Steve Shackleford, Author at BLADE Magazine

Best Knives Under $50 Top New BLADE

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November 3, 2015

The best knives under $50, how to make one of the industry’s hottest folders, and two custom knife industry veterans doing their best to protect elephants and your legal ivory are among the highlights of the new BLADE®, on newsstands now!

Budget concerns are at the top of most people’s lists these days, including those of knife enthusiasts. Dave Rhea shows you how to save a few bucks and still get an outstanding knife at a reasonable price in “Best New Knives Under $50.”

Sandra Brady and Linda Karst-Stone are known throughout the custom knife industry as two of the best scrimshanders. They have a vested interest in the nationwide attack on legal elephant and ancient ivory by the federal and state governments. If you think all Sandra and Linda care about is their livelihoods and not the plight of elephants and the state of legal ivory, you would be wrong. Find out what the federal and state grab on legal ivory is really about in the “Dynamic Duo of Ivory” by Pat Covert.

Popularized by the late BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Kit Carson, flipper folders remain one of today’s hottest knives in the custom and factory industries. ABS master smith Wally Hayes shows you what goes into making one of these fast-opening models in “How To Make A Flipper Folder.”

Protecting a knife from the physical degradations of hard use, the elements and more is one of the reasons many companies coat the blade and sometimes even the handle in a variety of different finishes. Find out what the finishes are, how they are applied and more in Mike Haskew’s “Coats of Many Colors.”

Also this issue: tests of the latest hatchets, neck knives and two new folders, those who forge damascus in quantity for use by other knifemakers and companies, 41 reasons you may be an edgeneck and much more in the latest BLADE.

New Knives From Ruger/CRKT

Steve Shackleford

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October 26, 2015

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The tactical folder in the line is the 2-Stage, a Robert Carter design with a tanto blade.

Steigerwalt Crack Shot Compact. — Ken Steigerwalt’s new Ruger/CRKT design is the Crack Shot: Compact.

Sturm, Ruger & Co. and CRKT announce new knives designed by a selection of award-winning custom knifemakers.

The designers include Ken Steigerwalt, Ryan Johnson of RMJ Tactical, Bill Harsey, Matthew Lerch and Robert Carter.

CRKT has the knives produced under license from Ruger. They include a selection of EDC, tactical, hunting and utility patterns in an assortment of sizes and materials.

Of the five designers, Harsey designed the most knives: three. His are the “Go-N-Heavy” folder highlighted by a hard-anodized, sure-grip handle and a 3.5-inch blade, the “All-Cylinders” folder with a black, stonewashed 4-inch blade and a “revolver cylinder-style” pivot, and the “Accurate,” a fixed-blade hunter with a reinforced nylon-fabric sheath. The folders have drop-point blades with a choice of plain edge or Veff serrations. The Go-N-Heavy stores in a nylon-fabric sheath.

Go-N-Heavy Harsey — Bill Harsey’s Go-N-Heavy is highlighted by a hard-anodized sure-rip handle.

Johnson’s designs are the “Cordite: Compact” straight knife sporting a 2.5-inch drop-point blade and a paracord-wrapped handle with a “revolver cylinder style” bead, and the “Powder-Keg” fixed-blade survival knife featuring a 4.75-inch blade and rubber overmold full-tang handle with an inset Ruger medallion. The former has a glass-reinforced nylon sheath, the latter a leather sheath.

Lerch’s design is the “Follow-Through” flipper folder with a Ruger-inspired, diamond-checkered, glass-reinforced nylon handle.

The locking liner knife has a 3.75-inch drop-point blade and a two-position pocket clip. Steigerwalt’s design is the “Crack Shot: Compact” assisted opener with a 3.5-inch drop-point blade and a Ruger American Rifle-inspired, glass-reinforced nylon grip with pocket clip.

The blade is stonewashed and available in a plain or serrated edge. Carter’s design is two sizes of the “2-Stage,” a tactical flipper folder with a choice of a 4- or 3.58-inch (the “2-Stage: Compact”) tanto blade in a plain edge or with Veff serrations. Each knife has a machined/hard-anodized aluminum and stainless steel handle, and four-position pocket clip.

Follow-Through Ruger/CRKT — Matthew Lerch’s Follow-Through flipper folder includes a Ruger-inspired, diamond-checkered glass-reinforced nylon handle.

For more information visit Ruger.com/micros/crkt.

Help Fight 1 Percenters’ Ban-All-Ivory Law

Steve Shackleford

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October 22, 2015

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Help Fight 1 Percenters’ Ban-All-Ivory Law

A ban-all-ivory law supported by billionaire Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and other 1 percenters is on the ballot in Washington state and will succeed unless you help stop it NOW!

The measure, I-1401, would ban not only elephant ivory but also the ivory of mastodon, mammoth and other extinct species.

Sandra Brady of the Elephant Protection Association said help is needed at the grassroots level to defeat the measure supported by rich billionaires such as Allen and other non-governmental organizations, which have raised more than $2.7 million—including $1.7 million from Allen—in an effort to pass it in the state legislature.

“It really is a David versus Goliath situation,” she observed of the fight against the 1 percenters who are supporting I-1401. She urged those who oppose the bill to write their local newspapers and use social media to voice their opposition. “On the upside we are having an impact,” she said of the grassroots effort. “On the down side, the more states that pass such ridiculous measures, the more likely other states will follow suit. This is why your help to defeat this in Washington state is so important.

“Write letters to the editors of the state’s newspapers, use your voice on Facebook and other social media. Help us get the word out that I-1401 is a bad law and should be voted down.”

A small organization, the Legal Ivory Rights Coalition Committee (LIRCC), is fighting against Allen and the other fat cats who are supporting I-1401. However, the LIRCC has no budget and relies on people contacting newspapers and working social media to spread the word. The good news is that editorial pages across Washington state are calling I-1401 misguided. While acknowledging the noble goal of preserving elephants, many editorial pages recognize the futility of a state law designed to stop crime in Africa and Asia. It would punish the state’s citizenry without stopping poachers. They also recognize the redundancy with existing federal laws that prohibit import of ivory and other endangered species, together with the unnecessary burden it would place on the state’s fish and wildlife officers.

Recommended:

Stay abreast of the latest developments on this and many more knife rights issues with a subscription to BLADE.

“Star-Power” Knife

Steve Shackleford

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October 12, 2015

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EX-F02 looks good on a belt. — You may be the best-dressed outdoorsman going with the Hogue EX-F02.

An Allen Elishewitz design, A2 tool steel for the blade, a handle built for use and comfort, and a hi-tech, utilitarian sheath highlight a knife with “star power” from Hogue.

“We knew we had a winner with the EX-F02 design but refused to settle offering the knife alone,” noted Hogue co-owner Jim Bruhns. “The sheath had to match if not exceed this knife in star power.”

The straight knife is available in a tanto or clip-point blade that sports a Spyderco-type hole to match the two “paracord eyelets” in the butt of the polymer/rubber-overmolded handle.

The EX-F02 comes in a choice of four grip colors: black, OD green, flat dark earth and hunter orange. Cryogenically heat treated to a Rockwell hardness of 57-59 HRC, the blade is blackened for enhanced corrosion resistance and low glare, and sports a fuller that seems so fashionable on both fixed blades and folders these days. Blade length: 4.5 inches. Weight: 5.5 ounces. Overall length: 9 inches.

Complementing the symmetrical fixed blade is an ambidextrous automatic retention sheath that locks the knife in securely and releases with a push of a trigger lever. An audible click ensures the knife is locked upon being sheathed, with Pull-the-Dot® snap fasteners helping to ensure a secure closure. The sheath includes MOLLE spaced openings for mounting and a nylon belt loop.

Hunter orange and clip point blade. — A clip-point blade an a hunter orange handle distinguish this version of the EX-F02. It’s also available in a black and OD green handle.

The EX-F02 carries a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $149.95 (includes sheath). For more information contact Hogue Knives at hogueknives.com or call 800-438-4747.

The EX-F02 makes a handsome package sheathed. The ambidextrous automatic retention sheath locks with a push of a trigger lever. Pull-the-Dot® snap fasteners help ensure secure closure.

Also Check Out:

Knives 2016, 36th Edition
The trusted guide for knife collectors, enthusiasts, knifemakers, and dealers around the world, this knife book covers the latest and greatest from front to back. A collection of feature articles explores the latest developments, history, and transformation of knives, swords, and edges of various kinds. Get your copy

Knives of TV’s Grimm in New BLADE®

Steve Shackleford

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October 6, 2015

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Grimm knives in new BLADE. — The knives of TV’s Grimm help highlight the latest BLADE®, on newsstands now!

Knives on television and in the movies have a way of both mesmerizing audiences and giving a knifemaker’s career a much-needed boost—and such could be the case with the double-bit axe bladesmith Arnon Kartmazov made for the hit TV show, Grimm. Read all about Kartmazov’s cutter and other knives of TV’s Grimm in the new issue of BLADE®, on newsstands now.

Kartmazov’s piece on Grimm is a rare double-TV coup for the Oregon-based maker, who also appeared on The History Channel’s Forged In Fire earlier this year. Where it will take his career is anyone’s guess but it sure as heck can’t hurt any.

Speaking of Forged In Fire, ABS master smith Joe Szilaski examines the show’s format of requiring contestants to make a knife in three hours. Can such a format really result in knives that “will cut,” as the show’s Doug Marcaida likes to say? Szilaski gives you his expert opinion on the subject in his story, “3-Hour Knives: Are They Legit?”

Job 1 of knives is to cut and, as Spyderco notes on one of its old steel charts, “Steel is The Heart of The Knife.” (Right below that slogan on the same chart is “And Heat Treating is The Spirit.”)

The latest in steels is always a hot topic in the knife industry, but, when it comes right down to it, it’s the steels the companies use most on their newest models that should tell you which steels are most popular at the moment. Find out in chart form what those steels are and which companies are using them in “5 Hottest Blade Steels.”

Also this issue: the conclusion of Lonnie Kapp’s two-parter on Japanese swords of World War II; how tactical custom daggers are making a comeback; how its latest award-winning knives are transforming the American Bladesmith Society into an International Bladesmith Society of sorts; tests of big camp knives; and the latest in knives for law enforcement officers. Get it all and more in the new BLADE, on newsstands now.

Recommended:

Stay abreast of the latest developments on this and many more knife rights issues with a subscription to BLADE.

Knife History Made In Kansas City

Steve Shackleford

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September 21, 2015

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Modern custom knife history was made this past weekend in the first-ever International Custom Cutlery Exposition (ICCE) held at the Marriott Downtown in Kansas City.

It was the first time the Knifemakers’ Guild and the American Bladesmith Society, the world’s two oldest and best-known knifemaker organizations, combined forces to hold a joint knife show.

And from all indications, things went about as smoothly as anyone could have hoped.

Over 120 makers exhibited their knives at the show. A number of exhibitors commented on how nice it was to see makers from both organizations displaying side-by-side and getting along so well. Of course, that was a far cry from the old days when the two groups competed openly and did not get along so well, to say the least. However, those days seemed to be forgotten over the weekend as both organizations came together and voted on the best knives of the show, with members of each group often voting for knives by makers in the other. Among the winners of the awards were Bruce Bump for Best In Show for his cut ‘n shoot knife, Paul LeBatard won an award for his stag hunter, Adam DesRosiers for Best Combat Knife and Best Hunter, Jerry Moen for Best Tactical Folder, Johnny Stout for Best Folder, Charles Vestal for Best Fighter, and J.W. Randall for Best Damascus. Other honors included Betty Dowell being presented with the Nate Posner Award and Dianna Casteel winning the Red Watson Award.

There was a lot of history at the show, as it was held in the very same showroom as the one where BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Bill Moran introduced his revolutionary damascus knives at the 1973 Knifemakers’ Guild Show. In honor of that monumental event, the ICCE presented a special Bill Moran Memorial Damascus Knife Award, with the winner being Bill Burke.

A complete rundown of other of the show’s knifemaking awards and other highlights will be in a future issue of BLADE®.

Recommended:

Stay abreast of the latest developments on this and many more knife rights issues with a subscription to BLADE.

Forged In Fire Renewed For 2nd Season

Steve Shackleford

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September 16, 2015

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Forged In Fire, The History Channel’s hit summer reality TV show featuring bladesmiths who compete to see who can forge the best knife, has been renewed for a second season, Cynopsis Media reports.

According to Cynopsis, “History’s Forged In Fire will be back for a sophomore season. The show, which averaged 1.6 total million viewers in Live+7 delivery, follows the most talented bladesmiths as they create weapons from the Japanese katana to the medieval broadsword.”

The stars of Forged In Fire include a panel of three judges—ABS master smith J. Neilson, ancient weapons authority David Baker and martial artist/knife user Doug Marcaida—and host Wil Willis, along with the many competing bladesmiths.

While the show had been sending out casting calls for bladesmiths for a new season, there had been no formal confirmation of its renewal until the official announcement by Cynopsis. Whether there will be any changes in the show’s format, when the new season will begin, etc., is unknown at this time.

In a nutshell, Forged In Fire consists of four bladesmiths—different ones each episode—who compete to see who can make the best knife. In the first round each smith has roughly three hours to design and make in the show’s shop/forge a rough-forged knife of his choice according to the specs and with materials determined by the judges. The three smiths of the four the judges deem to have made the best rough knives advance to the next round, in which they must make and attach the handles and finish their knives. Of the three remaining smiths, the two who make the best knives in the judges’ estimation advance to the finals, in which they have five days in their home forges to make a knife, sword, axe or other cutting tool in a design of the judges’ choosing. The smith who makes the best piece in the judges’ estimation wins $10,000.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the show, see the December BLADE®, on newsstands now, or subscribe.

Also Check Out:

Knives 2016, 36th Edition
The trusted guide for knife collectors, enthusiasts, knifemakers, and dealers around the world, this knife book covers the latest and greatest from front to back. A collection of feature articles explores the latest developments, history, and transformation of knives, swords, and edges of various kinds. Get your copy

Steve Shackleford

Best Knives Under $50 Top New BLADE

New Knives From Ruger/CRKT

Help Fight 1 Percenters’ Ban-All-Ivory Law

“Star-Power” Knife

Also Check Out:

Knives of TV’s Grimm in New BLADE®

Knife History Made In Kansas City

Forged In Fire Renewed For 2nd Season

Also Check Out:

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