Steve Shackleford's Blog

BLADE’s Military Issue On Sale NOW!

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September 9, 2014

A special knife for a special Navy SEAL, knifemakers for elite warriors and a rebirth of military daggers highlighted by the Spartan Blades/Les George V-14 cover knife headline BLADE®’s annual military issue, on many newsstands today.

Navy SEAL Matthew G. Kantor was killed in action in Afghanistan on Nov. 1, 2012, receiving the Bronze Star for his bravery in action. Knifemaker Jim Behring made a special knife, the T.A.S.S. E4, in honor of Kantor and supplied 22 of the knives to Kantor’s platoon teammates. Find out more in this touching story about an American hero.

Inspired by the Fairbairn-Sykes combat dagger of World War II fame, today’s renditions include any number of updates, including state-of-the-art materials and designs. Knifemaker Les George, a retired U.S. Marine, designed such a dagger for Spartan Blades and it is one of many new daggers on today’s market. Find out more in the story on page 12.

ABS journeyman smith Erik Fritz and ABS master smith Shane Taylor got together after a meeting with retired Marine Pat Goodale and decided to make custom knives Goodale could give to special active-duty Marines. The two smiths got several other makers to participate in the project as well and the result was Knifemakers for Elite Warriors. Discover more in the story on page 84.

Other special stories in the military issue include a retrospective of BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Col. Rex Applegate and his many OSS/CIA exploits and subsequent knife designs for Al Mar, Gerber, Boker and more; military knives designed for specific military jobs in Dexter Ewing’s “Knives For Special Needs”: a test of four tactical tomahawks by James Morgan Ayres; collectible World War II fixed blades and what they’re fetching price wise in Richard D. White’s “Vaunted Knives Of The Big One”; and much more, all in BLADE’s new annual military issue.

Another First for Forged In Fire

Steve Shackleford

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July 18, 2016

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Forged In Fire and the BLADE Magazine Publisher's Award. — **Forged In Fire** made a different kind of history when it won the BLADE Magazine 2016 Publisher’s Award. (Miller Mobley/HISTORY)

When Forged In Fire won the BLADE Magazine 2016 Publisher’s Award during this year’s BLADE Show, it was the first time a television program of any kind was recognized by BLADE® Magazine in such a manner. Selected by the BLADE staff, the Publisher’s Award honors a person or organization that has furthered the knife community in a fashion that bodes well for the future of that community, both inside and out. Forged In Fire on History answers that requirement—and then some.

It’s rare that knifemaking of any type is given the high-profile exposure of television coverage, much less a weekly program of its own. However, Forged in Fire has done just that and much more. Those who watch it are familiar with the group of bladesmiths it gathers each week, each group different from the last, with the bladesmith in each charged with forging a knife—often in a very exotic style—in a stated time limit under the watchful gaze of a panel of judges and millions of TV viewers. Meanwhile, the winner of each episode earns a grand prize of $10,000.

As with most high-profile endeavors, there are those who criticize the program for portraying knives in a so-called negative way and creating an atmosphere that is not conducive to making the best knife possible—but then making the best knife possible is not necessarily the goal. The goals include to demonstrate not only how tough it can be to make a quality knife under a short deadline but also to entertain—and Forged in Fire does that quite well. Meanwhile, bladesmiths, knifemakers and the knife industry in general are getting more exposure before more people than ever before. And that is a great thing.

Now on the cusp of entering its third season, Forged In Fire will have a different look with ABS master smith Jason Knight filling in for ABS master smith J. Neilson. We fully expect the show to enjoy yet another banner season, and for bladesmithing and the knife community in general to continue to benefit from the unprecedented exposure such a TV show brings to knives the world over.

Want to Get Started in Knifemaking?

For those new to knifemaking, BLADE put together a special collection just for those starting out. The Complete Knifemaking Collection gathers great knifemaking books and tutorials to get you up to speed in no time. The price is unbeatable, too.

Order the Complete Knifemaking Collection from ShopBlade.com.

Which Knife Collaborations Would You Arrange?

Steve Shackleford

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August 15, 2014

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Which Knife Collaborations Would You Arrange?

Steve Culver's cut 'n shoot would make a great collaboration with Browning. (SharpByCoop image) — Steve Culver’s cut ‘n shoot would make a great collaboration with Browning. (SharpByCoop image)

Which knife collaborations would you like to see between today’s custom knifemakers and knife and/or gun companies?

There have been many great knife collaborations over the years—from such early ones as those between Smith & Wesson Knives and Blackie Collins and Bob Loveless and Schrade, to those between Spyderco and Bob Terzuola, CRKT and Kit Carson, Benchmade and Mel Pardue and many more—all of which got us to thinking: What great collaborations that never happened would you like to have seen?

Or, perhaps better yet, which ones would you like to see among today’s companies and knifemakers?

Here are a few, first of the former:

•Bob Loveless and Marble’s: Hey, the man behind the dropped hunter and one of the leading hunting knife companies of a bygone era. Seems like a natural collaboration;

•Bill Moran and Busse Combat Knife Co.: Moran made those big, sweeping fixed blades and Busse does, too;

•Bob Lum and Cold Steel: OK, so it probably never would have happened, but the possibilities for a special American tanto collaboration would have been intriguing.

And now for the latter:

•Wolfgang Loerchner and William Henry Knives: Two great makers of fine knives would make an awesome pairing in anybody’s knife book;

•Joe Keeslar and Spartan Blades: Joe’s a retired Marine and Mark Carey and Curtis Iovito of Spartan Blades are retired Special Forces. I bet they could put their heads together and come up with a really cool combat knife collaboration;

•Steve Culver and Browning: Culver’s cut ‘n shoot is a tour de force of the genre and a collaboration with Browning would be a real breakthrough in terms of a special limited-edition crossover between the knife and gun industries. Browning has experience working with the knife industry—for example, Russ Kommer and Jim Crowell are two makers who have collaborated with Browning on knife projects—so Browning would not have to break new ground.

How about it? What knife collaborations would you like to see/have seen?

BLADE MAGAZINE 2012 AMERICAN-MADE KNIFE OF THE YEAR®

Steve Shackleford

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September 14, 2012

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The late great purveyor J.W. Denton said the best-looking knives were shaped like sports cars, and the Microtech Socom Delta—the Blade Magazine 2012 American-Made Knife Of The Year®—is one J.W. would have loved to take around the block for a cut or two.

MICROTECH SOCOM DELTA

•Pattern: Single-action folder

•Blade steel: Powdered CPM S35VN stainless

•Blade length: 3.75”

•Handle material: G10/carbon fiber

•Closed length: 5.25”

•Weight: 4.2 ozs.

•Special stuff: Carbon-fiber handle has a titanium lockbar w/removable insert to hold the blade securely in place; ceramic bearing system provides smooth, fast action

•MSRP: $330

•Available: Now

The Blade Magazine Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards are voted on each year at the BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) by the show’s exhibiting booth holders, plus a panel of five special judges, the latter whose votes count double. The 2013 BLADE Show will be held May 31-June 2, once again at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia.

For the latest knives, knife trends, knifemakers, what knives to buy and where, knife legislation, knifemaking instruction, and much more, subscribe to BLADE® Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication. Click on http://www.shopblade.com/blade-magazine-one-year-subscription-us/?lid=blss091712

Arkansas Custom Knife Show Feb. 16-17

Steve Shackleford

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February 14, 2013

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The 18th Annual Arkansas Custom Knife Show will showcase some of the world’s best bladesmiths and knifemakers Feb. 16-17 at the Robinson Center Exhibit Hall in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The proceedings will kick off with a special cutting competition on Feb. 15, followed on Saturday and Sunday with a 100-table show that will include 28 American Bladesmith Society master smiths, knifemaking supplies, leather products and knife-related books, and more. The cutting competition will be held on the Log House grounds of the Historic Arkansas Museum on 2nd and Cumberland Streets. Admission to the competition is free.

Show hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $10 for a two-day pass.

Door prizes will be given hourly. Awards will be presented for the best Hunter, Fighter, Folder, Bowie, Damascus, Miniature, Camp knife, Art knife, Bird and Trout, and Pearl handle. Awards also will be given for best sheath, best historically inspired knife and best of show. Knives can be bid on during a silent auction both days. Four handmade knives will be given away Sunday afternoon. Ray Kirk will be giving away his NDN model among them.

The Robinson Center Exhibit Hall located at Markham and Broadway Streets in downtown Little Rock.

For more information click on www.arkansasknifemakers.com.

Knife Test: Tom Ploppert Slip Joint

Steve Shackleford

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September 7, 2012

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I was waiting for Tom Ploppert’s custom slip joint like a kid on Christmas morning. To my surprise, there were two knives in the package when it arrived. Tom had sent me a new knife for evaluation and another that had been used hard for a few years. Both still walk and talk like they are supposed to, but the older knife has a smoother action. Yes, the handle is beat up a little and the blade has been resharpened a few times, but I could tell it is a high-quality knife. This is a good sign of excellent workmanship—I have had slip joints get sloppy after a few uses. Tom used premium stag pinned on to make the knife scream, “Use me!”

EDGE TESTS

I started off with a sheet of copy paper. I held the slip joint between my thumb and index finger and let the weight of the folder do the cutting. I just kept turning the paper around to a fresh side and sliced along its entire length until I had cut all four sides. The knife has a very good feel to it and fits my hand very well.

Next up: cardboard boxes. After 30 minutes of cutting I had slivers of cardboard all over the garage floor.

I had to change out my Kydex® foam for some new stuff as I had run a large batch of sheaths and the old foam was getting too compressed. After gluing on the newly cut foam, I sliced up the older pieces by simply resting the blade edge on the foam and making a pulling cut. The slip joint sliced as fast as I could maneuver my fingers out of the way.

WOOD/ROPE/LEATHER CUTS

I had some pine 1x1s cut—they make perfect whittling sticks. Tom’s “slippy” is excellent at control and the big stag handle is very comfortable. It did not take long to produce a pile of curly-cues.

Half-inch sisal rope was next on the agenda. The knife still felt sharp but I gave it a few strops on my leather pad for good luck. It crunched through the rope like a champ until I hit 60 cuts. My index finger rode up on the blade and I found the spine to be very sharp, and the inside of the liners also were sharp. A few strokes with a fine emery board dulled the sharpness and I settled back into cutting. I noticed the edge starting to slide at 120 cuts. Not bad at all and no more hot spots. I grabbed some leather and skived around the edges. The slip joint worked great and would still shave hair.

TIP TEST

I used the tip of the blade to cut and pry the dried skin from an old deer rack that needed cleaning. I was careful of the fine tip as I did not want to pop it off if it got stuck in the rack.

I gave the tip another workout, stabbing it into a 2×4 and twisting the tip out. The tip handled a dozen stabs and twists without breaking or any loosening of the folder’s action. As long as I had the 2×4 handy, I gave it a few chops. The blade bit deeper than I thought it would and the knife was comfortable while doing it.

IF IT WERE MY KNIFE …

… I would soften every place that is sharp except the edge of the blade. I use knives hard and sharp edges where they should not be might result in a hot spot. Just a few minutes with fine sandpaper and it’s all good.

FINAL GRADE

Tom’s slip joint performed excellently. His fit and finish are very clean. This is one very well made, good-looking work knife. Great job!—By MSG Kim Breed, BLADE® field editor

For more information contact Tom Ploppert, Dept. BLADEMAG, 1407 2nd Ave. S.W., Cullman, AL 35055 256-962-4251 tomploppert3bellsouth.net.

PLOPPERT SLIPPY SPECS

Knife: One-blade slip joint

Maker: Tom Ploppert

Blade Steel: CPM-154 stainless

Blade Length: 3”

Handle: Sambar stag

Pins: Stainless steel

Liners: 416 stainless

Backspring: CPM-154

Closed Length: 4 1/16”

Maker’s List Price: $750

For info on how to subscribe to BLADE®, click on http://www.shopblade.com/blade-magazine-one-year-subscription-us/?lid=blss090712

Icons Celebrate Over A Century of Knifemaking

Steve Shackleford

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October 24, 2016

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Icons Celebrate Over A Century of Knifemaking

50 years for D'. — BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member D’ Holder celebrates a half century of knifemaking in 2016 to complete with Gil Hibben the package of a combined 109 years making knives. (PointSeven image)

60 years for Gil. — With D’ Holder part of a combined almost 110 years of making knives, BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Gil Hibben observes 59 years of knifemaking this year. (PointSeven image)

Gil Hibben and D’ Holder are two of the world’s top living pioneer custom knifemakers, and together celebrate over a century of knifemaking in 2016.

Hibben has been making knives 59 years and Holder has done it for half a century—both impressive achievements by anyone’s standards.

It’s interesting to note that both long-time makers share similar career experiences over their over a century of knifemaking. Each was influenced by BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Buster Warenski—Hibben through the “Utah School of Knifemaking” that also included the legendary Harvey Draper, and Holder through a lifelong friendship with Warenski until the latter’s passing in 2005. Each also owes much of his success to supportive better halves: Hibben and his constant knife show companion/No. 1 public relations agent, Linda, and Holder and his Pat, who also engraved many of D’s knives.

Both Hibben and Holder are Cutlery Hall Of Famers. Each served multiple terms as president of The Knifemakers’ Guild. Both have influenced many knifemakers through mentoring, teaching and their knives.

Hibben, of course, is probably best known for making the knife used by Sylvester Stallone in the third and fourth installments of the Rambo movie series. Holder is perhaps best know for his “My Knife” hunter with a handle of stacked spacers of beautiful natural materials, including amber and others.

Holder was one of the original board members of the American Knife & Tool Institute, the oldest existing organization that fights for common-sense knife laws. Hibben made some of the most spectacular fantasy knives ever, probably the most fantastic of which were designed by Paul Ehlers.

In addition to the Rambo movie knives, Hibben also made the knives for another Stallone action vehicle, The Expendables. Holder designed a number of factory/custom collaborations, including the Toad for Spyderco and a number of fixed-blade hunters for Canal Street Cutlery. Hibben has designed a number of factory/custom collaborations, too, including many for United Cutlery.

The above only touches on the outstanding careers of two invaluable members of the custom knifemaking community. Please join us in congratulating them on a combined 109 years making knives—and what we hope are many more such years to come.

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Arkansas Custom Knife Show Feb. 16-17

Knife Test: Tom Ploppert Slip Joint

Icons Celebrate Over A Century of Knifemaking

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