One sheath of strong nylon fabric holds both swords and can be conveniently slung over the back. Unlike some ninja weapon sets, the sheath holds no surprises other than the swords themselves, which are all business. Shaped from solid bars of 420 high carbon stainless steel, the swords are completely black anodized to prevent telltale reflection. The full tangs provide handle and bolster with a simple grip formed from a wrap of woven black nylon. The thin profile of that grip allows both swords to fit neatly in the single sheath.

These single-edged swords are ground but not accurately sharpened. If you intend to use them for cutting practice, you'll need to do the finishing work yourself and hone them to a razor edge. This grade of steel actually isn't recommended for cutting, and the blades could be damaged. If you want to preserve the dark finish, don't hone the edge -- sharpening will remove the black anodizing.

One large blade 26-1/4 inches long packs a cutting edge of 16-3/4 inches, while the smaller blade is 18 inches in overall length with an 11-inch blade. Together, they make a formidable pair of weapons, and if used to practice martial movements do present a real danger to onlookers and even yourself if mistakes are made.

See the General Edge Twin Ninja Fighting Swords for a different approach to the double weapon concept.

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Built narrower and lighter than the signature version of the Predator Machete, this less expensive reproduction still packs a lot of steel into a nearly accurate 24-3/4-inch machete/short sword. As with the limited edition knife, the upper edge is ground but not sharpened. The cutting edge may not be absolutely symmetrical, and don't expect the black paint on the center of the blade to be permanent. Some of the decorations here are only temporary if the knife is put to use.

Even so, the knife's blade may hold up well enough to light chopping. There's enough 440 high carbon stainless steel in this machete to do some actual work -- just expect to resharpen the edge frequently. The handle design matches the movie weapon fairly well, but the workmanship here is more delicate. Polished metal bolsters and pommel should hold up, but the hardwood slabs installed between them aren't shockproof. Machetes focus a lot of force in the handle if the blade comes up against something solid. Broken grips and numbed fingers are common enough even with machetes made for heavy work.

The nylon sheath will last a while if used with care. The Predator Machete isn't quite good enough for display, but it could still find a place in the toolkit.

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Officially Licensed Predator Knife Machete Swarzenegger Knife US $169.99   Auction Ends: 11d 2h 2m

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Twelve and 1/2 inches long, the BK3 Tac Tool works as knife, chisel, and machete. It's a great all-around tool for camp work as well as a powerful survival tool to pack in the car or boat. Weight of 1.3 pounds makes it a little heavy to carry on the hip, but it's useful for nearly anything you'd normally use a camp axe to do, and it's much more versatile. With 7 inches of combo-serrated cutting edge, a square chisel point, and a wire cutting notch, the Tac Tool could get you into or out of nearly any situation where unlimited destruction is allowed. Neat work might be a problem.

The cutting notch in the back of the nearly 1/4-inch-thick blade of chrome vanadium 1095 high carbon steel is useful for cutting line, copper, wire, and even harnesses, but might be difficult to use in close quarters on seat belts. Finesse isn't the tool's major strength. In keeping with the chisel concept, the cutting edge is a single bevel ground at 15 degrees. The flat back makes the blade a very accurate chopping tool, but it's definitely made to favor right-handed use.

Built with a Grivory grip bolted to a strong full tang, the BK3 Tac Tool by Ka-Bar comes with a matching glass-filled nylon sheath. Only the sheath is imported from Taiwan -- Ka-Bar's BK3 is American-made in Olean, New York.

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Ka Bar Becker Tac Tool Tactool Fixed Blade Knife BK3 US $83.99   Auction Ends: 22d 20h 19m

LaserLyte Pistol Bayonet Mini Tac Tool PB 4 Blade Made by Ka Bar US $16.95   Auction Ends: 51m

Made from one bar of 420 J2 high carbon stainless steel, there's not much put into this blade beyond heat treating and grinding. The dark coating adds to the ninja mystique of the armor-piercing tanto sword. The grip is only a tight wrapping of black nylon cord around the full tang handle, but it's good enough for a secure if not comfortable hold. A rudimentary bolster and hooked pommel ground from the original blank add a touch more hand security to this very primitive grip. If you do use it for chopping brush, that may keep a jarring blow from knocking this light 27-inch machete/sword out of your numbed fingers.

Sharpening will be essential if you plan to do any real work with the Black Ronin Ninja Sword, but the temper of the steel works easily with ordinary stones -- even better with diamond whetstones -- and putting a good edge on the 17.25-inch cutting length is very possible.

The hard plastic sheath fits either over the shoulder for a behind-the-back system or straps to belt and thigh for wearing on the hip. While the sheath isn't beautiful, it's a better approach than a nylon fabric scabbard and isn't likely to be damaged by the blade's tanto point.

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United Cutlery Black Ronin Ninja Sword UC1184 NEW US $19.95   Auction Ends: 28d 6h 12m

Ninja Kusari Gama Shinobi Training Swords Ninjutsu Black Ops Ronin Shinobi US $26.36   Auction Ends: 25d 2h 33m

Many of the characters in the story wielded weapons of a style unique to their class or race, but with individual differences, and that customized technology makes this Reaver sword's design more acceptable. The heavy high carbon stainless steel blade has more of a machete-style weight and shape than the heroine's sword, but it's definitely cut in the Reaver pattern. Short for a sword, the strong 11-inch blade brings the total length to only 16 inches -- enough for a space cannibal Reaver's backup blade, but certainly not their full-sized battle blade.

Firefly gained a strong following before the Fox network canceled the series after airing only 11 of its 14 episodes. Creator Joss Whedon also wrote the screenplay for Universal Studio's movie spin-off -- the award-winning sci-fi film Serenity. The movie featured an interesting martial arts blend of swordplay and gunfire with visual elements taken from the American Civil War's Reconstruction period. Summer Glau, who played the young sword-wielding psychic River Tam, trained in a system derived from Jeet Kune Do along with techniques gleaned from other styles of kung fu, ballet, and kickboxing.

Movie replica sword enthusiasts will also be interested in the Ultraviolet Sword, another unique fantasy blade.

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Modern ninja sword Serenity movie Agent style US $5.50   2 Bids Auction Ends: 22h 59m

Serenity Fantasy Blade Sword US $39.90   Auction Ends: 15d 19h 1m

With a Kraton grip formed securely to the rat tail tang, this big Bowie knife has more of the feel of a machete, which Ka-Bar makes in a very similar pattern. Both styles of knife use the same materials and are produced by the same suppliers in Taiwan. Standards are set pretty high for the Bowie, at least in terms of durability. You can treat it much like an axe without doing it harm, since the blade is a full quarter-inch thick. It probably will come in most useful as a substitute for a light camp axe and work well for the same chopping and trimming chores.

Amazingly enough, the knife only weighs 8 ounces due to the rat-tail handle build and the Kraton grip. You could get a stronger knife in a heavier full-width tang -- but with the Ka-Bar Bowie, there's no reason to be concerned. Ka-Bar has been building pry-bar strong knives with rat-tail tangs for a very long time.

A black leather-backed nylon sheath comes with the Bowie and includes a ring at the tip so you can strap it to your thigh like Rambo. In this case, it makes sense to do that.

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Ka Bar New Large Heavy Bowie Knife Straight Blade 1277 US $46.85   Auction Ends: 28d 15h 43m

Ka Bar 14 1 2 Large Heavy Black Bowie Survival Knife US $59.99   Auction Ends: 24d 12h 23m

Actually, there really is a strong resemblance both in form and in function, since the fighting cutlass originally was a short heavy blade designed for chopping work. With a hand guard added, it became a crude but effective fighting weapon popular with sailors and pirates. Later on in history, the practical working ability and hand protection made it the preferred tool for hand-harvesting sugar cane on Caribbean plantations.

In this lighter design, with a Kraton grip and no basket hilt, the Cutlass Machete serves well for today's camping and bushcraft needs. Break trails, clear a campsite, chop kindling, and when you're done, slip the 1.12-pound knife back into the leather and Cordura belt sheath to keep it handy. Hollow ground with a stout edge angle of 20 degrees and tempered to HRC 52-54, the knife holds up well to harsh treatment. If honed razor sharp, it could be a decent butcher knife for field dressing big game, but the intention behind this combination cutlass and machete is much less delicate work.

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Ka Bar New Cutlass Machete Knife 1248 US $49.99   Auction Ends: 26d 15h 50m

KA BAR 1248 All Black Cutlass Camping Machete NEW US $53.85   Auction Ends: 27d 2h 45m

This 22-and-a-half-inch blade with hand-forged fullering and Persian-style upsweep is actually heavier than some of the old battlefield models of the Falchion. Three-and-a-half pounds of high carbon steel, macassar ebony, and leather wrapping makes this functional 28.75-inch replica a very impressive sword. Polished steel cross guard and pommel follow the old functional design, but the handle itself gives the piece unexpected flair. The sword includes a matching scabbard.

In terms of pure authenticity the Medieval Falchion is just a little too good. Swords of this weight and class were favored by the working soldiers, very often pressed into service off the farms of the day and matched up to weapons that equaled their abilities. Peasant soldiers received less training than the nobility or professional soldiers, coming into the military world with skills derived from handling farm tools. Weapons were provided that matched the feel and action of farm implements. A sword this advanced would probably have been out of their reach. Their loss, our gain.

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Bark River calls this knife one of the best bushcraft tools on today's market. For specialties you could find something better, but for all around utility in a lightweight tool, that seems a fair statement. The traditional north country tool for heavy camp work was the ax, and for full sized log work you'd still need one. For lesser tasks, like pole huts in a summer camp, the Golog can be used for stripping bark like a draw knife, chopping and trimming flats on poles, or even rough cutting framing notches.

Clearing trails and fire lanes is easy work with the Golog, which has a well designed handle that keeps the blade in hand even when it rebounds from frozen wood. The black micarta handle slabs are climate proof, durable and stable in all weather.

The thick steel of the Golog will even stand up to the hammering of a wooden mallet, which you'll probably need now and then to drive the blade through when splitting the occasional stubborn chunk of firewood.

Meyerco redesigned the machete to create a brush knife for the American forests, 19" long with a full 12" of heavy quarter inch thick stainless steel that's as much ax as knife. The rubberized black handle incorporates a wide hand guard to give more protection in places where "everything either bites or stings or stabs you." At just over 2 lbs, this won't likely fit well into your ultralight kit, but it's not too much for a canoe trip, or even as a hip knife (a sturdy nylon scabbard is included) if you're hunting in heavy brush.

Years ago I hiked in bear country with a fellow who always carried the biggest Bowie knife he could find, only a little smaller than Meyerco's Short Machete. His reasoning was that if he ever did meet a bear he wanted something along that would make an impression on it. Even a false sense of security is sometimes worth the extra weight.

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