Steve Shackleford's Blog

Top Lady Smiths Highlight New BLADE®

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February 24, 2015

Five top lady bladesmiths and their International Ladysmith Collaboration Knife, the “Mount Rushmore of Knifemakers,” rock-solid integral knives and much more highlight the new BLADE®, debuting on many newsstands TODAY!

A quintet of the world’s top lady smiths—Dellana, Haley DesRosiers, Audra Draper, Grace Horne and Julie Warenski-Erickson—collaborated on this issue’s cover knife. Forged by Draper, the 7.25-inch blade is a damascus ground, heat treated and etched by DesRosiers, who also did the final assembly. Dellana embellished the handle with five gold dots—one for each “blade sister”—and a bezel-set ruby, and Warenski-Erickson engraved the bolster in gold. Horne built the display box lined with red glove leather and used black glove suede for the cushion. Find out how the knife came about and what the “Sisters of the Blade” have planned for it in our special cover story feature.

In “The Mount Rushmore of Knifemakers,” some of the custom knife industry’s leading professionals weigh in on the four makers they consider the greatest in the history of modern custom knifemaking. We would tell you who the four are, but then that would spoil the surprise. You’ll just have to buy the new issue and find out for yourself.

Popularized by the late, great knifemaker, Ted Dowell, integral knives are one solid piece of steel—including both the handle and blade—that are reduced via grinding to an equally solid one-piece knife. Pat Covert visits with two talented practitioners of integral knifemaking, Edmund Davidson and Marcus Lin, for their take on how they make knives made in a style that arguably is the world’s strongest.

There’s much more—including part one of RJ Martin’s story on how he makes his award-winning precision flipper folders, some of today’s hottest factory tactical fixed blades, the conclusion of Jim Hammond’s story on the past, present and future of ivory’s use on knives, two tests of top factory folders, the mystery of the ancient Viking Ulfberht sword, custom knives in “crossover” styles and other of today’s sharpest knives and knife news—all in the latest issue of BLADE.

Recommended:

Stay abreast of the latest developments on this and many more knife rights issues with a subscription to BLADE.

Cutting Critique: Spyderco Persistence

Steve Shackleford

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July 3, 2013

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: 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

Knifemaker Tony Bose on TV Tonight

Steve Shackleford

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February 3, 2017

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Knifemaker Tony Bose, one of the world’s leading crafters of custom slip joints and a long-time knife collaborator with Case, will be the featured attraction of “Handcrafted America” at 9:30 EST tonight on the INSP Network.

Hosted by Jill Wagner, “Handcrafted America” travels the USA to find the very best of what is made domestically, “seeking out extraordinary American artisans dedicated to crafting fine products the traditional way … with their own two hands.”

Tonight’s episode will originate from the Bose “Wilfred Works” knife shop in Shelburn, Indiana, where Tony has made some of the top traditional single and multi-bladed custom folders for many years. Bose, who recently entertained Case fans in the Case booth at the annual Shooting,

Bose on Handcrafted America. — Knifemaker Tony Bose, author of this stag Saddlehorn trapper for the annual National Knife Museum knife in 2012, will be the featured attraction of Handcrafted America tonight on the INSP Network. (Kerry Hampton image)

Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas, was soft-spoken and humble as usual talking about tonight’s program. He said he thought the show would come out well, though he admitted he was not comfortable having to sit still for a makeup session and wear the makeup for the program’s filming.

It will be just the latest in the acclaim the talented maker has received over the years. He has been collaborating with Case on new factory knife designs and modifying old ones for over two decades and shows no signs of slowing down. His Case collaboration for 2017 is the Case Bose Tribal Lock, a single-blade lockback folder that comes in a choice of nine different handle materials. A regular exhibitor at the BLADE Show, Bose always sells out of knives at the show. His knives are so popular there, in fact, that his customers have to enter their names in a drawing for the right to buy one.

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ABS Announces 1st School Outside USA

Steve Shackleford

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June 19, 2013

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The American Bladesmith Society (ABS) will offer its first-ever bladesmithing school outside the USA beginning in October.

Operated in partnership with The Forge at Ostiches, Belgium, the school’s first class will be “Introduction to Bladesmithing.” Limited to seven students, the class will have as its primary instructor ABS master smith Jean-Paul Thevenot of Dijon, France. Belgium’s Dirk Bourguignon and Frederic Taquet, both ABS bladesmiths, will assist.

The school site is in a beautiful village south of Brussels. Accommodations are nearby within two to three miles. English will be spoken.

The first ABS school of bladesmithing outside the USA was approved in a vote of the ABS Board of Directors during the ABS annual meeting at the 2013 BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo (www.bladeshow.com) May 31-June 2.

The Belgian facility is the fourth ABS school of bladesmithing. The others are the original—the Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing in Old Washington, Arkansas—and the Haywood Community College in Clyde, North Carolina, and the New England School of Metalwork in Auburn, Maine.

“We now have members in 18 countries,” noted ABS Webmaster Dan Cassidy, “and it is not unusual for my wife Sally and I to communicate with our ABS members around the world in Spanish, Portugese and French on a routine basis. The Internet makes all of this possible today.”

Cassidy credited ABS master smith and new ABS president Joe Keeslar with making the new school possible. Winner of the 2013 BLADE Magazine Industry Achievement Award, Keeslar has been a groundbreaker in bringing modern bladesmithing to both France and Belgium. “Joe was the one who made all the arrangements for the new school,” Cassidy noted, “and it was done over the course of more than a year.”

For information on dates, tuition and accommodations for the new school, contact [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected].

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

BLADE’s 2015 Knife Guide On Newsstands!

Steve Shackleford

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December 2, 2014

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Check out new BLADE's Complete Knife Guide, on newsstands NOW! — New BLADE’s Complete Knife Guide on newsstands NOW!

BLADE’s Complete Knife Guide Spring 2015 is your knife bible for most every cutting need in the coming year and is on newsstands NOW!

In addition to providing you with the contact information for every factory knife, knife accessory and cutting need, the new BLADE’s Complete Knife Guide (BKG) keeps you in the loop for the latest industry trends, including the new wave of genticals that is flooding the cutlery landscape.

Sporting a name that combines the “gent’s” of “gent’s knife” and the “tactical” of “tactical knife,” “gentical” is a term christened by BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Ken Onion. As you might guess, it’s a genre that exhibits the best traits of gent’s and tactical knives and it’s taking the knife industry by storm. Get the full story on this burgeoning trend on page 10 of the new BKG.

Want that special custom knife but are not exactly sure how to go about it, where to look or who to contact? In “7 Keys to Getting the Best Custom Knives,” Mike Haskew picks the brains of those who buy and sell the best custom knives for a living—custom knife purveyors/dealers. Read what the pros recommend on page 78.

Neck knives—aka neckers—are those handy little blades you can wear around your neck and are instantly accessible for whatever cutting job is at hand. Abe Elias takes you through some of today’s leading examples and also shows you other ways to wear them other than around your neck.

Are silky smooth folders at the top of your Christmas list? If so, join Stephen Garger as he explores a quartet of the top ones on both sides of the Atlantic in “4 Silky Smooth Folders.”

There’s much more in this issue, including the new knives for 2015, the hottest knives for law enforcement officers and EMTs, sharp knifemaking tool deals, top survival knives for under $75, the best-selling knife sharpeners by company and much more, all in the new BKG.

SHOT Show Hosts AKTI Ontario Marine Bayonet Drawing

Steve Shackleford

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January 24, 2012

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Pictured above, from left: Bill Raczkowski, AKTI president; Nick Trbovich Jr. of Ontario Knife/Queen Cutlery; Goldie Russell of A.G. Russell Knives, AKTI past president; and Jan Billeb, AKTI executive director. (Missy Beyer photo)

A Special Ontario Knife Co. Marine Bayonet was won by a current member of the American Knife & Tool Institute (AKTI) in a drawing at the Ontario booth during last week’s SHOT Show in Las Vegas. The member’s name is being withheld pending notification.

Individual members who renewed or joined AKTI between Jan. 1 and Dec. 30, 2011 were eligible to win the special bayonet and private factory tour, including a one-night stay in western New York.

The bayonet was taken from the Ontario archives. It is one of the first 200 OKC3s Marine Corps Bayonets produced and set aside in the company’s vault. Of those originally archived 200 knives, 52 were used to fill urgent requests from deploying Marines, when the company did not have regular production-run bayonets immediately available.

The reverse side of the 8-inch carbon steel clip point blade is laser engraved with the AKTI logo and the obverse side with a quote from Ronald Reagan, the Marine Corps logo and the serial #001 of 001. The one-of-a-kind knife with sheath ships with a glass-top walnut display case, and includes a certificate of authenticity attesting to its rarity, and a certificate for a one-night stay in western New York and a private tour of the Ontario facility.

“Ontario Knife Company has been a long-time member and supporter of AKTI, actively serving on the Advisory Members board as well as being an important asset on the Legislative Committee. They have been invaluable dealing with knife issues in their region of the country,” noted Jan Billeb, AKTI executive director.

AKTI has been actively changing restrictive knife legislation since 1998, working on a state-by-state basis promoting reasonable and responsible knife laws and enforcement to benefit all knife and edged tool users.

“AKTI is laying the groundwork for more knife law changes in various states to ensure that law-abiding citizens are not considered de facto criminals for carrying a tool they use every day,” Billeb said. “We are looking forward to an exciting year working with legislators for the benefit of the entire knife community.”

For more information click on www.AKTI.org.

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+ssfb240112#BL1SU

Ron Frazier: A True Artist Is Gone

Steve Shackleford

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November 28, 2011

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Long-time knifemaker Ron Frazier passed away on his birthday, Nov. 15. He was 71.

“Ron was one of only a few knifemakers that was a true artist,” noted his friend, scrimshander Rick Bowles.

The long, tall Frazier was a huge fan of 19th-century knifemaker Michael Price and made a number of dress bowies in the Price style. Well-liked and easy going, Frazier crafted artistic knives in a variety of styles, most if not all one of a kind.

He sold his first knife in 1976, the same year he joined the Knifemakers’ Guild. His sponsors for Guild membership were legendary knifemaker Corbet Sigman and Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© members George Herron and Bill Moran.

“Each of Ron Frazier’s blades are individual expressions of art,” wrote Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Butch Winter in his profile of Frazier in the September 1999 BLADE®. “He does not make knives, he creates them. His pieces are bursts of inspiration carried out in metal, ivory, horn, wood or bone. They are all one-of-a-kinds since, as Ron says, ‘I don’t like to make the same knife twice.'”

Among the many awards Frazier won for his knives were the 1997 BLADEhandmade Best In Show and Best Art Knife awards. At the Southeastern Custom Knife Show in Winston, North Carolina, he won Best In Show for three years running and Best Art-Best Bowie Overall four years straight.

Frazier lived in Powhatan, Virginia, with his wife, Susie. For more on Frazier knives visit www.rehobothcustomknives.com/dp_ron_frazier.htm, http://www.rehobothcustomknives.com/KRFZ005.htm and http://www.engraver.net/knife6.html

Forged In Fire Renewed For 2nd Season

Design and Make a Combat Knife

1.4 Million Watch Forged In Fire

No Knives On Planes After All

First Family of Swedish Steel

Top Lady Smiths Highlight New BLADE®

Cutting Critique: Spyderco Persistence

Knifemaker Tony Bose on TV Tonight

ABS Announces 1st School Outside USA

BLADE’s 2015 Knife Guide On Newsstands!

SHOT Show Hosts AKTI Ontario Marine Bayonet Drawing

Ron Frazier: A True Artist Is Gone

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