BLADE partnered with Recoil TV to bring you this beautifully produced mini-documentary about knifemakers at Travis Wuertz‘s annual Hammer In.
Hosted by Neil Kamimura, this 10-minute video explores the tools, techniques and talent that bring so many from so far together. It’s well worth the watch. Enjoy!
For more knifemaking videos and a lot more, be sure to visit Recoil TV.
Robert “Bob” Loveless is regarded as one of the most influential custom knifemakers of the modern era. Here are the 15 knives that show why.
15) The Iconic Schrade Semi-Skinner
Here are eight knife shows to attend throughout the United States in November 2019.
There’s nothing quite like meeting the makers behind the knives that collectors love. Even if you don’t buy a new favorite blade (though it’s hard to resist!), you’ll learn a lot about knifemaking, gain a new appreciation for the craft and handle knives worth tens of thousands of dollars without spending tens of thousands of dollars.
What’s better than that?
The 2nd Annual BLADE Show West, Oregon Convention Center. The latest in custom and factory knives, awards for same, demos, seminars and more. For more information visit bladeshowwest.com.
Voyles Knife Show, Smoky Mountain Convention Center, 865-908-3015 https://www.mypigeonforge.com/event/voyles-knife-show.
The Art Knife Invitational, Sheraton Hotel San Diego Bayside Tower. Contact [email protected], ArtKnifeInvitational.com.
The 37th Annual Mt. Vernon Knife Show, Roland Lewis Community Building. Contact Nancy Hancock, Dept. BL4, 12193 Turner Dr., Mt. Vernon, IL 62864 618-242-4514 jcckc1982@ yahoo.com.
Marlboro, Massachusetts Knife Show, Holiday Inn. Contact Lynn Cain 978-249-6070 [email protected].
Indy 1500 Gun & Knife Show, Indiana State Fairgrounds. Contact World Class Gun Shows, PO Box 14194, Oklahoma City, OK 73113 405-340-1333 indy1500.com.
Wanenmacher’s Tulsa Arms Show, Tulsa Fairgrounds. Contact [email protected], 918-492-0401 or tulsaarmsshow.com.
New York Custom Knife Show, The Westin Jersey City Newport, Newport Ballroom. For more information visit fiftyfiftyproductions.net.
ABS master smith Dan L. Petersen is a professor at Washburn University. When astronomers found the first real black hole last spring and shared photos of it, it intrigued him so much so that he made a knife inspired by the wonder of it all. In fact, one of Petersen’s knives won the Custom Knife Collectors Association‘s (CKCA) annual Fisk Cutlery Challenge, earning the prof a cool $20,000.
“One of the [black hole] photos looked similar to the circular white and red patterns in the handle,” Dan explained. “I tried to get a bluish-black-of-the-universe effect, then the white swirls showing matter spinning around the red center black holes.”
To taper the copper-pipe handle, Petersen spun it on a lathe using metal-spinning techniques. He added vitreous glass enamel to the outside and inside of the handle. He heated the handle to 1,500-degrees F and rotated it until it melted and fused to the metal. He repeated the glass procedure with a layer of dark blue glass and then black glass for the universe effect.
Oh, and as for the $20,000, it helped Dan buy a lathe for metal spinning.
* Want to see more incredible custom knives? BLADE Show is the place to go.
Add this to the list of ways Portland, Oregon, is a unique American metropolitan: the city is ground zero for the custom and factory knife industry. BLADE Show West, coming Nov. 1-3 to the Oregon Convention Center, showcases why.
This knife show isn’t just an extension of the world’s largest annual knife show in Atlanta; it’s an opportunity for the Portland area to support local businesses specializing in centuries-old craftsmanship. Of more than 215 total exhibitors, dozens of Portland’s knifemakers and knife designers will be displaying their creations, from hand-crafted chef’s knives to innovative pocketknives designed to make everyday tasks easier.
BLADE Show West attendees get to connect with those knifemakers, see unique knife collections not available online and pick out their new favorite knife.
“When people ask me why they should attend a knife show for the first time, I like to tell them two things,” said Steve Shackleford, editor of BLADE magazine, the world’s foremost knife publication since 1973. “First, you’re going to be surprised by the creativity and the craftsmanship. It’s like you’ve never seen real knives before.
“Second, these knifemakers are independent businesses. When you buy a knife from someone who spent days or weeks making it by hand, you’re putting a roof over their head and food on their table.”
That rugged spirit and sense of community are what bring people to events like BLADE Show West. It’s also why knifemakers are so eager to share their appreciation for blades. BLADE Show West will host demonstrations, competitions, awards, and even an after party complete with food trucks and beer.
“That it could all happen in Portland, home to so many knifemakers and knife companies, is a terrific thing for the area and the West Coast in general. The entire knife community will be there,” Shackleford said.
More than 215 total exhibitors will be at BLADE Show West. Here’s a lineup of Oregon favorites:
A+M Knives
Benchmade Knife Co.
Big Brown Bear
Carter Cutlery
Cascadia Cutlery LLC
Chuck Cook Knives
CRKT
David Kurt Handmade Knives
Dragonfly Forge
Ferrum Technology
Freeman Outdoor Gear
Gerber Gear
integrity implements
Joe Edson
Kershaw Knives/ Zero Tolerance Knives
Leatherman Tool Group
LinchPin LLC
Matt Cook/PinoyKnife
Navarrete Knives
Nitzan Lilie
Northwest Knives & Collectibles
OOAK Forge
Rogers Kustoms
Spake Handmade Knives
TF Blades LLC
Tuch Knives
To attend, buy tickets online before the event to save up to $10 at bladeshowwest.com.
Whereas in years past, the titular character of the Rambo movies carried a single knife on the silver screen, Rambo 5: Last Blood will feature two blades. Both were designed by Dietmar Pohl, a German custom knife designer.
Pohl joins Jimmy Lile and Gil Hibben on the roster of those supplying Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo. As a testament to the longevity of the franchise, and the importance of the knives appearing in the movies, Pohl cited Lile’s First Blood knife as an early influence on his path to knifemaking. In fact, he even came into possession of one of Lile’s movie originals.
“It closes a circle,” Pohl said in the video above about the chance to supply Rambo 5. He echoed the comment on Twitter.
A storm will be unleashed tomorrow. I am extremely proud to be a part of it. The circle closes for me after 36 years!#film #movie #movieknife #movieknives #pohlforce #dietmarpohl #edge #knife @BladeMagazine pic.twitter.com/XVOa1MMHRU
— Pohl Force (@pohlforceknives) September 18, 2019
Nicknamed the “Heartstopper,” the Pohl’s MK-9 is the larger of the two knives Rambo uses in Rambo 5. Pohl said the MK-9 pays homage to the survival knife featured in First Blood, tweaked for a modern tactical aesthetic.
The MK-8 is the smaller of Pohl’s Rambo knives. This time, the maker dipped even further back into knife history for inspiration, paying respects to the bowie design that influenced the First Blood knife.
Pohl is keeping reproductions of Rambo knives in-house. Collectors can order direct at MovieKnife.com, a website he created exclusively for the MK-9 and MK-8.
(via imdb.com)
Browse BLADE‘s archives about the knives designed and made for First Blood, First Blood: Part 2, Rambo III and Rambo.
Thanks to a young man’s quick thinking and a pocketknife, a 6-year-old boy is alive and well in Flowery Branch, Georgia.
On June 25, Logan Simmons, 19, a Chick-Fil-A employee, noticed the youngster in a car choking on a seatbelt in the drive through. Climbing through the drive-through window, Logan pulled out his pocketknife and cut the boy free, saving his life.
As a result of Logan’s actions, Knife Rights awarded him the Knife Rights’ Carry a Knife – Save a Life Award™.
“Logan Simmons’ action to save a young child’s life is a dramatic testimony to the value of always carrying a knife,” said Doug Ritter of Knife Rights. “You never know when your knife will be the difference between life and death; these situations cannot be foreseen, as Logan discovered.
“There are still places in America where the pocketknife Logan used would be illegal to carry. Knife Rights is committed to ensuring that law-abiding Americans can carry whatever knife they want to be prepared for whatever challenges they may have to meet without irrational restrictions that do nothing to stop criminal activity.”
The Carry a Knife – Save a Life Award honors an individual who uses his or her EDC knife to save a life, demonstrating the practical advantages to always carrying a knife in order to be prepared for situations when a knife is invaluable—up to and including saving lives.
In addition to an award plaque, Knife Rights’ knife industry friends donated over $5,000 in EDC knives for Logan, including one-hand-opening folders, autos and fixed blades, all legal for him to carry in Georgia. The donors each donated two knives, one for Logan to display and one to carry.
In addition, Logan was presented with a Knife Rights Life Membership, a certificate for him to be Knife Rights’ and BLADE® Magazine’s VIP guest at BLADE Show 2020, and a certificate from W.A. Surls Knives and Pop’s Knife Supply of Braselton, Georgia, for a two-day knifemaking experience where Logan will make a knife from scratch with supplies provided by Pop’s.
Logan’s mother, Teri Simmons, also was presented with a number of pocketknives, recognizing that mothers make a difference. Logan’s co-workers at Chick-Fil-A also were given pocketknives to carry.
