I recently enjoyed a quiet dinner with Kelly Worden (Natural Spirit / Renegade JKD) up in Tacoma, Washington. As many of you know Kelly and I go a ways back, with Mr. Worden an important and valued contributor to Fighting Knives and Full Contact magazines. He is also my primary mentor and instructor, and I am credentialed as an H2H instructor under the Natural Spirit family.
First, several years ago Kelly taught himself how to make knives. He then began designing his own line of speciality bladeware. From there he reached out - or was reached out to - folks in the cutlery industry. Today you can find a number of Worden designs available from various custom and production sources to include Bud Nealy, Al Mar Knives, Timberline, and TOPPS.
TOPPS does a series of Worden fixed blades and I saw / handled these during my visit with Mr. Worden. The Special Forces Command is a full size fixed blade fighting knife with kydex sheath. It is specifically designed with Mr. Worden's superlative understanding of how such a knife needs to work in close quarters combat, and is further influenced by his teaching of the Army's Special Forces operators at Ft. Lewis, Washington. This program, by the way, is being adopted across the SF Community as its official H2H effort and has been personally inspected and critiqued by senior SF non-commissioned officers and commanders up to and including general officer rank.
An impressive number of SF-Command fighting knives are currently serving overseas where H2H and CQB is fully expected and has been - thanks in great part to Mr. Worden's combatives program - prepared for. Operators going in Harm's Way are choosing TOPPS' Worden line as their "silent partners" for proven / trained for reasons. The SF-Command is an awesome knife and more than reasonably priced.
I have carried a Worden "SeaWolf" since our visit that evening. This is a small, fixed blade design with kydex sheath and spring clip for attachment to either one's ankle (boot), pants belt, combat harness, body armor, and so on. The blade design is simple and 100% functional. The handle/grip is sure and designed so you can manipulate the knife very swiftly in the hand. There is a notable but discreet skull crusher feature, too. The draw stroke from the sheath is one of the fastest I've experienced. Likewise, the sheath itself is carefully constructed and well considered from a tactical carry point of view. As with most such knives, the value of the sheath all to often determines our initial purchase and/or decision to carry the knife on a basis consistent with daily use and skill development. This sheath is a winner in that respect.
I'd considered switching over from the SeaWolf to a Command but have stayed with the SeaWolf. It's grown on me and I've taken to wearing it directly behind my off-duty weapon so I have Options available, strong side, immediately. The SeaWolf conceals very nicely and is a great daily use utility knife. A fixed blade in a proper sheath system will outdraw a tactical folder any day of the week - in my experience - and is far stronger for obvious reasons. Again, the pricing of the SeaWolf is more than fair and the workmanship on this knife is indeed impressive.
Mr. Worden, in the spirit of his teachers, seeks to do his own work. By doing so he cannot be challenged as his efforts are his own, and their results are the sum of hard, uncompromising study and application. He owns his own material lock, stock, and barrel. All great teachers, artists, writers, fighters, and other such entities follow this precept. Do your own work and no one can challenge you.
TOPPS Knives have done their own work with the introduction and release of the Worden line of combat fixed blades. These are darned fine knives folks, and well built / priced to boot. Serious, real world players - many of them Kelly's students and instructors - are today carrying these blades in combat, and for all the right reasons.
I'm pleased to introduce and promote TOPPS Knives and in specific, the Worden line of combat fighters, as the first such endorsement of a cutlery designer, maker(s), and combative arts instructor in our new "Battle Blades" forum. Check these guys out. Their work is their own and it is focused, mindful of the real world, and linked to a progressive, proven fighting system meant for taking out terrorists in close quarters and under extreme circumstances.
Best of all you can afford the product line and the knives are readily available for initial purchase and/or replacement.
You can further explore both Mr. Worden's work and TOPPS by visiting their web sites.
"Nuff said.
First, several years ago Kelly taught himself how to make knives. He then began designing his own line of speciality bladeware. From there he reached out - or was reached out to - folks in the cutlery industry. Today you can find a number of Worden designs available from various custom and production sources to include Bud Nealy, Al Mar Knives, Timberline, and TOPPS.
TOPPS does a series of Worden fixed blades and I saw / handled these during my visit with Mr. Worden. The Special Forces Command is a full size fixed blade fighting knife with kydex sheath. It is specifically designed with Mr. Worden's superlative understanding of how such a knife needs to work in close quarters combat, and is further influenced by his teaching of the Army's Special Forces operators at Ft. Lewis, Washington. This program, by the way, is being adopted across the SF Community as its official H2H effort and has been personally inspected and critiqued by senior SF non-commissioned officers and commanders up to and including general officer rank.
An impressive number of SF-Command fighting knives are currently serving overseas where H2H and CQB is fully expected and has been - thanks in great part to Mr. Worden's combatives program - prepared for. Operators going in Harm's Way are choosing TOPPS' Worden line as their "silent partners" for proven / trained for reasons. The SF-Command is an awesome knife and more than reasonably priced.
I have carried a Worden "SeaWolf" since our visit that evening. This is a small, fixed blade design with kydex sheath and spring clip for attachment to either one's ankle (boot), pants belt, combat harness, body armor, and so on. The blade design is simple and 100% functional. The handle/grip is sure and designed so you can manipulate the knife very swiftly in the hand. There is a notable but discreet skull crusher feature, too. The draw stroke from the sheath is one of the fastest I've experienced. Likewise, the sheath itself is carefully constructed and well considered from a tactical carry point of view. As with most such knives, the value of the sheath all to often determines our initial purchase and/or decision to carry the knife on a basis consistent with daily use and skill development. This sheath is a winner in that respect.
I'd considered switching over from the SeaWolf to a Command but have stayed with the SeaWolf. It's grown on me and I've taken to wearing it directly behind my off-duty weapon so I have Options available, strong side, immediately. The SeaWolf conceals very nicely and is a great daily use utility knife. A fixed blade in a proper sheath system will outdraw a tactical folder any day of the week - in my experience - and is far stronger for obvious reasons. Again, the pricing of the SeaWolf is more than fair and the workmanship on this knife is indeed impressive.
Mr. Worden, in the spirit of his teachers, seeks to do his own work. By doing so he cannot be challenged as his efforts are his own, and their results are the sum of hard, uncompromising study and application. He owns his own material lock, stock, and barrel. All great teachers, artists, writers, fighters, and other such entities follow this precept. Do your own work and no one can challenge you.
TOPPS Knives have done their own work with the introduction and release of the Worden line of combat fixed blades. These are darned fine knives folks, and well built / priced to boot. Serious, real world players - many of them Kelly's students and instructors - are today carrying these blades in combat, and for all the right reasons.
I'm pleased to introduce and promote TOPPS Knives and in specific, the Worden line of combat fighters, as the first such endorsement of a cutlery designer, maker(s), and combative arts instructor in our new "Battle Blades" forum. Check these guys out. Their work is their own and it is focused, mindful of the real world, and linked to a progressive, proven fighting system meant for taking out terrorists in close quarters and under extreme circumstances.
Best of all you can afford the product line and the knives are readily available for initial purchase and/or replacement.
You can further explore both Mr. Worden's work and TOPPS by visiting their web sites.
"Nuff said.
