Home Authors Posts by Pat Covert

Pat Covert

Knifemaking 101: Why Do Knifemakers Use Titanium?

0

Here’s why knifemakers use titanium:

  • Lightweight and tough
  • Softer than steel
  • It’s a reactive metal

In the knife world, titanium has been at the forefront of space-age metals for well over two decades, due in great part to the boom in the tactical knife genre borne out of the first Gulf War in the early 1990s. Titanium was originally used in the U.S. space program for its weight savings and toughness, and from there bled into military programs for the very same characteristics.

Titanium is also nonmagnetic, proving useful in certain applications. While tough, titanium is softer than steel, and although some knifemakers have used it as blade material, it never quite caught fire like the new exotic stainless steels that dominate the upper end of the market today.

Aluminum is also nonmagnetic and anodizes quite well, but it gets little respect in the knife industry because as an extremely soft metal it’s considered an inexpensive alternative to titanium.

Titanium is a reactive metal—its characteristics can be changed by outside influences. Heat-treating knife handles or dipping them into an electrolyte solution that has been both positively and negatively charged color enhances the metallic surface. The amount of heat or electric charging can be varied by the amount of direct heat or voltage applied, and this determines the color hue that the metal takes.


Learn More About Knifemaking in the World’s Greatest Knife Book

Best books about knives

Knifemaking 101: What Is SM-100 (Nitinol)?

The History of Nitinol

Nitinol, also referred to as “Ni-Ti-Nol,” was first discovered back in 1959 by scientists William Buehler and Frederic Wang at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory. The Ni-Ti-Nol acronym stands for “Nickel-Titanium-Naval Ordnance Laboratory.”

Beuhler and Wang were searching for a super-elastic alloy for missile nose cones that would be pliable at extreme heat, yet return to its original shape after cooling. Their efforts were a success, but because the incredibly tough alloy was so difficult to process and machine, it wasn’t used until much later.

Knifemaking Discovers Nitinol a Half-Century Later

Nitinol custom knives
Duane Dwyer of Strider Knives was the main force behind SM-100 (HIPTiNite), and his signed custom Strider MT2 showcases a brilliantly heat-treated SM-100 blade mated to machined carbon fiber handle scales. (Brady Miller image)

Custom knifemaker Duane Dwyer of Strider Knives became interested in Nitinol back in 2005 while searching for a super hard metal alloy that would not rust. He approached metallurgist and friend Scott Devanna, vice president of technology at SB Specialty Metals, and inquired about the possibility of producing Nitinol using the particle metallurgy process, which had never been done.

Shortly afterwards Devanna introduced Dwyer to Eric Bono, a metallurgist and knifemaker who also had an interest in the alloy, and the three men began to explore the possibilities of incorporating the alloy into knives.

Nitinol Becomes SM-100 (HIPTiNite)

Hiptinite custom knives
Duane Dwyer of Strider Knives was the main force behind SM-100 (HIPTiNite), and his signed custom Strider MT2 showcases a brilliantly heat-treated SM-100 blade mated to machined carbon fiber handle scales. (Brady Miller image)

With his metallurgical knowledge and experience, Bono developed a working, powdered metal version of the alloy in 2006, which the partners dubbed “SM-100.” It took several more years to refine the alloy and processes, and in 2009, Bono and business partner Fred Yolton formed a company, Summit Metals LLC, to produce SM-100.

Since that time, SM-100 (60 percent nickel and 40 percent titanium), which the company markets under the name “HIPTiNite,” has garnered interest not only in the knife industry, but also by NASA and the Formula 1 racing industry.

Properties of SM-100

The SM-100 brand of Nitinol, like its forerunner, is extremely tough. While a typical sanding belt can be used to grind several typical, mono-steel knife blades, it requires several belts, in many cases six or more, for the same process using the SM-100 alloy.

Made and sold in small quantities, the cost of SM-100 isn’t cheap. Add to that the cost of belts and additional time to shape and grind the material, and the cost per knife skyrockets.

On the positive side, SM-100 is noncorrosive, and while stainless steel will rust, Devanna says you can throw an SM-100 knife into saltwater for 50 years without the material corroding.

An Explosion of Coloring

Bono discovered during his development of SM-100 that it can be heat colored into an exquisite rainbow of colors. Due to the titanium content, SM-100 oxidizes into a blaze of bright hues just like other alloys incorporating titanium, but the process of achieving the color effects is quite different.

Bono confides that the magic happens during the heat-treating process, in which he allows small pockets of air to leak onto the surface of the knife. Prior to heat treating, the blades are wrapped in foil and small holes are punched into the wrapping.

When heat treated, different colors occur depending on the oxygen content of certain areas of the blade material as the surface oxidizes. The end result is the explosion of color on the SM-100 blades.

The price for bright, eye-popping colors doesn’t come cheap, but then new innovations rarely do.


See More Trends in Knives in This Book

Best books about knives

What You Must Know Before Buying An Automatic Knife Online

With more and more states decriminalizing automatic knives (aka “switchblades”), knife enthusiasts are more interested than ever before in purchasing one of these knives. They often turn to online retailers, but that presents a sticky situation: federal law prohibits interstate commerce of autos (see a full explainer here).

This leaves many scratching their heads. For instance, if a buyer in Montana places an online order with a seller in New Hampshire, does federal law prohibit the otherwise-legal transaction?

BLADE addressed the issue with an expert team of panelists who have dealt extensively with knife laws. They include Jan Billeb of the American Knife & Tool Institute (AKTI), Doug Ritter of Knife Rights and Evan Nappen, an attorney and author who specializes in knife and gun rights cases.

Question: Doesn’t the Federal Switchblade Act ban the transport of an automatic knife across state lines?

BILLEB: The Federal Switchblade Act is widely misunderstood, as it only applies to interstate commerce—commercially selling automatic knives across state lines. It does not prohibit crossing state lines with an automatic knife. It also does not prohibit traveling by air with an automatic knife in your checked baggage. State law applies to those traveling by surface or air based on your location, which state you depart from, where you might pass through, and you need to be concerned that your knife is legal in any of those locations.

Question: Is legal to ship automatic knives through the mail?

RITTER: Shipping autos, balisongs, gravity knives and ballistic knives via the U.S. Post Office is generally illegal, with some very narrow exceptions—which an individual is unlikely able to take advantage of. You would be subject to fines and up to a year in jail, or both, for breaking this law. Any criminal intent involved ratchets up the penalties. We strongly suggest that individuals use only FedEx or UPS to ship these types of knives.

BILLEB: Never ship an automatic knife using the U.S. Postal Service. Federal law prohibits the shipment of ‘injurious articles’—which includes automatic knives. The penalty for breaking this law is a fine or imprisonment for not more than one year. However, there is no federal restriction on shipment of automatic knives by common/contract carriers, such as FedEx and UPS. When shipping an automatic knife, always use a private carrier such as FedEx and UPS. In fact, the American Knife & Tool Institute recommends that you do not ship knives by the U.S. Postal Service to avoid a possible issue over confusion of whether it is an automatic knife.

NAPPEN: If the law-abiding collector does not give up his or her constitutional rights and has taken the above measures, that person and their knives will have significant added protection from an unjust prosecution and property confiscation. The best way to avoid becoming a victim of anti-knife laws is to avoid being arrested in the first place and being prepared if you are arrested.

Question: Can a city, county or other municipality ban automatic knives even if they are legal at the state level?

BILLEB: There are states where automatics are legal, but city or political sub-division ordinances may provide otherwise and ban or limit autos or other types of knives. That situation can be possible unless the state’s constitution provides otherwise or there is a statewide preemption law. Accordingly, knife owners/users should [know] the laws where they live, work or travel.

RITTER: The better question—with a much shorter list—is: Which states preempt local jurisdictions from regulating knives? If there is no state preemption, then jurisdictions are free to make up their own restrictions. Preemption prevents enforcement of existing local knife ordinances and prohibits new ordinances more restrictive than state laws, which only serve to confuse or entrap law-abiding citizens traveling within or through the state. Preemption ensures residents and travelers can expect consistent enforcement of state knife laws everywhere in a state. In total, 10 states have now enacted preemption bills: Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. Existing constitutional weapons preemption law covers knives in New Mexico and Wyoming. Elsewhere, there is no preemption covering knives, and owners should be wary of local regulations more restrictive than state law.

For answers to more questions about automatic knives, visit Knife Rights or AKTI.

Are Integral Knives Stronger Than Standard Knives?

1
Integral knife definition
Edmund Davidson’s “Goliath” integral appears here state. The finish is hand rubbed, requiring hours of laborious work. The finished knife weighs in at 6 pounds, a fraction of the original bar’s weight. Jere Davidson did the spectacular engraving. (PointSeven photo)

Are Integral Knives The Strongest Kind of Knife?

Is an integral knife inherently stronger? According to our gurus, strength in numbers—of parts, that is—is not necessarily applicable here.

“The concept is so much different it changes up the whole equation,” knifemaker Edmund Davidson states. “A hard-use integral knife is stronger than a typical fixed blade. There’s nothing to go wrong. That’s not to say some great [non-integral] fixed blades aren’t being made, but you can’t get any stronger than one big chunk of steel.”

“An integral knife is theoretically stronger, but I’ve never had one of my standard knives break at the guard junction through regular use, either,” knifemaker Marcus Lin says. “I destruction-tested one of my Loveless fighter designs several years ago and it took numerous overhead slams from a 50-pound slab of concrete to break it.

“In terms of getting the job done there’s no difference in either method of construction, as both will result in a knife that will last generations. But I can see the allure for the integral knife because of the time and additional skills involved in making it, which some customers can appreciate.”

Integral knife photo examples
Marcus Lin does the Bob Loveless legend proud with this send-up of the famed integral Loveless Chute Knife. The steel is mirror-polished D2 with a satin finish on the flats of the bolsters. Scales are Sambar stag and a synthetic ivory plug sets off the bolsters. (PointSeven image)

What Is An Integral Knife?

Integral knives, short of the addition of handle scales, are literally sculpted from one piece of steel. Making a knife in this way presents difficult challenges not found in making knives in separate parts, and soldering or screwing them together.

Imagine grinding not only the blade with all its intricacies, but the handle, guard and pommel from one solid piece of steel and sculpting it to perfection. Such a knife is called an integral and any knifemaker who’s ever made one will tell you it’s a whole new ballgame.

How Integral Knives Are Made

“The primary difficulty for me is getting rid of the stock,” Lin relates. “You start out with a couple pounds of tool steel and the finished knife is several ounces. Bob [Loveless]‘s original integrals were made on his horizontal mill. I use a full-size Jet [Bridgeport clone] vertical milling machine, angle grinder, band saw and my 2×72 grinder to make mine. I try to make them as close as possible to Bob’s originals.”

Davidson makes no bones about the difficulty he faces in constructing a one-piece knife.

Integral art knives
Several views of the “Psycho-Tron” integral hatchet from Edmund Davidson’s Safari Trio appear here. This monster was cut from a 7/8-inch-thick piece of CPM 154 stainless steel. Jere Davidson engraved it. (PointSeven image)

“It takes tenacity to build an integral,” Davidson stresses. “You start with a block of steel instead of a strip. You must have the equipment to saw the knife out and machine it. You’re working with all the basics that go into a complete knife in one single piece of steel. The complexities are physically and mentally demanding, and it’s very labor intensive because of the vast amounts of filing and sanding—not to mention hand rubbing the finish.

“There are so many aspects of making an integral that are not associated with making a standard knife.”


See More Incredible Knives at BLADE Show

BLADE Show tickets online

Join us each June in Atlanta for the world’s largest and best knife show. Go to the BLADE Show website here.

Trend Watch: Why Are Custom Slip Joint Knives So Popular?

How to buy a custom slip joint knife
Stan Buzek based his slip joint on a Bill Ruple two-blade trapper. The hollow-ground blades are Damasteel damascus and 3.5 inches each. The fileworked liners are 416 stainless steel. Closed length: 4 3/8 inches. Buzek’s list price to make a similar piece: $1,950. (SharpByCoop photo)

Blade Counts Count

Custom slip joints are hot again and have been for a while. Why are they so hot and how long will their popularity run this time?

“I have seen a bit of an uptick in pocketknife sales in the last couple of years,” notes custom knifemaker Stan Buzek, whose turnaround time on orders is three to four months. “I think this is due to the fact you can have both multiple- and single-blade slip joints,” as opposed to the single blades of tactical and other locking folders (though lockbacks are experiencing somewhat of a surge in sales, too).

Custom slip joint knife
Tobin Hill’s five-blade sowbelly sports feather-pattern damascus blade steel in hollow grinds and a mammoth ivory handle. The maker’s list price for a similar piece: $1,200.

A Bright Future Ahead For Slip Joints

Adds Johnny Stout, who has a backlog of six to eight months, “From what I’m seeing at the shows and online in the past few years, pocketknives are alive and well. I see a bright future for slip joints.”

“I have seen slip-joint groups on Facebook grow by 300 percent in the last three years,” Tracy LaRock states. “I also have a group called ‘Making Slip Joints and Lockbacks’ that has grown a lot recently, with many new slip-joint makers.”

As for his sales, Tracy says, “My books are closed but I intend to open them in early 2020 when I retire from the military. In the meantime I list available pieces in my Facebook group and on Instagram.”

What is a slip joint knife?
Tracy LaRock pushes the envelope of traditional slip-joint design with his Ethan Jack. The 3-inch blade is D2 tool steel and the handle and frame are Timascus™. Closed length: 4 inches. His list price to make a similar knife: $900. (SharpByCoop photo)

Pocketknife Sales Are Up In General

“I think there’s an upswing in pocketknife sales,” Tom Ploppert agrees. “Plus, a strong economy hasn’t hurt anything.”

Tom says he continues to take orders and has no idea how far behind he is.

“I will write an order down. I do not take deposits. I will call when it’s your turn. If you commit, then we will discuss price and I will start on building it,” he says matter-of-factly.

Turnaround time notwithstanding, the exquisite slip joints by Stout, Buzek, LaRock and Ploppert are well worth the wait—though you might want to get a leg up now. The more demand increases, the longer you’ll have to bide your time until you can get your hands on one of these gems.


See More Knife Trends In KNIVES 2019

Get the KNIVES 2019 book here.

Choosing Automatic Knives: OTS Or OTF?

What’s the right style of automatic knife for you: OTS or OTF? There are several important considerations when it comes to choosing.

Definitions: What Is An OTS Knife? What Is An OTF Knife?

First, for the newcomers, here are some quick definitions.

OTF Knife: A type of automatic knife where the blade deploys “out the front” of the handle.

OTS Knife: A type of automatic knife where the blade deploys “out the side” of the handle.

While this may seem like a small difference, it’s not to be overlooked. The right knife is the one that fits best with your tasks and preferences, and all knife features are worth considering, no matter how insignificant they may appear at first glance.

1) Ignore The Price Tag

Interestingly, budget is not one of them, because there is a range of $50 on up to hundreds of dollars for each. There are more OTS models available on the market now simply because manufacturers choose to produce more, so selection is greater. This may also be because they are much more familiar with side-opening designs.

2) Consider Use: OTS Is Better For Utility & OTF Is Better For Defense

What is an OTF knife
At 8.75 inches fully extended, the Conquest Tactical Fury OTF is a juggernaut. The Fury’s stonewashed 3.75-inch 154CM stainless steel blade is of a hybrid tanto/clip-point design, and its 5.25-inch black anodized machined aluminum handle can accommodate the largest of mitts. (Conquest Tactical photo)

Most important is how you plan to use your automatic. If you need utility, an OTS is the way to go. For pure self-defense, an OTF can engage the blade quicker, because there is no maneuvering required to clear the fingers from the blade opening and readjust your grip as required by an OTS.

3) Does It Have A Safety?

Some automatics have safeties to prevent the blade from opening in the pocket or while drawing from the carry position to engaging the blade. Ouch! Yes, a safety takes a second or two more to switch an auto blade into the live position, but many feel it’s worth it.

4) How Does It Feel?

Last but not least, the tactile feel you look for in any knife, regardless whether it’s a fixed blade or folder, is always a prime factor in your selection. You won’t get this over the internet. Rather, check out auto models at your local retail store or at gun and knife shows.

There Is No Right Answer

Despite what some may tell you, there is right answer. OTF and OTS aren’t inherently good or bad choices. The right answer is, as with all things knives, the knife that does what you need it to do and that you enjoy using.


Learn More About Automatic Knives And The Law

What knives are illegal

Folding Knives: 4 Unusual Opening Mechanisms

weird knives
Here are four folding knives that employ unusual opening mechanisms.

“Cool Factor”

Some knives have a “cool factor” that makes your eyes pop out. Whether sporting creative designs, spine-tingling handles and blade shapes or—in this case—ingenious mechanisms, such knives always have that special something which sets them apart.

odd knives
Cool can be anything from a notable mechanism to a standout design. From left: Boker Tucan, AIK Buck 112 Ranger Double-Action Auto, CRKT Daktyl and Olamic Busker Semper.

Boker Tucan

 

boker tucan knife review
The Boker Tucan is a stately looking folder, but its 3-inch blade of Bohler N690 stainless
steel is all business.

Boker’s sleek Tucan would be cool on its design alone, but designer Wilfried Gorski’s innovative blade-release mechanism puts the folder over the edge. A slide release just below the oversized pivot pops the blade out of the frame so it can be opened manually, and the release also serves to deploy the blade. Simply thumb it down and the blade is ready to fold into the frame.

Everything about the Tucan is upscale, from its stealthy 3-inch Bohler N690 stainless steel clip-point blade to its beautifully sculpted 3.875-inch titanium frame with carbon-fiber inlays.

There is no pocket clip but no matter—the Tucan is meant for loose pocket carry. At a weight of 2.82 ounces that is not a problem.

MSRP: $339.


CRKT Daktyl

CRKT Daktyl folding knife
(CRKT image)

The CRKT Daktyl is a revised version of the Tom Hitchcock “Hole In One” design.

Every bit as enigmatic as the original, if not more, the Daktyl has a 3.05-inch 420J2 stainless steel blade that rotates out of a 4.42-inch wire-frame handle.

The fun begins trying to figure out how to release the blade via Hitchcock’s Slide Lock mechanism, which requires sliding and tipping back the thumb lever.

Once you get the hang of it the Daktyl is pure fun and will amaze your friends. The modified wharncliffe blade has cutouts for lightening and a round carabiner at the base allows you to clip it to a belt loop, keychain or pack and—get this—pop a beer cap.

The Daktyl has a pleasant beadblast finish overall and weighs in at 2.4 ounces.

MSRP: $59.99.


Buck 112 Ranger DA Auto (Adams International Knifeworks conversion)

Buck 112 double action auto
Adams International Knifeworks Buck Ranger 112 DA Auto has all the traits of the original. The 3-inch 420HC stainless steel blade whipped and sliced through paracord, 3/8-inch rappelling rope and tough waxed lasso rope with ease.

Adams International Knifeworks (AIK) has been specializing in automatics and distinctive knives since 1987, and conversions have been one of its fortes. The Buck 112 Ranger DA Auto is one such conversion and it’s a little beast.

Unlike the new Buck 110 Auto, the AIK version of the smaller 112 Ranger differs in that it is a double action—opens both manually and automatically—and uses a leaf spring on the spine as opposed to a coil. The blade is employed via a flush brass button on the front, which matches the bolsters nicely.
Blade deployment is via the standard lockback on the rear base.

Everything else is Buck 112 Ranger, from the Dymondwood lockback grip to the 3-inch 420HC stainless steel clip-point blade and black leather belt sheath.

MSRP: $160.


Olamic Cutlery Busker Semper

Olamic Cutlery is known for making fashionable knives and the Busker Semper model, designed in-house, exudes coolness on every level. The folder sports curvaceous lines from stem to stern, including its ability to open 10 different ways (see above video), including a top-mounted flipper.

It is a small knife—6 inches open—featuring a 2.375-inch Bohler M390 modified wharncliffe blade and a 6Al4V titanium framelock handle. Other features include a machined pocket clip, caged bearing pivot system, stainless steel lockbar insert with an over-travel stop, ceramic detent ball, and ceramic pocket clip retention ball. In a nutshell, this is the good stuff!

The test model was delivered with a deep-brushed surface texture and gold anodized accents.

MSRP: starts at $365.


See More Innovations at BLADE Show

Advertisement

Must Read Articles

Read this before you make a knife

Knifemaking 101 – Read This Before You Make a Knife

  by Wayne Goddard My experience has taught me that there's nothing like digging in and getting started. I've often said the hardest part of the...
how to forge damascus steel

How to Forge Damascus

Advertisement
Advertisement