The BLADE Blog w/Steve Shackleford

Knives, knife people, knife news, knife use, knife collecting, knifemakers, knife events, the BLADE Show, BLADE Magazine, and more.

A.G. Russell Knife Event 2013 July 26-28

Knifemakers, knife manufacturers and dealers, knifemaking suppliers and knife lovers in general will descend on A.G. Russell’s Knife Event 2013 Friday through Sunday, July 26-28, in Rogers, Arkansas.

 

Held at the luxurious John Q. Hammons Convention Center Embassy Suites, the show brings exhibitors from around the world to the Northwest corner of Arkansas for three days of knife exhibits, sales and special events. Many of the exhibitors are there simply to pay homage to Russell, a founding member of the Knifemakers’ Guild, member of the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame© and, along with Mrs. Goldie Russell, operator of the sprawling A.G. Russell Knives retail knife store a short drive from the John Q. Hammons Convention Center.

 

According to www.knifeevent.com, custom knifemakers who plan to exhibit at the show include, in alphabetical order, such well-known names as Canada’s Gaetan Beauchamp, Arno Bernard, Tim Britton, ABS master smith Jim Crowell, W.C. Davis, Bob Dozier Knives, Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer D’ Holder, Larry “The Hammer” Harley of National Geographic TV’s Lords of War, Bill Mace Imel, Germany’s Dietmar Kressler, W.D. Pease, Johnny Stout, ABS master smith Brion Tomberlin and many more. Committed factory knife companies include, again in alphabetical order, Al Mar Knives, Benchmade, Boker USA, Buck, CRKT, KA-BAR, Kershaw, Leatherman, Ontario, Queen, SOG Specialty Knives & Tools, Spyderco and others.

 

Show hours include early VIP admission Friday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., with general admission from 2-6 p.m. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 

Buy a three-day VIP pass for a chance to win a free one-night stay during the show (July 27 or 28) at the Embassy Suites, and a Saturday lunch with A.G. and Goldie Russell.

 

For more information visit www.knifeevent.com or call 800-255-9034.

 

For the latest knife news, stay tuned to www.blademag.com (www.blademag.com

Join Larry "The Hammer" Harley and A.G. Russell Knives' Debbie Myers at the A.G. Russell Knife Event 2013.
Larry “The Hammer” Harley—here with A.G. Russell Knives’ Debbie Myers during the 2013 BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) Awards Banquet—will be among the exhibitors at the A.G. Russell Knife Event 2013.

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Salute Conan’s Birthday With “Spirit of the Sword”

Celebrate Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 65th birthday today by reading about his Conan sword and other movie long blades in “Spirit of the Sword.”

    Designed by Jody Samson, the Conan sword Schwarzenegger used in the 1982 blockbuster film captivated American movie audiences and set the stage for such subsequent film swords as those in “Hook,” “Princess Bride,” “Highlander III: The Sorcerer,” “The Mask of Zorro,” “Lord Of The Rings,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” and more, as well as the lucrative sword repro business entered into by United Cutlery, CAS Hanwei, Albion, Tony Swatton and others.

For more click on http://www.shopblade.com/spirit-of-the-sword/?r+ssfb073012

BLADE Show Names Top Knives

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The Blade Magazine 2013 Best Buy Of The Year is the CRKT Endorser, named during the 2013 BLADE Show. (CRKT photo)
The CRKT Endorser took home the BLADE Magazine 2013 Best Buy Of The Year Award at the 2013 BLADE Show. (CRKT photo).

The world’s top knives were recognized during the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo (www.bladeshow.com) May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

The leading factory knives were honored with the BLADE Magazine 2013 Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards, while the world’s pre-eminent custom knives were named in the show’s custom knife judging competition.

All entrants in the Knife-Of-The-Year and custom knife judging competitions were rated on a number of factors, including utility, design, creativity, materials, aesthetics, feel and other traits.

Announced Saturday night at the BLADE Magazine Awards Banquet in the Cobb Galleria, honors in 13 different Knife-Of-The-Year categories included 10 knives and one knife accessory. Two awards also went to individuals for special achievement in the knife industry. The categories and winners:

•Overall Knife Of The Year®: Zero Tolerance 0454;

•American-Made Knife Of The Year®: Hogue Elishewitz EX-04;

•Imported Knife Of The Year®: Fox Knives Modras;

•Most Innovative American Design: Microtech D.O.C. Kill Switch;

•Most Innovative Imported Design: CRKT Ken Onion Swindle;

•Best Buy Of The Year: CRKT Endorser;

•Kitchen Knife Of The Year®: Ken Onion Chef Works;

•Investor/Collector Knife Of The Year®: Pro-Tech Newport;

•Knife Collaboration Of The Year®: Microtech Mick Strider;

•Manufacturing Quality Award: Chris Reeve Knives;

•Accessory Of The Year: CRKT Onion Survival Para-saw;

•Industry Achievement Award: American Bladesmith Society (ABS) master smith Joe Keeslar for introducing  the ABS and modern bladesmithing to France through annual workshops, as well as teaching bladesmithing in the USA via seminars and his books, for his award-winning knives, and for his leadership via several terms on the ABS Board Of Directors and as chairman of the ABS; and, finally:

•Publisher’s Award: Joyce Laituri, marketing manager of Spyderco, for almost two decades of setting the standard for how to best promote and publicize a knife company’s knives—in this case, those of Spyderco. Her ability to work with the media in terms of providing Spyderco knives, knife imagery, knife information and other materials has been a model for all others in public relations to emulate. No one has done it better.

Next Ivory Meeting Deadline is June 2

Jimmy Lile used pre-ban ivory on his classic bowie.
Don’t miss the June 2 deadline for the June 9 public meeting on the federal ivory ban. Jimmy Lile used pre-ban ivory on his classic Lone Wolf Gonzaullas knife he made in the late 1970s. (image courtesy of Jack Lucarelli)

If you care to express your views concerning the federal ivory ban, you are urged to participate in another public meeting—scheduled this time for June 9—by the Advisory Council to the Presidential Task Force on combating wildlife trafficking. Signup deadline to attend is June 2. If you want to submit talking points for discussion during the meeting but cannot attend, you must submit them in writing by June 2 as well. No e-mails or faxes will be accepted!

The meeting will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. EDT at the U.S. General Service Administration Building, 1800 F St. NW, Room 1153, Washington, D.C 20405. For more information on deadlines, where to send your written statements, etc., visit https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/05/06/2014-10295/advisory-council-on-wildlife-trafficking-meeting.

According to scrimshander Sandra Brady, you may attend the meeting in person or you may participate via telephone. “At this time, we are inviting submissions of questions and information for consideration during the meeting,” she noted. “If you or anyone you know would like to have their voice heard, now is the time. You must sign up to make a statement or sign up to be present during the meeting by June 2. I believe letters would be appropriate if received no later than June 2.

“If you are a knife club member or in charge of a newsletter, please get this info out. Also, those of you who are active on forums, please pass this around there, too. We need a strong showing, lots of letters, and don’t forget to contact your congressional representatives. We do not want sales in pre-ban ivory to become a felony!”

The Advisory Council is called upon to hold such meetings as a result of Executive Order by President Obama (see http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/07/01/executive-order-combating-wildlife-trafficking). The June 9 meeting will be the third one held by the Advisory Council. According to an Advisory Council release, the meeting will be held to “discuss administrative topics and hear public comments and questions.”

Stay tuned to a special ivory site, www.elephantprotection.org, for updates and more information.

SHOT Show: The Anniversary Edition

Knife retailers descended on the Spyderco booth during the 2014 SHOW Show.
The Spyderco booth was abuzz with activity during the 2014 SHOT Show.

The new knives, sharpeners and knife-related accessories for 2014 were the order of the week at the recent SHOT Show in Las Vegas.

It also was the scene of several companies announcing anniversaries in 2014, including: Boker (145th); Case and Ontario (125th); Gerber (75th); Buck’s 110 folding hunter (50th); Kershaw and Frost Cutlery (40th); Lansky (35th); Outdoor Edge (25th); Microtech and CRKT (20th); and Canal Street Cutlery (10th).

Knife companies from around the world descended on the Sands Convention Center Jan. 14-17 to display the latest in new models, materials, mechanisms and more. A sampling included:

•Celebrating its 125th anniversary, Case showcased a new Harley-Davidson line of knives, the latest Tony Bose factory-custom collaboration “teardrop” design and new Marine Corps knives;

•In addition to celebrating its 40th anniversary and welcoming Willie Robertson of TV’s Duck Dynasty fame (Willie was there to plug the upcoming Kershaw/Duck Dynasty knives and other new Kershaw/Duck Dynasty offerings), Kershaw introduced three new Ernest Emerson factory-custom collaborations and several of its new Black Wash handle models, including one designed by Rick Hinderer;

•Buck celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Buck 110 with a special golden anniversary 110 and introduced the new Strong Lock flipper;

•Queen showcased some new Schatt & Morgan designs and a Joe Kious factory-custom collaboration;

•On its 125th anniversary, Ontario debuted two new Dan Maragni designs: a bushcraft/survival knife with fire starter and a big machete, both sporting 5160 carbon blade steel;

•Lansky is celebrating its 35th anniversary and introduced a new line of Mikkel Willumsen folders;

•Victorinox touted its assimilation of Wenger and the former Wenger knives it will incorporate into the Victorinox line, including a number of the Eco models, as well as introducing a Carl Elsener damascus commemorative in a production run of 7,000 pieces;

•Gerber is observing its 75th anniversary with a renewed emphasis on domestic production, including three new folders in CPM S30V, CPM S35VN and 154CM stainless steels;

CRKT is celebrating its 20th anniversary and introduced factory-custom collaborations designed by Lucas Burnley, Alan Folts and Ryan Johnson.

There was, of course, much more. Read all about it in an upcoming issue of BLADE®.

Knife Purveyor Of The Day I

     The first in our Knife Purveyors Of The Day series is Neil Ostroff (shown above with a Darrel Ralph Madd Maxx folder at a past BLADE Show) of True North Knives in Williston, Vermont. Formerly based in Canada, TNK is now U.S.-based and brings you some of the finest in tactical and utility custom knives, a number of which are exclusives, from such makers as Kirby Lambert, Strider Knives, Darrel Ralph and others.

     For more information, click on www.truenorthknives.com.

     For more on the latest knives, knife trends, knifemakers, what knives to buy and where and much more, subscribe to BLADE® Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication. For subscription information click on http://www.shopblade.com/product/blade-magazine-one-year-subscription-us/?r+ssfb301211#BL1SU

The Knife Wayne Reimer Carries

“For me, folders have always been a compromise. I’d find a blade I’d like but the grip wasn’t right, I’d find the perfect grip but hated the blade. A fixed-blade knife has always been my preference, but a belt sheath often isn’t acceptable, and because of a few major surgeries on my face and neck, a little necker wouldn’t work either. So, the search for a fixed-blade, pocketable knife started, without much more success.

    I finally started to sketch out what would work best for me. The blade needed to be stout—I’m not gentle with my knives. I wanted a handle I could grip well, one that would still pivot in my hand easily for slicing an apple. Stout, sturdy, a small knife that cut ‘big’—everything I need in a knife, and nothing I don’t.

    I finally settled on a design. Then, I found a very talented young knifemaker in Ontario, Canada, Craig Wheatley, who made my ‘grail knife’ a reality. The Dragan, which is also my screen name on several Internet knife discussion forums, is a little beast—5 inches overall with a 2-inch, 1.25-inch deep, .25-thick, bead-blasted 440C stainless blade, textured Micarta® scales, and a custom leather pocket sheath. The Dragan has replaced six other knives that used to make up my EDC rotation. Even though it’s a small knife, it’s done everything I’ve ever asked of it. I don’t know that I’d ever cut down a tree with it, but it’s tough enough that I wouldn’t be afraid to try.

    Even though my original vision was to carry this knife in a pocket sheath, it would also make a great little necker. I’m very pleased to say Craig will be adding the Dragan to his line of beautiful fixed-blade knives in the very near future!”

    Wayne Reimer, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

For more on the latest knives, knife legislation, knifemaking instruction, knife trends, knifemakers, what knives to buy and where and much more, subscribe to BLADE Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication. For subscription information click on http://www.shopblade.com/product/blade-magazine-one-year-subscripti…?r+ssfb042312#BL1SU.

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