Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions. If you cannot find the answer you're looking for, email your questions to webcs@budk.com.

About Steel

What is steel actually made of?
There are several ingredients used in the making of steel with the most important one being carbon. All steel will have some percentage of carbon in it because it is a hardening element and will reduce the wear over time. When Manganese and vanadium are added, they also make the blade harder. Chromium is used to increase the strength of a blade and also as an anti-corrosion ingredient. Other ingredients include silicon, cobalt and phosphorus to improve strength; nickel to add toughness; sulfur to increase machinability; and tungsten to also increase wear resistance.
Which type of blade steel is the most rust-resistant?
Generally, most blades are made categorized as stainless steel, high carbon steel and Damascus steel. Stainless steel is the most rust resistant of the three types because it has a minimum of 12% chromium in it, which is an anti-corrosive ingredient.
What is Damascus Steel?
Easily identified by its wavy pattern, this type of steel maintains a sharp edge and is both hard and flexible. Iron and steel are layered and forged together in a “folding” process that produces hundreds of layers and the signature wavy look of the steel.
What is clay-tempering?
When crafting a sword blade, there are three steps: annealing, hardening and tempering. The process of using clay to insulate the parts of the metal that you want softened during the hardening step is called clay-tempering. When the sword is heated and quenched, these parts cool more slowly, allowing the blade to have both strength and flexibility.
Which steel makes the sharpest blade?
Blades made of high carbon steel can be sharpened to a keen edge and will keep a sharp edge longer. When crafting a sword blade, the edge of it needs to be very hard so it will hold its sharpness, which is what a high carbon content allows. However, a sword blade needs to also have some flexibility.
Why does a sword blade need to be flexible?
If a blade is too hard, then it can be brittle and has the possibility of breaking on impact. Having a blade that is softer and therefore, more flexible in the spine, lets it give just enough on impact so that it won’t break.
How do I take care of my sword?
Touching the blade will leave oils and salts on it so make sure to wipe the blade if you touch it with your hand or if it gets wet. Regular coats of clear, non-organic oil will help prevent moisture from reaching the blade. Sharpen the blade regularly with a quality sharpener. Treat it with respect. Do not bang it against a tree trunk.

Knives

What does full-tang mean?
The tang of a knife is the part of the blade that extends into the handle. A full-tang knife has the handle pieces or scales attached to each side of the tang to form the handle of the knife. In contrast, a half-tang knife has a tang that only extends halfway into the handle.
What is an ulu knife?
This type of all-purpose knife originally came from the Eskimos, who used it for everything from skinning animals to building an igloo. The knife has a wide, curved blade with a handle which runs parallel to the blade. The ulu is used with a back and forth rocking motion, making it great for use in the kitchen to chop and cut meats and vegetables.
Where did the butterfly knife come from?
Also known as a balisong, the butterfly knife got its start in the Philippines as a self-defense and utility pocket knife. It gained popularity in the United States when soldiers returned from the Philippines after W.W.II.
Why do I need a knife sharpener?
A knife will serve you well for many years if you keep it properly sharpened. Also, a blunt or dull knife requires more pressure to use, which opens the door to it slipping and causing injury. What you want is a sharpener system that offers a couple of different grit options. The grit is the size of the particles in the stone, which affects the finish on your blade – a finer grit giving you a finer finish.
What does “feed your blade” mean?
It means that to maintain your knife, you should coat it with a clear, non-organic oil to prevent moisture from reaching the blade, when storing. A light oil like gun oil works perfectly but it should be changed regularly by wiping the blade clean with a soft cloth until dry and applying more.

Full-Tang Knives

What is a full-tang knife?
The tang of a knife is the part of the blade that extends into the handle. A full-tang knife has the handle pieces or scales attached to each side of the tang to form the handle of the knife. In contrast, a half-tang knife has a tang that only extends halfway into the handle.
Where did the trench knife come from?
Trench knives, also called knuckle knives, were created to use in close quarters combat, during WWI, when the fighting was taking places primarily in the trenches. The early versions of the trench knife were constructed by the soldiers themselves or ordinance blacksmiths. They were usually just shortened military-issue bayonets.
What is a bayonet knife used for?
A bayonet knife is specifically designed to be a companion to a rifle. It typically has a clip on the pommel to fit a bayonet lug attachment and a muzzle ring integrated into the handguard. Originally, the bayonet was used for close-quarters combat and can be found, now, as both a historical replica and as a modern rifle accessory.
What is a kukri knife?
The Kukri, or Gurkha knife, is a Nepalese machete originally used to clear wooded areas. It was later used as an effective weapon due to its curved design. The shape varies a great deal from being quite straight to highly curved with angled or smooth spines. It can be used to cut, chop, slash or smash just about anything.
How do I choose a full-tang knife?
A good, quality full-tang knife should be a tool that you can take for granted because it will be able to perform whenever and wherever you need it. Choose one that will perform the specific tasks that come up for you when and wherever you’re carrying it. For example, if you’re camping or surviving in the wild, you need a knife that can perform a variety of tasks including cutting kindling for a fire, preparing food and building a shelter.

Pocket Knives

What is a pocket knife?
A pocket knife is simply a knife with a blade that folds out or “opens” from the handle, where it is housed when not in use. The idea being that it will easily fit in the pocket for everyday carry. Generally, a pocket knife is either assisted opening or manual opening.
What is an assisted opening knife?
These knives are opened by the user employing either the “flipper”, which is a lever on the back spine of the knife or a “thumb stud”, which is a small stud on the blade. This action starts the deployment of the blade and a mechanism like a spring or ball-bearing finishes opening the blade and then it locks into place.
What is a trapper pocket knife?
This is a style of manual opening pocket knife that has two blades, which fold out from the handle. Traditionally, there is a spey blade and a clip blade, each having a nail nick so that they can be deployed with just an upward pull on the blade.
What is an OTF knife?
When you see a knife listed as an OTF, it stands for “out-the-front” and means that it is a knife with a blade that extends straight from the handle. An OTF pocket knife can be opened with a manual slide, with assisted opening, with an automatic mechanism or by using gravity.
How do I choose a pocket knife?
A good, quality folding pocket knife should be a tool that you can take for granted because it will be able to perform whenever and wherever you need it. Choose one that will perform the specific tasks that come up for you in your everyday life. For example, if you’re in emergency services, a rescue knife with an integrated seatbelt cutter and glass breaker would be perfect for you.

Throwing Knives

How do I choose a throwing knife?
First, consider what you want to accomplish. To develop throwing skills as a backyard hobby, you can get any set of throwing knives. To develop skills to eventually compete, invest in a set of competition quality knives.
Which knife should I start with, as a beginner?
There are three kinds of throwing knives: blade-heavy, handle-heavy and balanced. A balanced, throwing knife is the best option for a beginner, as it can be gripped and thrown by either the blade or handle.
How do I grip a throwing knife?
There are two basic grips: hammer grip and pinch grip. For the hammer grip, hold the thrower just like you would a hammer with the fingers wrapped around the handle. For the pinch grip, grip either the handle or the blade between the thumb and index finger in a secure pinch hold.
How do I throw the knife?
Grip the knife, extend the arm straight toward the target and then, bring arm up and back bending from the elbow. Now, draw the arm all the way up and back alongside the ear and swing the arm down rapidly forward in a downward motion, releasing the thrower.
Where is the best point in the throw to release the knife?
Timing is everything in the release, but it does depend on the distance from the target you are. For close distances, release the knife in front of your head and for longer distances, release the knife behind your head.
How do I perform a no-spin throw?
This is definitely a skill to work toward in knife-throwing. Use the drive finger grip, which is where the index finger is positioned along the knife’s spine and the handle is pinched between the thumb and the length of the middle finger. The thumb guides the movement and the index finger drives the thrower forward when it’s released.
What does a throwing competition target look like?
The bull’s-eye is 4” in diameter with a secondary ring of 8” in diameter and the outer ring is 16” in diameter. This is the format you should use to practice for an American Knife Throwers Alliance competition.

Karambit Knives

What is a karambit knife?
The karambit comes from Southeast Asia, where legend holds that it was inspired by the claws of big cats. The curved bladed knife was initially used as a farming tool by the peasant class but, eventually, was used as a weapon.
How did it get here?
Eventually, the karambit found its way into martial arts, especially, Filipino martial arts. The Filipino karambit is shorter than its forefathers and has become popular in the West because of its value as a self-defense weapon.
Why is the knife shaped the way it is?
The blade’s curved design was meant to work as a tool for a variety of jobs. The safety ring allowed the user to work at uncomfortable angles with ease and still retain a secure grip on the knife. In combat, the safety ring allowed the soldier to keep a tight hold on it instead of being disarmed by an opponent.
How do you use a karambit?
As a weapon, this curved knife is meant to be held with the blade pointing down from the bottom of your fist, not held upward in your hand. Your finger is inserted into the safety ring or finger guard at the top of the handle. This knife is used with a slashing or hooking movement.
How do you sharpen a karambit?
You want a triangular shaped sharpening system that includes a medium sharpening surface and a fine sharpening surface. This makes it much easier to sharpen the curved blade. Start with the medium grit and stroke the blade along the surface in one, smooth motion, keeping the blade pointed away from you. Make sure that you use the same number of strokes on one side as you do on the other. Then, switch to the fine grit surface and repeat the process until you get the sharpness that you want. When you’re done, wipe the blade with a soft, dry cloth to remove the debris from the sharpening process.

Katanas

What is a katana?
The katana is a Japanese sword used by Samurai, an aristocratic warrior class in feudal Japan. It has a curved, single-edged blade that is slender and a square or circular guard. The handle is long and traditionally wrapped in rayskin and then a "braid" of silk or cotton. The blade is sheathed in a scabbard, which is traditionally made of lacquered wood. This weapon was used for slashing and stabbing motions in combat not necessarily for blocking or clashing.
What should I look for when buying a katana?
The first thing that needs to be taken into consideration is display versus functional. Are you looking for a sword to use or just as a decorative item to wear or display? Once you decide to what purpose you will be using your sword, then, take a look at the different variety of designs and ornamentation that can be found and choose the one that fits your personality, style and budget.
What is a tsuba?
This is, basically, the handguard on a katana and it sits between the blade collar or habaki, which is at the top of the blade, and the handle or tsuka. It comes in many shapes and designs from basic to highly ornamental.
What is that wavy line running down my blade?
Also known as the hamon, it’s the visual divide between the harder and softer metal of the blade. A katana’s blade needs to have a harder edge for retention and a softer spine for flexibility. This is achieved by having the two parts of the blade cooling at different speeds during the forging process.
How do I take care of my katana?
Having a regular cleaning routine in place is key to maintaining your katana. You can purchase a traditional sword cleaning kit that will have everything you need. There are three steps: removing oil, polishing the blade and oiling the blade. Using a sheet of rice paper from the kit or a soft cotton cloth, remove any oil that is still on the blade from the previous maintenance. Take the powder ball and tap it lightly against the blade about every two inches or so along its length. Take a fresh piece of rice paper and rub the powder over the blade to polish it. Do this until both sides of the blade have been polished and the powder completely removed. Take the bottle of oil and apply a few drops along the length of the blade on each side. Use a fresh piece of rice paper to spread the oil evenly on the blade.
What’s the difference between a katana and a wakizashi?
Samurai warriors typically carried two swords as part of their dress. The katana was their primary weapon for battle and the wakizashi was used for close quarters combat. This sword is built exactly like the katana, however, it is shorter in length – a companion sword.

T10 Steel Swords

What is T10 Steel?
One of the most sought after high carbon steels in modern swordcraft, T10 steel is a type of tungsten based tool steel that is specifically designed to retain its carbon content at high temperatures, making it perfect to forge an incredibly strong sword.
Why is a high carbon content important?
The higher the carbon content in a steel, the stronger and harder it is, which is a key element in having a functional sword blade. T10 Steel has a carbon content ranging from 0.95% to 1.05%, whereas other high carbon steels range from 0.45% to 0.75%.
What are its benefits?
A blade made from T10 Steel holds an edge for a significant amount of time before it actually needs sharpening. It is also impact-resistant, absorbing stress without compromise to the integrity of the blade, and resistant to most kinds of abrasive damage from cutting that can occur with swords used for cutting.
What is it used for?
Because of its exceptional resilience to extreme temperatures, T10 Steel is commonly used in industrial settings. It is also called “high speed tool steel” because of its suitability to high-speed machinery like drills, saws and routers. This resilience is what makes this steel so ideal for a sword blade.
How do I take care of my T10 Steel Sword?
You can purchase a traditional sword cleaning kit that will have everything you need. There are three steps: removing oil, polishing the blade and oiling the blade. Using a sheet of rice paper from the kit or a soft cotton cloth, remove any oil that is still on the blade from the previous maintenance. Take the powder ball and tap it lightly against the blade about every two inches or so along its length. Take a fresh piece of rice paper and rub the powder over the blade to polish it. Do this until both sides of the blade have been polished and the powder completely removed. Take the bottle of oil and apply a few drops along the length of the blade on each side. Use a fresh piece of rice paper to spread the oil evenly on the blade.

Self Defense

What kinds of self-defense weapons are available to me?
The most common types of self-defense products you can get are discreet weapons, stun guns, batons and pepper spray.
What are discreet self-defense weapons?
These personal defense items are small enough to be hidden on your person, integrated into an item that is part of your clothing or in the guise of an everyday-use item. Some examples include boot and neck knives, belt buckle knives and sword canes, and tactical pens and comb knives.
What is the difference between a taser and a stun gun?
A taser, which is shaped like a gun, fires two electrodes into a target with wires connecting them back to the gun. When the trigger is pulled, an electrical charge is conducted into the target through the wires. A stun gun also conducts an electrical charge into its target, but the electrodes have to be applied directly to the target, as they are built into the device itself.
How does pepper spray work?
Pepper spray is basically capsaicin, which is a chemical derived from peppers or chilis, made into aerosol form. It inflames the mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. This causes irritation of the eyes, a runny nose, coughing and difficulty breathing. Depending on the exposure, the effects can last from 20 to 90 minutes.
What is a tactical pen?
A tactical pen, sometimes called a kubaton, is the size and shape of a standard ink pen and can be used as a jabbing weapon against an assailant. Most of the models actually work as an ink pen and some have an integrated glass breaker or DNA collector. There are also models that actually have a hidden blade.

Crossbows

What is the difference between a bow and a crossbow?
The obvious difference is that a crossbow has a firing mechanism. Built like a rifle with a stock and a trigger, the bow string is pulled back along the stock and held, under tension with a spring, until the trigger is pulled to release it. A crossbow has a higher draw weight than a traditional bow because the distance the string has to travel from full draw to rest is much shorter.
What does draw weight mean?
This is the maximum amount of force needed to draw the string back on a bow to a standard length of 28” and it’s measured in pounds. For a crossbow, it’s the force needed to pull the string back into the cocked position.
Can you shoot the same arrows that you shoot with a traditional bow?
No. You must use crossbow bolts, which are shorter and thicker than arrows and are specifically designed to be shot from a crossbow.
How do you use a stringer?
Slide one looped end of the crossbow string onto the tip of a limb of the crossbow, making sure that it is securely attached. Attach each end of the stringer to each limb of the crossbow at the tip and then, cock the crossbow by pulling the stringer into the cocked position. The actual crossbow string, however, should remain hanging free below the limbs. Insert the loose end of the crossbow string through the loop on the corresponding end of the stringer, then slide the loose end onto the tip of the limb, making sure it’s secure. The crossbow string and the stringer should both be firmly attached to both limbs. Finally, un-cock the crossbow manually or by firing a bolt and the stringer should come off of one of the limbs easily. You will need to use a little more force to remove the other stringer end from its limb, as it will now be held down securely by the crossbow string.
Can you use a crossbow for hunting?
Yes, absolutely. Depending on the size of the crossbow and draw weight, small animals or larger game animals can be taken down. In a majority of states, crossbows can be used during archery season. There are also quite a few states that will either allow you to hunt in all seasons or just the entire deer season.

Black Powder Guns

What is a black powder gun?
Also known as a muzzleloader, a black powder gun uses historical firearm technology, which includes handloading both the ammunition and black powder into the muzzle.
What are the benefits of owning a black powder gun?
Aside from them being fun to shoot, a black powder gun also gives you control over how much powder you’re using and how your bullets are made. This makes them cheaper to shoot than a modern firearm, plus, a muzzleloader is not legally considered a firearm by the federal government. However, your own state’s laws should be considered.
Can you hunt with it?
Yes. Hunting with a black powder gun may actually extend your hunting season as many states have muzzleloader only seasons.
How accurate are they?
The ammunition travels at a slower velocity so your hunting range is 100 yards or less, forcing you to be a better marksman. Muzzleloader Hunters or Primitive Hunters take pride in taking down their game, since it relies on their own personal skills in stalking and tracking instead of falling back on the effectiveness of an expensive firearm.
Are the supplies like ammo and powder easy to get?
Yes. You can find kits, (check out ours) which have everything you need to shoot including the ammo. The only thing you would need to purchase separately is the powder and that can be found at your local firearms supply store.