The BLADE Blogs

The blogs of the BLADE editors, Steve Shackleford and Erin Healy.

How to Sharpen a Knife

It doesn’t matter if you’re a hunter, outdoorsman, knife enthusiast, collector or even an experienced survivalist or do-it-yourselfer, learning the basics of knife sharpening often takes a backseat to more pressing matters. It’s a question on everyone’s mind—What’s the fastest, easiest way for me to sharpen a knife, and what’s the best sharpener on the market? Unfortunately, there’s no one right answer, but through researched and developed, step-by-step articles on knife sharpening, we’ve made it easy for anyone to learn the basics, and even some of the more involved methods of honing blades.V8724

The “Sharpen A Knife & Care For A Collection” digital download is an easy-to-navigate, read and enjoy eBook.  This digital guide is a PDF file you download and access with any home computer, lap top or digital device with the Adobe Reader program installed. In this guide you’ll find 11 chapters covering various facets of knife care and sharpening, written by noted knife industry experts, including Dexter Ewing, Durwood Hollis and James Morgan Ayres.

Here’s an excerpt:

It’s one of the oldest methods of honing a blade bevel, the most traditional, conjuring up images of ancestors, grandparents, even Japanese bladesmiths working edges on whetstones or oilstones, fingers blackened from the grit. Stone remains a popular sharpening medium. It might not be the Stone Age, but you would hardly know it by perusing the rock-hard offerings of knife or knife sharpener and accessory companies.Sharpener01

Unlike traditional stones bought for pennies apiece at the old hardware store, the Smith’s 2-Stone Sharpening Kit (www.smithsproducts.com) comes with a 5-inch, medium-grit stone, a 4-inch fine Arkansas stone, honing solution and a sharpening guide. The medium-grit stone, meant for quickly setting an edge, comes mounted on a molded-plastic base that features a built-in storage area at the bottom for holding the fine Arkansas stone, the latter of which is ideal for finishing or polishing an edge. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP): $15.99.

“It is everything you need to put a razor-sharp edge on your large or small knives and tools,” Richard Smith says. “The neat thing about this kit is that, although you get two stones, they only take up the space of one bench-mounted stone. I never lose the fine stone because it’s always stored in the base, and it allows me to take the fine stone into the field with me if needed.”DMT-W6EFC

Click here for more, and enjoy!

 

Knifemaker Phil Boguszewski Passes Away

Long-time knifemaker Phil Boguszewski, one of the world’s leading crafters of cool, smooth-operating custom folders, has passed away.

A resident of Lakewood, Washington, Boguszewski was known for such folders as his “Spike” and, later, the “Cobra.” In the July 2013 BLADE® Magazine, a panel of veteran industry observers chose the Cobra as the top custom knife for the years 2001-2012.

A full-time knifemaker, Boguszewski sold his first knife in 1979. According to “Phil Boguszewski: Folding Knife Specialist” in the May/June 1988 issue of BLADE, the first 40 knives he made were all folders. He specialized in utility folding knives, including those in the latest materials, filework and slick mechanisms. He joined the Knifemakers’ Guild as a probationary member in 1984 and became a voting member in 1986.

Author of some of the world's smoothest flipper folders, knifemaker Phil Boguszewski has passed away. (Point Seven photo)
Knifemaker Phil Boguszewski, crafter of the some of the world’s best flipper folders, has passed away. (Point Seven photo)

His folders were highly sought after and sold for anywhere from $550 to $3,000 each—and he rarely if ever had trouble selling them. He was a regular at such exclusive knife shows as the Tactical Invitational and others.

“Phil was an amazing, innovating man,” began Larry Brahms of BladeArt.com. “I guess he is best known for the incredible smoothness and fluidity of his flipper folders, specifically the Cobra, a smoothness that really set the standard for what has become a mainstay in a knifemaker’s stable.

“He really is a legend in his own right and our community will miss him.”

Of Boguszewski’s Cobra, purveyor Les Robertson of Robertson’s Custom Cutlery noted, “With its recurve blade, handle that fits like a glove and that signature smooth opening, it is always a sought-after knife. Phil set the standard for all other makers wanting to build a knife with a flipper opener.” Added Neil Ostroff of True North Knives, “The Cobra excels for its durability as Phil’s best-selling knife.”

For the latest on the hottest knives, knifemakers and more, stay tuned to www.blademag.com.

 

Cutting Critique: Spyderco Persistence

Consider the Spyderco Persistence—a small knife that cuts like a bigger one.
The Spyderco Persistence is a small knife that cuts like a bigger one and gets the once-over in our “Cutting Critique.”

The Spyderco Persistence is one of those compact cutting knives you may or may not like—depending on your tastes in general and how the knife fits your hand.

I have a medium-size hand and if I hold the handle in the standard grip, half of my little finger overlaps the butt. That’s bordering on too small for me.

However, for detail or draw cuts where I place my finger atop the blade spine, the fit is just about perfect. The 2.75-inch blade is 1.25 inches at its widest and tapers quickly to the point. Under 3 inches in blade length is a good thing in terms of many legal length limits. (Be sure to check your local and other pertinent knife laws.)

The G-10 handle material is good and solid and provides a nice abrasive-type feel for sure gripping for most any type of cutting.

The clip is reversible for tip up or tip down right-hand carry.

The plain-edge blade of 8Cr13MoV stainless steel out of the box is razor sharp and is a cutting moose. I like the blade shape, which is along the lines of the Spyderco Caly I carry on a regular basis.

The Michael Walker LinerLock@ is nice and tight and has a good spring to it that makes you work just a bit—though not too much—to push it open. I like that because it reinforces the notion that the lock will not disengage easily—always a good thing.

The Persistence is one of Spyderco’s knives made in China, and as many industry observers are noting, the Chinese are getting better and better at making knives—and the Persistence is an excellent example of this improvement.

At 4 ounces the Persistence may seem a bit heavy to some for a knife of its size (4.125-inch closed length), but not me. I like the overall weight and feel. It’s a small knife that cuts like a bigger one.

For more info on how to get your Persistence, click on www.shopblade.com/persistence-black-g-10-plainedge-w8476?lid=ssfbbl070313

“Art of the Knife” Starts July 10

The Art of the Knife, an exploration of the history of the handmade knife as a tool of value in both function and aesthetics, will run July 10 through Aug. 18 at the Guilford Art Center in Guilford, Connecticut.

Mace Vitale, a journeyman smith in the American Bladesmith Society and also a blacksmith and coppersmith, will jury the invitational event. An awarding-winning bladesmith and a regular exhibitor at the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo (www.blademag.com), he also serves as an instructor at the Guilford Art Center.

Juried by ABS master smith Mace Vitale, maker of this damascus dagger, the Art of the Knife will run July 10-Aug. 18.
Mace Vitale, maker of this damascus dagger, will jury the Art of the Knife exhibit beginning July 10.), Vitale also serves as an instructor at the Guilford Art Center.

Vitale started out working with his father in a pre-cast concrete business that specialized in architectural reproduction. Mace learned a lot from his dad, from how to use tools to “how to make something from nothing.”

Mace bounced from job to job after the family business closed in the 1990s until he found work as a coppersmith. “Its effect on me was less than subtle,” he writes on his website. “I was hooked!”

 

He attended a blacksmithing class at the Guilford Art Center and subsequently found out about the ABS. He took the ABS “Introduction fo Bladesmithing” class and has been making knives ever since, obtaining his ABS journeyman smith stamp in 2006.

 

“I pride myself on my attention to detail,” he observed. “The way I see things, the only way I’ll possibly be able to garner a customer’s satisfaction is through my own satisfaction. I fashion everything I make as if it will be my own.”

 

The opening reception for the exhibit will be Wednesday, July 10, from 5 to 7 p.m. It is free to the public, as is admission to the exhibit. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m.

New Alliance Foundation sponsors the exhibit in part.

For more information contact the Guilford Art Center 203-453-5947 or visit www.guilfordartcenter.org.

What Are The Best EDC Knives?

Lately I’ve been carrying a Gerber Bear Grylls clip-point, lockback folder. I love the feel of the rubber handle inserts, and I’ve gotta tell ya, the black and orange combo just looks cool. But this isn’t about me. It’s about what knife industry professionals say are selling, being carried, receiving positive feedback and working well as EDC’s.

Carajas duoI recently interviewed a few industry pros, and following is an excerpt from what they had to say. To read the entire article, see the September 2013 issue of BLADE® on newsstands now, or subscribe to BLADE by clicking here. For more EDC knife options, click here.

“You could poll 10 people and have 10 different opinions on what the ideal EDC knife is,” suggests Dan Weidner of Boker USA. “A construction worker is not going to select what an office worker or traveling salesperson carries, and a first responder won’t choose what an outdoorsman wants.Cover

“Most folks have a few EDC knives,” he adds. “I carry the Boker Plus Damascus Gent II to the office. It does everything I need during the day, feels good in my pocket, is easily accessible, and when a visitor arrives, I have a beauty that I can say, ‘Look what I have.’ After all, at the end of the day we like to show off what we carry.”

What the Damascus Gent II locking-liner folder (this issue’s cover knife) has to show off is a 2.75-inch, 67-layer-damascus, drop-point blade, ebony handle scales, dual thumb studs and a detachable pocket clip. Weighing 1.6 ounces, its manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) is $89.95.

“It’s just a classy looking knife, and the damascus blade and ebony handle blend into artistic cutlery,” Weidner comments. “When it comes to packing for a hike into the Rockies, it goes on top of the dresser and out comes a more formidable piece that can handle rugged duty. Yard work calls for good old-fashioned high carbon steel, sharp as can be, with a totally blackened blade. SAK_0_9410_3__S1

“It’s this chameleon EDC change-up that keeps the industry rolling!” Weidner concludes. “I think most will agree, there is no best EDC material that covers all bases.”

Rob Sterner, senior vice president of sales for Swiss Army Knives, says the Victorinox Hunter Pro Folding Blade has been designed to meet the needs of the serious hunter, as well as the general outdoors enthusiast, making it a versatile knife. “For the first time, we have incorporated the blade steel from our professional knives, which we’ve provided to the slaughterhouse and meat-packing industries since 1884,” he explains.Case 1 WHIT

To read the entire article, see the September 2013 issue of BLADE® on newsstands now, or subscribe to BLADE by clicking here.

ABS Youth Hammer-In at SMKW June 28-30

The American Bladesmith Society (ABS) Youth Hammer-In will be held Friday through Sunday, June 28-30, at Smoky Mountain Knife Works in Sevierville, Tennessee.

Youths from all over the country will descend on Sevierville to learn how to forge a knife under the expert direction of ABS master, journeyman and apprentice smiths. Safety is always the No. 1 concern when forging, and that concern is magnified when children are involved. The ABS has an exemplary record in this regard, and its bladesmiths/teachers are among the finest in the world. Leather shoes or work boots (no tennis shoes), cotton shirts and long cotton pants, work apron and leather work gloves will be the uniform of the day. Safety glasses will be provided. Feel free to bring your favorite hammer and tongs.

Classes will include safety talks, forging demos, hand finishing techniques, a chalk talk on handles and guards, individual instruction on the anvil and more. Lunch and dinner will be provided.

The hammer-in is open to participants ages 9 to 18 who are accompanied by a parent or guardian. Registration fee is $65.

While there, the kids and their parents/guardians can tour Smoky Mountain Knife Works (SMKW), one of if not the world’s largest retail knife stores. The latest in knives, sharpeners, knife accessories, displays, knife maintenance kits, tomahawks, swords and everything that has to do with cut are on display and for sale.

SMKW is also home to the National Knife Museum, which houses an incredible array of antique pocketknives, custom knives, swords and much more. Tour the facility’s historical displays to learn all about the history of man’s oldest tool in a modern, air-conditioned environment.

For more information on the ABS Youth Hammer-In, contact BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© (www.blademag.com) member Houston Price 865-397-0053 choustonprice.att.net or visit www.americanbladesmith.com.

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

ABS journeyman smith Wes Byrd instructs young students on the art of the forged blade at a past ABS youth hammer-in.
ABS journeyman smith Wes Byrd instructs youngsters at a past ABS Youth Hammer-In.

New Measure Will Revamp Alaska Knife Law

With the stroke of a pen, Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell has signed a new measure known as HB33 that will result in sweeping reform of Alaskan knife law.

Northern Knives retail knife store in ??????, Alaska, will be among the many who benefit from Alaska's sweeping new knife reform law. (Northern Knives photo)
Ray Thibault, owner of Northern Knives in Anchorage, Alaska, was among those who witnessed the signing of Alaska’s sweeping new knife law. (Northern Knives photo)

The new law will go into effect Sept. 18. Until then, however, existing Alaska knife laws remain in place.

According to Knife Rights, HB33 will legalize the possession, transfer and carry of automatic knives, aka switchblades, and also enact knife law pre-emption, which repeals all local knife laws and prevents new ones from being enacted—in this case, in Alaska.

Alaska will become the 7th state to enact knife law pre-emption, Knife Rights reported.

The new law will be particularly beneficial to the state’s outdoor and hunting industries, both of which rely heavily on hunters and outdoors people—and most hunters and many who spend time outdoors use and carry knives.

Knife law pre-emption, meanwhile, prevents the oppressive practice used by many towns, cities and counties within states whereby the knife laws are contradictory and you may literally be legal, illegal and then legal again when you carry a knife and pass from town to city to county.

Gov. Parnell invited Todd Rathner, Knife Rights director of legislative affairs, to the signing ceremony in Palmer, Alaska. Also in attendance were Ray Thibault of Northern Knives retail knife store, Sen. Charlie Huggins, HB33 Sponsor Rep. Mark Neuman, House Speaker Rep. Mike Chenault, Rep. Wes Keller and Rep. Bill Stoltze.

For more information on the new law and pro-knife laws in general, contact Knife Rights and/or stay tuned to www.blademag.com.

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