Cold Steel Rajah

[dom1104]

Holy cow.

First off, this is an excellent self defense knife of that I am sure. It is hunormous, but fits in a pocket, wave deployment means it out when you pull it out and the thing is so huge it like never fails to snag your pocket, and I am sure it is a very effective knife. I plan to carry it when I cant carry a gun for whatever reason. Picked it up just a few days ago for 99 bucks.

However, holy COW I cannot stop cutting myself on this thing. it closes like a guillotine and its so huge that it is hard to control. I just sliced my finger to the bone lol.

I have never cut myself with any other knife I have owned, but this giant kukri has a thirst for blood.

It may be...... too large for my own good.

 

[shockwave]

Here's a video review with severe testing of the Rajah. Looks like you just bought one heckuva great knife.

However, watch how the guy doing the testing ensures his own safety at all times and doesn't cut himself. Learn to operate the knife the way he does. The opening and closing techniques he employs are subtle and I'd study them carefully before you lose a digit. (Btw, I've just recently made a full recovery from nerve damage caused by a knife accident - these lessons come at high cost.)

 

[hso]

an excellent self defense knife of that I am sure

What are the attributes that makes you think so and what's your background and training so we know what style of martial arts this fits into.

 

[Leadhead]

What are the attributes that makes you think so and what's your background and training so we know what style of martial arts this fits into.

It's the "That's not a knike.........This is a Knife!" style of martial arts!

Or maybe the "I'm walking a little taller even though my pants may be sagging" style of self defense, also known as confidence.

It's big for a folding pocket knife that is for sure.

 

[jmortimer]

I've got a lot of Cold Steel knives. Do you have the Rajah or the Rajah II - all I could afford right now is the Rajah II. I just got the $15.00 "Roach Belly" and it is a joy to carry along with new folding Pocket Bushman. The Pocket Bushman is a good value and really locks up. I've been looking at the Spartan versus the Rajah II. We shall see. Leaning towards the Spartan right now.

 

[ChaoSS]

I think it's the "Pointy end goes in the bad guy" style of martial arts.

I'd say any knife that deploys easily, is reliable and sturdy, is sharp, and is comfortable in your hand makes a good self defense knife.

 

[glistam]

Or maybe the "I'm walking a little taller even though my pants may be sagging" style of self defense, also known as confidence.

Ah yes, where I'm from we call that "bravado."

But seriously, it looks like a really great design that I'd go for if I had the cash. One of my old school friends sold me on the virtues of the Kukri, and this is one of the better folding designs that I know of.

 

[Smokey Joe]

WELL built...

Just looked @ the video--that is one severe set of tests for any locking folder!! As has been pointed out, that's quite a large folder. Wouldn't fit in my pocket well, but mebbe as a knife in one's rucksack or kit...

I note that the tester in the video was very careful to keep his fingers out of the way of the blade as he closed it. He has a very quick, very natural looking way of folding the knife--apparently he does this a lot.

Actually, I think the

It's the "That's not a knife.........This is a Knife!" style of martial arts!

would win most confrontations. I don't think the average street punk is a serious student of any martial art--if they were a serious martial art student (practice, practice, practice; self-mastery; honorable enemy, more practice, etc, etc) they'd have to give up being a street punk. But what do I know? I've never been a street punk.

Dom 1140--you might consider carrying band-aids along w/the kukri.

 

[dom1104]

Sorry lost track of this thread.

Yes I did get the Rajah 1, the polished stainless version. They are on sale right now at ltspecpro.com for 99 bucks.

As to the weight it doesnt seem that heavy at all in the pocket, and it sits in the pocket very nicely. I find it very carryable and not heavy or saggy feeling at all, but I do wear a good belt so maybe that helps.

As far as handling it goes, yes I am an idiot, but lemme tell you its a very thick peice of steel and a large knife, it makes for some awkward opening and closing. I mean you have to treat it with great care, not like every other knife I have which is almost second nature to close.

Opening on the other hand is quick and easy.

As far as Martial Art training, I have none. No real intention on getting any either, seems to me a lot of that is hokey, stupid, eastern mysticism and very little practicality. If I am going to spend money training its going to be with the gun I have on me 80% of the time, not the knife I will carry 20%. But thats just me. Only have so much time in the day.

This will be the "pull the knife out, and start whacking at anything in arms length" school of self defense.

As far as the attributes that makes me think it would be good for self defense the main one would be the large size, and reach. When its open its about a foot long, like a sword more than a knife. It opens fast and easy, locks very well, and is, basically the length of a short sword.

I cannot imagine that a slash with a knife like this, to a arm, or face or what have you would not be totally devastating.

Also the width of the blade is huge, and should make a very wide cut on a stab or poke or what have you.

And as my finger can attest, it does that very well.

But mostly I was amazed at how easy it is to carry, it doesnt "Feel" heavy as I expected it to, and 6 inches of blade on 8 inches of handle, is a formidable item to be sure.

Even in the hands of an "non-martial artist". Hopefully I dont get mugged by Jackie Chan.

 

[dom1104]

Oh I should also say, the workmanship is pretty good.

The micarta or g10 or whatever it is is very pretty, dovetailed very nicely into the handles with no seams and just smooth as butter.

The blade is nicely polished and very VERY sharp.

But with all that weight out in front of the blade, it is .. like I say, very easy for it to surprise you and nail your finger


Here is a pic of the cheaper version of the knife, compared to common pocket knives.

I gotta say, it doesnt feel that big. I mean a normal pocket knife, clips on your pocket and kinda dangles this. This one goes all the way to to the bottom of your pocket, but.. to me its not much of a difference other than weight.

 

[19-3Ben]

As far as Martial Art training, I have none. No real intention on getting any either, seems to me a lot of that is hokey, stupid, eastern mysticism and very little practicality.

Not to sound snarky, but that sounds exactly like someone who actually doesn't have any idea what it's all about. There are certainly some forms of martial arts that are more 'art' than 'martial.' But there are very many practical arts that can completely alter the way you think of a fight and not only give you the mentality but also the training to come out on top.

Just like gun handling, it's not like what you see in the movies. If you haven't done it and given it an honest shot, don't be too quick to down it.

 

[glistam]

$99 for the high end model? Alright I'm getting one; ya twisted my arm.

There's been a lot of debate about knives and self-defense, and I'm pretty middle-of-the-road on that subject after reading lots of stories and information on this forum. I did train in knife fighting, though realistically it was more akin to dueling than self-defense. Old school Italian style using straight, slender blades to go for the vitals. It will kill somebody easily, but working around an ER has also taught the drawback: that puncture wounds and lacerations are not usually fatal right away; they need to bleed out usually, and it takes precious seconds or even minutes to happen. That is, little stopping power compared to blunt force trauma.

Now that said, with this sucker, you get both laceration and blunt! Even hitting with the spine of the blade would do some serious damage. The "scare" factor is also I think quite relevant. I've drawn blades on assailants and never had to cut anyone plenty of times, and I'm sure many other regular posters have done the same.

I think for me personally part of the appeal for defense is because of local law. No [civilian] CCWs in Maryland, you see. Lots of non-gun stuff is vague including fixed blades, but we can carry any folder no matter how large.

 

[dom1104]

Not to sound snarky, but that sounds exactly like someone who actually doesn't have any idea what it's all about. There are certainly some forms of martial arts that are more 'art' than 'martial.' But there are very many practical arts that can completely alter the way you think of a fight and not only give you the mentality but also the training to come out on top.

I follow ya, I really do.

However I honestly think the VAST majority of them are to soak cash from the masses. Or to take the place of soccer for your kid. Or to make you think you are some kinda pajama clad master of the asian death art.

Right now, its just not a priority to find one of the FEW that actually are simple enough to be retained, and employed in a realistic manner.

Possibly the stupidest videos I have ever set my eyes on are "Martial Arts Training" videos, so.. consider me biased enough to not want to be part of that whole crowd. Bunch of overgrown kids in my opinion puffing up their egos in pajamas. I.. just cannot bring myself to be part of that.

I was however in my younger days an olympic style fencer, and have a lot of experiance in that quasi-martial arena, which is very much removed from anything "martial" as well, that maintaining distance with the ability to strike back with reach and speed is important.

I think, a knife with a longer handle, and a large blade gives you some advantage there.

 

[shockwave]

As far as Martial Art training, I have none. No real intention on getting any either, seems to me a lot of that is hokey, stupid, eastern mysticism and very little practicality.

Ha ha. Well you sort of have a point. Here's a typical Cold Steel demo video with knife-on-hanging-cut-of meat sequence around the 1 min. mark.

Just plain old stabbing and slashing can certainly get the job done. Add a knife-fighting style on top of that, though, and you'll have something to write home about. No mystical mumbo jumbo in Silat that I'm aware of.

 

[dom1104]

Not sure. A quick wikipedia of Silat comes up with...

The actual history of Silat is unknown. Folklore has it that Pencak Silat (the Silat style of today's Indonesia) was created by a woman named Rama Sukana who witnessed a fight between a tiger and a large bird. She then taught the techniques to her husband Rama Isruna from whom they were formally passed down. There are several variations of this story depending on the region where it is told. On the island of Bawean, Rama Sukana is believed to have watched monkeys fighting each other while the Sundanese people of West Java believe that she created cimande after seeing a monkey battle a tiger.

Monkeys... fighting.... tigers....

In silat culture, the energetic body consists of interlocking circles called cakera. The cakera's energy rotates outwards along diagonal lines. Energy that emits outwards from the centre line is defensive while offensive energy moves inwards from the sides of the body.[5] By being aware of this, the silat practitioner can harmonise their movements with the cakera, thereby increasing the power and effectiveness of attacks. Energy could also be used for healing or focused into a single point when applied to sentuhan, the art of attacking an opponent's pressure points. The highest form of sentuhan supposedly allows a pesilat to attack pressure points using energy alone without physically touching the opponent.

diagonal interlocking circles of energy.....allowing a pesilat to attack pressure points with energy alone....



Not sure. But I think it would take a lot of healing energy circles to deal with a bullet wound. I just cant dedicate part of my life to this pish-tosh.

Here is what I think can be taken over from olympic sport to reality. Speed of movement, attacking whats presented to you as a target that cannot be reprised, IE the wrist, head etc, keeping distance as a defensive mechanism, and a steady stance.

All this monkeys fighting large birds with healing energy circles.... yeah.

And yes I do believe simply being armed at all, and taking a good couple of slashes would dissuade an attacker most of the time.

 

[hso]

As far as Martial Art training, I have none. No real intention on getting any either, seems to me a lot of that is hokey, stupid, eastern mysticism and very little practicality.

Possibly the stupidest videos I have ever set my eyes on are "Martial Arts Training" videos, so.. consider me biased enough to not want to be part of that whole crowd. Bunch of overgrown kids in my opinion puffing up their egos in pajamas. I.. just cannot bring myself to be part of that.

A quick wikipedia of

I just cant dedicate part of my life to this pish-tosh.

Stupid videos and wikipedia is a pretty weak basis for anyone to develop an informed opinion. Ask yourself what the opinion of western sword and knife techniques would be for someone who only saw videos of LARPers, SCA and what such an opinion would be worth?

I fenced, saber, in college and have studied a variety of knife/sword styles over the years. I've "played" with advocates of some of the Japanese and Chinese knife techniques and they couldn't deal with solid basic thrust and cut from the outside when it was coupled with some blocks and deflections from Hapkido. Their training was shallow and formulaic without a focus on the fight. I was unimpressed and for years found that much of what is popularly shown and taught was trash. Then I started finding some serious FMA and Chinese practioners who focused on the fight over forms. They provided some very serious advantages over what I'd seen in the previous decade. These days there are serious schools and trainers that offer complete systems as well as 2 day application focused seminars. A good 2 day focused seminar can make a world of difference in how to deploy and employ a knife defensively.

With a fencing background you already have some training to fall back on. It was focused on thrust and parry. The knife you've chosen isn't designed for that. A little additional training on how to employ a slashing/chopping blade would be advised before you find your muscle memory for the foil or epee leaving an opening you hadn't planned.

 

[dovedescending]

Well, heck, HSO, who are these practitioners? I wanna know!

 

[dom1104]

Hmm, HSO thanks, fantastic points there.

A 2 day focused seminar sure does sound a heck of a lot better than a lifetime at a dojo.

I will try to figure out what these modern knife fighting schools are.

 

[hso]

If I were you I'd focus on expanding on the training you already have.

What did you fence? Epee or foil? Both give you a basis for outside styles of knife work. The great thing about epee fencers is the training to be patient and counter, which fits well into defensive knife use. Look for folks teaching bowie styles if you want to build on what your body already remembers.

OTOH, since you've chosen a kuk style blade you may want to look into someone that teaches something based on Bando or something similar. It will be a radical departure from your prior training.

 

[dom1104]

Epee actually.

What comes most natural to me would be... as the knife comes out of the pocket, you are grasping the end of the handle, so to hold it on the end and maxmize its reach, hold the knife diagonally across the upper body / face in an attempt to parry a <knife, hand, what have you> and then on the retreat to do sort of a stop hit on the nearest part of the attackers body. hand, wrist, fingers. but on the retreat in response to an attack.

As I stood in my sons room with the video camera <in black slippery socks on a hardwood floor, as my laughable stability and footwork will show> that is the most natural movement, which I realize like you say is somewhat influence by fencing as a sport.

A stop hit to a lunging attackers wrist was a reliable way to score hits.


My thought is, a downward chopping motion uses the leverage, shape of the blade, and weight of the blade to its advantage. Also its method of opening and presentation.

Obviously from the position of gaurd, it would be easy to move the knife horizontally and make a slash for the neck / face from the inside to the outside.

Thanks for your help Hso, I really appreciate you taking the time to advise.

Hopefully you will get a laugh out of me slipping around in socks, in my infant sons nursery room, with a hilariously big knife

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW6NwCtQQTU

 

[conw]

dom, you look like the kinda dude whom when I see i say to myself, "that guy is packing a pistol." Imagine the surprise when you pull out a folding kukri, hahaha.

I am like a grasshopper in comparison to HSO, but I figure it might be hard to make those types of blows "stick" with such a heavy knife. It looks like a parry would nearly knock it down to waist line or even disarm you, as topheavy as it is.

 

[hso]

conwict,

"grasshopper" is a very apt analogy only if I'm an old round turtle.

I'm still quick, but I'm no longer fast nor do I have the stamina to "play" for a full session. During the last round robin sparing (3 min, then switch) session, I'm not sure I was actually breathing the 4th opponent. More like a primitive form of anaerobic respiration like our bacterial forefathers. Still, the 17 year old hot shot black sash and I came to a draw (my ribs hurt, but his bell rang).

My advice to everyone is to work to their strengths and not get hung up on tools. Pick the tools to support your strengths and to fill in for your weaknesses.

 

[hso]

dom1104,

I just had something of an epiphany. Building from prior sporting experience is important in shortening the learning cycle with anything, but especially so when trying to adopt a defensive knife style.

While your fencing experience would extend itself well to a thrusting based knife defense style racket ball would extend itself well to the type of blade design of the rajah. Think of the forehand and backhand work with racket games as the starting point for hacking/slashing biased blades.

Don't know if that helps anyone, but it just came to me.

 

[meef]

I just realized that this $99 knife is the Rajah I, not the Rajah II.

It originally listed at $340, but Cold Steel sold them on special for $272.

Even now on eBay the very cheapest one listed is $170 + $8 shipping.

It's a discontinued version and from what I can see - much nicer than the Rajah II.

I'd run, not walk, to the site below and grab one before they're gone if I had the least bit of interest in one of these puppies.

And I did, and I did.



http://www.ltspecpro.com/rajahi2.html

 

[dom1104]

hey thats a good point about the raquetball lol.

Now maybe my countless hours on the Wii playing tennis with my father in law is actually "Tactical"