Could you do me a favor and run a link to that rather than posting the whole picture? It's quite large. Makes this all hard to read, and some might think that's what I'm pointing out.
Their blades aren't generally put into that category at this point within appropriate communities. They aren't selling to the average buyer, mind you. They capitalized on the "hard-core" image initially,
before the main craze began, and it got them in the gate with an income. It was also curious enough to catch the attention of more pompous communities, who eventually just
had to try them; if only as a joke.
Step forward, and their work is highly regarded by some of the most stick-in-the-mud users out there. Martial artists, test cutting enthusiasts, blade aficionados, servicemen, police, outdoors-men, and even people like myself who've spent decades training and even using them in the remaining rotten nations with blade cultures.
A significant advantage for me is actually their style. They can pass off (at a glance) as a machete with an inner-tube wrap; depending upon the pattern chosen. Even if you go long, they won't attract too much attention.
The performance is there. Will their Apakotana out-perform any of my commissioned Nihontos in cutting? Of course not, but it doesn't cost as much as a Ford Fiesta, either; and it's more durable, as well as easier to maintain. Tradition only goes so far, and once you accept that truth, you can move on.
Admittedly, it's a tough pill to swallow at first. :rofl:
One of their major advantages is the willingness to move into uncharted or forgotten territory. The blade community is stagnant, and stuck in it's ways. If it's not a traditional Katana or European sword categorized by Oakshott, it's simply ignored.
Let someone like Albion try a half-leaf blade. First, it would suck. Second, they'd drive their reputation (for what it's worth) into the ground. Third, they'd charge $1,500 for a pattern crafted via CNC stock removal, and shudder at the idea of it being used as intended. Fourth, they'd never even consider it, because it's not in their little book of "acceptable".
That's bullshit. Those guys can suck it, along with the rest of the production industry, and that's where the Zombie tools attitude shines. They don't give a fuck. I agree with their frustrations. Today, the deadliest (by body count) bladed weapon is a simple machete. There is a need for blades that are drawn from obscure history and re-imagined for modern, serious use.
These guys understand that.
You see a lot of fancy cutting out there, and might even assume a ZT product couldn't compete. There's no way it would be as elegant as one of the more expensive products on the market; one of the "acceptable" products.
Well, view the included picture. I've posted this before. That a 4X4X24" (I
think; the length eludes me at this point) cardboard box. It was cut
free-standing on end, empty, and cleanly. It wasn't hung, it wasn't impaled on a spiked cutting stand, it wasn't nailed down, and it didn't fall over.
I didn't use my expensive stuff to make that cut (though I do frequently). I did that with the Zombie Tools "Felon" Bowie knife; just to prove a point some time ago. That damned knife cuts almost as well as most swords costing four or five times as much, and stands it's own well enough beside knives weighing in closer to
ten and twenty times as much.
They
own that silly image, and wear it much better than anyone else could. I thought it would be a problem for them eventually, but they've won people over, and they never stop innovating. Zombie Tools products can quickly become an addiction. They're stuck with the name, now. If they change it, it would in a sense be selling out.
They fought hard for recognition as serious blade smiths, and they won; despite obstacles in every direction. I've always got an eye out to see what's coming next from Zombie Tools. When I got an e-mail saying they made a few "bush-craft" knives for immediate shipment, I jumped on it.
Looks like they're moving past experimentation with smaller blades now, with this and the "Scyllis". They'll seriously upset some people in the process, but that's what they do best.
Long live our American lunatics.
atriot:
Cheers,
Kennith