Featured Knives

As noted by Pat Covert in the April 2016 issue of BLADE®, there was a time in this great country when all men used straight razors to shave because, well, they had no other choice! Today, though, shaving with a straight razor has been experiencing a revival in an age when five-blade handhelds and multi-head electric shavers are the norm.

Two of the latest straight razors include Boker’s “The Celebrated Ebony” (left) and knifemaker Tom Krein’s model in orange-and-black-layered G-10.

According to Wikipedia, narrow-bladed folding straight razors were listed by a Sheffield, England, manufacturer in 1680. By 1740, Benjamin Huntsman was making straight razors complete with decorated handles and hollow-ground blades made from cast steel, using a process he himself invented. Think about that. Straight razors have been in use, uninterrupted, for nearly 350 years—and no doubt much longer in terms of those who made them earlier.

Larry “The Hammer” Harley forged the wootz damascus blade and handle of his straight razor. A special heat-bluing technique provides the color. A mammoth bone spacer adds the final touch. (SharpByCoop image)

Shaving with a straight razor takes both skill and time when most people get their news lightning-fast off a handheld device—and the rat race shows no sign of waning. So, why would you want to take the time to meticulously shave your face or trim your beard?

To read the rest of the story, see the April 2016 issue of BLADE.

In 2013, Ryan Johnson of RMJ Tactical, designer of elite, military, tactical tomahawks, approached CRKT with the news that he had been working with a few combat veterans that had returned from war with varying degrees of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

To help work through their challenges, they had been designing and forging steel into custom tools. Drawing from their experience earned in combat situations, they have been creating tools they wished they had available to them in the battlefield. CRKT saw it as a way to give back to the community, and in 2016 is announcing the launch of the Forged By War program.

The program includes mission-ready tools designed by veterans, with 10 percent of CRKT’s net profits of the program donated to the veterans’ charity of choice. CRKT calls them “Mission ready tools that are … Forged By War.” The first three tools include the new Clever Girl, designed by Austin McGlaun of Columbus, Georgia. This fixed blade tactical knife features a black powder coated, upswept blade with a tough, injection molded, glass-reinforced nylon handle that sits comfortably in a sheath that’s MOLLE-compatible for multiple carry options. It aligns with Austin’s philosophy that in a fight you want something you can grab quickly, use if necessary, and then go home to your family. Austin’s charity is The Green Beret Foundation.

The Sangrador—which means “bleeder” in Latin—features a 5.5-inch, dual-edged SK5 steel dagger-style blade with a black powder coat finish, non-slip G-10 handle and MOLLE-compatible sheath. Its designer, Darrin Sirois of Fayetteville, North Carolina, has seen his fair share of combat as a Special Ops soldier, but his best feedback still comes from teammates. Darrin’s charity is Purple Heart Homes.

The Birler tactical pack axe won’t go AWOL on you when you need to break down doors, bust floors or take down trees to rescue a fallen soldier. Designed by Elmer Roush of Brasstown, North Carolina, a blacksmith and Vietnam vet, the blade is forged from 1055 carbon steel and features a hickory handle. It cuts down pack weight and anything in its way.  Elmer’s charity is The Green Beret Foundation.

The VP-100, aka the Ultimate Combat Dagger, the Regimental Combat Dagger of the renowned Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), was born from the collaboration between the PPCLI and BESH Knives Inc.

The “VP” stands for Victoria Patricia, the first Colonel-in-Chief of the PPCLI Regiment. The “100” signifies the Regiment’s prestigious 2014 Centennial Anniversary. This design is the culmination of years of passion, research, and real world experience. A symbol of elite forces, this dagger is fast, strong, and deadly serious.

The VP-100 is one of the most unique combat daggers ever produced and is distinctly different than other dagger designs. One hundred years in the making, the VP-100 was commissioned to commemorate a century of ultimate sacrifice, dedication and loyalty to Canada.

To honor those who have served, are serving and will serve, the partnership produced this low-profile, 12-inch, full-tang, fixed-blade, MOLLE-compatible combat dagger to occupy a small foot print on body armor. The VP-100 was custom designed with the PPCLI by knifemaker/designer, Brent Beshara of BESH Knives Inc. – a Patricia, retired Special Forces/Clearance Diver and veteran martial artist. It features Beshara’s revolutionary BESH Wedge® geometry: two diagonally opposed primary bevels converging to create a third cutting edge, allowing for full thickness of the blade right to the very tip to create the one of the strongest knife tips in the world.

A significant evolution of the traditional combat dagger, the BESH Wedge® eliminates the tip weakness of the conventional dagger design and provides one of the strongest point profiles ever offered on a dagger. This extraordinary construction creates a truly battle-worthy reinforced tip – advantage through design.

The VP-100 is not a field knife. It is mission-specific geometry designed and engineered to meet the needs of today’s soldiers and the demands of the modern battlefield. Balanced with weight forward for fast response and precision machined from AUS-8 stainless steel, the VP-100 includes a custom-designed Rapid-Draw Sheath, a versatile 8-Hole Multi-Position Belt Buckle and mounting plates for vertical or horizontal attachment to any MOLLE platform. Its ergonomic handle features strategically placed scallops and texturing that together with an integral double guard ensure a positive combat grip, whether forward or reverse, with or without gloves, even under the most demanding circumstances.

The innovative features that define the VP-100 are a direct reflection of the PPCLI’s ongoing commitment to forward thinking. This incredible knife proudly displays the laser-engraved unit crest of the Regiment on its blade.

Click here to order the PPCLI VP-100.