Finding Inspiration During the Covid-19 pandemic, Shane Magnussen Created The Sinnsyk With The Help Of His Fans.
The long days of the COVID-19 pandemic may be mostly past us, but the cabin fever drove many people crazy. However, for some, those days inside proved to be a cauldron of creativity. For one knifemaker in Arizona, the creative juices flowed forth and gave birth to a one-of-a-kind knife.
Shane Magnussen was looking for ways to keep from going bonkers during the pandemic and found one with his “personal renaissance challenge.”
The challenge consisted of him sketching one new knife design per day for 75 days and then putting them all up for a vote on social media. The folder winner was his Sinnsyk model.
Who Is Shane Magnussen?
Shane Magnussen—here with wife Katie in the shop—said the lock, detent and bearings all fit tight on his Sinnsyk folder. In the right lighting, you can see the electro-anodized blade through the elliptical handle holes.
Shane is a former serviceman who led over two dozen successful operations in Afghanistan for the United States Army. After receiving an honorable discharge, Shane went into the automotive field and worked in numerous parts of the industry.
Eventually, he began working at a knife manufacturer and caught the knifemaking bug. From writing manuals about free hand grinding to innovating custom finishing methods Shane gained the experience needed to launch his own knife company, Scorpion 6 Knives.
What Is The Sinnsyk
Shane is first-generation Norwegian and sinnsyk is Norwegian for insane or crazy, which most people have been driven at least half during the troubles. His wife, Katie, helped with the zig-zag texturing on the titanium handle, which they did on a half-inch wheel of a Travis Wuertz TW-90 grinder.
The elliptical holes are a standard Shane design and enhance looks, lightweight and texture. The line down the center of the electro-anodized pocket clip serves as a kind of truss to keep the clip from grabbing neither too tight nor too loose.
Sinnsyk Knife Specs
Knife: Sinnsyk
Knife type: Folder
Blade length: 3.66 inches
Blade steel: Nitro-V stainless
Blade pattern: Spear point
Frame: Grade 5 titanium
Lock: Framelock
Closed length: 4.94 inchesMaker’s price for a similar knife: $1,200
For more information contact Shane Magnussen, Dept. BL3, 914 W. Belmont Red Trail, San Tan Valley, AZ 85143 [email protected].
In Just Over Two Weeks Time, BLADE Show Texas Will Descend Once Again On The City Of Fort Worth.
BLADE Show Texas ’23 expects to follow up on its wildly successful ’22 rendition when it rides herd on the Fort Worth Convention Center March 17-18 in Fort Worth.
Over 300 national and international exhibitors, including the best in custom and factory makers and companies, will display their hottest knives, knifemaking supplies and more. All will coalesce in the roomy Fort Worth Convention Center in the heart of downtown Fort Worth. Spanning 14 city blocks of the city’s central business district, the convention center is surrounded by four-star hotels, restaurants, shops, galleries and assorted performance venues, with free transportation provided throughout the downtown area via Molly the Trolley.
Helping make the show a reality are its sponsors, which include Smoky Mountain Knife Works, WE Knife Co./Civivi/Sencut, The Blade Bar, Nottingham Tactical, TOPS Knives, Hogue Knives, Microtech, Jantz Supply and New Jersey Steel Baron.
Beat The Line And Buy Your BLADE Show Texas Tickets Now!
BLADE Show Texas 2023 Set To Top 2022
ABS master smiths Bruce Bump (left) and Shane Taylor (right), both of whom are in the book The Greatest Living Knifemakers, return to display their knives. At press time, others in the book who will be exhibiting at the show are Bill Ruple and Tom Overeynder.
While Texas long has been hailed as a hotbed of knives of all shapes, sizes and types, its knife shows haven’t always seemed to keep pace. Debuting under its new name in ’22 after several years as the International Custom Cutlery Exposition (ICCE), BLADE Show Texas seemed to buck that trend, with custom and factory exhibitors praising the event.
“The attendance was excellent and sales were awesome,” BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Bill Ruple observed of BLADE Show Texas ’22. “What a great show!”
“BLADE Show Texas was a great one. Attendance was crazy good,” agreed ABS master smith Bruce Bump. “And it was good to connect with old friends and make some new ones.”
“BLADE Show Texas was a great success as far as our time there,” noted John Cammenga of White River Knife & Tool. “We sold a lot and there was great traffic.”
“One thing I personally really liked was the eclectic mix of makers throughout the show,” pitched in maker Tom Krein. “You just didn’t know who or what would be at the next table.”
This year’s array of talented artisans promises to be even better. Also on hand will be a wealth of premier custom knife purveyors, engravers and other embellishers, many more knife professionals and entrepreneurs of all stripes—and, of course, knife enthusiasts, users and collectors galore.
Award Changes
The knife judging awards for BLADE Show Texas have been especially tailored this year to address the specialties of the exhibiting makers. As a result, there are two changes, one each in the custom and factory categories.
The new category in custom is Machine Assisted Custom Knife, or M.A.C.K (see next section. Last year’s custom category of Best Fixed Blade was scratched in the middle of show judging and was broken down into three separate categories: Best Bowie, Best Fighter and Best Hunting Knife.
As a result, this year’s custom awards will be Best M.A.C.K., Best Art Knife, Best Bowie, Best Damascus, Best EDC, Best Fighter, Best Folding Knife, Best Hunting Knife, Best Kitchen Knife, Best Slip Joint and Best in Show.
To differentiate it from Best Slip Joint, Best Folding Knife will be for non-slip joints only. Each category winner will be determined in terms of how well it fits the category, quality design, construction and materials, fit and finish, line and flow, and the other intangibles that identify most top knives.
Best Tactical is the new factory category and will include both folders and fixed blades. Hence, the awards in the factory category will be Best EDC, Best Fixed Blade, Best Folder, Best Tactical and Best in Show. Each category winner will be determined in the same manner used to rate the custom winners as outlined in the preceding paragraph.
M.A.C.K.
The fastest growing and, some would say, most exciting segment in custom knives now has its own category: Machine Assisted Custom Knife.
In conjunction with a number of intrepid pioneers in the category, BLADE® Magazine and BLADE Show have created an awards segment that aims to recognize the diverse array of knifemakers whose fertile minds are dedicated to creating knives that exist in the space between the entirely handmade custom knife and the entirely machine-made custom knife.
To qualify for the category, the knife must have one or more key elements crafted by hand. It is up to the maker to determine which element(s) to handcraft, but the judges will look for makers who challenge themselves in this regard. Judges will look for a knife that is first and foremost a cutting tool.
The design must be functional, beautiful, have great ergonomics, yet still have practical applications and uses. The winning knife should be able to go from the debutante ball to the wrecking ball without changing shoes. From a technical standpoint, execution of fit and finish across the entire knife, basics such as blade centering, lock kinetics, lock feel and lock positivity/safety, etc., will all factor heavily into choosing a winner.
To reiterate, overall aesthetic design must be cohesive and beautiful without compromising the knife’s primary purpose as a cutting tool. Exhibitors should bring their best of kinetics, aesthetics and handcraft to this category. And may the best knife triumph!
Demos And Seminars
Tom Overeynder will bring an Art Knife Invitational level of talent to the show with such pieces as his 34 Big Jack slip joint in PSF-27 stainless blade steel and a new handle material—jagged bone. Closed length: 5 inches. Maker’s price: $3,250. (SharpByCoop image)
Friday
12 p.m.-Grinding Fundamentals, Room 104: Co-owner of Brodbeck Ironworks, knifemaker Vince Molina will showcase the Brodbeck grinder complete with flat platen and integral bolster attachment.
2 p.m.-Let the Pros Critique Your Knife, Room 104: Award-winning knifemakers Bill Ruple and Tom Krein and ABS master smiths Jason Knight, Steve Schwarzer and Brion Tomberlin will examine your knife and tell you the good, the not so good and how to make it better. This will be a limited-seating event. Bring one knife only. Sign up when you enter the class on a first-come, first-served basis. Questions will be entertained from attendees throughout.
3:30 p.m.-Building an 1830s Knife with Modern Tools, Room 104: It seems almost certain that James Black made a number of knives circa 1830. Though he did not mark his knives with his name, the style attributed to him is one of the most distinctive and admired of his or any era. ABS master smith Lin Rhea is a student of Black and antique bowie knives in general. His seminar will be a discussion of how to build knives in the Black style in the modern knifemaker’s shop, substituting modern techniques for those of the 1830s. In addition, Lin will outline the things to consider in recreating a historic knife style.
Saturday
10:30 a.m.-Grinding Fundamentals, Room 104: Co-owner of Brodbeck Ironworks, knifemaker Vince Molina will reprise his Friday seminar on the Brodbeck grinder complete with flat platen and integral bolster attachment.
12 p.m.-Trainer Knife for Kids, Room 104: Nicole Larkin of Bradford USA will introduce Bradford’s newest trainer for kids. Nicole will cover what makes the trainer a great first knife, outlining such topics as utility, basic safety principles and sharpening. “We wanted to build a trainer knife that will grow with your child as he or she matures beyond the need for one,” Nicole noted.
1:30 p.m.-Silver Wire Inlay in Wood, Room 104: A past Forged in Fire champion, ABS journeyman smith Allen Newberry will demonstrate silver wire inlay in wood, how to make the tools required and where to procure the needed supplies.
The official BLADE Show Texas photographer will be SharpByCoop.
Get more information about BLADE Show Texas, the foremost knife show in the Lone Star State.
First Announced At SHOT Show 2023, CRKT And Hogue Knives Announced A New Manufacturing Partnership To Create The Next Generation Of CRKT Knives.
The collaboration between the brands launched at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas with the release of two new American-made knives: the Definitive and LCBK. This new joint effort showcases CRKT’s eye for design, craftsmanship, and making purpose-driven products.
First announced at SHOT Show 2023, Columbia River Knife & Tool and Hogue Knives will join forces in a new manufacturing collaboration. The partnership blends the Oregon-based CRKT’s innovative and user-friendly ethos with Hogue’s long history of precision engineering and will focus on the next era of CRKT knives.
CRKT Definitive And LCBK
The sleek CRKT Definitive has an MSRP of $215, the same as the LCBK.
The companies showcased their first two knives together at SHOT: the Definitive and LCBK. Both models are high-end folding EDC knives made from 154CM steel married to a G10 handle. Both are also among the first in the CRKT lineup to feature a crossbar lock, the ambidextrous, one-handed locking mechanism.
The Definitive is the bigger of the two knives with a 3.7-inch blade (vs a 3.48-inch blade on the LCBK), and it outweighs the LCBK 3 ounces to 2.8 ounces. The blade on the Definitive features a stonewashed finish while the LCBK has a bead blast finish.
Both knives have an MSRP of $215.
The Future Of The CRKT/Hogue Collaboration
The LCBK has a bead blast finish and is a light 2.8 ounces.
These knives are meant to be the first launch in a long-term, wide-sweeping alliance between the two companies. Both have said they are excited to work together and learn from each other’s expertise.
“We’ve known the team at Hogue Knives for quite some time and their sterling reputation in the marketplace is well deserved,” said Doug Flagg, VP of Marketing & Innovation for CRKT. “As we looked towards partners in US manufacturing, they were an obvious fit in helping us develop top-notch American-made knives and we couldn’t be more pleased to be working with them.”
“This partnership with CRKT is a natural extension for our business,” said Jim Bruhns, President of Hogue Knives.“CRKT’s penchant for design and willingness to take risks and stand out fits right in with the ethos here at Hogue Knives and we’re excited for what the future holds for both brands.”
BLADE Show West 2022 Was A Smashing Success In Its New Home Of Salt Lake City.
So you’re having BLADE Show West in Salt Lake City,” the man began, interjecting a pregnant pause before continuing. “In Utah? Isn’t that kind of a gamble?”
Of course, any change in a knife show venue is a gamble, and so it was with the switch of BLADE Show West from Long Beach, California, in 2021 to Salt Lake City this past October. But the gamble paid off as BLADE Show West ’22 in the plush Salt Palace Convention Center met with banner reviews.
Makers Loved BLADE Show West
Grant (left) and Gavin (right) Hawk of Hawk Knives were two of the many makers displaying their knives in Salt Lake City.
The main concerns of any knife show—attendance, the venue and easy accessibility both to it and to the surrounding hotels and restaurants, and, most importantly, the number of knife buyers and how many knives they bought—were all addressed in fine fashion. The fact that the weather was sunny and in the 70s on a beautiful fall weekend didn’t hurt, either.
“The show surpassed our expectations,” observed Spyderco’s Joyce Laituri. “Not knowing what to expect in Salt Lake City, we were amazed.”
“The crowd was way more than I expected,” echoed BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Bill Ruple. “I’d say it was close to BLADE Show Texas this past March in terms of attendance.” And those numbers were very good.
“It was extremely busy,” wrote knifemaker Mike Tyre. “Both days were non-stop people.” Chimed in knifemaker Duane Dwyer, “The show was full for both days and that’s all we as exhibitors can possibly ask for. I had a great show and met a good group of new people.”
“Numbers seemed good for the venue size,” wrote knifemaker Princeton Wong. “The traffic stopping by [our] table was more consistent than even at the BLADE Show in Atlanta.”
Not only knives but bodaciously long swords had show-goers agog in Utah.
As for the all-important issue of knife sales, a goodly number of makers came away very pleased.
“Sales were great. I sold all my high-end fixed blades and several folders,” wrote Tyre. “There were a lot of serious buyers at the show.”
“Most everyone I talked to had really good sales,” Ruple stated. “I saw a lot of the same buyers but also sold to some local folks. I took 10 knives and sold all of them.”
Knifemaker Tim Robertson said he brought seven knives and sold six. “We brought 11 knives,” ABS master smith Steven Koster wrote. “I only sold four but they were in the medium price range, and took two orders: one fixed blade and one folder.”
Wong indicated there seemed to be plenty of buyers for the custom folder and balisong markets, and he did a healthy business with some knife purveyors in attendance. “I had dealers requesting between five and 100 pieces,” he observed, “and had approximately 10 buyers from the show waiting on book spots.”
The Salt Palace Was A Star
The factory booth section was a beehive of activity.
As for the venue and the accessibility to it and nearby hotels and restaurants, the Salt Palace Convention Center met with high marks from almost everyone.
“The venue was excellent. My hotel was really upscale with great parking and a free breakfast that was good,” Tyre noted. “The show was a short walk across the street. The convention center was a great place.”
“The venue was good, we liked it and the city was good, also,” Koster observed. “The hotel and food were very convenient and easy to get to.” Added Wong, “The show venue was nice and easy to access. It’s relatively close to hotels and the weather was good for the short walk. We had surprisingly great meals.”
Awards & Seminars
In the seminar Let the Pros Critique Your Knife, from left, Steve Schwarzer, Lucas Burnley, Bill Ruple, Enrique Pena, and Will Stelter explained to show attendees what they did and did not like about attendees’ knives submitted for their inspection, and how to improve them.
Some outstanding knives won awards in both the factory and custom knife judging competitions*. Highlights in the custom category included Trevor Morgan winning both Best in Show and Best Kitchen Knife for his damascus chef’s knife and Shayne Carter taking home Best Hunter and Best Bowie.
WE Knives was the big winner in the factory judging, capturing Best Folder and Best in Show for the Peter Carey Nitro Mini and Best EDC for the Shakan. All of the winners were announced and presented trophies at the show’s After Party sponsored by Black Rifle Coffee at the company’s facility Friday night.
The show hosted a state-of-the-art slate of seminars, among others including 3D Printing for Canister Patterns conducted by ABS master smith Steve Schwarzer and Ron Hardman, Let the Pros Critique Your Knife with Schwarzer, Enrique Pena, Bill Ruple, Will Stelter and Lucas Burnley, and the 3rd Annual West Coast Flipping Championships hosted by Squid Industries.
BLADE Show West 2023
Next year’s show will return to the Salt Palace Convention Center Oct. 13-14. Plan to attend now. Many already have. “We’re in for the next two years,” Spyderco’s Joyce Laituri wrote, “and our employees are already arguing over who gets to work the show next year.”
For more information on BLADE Show West ’23, visit bladeshowwest.com or email [email protected]. For more on BLADE Show Texas ’23, visit bladeshowtexas.com, and for more on BLADE Show ’23 visit bladeshow.com.
A study of Michael Price’s work, Nick Bachtel’s reproduction gentleman bowie has the looks to wow.
Bladesmith Nick Bachtel has parlayed his fascination with the knives of 19th-century great Michael Price into a faithful reproduction of a Price-style gentleman’s bowie.
Nick studied every Price knife and other like ones of the genre he could find online and elsewhere to help arrive at the way the 19th-century cutler constructed the gentleman’s bowie. However, it was when he saw a picture of a Price knife in BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Bernard Levine’s book, Knifemakers Of Old San Francisco, that “a light went off.”
Nick noticed that the handle had three pins so the knife had to have a full tang, not a hidden tang as he had previously thought, so he forged the knife, heat treated it, fit up the guard and forged the tang wider.
“I call it a captured-guard full tang,” the 24-year-old said of the method that apparently originated among bladesmiths in Ireland, Price’s native country. “It’s such a weird, unique, almost comical way of making a knife—and difficult to do as well,” Nick observed, “but boy, did Price make it!”
Nick Bachtel (inset) calls the construction he used to make his reproduction of a Michael Price Gentleman’s Bowie “captured-guard full tang.” For the style to work, it must be forged, Nick stressed. He said another way to do it would be in a frame handle construction and a tapered tang, though a Price aficionado would be able to tell the difference. (SharpByCoop knife images)
The icing on the cake for Nick was ABS journeyman smith Jordan LaMothe’s story, “How to Make the Price Guard” in the December 2019 BLADE®. As Nick noted, “The Price style is the pinnacle of the traditional forged blade.” What better style is there for a young, up-and-coming bladesmith to explore?
Gentleman Bowie Spec Check Knife name: Michael Price Style: Gentleman’s Bowie Maker: Nick Bachtel Blade length: 5 7/8 inch Blade material: 52100 carbon steel Handle: Elk antler and nickel silver Overall length: 10¾ inch Sheath: Traditional center-seam vegetable-tanned cowhide w/frog stud Maker’s List Price For A Similar Knife: $1,100(includes sheath)
A sensational slip joint, Tim Britton’s Badger revives the Keen Kutter pattern with a ton of flare.
When ABS master smith Bruce Bump showed an old Keen Kutter penknife pattern to veteran knifemaker Tim Britton, Tim fell in love with it and immediately set to making his own iteration.
The blades are BG-42 stainless steel that, as Tim noted, has high ductility and holds an edge forever. He flat ground them on his “ancient” 18-inch, 200-pound Porter Cable disc sander. However, it’s the handle that really stands out. Consisting of stabilized diseased ash burl from Whistle in the Woods, the material looks synthetic but isn’t.
Tim Britton , 80, has been making knives since 1971 and has focused a lot in recent years on slip joints, with the Badger being the latest. He’s got about six antique pocketknife designs on his to-do list for this year, including a peanut and a copperhead. (knife image courtesy of Tim Britton)
“The light stuff in it looks like explosions,” Tim said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” The projection on the spine fits right in between the user’s index and middle fingers and the groove on the underside cradles the latter for a comfortable, secure grip.
Calling it the Badger, Tim said he made 10 of them and had four or five at BLADE Show 2022.
Badger Spec Check Knife Name: Badger Maker: Tim Britton Blade Steel: BG-42 stainless Blade Grinds: Flat Handle Material: Stabilized diseased ash burl from Whistle in the Woods Closed Length: 3.5 inches Maker’s Price For A Similar Knife: $375
Acclaimed Knifemaker And Cutlery Hall Of Famer D’Alton Holder Passes Away At The Age Of 82.
D’Alton Holder, whose knifemaking career spanned almost 60 years, served decades on the Knifemakers’ Guild board of directors and enjoyed almost 20 years as a member of the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame®, passed away Nov. 19.
Known simply as “D’,” Holder was a consummate maker of fixed-blade knives, especially hunters. Among the latter, his “My Knife” in a stacked handle of oosic and amber was probably his best-known model and one of the most recognizable knives of its time.
He made his first knife in 1966, selling mostly at gun shows until 1973 when he joined the Guild. He was elected as a Guild board director in 1976 and served on the board for 23 years, during which time he held every board position, including three terms as president. His leadership helped sustain the Guild through the early years of its existence.
Holder organized the Arizona Knifemakers Association in 1975 and was its president for five years. He received the Guild’s Red Watson Award in 1982 and the American Firearms Industry Award of Merit in 1983, the only knifemaker to receive the honor. He was presented the Beretta Award for knifemaking excellence in 1994. He also served three years as president of the Arizona Knife Collectors Club.
He was a charter member of the board of regents of the American Knife & Tool Institute. Holder also was one of the winners of the 1998 Blade Magazine Publisher’s Award for his efforts on behalf of the AKTI.
He taught dozens of knifemakers how to fashion knives and helped dozens of other makers become more accomplished at the craft.
D’ was a very close friend of Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Buster Warenski. When not making knives the two spent much time hunting and fishing together. In fact, D’ lent a lot of support to Buster during the latter’s making of the King Tut Dagger reproduction, probably the most famous knife of the modern custom era. Despite many delays caused by production problems and other setbacks, Buster finally finished the monumental project, much to D’s delight. “With it, he stood head and shoulders above anything else that had been done,” D’ noted. “I think he did a better job than the original guys, the Egyptians!”
In his speech inducting Holder into the Cutlery Hall Of Fame at the BLADE® Magazine awards banquet of the 2003 BLADE Show, ABS master smith Tim Hancock, a long-time friend of the inductee’s, may have said it best.
“His knives embody his philosophy of art and his dedication to great work and business ethics,” Hancock said of D’. “He has no doubt made a friend of everyone he has sold a knife to.
“He also saw the need to shape the future of the industry that he loved. In his spare time, he has advised, helped, and counseled volumes of fellow knife enthusiasts, knife promoters, and budding knifemakers in their pursuits in this industry. To put it simply, those of us who know him personally would say that his most amazing trait is his unselfish devotion to helping others.”
Arrangements to recognize D’s passing were ongoing, though whether there will be any kind of memorial service for him was unclear as these words were being written.
