Russ Andrews uses fossil ivory on this dagger. (SharpByCoop photo)
$10 Knife Tops 2017’s Best-Selling Knives at Blade HQ
If you want to know what kind of a year 2017 was for knives, it’s best to start by asking a retailer. Blade HQ put together a nice roundup of its top seven best sellers. Spoiler alert: The number one spot goes to a knife priced at $10.
Prediction: Best-Selling Chef Knife of 2018
Not one to be late to the party, Gadget Review is already calling 2018’s best-selling chef knife as the 10-inch Shun Classic. From the article:
Forged with 33 layers of high-carbon VG10 steel at a 16-degree angle, the Shun Classic is the perfect beginner’s knife for anyone who’s looking to upgrade their cutlery game and want a knife that will last them for the long haul. A Rockwell hardness rating of 61 means you’ll rarely have to re-sharpen it on your own, while its resin-impregnated Pakkawood handle fits comfortably in any size hand.
We here are BLADE will provide all the fainting couches you need to deal with the shock of a Shun knife on a list of best blades for the kitchen. I doubt we’ll be busy.
A Knife Made Out of a Solid Piece of Fish
Katsuobushi is a smoked and dried type of tunafish used in Japanese cuisines. It’s also about as hard a food as you can find. That’s why it’s shaved into flakes and used as a base for soups or sauces.
So why not make it into a knife?
Knives and Political Commemoratives: Pure Americana
Mentioned only in passing in the article here at the Hartford Courant, there apparently exists a switchblade made to commemorate President John F. Kennedy’s run for the White House. It’s now on display at a museum that celebrates the “Kennedy Mystique.”
A switchblade, made during his campaign, has a carved face that bears little resemblance to JFK.
A photo was not attached to the article.
Pairing politics with commemorative knives is an act of undiluted Americana that continues to this day. At the 2016 BLADE Show, in the heat of a summer of politicking, presidential candidates’ faces and slogans adorned many knives and accessories.
This is a good sign for collectors. Wait a while, and that political commemorative – even if it features a face bearing “little resemblance” to a candidate – could fetch a nice price.
Australian knifemaker Leila Haddad is impressive for many reasons. She’s only 14, but she’s already turning out forged blades that fetch thousands of dollars. This profile from ABC in Australia is worth reading for those reasons, but one quote from the young knifemaker should be highlighted:
“I think there is still a future for knife making, because people are starting to realise again the importance of handmade things,” she said.
The Buck Model 119 Special. (Image via Buck Knives)
Buck Knives announced last month that it reached the 1.5 million mark for total knives produced at its Idaho facility. A Model 119 Special took home the title of the 1,500,000th knife. That’s no accident.
This milestone was achieved due to the increased USA production needs and sales on their 119 Special and 110 Automatic models.
Knife Restrictions Re-Introduced in Kansas
Introduced in the closing days of 2017, a proposal in Kansas is looking to renew some expired knife prohibitions. From Knife Rights:
HB 2442 is ostensibly a “bump stock” ban bill, but it sneakily also would reinstate “dagger, dirk, … dangerous knife, straight-edged razor, stiletto” as prohibited knives.
Nothing beats stepping inside a knifemaker’s shop and watching how the magic happens. Knifemaker Kyle Daily, of KH Daily Knives, generously shared this video showing how he treats 154CM stainless.
BLADE staff found this video on Twitter. Are you following us? You should be.
Gerber & Boy’s Life Team Up to Clean Filthy Pocketknives
Boy’s Life put together a great spread on cleaning pocketknives, with some assistance from Gerber. It’s basic, sure, but it’s full of great tips, such as using toothbrushes to clean serrations.
The dents create air pockets so food does not stick to the blade.
In his story, How To Make a Sushi Knife, in the August 2015 BLADE®, ABS master smith Wally Hayes explained how he achieved the texturing on the blade’s surface. The reason for the texturing is to create air pockets so food does not stick to the steel.
For blade material, he used 90-thousandths-inch-thick 15N20 carbon steel from New Jersey Steel Baron.
After cutting the blade to shape and heating it in his forge, the author used the hammer with a cross-hatched face to give each side of the blade a textured finish.
“First, I cut the blade to shape, around 7 inches long,” he wrote. “The tang is about 4 inches. I take one of my old hammers and cut a cross hatch into the face using a side grinder with a cut-off wheel. Then I heat up the blade in my forge and hammer a textured finish into the steel. This takes about five heats and is lots of fun! I put dents into both sides of the blade and then make sure it is straight.”
The sushi knife the author completed for the story in the August 2015 BLADE® features a blade with the hand-hammered finish and a handle of ebony and walnut.
Follow the Rambo knives through the first four movies with these photos. If you want to step back in time even further, download the June 1983 issue of BLADE.
A 1-of-1 Raven First Blood model Lile originally made for Sylvester Stallone, the knife is in the collection of Randy Rousseau. It is one of four 1-of-1 Ravens of the Rambo movie knives—two by Lile for First Blood and Rambo: First Blood II, and two by Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Gil Hibben for Rambo III and Rambo IV—that are in Rousseau’s collection.
The Raven First Blood has the same specs as one of the original 100 First Blood models—the only difference is that the flip side of the tang is marked “1 OF 1” over “LILE” over “RAVEN.” The 9-inch blade is 440C stainless steel with a non-glare matte finish and polished edges. The stainless-steel hollow handle is pinned to the tang and wrapped with 36 feet of duck-decoy nylon line.
When it comes to collecting Rambo movie knives and movie props, Randy Rousseau takes a back seat to no one. A personal acquaintance of Sylvester Stallone’s, Mr. Rousseau has a collection of all things Rambo unlike any other anywhere.
On the 35th anniversary of First Blood, Rambo and Rambo knives in general, he was gracious enough to grant a special BLADE® interview about his collection, Rambo movie knife values, some little known facts about Rambo knives and much more.
BLADE: What are the values of the original versions of each Rambo knife?
RANDY ROUSSEAU: The original First Blood knives serial numbered one through six are “priceless.” They are screen used and iconic, are owned by Stallone and are in his personal collection.
Numbers seven through 13 are worth anywhere from $50,000 to $75,000 each, and numbers 14 to 100 are worth anywhere from $15,000 to $25,000 each, depending on the number.
Give values for each knife in mint condition.
The first numbers from the Rambo II: The Mission knife sent to Stallone are iconic and from his personal collection. They are also screen used and are “priceless.” Rambo: First Blood, Part 2 was the highest grossing film in the series, which adds to the value from a film-prop collector’s point of view. The rest of the numbers up to 100 sold to collectors for between $25,000 to $50,000 each, depending on the serial number.
How many of each original version of each custom Rambo knife were made?
The Jimmy Lile Raven 1 of 1 Mission knife and the headband Stallone wore in the second Rambo movie. In the fi lm, Rambo removes a piece of the dress of the female character of Kos to make the headband. (from the Randy Rousseau collection)
How many of the original First Blood knives were damaged during the making of the movie?
Only one was damaged in filming and the others did survive. For more information see the video below. The knife in that video sold for $90,000.
How much is one of the first seven First Blood knives worth if in mint condition?
$75,000.
Do all of the original First Blood knives still exist or do you know?
Yes. They are in private collections.
Are the First Blood knives with the Jim Buff aloe sheaths more valuable and if so, how much more?
Yes. Five thousand dollars more each.
How much are the unnumbered First Blood custom knives worth in mint condition?
Five thousand to $7,000 each.
What is one of the first 100 Rambo II: The Mission custom knives worth in mint condition?
$25,000 to $50,000, depending on the serial number.
How much is one of the 25 Mission custom knives with black blades worth, in mint condition?
Anywhere from $7,500 to $10,000.
How much are each of the unnumbered Mission custom knives worth in mint condition?
Three thousand to $5,000 each.
How many of the custom Gil Hibben knives actually used in Rambo III were made, and how much is each worth in mint condition?
Six. All are “priceless,” screen used and owned by Stallone, and iconic.
The Gil Hibben Rambo III Raven 1 of 1 (top) with Stallone’s prop custom-made-for-production, screen-used aluminum prop knife (bottom) from Rambo III. (from the Randy Rousseau collection)
You mentioned something about there being two serial number 19 Rambo knives. Were those Liles and if so, please explain why there are two.
Yes, the Mission knife. The original serial number 19 had some issues and was sent back to Jimmy. Rather than repairing it right away, he made another serial number 19 and sent it to the collector. Years later after Jimmy passed away the original 19 had been repaired and sold. The 19 is rare because it’s the only duplicate number in all of the Rambo saga of knives.
Who has them and what are they worth?
I own one of them. The second/replacement number 19 is the rarest of the set of 100 because it’s the only duplicate of the series. It’s worth $50,000. The other number 19 sold on the Internet a few years back for $38,000.
The knife used by Jim Bowie in the Sandbar Fight inspired scores of emulators in both Sheffield, England, and the USA in the 19th century, and the Rambo knife did the same by knifemakers and knife companies worldwide. Is the Rambo knife the modern-day equivalent of Jim Bowie’s knife in terms of popularity?
Yes, 100 percent, due in large part to its being used as a reference in popular culture.
The dog tags worn by Stallone in First Blood next to the Jimmy Lile First Blood 1 of 1 Raven. (from the Randy Rousseau collection)
In your opinion, is the Rambo knife less popular than Bowie’s knife, about the same or more so, and why?
More so. The Rambo knife has worldwide appeal. Nothing will ever come close. It was a moment in time, like lightning in a bottle. It made such an impression on the generation and inspired so many to go into the prop business for films and/or the knife-collecting world. I know folks who have a likeness of the Mission knife tattooed on their body.
It really inspired a generation that put serious interest into the knife industry. Never had we seen a character on film use such an elegant knife in this manner. And after all these years, nothing on film comes close to the Rambo knives seen in the four movies.
What do Jim Bowie’s knife and the Rambo knife have in common?
Their impact on culture. Each is famous for its influence on the knife industry and the public.
How are they different?
They are from different times but defined a generation, like Elvis and Michael Jackson did their generations.
How did the Rambo knife change the custom and factory knife industries?
It brought major interest back to the knife-collector side and created an entire industry of replicas for the common fan. I have been told that the Rambo movies saved the knife business, and with the movies still getting major viewers on cable and downloadable services, the interest is still very strong.
Are there any issues or stories concerning the Rambo knives that you know of that have never been addressed or that are rarely addressed that you think need addressing?
Yes, the Rambo III “Rescue” knife that was used on screen in the minefield. It’s a beautiful version that really doesn’t get a lot of interest but is a very cool Rambo knife. It sort of ties the gap between the first two films to the Rambo III main version from a design point of view.
Also, Jimmy Lile made a 1 of 1 for Stallone with his code name RAVEN on a First Blood version and a Rambo II Mission version. Extremely rare, they are the only 1 of 1 Lile Ravens in existence. In keeping with the Raven theme, Gil Hibben was asked to produce the same for the Rambo III knife. It is marked Raven 1 of 1.
And again for the fourth film, the Rambo IV knife was made and marked Raven 1 of 1, making this the only complete 1-of-1 set in the world from all four films.
Rambo IV Gil Hibben movie knife (left) with Stallone’s custom-made rubber prop knife (center) and custom-made aluminum prop knife (right)—the latter two both screen used in the fourth movie. (from the Randy Rousseau collection)
For those ground into a nub by Frosty and Rudolph, the Die Hard movies provide a welcome respite without leaving the Christmas movie genre. And yes, they are Christmas movies. While the series’ armory mostly centers around firearms, there are a few exceptions for the knife enthusiast.
Knives of Die Hard (1988) and Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)
Jack Crain designed two fighters that make brief appearances in the first two Die Hard films.
From his website, where replicas are still for sale:
One scene in Die Hard 2: Die Harder also involves what appears to be a prop automatic, although it’s hard to tell from this short clip:
Knives of Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995)
The third film contains what’s probably the most memorable knife scene in the franchise. This one involves a karambit. Despite it being a product of the prop department, it’s worth noting due to the rarity of karambits in Hollywood movies.
No, it’s not a pretty knife. Maybe that’s why movie studios tap custom knifemakers when the blade gets more screen time. In fast-moving action scenes, it’s likely more economical to let the prop department turn out something passable.
Knives of Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
This is the one movie in the franchise with a giant question mark on the knives used. Information is either hard to come by or doesn’t exist, and there are no notable knife scenes.
Knives of A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
Busse Knives played a part in the most recent Die Hard movie in many ways. It provided knives and sponsored screenings for U.S. military members stationed overseas. From its official statement:
Nearly 50 Busse Combat knives were purchased by the production company and delivered to Russia for either inclusion in the movie or gifting.
An Arsenal RS-1, a “knifegun” that also fires .22 cartridges, makes an appearance. It’s similar to the one featured in this video:
In the end, what would’ve been a dramatic knife fight didn’t make the film’s final cut. It still managed to make its way onto YouTube, though.
Anything Missing? Leave a Note in the Comments
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Keep Learning About Knives Used in Movies
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