Pro-Tech’s new Chris Kyle Frog Collection is anchored by the Model 752, a spin on the Godson Tuxedo. The Chris Kyle “Legend” logo is lasered into the ivory Micarta inlays. Proceeds benefit the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation.
Stubby blades designed for the Golden State may also hold appeal for those elsewhere. That seems to be the thinking behind SOG’s discreet California Special, which could be described as an entry model for new collectors.
This series won’t hit shelves until May 1, but it’s worth keeping an eye out. This USA-made auto is slated to retail for $125.
Final specs aren’t available yet, but the series will offer S30V blades and four style options.
Benchmade Coalition® Family
The models in this series (or family) aren’t necessarily distinct variants. Instead, buyers can choose from plain or serrated edges, and satin or coated finishes. That makes for four possible combinations for this EDC auto.
The job of a scribe was to copy the text from an existing manuscript using a quill pen and an inkhorn. When they made mistakes, they had to scrape the ink off the page with a sharp knife, a painstaking job that could easily ruin a piece of parchment.
How well can a knife made out of wood perform? Pretty dang well.
This video details how a man in Japan, identified only by his YouTube channel Kiwami Japan, shaped a knife from a wooden blank using sandpaper and whetstones.
Here’s the video, featuring a few cutting tests:
The key is the lignum vitae wood the man used. It’s “the densest and hardest wood known,” according to the Forest Legality Initiative.
New Hollywood Steak Restaurant Will Feature Knives Made In-House
Adam Perry Lang gained renown for running a barbecue smoker outside the studio of Jimmy Kimmel Live in Los Angeles. Now, Lang is set to open a steak restaurant with something sharp on the menu: knives made by the chef himself.
Walking into Lang’s man-cave/test kitchen, the first thing you spot is the double-barreled smoker rig that Lang tows to various barbecue events. The next thing is the forge. Glowing at something like 2000 degrees, the renowned pitmaster heats a piece of vaguely knife-shaped raw steel until it glows bright orange, puts it on the anvil and gives it a dozen or so good thwonks with a mallet on the way to making a sharp edge. Making Damascus steel knives by hand is just one of his clutch of obsessions — and APL diners will be able to slice into their aged steaks with Lang’s own carefully-forged blades.
Knifemaker Turns Out Blades with 14-Year-Old Grandson
The Tribune-Review out of western Pennsylvania recently profiled a grandfather/grandson combo keeping the tradition of bladesmith alive. The article was originally about a heart attack the grandfather experienced, but to BLADE that’s second to the fact a multi-generational pair was pounding steel in the first place.
From the article:
After his heart attack, Eyth had three stents placed in his major coronary artery. But, he said, “It didn’t stop or slow me down much. They wanted me to take it easy for a month or two.”
The pace of production at Eyth’s forge has slowed some, mainly because his son doesn’t participate as much, he said. But his 14-year-old grandson, Joe, has stepped in to help fill the gap.
“We’re still turning out 120 to 130 knives in a year,” said Eyth, who puts some of his knives to use when he hunts deer.
BLADEShow.com is ready to rock ‘n’ roll with online ticket purchases, exhibitor information, travel arrangements, schedules, and more. BLADE Show 2018 takes place June 1 to 3 in Atlanta, Georgia, but you don’t want to wait. The earlier you lock in, the better.
Facebook’s new policy for Pages, effective now, means it will be even more challenging for knifemakers, companies, enthusiasts and websites to reach their audiences on the site. From a Facebook blog post:
Because space in News Feed is limited, showing more posts from friends and family and updates that spark conversation means we’ll show less public content, including videos and other posts from publishers or businesses.
As we make these updates, Pages may see their reach, video watch time and referral traffic decrease. The impact will vary from Page to Page, driven by factors including the type of content they produce and how people interact with it. Pages making posts that people generally don’t react to or comment on could see the biggest decreases in distribution. Pages whose posts prompt conversations between friends will see less of an effect.
Basically, this means Facebook users will see fewer posts from the Pages they Like in their newsfeeds. Unless the Page pays for an ad, of course.
But that isn’t an option for knife-centric pages. Facebook will refuse ads that feature “weapons,” and that includes legal knives from legitimate organizations. It doesn’t matter if the Page sells knives or not, or if the ad’s content is tame. If there’s a knife in it, Facebook will refuse the ad.
So what are the alternatives?
The only option here is to look elsewhere to spend ad dollars and grow audiences (follow BLADE on Twitter here). Maintain those existing Facebook Pages, because the rules could change later, but focus on building followers on other platforms.
Renowned knifemaker Todd Begg recently made the move from California to Texas, which kicked off a profile by The Dallas Morning News. He talks about how BLADE magazine sparked his knifemaking career in this video:
Begg briefly mentions the controversy with the use of his name to sell knives, something the knife community has been watching closely, but the majority of the article focuses on his craft.
It’s legal to carry most knives in Texas since restrictions relaxed last September, but that doesn’t go for trench knives. From the Dallas Observer:
It’s a lesson local construction worker Christopher Sparks learned when he was arrested over the weekend for possession of prohibited weapon. A Royse City police officer told him that he was under arrest for having brass knuckles, a Class A misdemeanor, and took him to the Rockwall County Jail.
Now Sparks is facing a fine of up to $4,000 and up to a year in jail. He’ll also have a permanent criminal record attached to his name, making it harder to find work and places to live, unless he pays an attorney to have his record expunged.
“I was just trying to get home from work,” Sparks says.
This is a perfect example of how nuance in knife laws creates more problems than solutions. Were Sparks in possession of a dagger instead of a trench knife, he wouldn’t be looking at a four grand tab and a year in the cooler.
FEB. 2-4 LAKELAND, FL
The 40th Annual Gator Cutlery Club Knife Show
Lakeland Center. Call Dan Piergallini 813-754-3908 or 813-967-1471.
FEB. 10 WYOMING, MI
West Michigan Edge Show, the K of C Hall. Call Mike 616-322-5846.
FEB. 17 HONOLULU, HI
Hawaii Custom Knife & Tactical Show
Pomaikai Ballrooms at Dole Cannery. Contact JSM Cutlery LLC, Dept. BKG18, POB 1290, Aiea, HI 96701 872-356-2953 [email protected].
FEB. 17 LITTLE ROCK, AR
The Arkansas Knife Show
Statehouse Convention Center. Call 870-279-7329 arknife.com.
FEB. 24 OZARK, MO
The 21st Annual Spring Cabin Fever Knife Show, 4-H Building, City Park. Call Don Long 417-485-6759.
FEB. 24-25 LEWISBURG, PA
Keystone Blade Association Annual Knife Show
Country Cupboard Inn. Contact Marlyn Kepner 570-584-4835 [email protected] or Skip Fryling 570-204-1544 [email protected].
MARCH 2-3 TROY, OH
Spirit of the Blade Custom Knife Show
Miami County Fairgrounds. Call Joel Worley 937-638-9518 or visit [email protected].
MARCH 2-4 DALTON, GA
The Knife Road Show
Northwest Georgia Trade Center. Contact Spirit of Steel Promotions 423-238-6753 [email protected], jbrucevoyles.com.
MARCH 3-4 NEW BRAUNFELS, TX
Guadalupe Forge Winter Hammer-In & Knifemakers Rendezvous.
Contact Johnny Stout 830-606-4067 [email protected] and/or Harvey Dean 512-446-3111 [email protected].
MARCH 3-4 PASADENA, CA
The 33rd Annual Knife Expo 2018 presented by the Southern California Blades Knife Collectors Club
Pasadena Convention Center. Call Helen 619-417-4329 knifeexpo.net.
MARCH 9-12 NURNBERG, GERMANY
The IWA Outdoor Classics 2018.
For trade visitors only. Contact NurnbergMesse North America Inc. +1.770.618.5842 [email protected].
MARCH 16-17 FORT LAUDERDALE, FL
East Coast Custom Knife Show
Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. Contact 417-866-6688 [email protected] or visit fiftyfiftyproductions.net or ecckshow.com.
MARCH 23-24 HAMPTONVILLE, NC
The 43rd Annual Tar Heel Cutlery Club Show
Yadkin VFW Building. Call Chris Groce 336-679-8817 [email protected].
MARCH 23-25 JANESVILLE, WI
The 2018 Badger Knife Club Knife Show
Janesville Conference Center/Holiday Inn Express. Contact Bob Schrap 414-479-9765 Badgerknifeclub@ aol.com.
MARCH 30-APRIL 1 HARRISONBURG, VA
The 27th Annual Greater Shenandoah Valley Knife Show
Rockingham County Fairgrounds. Call Ralph 540-828-0778 svkc.org.
With the popularity of the original article about knife shop accidents, here are five more knifemaking lessons learned the hard way. Use these stories as examples of what to watch for while in the shop. Stay safe!
“I Sawed My Index Finger in Half”
Lesson: A slow moving metal-cut bandsaw can appear quite harmless, yet one of my worst injuries in over 40 years of knife making occurred with mine.
While hurrying to cut a screwdriver slot into the head of a threaded stainless steel handle escutcheon bolt, I failed to do the two safety steps I apply now: fully support the fastener upon a slotted plate encircling the saw blade and hold the bolt with a pair of vice-grips, keeping my hands a safe distance back away from the blade.
But instead, as I pushed the 3/8″ fastener into the saw blade, it snagged the top edge of the face, dragging it down into the exposed slot in the table in front of the blade, pivoting the front part of my index finger into the blade while wedging it in place with the opposing shoulder on the part. As the blade sawed my nail in two and continued to slice through my entire fingertip due to the back pressure from the part, I had to slowly watch and wait for this gruesome process to end once I quickly turned the machine off.
To say it bled a bit was an understatement, as a friend who’d stopped by after I’d left for the hospital asked excitedly if I’d gotten a deer that morning, due to the amount of blood all over the doorknobs and floor leading into the house.
As the doctor was about to remove the sectioned fingernail pieces and stitch up the huge, tapered gash, I’d chosen to remain seated upright on the bench to watch. However, upon trying to insert the needle into my fingertip to deaden it, the callused tip proved so dense that he proceeded to drive the needle all the way through my finger and out the top, shooting a stream of Novocaine all the way to the top of my shoulder.
At that point, I told him, “I think I’ll lie down now.”
Lesson: Any time you place a blade against a fast-moving wheel, use extra caution.
I was getting ready for a turkey dinner and noticed how dull my knife was. I went out to my garage to my paper wheel. I started to sharpen, but my sleeves were loose. I put the knife down, rolled up my sleeves, and grabbed the knife. The knife caught the wheel like a bullet. It hit the back wall and shot straight at my head. I blocked the knife with my hand, and in doing so cut tendons on top of my little finger at the knuckle. I felt like a fool and knew that I did a stupid thing.
James Merten
“That Got Me Nine Stitches”
Lesson: Don’t assume pliers will never fail.
I’ve had a few times that scared me, but one time stands out in particular. I almost had this knife done, and I was holding the handle in my left hand and the blade in my right with a pair of pliers. The blade slipped, and the point went right through my first finger. That got me nine stitches.
Bill Stout
“The Point Spun Across the Palm of My Hand”
Lesson: Protect your hands when using a drill press.
I just finished grinding the blade and a small clip on this little 3-inch blade. I took it over to the drill press for the handle holes. Little did I know that copper, which is what the customer wanted, would grab the drill bit. The knife started to spin out of my hand, like a helicopter.
Instinct made me hold tighter, but the press was stronger. The point spun across the palm of my hand and gave me a deep, 1.5-inch gouge in the palm of my hand.
Now I always wear a Kevlar glove or use a stopper of some sort to catch the knife if it ever spins again.
Lesson: Locks have come a long way, but they’re not foolproof. Also: don’t stab tires to be a show off.
Editor’s note: This one isn’t about knifemaking, but it’s still worth reading.
I was at one of those big shows they hold at Las Vegas every year. The guy hawking the knife was talking about how his knife had the best grip. He was stabbing his knife through a steel belted radial tire.
As the demo went on he invited anyone from the crowd to come up and try to stab their knife through the tire. Finally, a man that looked like Charlie Daniels decided to try. He had a folder in his hand. He took two or three steps and lunged at the tire knife in hand.
I heard a crack and the big man withdrew his hand like people do when they get cut. He stared at his drooping fingers in disbelief. The lock on the lock back had broke and the folder folded closed on his fingers. The crowd gasped. The first aid guys shuffled him off.
So another big guy comes up with a rather large hunting knife. He raised his hand as high as he could and brought the blade down hard in a hammer fist motion. His hand slid down the handle on to the blade, cutting most of the way through three fingers.
That brought the dog and pony show to an end while the organizers of the show directed everyone’s attentions else where. Lesson learned: let someone else show off for the big crowd.
Ernest Lephart
Share Your Stories
Have a horror story of your own? Tell BLADE about it. It could save someone from injury, or worse.
A trailer for a reboot of Crocodile Dundee caught our attention here at BLADE, especially because the teaser (the trailer for the trailer – sheesh!) featured the “that’s not a knife, this is a knife” line.
However, it now appears that admirers of movie knives fell for a brilliant piece of viral marketing to encourage tourism in Australia.
Industry sources have indicated the teaser – featuring US actor Danny McBride – is part of an advertising campaign for Tourism Australia, set to air during next month’s NFL Super Bowl.
If BLADE is going to fall for a hoax, especially a well-meaning one, this isn’t so bad.
Collector Waits 36 Years for Custom Knife
As published in The Jamestown Sun, Bernie Kuntz placed an order for a custom knife with legendary knifemaker Buster Warenski 36 years ago. After delays and setbacks, he eventually received something similar. A photo in one of the Knives annual books published by BLADE sealed the deal.
[Warenski] mailed a signed sketch that he had done on onion paper of the knife he suggested, and said the price would be $550. Gulp! In those days you could buy just about anyone’s work for $100 to $200. An exception might be Bob Loveless, the famous knife designer who was charging $300 to $350 for a hunter in those days.
Bill for Knives in Places of Worship Advances in Virginia
Introduced by Sen. Ben Chafin, SB 372 would end prohibitions on several types of knives in places of worship. From Knife Rights:
This bill is a reaction to the Texas church shooting last year and will allow citizens to carry effective weapons for self-defense.
Listen to Oral Arguments in NYC Gravity Knife Appeal
Earlier this month, Knife Rights presented oral arguments in its second appeal in its lawsuit against New York City. At issue is the lawfulness of NYC’s ban on “gravity knives,” which it defines as any knife that can open with a flick of the wrist.
It’s becoming easier and easier to add quality knives to your collection without breaking the bank. Here are new knives with price tags of $200 or less.
