Today’s red-hot forged knives include some of the best in utility and other patterns, most all in blades of high-carbon steels such as 5160, 1095, 52100 and others. Though the steels are not classified as stainless, you can control the pitting and rust on the blades by simply wiping them down after each use. No biggy, really, if you think about it. Properly heat treated and ground, the blades are easy to sharpen and cut like bandits.
Here are eight knives hot from the forge, starting with a sexy fighter in 1084 carbon steel by American Bladesmith Society journeyman smith Landon Robbins of Crane, Missouri. The understated hamon or temper line of the clip-point blade, S-guard and “dropped” blackwood handle make this puppy stand out—and it also took home the award for Best Fighter at the recent Branson Hammer-In & Knife Show.
David C. Lemoine embellishes the blade of 5160 on his drop-point hunter with a short burst of filework on the spine. A single mosaic pin accents the contrasting brown and black lacewood bird’s beak handle. Overall length: 8.25 inches. A pouch sheath completes the package.
ABS master smith Don Fogg says a sign of a well-done hamon is one that stands out and is easy to describe. We christen the hamon on the W2 tool steel blade of ABS journeyman smith Tad Lynch‘s bowie “thundercloud” for its resemblance to an oncoming storm. The handle is Micarta®. Overall length: 14.5 inches.
Lyons and tigers and bears—oh my! In this instance the Lyons is ABS journeyman smith Bill Lyons of Palisade, Nebraska, maker of a slick hunter with a deep-bellied blade of 5160. The silver-wire-inlaid handle is separated from the blade by a minimalist guard. Overall length: 7.5 inches. The knife includes a leather belt sheath.
ABS journeyman smith Don McIntosh captures the “Musso Style Bowie” in a brass-backed blade of 5160 carbon steel and an ironwood handle. The brass guard and ferrule augment the blade’s brass back. For those unaware, “Musso” refers to bowie authority Joe Musso, who reportedly has every prop knife used in the early 1950s classic movie about BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Jim Bowie, The Iron Mistress, the film that inspired many a knifemaking legend to build knives.
ABS master smith Jerry Lairson enjoyed past success on the cutting competition circuit and parlays some of that experience into his kukri in 5160 carbon blade steel and an ironwood handle. The kukri designs lends itself to chopping, one of the main requirements of any good competition cutter. Overall length: 16 inches.
Raymon Hunt of Irving, Texas, chose O1 tool steel for the 5.25 inch blade of his boot dagger. A silver ferrule separates the knife’s double-ground blade from the ebony coffin handle. Overall length: 9.75 inches. Boot daggers, a very popular style in the early days of the modern custom knife movement, aren’t seen much anymore, so Mr. Hunt’s offering is a welcome window on a bygone style long overdue for a comeback.
Another carbon steel blade with an understated hamon—this time in 1095—highlights Joel Austin‘s bowie. The straight-back blade and Spartan features make this a knife we could see Jim Bowie wearing back in the day walking down some dark alley in Natchez-Under-The-Hill, Mississippi. The handle is ironwood. Overall length: 13 inches.
New BLADE® Salutes Military On 9/11
Military heroes past and present and their favorite knives are the focus of the new BLADE® (www.blademag.com) on the 12th anniversary of 9/11—on many newsstands NOW!
Featuring a Bob Dozier Freedom Fighter on the cover that stopped a bullet and likely saved U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Josh Clysdale’s life, the latest issue of BLADE (www.blademag.com) is our 4th annual military issue, and it covers the subject of military knives like no other.
The issue kicks off with a heart-rending story about Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, all save one of whom—Lance Corporal Travis Williams—were killed by an enemy IED in Iraq. Williams eventually returned home and began making knives part time under the tutelage of knifemaker James Behring Jr. Williams made a knife in honor of Lima Company that was auctioned to raise money to support the work of an artist who was painting life-size portraits of the Lima Company Marines killed by the IED. It’s must reading for military and knife aficionados alike.
There’s much more, including stories on the aforementioned Lance Corporal Clysdale and his “bullet-proof” knife; one on if a soldier had just one knife in a military emergency, what that knife would be; a knife collaboration between Andy Sharpe and Chuck Richards to honor the American GIs who fought off a furious Japanese Banzai attack in a little-known battle on Attu Island in Alaska during World War II; a ground-breaking new program to not only teach returning vets how to make knives but also to help equip them with the tools and equipment they need to do the job; a new “Arkansas Veterans” knife from A.G. Russell Knives, with $10 of the sales of each knife going toward an emergency fund for vets who are students at the University of Arkansas; a one-of-a-kind Bob Loveless Lawndale boot knife made specially for Pat R. Dailey, thought to have been a CIA operative; and much more.
For your copy, check your newsstands. To subscribe to the digital version of BLADE, click on
www.shopblade.com/blade-1-yr-digital-subscription?lid=ssfbbl091013
Kai USA/Duck Dynasty Knives In The Works
Kai USA is partnering with Duck Commander and Buck Commander, the inspiration for the cable TV sensation, Duck Dynasty, on a new line of knives set for a mid-2014 debut, according to a Kai USA news release.
In other words, some of the knives should be ready just in time for the 2014 BLADE Show June 6-8 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia.
Kai USA brand Kershaw Knives will work with Duck/Buck Commander on a selection of everyday carry and hunting knives, both fixed blades and folders, machetes and accessories. Kai’s Pure Komachi 2 brand will partner with Duck/Buck Commander on a household cutlery series that will involve the “Duck wives” of Duck Dynasty.
“We are very proud to be the official knife of Duck Commander and Buck Commander,” said Jack Igarashi, Kai USA chief operating officer.
The first three to four knives will be available in mid-2014. Prototypes will be shown at the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas in January.
The multi-year licensing agreement will cover an expanded lineup of products that will include hunting knives, household cutlery, accessories and apparel.
The co-branded knives will be distributed through all Kai USA channels and Duck Commander and Buck Commander outlets.
Duck Commander is a family-owned and operated business established in 1972 by Phil Robertson based in West Monroe, Louisiana. Originally a duck-call-centered company, it has grown into a multi-million-dollar empire with Phil’s four sons, Willie, Jase, Jep and Alan, and their wives, at the helm. All also start on Duck Dynasty. Duck Commander products, which include more than just duck calls, have been sold in all 50 states and in several countries and encompass lifestyle brands including Duck Commander duck-hunting merchandise, Buck Commander deer-hunting merchandise, Duck Girl apparel, Duck Commander wine, and more.
For the latest knives, knife news, trends, tips and more, stay sharp with www.blademag.com.
Knife Of The Day XIX: Hogstrom Boot Dirk
Our Knife Of The Day for March 9 is a boot dirk by Swedish maker Anders Hogstrom. The 4.5-inch blade is clay tempered 1050 spring steel with asymmetrical grinds. The walrus ivory handle has orange tints and the fittings are antiqued, textured bronze.
Anders, a BLADE Show regular who years ago apprenticed some under Japanese sword specialist Scott Slobodian, said the pattern is new for him, “sort of a classic style but then again not.” His list price of $2,200 includes a sheath.
For more information contact Anders at [email protected] or click on www.andershogstrom.com.
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+ssfb030912#BL1SU
The Ford of Knife Grinders?
When it comes to the go-to machine for knifemakers, the Burr King 960-272 2×72 may be the Ford of knife grinders.
“The 960-272 has been in production for 40 years. It’s a knifemaker’s grinder. It started with Bob Loveless,” noted Burr King’s James Krier during the grinding classes conducted by Tom Krein and Lucas Burnley in the 3rd Annual BLADE University at the 2016 BLADE Show. “It’s kind of interesting to have a machine over 20 years old that you can still get parts for.” Add the fact that Burr King is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year and you have a source for parts that’s been here for the long haul. “The knifemaker doesn’t have to worry about the company who made it [Burr King in this instance] going out of business,” Krier added.
In sales and marketing for Burr King for 10 years now, Krier said a number of companies that make grinders have passed by the boards in recent years. Not so with Burr King.
“I was talking to a guy about how many grinding companies there had been in the past 20 years and he was saying there were about 25 he could think of that are just out of business, that were up for about two years and then were gone,” Krier said. “That’s why pros who do it for a living will buy something they can actually get parts for 20 years later. It’s gonna be there when they need it.”
The 960-272 is cast aluminum construction. “Every machine is going to be the same. It’s not like it’s a fabricated design or this machine is different from that machine,” Krier continued. “If someone buys a machine and they have one that’s 10 years old and buy another one today, the parts are interchangeable. It’s like having a Ford you can get parts for.” Like old Fords, it’s tough as nails, too. “That’s thing’s bulletproof and ready to go,” Krier assessed.
Burr King makes about 15 different belt grinders, including those for factory knife companies, but the 960-272 remains the bell cow of the lot.
Learn How to Grind Knives
The BLADE staff put together this guide to grinding knives as a way to help new knifemakers jump into these essential skills. Download it now and start reading right away.
Knives of The Expendables 2
Sylvester Stallone (top) holds the Gil Hibben Toothpick (second from top left, above) in a scene from The Expendables 2. Along with the modified version of Gil’s Alamo Bowie (top left, above), it is a carryover from the first film in the series, The Expendables. The Legion Fighter (fourth from top left, above) is the knife Hibben made expressly for Stallone for the sequel. (photo from The Expendables 3 by Frank Masi; photo of Hibben knives by Mike Carter)
The longest-running custom knifemaker/movie star connection of all time will have another go soon with the imminent worldwide release of the action blockbuster, The Expendables 2.
Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Gil Hibben has a rich history with writer, producer and actor Sylvester Stallone. It began at Dan and Pam Delavan’s 1985 California Custom Knife Show when Stallone visited Gil’s table and walked away with several of Gil’s custom knives. That encounter led to Stallone calling on Gil to make the famous survival knife (cover inset, August 1988 BLADE®) that Stallone wielded in Rambo III and later the massive machete (cover, February 2008 BLADE®) in the fourth movie in the series, Rambo.
In 2010, The Expendables, co-written, directed by and starring Stallone, along with an all-star cast of action-film heroes, again employed Gil’s knives. Stallone’s character, team leader Barney Ross, carried a custom Hibben 17.5-inch “Toothpick” model (cover, November 2010 BLADE). Meanwhile, Gunnar Jensen, played by Dolph Lundgren, and Lee Christmas, played by Jason Statham, took turns using a huge, 19-inch custom Hibben bowie.
All of the original Expendables except Mickey Rourke return for The Expendables 2, which at press time was due to open in theaters Aug. 17. The all-star cast has grown with the addition of Chuck Norris and Liam Hemsworth to the Expendables team. Action star Jean-Claude Van Damme joins the cast as the leader of an opposing team of mercenaries, along with his right-hand man, Hector, played by Scott Adkins. Both Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger return with more substantial parts in the new film. The $100 million sequel was filmed in Bulgaria in late 2011.
SLY ON LINE 1
Gil received the call from Stallone early last year to discuss the knives Stallone wanted for the sequel. Two of Gil’s knives from The Expendables will return to the big screen in The Expendables 2. His big custom bowie again will be carried by Lundgren, and both Stallone and Van Damme will be seen with the Toothpick. But Stallone said he wanted more—a lot more.
The amazing 76-year-old Gil set to work and delivered at least 10 different models, including multiple copies of some and a few prop knives with half blades to give the appearance of being embedded into something or someone. As before, some of the knives have the Expendables skull-and-raven logo scrimshawed on the handles by scrimshander Richard “HutcH” Hutchings, who does nearly all of Gil’s scrimshaw work. HutcH also scrimmed the logo on several sets of black Micarta Colt .45 pistol grips Gil provided for the film.
Some of the knives Gil made for the movie were based on previous models he has made during his 55-year career, though some are new designs he made especially for the film. Among those expected to be prominently seen is his Legion Fighter, this issue’s cover knife, a recurve fighter with a 9.5-inch blade of quarter-inch 440C stainless steel. The Micarta handle is sandwiched between a hefty stainless steel guard and buttcap.
One of the new, never-before-seen models is a split-blade fighter, somewhat reminiscent of Gil’s “Double Shadow” knife (second photo from top, third knife down from top left), with a stainless steel guard and buttcap and a handle of black Micarta and amber.
Stallone chose the big bowie that appears in both the original movie and the soon-to-be-released sequel after seeing a similar model, Gil’s Alamo Bowie, on the Hibben Knives website (www.hibbenknives.com). The decision was made to modify it with a different handle of ivory Micarta® that could be scrimshawed with the skull-and-raven Expendables logo seen throughout the original film on tattoos, motorcycles, clubhouse doors and the knives. The long, slender Toothpick carried by Stallone in both movies was an entirely new design Gil developed for The Expendables.
I have seen some stills from the sequel and a couple of preview trailers that show some of the knives very prominently displayed, but it remains to be seen what makes the final cut. “We never know what will actually end up in the movie,” Gil notes. “Sometimes scenes are filmed using the knives and then those scenes get cut in editing. I guess we will find out when everyone else does at the theater.” (Editor’s note: From reports at press time, the Legion Fighter cover knife gets its best movie air time when actor Randy Couture, who plays the role of Toll Road, uses it.)
IMPROVISE AND REVISE
As is usually the case when making knives that will be featured in a film, designs are revised and changed along the way to satisfy the producers, directors, prop masters and actors involved. Once the designs are finalized and approved, Gil has to scramble to get several copies made and delivered to remote filming locations such as Burma for The Expendables and Bulgaria for The Expendables 2. The knives he makes for the films are fully functional and sharpened. In some cases the prop department will make dull replicas that can be safely used in close-up fight scenes.
The Expendables featured an impressive lineup of stars that, in addition to Stallone, Lundgren, Statham, Willis, Couture, Schwarzenegger and Rourke, included Jet Li, Steve Austin and Terry Crews as a team of elite mercenaries. Eric Roberts played the bad-guy/corrupt CIA agent.
The Expendables was No. 1 at the box office in its opening weekend in August 2010. The film’s budget was reportedly $70 million. It grossed over $274 million worldwide by the end of the year, and that is not counting DVD sales. That was certainly enough success to entice movie officials to make a sequel.
REEL STEEL BY THE DOZENS
Gil has made knives for dozens of movies and television shows, including designing and making Klingon swords and knives for assorted Star Trek TV shows and movies, throwing knives in Steven Seagal’s Under Siege, and knives in The Perfect Weapon starring Jeff Speakman. He also has enjoyed a following among Hollywood celebrity collectors, among them Elvis Presley, John Wayne, Steve McQueen and Shelley Berman.
Stallone long has been a collector of custom knives and a fan of Gil’s work. In fact, Stallone ordered some large custom lockback folders based on the Rambo III knife design he had personalized as gifts to Willis and Schwarzenegger during the filming of The Expendables.
The Expendables 2 will be the fourth Stallone film for which Gil has made custom knives. There are Hollywood rumors of further Rambo and Expendables sequels, so you may be seeing more of the Stallone-Hibben connection.
The Expendables 2 is produced by Nu Image and Millenium Films, and is distributed by Lionsgate. It is written by Sylvester Stallone and Richard Wenk and directed by Simon West.
Larry “The Hammer” Harley Passes Away
Larry Wayne “The Hammer” Harley, friend, knifemaker, bladesmith and knifemaking teacher to anyone who showed an interest—especially kids and “wounded warriors”—passed away in his sleep Feb. 12. He was 66.
A lifelong resident of Bristol, Tennessee, Larry made knives under the business name of Lonesome Pine Knives. An American Bladesmith Society journeyman smith, he was the chair of the ABS Youth Program and was involved with the Wounded Warriors Project. He was best known outside the knife industry as one of the stars of the National Geographic television show Lords of War, on which he went simply by the nickname of “The Hammer,” specializing in identifying and judging the worth of assorted knives, swords and other edged weapons.
Though not a tall man, Larry was large with burly arms and a massive chest—which was no doubt needed to contain his huge heart. He conducted bladesmithing symposiums at his shop in Bristol, entertaining youths, veterans and anyone and everyone who wanted to make knives. He also taught at the Batson Bladesmithing Symposium, youth programs at the BLADE Show and Smoky Mountain Knife Works, and just about anyplace he could find that would allow him to teach the craft, and interact with the people involved, that he loved so much. “Larry always felt that the real payment for teaching a youngster of any age was the irrepressible smile that was always on their face when they realized they could do it,” wrote ABS journeyman smith Wes Byrd, who, along with Larry, taught kids how to make knives in the ABS Youth Program.
As BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member A.G. Russell noted, everyone in the business liked Larry. “If you knew Larry at all, you probably knew where he stood on all of the issues of the world that you and he had in common,” Byrd noted. “I also knew he had my back no matter what.” Added Larry’s friend Mike Crenshaw, “Larry was a remarkable bladesmith, friend and outrageous character that will be sorely missed. He passed the fire on to many, young and old.”
Larry learned to make knives from his father, the late B.L. “Pap” Harley. “It just so happened that my daddy made knives and that’s how come I’m a knifemaker,” Larry said in the February 2015 BLADE®. “I remember my daddy working on bowie knives on the kitchen table when I was 4 or 5 years old. He also read me books by Raymond Thorp, author of Bowie Knife and Crow Killer, for bedtime stories, and I remember we saw the Alan Ladd movie about Jim Bowie, The Iron Mistress.”
Larry’s friends were too many to count. In fact, if you met him he probably counted you as one of his friends and you counted him one of yours. His infectious laugh and twinkling eyes immediately broke the ice. A regular exhibitor at the BLADE Show in the early years, he was known then for his “hog-killing knives” and excursions on which he would take customers to hunt wild hogs in the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee and the surrounding area. He was also known as a top competitor in the early years of the ABS cutting competitions, winning at least one championship before the competitions became more organized and eventually evolved into today’s events conducted by BladeSports International, including the BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competition, the 15th annual rendition of which will be held at this year’s BLADE Show June 2-4 in Atlanta.
Larry is survived by his loving wife of 35 years, Kristine; sons Richard and Nicholas; goddaughters Sarah and Julia Denton; aunts, uncles, cousins both in the Holbrook and Harley family; and many friends.
The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow, Feb. 15, at Oakley-Cook Funeral Home in Bristol. The funeral service will follow at 7 p.m. with the Rev. Steve Playl officiating. The committal and inurnment service will be at 2 p.m. Feb. 16 at Glenwood Cemetery in Bristol.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, POB 758517, Topeka, KS 66675-8517 woundedwarriorproject.org.
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