1 comments about Pocket Knives: The New Compact Study Guide and Identifier (Identifying Guide Series).

1. The book offers a lot of useful info such as the origin of pocketknives, how to identifiy some of them and how to identify some counterfeit knives. At 80 pages it's a good start but not a compete index. My particular favorite parts of the book are Mr Levine's insets that offer some interesting info. For example I did not know that WWII ear Nazi knives did not include pocket knives, only fix blade daggers but the many pocket knives sold at knife and gun shows are well done fakes that were made in the US. I think this book would complement any knife collectors library. Some of the examples of the knives discussed are rare and the photos are excellent.

5 comments about Collector's Guide to Switchblade Knives: An Illustrated Historical and Price Reference.

1. This book has great information on American switchblade history. There is very little information on italian switchblades. All pictures are black and white. If your into American switchblades, this is your book. If your looking for information on Italian switchblades, pass on this book.



2. Some pictures and grading info, has a wide array of types and years of knifes. "Antique American Switchblades" is ten times a better source.



3. The most comprehensive book on collectible early switchblades on the market
   Well layed out easy to understand, very good book.



4. Richard Langston is an acknowledged expert in this field and a well known avid collector of automatic knives. He does not disappoint in the "Collector's Guide to Switchblade Knives" . While the book is a little heavily oriented to towards the early twentieth century companies of Pressbutton, Schrade Walden, and their derivatives, this is in keeping with the spirit of the hobby as these are generally the most sought after knives. His insights on the histories of these companies is invaluable from the standpoint of determining age of these products. On the down side, I would have liked to have seen a little more historical and dating information about other companies products and imported knives, but you can only get so much in one book.



5. Richard Langston's book is best summed up by the title of this review. His historical and informational references are effused
   with his personality and wit. I enjoyed reading the beginning of this book so much, it left me wanting for more. The early days
   of the cutlery industry in the United States, and Upstate New York in particular, were a fascinating time. To read about this
   history from the perspective of someone who has been an enthusiastic student for most of his life, is a gift not often discovered.

5 comments about Standard Catalog Of Military Firearms: The Collector's Price & Reference Guide.

1. This book goes hand-in-hand with the Standard Catalog of Firearms: 2007. While not quite as complete as that book, Military Firearms is absolutely necessary for the military firearm collector or historian. In fact, Standard references this book when indexing any military gun, as they catalog only commercial versions. The only gripe I have is the organization of the two books. It is quite obvious they were meant to supplement one another, yet they use different methods to catalog the various firearms. Standard goes in alphabetical order by manufacturer name, while Military is by country of origin and sub-catogarized by manufacturer--this can be tough if one is looking for a specific manufacturer, but don't know the country of origin. For this reason, I had to deduct a star, however, I would highly recommend this book and its companion, the Standard Catalog of Firearms: 2007.



2. This book contains a lot of good information. It covers many variants and subclasses that are not covered in detail in generic price guides. I have added a lot to my firearms knowledge by reading this book.



3. I found this to be a good reference. I especially liked the way the firearms are sorted into chapter by county of origin. Of course considering the material, if you want more in-depth information on any particular piece you need to look elsewhere.



4. I have a very consistent library on weapons.
   This particular book was of interest to me especially for the information it contains on the life of most of the models dealt with, first of all the year of introduction and the year in which every single model has been discontinued by the manufacturer.



5. I was looking for a comprehensive guide specific to Military Firearms in order to identify and appraise weaponry. I found that unlike other price guides this one offered a higher degree of credibility due to it's titles and composition. I felt it was a great value for the price.

No comments about The Complete Guide to Hunting Knives.

2 comments about Colt Blackpowder Reproductions & Replicas: A Collector's & Shooter's Guide.

1. I found this book to be very helpful in area of Colt 2nd & 3rd Generation revolvers. It did not cover other replicas as I had hoped it would. I found some information to be inaccurate and incomplete. The section on Blue Book Values is worthless. It list distributors of the same manufacturer giving different values. Where do these values come from?? It does not cover the real collectability of these replica revolvers nor the various markings of revolvers that have not been available for years. These are the real collectable pieces. Additional comments 7/1/02: After reading and reviewing this book more thourghly, I would make the following suggestions to the author and publisher. The photography work is excellent but the organization is poor. It is more like a "coffee table book" than a treatise on the collecting of black powder replica revolvers. Colt coverage is good but the bulk of the collecting of the majority of replica revolvers is totally missing. Also, the overabundance of pictures of the author in his cowboy suits and his continual reference to himself has little value to the collector seeking information. Maybe a subtitle of this book should be "Dennis Adler's Brag Book".



2. Having fallen in love with blackpowder cap and ball shooting this year I also fell in love with Dennis Adler's book. Loaded with beautiful photographs of all of Colt's black powder revolvers Adler also gives you a good understanding of the mechanics of black powder shooting. His comprehensive guide to what's available in cap and ball is perfect for the entry level hobbyist in search of information.

No comments about Cartridge Drawings Now and Then from the Pen of Ken.

3 comments about Civil War Knives.

1. It was quite a wait to obtain a copy of Marc Newman's book regarding Civil War Knives & it was worth the wait to find one at a resonable price.Marc's book gives us a look at a lot of knives rarely mentioned in print. Although I believe that a couple of his knives are misidentified as Civil War era (specifically the knives featured on page 32). For the most part, this book gives the reader a chance to see knives carried by both the front line soldier and the officer.These are using knives,,,not the presentation for pomp knives often featured in similar guides. If I were Marc, I would not worry about the misidentified knives. Even Harold Peterson has knives in his " American Knives " that were later identified as contemporary recreations.All & all, Marc has done an outstanding job compiling this selection of historic Americana.



2. Civil War Knives must be the most boring book in the world but Mr. Newman is still my favorite teacher ever in regard to his knowledge in history or whatever in regard to the artifacts, costumes, and the rest of it. Basically, Civil War Knives will help you do well in college or whatever. If you were to ask me if Civil War Knives is a good book, I would say "yes". Mr. Newman has been researching history since he was 7 years of age so he'll bsaically turn around to you and wind up teaching you a lot about the Civil War in regard to knives, weapons, and the rest of it. Stop playing games and buy the book!



3. Author Marc Newman has succeeded in his 1998 book Civil War Knives in going a long way toward filling a void that has long existed on the subject of, as the title indicates, the many and various types of knives used by both sides for everything from preparing meals to rendering the enemy hors de combat. The book is well illustrated with clear, sharp photos of the knives. The text, although somewhat lacking in descriptive quantity, more than makes up for it in the quality of writing. My only wish is that he had described the sheaths of those knives which have them. Marc has gone a long way toward supplementing the work begun by Abels, Peterson and Albaugh a number of years ago.

No comments about Gun Digest 1994.

2 comments about The Krag Rifle.

1. Lt. Cl. Brophy has done a decent job of outlining the history, machanical changes and service use that the U.S. Model Krag- Jorgenson rifle was involved in. Chapters are layed out in cronological order beginning with the quest for smokless powder and ending with the inception of the Model of '03.

   Yet after reading and rereading this work, it becomes apparant that the author could have been much clearer in the way that he layed out the facts most important to the arms collector. Perhaps the one charactoristic that contributed to the lack of clarity in this book is that much of the text are reprinted copies of the Springfield Arsonal's formal records and corespondances on the arm, and the many changes that underwent. As a result the book tends to bog down and the reader is left with no alternative but to skim along looking for the facts relevant to the collecting of these arms. The vast majority of these transcriptions would have been better left for the appendicies, (of which there are many). Yet, the appendacies that were constructed for this work are written in such small font that they are all but unreadable. (There are typically four transcribed pages to each appendacized page).

   In addition the author's use of pictures was less then optimal for the reader wishing to collect the Krag. Many of the pictures in this book are too dark to clearly illustrate the small details for which they were provided. This proves frustrating to the reader. Also, with regard to pictures, the author did not use them to compare and contrast various configurations of the rifle by placing different configurations along side one another. He did however do this with some pictures of some of the internal parts of the weapon which was indeed helpful.

   This book is fine as a coffee table book. It provides an excellent look into the inner workings of the Springfield Armory at a very critical time in the history of firearms development, as well as some information on the detailed changes that took place on the martial arm of that time. Yet if one seeks information pertinent to the collecting of this arm, such as is found in "The Trapdoor", by Earnst and Wait, or in any of the "Collector Field Guide Series", by J.C. Harrison, they are looking in the wrong place.




2. This book covers the history and traces the changes this fine rifle went through as the US forces converted from black powder to smokeless. It is a great resource for identifing proper parts makeup for that rifle you are looking to collect. The rear sight options are extensive.

3 comments about Modern Beretta Firearms.

1. The book justifiably centers on the current flagship of Beretta products, the model 92 and all it's variations. but for a book focused on "modern" beretta firearms it's unfortunate to buy an edition 7 years out of date. This wouldn't be anything to count against the book except that in this instance there has been several interesting new developements. Those somewhat familiar with Beretta firearms should be aware that the Model 8000 series and the model 9000S series as well as the subcompact Tomcat are not featured which might not be overtly stated by it's 1994 publication date. However, the superb coverage of the model 92 including detailed information on proper 9mm cartridges and holsters makes this a good buy if your interest is very focused on the model 92.



2. This volume was preceded by the works of J.B. Wood (1985) and Marco Morin / Robert Held (1980) on Beretta firearms. The prolific US gunwriter Gene Gangarosa, who previously had authored a similar popular monography on the German Walther P 38 pistols, judiciously qualifies his book as a treatment of "modern" Beretta firearms. This title must be taken literally, as a clear indicator of content limitation. The absolutely central part of the book - and ist most valuable one, too - is the extensive in-depth treatise on the Model 92 pistol series and notably the trials and tribulations which, through various stages and retractions, finally led to its acceptance by the US Armed Forces as new service pistol and successor of the venerable Colt .45 Government Mod. 1911 A 1. On 174 pages alone (!), the author retraces and relates the various army and air force trials, the competitors and the maze of brazen incompetence and sham which surrounded these proceedings. Anybody who is interested not just in Beretta pistols, but in modern military handguns and their selection procedures in general, should thoroughly study this treatise, which alone would be be worth the book's price.

   Far weaker, however, are the other sections of the book. Long arms (shotguns and rifles) are treated very superficially with a few general comments, with hardly any substantial facts and information. Target pistols are barely outlined. And while the much-collected pre-1951 pistols of Beretta are indeed covered succinctly, this is not done in any scholarly or well-researched manner; neither the wartime sub-varieties, nor productions figures, nor foreign contracts have been listed. Totally lacking is any indication of sources (the author has included many Beretta factory photographs, but older archival material seems not to have been used), and even a slight hint of a bibliography - zero. The volume is thus not a collector's handbook, nor a scholarly study; it is a coffee-table book which gives well-readable general information arranged around a weighty central essay (Model 92 pistol).

   Gangarosa's style is easy-going and clear, and - appreciably - it is not as over-enthusiastic and glowing as in J.B. Wood's previous work, which showered its subject with superlatives on almost every page, regardless of how much or how little the covered various pistols might have deserved it actually. In contrast, Gangarosa remains quite sober. Illustrations are decent (black-and-white), but lack explosion drawings, parts lists or marking details; the book is thus of very limited use for the gunsmith or collector. The final, "definitive" handbook on Beretta firearms therefore still remains to be eagerly awaited...




3. This is a very well written and documented book regarding the oldest firearms manufacturing firm in the world.

   Gangarossa presents very useful information in detail about the firm and the excellent firearms the firm produces, including the famed Beretta 92FS, other Beretta pistols, shotguns, rifles and even machineguns. Rather than simply listing their characteristics, Gangarossa explains their design origins, their development history and their miliary, police and commercial uses in great detail. He also provides his view of the successes and failures of Beretta's arms.

   Also worthy of mention is the most complete history of the M9 handgun trials (the US military trials to select a handgun to replace the aging M1911A1 Colt) and subsequent developments, which dispel many myths and misconceptions about how the Beretta 92FS became the M9.

   All in all, I recommend this book highly for firearms aficionados and historians. I also recommend Gangarossa's other books.