a Skean Dhu is called for as part of my dress. The reason: my true Skean Dhu, because of the length of its blade, is officially classified here in the United Kingdom as an 'offensive weapon', and I would be breaking the law if I wore it in public.

Faux Skean Dhus are available from virtually any retailer of the real thing. Mine came from Hector Russell in Inverness five years ago.

**Archangel** · 15th July 05, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by Dreadbelly

We have something in common. That whole "every time you pull it out let it drink blood" thing.

When I was a boy, prolly about 8 years old or so, maybe older, I had an Uncle (A Viet Nam vet) teach me the finer points of pig sticking. He used live steel as a motivator to get me to learn. And boy did I learn. After two cuts and a puncture wound, I was really on my toes. He had dull knives, but still pointy... They hurt! I lived with him for almost half a year. I even managed to draw blood on him a few times. I found out later in my life that he was a Ranger. He killed himself shortly after I left him. He had passed his skills on to somebody that was blood, which was important to him, and removed himself from the world that had become strange to him.

He had problems. He was kind to me, and a nice guy, great with kids. Bad with other people. He had horrible nightmares. He would scream some times for no reason at all, clutching his head and stomping his feet. He said he could still hear the his boys dying. When I got older, I understood. His was a very sad life. I can only guess what must have happened to make him so.

He taught me how to fight. I knew how to fight and quite well by that age, but he refined me. I am still very, very skilled with pigstickers of all types. I have a stilleto switchblade that has tasted a lot of blood in it's life. I learned how to throw knives. I learned a lot from him. Learned how to take care of my self. Learned how to use both hands while fighting.

It's funny how a simple phrase can bring up so many memories.

besides our own rebel oral tradition re: the skean dhu, I also have this other part of my life from martial arts my mother taught me, dad taught me some deeper stuff, strategies, but mum's was vicious. During the war years, she lived by the commando training centre and they would chum with her brothers, who became SAS or something deeper. They taught her lethal stuff that she passed on to me. I've used the techniques to score in black belt contact tournements. And in Scotland, there were a lot of "shell shocked" people and especially ex-commando, that we were warned to be careful of because they could go off at anytime. But children were usually safe: the role of a warrior is to protect children.
Here's my mum's expression for "give it your best shot" or "crash and burn" type things: "thumb on the blade, thrust up."

**Dreadbelly** · 15th July 05, 06:27 PM

My own personal "Black Knife." You probably can't see to well, but the blade is heavily scarred. It's been caught between human ribs one time to many and had to be wiggled out. As you can see, it is the real deal. A stilleto switchblade. Has a safety, if it goes off and the blade encounters as much as one quarter ounce of resistance, it goes neutral. Wont even break the skin. With a flick of the wrist, the blade resets into the launcher. One click, out, one click, back in. It's sharp enough to shave with. Wickedly sharp. Blade is a little over 3 inches long. It is very, very functional. I have cut a seatbelt with this thing. It has been used to save a life or two as well as threatening to take them. The pommel at the other end is solid stainless steel and can be used to crush bones. I have had this knife since I was a wee lad. It was given to me by the same uncle that I mentioned in the above post. He has killed people with this blade. After I received it, I was shown how to take it apart to clean and oil, and there was still a great deal of dried blood inside of it that he had never bothered to clean out. Now, it stays well oiled, clean, and in good condition. The springer mechanism has been replaced because the old one lost some tension. The best part of this knife is the psychological factor. You hear a mechanical "snik" sound. The blade springs out. That is usually all it takes to end a confrontation. This is not a toy, or some cheap flimsy knockoff like some switchblades, and the blade does not fold out like the cheap flimsy and dangerous I might add lesser models. The stilleto is far superiour in all aspects of design, safety being first priority.

And yes, I am full of suprises. The cane is not my last line of defense...