Hissatsu Review (Tactical Knives Magazine)
Tactical Fixes from CRKT
Tactical Knives Jan 2005
By John A. Larsen
The Hissatsu
Ironically, when I tried to call Bugei Trading Company and speak to James Williams, designer of the Hissatsu, I was not able to reach him. Then I got a call and had to leave early on a trip that started at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, on to Virginia, and ended up at the USSSOCOM Advance Planning Briefing to Industry in Tampa, Florida. After setting up our booth in Tampa, I sat down to talk to a friend at the booth right across the aisle, looked up and saw a man with a neatly trimmed beard holding, of all things, a Hissatsu. Looking closer I realized that this individual was, in fact, James Williams. Turns out he was working the show too, so over the next two days I had plenty of opportunity to discuss the design philosophy of the Hissatsu and its intended application, and his philosophy behind his course, “The System of Strategy, Ancient Knowledge for the Modern Warrior.”
Williams told me that the Hissatsu was an “Osoraku” style blade from the Shimada school of fighting, dating from the late 1400’s, when blades were one of the primary weapons. He makes no bones about the Hissatsu being designed for “maximum penetration and slashing ability, and the maximum tissue deformation to facilitate hemorrhaging.” I was designed for combat and not for utility and as such, I consider the a Hissatsu a CQB type knife.
The Hissatsu has a 7-inch long, uniquely shaped blade of AUS-6 (HRC 55-57), 3/16 of an inch thick at the spine, and 1-inch wide. The simulated ray skin handle is 4-7/8- inch long and provided a safe, secure grip and it was easy to transition from one grip to another. Weight of the Hissatsu is 8 ounces.
The sheath is Zytel with a removable belt clip (it allows for horizontal carry) and comes with four belt slots and 10 eyelet holes. Weight of the sheath is 3 ounces. I really liked the sheath, as it was very easy to access the Hissatsu with either hand and, since it uses a friction fit for retention, there are no straps to fool with.
Williams teaches to mount the Hissatsu on your assault gear just about dead center on your chest. Here it is accessible to either hand, and also it is not easily accessible to someone else. Mounted this way when you go into a room and someone grabs your primary weapon, you can quickly access the Hissatsu, “neutralize the threat,” re-sheath the Hissatsu, and continue with your mission. Williams had a tape from his “System of Strategy” course playing at his booth that vividly demonstrated this technique. I also watched him go through the same techniques with numerous Spec Ops folks who stopped by his booth.
Williams told me he leaves the edge of his Hissatsu “rough” for maximum slashing. My experience is that using a Norton Fine India Stone will give the same results, and you still have a sharp edge for other work. Yes, I know I said this is a CQB knife, but if a trooper has it and needs to cut something, guess what he will use?
When I first received the Hissatsu it was not as sharp as I like, so I grabbed my 12-inch-long Spyderco ceramic rod and gave the Hissatsu a few swipes on either side ofthe blade and it soon was cleanly cutting post-it papers. Penetration was devastating! On my telephone book test the Hissatsu penetrated to page 467. Slashing was very respectful too, and the sheath is so user friendly (easy in and out) that I have to take my hat off to the folks at CRKT for the job they did. MSRP for the Hissatsu is $99.99.