Knife Collecting Archives

Colorado Dreamin’: Western Cutlery

Steve Shackleford

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July 31, 2012

A rare Twin Set of Western Cutlery knives consists of a red-handle P48A (top) and P28 (bottom). The P28 has a sabre-ground blade instead of the standard flat grind. (Clyncke photo)

Knife collectors are dreamers. They dream of finding a Scagel, a fine bowie or an old Case knife at garage and estate sales. They dream of looking through a box of junk at a flea market, spotting an old green-bone Remington whittler, and buying it for five bucks so they can walk around smiling like a Cheshire cat. Most of the time it is just a dream, though once in a while the dream comes true.

My dad worked at Western Cutlery in Boulder, Colorado, in the late 1930s, and I did concrete contract work for the company after it moved to the outskirts of Boulder on Western Avenue. Dad was good friends with the Harvey Platts family, and I got to know a number of the workers at the plant. I became a part-time custom knifemaker, scrimshander and jewelry maker over the years, and when Western’s plant in Longmont went out of business, I bought a lot of raw material I could use to make my knives and jewelry.

I never lost my love of Western knives. I have owned a lot of the Boulder models and always enjoy looking for them, finding a good one, removing the dirt from it and cleaning up the sheath. My family had many Western knives on our ranch and farm, where knives were everyday tools. The many different ways of using them resulted in most being heavily abused, overly sharpened on a grindstone, and tossed in a bucket in the old shop when they wore out. I still have some of the old knives with blades that were sharpened so much they resemble toothpicks.

I am retired now and go to many estate sales and flea markets, hoping for a good find here and there. I always see my collecting friends looking for “the prize,” too. We have a friendly competition to see who can get that old knife first, then hunt the others up and show what we found.

DREAMIN’-TYPE KNIVES

In 2010, a family friend who was 89 passed away and I bought some nice old knives from his family, including five Westerns, a nice old Case Tested XX and several other brands. A couple of the Westerns and the Case are in very good condition—dreamin’-type knives.

A week later I was at another sale and asked about any Western knives, as another long-time Boulder family was conducting the sale. I was about to leave when a man said he had heard me ask about Westerns. He had one, I looked at it and we exchanged phone numbers. On the way home I started dreaming again about what the man had, hoping it was a rare one, maybe a World War II stiletto or a big, old one-blade folder.

A few days later I got anxious and phoned him. He said the knives were packed away and he would call me when he found them. I had heard that many times before, so the dreamin’ abruptly stopped.

Two days later the phone rang and it was the fellow again, telling me to stop by. I arrived and he got out three boxes and put them on a table. Inside were many cloths of different types rolled up in bundles. I picked up the top one, opened it and saw a Western 48A with red handles in mint condition. I nervously started opening more. Not one or two as I had imagined, but 28 pristine Western Boulder knives with sheaths! I was stunned to say the least. This was without a doubt the finest group of knives I had seen since Western closed its doors.

There were six folders, including a gorgeous 062 two-blade with redbone handles, two yellow-handle trappers, a 441 with cracked-ice scales, a brownbone 426 stockman, and a 656 with beautiful redbone scales. There was an L77A with a sawtooth back, a 539 with very nice stag handles, a rare dark-yellow-handle P48A, four “Black Beauty” knives of varying sizes, an L28, 628 and a P28. As I kept unwrapping I became more stunned at each knife. These all were brand new, never used or handled at all. Luckily, they were not stored in the sheaths but wrapped separate from the corroding leather.

As I lifted one of the last four and unwrapped it, I know my jaw dropped to my chest. Here was a wonderful white-handle “Twin Set” containing a P48A and a P28. I was nervous as a cat in a dog pound! As I unwrapped the last three, again I was stunned. Here were three more Twin Sets, one stacked leather, one white handled and another red. I calmly put them all back as the man inquired which one I would like to buy. I asked which ones were for sale and he said, “Why don’t you buy ’em all?” We arrived at a price and I paid him.

I asked where the knives came from and he said they belonged to his brother, who had worked at Western for a while in the leather department. He did not seem to want to talk about it, so I took the knives and left.

DREAM, DREAM, DREAM …

When I got home, I carefully unwrapped the knives and sheaths again, lined them up and just stared. One of my dreams had come true for sure.

It was time to give the knives closer inspection. Most of the brass guards and nickel bolsters were discolored with age, so I took a polishing cloth and carefully brought the new shine back. As I began to polish the stacked leather Twin Set, I got another shock.

Both knives had a Boy Scout stamp just above the Western Boulder stamp. I had seen 48s with the Boy Scout stamp but never the smaller L48B. Also unusual is that three of the four Twin Set larger knives have sabre blades with no blood grooves. The sheaths were somewhat dry, so I applied leather balm to bring them back to life. I noticed some were not stamped the same as Western did most of its sheaths, particularly the four Twin Sets. Since the knives’ original owner had worked in Western’s leather shop, he may have been just doing what he liked, or he may have been trying new styles. I guess I will never know for sure.

One thing I do know for sure: I will keep dreaming of finding another great knife or two, and now I can dream of finding another great cache such as this one.—by Marvin Clyncke

DREAM KNIFE VALUES*

Twin Set w/scout-stamped knives $400

Twin Set w/red tenite handles $450

P48A w/yellow handle $375

539 w/stag handle $275

248 w/cracked-ice handle $200

060 Rancher’s two-blade folder $250

L77A w/Finnish-style sheath $250

Twin Set w/white tenite handles $450

*The author’s values are for knives in mint condition.

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. Click on http://www.shopblade.com/blade-magazine-one-year-subscription-us/?r+ssfb073112 for more information.

Balisong: The Fixed Blade That Folds

Knife Collecting

Steve Shackleford

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July 19, 2012

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There are no locks to fail in the balisong—other than “letting go”

The sleek lines of the balisong, a.k.a. the butterfly knife, draw collectors and admirers like a moth to a flame. Smooth opening with a two-handle sweep in the blink of an eye adds to the allure of this somewhat mysterious knife. Meanwhile, custom makers and manufacturers have found its mechanics and optimal operation challenging to perfect.

The origin of the butterfly knife is the object of conjecture. Though modern aficionados immediately recognize the role of Filipino makers from the early 20^th century in popularizing the style, it is apparent the design dates from centuries earlier. According to balisong maker Chuck Gedraitis, the knife is also referred to as a Batangas knife after the Tagalog province of Batangas in the Philippines, where it has been traditionally made. There is also evidence that its origin is European. Collector Chuck Gollnick says he owns a French butterfly knife that dates from the 1750s, and a British example in sterling silver with hallmarks that trace it to 1873. As a result of Spanish involvement in the Philippines from the 16^th through the 19th centuries, Spain also has been listed as a player in the balisong’s development.

The continuing discussion of the knife’s heritage adds to the style’s romance and mystique. For both makers and collectors, the conversation is sure to continue.

BUTTERFLY HEART

The heart of the butterfly is its pivot mechanism, enabling the flipping action for which the knife is famous. Opinions vary on the best mechanical configuration, with several in use today that adequately fulfill their intended purpose.

“A balisong can best be described as a ‘folding fixed blade,’ as there is typically no mechanism,” offered Vance Collver of Benchmade Knife Co., a leading manufacturer of butterfly knives. “With the exception of the modern spring latch, there are no springs incorporated in the design. All other locking-folder designs require some sort of spring technology to function. With the balisong, the handle is essentially just split in half down the middle. Each half is attached to the blade so it can pivot. This allows the two handle halves to fold around the blade itself, acting as a sheath, in a sense.”

Collver explains that the user’s hand is essentially the lock for the split handle, and some type of latch keeps the handle halves from parting, though a latch is not necessary and the user’s grip maintains the position.

“When in use, both handles are gripped,” he added, “making the ‘lock mechanism’ as strong as the user’s grip. There are no locks to fail other than letting go. All balisongs are the same with two handle halves pivoting at the blade tang, so the mechanism is more a question of what the best examples are with this style knife.”

Collver identifies billet construction, in which both handle halves are machined completely from solid material; casting production, which is a variant of the billet process; the sandwich style, in which the handle halves are made from various components fastened together; and folded construction, in which the halves begin as a flat sheet material such as brass and are then folded into a “U” shape. For open and closed stops, single or dual tang pins are used.

Maker Darrel Ralph says he considers the balisong one of the world’s strongest folding knives. He describes the pivot as equal parts simple and intricate.

“The handles pivot on the blade independently,” he said. “This allows for offset, unique and crazy tricks or flips with the handles and blade. The secret is to be confident and always keep the ‘safe handle’—the handle that allows the back of the blade to ricochet off your hand—oriented properly as you flip.”

REVISED THINKING

Recently, Ralph has revised his thinking in regard to balisong mechanics.

“Over the last three years we stopped making butterfly knives altogether and went back to the drawing board,” he maintained. “In this time, we examined all the issues our customers gave us with the knives we had been building. We took the problems one at a time and developed new, out-of-the-box ideas to resolve them.”

Darrel says he considers bushing- or bearing-style pivots to be critical elements of the balisong, and his company uses both.

“Bearings have had a hard knock over the last 10 years in balis, mostly because of the build. We feel that the Maxx Glide pivot bearing system that we have developed is one of the best on the market today,” he opined. “This system is overbuilt and brings the bali to a whole new level. The bushing system is second in our opinion. It’s a good system that is easy to work with. It holds the handles apart and allows for a good, smooth swing on the blade. Both are great systems, and we use both according to what the customer wants in the knife.”

For years, Ralph says he heard concerns about both custom or production balisong pivots loosening after thousands of flips. To correct the problem, his designers developed the NLTP (No Loc Tight Pivot) system, which locks the pivot down and does not allow it to come loose, teaming up a set screw on one side and an adjustment screw on the other. Ralph’s Holey Moley model pictured above features the NLTP. A tension-adjustable latch also has been added, and the UFM (Ultimate Flipping Machine), a new generation of butterfly knife, is now in development.

BUSHING BACKER

Gedraitis identifies four main parts to a butterfly knife: the blade, two handle halves that pivot to expose or enclose the blade, and the latch. He uses pins or adjustable pivots to attach the handle halves to the blade. Most modern makers opt for adjustable pivots to allow the flipper to adjust the speed of the handle halves, he asserts, each acting independently of the other. He adds that the best examples of balisong operation are those that use a bushing system.

“A bushing is inserted into the blade, and it is one thousandth of an inch thicker than the blade,” he commented. “The pivot is inserted into the bushing. The handles are added and the pivot screws are tightened. The handles pinch the sides of the bushing, and the blade rides on the bushing. This allows the flipper to adjust the screws on the pivots very tight, and the blade still moves freely on the bushing. This also keeps the tang of the knife from being scratched or rubbed by the handles.

“A good balisong is made of quality materials and can be flipped by anyone. It has tight tolerances, washers, adjustable pivots and good balance. Bad balisongs are those made of cheap materials that are unbalanced and don’t flip properly.”

A collector of butterfly knives for more than 20 years, Gollnick lauds the simple design and strength of the lock-up. “It works well,” he noted, “and I believe it’s the strongest lock out there. The entire mechanism is visible and can be inspected so you would know if it has been compromised. We’re seeing the best products ever now, and quality is repeatable with manufacturers cranking out consistent knives.”

Continuing quality is reflected in the feel of the finished product. “It’s like any other knife, materials, craftsmanship and style,” Collver said. Added Ralph, “The collector wants fit, finish and exotic materials. The handles should be a little heavy in the rear to make the flippers happy. The handles should also be tight with good trick capability, including shape, rounded and not flat, and proper taper from front to back. Good blade weight and balance with fast speed and great pivots are other main points.”—by Mike Haskew

A New Balisong Club

If you are into balisongs and looking for likeminded individuals, Darrel Ralph said a new club called the Disciples may be for you.

“We have combined forces with Stu Hopson, expert flipper, to focus the club on developing a flipping team that is second to none,” Ralph noted, “while training and sharing with up-and-coming flippers who want to get involved and grow to a champion level. We will also be working very hard to develop new ideas for butterfly knives to make technological advancements.”

For more information contact Darrel Ralph, Dept. BL8, 4185 S. St. Rt. 605, Galena, OH 43021 740-965-9970 www.darrelralph.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. Click on http://www.shopblade.com/blade-magazine-one-year-subscription-us/?r+ssfb071912 for more information.

Waki Talk: What’s Hot in Wakizashis

Steve Shackleford

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July 25, 2012

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The wakizashi may be the most sensible and useful Japanese sword. Between a katana and tanto in length, the “waki” is long enough for any number of heavy-duty jobs but also short enough to use in confined spaces. And, for those into collecting/displaying Japanese swords, the waki offers all the traditional accouterments of high-end pieces, too.

“The CAS Hanwei Tactical Wakizashi crosses over to the machete market to a large extent but still has the mystique of the traditional wakizashi, which a lot of people know about, so it’s a pretty good combination of a machete and an old-time weapon,” CAS Hanwei’s Barry Ross noted. “A lot of our customers use it as a brush-cutting sword. Those hiking in the backwoods carry one for cutting brush for paths and to make shelter, and [some other of our customers] use it as a defensive weapon.”

With a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $209, it is a lot less expensive than traditional wakis that have more expensive fittings and cost much more to build, Ross added. Sporting a checkered Kraton handle for a sure grip in slippery conditions, the CAS Tactical Wakizashi has a 20-inch blade of 5160 carbon steel plasma coated for corrosion resistance.

For the plasma coat, CAS Hanwei has a process that applies a thin layer of nickel to the blade. It is a very tough coating that forms a physical bond with the steel, one Ross said will not wear off. “5160 will rust easily if left to its own devices and since these things will see a lot of work, we needed to do something for that”—thus the plasma coat, he reasoned. The weatherproofed, glass-filled-resin scabbard is equipped with a drain hole so it will not hold water.

THE G2 TEST

ABS master smith Wally Hayes offers tactical, traditional and high-end wakis. “I make tactical wakis for Larry Brahms of Bladeart.com,” Hayes said. “Brent Beshara tested one at the [Usual Suspect Network] G2 Show. We had to make something that was the biggest bang for the buck, something to take into battle and not cost an arm and a leg, so we came up with the tactical waki.” It has a 14-inch blade of 1084 carbon steel and an 8-inch handle with a Turk’s head knot and a ray-skin nylon wrap resin coated to waterproof it. Hayes indicated he has since switched to W2 tool steel for the blade because W2 produces “cooler temper lines and stays straight in the heat treat.” His list price: $1,200. He also offers the double-edge/double-temper-line Hayabusa that he lists for $1,800. It has a 15-inch blade and an 8-inch handle of black ray skin and purple silk.

While Hayes said his waki production is about half tactical/half traditional, which breaks things up and makes them more fun for him, he indicated he is learning more toward the more expensive models to “push his limits.”

“As I move up the food chain, so does the demand for my higher-end stuff, more engraving and gold,” etc., he said. “I’m attracting higher-end collectors” from such places as Cypress, Germany, China and Australia, to name a few. “And Axl [Axl Rose of Guns ‘n Roses fame] loves my stuff—traditional and tactical,” he added. “He’s got my wakis hanging in his kitchen.”

An example of Wally’s higher-end waki would include one with 1600 layers of three different carbon steels—1050, W2 and 15N20. “I put in some of Alfred Pendray‘s carburized electrolytic iron; that way I can get the brightness and tool up to between a thousand and 1600 layers,” Wally noted. All the handles are traditional. He carves and engraves them and embellishes them in gold and silver, depending on the price, which starts at $3,500.

BACKYARD CUTTERS

Rick Barrett, who also goes by the Japanese name of Toshi Hisa, said he prefers to make his wakis with semi-traditional-type blades. “I like the longer or oh wakizashi in the 23-to-25-inch blade range, so it’s almost a short katana,” he said. “It makes a great tactical blade; it’s not so long you can’t use it in confined spaces.” Rick uses 1075, W1 and W2, modern carbon steels heat treated traditionally for a hamon.

He indicated many of his customers include martial artists and “backyard cutters,” the latter whom cut rolled-up straw mats and bamboo in their backyards. “In my opinion, cutting things is similar to shooting firearms. You go out and practice to improve your technique; it is a bit of a hobby in itself,” he opined. “It’s like people who don’t shoot; they don’t know the pleasure people get hitting a target. Those who don’t cut don’t get it either, but [those who do] get a thrill from cutting targets.” Rick said he also has military customers who order anything from a long tanto to a short waki for use in Afghanistan as a backpack piece, as well as collectors who “just put the swords on the mantle.”

Rick sells most of his wakis—and swords in general—without handles. “I usually do the blade alone and let the customer decide if he wants the rest done traditionally or contemporary. That’s the way the Japanese makers do swords [without handles]. A lot of Westerners look at it as not finished, whereas the Japanese look at it as finished; the rest is ancillary. I get questions all the time: ‘When are you going to finish it?’ For years I would finish it and people would say they wanted something different. You can’t just change it easily. It requires redoing a lot of things. I spend $200 on getting the handle wrapped and if I have to rewrap, I will have to undo the handle, which costs $200, and rewrap, which is another $200.”

When he offers a waki with traditional mounts, he hands it over to a traditional mounter. “[Traditional mounters provide] a more accurate wrap than I could ever get,” he observed. “[Traditional mounting] takes years in itself to perfect. I don’t want to offer something sub-par for a sole-authorship piece. It is far better to have a tighter handle wrap, diamonds lined up perfectly, and so on. The contemporary handles I do all myself.”

3V WAKIS

Dan Keffeler makes tough, functional user wakis. He said he was invited to a dojo in 2004 and watched a participant’s sword bend during a cut. “He wound up taking it to a polisher to straighten the blade and the bill was $900,” Dan recalled. “I was working with CPM 3V and wondered why can’t I make a [sword] blade out of 3V? It has a lot of impact and chip resistance and though it’s not as tough as S7 it’s still tough, so I started making Japanese swords from 3V, testing, dialing in heat treat for a balance of all the properties we’re looking for, one that would not take a set [bend] and would chop through a 4×4.”

Since then Dan said 3V has developed a durable reputation for both knives and swords, including his wakis. “I am one of the first if not the first to use 3V for swords, and I hope my work with it over the last eight years has helped contribute to that,” he noted. “I think 3V has the best combination of toughness and edge retention for a sword blade of any steel I’ve tested. I compete in BladeSports International cutting competitions and hold the world record [1.21 seconds] for the fastest 2×4 cut, so I have spent a lot of time on what makes things cut.

“With a sword, toughness is primary; with a knife, edge retention is primary. For swords, I have not seen another steel that can put those two attributes together like 3V can. When heat treated properly, it’s semi-stainless like D2. You have to care for it but not like for steels like O1. 3V is abrasive resistant so it doesn’t scratch up like other sword steels. It’s harder to sharpen and grind but because it’s so tough and chip resistant, I can grind it to a thinner edge, and a thinner edge is easier to sharpen.”

For handles for his user pieces he uses a material called Tero-Tuf. “Brian Wagner and Jeff Crownover turned me onto it,” he said. “It’s synthetic like Micarta® or G-10 but is tougher than both. It’s laminated and has a resin like canvas Micarta to make it stronger.

“I was testing different glues on G-10, Micarta and Tero-Tuf and trying to break the glue and hitting the handle with a hammer. The G-10 would break and crumble in chunks. The Micarta took more hits but would shatter. The Tero-Tuf would throw the hammer back at me. It’s hard to get it to fracture.

“I sent a knife [with a Tero-Tuf handle] into Knifetest.com and [the tester] hit the handle with a sledgehammer 50 times and couldn’t break the scales. It’s really a high-impact material. Another benefit is it has a really good grip when wet.”

EQUAL PARTS HOT & COOL

Useful, traditional, contemporary and collectible, today’s wakizashis have everything going for them that enthusiasts look for in a Japanese sword. If buying such a sword is on your list, consider the wakizashi, especially one of those described herein. Equal parts hot and cool, wakis are hard to beat.—by Steve Shackleford

How Long The Waki Blade?

How long is the blade of a wakizashi? According to Rick Barrett, since the waki is more of a short carry sword, the blade normally is in the 14-to-22-inch range. As for the oh wakizashi—translated as long wakizashi—he said the range is 23 to 25 inches.

Barry Ross put the waki blade-length range at 18 to 21 inches. Dan Keffeler said waki blades generally span from 16 to 24 inches. His assessment gibes with the description by the late Bob Engnath in his “Basic Blade Shapes of Ancient Japan.” After 25 inches, Keffeler noted, the blade falls into the short katana range, with the standard katana blade at least 27 to 28 inches long.

According to information supplied by swordsmith David Goldberg, a wakizashi is “a medium-sized blade over one shaku but less than two shaku in length.” Wikipedia indicates the Japanese shaku has been defined to equal 11.93 inches. Two shaku equal 23.86 inches.—by Steve Shackleford

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. Click on http://www.shopblade.com/blade-magazine-one-year-subscription-us/?r+ssfb072512 for more information.

10 Knives For The Field And Beyond

Knife Collecting

BLADE Staff

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June 29, 2020

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Single Mark KA-BAR®

KA-BAR’s website says that the Single Mark KA-BAR is the knife for those who have “never been in the military.” That’s less of a dig at those who haven’t served than it is being true to the brand. Every KA-BAR knife traces its lineage back to the USMC Fighting/Utility Knife. As such, the Single Mark is made to the exact specifications of that legendary knife.

Unlike the military, however, you can personalize the Single Mark right out of the box. One side of the blade is stamped with, “KA-BAR, OLEAN NY,” while the other side is blank. That’s a perfect spot for an engraving.

Plus, this made-in-the-USA slice of history is built for the masses with an MSRP of $113.45.

KABAR knives — As of this writing, the MSRP for the Single Mark is $113.45. (KA-BAR photo)

Manufactured: USA
Overall Length: 11.875”
Blade Length: 7”
Blade Width: 1.188”
Bulk Weight: 0.7 lb.
Handle: Leather
Blade Stamp: KA-BAR
Steel: 1095 Cro-Van
Thickness: 0.165”
Grind: Flat
Angle: 20°
HRC: 56-58
Sheath: 1217I – Leather

Spartan Harsey Difensa

Spartan military knives — The Spartan Harsey Difensa is named after a battle fought between the U.S./Canadian First Special Service Force and German troops in Italy. Known as the Battle for Monte la Difensa, the courageous performance of U.S. and Canadian forces there was essential to the eventual Allied victory in Italy. (Caption and photo via Spartan)

Named after the 1943 battle for Monte la Difensa in Italy during World War II, the Spartan Harsey Difensa is a prime example of military history meeting modern knifemaking.

The knife got its start when the Canadian special forces commissioned Spartan Blades and William Harsey to produce a blade for it. This U.S./Canada collaboration harkens back to the Allied heroism of that 1943 battle, so the result needed to be perfect.

From the looks of it, the spear-point Difensa hit its mark and then some. Its design wouldn’t be out of place in either country, or abroad for that matter.

Designer: William Harsey
Overall Length: 11 5/8″
Blade Length: 6 1/4″
Blade Thickness: 3/16″
Blade Steel: CPM S35VN
Blade Hardness: 59-60 HRC
Blade Style: Spear Point
Grind: Flat ground main bevel with tapered top edge.
Coating: SpartaCoat – PVD – Tungsten DLC (Black) or ZrN (Flat Dark Earth)
Handle Material: 3D Contoured CE Canvas Micarta® Black or Green
Weight: 0.710 LBS

Spyderco Native 5 Abel Reels Exclusive Signature Series

Spyderco Abel Reels Native 5 — The brown trout pattern. (Spyderco photo)

Spyderco Abel Reels Bonefish — The bonefish design. (Spyderco photo)

Spyderco’s collaboration with fine fishing tackle manufacturer Abel Reels has turned out a creel of keepers with the painstakingly detailed Native 5 Abel Reels Exclusive Signature Series.

One look will show you what makes this series of three knives stand out. The same proprietary process Abel Reels uses to make its tackle so realistic is also applied to the design of the knives. That’s not to say the knives can be used as fishing lures, but it’s pretty close.

Each work of art wraps itself around Spyderco’s popular Native 5 folding knife platform. These photorealistic knives might swim away if you don’t watch out.

Available are brown trout, rainbow trout and bonefish designs.

Spyderco Abel Reels Native 5 Rainbow — The rainbow trout design. (Spyderco photo)

Steel: LC200N Corrosion Resistant Steel
Grind: Full Flat
Lock: Back Lock
Handle: Hand Anodized Aluminum
Carry: 4-Positions Hourglass Pocket Clip
Open Length: 6.95″
Closed Length: 4″
Blade Length: 2.95″
Blade Thickness: 0.126″
Weight: 3.3 oz.
Origin: USA

QSP QS131

Urban EDC knife — QS131-A-HAWK (QSP photo)

QSP EDC knives — QS131-B-HAWK (QSP photo)

QSP doubles down on the growing interest in urban EDCs with the Hawk QS131 line of four knives (A, B, C and D). The handle and blade material separate each of the four, but the rest of the specs are roughly the same.

The squared off handle design in each Hawk softens the overall design, staying true to urban EDC’s non-aggression ethic. The same could be said for the damascus on two of the Hawk knives; urban EDCs need to have something to talk about.

Ceramic ball bearings mean no matter which of the four Hawk knives finds its way into your pocket, it’s sure to pop open like a true flipper every time.

Mechanism: Flipper (Ceramic Ball Bearing)
Blade: Chinese Damascus Steel or CPM35VN (Satin Finish)
Handle: Carbon Fiber (A), Verawood (B) or Carbon Fiber (C)
Lock: Locking liner
Overall: 7.35”
Closed: 4.125”
Cutting edge: 3.225”
Net weight: +/-3.6oz

SOG Trident AT

With flippers all the rage, is there still room for an assisted opener? Absolutely.

SOG’s Trident AT is an overbuilt example of the enduring assisted opening category, marketed as being “designed for professional users.” Anyone can order up the AT, though, and why wouldn’t they? The assisted mechanism opens rapidly, and the blade stays securely in place with SOG’s renowned AT-XR locking system, including an ambidextrous safety in the handle.

Why so much security? SOG anticipates you’re going to beat the heck out this knife. SOG prides itself on taking its folders to the limits, and this is no different.

Plus, the line cutter and glass breaker mean that no matter what you encounter in the field, you’ll be ready.

Open Length: 9.03″
Blade Length: 3.7″
Closed Length: 5.33″
Weight: 5.15 oz.
Blade Thickness: 0.12″
Blade Steel: Cyro D2
Finish: Titanium Nitride

Factory Friday: Contingency By Winkler Knives II

Erin Healy

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September 15, 2017

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Factory Friday: Contingency By Winkler Knives II

Winkler II Knives' Contingency offers a variety of handle options. — Contingency by Winkler II Knives is well designed for concealed carry. The sheath system offers a variety of carry options and the curved handle easily accommodates positive or 90-degree reverse grip. Contacts for Winkler II Knives are listed at the bottom of this article.

Contingency by Winkler Knives II is a concealable personal protection knife with a sheath system that allows for inside- or outside-the-waistband carry. (You’ll want to order a left-hand-draw sheath for right-hand IWB draw.) The 3 1/2-inch blade on Contingency is made of 80CrV2 steel and has thumb-grip gimping. The knife has a tapered, skeletonized tang and measures 7.625 inches overall.

The curved-handle design is well-suited for easy draw and positive grip or 90-degree reverse-grip positioning. It comes in your choice of walnut, maple or Black, Tan or Green Micarta. Rubber is available but is not recommended for concealed carry. The MSRP is $300. You can also order yours with sculpting, $15; sculpted WASP (air injection), $30; or sculpted multi-camo, $30.

Daniel Winkler’s Early Frontiersman Style

Daniel Winkler, along with wife and leather craftswoman, Karen Shook, started Winkler II Knives in 2016. Daniel’s ever-present love of early American history intensified when he started using black-powder weaponry to extend his hunting season. He added to his 18-century woodsman outfit by making powder horns and other accessories, and in 1975 he made his first knife. He was a member of The American Mountain Men and other historically strict reenactment groups, and began selling knives at gatherings, called rendezvous. The money he made allowed him to upgrade his car-wheel forge to a hand-cranked model. By 1988 he was making knives full time.

Daniel Winkler, Kevin Holland and W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. have collaborated on Skinner, which Holland, a Navy Seal designed. — Daniel Winkler, co-owner of Winkler Knives II with his wife, Karen Shook, is based in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

When he’d been at it for nearly two decades, he spent a few years entering cutting competitions. He says those experiences taught him more than he had learned in all the other years combined. Not only did he improve his knife-handling skills, he came to understand what made a knife perform in a wide variety of tests. Cutting competitions are timed events that involve a number of stations at which the maker and his knife must cut, say, a hanging rope, an upright straw, a row of water bottles, a cardboard tube, a pool noodle and then chop through a piece of lumber. The blade either cuts or it doesn’t.

Now he establishes the use of the knife before anything else, because no single knife can do all things well. He is honest about how knifemaking is always changing, sometimes advancing, sometimes failing.

In 1992 Daniel had the opportunity to make the knives and tomahawks used in the movie “The Last of the Mohicans.” His pieces also made appearances in 2012’s “Zero Dark Thirty.” It was his work on “Mohicans,” however, that would send him on the path to making knives and combat axes for today’s Special Operations personnel, while continuing to serve the hunter-outdoorsman community.

Contact Daniel Winkler, Winkler Knives II, P.O. Box 2166, Blowing Rock, NC 28605; 828-295-9156; [email protected]; www.winklerknives.com and on Facebook at Winkler Knives.

A Digital Subscription To BLADE Is The Answer

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10 Tips for Proper Knife Show Etiquette

BLADE Staff

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March 21, 2013

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Ask Permission

Always ask an exhibitor’s permission before picking up a knife from his table. Nothing’s worse than some ya-hoo barging up, grabbing a knife and launching into a spiel on how much he knows about knives. Treat the exhibitor like you would any decent human being and ask permission to pick up the knife first.

Considerations for Folders

If it’s a folding knife, after asking the exhibitor if you can pick it up, if it’s closed and you want to open it, ask if you can do so (though most every folder maker will expect you to open it, check the action, etc). And if it’s a multi-blade, NEVER open more than one blade at a time. It puts too much pressure on the backsprings and can cause undue wear and tear. If you’ve bought the knife, then open all the blades you want (though it will still cause undue wear on the backsprings). And if you open the blade(s), close it/them before handing the knife back to the maker.

Hand Someone a Knife Safely

Mind Your Edges & Tips

Your blades are your responsibility! Mind those edges and tips. Nothing is ruder than gouging someone on your 6 because you’re strolling around with a sword under your armpit like some 18th-century field marshal.

Say It, Don’t Spray It

Be careful when you are examining an exhibitor’s knife not to spray spittle on the knife. Some people tend to “spray it instead of say it,” and spittle, if not wiped off, can cause “spit pits,” or tiny rust spots.

Wait Your Turn

Never interrupt an ongoing conversation at an exhibitor’s table. The exhibitor might be in the process of selling a knife and if you barge in and start blabbing away, it may chase the buying customer off. Besides that, it’s rude.

Make Way for Business

If you’re talking to an exhibitor and have no intention of buying a knife and see someone next to you who obviously is intent on buying a knife from the exhibitor, politely bow out and give way to the potential buyer.

Leave “I’ll Be Back” to Arnold

Before leaving his/her table, unless you are really going to do it, never tell the exhibitor, “I’ll be back.” Don’t be labeled an “I’ll Be Backer”! 😉

Haggling

Don’t haggle over price with custom knifemakers. They know how much time, effort and materials they put into a knife. If you don’t like the price, move on.

Getting in Close

Using a loupe to examine an antique knife is one thing but don’t use one to examine the custom maker’s knife at the maker’s table. It’s just not very good form. Now, if it’s a custom knife sold by a purveyor, that’s different. After all, if you have a question about the knife’s authenticity, it is possible that the purveyor made a mistake in buying the knife. We all err at times, right?

These are a few of the rules of knife show etiquette. There are others. Practice proper knife show etiquette and your entire show experience will benefit as a result.

Buying Custom Knives: Is List Price the Same as Value?

Knife Collecting

Steve Shackleford

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March 23, 2020

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Buying Custom Knives: Is List Price the Same as Value?

List Price is One Thing…

We recently published a picture of a custom knife with a price one observer indicated was exorbitant. This person questioned why we had published it.

When we publish the picture of a knife, we try to include the price. In the instance of a factory knife, the price we list is the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. In the case of custom makers’ knives, where possible we preface what the maker charges for the knife with “The maker’s list price”—for example, “The maker’s list price: $500.”

…And Value is Another

The reason we do it that way is the price is the one the maker is asking for the knife, not the collector value. We are no more going to change the maker’s asking price for a custom knife to reflect what we think the collector value is any more than we would do the same to a factory knife. It simply is not our place to do so. (Besides, it could open us up for legal action.)

We don’t list the collector value for custom knives because:

a) such values can be subjective;
b) such values are subject to fluctuation, sometimes almost overnight;
c) we simply may not know the collector value;
d) any number of other reasons; or
e) all of the above.

Why Doesn’t BLADE Publish Collector Values?

Now, sometimes we will list prices based on knife-show-opening bids, secondary market values, purveyor’s list and other prices, etc., but we never publish collector values for custom knives.

BLADE® is a knife magazine, not a price guide. Our mission is to show the work of as many makers as possible to as many knife buyers/collectors as possible, and let the latter decide what they want to buy and whether it’s worth the price.

Kyle Gahagan knives are sometimes offered for sale through ExquisiteKnives.com. — Kyle Gahagan made this 10.5-inch blade with forge-welded 1075 and 15N20 steels. The guard uses the same steel, and the handle is ringed gidgee wood. Maker’s list price: $3,500.

Do Knifemakers Charge Too Much?

The fact that some makers charge too much for their knives is no news flash. The temptation to make as much money as possible from one’s labors is always there and is understandable—if done within reason.

However, to do so beyond reason not only is unfair to buyers, it also is likely to backfire on the makers in question by turning off buyers, thus dampening the makers’ future knife sales. In some cases, it may drive the makers out of business.

How to buy a custom slip joint knife — Stan Buzek based his slip joint on a Bill Ruple two-blade trapper. The hollow-ground blades are Damasteel damascus and 3.5 inches each. The fileworked liners are 416 stainless steel. Closed length: 4 3/8 inches. Buzek’s list price to make a similar piece: $1,950. (SharpByCoop photo)

On the other hand, if we publish a maker’s knife and list price and the maker gets feedback on how out of touch the price may be, it might serve as a teaching moment and help the maker get his prices more in line with reality—and help keep the maker in business.

Now, there are some makers who charge four, five and, in ultra-rare cases, six figures for their knives—and get it. And more power to them.

However, they get those prices by the grace of their creativity, ability, reputation, knowledge of the knife market and more, not because they simply ask for them.

Knife Collecting

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Daniel Winkler’s Early Frontiersman Style

A Digital Subscription To BLADE Is The Answer

Ask Permission

Considerations for Folders

Hand Someone a Knife Safely

Mind Your Edges & Tips

Say It, Don’t Spray It

Wait Your Turn

Make Way for Business

Leave “I’ll Be Back” to Arnold

Haggling

Getting in Close

List Price is One Thing…

…And Value is Another

Why Doesn’t BLADE Publish Collector Values?

Do Knifemakers Charge Too Much?

Protect & Store Your Custom Knives:

Display Your Custom Knives:

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