The BLADE Blogs Archives

New BLADE® Hits Newsstands Today!

Steve Shackleford

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November 5, 2013

The new BLADE® is on newsstands now! Get the latest on knives for Veterans Day, the coolest factory assisted-opening knives, knife tests, knifemaker profiles and much more with newest edition of the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication.

Sporting the Condor Tool & Knife (CTK) Tactical Rescue Tomahawk (TRT) on the cover—the first time ever that an edged tool from CTK has appeared on the cover of BLADE®—the latest issue includes the TRT among four hawks tested by writer James Ayres.

It was almost 10 years ago this month that knifemaker Rob Simonich was killed in a vehicle accident. Join Dexter Ewing as he interviews those who knew and loved Rob—including Mrs. Christine Simonich, knifemaker Jerry Hossom, Mike Fuller of TOPS Knives, knifemaker Tom Mayo and others. Those who remember Rob will relish the story, and those who don’t get the chance to acquaint themselves with a man who touched the lives of many—and continues to to this day.

We often get letters from readers who want more on sheaths, and this issue ABS master smith Ed Fowler begins a multi-part story on how he makes the sheaths for his knives. Known far and wide for his sheep-handle knives with 52100 blades, Ed also makes one of the best pouch sheaths going. He shows you how he does it in part one of “Sheath How-To Step-By-Step.”

Part two of the story on the top makers in the 40 years of BLADE® focuses on the cream of the cutlery crop from 1989-2000. It was yet another golden age of knifemaking. Check out the top makers over that span as identified by our panel of edged experts. Tell us who we left out—because it’s impossible to do such a list and not leave someone out.

There’s much more in the issue—but the best way we know to tell you about it is to tell you to go get the latest issue on newsstands. Or, if you want it faster, subscribe to BLADE® digitally by visiting http://www.shopblade.com/blade-1-yr-digital-subscription

American Bladesmith Society Announces 2014 Hammer-In Schedule

Joe Kertzman

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November 1, 2013

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American Bladesmith Society Announces 2014 Hammer-In Schedule

One of the things that makes the knife industry such a pleasure to be involved with is artisans, bladesmiths and knifemakers in general sharing their knowledge, teaching people their craft and passing down the handcraft from generation to generation.

Some of the best at this are the members of the American Bladesmith Society, as well, of course, as those in the Knifemakers’ Guild and countless other knife clubs and organizations. The ABS claims to have had record attendance at its hammer-ins across the country in 2013, and has already announced its 2014 Hammer-In Schedule. Click here for a Complete Knifemaking Collection of books and digital downloads to get you started in your knifemaking endeavors. And without further ado:

ABS Hammer In Schedule for 2014

March 7, 8, and 9, 2014
Spring Great Smoky Mountain Hammer-In
Haywood Community College, Clyde, North Carolina
ABS Contact – Bill Wiggins (828) 226-2551 or Email [email protected]

April 26 and 27, 2014
Spring Piney Woods Hammer In
Texarkana College – Moran School of Bladesmithing, Washington, Arkansas
ABS Contact – BR Hughes (903) 838-0134 or Email [email protected]

June 2014
ABS Youth Hammer-In
Smoky Mountain Knife Works, Sevierville, Tennessee
ABS Contact – Houston Price (865) 397-0053 or Email [email protected]

July 11, 12, and 13, 2014
New England Hammer-In
New England School of Metalwork, Auburn, Maine
ABS Contact – Mace Vitale (203) 457-5591 or Email [email protected]

August 22, 23, and 24, 2014
Mid America Hammer-In
Miami County Fairgrounds, Troy, Ohio
ABS Contact – Butch Sheely (419) 832-5801 or Email [email protected]

September 13 and 14, 2014
Fall Piney Woods Hammer-In
Texarkana College – Moran School of Bladesmithing, Washington, Arkansas
ABS Contact – BR Hughes (903) 838-0134 or Email [email protected]

October 4 and 5, 2014
Heartland Hammer-In
Washburn Institute of Technology, Topeka, Kansas
ABS Contact – Steve Culver (785) 484-0146 or Email [email protected]

October 2014
California Hammer-In
College of the Sequoias, Tulare, California
ABS Contact – Mike Vagnino (559) 636-0501 or Email [email protected]

October 18 and 19, 2014
Smoky Mountain Fall Hammer-In
Haywood Community College, Clyde, North Carolina
ABS Contact – Bill Wiggins (828) 226-2551 or Email [email protected]

Ohio Classic Knife Show Starts at 1 p.m. Today

Steve Shackleford

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October 18, 2013

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Ohio Classic Knife Show Starts at 1 p.m. Today

The Ohio Classic Knife Show hopes to build on the momentum of recent knife shows as it holds its annual event today and tomorrow.

Both the California Custom Knife Show held this past weekend and the Knifemakers’ Guild Show held last month were successes by a number of accounts, and the Ohio Classic hopes to build off their momentum as well as some of its own.

For instance, purveyor/collect Jon Ukman noted of the Cal show, “It was outstanding! I bought about 70 knives—and that is a good show.” Purveyor Dave Stark of Steel Addiction Custom Knives also had words of praise for the Cal show. Meanwhile, ABS bladesmith Johnny Perry, who helped display a collection of Bill Moran knives for the Moran Foundation at the Knifemakers’ Guild Show last month, said the Guild Show was a good one as well.

Held at the Pritchard-Laughlin Civic Center in Cambridge, Ohio, the Ohio Classic runs from 1 o’clock this afternoon until 7 tonight, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow. In addition to some of the custom industry’s top makers, the show will include some leading factory knife exhibitors and also a cutting competition tomorrow. In addition, Jeff Fournier from Mule Team Canvas will give a demo on canvas dying.

Exhibiting knifemakers include Tom Downing, Blind Horse Knives, Ryan Daniels of Queen Cutlery, Phillip Booth, Wayne Hensley, Pete Crowl, Andrew Demko, George Trout, Mickey Yurco, Greg Gottschalk, W.C. Johnson, James Downs, Thad Yeater, Gary Wheeler, BLADE® field editor Kim Breed, Lon Humphrey, Craig Steketee, Mark Carey of Spartan Blades, Bill Behnke and many others. Also exhibiting will be Charles Turnage of Turnage Productions, photographer Terrill Hoffman, purveyor Jerry Schroeder, Pop’s Knives and Supplies, Brad Vice of Alabama Damascus, Brad Stallsmith of Peters Heat Treat and many others.

For more information visit www.ohioknifeshow.com.

For the latest knives, knife news and more, keep an edge on it with www.blademag.com (www.blademag.com).

It’s a Hard-Use Knife

Joe Kertzman

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October 16, 2013

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I don’t generally abuse knives. Though I do fish, camp, hike and ski whenever I get the chance, using knives hard and putting them away wet is pretty unusual for me. The hardest I ever used/abused a knife was out in the horse pasture, and I laugh about that.

It had been a long day. I’m also not the “horse person” in my family. That would be my wife, and I wasn’t thrilled to be replacing fence posts, a job I’ve since become accustomed to yearly. Anyway, I was tired. Did I mention I’m an editor and writer? And I needed to cut some high-tensile electric wire (the fence was unplugged at the time—at least I had that right). I didn’t have a wire cutter on me, and the garage had to be at least 50 yards away. I pulled out my serrated Spyderco folder. The model escapes me, but it was a good knife, pocket clip, one-hand opener, lockback, the works. I figured the serrated blade could cut the wire, and cut the wire it did. The thick wire also chipped a blade serration, but it was well worth saving a trip to the garage. I cut several more wires that day with the Spyderco, and by the time I was done for the day, the blade looked like a toothless mountain model rather than a big-city blade. Oh well, there were more knives in the drawer, and that Spyderco holds a place of honor among them, though missing a few teeth.

What’s the hardest you ever abused a knife? Need a new one, click here, or just share your story with BLADE and KnifeForums users.

Enter KA-BAR’s Pumpkin Carving Contest

Steve Shackleford

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October 15, 2013

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Break out your favorite KA-BAR knife, grab a pumpkin and commence to carving—it’s time for KA-BAR’s third annual Pumpkin Carving Contest!

The winner will receive a free KA-BAR knife. The contest runs through Halloween, Oct. 31.

Using your favorite KA-BAR knife, carve a pumpkin and photograph the result. The photograph must also include the KA-BAR knife you used to do the carving. Upload the image to any of the KA-BAR social media channels—see below for a list of them—and you are officially entered.

Since you’ll need to upload the shot, you’ll need to use a digital camera. If you don’t have a digital camera, borrow one from a friend, or shoot a print and have a friend scan the image and upload it for you.

Be sure to follow all standard safety procedures when carving, including using a sharp knife—to ensure it’s sharp, touch the edge up beforehand—and when carving, cut AWAY from you and anyone else in the vicinity. You might even want to keep a box of bandages and other medicinal items on hand while you carve. You never can tell when you might get a bit klutzy (hey, it happens to all of us from time to time, right?).

If you have any questions about rules, eligibility, etc., contact [email protected]. They will be happy to help.

KA-BAR social media channels include https://www.facebook.com/KABARKNIVES and

https://twitter.com/KA_BAR

https://plus.google.com/u/0/108773739377759118633/posts

For the latest knives, knife news and more, keep it at www.blademag.com (www.blademag.com).

And happy trick or treating and Happy Halloween!

New BLADE Says Boo! on Newsstands Now!

Steve Shackleford

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October 8, 2013

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D.B. Fraley’s Torrent 5.0 “Grim Reaper” says boo to you on the cover of the latest BLADE® (www.blademag.com), on most newsstands TODAY!

Sporting extensive gold-inlay by engraver C.J. Cai in a fitting Halloween motif, the big flipper folder was five years in the planning and completion stages and its owner, Jon Ukman, is thrilled with the spooky result.

Elsewhere in the new BLADE (www.blademag.com):

•Discover which is best for you—a hunting knife that folds or is fixed—and why;

•See who our expert panel selects as the top 14 makers of the Golden Age of Modern Custom Knifemaking;

•Choose from a gaggle of top factory or custom slicing knives for that holiday turkey or ham;

•Learn whether the “Agent” by Jonathan Mcnees can pass the “steel-door-can-opening” test;

•Know a top traditional folder when you see it through “What To Look For in the Best Slip Joints”;

•Sample the top annual hammer-forged knives of the American Bladesmith Society as named at the 2013 BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) & Living Ready Expo;

•Read how collectors’ custom knives almost caused at least one divorce;

•Experience the week-long festivities of the Buck Collectors Club’s 25^th Anniversary Celebration in concert with Buck Knives;

•Follow the chops, cuts, slices and other blade-performance derring-do of the 11^th Annual BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) World Championship Cutting Competition;

•Learn what it takes to get started making tomahawks;

•Check out the latest knives, including the new bushcraft fixed-blade design for Colonial by Abe Elias, in “What’s New”;

•Absorb 3 keys to functional sheaths;

•Get the lowdown on makers Ron Appleton, Peter Rassenti, Ryan Lemaire, Patrick Randall, Rusty Waide and Robert Weinstock in “Knifemaker Showcase”;

•Also: see what the next knife show is nearest you; what to look for in the next issue; and much more, all in the January 2014 BLADE (www.blademag.com).

For the latest knives and knife news, stay glued to www.blademag.com.

Innovative Knives

Joe Kertzman

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October 2, 2013

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Congratulations to Michael Vagnino for winning the 2014 Wooden Sword award, given out to one custom knifemaker each year on page 7 of the KNIVES annual book. The yearly prize (no trophy, just recognition via top placement and imagery in the book) is awarded to a knifemaker for his or her work that stands out from the thousands of images that pour in annually for consideration.

As noted in the book where his innovative knives are pictured:

“Michael Vagnino has busied himself most recently with “Convertible Lock-Back Push Daggers.” Yes, that’s correct, he’s fashioning handmade knives that convert from a lock-back fixed-blade position to a locked push dagger and back again. The models shown here sport 3.875-inch blades, one in CPM-154 stainless steel and the other Wootz steel, the former combined with an antique tortoise shell handle, and the latter in black-lip mother-of-pearl. The maker engraved the 416 stainless steel bolsters, and since the push daggers covert to fixed blades, Paul Long sheaths were necessary as fashionable carry options.

For all he has brought to the knifemaking table the past few years, his innovation, talent, all-around good vibes, and for these particularly striking examples of his work, the Knives 2014 Wooden Sword Award goes to Michael Vagnino. Congratulations, Michael, and keep up the good work.”

Click here to reserve your copy of KNIVES 2014.

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Rebooting Collections Works Wonders

27 Star-Spangled, Flag-Waving Knives That Cut Great

Was “Forged In Fire” a Scapegoat For The Cohoes Fire?

10 Family Gift Knives Sport Holiday Spirit

New BLADE® Hits Newsstands Today!

American Bladesmith Society Announces 2014 Hammer-In Schedule

Ohio Classic Knife Show Starts at 1 p.m. Today

It’s a Hard-Use Knife

Enter KA-BAR’s Pumpkin Carving Contest

New BLADE Says Boo! on Newsstands Now!

Innovative Knives

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