Steve Shackleford, Author at BLADE Magazine

Tactical Knife From Bin Laden Raid Up For Bid

Steve Shackleford

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May 14, 2013

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].

See the BLADE Show Japanese Sword Demo

Steve Shackleford

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May 1, 2013

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The BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) will welcome the action-packed Japanese sword demonstration of James Williams May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

Williams will perform his demo at 1:45 p.m. the Saturday of the show in The Courtyard, aka the parking lot of the host hotel, the Renaissance Waverly.

Williams will present a number of Japanese sword methods, including the tameshigiri—the cutting of bundles of straw mats, bamboo and other media.

Williams uses both one- and two-hand techniques to cut 4- and 5-inch bundles of straw mats. Especially popular are his multiple cuts in rapid succession, including cutting already severed chunks of the mats before they can hit the ground after he cut them the first time.

President of Bugei Trading Co., a specialist in Japanese swords and their accouterments, Williams has been conducting his sword demos at the BLADE Show for many years. He has studied the martial arts since 1960 and taught them since 1975. He also teaches close quarters combat to military and law enforcement and his “The System of Strategy” is based on the skill set of ancient warriors. He is known worldwide as a trainer of special ops unit and government agencies, domestic and foreign. He has taught such agencies and their personnel as the Naval Special Warfare Combatives Instructors, Brazilian National Police, U.S. Army Special Operations, U.S. Navy Special Warfare, U.S. Marine Recon and others. He has appeared on such television programs as National Geographic’s Force Recon, Discovery Channel’s The Ten Greatest Weapons and the Outdoor Network’s Shooting Gallery.

He is also a knife designer, designing CRKT’s Hissatsu, Hisshou, Shinbu, Sakimor, and Otanashi Noh. According to Williams the goal of the Hissatsu folder was not to replace the fixed-blade knife but “to offer the best alternative possible when circumstances demand other options.”

BLADE Show Will Feature Steampunk How-To

Steve Shackleford

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April 25, 2013

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BLADE Show Will Feature Steampunk How-To

The BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) will feature a seminar by ABS master smith Wally Hayes on how to make a steampunk tanto.

Slated for May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, the BLADE Show is the world’s largest and most important knife show. Hayes, meanwhile, is one of the world’s hottest makers, and his Steampunk knifemaking how-to will be the Sunday of the show, June 2, at 11 a.m. in Room 103 of the Cobb Galleria Centre.

Steampunk knives are inspired by the science fiction genre that features steam-powered machinery from such novels as 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne. “I first saw a Steampunk knife made by Van Barnett and talked to him about it at the 2012 BLADE Show,” Hayes writes in his how-to story in the May BLADE®. In fact, Barnett’s Steampunk folder won Best Art Knife at last year’s BLADE Show and was voted one of the top 14 custom knives of the 21st century in the current July BLADE. A number of other makers have made the style as well.

An accomplished guitarist as well as an award-winning knifemaker, Hayes made a Steampunk tanto for Richard Fortus of the rock band Guns N Roses. Fortus requested it as a gift for a friend. A similar model served as the cover knife for the May BLADE.

In addition to his upcoming Steampunk seminar, Hayes has conducted a number of BLADE Show seminars in the past, including one of his most popular on how to wrap a Japanese knife handle. He will have a table showing his knives at the BLADE Show, and so will Van Barnett, among scores of others.

For the latest in BLADE Show and other knife industry news, subscribe to BLADE

www.shopblade.com/blade-magazine-one-year-subscription-us?icid=SHBLNCF2BL1SU-030613?lid=ssfbbl042513

World Championship Cutting Competition at BLADE Show

Steve Shackleford

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April 24, 2013

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World Championship Cutting Competition at BLADE Show

Defending champ Ted Ott and a host of challengers will compete for the 11th Annual World Championship Cutting Competition at the BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

The World Championship will be conducted by BladeSports International (BSI) the Saturday of the show at 4:15 p.m. in “The Courtyard”—the parking lot of the show’s host hotel, the Renaissance Waverly. Current qualifiers include Ott, past champ Gary Bond, Donavon Phillips, Jim Cottingham, Michael Eubanks, Dwight Schoneweis, Dan Keffeler, Bud Robbins and Chris Rowland. Whether more will qualify by the time of the competition, including at least one international contestant, remains to be seen.

Speed, power, technique and a good knife are all important ingredients to winning the competitions. All certified beforehand by BSI, the knives must be no longer than 15 inches overall, with a blade 10 inches or shorter and no more than 2 inches wide. There are no thickness or weight limits. The majority of the knives are custom made, with the balance being factory.

The contestants perform a number of cuts, all of which are timed. Points are deducted from the total time for successful cuts, and the low score wins. While some cuts such as slicing through hanging ropes, water-filled plastic bottles and chopping 2x4s are standard fare, there are usually a couple of surprise cuts for which the competitors cannot prepare. The knives are inspected after each round and disqualified if the blade is damaged.

For more on the BLADE Show, subscribe to BLADE® www.shopblade.com/blade-magazine-one-year-subscription-us?icid=SHBLNCF2BL1SU-030613?lid=ssfbbl042413

Steve Shackleford

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

See the BLADE Show Japanese Sword Demo

BLADE Show Will Feature Steampunk How-To

World Championship Cutting Competition at BLADE Show

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