BLADE Staff

For the month of March, enter for a chance to win a Kershaw Energ2 knife, courtesy of BLADE magazine and Kershaw. It’s free to enter. Click here.

Here are some specs about the knife:

– Uses Kershaw’s Flipper opening system
– Sandvik 14c28n stainless steel 3 1/2-inch blade with DLC coating
– Textured G-10 handle
– Measures 4 3/4 inches closed
– Weighs 4.9 ounces

Click here to enter the sweepstakes.

Bob Glassman, aka the man behind The Custom Knife Gallery of Colorado, is the winner of the BLADE/Kershaw Whiplash sweepstakes.

Here’s a closer look at the Whiplash:

Here are the specs:

– Built-in parachute cord wraps into handle
– Fixed 4.5-inch blade of 8CR13MOV stainless steel
– Titanium carbo-nitride coating
– Glass-filled nylon scales
– Overall length: 9 inches
– Weight: 6.4 ounces

If you’re interested in learning more about this knife, click here to visit its official Kershaw page.

Stay tuned for another chance to win a terrific Kershaw knife from BLADE in the next sweepstakes.

From Montgomery Community College:

At a recent meeting of the North Carolina Custom Knifemakers Guild, (NCCKG) over 60 craftsmen from around the state gathered to present a hydraulic forging press to Montgomery Community College’s (North Carolina) continuing education department.

The press was donated in memory of Georgia knifemaker John Poythress, charter member and founding president of the Georgia Custom Knifemakers’ Guild.

Poythress was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2005. His long-time friend Tommy McNabb, was instrumental in arranging the donation. McNabb is a professional custom knifemaker, NRA knifemaking instructor at Montgomery, and member of the NCCKG. He met Poythress at a knife show in Georgia and the two became friends after Poythress joined the NCCKG.

Poythress would travel from his home in Swainsboro, Ga. to Montgomery Community College to take knifemaking classes. He was an avid custom knife enthusiast and member of the NCCKG before he chartered the Georgia guild. Many other Georgia guild members also attended knifemaking classes at the college, leading to a decision to donate the press to help the college with future classes. The North Carolina guild members presented the donation on behalf of the Georgia guild in Poythress’ memory.

Knifemaking students will be able to use the press to flatten and shape hot metal pieces quickly, saving time in the classroom. Classes range from three to four days in length and students leave the class with a custom knife they make themselves.

“The forging press will greatly enhance our students’ ability to complete their projects in a short amount of time,” said Gary Saunders, Montgomery Community College’s dean of continuing education.

The college has been offering NRA Short-Term Gunsmithing, Knifemaking and Armorer’s Courses for over 20 years. Students from across the country and other parts of the world come to Montgomery County to learn these specialties from well-known craftsmen. The college is one of only four in the country offering these classes, sponsored by the National Rifle Association.

For more information about the 2011 NRA short-term classes at Montgomery Community College visit www.montgomery.edu/cenra.htm.

The growing use of Rick Hinderer’s Lockbar Stabilizer on factory knives, the knives of BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member George Herron, the current status of laws governing “once-living” knife handle materials, a novel that focuses on knives like none before by the author of the book that made Rambo famous, the upcoming 175th anniversary of the Alamo and more highlight the new May BLADE, which appears on most newsstands today, March 1.

In addition to the above, the May BLADE also includes editorial mention of: the cover knife, the Acies from A.G. Russell Knives; Hinderer’s XM-24; Strider Knives’ Stealth Model SnG Gen 6 CC; Zero Tolerance 0551; Case green-bone-handle trapper and stag hobo knife; Sean O’Hare hunter; Matthew Lerch “Thorn”; Joe Kious’ Model 10 auto; Jerry Halfrich’s “Rounder”; C.R. Miles’ drop-point hunter; Chistopher Meyer’s “Ring Hilt EDC”; Scot Matsuoka’s “Inferno”; and Herron’s first bowie, Model 3 Little Dude, Model 6, sub-hilt fighters, Teddy Roosevelt “Millennium” knife, interframe folders, and stag chute knives.

Also: a profile of KA-BAR; the conclusion of how to carve knife handles, by Joe Szilaski; a review of the EdgeCraft EdgeCrafter knife and tool sharpener; the fascinating story of 87-year-old knifemaker Jack Barrett and his knives; the Benchmade 9CB Hook; Case Jr. Scout; Boker/Magnum Bailey Mini Ziel throwing knife; Columbia River Knife & Tool Crossover combo knife/shears; Wenger Evolution 81; Gerber Brush Thinner; SOG Specialty Knives & Tools Hand Axe; William Henry Studio’s Gentac folder, Geneva money clip and divot tool;  Spyderco Dragonfly2 FRN; ToolLogic’s SL3; and Cold Steel Pendleton Lite.

Also: Mantis Knives “Z’mora”; Erik Fritz chute knife; Ralph Turnbull’s trapper; Victorinox “Classic SD Argyle”; Wolfgang Dell’s hunter; Timberline “Alary”; Jason Brous fighter; Nathan House utility fixed blade; Meyerco Charles Sauer skinner; Kershaw Speedform II; and mini-profiles of Andre Thorburn, Al Warren, Karl B. Andersen, Pete Maltese, Des Horn and Cliff Parker.

Also: a story on sub-hilt fighters that includes Bob Loveless’ first knife marketed under the name “Big Bear,” Edmund Davidson’s “Orgasmatron,” and also sub-hilts by Steve Dunn, Steve Johnson, Don Hanson, Marcus Lin, David Broadwell and Steven Rapp; a test of CAS Hanwei’s folding fillet knife; Henry Torres’ kitchen slicer; Ernest Emerson Knives Inc.’s CQC7BW; Serge Panchenko’s art dagger; and much more.

If you can’t find BLADE on your local newsstand, check the Barnes & Noble nearest you, or go to www.blademag.com for subscription information.

The following e-mail came in to BLADE offices this morning:

Hello Everyone,

BladeSports Australia has had difficulty with weather, natural disasters and logistical issues with travel. They have informed me that they will not be able to send anyone to the World Championship this season. Due to the Australians opting out of the World Championship; there will now be 8 spots for the US. There will still be 2 spots for the UK, and 2 spots for the Netherlands.

Jose Elzinga-Diaz
[email protected]
www.diaztools.com

Two of the older and bigger custom knife shows promise to make the weekend of March 4-6 sharper than usual.

At the Westin Jersey City Newport in Jersey City, New Jersey, Steve D’Lack will present the 22nd Annual East Coast Custom Knife Show. Meanwhile, in Pasadena, California, the Southern California Blades will conduct the 26th Annual Knife Expo in the Pasadena Convention Center.

Both shows have lots of history. Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Bob Loveless was a long-time member of the Southern California Blades, and the East Coast Show has been a perennial potpourri of some of the world’s finest makers, including a number from Europe.

What’s more, it will be the first time the East Coast Show has been held outside New York City, thanks mostly to the heavy-handed anti-knife policies of Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance, whose office conducted a raid of local retail knife stores last year, confiscating over 1,400 legal knives Vance claimed were “gravity knives.” As a result, nearby Jersey City seemed a much better place to hold a knife show. How the loss of revenue will play with businesses in New York City and their opinion of Mr. Vance remains to be seen.

For more information on the East Coast Show, contact Mr. D’Lack at [email protected] or call 417-866-6688 or fax 417-866-6693. For more on the Knife Expo 2011, contact Helen Nauert at [email protected] or call 619-417-4329.