Joe Kertzman's Blog

F+W Media, Inc./BLADE® Magazine announced today the acquisition of Knifeforums.com, a premier online community for knife, firearms and outdoors enthusiasts. The acquisition complements the company’s current firearms, knives and outdoors communities, adding actively engaged enthusiasts who connect through Knifeforums.com’s highly trafficked web forums to its industry leading brands, including BLADE magazine, shopblade.com and the BLADE Show.

With this acquisition, F+W Media announces Jim Nowka, founder of Knifeforums.com, will join the company as associate publisher focused on developing content, engaging conversation, and building audience in the area of survival and disaster preparedness. Online forums, education, e-books and print books, as well as seminars at the BLADE Show & International Cutlery Fair, are in development now, led by Nowka together with the F+W Media team.

“Knifeforums.com has been a leading online resource for everyone who makes and appreciates great knives for nearly 15 years. It’s exciting to invite our Blade Magazine customers to their communities, and vice versa,” said David Blansfield, President, F+W Media. “And having Jim Nowka on the F+W team is a ‘win-win’ for everyone, for us and our customers. We’re excited to be working together to offer up new and improved products and services to people who are keenly interested in not just knives and firearms but disaster readiness as well.”

“Partnering Knifeforums with Blade magazine will benefit both parties,” said Nowka. “Knifeforums will now have access to the editorial resources of the BLADE and Gun Digest brands, while the editors can engage directly with our forums’ communities. This coming-together will help us provide the information resources current and future customers need. Expanding our interests further into survival and disaster preparedness will be a big-plus too.” Nowka is formerly an advisor to the Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command (CFSOCC-A) and is recognized as an expert in scenario planning and disaster readiness.

The Firearms, Knives, and Outdoors Communities at F+W includes: BLADE Magazine; the Blade Show & International Cutlery Fair, held every June in Atlanta, GA; Gun Digest magazine; Tactical Gear Magazine; Gun Digest Books; and ecommerce stores GunDigestStore.com and ShopBlade.com. Knifeforums.com brings a broad range of topics to the community – outdoor cooking, kitchen cutlery, survival and disaster preparedness. For more than 35 years, Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine has provided serious whitetail hunters with practical and comprehensive information about deer and deer behavior to make them better hunters. The popularity of the magazine led to the launch of two television programs – Deer & Deer Hunting TV (now in its 7th season on Versus) and the newest release Land of Whitetail (appearing on The Pursuit Network).

A special SOG Arcitech will be won by a current American Knife & Tool Institute member during a drawing at the SOG Specialty Knives & Tools booth on Tuesday during the SHOT Show in Las Vegas.

In the midst of a busy SHOT Show schedule in Las Vegas, members of the AKTI will gather at the SOG booth #425 on Tuesday, January 18th for a special event.

SOG spokesperson, R. Lee “Gunny” Ermery will be signing autographs in the SOG booth on Tuesday and will pull the lucky winning name for a special AKTI SOG Arcitech knife at 4:00 p.m. 

Individual members who renewed or joined AKTI between May 15, 2010 and December 30, 2010 are eligible to win the special 3-1/2-inch-blade collectible folder generously donated by SOG.  The laminated steel blade is etched with “AKTI.”

“SOG supports AKTI and its efforts to promote knife rights education amongst the industry, our consumers and our legislators.  The collaborative efforts that AKTI facilitates are a unique benefit to our industry and have produced outstanding results,” noted Spencer Frazer, SOG President, a member of the AKTI advisory board.

CAS Hanwei reports that its factory in Dalian, Northeast China, sustained significant damage in a fire on March 6th. The damage was limited to buildings, equipment and parts inventory, and no personal injuries were involved. A full assessment of the damage and its effect on product supply is not yet available, but plans are being made to resume production as soon as possible. 

CAS has stock of most of the products in its current line, but there is likely to be some disruption in the supply of some items, particularly new products. The knife and sword company will be keeping its customers advised about possible shortages and delivery delays as more information becomes available.