ABOUTIntense passion for self-preservation and the belief that each of us has an

inalienable right to protect ourselves was the seed that harvested The Ultimate
Knife, the best most versatile utility and defense knife on the planet.Our story
began when Founder Lad Mandiola, a resilient and naturally inquisitive person,
found himself hitting a rough patch in life, and wondering where his next calling
would lead him. While searching for his next venture, his natural curiosity led him
to conduct rather intense research about economics, world-relations and the future
of our planet. This comprehensive research fueled his determination to help people
protect themselves with the right knowledge, skills, and tools.He began by
providing personal protection products such as home security cameras, green lasers
for guns, and proprietary protection flashlights. He knew he needed to provide
more, though. From having such a good connection with his customers, Lad knew some
of them lived in states where guns weren't allowed, or they simply weren't
comfortable with guns.Logically, he wanted to add knives to the lineup. However, he
didn't want to add just any knife. He knew it needed to be something special if it
were going to match up with his reputation for bringing unique, high-quality tools
at competitive prices.Then a serendipitous encounter at a gun show offered the
answer to Lad's search. He noticed a man flipping a folding knife. While seeing a
knife at a gun show isn't that unusual, there was something different about this
knife. It was a folding Fox Karambit knife with an Emerson Wave Shaped Opening
Feature. Lad briefly inquired about the wave opening on the knife, and went on his
way, letting the information about the knife sink in.After marinating on his
thoughts for a few months, he was hungry to learn as much as he could about what
made that knife so unique.Research revealed that the word Karambit (also know as
kerambit, carambit, kurambik and karambiak) was used to describe the shape of the
blade; it indicated that it was a small Southeast Asian curved knife resembling a
claw.Lad voraciously continued his research and discovered that this particular
Karambit knife was originally developed for the Italian Special Forces. He knew
this would make a great addition to the tactical lineup. And they did!He became a
US provider for the Fox 478 & 479 Karambit Folding Knife and was able to offer a
superior tool for a highly competitive price; nearly half the cost of the
competition.Over the next year and a half, the popularity of the knives gained
tremendous traction. Customers loved the blades. They had one major complaint,
though. It didn't fit into everyone's hands. In fact, the Fox 478 & 479 Karambits
were too big for 98-99% of the population's hands. They were too large as they were
originally designed for use while wearing tactical gloves. So, while customers
loved the blades, and the knives were great for the 2% of the population with XXL-
sized hands, the fact that the 478 & 479 were too big for most meant they weren't
quite what Lad could call The Ultimate Knives. Lad's uncompromising approach to
providing the ultimate knife prompted him to act fast. It became his mission to
redesign the knife so it would truly be The Ultimate Knife.He pulled upon his
background as a graphic designer, and after being granted the design files he
needed, Lad redesigned the knife to its beefier yet smaller design. Continuing to
use the Emerson Wave Shaped Opening Feature, (Patent #5,878,500) this fresher
tactical everyday carry was still able to be opened with one hand when drawn from
the pocket while being lighter weight and finally ideally sized for 98% of adult
hands.The Italian-made, hand assembled, hand-sharpened, talon-shaped 599 Karambit,
and the DART Tanto Karambit knives were born with their accompanying ICD trainers.
Soon to follow, were the 599-XT and DART-XT with even more features. They were
truly the ultimate CQC (Close Quarter Combative) knives.