Inspired by pieces designed and made by BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Bill Scagel, the grandfather of the custom knife industry, the Scagel Knives brand includes a line of production/factory knives in the style of Scagel. This superior style of knife design can be seen in this fantastic Sambar Stag Hunter.
The Spyderco Ambitious is advertised as a small (3.5 inches closed) palm-sized workhorse offering big performance in a compact knife package. It definitely fits in my palm—in fact, with my hand being perhaps a tad larger than medium-sized for an adult male, it swallows the G-10 handle completely. Ergo, fully grasped, the butt is a good inch shy of the end of my palm. This is a tad small for my tastes, but then the Ambitious comes as advertised.
The Spyderco Ambitious makes a cool lady’s or gent’s knife.
The edge of the 2.25-inch, flat-ground, 8Cr13MoV stainless blade is razor sharp out of the box, effortlessly slicing stationery, shaving hair and cutting cardboard with authority. It also digs into wood aggressively and makes a handy pencil sharpener if you’re in need of one, the small handle ideal for a three-finger grip that enables you to exert cutting pressure in the “little whittles” needed to sharpen something as small as a pencil. Though short, the blade is wide enough (1.25 inches at its widest) to handle larger cutting jobs, with a jimped area on the ramp to place your thumb for cuts that might take more bearing down.
The blade opens and closes off a Michael Walker LinerLock™ that, despite the knife’s small size, operates smoothly and securely after a little practice. A reversible clip runs about two-thirds the length of the small contoured handle. An integral guard offers some protection from the hand running onto the blade, though I would like to see a bit more downward lip on it to enhance that protection.
One of Spyderco’s models made in China, the Ambitious is yet another example of just how good the Chinese are getting at making quality knives that cut extremely well. Though compact, the Ambitious is solidly built and makes a great gent’s knife, backup piece or lady’s knife. ShopBlade’s price: $35.96—you save 35 percent! For more, visit http://www.shopblade.com/ambitious-black-g-10-plainedge-w8477?lid=ssfbbl082013.
A CITES meeting that could determine whether there will be a world ivory ban begins Sept. 24 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The 17th annual meeting of the CITES Conference of Parties is set to run through Oct. 5 and will include individuals and organizations around the globe who are for or against a world ivory ban, as well as a ban on ancient and other ivories. CITES stands for “Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora,” and is “an international agreement among governments … to ensure international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.”
Elephant Protection Association officials indicate they expect animal rights groups to push for terminating “sustainable use” as a means of conserving any listed or endangered wildlife, which includes elephants and the trade of ivory. For U.S. owners of legal elephant ivory, this could at the very least mean losing the narrow “De Minimis Exception” in the recent Federal Domestic Ivory Ban instituted in July. Though it allows an extremely low amount of per-person trade in elephant ivory, the De Minimis Exception does allow some of it.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) fighting for a worldwide elephant ivory ban want CITES to list all African elephants on Appendix I. If the NGOs are successful, it will lead to even more pressure on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to list all elephants as endangered, too. According to the Elephant Protection Association, the FWS has indicated that if CITES puts elephants on the endangered list, FWS would abolish the De Minimis Exception. But that’s not all.
The Elephant Protection Association’s Rob Mitchell reports that the petition to declare elephants endangered is already under review. “I don’t know low long before they will reach a final determination, but it won’t surprise me one bit if they try to time it to coincide with [the Sept. 24-Oct. 5 meeting],” he notes. In fact, “FWS could make the determination even if CITES does not list all elephants on Appendix I.”
For more information, stay tuned to www.elephantprotection.org. (Editor’s note: The Elephant Protection Association is building a new website. You also can stay updated on elephant ivory news by watching videos from The Conservation Imperative on the Association’s Facebook page.)
Samuel E. Polk, former CEO of LATAMA (Latin American Import Export Company), passed away Nov. 5.
With his father, they revived the switchblade knife traditions of Italy through the development of LATAMA. Polk took over as CEO of the company in 1947, and set up shop in New York City. The move brought the classic Italian stiletto switchblade to American shores.
Knife Showcase member Walter Halucha, who heads the LATAMA brand now, sent this Polk tribute to Knife Showcase. (Polk is third from right with the glasses, Polincovsky is to the left of him with the black jacket.)
Benchmade Knife Company is proud to announce new partnerships with three custom designers: Butch Ball, Paul W. Poehlmann, and Bill Harsey, Jr. Their world-class custom designs and innovative ideas will allow Benchmade to discover the newest locking mechanisms, modern materials, and custom finishing techniques.
Butch Ball grew up with a fascination of knives and began building his own knives in a machine shop in Florida. In 2001, he built his own shop in Virginia, where he currently resides.
The first Benchmade-Ball collaboration knife will be the new Harley-Davidson® 13450 T-Rod™. This knife is a push button, two-position knife that can be either a fixed blade or a dagger. Featuring a modified clip point 440C stainless steel blade and aluminum handles, this knife also includes a black leather sheath. MSRP $120.
Paul W. Poehlmann is a skilled custom knife maker and designer of mechanical solutions. He draws on an engineering career in the aeronautical industry where he designed escape system hardware and survival equipment. Poehlmann’s passion for precision has resulted in some of the smoothest and safest folding knives ever made. He invented the Paul® axial locking mechanism and holds over forty utility patents and two design patents.
The new Axial™ series of knives will be released within the Benchmade product line. These knives all feature the Paul® locking mechanism and are available in a variety of sizes and handle materials, including G10, Carbon Fiber, Cocobolo and Ivory Micarta.
Finally, Oregonian Bill Harsey Jr. is an award-winning knife maker and designer. Known for his unique ergonomic designs, he has crafted many one-of-a-kind folding and fixed blade knives that have become the preferred edged tools of several Special Forces units.
The 3800 NTK™ is the new Benchmade-Harsey collaboration featuring a double action locking liner automatic mechanism, D2 tool blade steel and Nylon handle with textured Kraton®.
“I am excited to add three very talented custom designers to the Benchmade team,” says Les de Asis, Founder and CEO of Benchmade Knife Company. “These additions will help Benchmade continue to create the most innovative and functional designs in the industry.”
All of these new knives will be officially released in January at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas, NV.
The hottest knives of the hottest summer are here—and nobody covers them like the latest issue of BLADE®, on newsstands NOW!
The hottest knives of the hottest summer are here—and BLADE®’s got ’em!
It’s summer vacation time and you need to know which knives to take—and not to take—whether you’re hitting the beach, camping, traveling overseas or what have you. Daniel Jackson shows you the way in “National Knife Vacation.”
Speaking of camp knives, BLADE field editor Kim Breed tests two bodacious fixed blades of 5160 carbon steel by Little Bear Forge and Owens Weaponsmithing in “Spec Sheet.” And if you’re looking for folders with blades and tools for most any need, check out Dave Rhea’s “Multi-Bladed Freaks.”
Time was tomahawks and little axes—such as the Kershaw Tinder cover axe—were for small chopping chores like splitting kindling. They can still do those tasks but they also do much more, including prying, nail lifting, firestarting, opening bottles, tightening/loosening nuts and bolts, and much more. Get schooled on the changing face of these fascinating tools in “Hack to the Future!”
The United States has been the world leader in knives for many years now, not only because of such old school names as Case and Ontario but also due to such relatively newer companies as TOPS Knives and the baby of the four, Hogue Knives. See why the state of red, white and blue edges was never keener in Stephen Garger’s “Blades In The USA.”
Daniel Winkler has made period pieces used in such movies as the early ’90s classic The Last of the Mohicans clear to the tactical knives used in today’s Zero Dark Thirty. Through it all he’s transitioned from being a traditional bladesmith to, with partner Karen Shook, running the production operation of Winkler II Knives. You might say Winkler has reinvented himself and his business. Find out more in “The Knifemaker With Two Brains.”
BLADE covered the factory side of warranties in the August issue but what about the custom side of the ledger? BLADE field editor Ed Fowler has forged knives for decades and knows a thing or two about custom warranties. Consider his thoughts on the matter in “A Matter of Trust and Ethics.”
Jantz Supply’s Shanna Kemp receives instruction from two-time BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competition titlist Gary Bond.
The first-ever women’s division in a BladeSports International Cutting Competition was conducted Saturday, Sept. 19, at Jantz Supply in Davis, Oklahoma.
“BladeSports has long talked about the possibility of a women’s division in our sport,” noted Donavon Phillips, executive director of BladeSports International (BSI). “We are past the possibility now. It has arrived.”
The BladeSports International (BSI)-sanctioned event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., also included a men’s competition. Competitors ran an obstacle course including cutting 2x4s, rope, water-filled plastic bottles, a straw lengthwise and slicing rolling tennis balls.
Though women have competed in the men’s division before—including the first-ever female qualifier for the BLADE Show World Championship, Jessica Elias, won for an unprecedented third straight time by Dan Keffeler this past June in Atlanta—the event marked the first time women have had a BSI division all to themselves.
“Knives have long been considered the tool of choice for men but more and more women are not only carrying knives regularly for protection and general use, but are now joining the ranks of men who compete in competitive knife events,” noted Ken Jantz, founder and CEO of Jantz Supply.
On Aug. 15, Jantz Supply hosted a training session in which four women and nine men became certified to compete in BSI events. A total of seven women have national BSI certification. The top competitors at both events earned points toward qualifying for next year’s national competition to be held in the spring in Dallas, Texas, and the BLADE Show World Championship in Atlanta June 4.
Jantz Supply has been in business for over 30 years and manufactures and supplies knife blanks, knifemaking components and tools. For more information visit www.knifemaking.com.
Learn both basic and advanced knife making techniques with expert instruction from Allen Alishewitz in Tactical Fixed Blades. Allen demonstrates how to craft a double-edged tactical fixed blade knife from start to finish, and creates two knives in order to fully illustrate the knife building process. You’ll learn:
– Profiling and Drilling the Knife
– Tang Tapering on a Grinder
– Tang Tapering on a Mill
– And more!
