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The BLADE Blog w/Steve Shackleford

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Knife World’s Houston Price Passes

Steve Shackleford
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Knife World’s Houston Price Passes
Charles Houston Price of Knife World has passed away.
Charles Houston Price, founder of Knife World, passed away Dec. 29.

Charles Houston Price, publisher of Knife World, passed away Monday, Dec. 29. He was 79.

Of New Market, Tennessee, the man known to many simply as Houston was a rock in the world of knives and knife publishing. Next to BLADE®, his Knife World monthly publication is the longest-running knife periodical. Knife World’s support of the knife business, including a long, successful relationship with the American Bladesmith Society (ABS), has been one of the constants in an industry that, like many, has had its share of attrition and turnover.

A North Carolina native and graduate of Kentucky’s Berea College, Houston served in the U.S. Marine Corps. After his tour of duty he enjoyed a 20-year career in agricultural marketing. In 1998 he was named to the ABS Board of Directors and served on it until a few years ago. He was also the director of the ABS Youth Program until last year. He is a member of both the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame© and the American Bladesmith Society Hall Of Fame. He was also a lifelong dog lover.

In addition to his role as publisher of Knife World, he wrote about knives for both it and other publications, authored six editions of The Official Price Guide to Collector Knives and, along with his fellow Cutlery and ABS Hall-Of-Fame compatriot B.R. Hughes, authored the quintessential book on Cutlery and ABS Hall-Of-Famer Bill Moran, Master of the Forge. Houston also was a recipient of what many consider the most prestigious of ABS honors, the Don Hastings Award, for selfless giving above and beyond the call to the ABS in a manner similar to the man for whom the honor is named.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, at the Farrar Funeral Home (865-475-3892) with the Rev. Robin Lindsey officiating. Family will receive friends from 10 until 11 a.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, 3800 Fettler Park Dr., Ste. 104, Dumfries, VA 22025 or on line at marineheritage.org, or to American Bouvier Rescue League, ABRL, c/o Deborah Abeles, PO Box 689, Cheshire, MA 01225.

 

James Black Descendant Gets a Bowie

Steve Shackleford
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James Black Descendant Gets a Bowie

While there is still no definitive proof that James Black made a knife for Jim Bowie, one thing is certain: a descendant of Black’s received a “recreation of a James Black knife” during the Natchez Antique Bowie Knife Show last month.

 

Celia Johnson accepts Jim Batson's recreation of a "James Black bowie" from Batson.
Jim Batson presents a “recreation of a James Black bowie” to Celia Johnson.

ABS master smith James L. “Jim” Batson made the reproduction of the knife and presented it to Mrs. Celia Johnson, who claims to be a descendant of Black. She says she is descended from Gradison DeRorysten Black, the son of James Black. Celia and her husband, Jerry, traveled from Baytown, Texas, to accept the silver-mounted knife and sheath fashioned by Batson and based on what is believed to be a Black knife in the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Johnsons stayed at the Dunleift Hall, owned by Mike Worley, during the show. Worley sponsored the show, which was held in Natchez, Mississippi.

 

The Johnsons brought a scrapbook full of old family pictures and a handwritten list of ancestors and originally showed it to Batson during the American Bladesmith Society’s 2012 All-Forged Knife Expo in San Antonio, Texas (see page 44, July 2012 BLADE® www.blademag.com). Batson is one of the world’s foremost authorities on Jim Bowie and James Black. He has conducted extensive research on Bowie and bowie knives, written any number of stories on the subject for BLADE, a book on Bowie’s famous Sandbar Fight, coordinated Bowie Symposiums at the BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com), and much more. He also coordinates the Batson Bladesmithing Symposium each spring in McCalla, Alabama, and is a past multi-term chairman of the ABS.

 

Batson pored over the Johnsons’ documents and pictures at the 2012 San Antonio show. Among the topics of their discussion was the famous 19th-century daguerreotype that reportedly shows James Black and Judge Jacob Buzzard, the physical resemblance of the man some believe is Black in the daguerreotype to that of some of Celia’s ancestors, and Black family history in general.

 

For the latest on knives, knife news and more, stay honed at www.blademag.com (www.blademag.com).

 

Vacation Knives: Something Borrowed, Something Blue …

Steve Shackleford
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Summertime colors for knife handles just seem right, especially when you’re going on vacation to Florida or some other sun n’ fun locale and need a sharp tool for any number of jobs.

    The Spyderco Endura with a blue handle is such a knife. The textured grip is great for safe handling and the lockback adds to the blade-lock safety factor. A high-performance VG10 stainless steel blade tops off the package.

    ShopBlade’s price: $79.96.

    Oh, and whatever your travel destination, be sure to check local knife ordinances to be sure you follow the law concerning knife carry/possession.

For more information click on http://www.shopblade.com/endura4-lightweight-blue-frn-flat-ground-plainedge-w8488/?r+ssfb071812

Hank Rummell: He Will Be Missed

Steve Shackleford
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Long-time custom knife purveyor Herman “Hank” Rummell of New York Custom Knives (www.newyorkcustomknives.com), who was killed Jan. 29 in a tragic accident when he was struck by a car while walking his dog, is remembered fondly by those who knew him.

    “I considered Hank like a brother and our relationship grew over the years from customer/client to one of great friendship,” noted Irv Lehman, one of Hank’s many long-time customers. “He will be missed greatly and the knife shows will never be the same.”

    “Hank was at almost every single knife show I attended,  going all the way back to 1991,” knifemaker Phil Booth recalled. “I used to hang around to look at the quality knives he kept on his table until I was brave enough to ask to start picking them up and looking closely. Through the years, I showed him my most recent knives to see if they were getting better, and he would critique them and give me hints on how to better my work. Then the day came when he bought a Minnow [one of Booth’s knife models] and set it on his table! He sold that knife and many more. Had it not been for Hank’s watchful eye,  my knifemaking would not be where it is today.”

    According to Lehman, in lieu of flowers, Mrs. Helen Rummell requests that you make a donation to honor Hank to an animal rescue in your local area. “Helen and Hank were very much dedicated to their dogs and Hank lost his life in keeping his dog safe,” Lehman observed. “That was the ultimate sacrifice for the love of his dog and, knowing Hank, he would do it again.”


BLADE Show: Where The ABS Shines

Steve Shackleford
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BLADE Show: Where The ABS Shines

Levi Miller

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For his journeyman smith applicant knives, Levi Miller used the carbon steels 52100 and 80CrV2 for blade material. (SharpByCoop image)

The annual BLADE Show hosts the awarding of both master and journeyman smith stamps by the American Bladesmith Society (ABS), and the 35th rendition of the world’s largest knife show will, too.

Set for Jan. 3-5 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, the BLADE Show hosts knifemaker and knife company exhibitors from every continent but Antarctica—and who knows, there may even be an Antarctic exhibitor this year, too.

Five master smiths and 12 journeyman smiths earned their stamps at last year’s show. The masters were Veronique Laurent, Jean-Louis Regel, Andrew Meers, Haley DesRosiers and David Lisch. The journeyman smiths were Wess Barnhill, Sandro Boeck, Dionatam Franco de Souza, Stephan Fowler, Kyle Gahagan, Micah Kamer, Levi Miller, Facundo Montenegro, Nick Rossi, Bobby Wetten, Russell White and Robert Wright. Adding to the international flavor is that of the masters, Laurent is from Brussels, Belgium, and Regel is from France. Meanwhile, of the journeyman smiths, Boeck and de Souza are from Brazil, and Montenegro is from Argentina.

Though the requirements differ for both the master and journeyman smiths’ knives, all must submit five models that are judged by a panel of ABS officials on a number of traits. (For more on those traits, visit americanbladesmith.com.) Herein is a selection of some of the knife quintets submitted by the successful applicants last year. If you attend the 2016 BLADE Show, you can view the knives that are submitted for master and journeyman smith status this year. For more information at/during the show, visit the ABS at table 1P.

How to Have Your Knife Design Reproduced

Steve Shackleford
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How to Have Your Knife Design Reproduced
Bose/Case knives.
Learn how custom knifemakers and manufacturers join to make knife collaborations from two of the best at it: knifemaker Tony Bose and John Sullivan of Case at BLADE University.
Tony Bose, award-winning knifemaker.
Award-winning custom knifemaker Tony Bose.

Learn how to have your design turned into a custom/factory knife collaboration from renowned custom knifemaker Tony Bose and John Sullivan, marketing director at W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co., at BLADE University.

Held in conjunction with the world’s largest knife show, the BLADE Show, BLADE U. will be held the day before through show Saturday at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. The BLADE Show will be June 5-7.

In Bose and Sullivan’s “Your Knife Design Into Production,” you’ll learn the keys behind the decision to produce a particular knife pattern and what knife manufacturers are looking for in new production concepts. Additional topics will include how to plan for the production of the first knife samples and the steps involved in preparing for a larger-scale production run. Product packaging, promotion, marketing, sales and post-sales support also will be discussed.

Bose is an award-winning custom knifemaker of international renown whose custom slip-joint knives set the standard in the genre. Working out of Shelburn, Indiana, he has long been a proponent of traditional pocketknives, and few manufacturers have a better reputation for such knives than Case. Bose has designed knives for special collaborations with Case since 1998, including but not limited to a sowbelly pattern (2001), his Saddlehorn design (2004), a sway-back jack/gent’s knife (2008) and the BackPocket.

Based in Bradford, Pennsylvania, and owned by Zippo, the famous lighter manufacturer, Case is the leading name in collectible factory knives. Sullivan has worked hand-in-hand with Bose on the Case collaborations and will share his insight on the relationship from a manufacturer’s point of view.

For more on this class and the many others of BLADE U. visit BLADE University.

World’s Hottest Knives Highlight New BLADE®!

Steve Shackleford
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World’s Hottest Knives Highlight New BLADE®!

The world’s hottest knives, top everyday carry knives under $75 and knives in a rainbow of handle colors highlight the new BLADE®, on newsstands now!

Such internationally renowned knifemakers as Lee Williams, Allen Elishewitz, Jens Anso, Bob Terzuola, Kirby Lambert, Tom Mayo, RJ Martin and Peter Rassenti—whose “Large Nirvana” folder graces the cover—and many more, along with their knives most in demand, are among those identified among the world’s hottest on pages 20-27 of the new issue.

What knife are you carrying today? If you’re looking for an everyday carry knife under $75, James Morgan Ayres tests four of the latest models on pages 30-35. See if one of these EDCs fits your hand and pocketbook.

Everything in color seems to be a common theme for many of today’s hottest products, and factory knives are joining the party. Check out the latest members of the cutlery color coalition on pages 42-45.

In case you haven’t noticed, the schools’ draconian zero tolerance policies concerning knife carry are unduly oppressive and penal—and are ruining the lives of many innocent kids. Get the latest on this national disgrace on pages 12-16.

Bushcraft knives are today’s equivalent of the survival knife and it’s nice to know what to look for in one and how to use it. Get primed on the Scandinavian grind and more on pages 82-85.

The late Bob Lum is credited with making the first American tanto and Cold Steel further popularized the pattern with its mass production of the Cold Steel Tanto, but did you know the blade pattern itself dates back to the 4th century? Get the complete scoop on pages 74-78.

Also in this issue: an update on the federal ivory ban, a test of two tomahawks by retired 5th Special Forces MSG Kim Breed, a profile of knifemaking supplier Tru-Grit, the continuing saga of Plaza Cutlery and its 40th anniversary as a knife retailer and much more, all in the October BLADE.

 

Check out the world's hottest custom knives in the new BLADE®.
Custom knives that sizzle most are in the new BLADE®, on newsstands now!
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