Joe Kertzman's Blog

The December 2010 issue of BLADE Magazine is devoted entirely, from front to back, to our fighting men and women serving in the military. Find out what knives they’re using, how, where and why, learn about standard-issue military pieces, what makers are fashioning war knives for whom, which manufacturers specialize in the genre, and read real-life stories about our soldiers, interviews with our soldiers and stories written for our soldiers. They all like to tell about their favorite carry knives, and the photos of them on location “somewhere in Iraq, Afghanistan or …. ” are fascinating.

It’s the only knife magazine ever printed that is entirely devoted to the military.

It’s the best tribute BLADE could pay to our men and women in uniform, and the staff of BLADE Magazine was humbled to be able to do so. Here’s to our fighting men and women. See the December 2010 issue, on newsstands and hitting subscribers’ doorsteps on September 14th.

Looking a year in advance, the Board of the American Bladesmith Society voted to double the size of the 2012 Knife Expo to include an amazing assemblance of ABS Bladesmiths. In addition to that the Expo will have seminars going on and displays of historic knives from legends like Scagel.

 The Board has also approved a measure to allow ABS Master and Journeyman Smith applicants to present their five knives for judging in San Antonio. This is NOT in place of the official testing at the BLADE Show, which will remain the testing grounds, but will be the first year that applicants will be judged outside of the BLADE Show. The Knife Expo is setting up a special testing section where the applicants for Journeyman and Master Smith can display and sell their knives.  

The Expo has moved back to it’s old time slot of late January.  

See the complete lineup of bladesmiths planning to exhibit at the 2012 Knife Expo by clicking here: http://www.absknifeexpo.com/exhibitors.htm.

SOG® Tools was featured on Discovery Channel’s Unchained Reaction, a new show from the hosts of MythBusters.

The hosts chose SOG to be part of the Jack of All Trades episode, which originally aired April 15, 2012 at 10 p.m. EST.

Unchained Reaction is a new series executive produced and judged by Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman of MythBusters. The show pits two teams of varying backgrounds against each other to build an elaborate chain reaction contraption. In this Sunday’s episode, a team of designers and a team of construction workers square off to build the most impressive multi-step machines using the theme of “tools.” SOG provided the teams with a wide array of tools to use during the episode, including the Hand Axe, Double Headed Axe, FastHawk, Tomahawk, Pocket PowerPlier, PowerLock and the PowerAssist.

SOG was founded in 1986 by Spencer Frazer, a former R&D tool and die maker for the Top Secret Black Projects Division of the aerospace defense industry. SOG’s name was inspired by elite joint services military unit – the Studies and Observation Group – formed in advance of the Vietnam War to conduct covert operations and authorized to develop and purchase their own weapons.

Click here to browse BLADE-approved knives and tools at ShopBlade.com.

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.