The American Knife & Tool Institute (AKTI) won a Blade Magazine 2012 Industry Achievement Award® for stellar work in the area of pro-knife legislation at the recent BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) in Atlanta.
Another organization receiving a Blade Magazine 2012 Industry Achievement Award was Knife Rights, also for its efforts in protecting Americans’ right to own, use and carry knives.
Accepting the award on behalf of AKTI was AKTI Executive Director Jan Billeb (pictured above). “It was a real pleasure to accept the Industry Achievement Award from BLADE® Magazine on behalf of the AKTI Board of Regents and all members of the American Knife & Tool Institute who have diligently worked since 1998 to ensure that our liberties to make, own or use knives or edged tools have not been further restricted, and to successfully remove knife law restrictions. We are pleased that BLADE Magazine recognizes the achievements of our organization on behalf of the knife industry and all knife owners,” Billeb said. “There is still a lot of work to be done to make reasonable and responsible changes state by state and we appreciate the support of the entire knife community.”
In May, the Louisiana governor signed AKTI-supported legislation that made it clear that a knife with a bias toward closure is not an illegal switchblade. Bias-toward-closure language is a concept that has stood the test of time since AKTI introduced it in California over a decade ago, an AKTI press release reported. Several states, including Texas and Kansas, have since adopted it, as well as it being incorporated into the Federal Switchblade Act. This language clarifies that assisted-opening knives are not classified as “illegal” switchblades or gravity knives. More information about the bias-toward closure-concept and AKTI’s past successes recognized by BLADE is available at www.akti.org
AKTI is working with legislators in South Carolina to pass pre-emption language, Pennsylvania to remove all knife restrictions, Michigan to remove the switchblade prohibition and other restrictions, Alaska to incorporate the bias-toward-closure language, as well as in several other states to remove or lessen knife restrictions.
In an interview after the ceremony AKTI President Bill Raczkowski commented, “Thanks to BLADE Magazine for honoring AKTI with an Industry Achievement Award acknowledging the proactive efforts of our organization. Our members sincerely appreciate the many ways that BLADE Magazine and the BLADE Show help us spread the word about the importance of AKTI’s efforts to keep knives in American lives.”
For more on the latest knives, knife legislation, knifemaking instruction, knife trends, knifemakers, what knives to buy and where and much more, subscribe to BLADE® Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication. Click on http://www.shopblade.com/blade-magazine-one-year-subscription-us/?r+ssfb062812 for more information.
BLADE Show is the can’t-miss event of the year. This is where you’ll find the best in EDC, bushcraft, tactical, and chef’s knives, plus tomahawks, sharpeners, knifemaking supplies and equipment and everything else that makes up the wide world of blades. Learn more and purchase tickets at BladeShow.com.
2014 Accessory of the Year: SOG Blade Light Sheath
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The 2014 BLADE Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards were announced the evening of June 7 at the 2014 BLADE Show in the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta.
Here are the winners. Stay tuned for more details.
Publisher’s Award: Mark Zalesky
Industry Achievement Award: Aldo and Edda Lorenzi
2014 Accessory of the Year: SOG Blade Light Sheath
2014 Kitchen Knife Of The Year®: Kai USA Shun Dual Core
2014 Investor/Collector Knife Of The Year®: Pro-Tech Ultimate Godson 2014
2014 Collaboration Knife Of The Year®: Spartan Blades/Les George
2014 Best Buy Knife Of The Year®: Kershaw/Emerson CQC
2014 Manufacturing Quality Award: Lion Steel
2014 Hall of Fame Inductee: Goldie Russell
2014 Most Innovative Imported Knife Of The Year®: Klecker Knives Ti-KLAX
2014 Most Innovative American Knife Of The Year®: Spartan Blades Integral Frame Slipjoint
2014 Imported Knife Of The Year®: Spyderco Rubicon
2014 American Made Knife Of The Year®: Zero Tolerance 0562CF
2014 People’s Choice Knife Of The Year®: RAT Worx MRX
2014 Overall Knife Of The Year®: CRKT/Ken Onion Hijinx
A year’s worth of hot hammering results in top results at the 2023 ABS awards in Atlanta.
The American Bladesmith Society held its annual awards program during the 42nd Annual BLADE Show, the largest knife event in the world, and bladesmiths came from far and wide to salute the art of the forged blade.
ABS master smith and ABS president Steve Dunn acted as master of ceremonies for the awards ceremony Friday night, June 2, in the BLADE Show’s host hotel, the Atlanta Renaissance Waverly.
Don Hastings Award
The first presentation was the Don Hastings Award, named in honor of one of the four founders of the ABS who was only the third American smith to forge damascus steel. Don served as ABS treasurer from 1976 until he died of cancer in 1986. This year’s recipient is Jim Crowell, who received his ABS master smith stamp in 1986, has earned an enviable record for his artistry in steel, and has long been a fine bladesmithing teacher and an excellent judge of those applying for bladesmith ratings within the Society.
W. W. Scagel Award
ABS master smiths Heather and Kevin Harvey won the W. W. Scagel Award for running their highly successful Heavin Forge Studio & Bladesmithing School in Belfast, South Africa. It was an especially momentous evening for Heather as she won the Margaret Moran Silver Slipper Award as well.
Next was the W. W. Scagel Award, named for BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member William Scagel, the first great American bladesmith of the 20th century who taught many the art of the forged blade. The recipients are ABS master smiths Heather and Kevin Harvey in recognition of their contributions in the field of teaching all about bladesmithing at their Heavin Forge Bladesmithing Studio & School in Belfast, South Africa.
Paul Burke was a Baltimore attorney who served on the ABS board of directors for many years, who obtained the Society’s tax-exempt status and was devoted to the ABS. The Paul Burke Award is named in his honor and was presented to ABS master smith and past ABS president, Greg Neely.
ABS Gold-Medal Knives
B. R. Hughes Award
New ABS master smith Jackson Rumble won the B. R. Hughes Award for the top knife submitted by a successful ABS master smith applicant. The spectacular quillon dagger with an integral guard is from his set of five knives submitted for MS judging. The 9.5-inch blade and pommel are of a mosaic damascus of 1075 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels. Handle: African blackwood. Overall length: 15.5 inches. Jackson’s price for a similar knife: $10,000. (SharpByCoop knife image; image of Rumble and Neely by B. R. Hughes)
The B. R. Hughes Award for making the most outstanding knife submitted by an applicant attaining the rating of ABS master smith went to Australia’s Jackson Rumble. Erik McCright won the Joe Keeslar Award for making the top knife submitted by a new ABS journeyman smith.
Bill Moran Award
The Bill Moran Award is given for the best knife made in the Moran style and was presented to Matt Stagmer. Antique Bowie Knife Association Awards go to both an ABS master smith and ABS journeyman who make the finest bowie most representative of a 19th-century style. The MS award went to Josh Fisher and the JS to Mace Vitale.
Margaret Moran Silver Slipper Award
To augment her co-winning of the Scagel Award, Heather Harvey received the Margaret Moran Silver Slipper Award named in honor of Mrs. Margaret Moran, wife of Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Bill Moran.
ABS Smith Ratings
One of the happier groups of new ABS journeyman smiths you’re likely to see proudly display their JS certificates. There were 19 new JS’s in all. Here are 12 of them. For the full list, see the story.
Jackson Rumble was the only applicant to successfully earn the ABS master smith rating. Head Judge Greg Neely presented Jackson his certificate and stamp.
Those who successfully earned ABS journeyman smith ratings at the show were: Ismael Biegelmeier; Kevin Burgess; Jeff Davidson; Caleb L. French; Jacob Gaetz; James Ingram; Mike Johnson; Andrea Lisch, wife of ABS master smith David Lisch; Francois Mazieres; Erik McCright; Vicente Molina; Trevor Morgan, Jr.; Jim Quick; Jeff Royer; Brian Sellers; Camile Senegon; Jayden Simisky; Bill Thorne; and Henning Wilkinson. ABS master smith and head ABS journeyman smith judge James Rodebaugh made the certificate presentations. In other honors, Distinguished Service Awards were presented to Amanda Davis, photographer Eric Eggly of PointSeven and Jacob Lutz. ABS Chairman’s Awards were presented to Shanna Maust, Shane Maust and ABS master smith Brion Tomberlin.
And so dropped the curtain on another ABS awards program on the largest stage of the knife world!
Editor’s note: Along with Bill Moran, Don Hastings and Bill Bagwell, the author is a founding member of the ABS, and is also the only surviving one. He has served on the ABS board of directors longer than anyone in the Society’s 47-year history, and written a number of books and countless magazine and other stories on knives and also guns for over six decades. He is a Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer and, at 91, is without a doubt the oldest knife writer/knife magazine editorial staff member extant. His wife Carolyn has been editor of the American Bladesmith, the ABS Journal, for 23 years. Both are knife industry treasures beyond comparison.
Bigger and better than ever, BLADE Show Texas has something to offer everyone deep in the heart of the Lone Star State.
A switch to the plush Fort Worth Convention Center, an expanded roster of international and domestic custom and factory knifemakers and much more promise to make BLADE Show Texas one for the record books March 18-19 in Fort Worth.
Formerly known as the International Custom Cutlery Exposition (ICCE) and held last year at the Fort Worth Stockyards, the new name of BLADE Show Texas and the new venue are all part of the event’s continued revamping under the umbrella of the world’s largest and most important knife show operation, the BLADE Show, the latter which will be June 4-6 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.
But first thing first—and that thing is BLADE Show Texas.
Approximately 300 exhibitors will be on hand to display their hottest knives, knifemaking supplies and more. Among those exhibitors are members of both The Knifemakers’ Guild, the American Bladesmith Society and many other unaffiliated makers as well. Also exhibiting will be a number of cowboy artisans to show off their creative works in spurs, bits and similar gear in a special section of the Exhibit Hall E-F called Cowboy Alley. All will gather in the expansive Fort Worth Convention Center in the heart of downtown Fort Worth. Spanning 14 city blocks of the city’s central business district, the convention center is surrounded by four-star hotels, restaurants, shops, galleries and assorted performance venues, with free transportation provided throughout the downtown area via Molly the Trolley.
Helping make the show a reality are its sponsors, which include Smoky Mountain Knife Works, WE Knife Co., Civivi, Hogue Knives, New Jersey Steel Baron and The Blade Bar.
Last year’s show was one of the first major knife events to return after the pandemic had caused a number of other shows to cancel, and people who both attended and exhibited gave it rave reviews. Many makers sold out and many who didn’t sell out didn’t miss by much. Bubba Crouch, who, along with many other members of the South Texas Cartel of custom slip joint makers returns this year, said it was the best-attended show he’d been to since BLADE Show 2019. “There was a lot of money in the room and a lot of veteran-type collectors,” he observed. “I brought three or four customers who’d never been to a knife show and they were overwhelmed with all the talent.”
Coyote jaws, 1912 bois d’arc and a 1941 trap tag highlight the handle of the Trapper Bowie by BLADE Show Texas exhibitor Jason Fry. Blade damascus that includes among its forged components a vintage Newhouse trap spring is clad over a random damascus core. Overall length: 13 inches.
This year’s array of talented artisans promises to be even better. An incomplete but representative sample of domestic and international exhibitors in assorted categories includes:
Bladesmiths: Bill Burke; Brion Tomberlin; Bruce Bump; Murray Carter; Jerry Fisk; Harvey Dean; Jason Fry; South Africa’s Henning Wilkinson; J.W. Randall; James Cook; James Rodebaugh; Jason Knight; Jean Louis Regel of France; Josh Fisher; John Horrigan; Kelly Vermeer Vella; Lin Rhea; Mike Tyre; Rick Dunkerley; Steve Schwarzer; Scott Gallagher; Shane Taylor; Shawn Ellis; Shayne Carter; Belgium’s Veronique Laurent; and Tommy Gann;
Slip joint makers: Bill Ruple, Chris Sharp, Bubba Crouch, Burt Flanagan, P.H. Jacob, Enrique Pena, Tom Ploppert, Stanley Buzek, Luke Swenson, Tim Robertson, Tobin Hill and Trae Gaenzel;
Assorted other top makers: Allen Elishewitz, Brian Fellhoelter, Peter Carey, Dennis Friedly, Johnny Stout, Tom Krein, Lee Williams, Jeremy Marsh, Princeton Wong, Brian Nadeau, T.R. Overeynder, Todd Begg, Scorpion 6 Knives and Michael Zieba;
Factory knife/accessory companies: Fox Knives, Heretic Knives, Hogue Knives, KeyBar, Liong Mah Designs, Microtech, Pro-Tech, Reate, RMJ Tactical, Squid Industries, TOPS Knives, White River Knife & Tool, WE Knife/Civivi and Wicked Edge Precision Sharpeners; and;
BLADE Show 2021 Best Slip Joint winner Luke Swenson (left), Bill Ruple (right) and assorted members of the South Texas Cartel will conduct the demo How to Make a Single Blade Trapper at 12 p.m. Saturday in Room 104. The slip joint below is Ruple’s ax-handle single-blade. (SharpByCoop images)
BLADE Show Texas Awards
The knife awards for the Texas BLADE Show have been especially tailored this year to address the specialties of the exhibiting makers. As a result, the awards in the custom category will be Best EDC, Best Slip Joint, Best Kitchen Knife, Best Fixed Blade, Best Folder, Best Damascus, Best Art Knife and Best in Show. Each winner will be judged in terms of how well it fits the category, quality design, construction and materials, fit and finish, line and flow, and the other intangibles that identify most top knives.
The knife awards in the factory category will be Best EDC, Best Fixed Blade, Best Folder and Best in Show, with each winner judged in the same terms as those used to rate the custom winners as outlined in the preceding paragraph.
Demos
The BLADE Show franchise is renowned for its cutting-edge demos, and those for BLADE Show Texas maintain that tradition. All are free of charge to show attendees. On Friday those demos will include:
Joe Maynard of Primitive Grind will provide free knife sharpening and hands-on demos in his Mobile Forge all day long each day of the show.
12 p.m., Grinding Seminar, Room 104: Using only four abrasive belts on his Moen Tooling Platen and grinding fixture, Jerry Moen of Moen Tooling will show you how to apply a bevel grind in a 2,000-grit finish. 2 p.m., Fundamentals of Inlay, Room 104: Award-winning bit-and-spur maker Wilson Capron will demonstrate several different inlay styles and techniques and the tools to do them with, styles and techniques that can be applied to assorted media; 3 p.m., How to Make the X-Rhea Knife, Room 104: ABS master smith Lin Rhea will outline the details that go into the making of his X-Rhea knife, including variations on a theme, how the design came to be, how to forge it and more. All Day, Free Knife Sharpening and Hands-On Demo, the Mobile Forge: Joe Maynard of Primitive Grind will provide hands-on demos and free knife sharpening.
Saturday’s demos will kick off at 10:30 a.m. in Room 104 with a repeat rendition of Jerry Moen’s Grinding Seminar. In addition, Joe Maynard will conduct his All-Day Free Knife Sharpening and Hands-On Demo in the Mobile Forge. The day’s other seminars will include: 12 p.m., How to Make a Single Blade Trapper, Room 104: Award-winning makers Luke Swenson and Bill Ruple and other members of the South Texas Cartel will show you how it’s done based on Swenson’s video tutorial “Slipjoints with Luke Swenson.” 1:30 p.m., Leather Sheath Making Demo, Room 104: Joey Dello Russo of Imperial Leather Works will give a complete rundown on how to make a sheath, including measuring the blade, leather thickness, welt dimensions, belt loop location, and sizing, laying out and drawing the pattern.
Texas Gun Experience
Blade Show Texas and Texas Gun Experience have teamed up to provide a night of hands-on experience in a safe and managed environment. Show attendees are invited to a private demo event on Saturday evening from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Only those that have a BLADE Show Texas wristband will be eligible to attend to the TGE event and are eligible to win the following giveaways:
Springfield Armory’s Hellcat Giveaway
Springfield Armory’s Hellion Bullpup Giveaway
Ammo from AMMO, Inc
Ammo from Global Ordnance
Possible Ear Protection from AXIL Earbud Hearing Protection
RifleScope from Accufire
And other products…
For more information on the show, pick up your special show program at the event itself or visit bladeshowtexas.com. For more information on the Fort Worth Convention Center, visit fortworth.com/convention-center.
It’s a sad fact: the BLADE Show comes but once a year. There is, however, a way to enjoy this incredible event long after all the knife makers and collectors have broken camp.
Official BLADE Show knives are your opportunity to own and enjoy a piece of the “World’s Foremost Knife Show,” for years to come. Of course, if you can resist making these gems your everyday carry choice.
That is a conundrum, because the BLADE Show seeks out not only eye-catching designs from some of top makers around. But it also hunts out practical knives that can handle nearly anything its owner can dish out. These knives are the marriage of form and function.
And each one has a unique aspect to them. Not only is the show’s insignia roll marked across the blades or handle, but each is a special edition with limited runs and individually numbered. This makes each one exclusive to its owner, not to mention gives the knife the potential to accrue value as the years pass by.
Here’s a look at this year’s Official BLADE Show knives.
Ken Onion perhaps summed up his latest creation for CRKT the best, defining it as “Somewhere between gentlemanly and tactical.” In short, the knife is a looker and a doer.
On the aesthetic end of the Outrage is its finely textured handle, which includes lateral cuts in the aluminum that mimics corduroy. The handle of the limited run of 300 knives also features ergonomic finger cuts, to give the user a better purchase on the Outrage, thus making it more responsive.
The blade is a modified drop point — Onion describes it as a semi skinner — with a big belly and a fine point for detail work. The 3.19-inch blade is made from 8C12MoV stainless steel, which hardness helps it take a precision edge. The Outrage features a deep-pocket clip and a locking liner. And the flipper has a smooth-as-silk action, facilitated by its IKBS ball bearing pivot system.
The Inkosi can be summed up in one word — overbuilt. Chris Reeve Knives has outdone themselves with this petite folder, outfitting it with a number of features not often found on a knife its size.
To start off, the Inkosi has a large pivot — a first for the company on one of its small knives — which makes the knife as solid as a rock when open. It also features oversized washers, which eliminates nearly all the play in the blade and increases its lateral strength. And finally, the knife has a ceramic ball end lock that virtually ensures the Inkosi stays open once the blade is deployed. The 2.8-inch blade has a hollow grind, a design choice that helps add life to the knife, given it more readily maintains its edge after repeated sharpenings.
Chris Reeve has taken the Inkosi’s resiliency to the next level with the handle and clip material, opting for lightweight and robust titanium. Uniquely, the BLADE Show logo and run number appear on the handle. And Chris Reeve has made the knife easy to manipulate, giving it a pronounced thumb stud. The Inkosi not only has the makings of a fine and functional knife, but it has looks to boot. Truly, this limited run of 25 knives for the BLADE Show is attractively Spartan.
Named for the Greek goddess of horror, the Phrike has everything to send chills down a knife aficionado’s spine — in a good way. It is tactical, yet attractive and as an Official BLADE Show knife, exclusive.
Only available at ShopBlade.com, each one is made upon order at Spartan Blade’s North Carolina manufacturing facility. But there are some special features that come from buying the BLADE Show Phrike. It comes outfitted with a carbon-fiber handle only found on this special edition.
And, of course, it comes with the BLADE Show logo and serial number roll marked on the blade. The 4.25-inch blade itself is a swedged drop point, giving it a robust aft for heavy-duty jobs that winnows down to a fine tip for precision work. The Phrike comes with a nylon sheath and is completely made in America. And while it has the ability to tackle any job put under its edge, it is truly made to be a collector’s knife.
CRKT Outrage (Run of 300 for the BLADE SHOW)
Spartan Blades Phrike (Made upon order)
