Steve Shackleford, Author at BLADE Magazine

BLADE Show Preview Issue of BLADE® Out NOW!

Steve Shackleford

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May 21, 2013

BLADE Show Preview Issue of BLADE® Out NOW!

Know what will be happening at the BLADE Show and Living Ready Expo (www.bladeshow.com) beforehand with the latest issue of BLADE® Magazine (www.blademag.com), on newsstands NOW!

Get current on the knives, the exhibitors, the knifemakers, the events, the seminars—everything you need to know about the upcoming BLADE Show set for next week, May 31-June 2, at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta—in the current issue.

Sporting Ron Welling’s repro of a William Scagel bowie on the cover, the new BLADE also includes:

•Your first look at some of the upcoming BLADE Show factory knife/accessory debuts, details on the BLADE Magazine Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards, the show’s custom knife judging, the upcoming induction into the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame® and more;

•The seven hottest BLADE Show/ABS auction knives;

•How to make a Japanese sword guard, by ABS master smith Wally Hayes;

•How an Ernest Emerson custom CQC-7 that had been lost for many years was discovered in the same shop where it was initially mislaid;

•The hottest knives for Dad for Father’s Day;

•15 steps to heat treating the high-endurance performance blade;

•A test of the Bark River Knives Special Hunter;

•How to deal with the 5 most dangerous knifemaking tools;

•How small knives can be tactical, too;

•And more.

The largest, most important knife show in the world, the BLADE Show and Living Ready Expo annually draws the biggest and best names in cutlery. It also attracts some of the industry’s biggest celebrities, including R. Lee “The Gunny” Ermey of TV and big screen fame, and Larry “The Hammer” Harley, one of the stars of National Geographic TV’s “Lords of War.” Ermey will appear at the booth of SOG Specialty Knives & Tools to sign autographs the Saturday of the show, and Harley will exhibit his knives at his table and also conduct a special seminar, the latter also the Saturday of the show.

Get all the latest on these and other events in the latest issue of BLADE.

BLADE Show: Experience Ed’s Homespun Knife Knowledge

Steve Shackleford

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May 16, 2013

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BLADE Show: Experience Ed’s Homespun Knife Knowledge

BLADE® field editor and ABS master smith Ed Fowler will offer another of his seminars as only he can in “Knives That Survived The Frontier” during the 2013 BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo (www.bladeshow.com) May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

Ed’s seminar will be show Saturday at 2 p.m. in Room 104.

Ed will discuss an antique Huber bowie, Ames Rifleman Knife and a T-backed wootz knife.

“The Huber bowie made in 1832 looks to have been in combat as evidenced by the cuts in her blade,” he noted. “The Ames Rifleman’s Knife from 1849 was used hard, most probably during the Civil War. Her scabbard was refurbished on the frontier with what was available.

“The T-backed wootz knife collected by a British soldier who traded a carton of cigarettes for her while driving a lorry over the Khyber Pass during World War II is another knife with a great history visible through repairs where few tools and materials were available,” Ed continued.

“Those who attend will be invited to hold, study and discuss what aspects of design and steel made these knives great. These aspects of design remain as hallmarks of the high performance knife of today.”

Author of his “Knife Talk” column in BLADE for over two decades, Ed is well known for his controversial opinions and approaches to not only bladesmithing/knifemaking, but also to knives and their history in general. He also has written Knife Talk I and Knife Talk II—compilations of his Knife Talk columns in BLADE.

BLADE Show & Bladesmithing For Kids

Steve Shackleford

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May 15, 2013

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Let some of the world’s top bladesmiths teach your children about the craft in the American Bladesmith Society’s “Bladesmithing For Kids” seminar at the BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) & Living Ready Expo May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

Join American Bladesmith Society (ABS) master smiths Joe Keeslar and Tim Potier and ABS journeyman smiths Wes Byrd and Larry “The Hammer” Harley of Lords Of War TV fame as they explain the ancient art of bladesmithing. The seminar will be show Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in Room 109.

All four men have extensive experience teaching children about bladesmithing, and all four are great at relating the craft to youngsters in language kids can understand.

Founded in 1976 by Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© members Bill Moran and B.R. Hughes, as well as Don Hastings and Bill Bagwell, the ABS is the world’s oldest and pre-eminent organization of bladesmiths—that is, those who forge the blade steel for their knives by hand or with power hammers. The ABS holds its annual meeting at the BLADE Show, where it selects new master and journeyman smiths, announces its annual awards, elects officers to its board of directors, holds a knife auction and much more.

The ABS also has a long history of instructing children on bladesmithing. It has conducted a number of special kids’ bladesmithing events at such venues as the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo and also at Smoky Mountain Knife Works (SMKW) in Sevierville, Tennessee. In fact, the ABS Youth Hammer-In will be held just a few weeks after the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo, June 28-30, at SMKW (visit www.americanbladesmith.com for more information). Mr. Harley has conducted children’s bladesmithing seminars at his forge in Bristol, Tennessee, as well.

Tactical Knife From Bin Laden Raid Up For Bid

Steve Shackleford

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May 14, 2013

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Bids for the Emerson CQC-7 tactical knife carried by “Mark Owen,” a SEAL given the order to kill or capture Osama bin Laden, will be accepted through 8 p.m. EST today, according to Ernest Emerson.

Ernest Emerson holds one of his tactical folders. — Ernie Emerson’s CQC-7 used in the Osama bin Laden is on auction through May 15.

Owen is the pseudonym of the author of the book on the Bin Laden raid, “No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama bin Laden.”

Emerson is one of the leading names in tactical and hard use knives, both custom and factory. He is also known for his system of self-defense and knife combatives training, instructing military, law enforcement, civilian and other agencies worldwide.

He said he gave the knife to Owen in person. “I’ve known him a long time,” Emerson noted. “I gave it to him in 2005. It’s the real knife, the real deal and the real guy.”

Emerson added that he will supply letters of provenance indicating the tactical knife is what Owen says it is.

As these words were written, the latest bid was $15,400.

Emerson will have a booth at the BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia. He will conduct a special seminar, “Train Like A Madman,” conduct a lottery for his knives, and display a number of his new, never-before-seen custom knives—at least 12 prototypes—at the show. He also will appear on Armed Citizen Radio this Sunday discussing knives and, among others, mentioning the BLADE Show. Visit Emerson’s booth for more information on the time and location of his knife lottery.

To place your bid, visit http://www.24fundraiser.com/site/stores/5/events/5/items/114.

BLADE Show: Euro & Asian Sword Seminars

Steve Shackleford

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May 9, 2013

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Watch those who know how use a selection of swords to recreate the way they actually were employed in combat in the days of yore in the fast-paced “Historical Swordplay Techniques” by the Reinhardt Legacy Fight Team at the BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia.

The team will present seminars on both European and Asian swordplay techniques. The European rendition will be Saturday, June 1, at 12:30 p.m., and the Asian version will be Sunday at 10 a.m. Both seminars will be conducted in “The Courtyard”—the parking lot of the BLADE Show’s host hotel, the Renaissance Waverly.

Led by such team members as Pembroke “Whit” Williams, David Lanyon and others, the Reinhardt Legacy Fight Team is named in honor of Hank Reinhardt, swordplay guru and genius behind Museum Replicas, a long-time sword, armor and accouterments retailer out of Conyers, Georgia. Hank searched the world over for the finest swords and armor for sale in the MR catalog. He was legendary for his ability to spar with swords, and retained much of his quickness and technique well into his later years. His swordplay seminars at the BLADE Show beginning in the early 1990s and up until his death in 2007 were replete with fast action, lavish costumes and the best in sparring swords.

Today, the Reinhardt Legacy Fight Team carries on Hank’s legacy, training those interested in historic swordplay techniques and conducting seminars at any number of events, including the BLADE Show. Equipped with the latest in safety equipment, masks and more, members of the team take turns squaring off in spirited sparring sessions, demonstrating the techniques used in days gone by. Some of the sessions get quite frisky and are always entertaining to watch.

Get there early to secure a bleacher seat.

BLADE Show: You, Your EDC and the Police

Steve Shackleford

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May 8, 2013

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BLADE Show: You, Your EDC and the Police

The BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) is the place to learn all about knives—including what to say when you are stopped by law enforcement for carrying one.

Have you ever been stopped for carrying a knife? What did you say to the officer? Did he ask you why you carried a knife? What was your response? Did he ask to search you? What was your response?

If none of these things have happened to you, that’s a good thing. But what if they do? What would you do?

Chris Conte is a legislative counsel for the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action. He will conduct the seminar “You, Your EDC and The Police” during the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. The seminar will be show Saturday at 4 p.m. in Room 109.

According to a spokesperson close to Mr. Conte, “Proper communication and understanding of the culture and expectations of both law enforcement and the law-abiding citizen with a knife is crucial to avoiding unnecessary conflict. During interactions with civilians, law enforcement frequently view knives as the most commonly possessed ‘weapon’ and individuals as ‘armed,’ posing a threat to their personal safety and others.

“Law-abiding citizens, believing their knife is an essential, valuable tool, need to know how to behave and respond to law enforcement to avoid legal problems and what to do to protect their liberties. Mr. Conte will present an overview of the legal and practical dynamics of how such encounters can go well or go poorly based on case law, and based on his work as a certified law enforcement instructor in encounters with civilians carrying handguns.”

All BLADE Show ticket holders are admitted free to the show’s seminars. Seating is limited, so be sure to get there early.

BLADE Show Focus: The Future of Knives

Steve Shackleford

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May 3, 2013

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The BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) will embrace the future of knives with the special seminar “SharpKidz: A Cool Knife Club For Kids.”

The BLADE Show will host the seminar "SharpsKidz: A Cool Knief Club For Kids." — The BLADE Show will host a special SharpKidz seminar geared toward teaching young boys and girls the importance of knives and their safe use.

The BLADE Show will be May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. The SharpKidz seminar will be conducted by Pete Cohan show Sunday, June 2, at 11 a.m. in Room 109 of the Cobb Galleria. The seminar will stress basic knife knowledge, including newsletters and other giveaways, displays of kids’ knife collections, question-and-answer sessions and more, all on a level pre-teen boys and girls can relate to.

Former curator of the National Knife Museum and a long-time board member of the National Knife Collectors Association, Cohan is one of the most respected names in knives. His ability to communicate the importance of knives in today’s society is easily understandable on all levels. If you’re coming to the BLADE Show and bringing the kids, this seminar is a must-see for both you and your children.

Nathans Knife Kit — Another way to get kids into knife enthusiasm is with a CRKT Nathan’s Knife Kit. It’s easy and fun to work together to make a wooden knife. Click the image for purchasing information.

Sponsored by Smoky Mountain Knife Works, SharpKidz teaches young boys and girls how to handle and learn about the history and usefulness of pocketknives, including all about safety tips, how to sharpen, how to maintain and otherwise relate in a responsible way to man’s oldest tool.

It provides a carefully structured and fun-filled opportunity for all youths to experience the joy of having their own knife while becoming conscious of how, why and what a knife is for in today’s fast-paced world. Your kids do not need any batteries, solar or wind power, or an app—just their eyes, hands and imagination.

SharpKidz members receive a bi-monthly newsletter that features historic knife information, safety tips, age-appropriate cartoon presentations, enrollment information and the promotion of special SharpKidz events.

For more free SharpKidz membership info, call 800-251-9306 or e-mail [email protected].

Steve Shackleford

BLADE Show Preview Issue of BLADE® Out NOW!

BLADE Show: Experience Ed’s Homespun Knife Knowledge

BLADE Show & Bladesmithing For Kids

Tactical Knife From Bin Laden Raid Up For Bid

BLADE Show: Euro & Asian Sword Seminars

BLADE Show: You, Your EDC and the Police

BLADE Show Focus: The Future of Knives

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