Knife collecting is an extremely rewarding experience for knife enthusiasts. There truly is a knife for everyone. Many increase or hold their value throughout the years, making collecting knives something to pass on to the next generation of knife collectors.
For starters, honing a knife is different from sharpening a knife in one major way: how much steel is removed from the blade. Sharpening involves removing steel along the edge using an abrasive. It’s more aggressive than honing, which is a process by which the grains of steel on the edge are made uniform.
While honing isn’t a replacement for sharpening, it can extend the time between sharpenings. Honing is also a quick way to refresh a blade before use. Professional chefs will often use honing rods on their knives before getting to work.
You don’t need to be a five-star chef to hone your knives like a pro, though. No matter the task at hand, you can bring your knife back to life quickly with these simple steps.
Step 1: Buy A Honing Rod
In general, honing rods come in three styles: steel, ceramic and diamond. Each comes with different characteristics.
Steel is the least expensive. Because it’s softer than the other two styles, it won’t remove much metal from the blade. It’s great for beginners.
Ceramic carries more bite than steel. The honing will last longer because of this, but ceramic is also less forgiving of the novice.
Diamond honing rods are usually the most expensive of the three. The diamonds embedded in the rod remove a good amount of steel, so this style should only be used by the skilled knife enthusiast.
No matter which style you choose, aim for these features:
A secure, ergonomic grip
A sturdy guard that protects your hand
A ring on the handle for slipping a pinky through in case you drop it
Step 2: Find Your Angle
Place the rod perpendicular onto a non-slip surface. Hold the handle of the rod and plant the tip onto a soft yet durable surface, like a cutting board. Place the heel of the knife against the top of the rod at an approximate 15-20 degree angle. It’s important to match the angle of the edge already set on the blade.
If you’re not sure of the degree, angle the edge against the rod almost like you’re going to cut a long, thin slice of the rod off, and then apply light downward pressure until the edge catches.
Step 3: Time to Hone
Using light pressure, draw the knife down the rod. Use the full length of the rod (you paid to use the whole thing) and pull across the full length of the blade (you paid for that, too). Do your best to maintain a constant angle. Do the same for the other side of the blade.
Repeat eight to 12 passes on each side of the blade. Take your time. There’s no need to show off by honing quickly. That comes later.
With practice, honing will be like second nature to you. Honing will put your knives into a whole new light. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can give your blade a new pair of shoes.
Looking For a Shortcut? Try Knife Aid
The next best thing to sharpening and honing on your own is to use a mail-in knife sharpening service, like Knife Aid.
Knife Aid makes it simple. After placing your order, Knife Aid sends you everything you need to send them your knives for sharpening. It’s as easy as dropping your order in the mail, waiting a little bit and receiving the knives back in the mail as good as new. You can read BLADE‘s review of Knife Aid here.
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.
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
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.
The full tang and handle of the Spartan Harsey Difensa allow for a neutral balance in the user’s hand. Combined with the textured, ergonomic canvas Micarta handle (modified from Spartan’s Model II with no rear jimping) this custom combat knife offers the wielder a comfortable, confident grip whether wet or dry. (Caption and photo via Spartan)
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
The brown trout pattern. (Spyderco photo)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.
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.
QS131-C-Hawk (QSP photo)QS131-D HAWK (QSP photo)
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
(SOG image)
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.
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the January 2010 issue of BLADE. However, the information presented is still relevant and useful to anyone interested in paracord-wrapped knife handles.
Advantages of Paracord-Wrapped Knife Handles
Affordable: Much less expensive than many natural and synthetic handle materials
Customizable: Available in a variety of colors
Convenient: Cordage is as near as your knife
Versatile: Paracord can be used in countless everyday and survival situations
Disadvantages of Paracord-Wrapped Knife Handles
Fixed blades only: Folders aren’t an option
Absorbent: Will soak up moisture (water, mud, blood), and may give off unpleasant odor as a result
Needs replacing: Wear and tear mean the wrap won’t last forever
Ergonomics: Some say gloved hands often find a better grip than bare hands
The Infinite Uses of Paracord
While for some it may be considered just a quick wraparound, for others it has proven to be a lifesaver. The simple paracord handle does more than meets the eye.
Functioning as a handle material that allows for the best fit for the size of the user’s hand, and one that can be added or removed in a matter of minutes, paracord is durable and relatively inexpensive. It also adds a dimension of survivability for those in the field.
Paracord pulls double duty as a bootlace, securing line, snare or even in a first-aid situation.
What’s the Best Kind of Paracord?
This Yurco model is available from Arizona Custom Knives. (photo courtesy of Arizona Custom Knives)
“The best paracord to use is military 550 cord,” explained custom knifemaker Mickey Yurco, who has employed paracord wrap for handles on as much as 40 percent of his knives. “It has seven inner strands of nylon cord, and the outer shell is tightly braided nylon. If you pull out the separate strands in a survival situation, you can make a bowstring, use it to catch a rabbit with a snare, use it for fishing line, and you can break down the inner core into three separate smaller strands for sewing a rip in a tent or as suture if you cut yourself.
“You can use the outer shell to lash branches together to build a lean-to or tie logs together for a raft. You can even use it to keep a fire lit because [paracord] will melt.”
Yurco also points out that when a paracord handle is unwrapped for another use, the gripping end of the knife is still intact. The entire piece is lightweight and, on the sheath or in a belt clip, as much as eight to 12 feet of additional paracord can be tightly wrapped as backup.
Two Schools of Thought
Interested in doing a wrap yourself? You certainly can. The Izula-B Kit includes the paracord wrap (upper right) and cod lock, and also the black molded sheath, large and small split rings, ferro fi re-starting rod, emergency whistle, plastic snap hook and MOLLE lock kit. (RAT photo)
Mike Fuller of TOPS Knives noticed its reputation rising around 2000.
“I first saw it during the Vietnam era, as some guys wrapped paracord around their sheaths just to have some extra cord if needed,” he commented at the time this article was published. “I did see a few homemade jeepspring knives with paracord wrapping.
“There are two schools of thought on the paracord,” Fuller continued. “In an emergency situation, you might have about 10 feet of cord to use for survival applications. In a wet situation, you might have a better grip, and some people feel that it assists when wearing gloves in the field.
“Paracord can in fact tear or become frayed and, if it gets soaking wet in really cold weather, some have said that their handles freeze and coat with ice. Several professional hunters have said that if you are field dressing an animal the blood may get into the cord and it’s difficult to clean and may carry a distinct odor.”
The Secret is the Simplicity
The Yumi (top) and Ya (bottom) from Kanetsune/Kitasho offer paracord-wrapped handles and blades of 15-layer White steel damascus. Each piece comes with a cowhide sheath. Overall lengths: 7.68 and 8.07 inches. (Kanetsune/Kitasho photo)
“People like paracord because it is so simple,” said Justin Gingrich, a consultant with Ontario Knife Co. “It allows them to customize a handle and still have a knife they can carry close to the body. You can wrap, rewrap and even change the cord to match the outfit you’re wearing.
“Paracord allows users to tailor the knife to themselves, beefing the handle up or thinning it out, and, if it gets dirty or frayed or messed up in any way, it’s easy to replace. It will absorb water and hold it, so you don’t want it on an unprotected high-carbon steel knife. You could get rusting issues with water or any other fluids. It will absorb blood if you are hunting, but then again, it’s a give and take since you can change it out pretty quickly.”
Conclusion
As with any knife feature, whether to go with a paracord-wrapped knife handle or not is up to the user. However, many knife collectors enjoy the versatility and customization that paracord offers. Far from a trend, paracord is here to stay as a handle option.
One of the more unusual patterns in the long history of folding knives is the marlinespike. It is a blend of the early rope knife—not the sunfish, but the wharncliffe version—and the singular, knitting-needle-like marlinespike.
These were combined into a single folder and have served many a sailor and diver well. The blade is a sure-handed rope cutter, and the spike is made for working with knots and splicing rope. In fact, there is a knot dubbed the marlinespike hitch that serves as a temporary knot for various needs.
Also known as rigging knives, marlinespike knives live today in the form of reproductions of the original folders and thoroughly modern send-ups. Climbers, who use a lot of different knots in their endeavors, also find marlinespike knives useful.
Example 1: Colonial Knife’s Marlin Spike
The press-lock is a common blade release for marlinespike folders that dates back to the knife’s early days. However, there’s more here than meets the eye: The Colonial Marlin Spike’s lock also serves as a bail and a shackle opener.
Colonial Knife’s Marlin Spike is a reproduction of the original marlinespike knife issued by the U.S. Navy in World War I—with some modern touches.
The locking, 440C stainless steel spike and partially serrated—a plain-edge version is also available—sheepsfoot slip-joint blade are both 3 inches long. The scales are a simulated brown jigged-bone Zytel and the bolsters are stainless. The spike locks via a press-lock on the base, which also serves as a shackle opener and bail for a lanyard.
Example 2: Boker Magnum Catamaran
The marlinespike hitch is a simple, temporary knot that can be easily removed once it has served its purpose. The knot is attached to the Boker Magnum Catamaran’s spike in a scenario for which it can serve as a handle.
The Boker Magnum Catamaran has the traditional profile of the old marlinespike folders, replete with a press-lock bail/shackle opener for the spike tool and a 4.375-inch stainless steel frame.
The 3.3-inch spike and 2.75-inch partially serrated sheepsfoot slip-joint blade are 440A stainless steel. You’ll find a nifty shackle opener on the handle, also stainless steel, pinned to the frame.
Example 3: Camillus Marlin Spike
While the plain edge of the Camillus Marlin Spike’s sheepsfoot blade might not quite match the speed of a serrated edge, when it comes to wood it vastly out-carves the rest of the pack. This is a big consideration if you need a knife that will step outside The Rope Zone.
The Camillus Marlin Spike is a modern take on the original. The stylized, 4-inch frame is black G-10 with stainless steel liners. The 2.75-inch sheepsfoot blade—the only one of the test group without serrations—is VG-10 stainless steel with a black, carbonitride titanium coating.
It secures via a linerlock. The folder’s 2.25-inch spike locks via the press-lock/bail and is black coated as well. It is the lightest (3.2 ounces) of the test knives.
Example 4: Fox Sailing Knife
The Fox Sailing Knife has a cutout in the blade that serves as a shackle release. A shackle’s screw tab is caught in the jaws of the blade’s open maw.
The Fox Sailing Knife delivers with a cool, 4-inch handle of textured blue G-10. Stainless liners house linerlock mechanisms for both the 3-inch modified wharncliffe blade of 420 stainless steel and 2.25-inch spike.
The partially serrated blade has a cutout that serves as a shackle opener, along with a hole in the base of the frame that can accept a lanyard.
If you’re lucky enough to attend a knife show in-person this year, take advantage of the time to use your smartphone—or even a camera, heaven forbid—to help establish the provenance of the knife you buy.
A provenance that not only can you show proudly to anyone and everyone who might be interested in the cool little enclave of makers that comprise the knife industry, but also to help increase the knife’s value.
What Is “Provenance?”
Provenance, in case you don’t know, is defined by Webster’s as “place or source of origin,” and proof of it is something those who deal in the world of collectables value almost as much as the collectable itself.
Such is the case in the world of edged collectables, where the knives of certain makers can be extremely valuable. Being able to prove beyond almost a shadow of a doubt that one of those makers made the knife you assert he or she has made can mean hundreds if not thousands of dollars of difference in the amount of money you can get for it—if and when you decide to sell it.
In later years, if you keep the knife and its provenance together, it can mean even more money and prestige than that.
What Forms of Proof Count as Provenance?
Even if you can’t make it to a knife show in 2020, such as this scene at Jerry Van Eizenga’s table during a past BLADE Show, you can still request signed business cards, specs, receipts and photos from the knifemaker through the mail. A notary public isn’t out of the question, either. (file photo)
Provenance can take any number of forms, including dated written and signed documentation, sales receipts, product boxes (with the overall condition of those boxes playing a large part in value, too), etc. The more legitimate examples of proof you have, the better the provenance is.
Among other forms of such proof are photographs, and such photographs can come in any number of renditions.
For instance, once you buy the knife from the maker at his or her table, you might ask if it’s OK if you:
photograph the knife on the maker’s table, perhaps even with his/her autographed and dated business card situated next to the knife;
have your photograph taken with the maker, with you and/or he or she holding the knife; and
any other image you can think of to date or memorialize the occasion.
And you don’t have to stop there. You can keep the maker’s autographed business card from the photo, any kind of signed and dated receipt, knife specs (including name of knife, steel, blade length, handle material, lock, any unusual facts or descriptions of how the knife was made, etc.) and so on, and store it all with the knife.
If you feel even more enterprising, bring a recorder and record the maker’s answers to questions concerning the knife.
Of course, you will need to ask the maker’s permission for all of the above beforehand, but, if you’re paying the maker’s asking price for the knife, chances are he or she is going to be more than happy to comply and help you establish the knife’s provenance.
Provenance Benefits Both Ways
After all, the more money you get/more prestige you establish for the knife is probably going to benefit the maker’s ability to get top dollar for/reinforce the collectability of his/her knives, too.
Besides, it helps you establish a better rapport with the maker and is all kind of fun to boot.
When you think of a knife with a ring in the handle butt, a karambit probably comes to mind. Fact is, there are other knives with such a feature. In fact, some have rings at the middle and also even at the front of the handle.
Unlike karambits, in which the ring is used for quickly spinning the knife in between different grips as well as affecting the grips themselves, non-karambit versions of such knives employ the ring in utilitarian ways that are less flashy.
The latest ring knives from left, with manufacturer’s suggested retail prices in parentheses: SOG Keytron ($23.95), Boker Plus Accomplice ($119.95), Gerber Epic ($42) and KA-BAR Wrench Knife ($54.74). (Marty Stanfield Photography)
Examples include assisting in providing a more secure purchase on the handle, dangling the knife from a pinky to allow for full use of the hand while keeping the knife handy, attaching the knife to a keyring, or simply hanging the knife on a tool rack or elsewhere.
If your approach involves frequent intermittent knife use, interspersing it with employing your hand to grip, hold or pull the material you’re cutting or some other method all your own, then adding a ring knife to your collection might be beneficial.
Mail-In Knife Sharpening Services: Is There Anything New Under the Sun?
In absence of innovation, execution is everything.
Knife Aid, as seen on ABC’s Shark Tank TV show, caught the attention of the wider viewing audience as a new way to sharpen knives. The pitch centered on consumers mailing knives to Knife Aid for sharpening. The knives returned later in the mail.
This excited the “sharks” of Shark Tank (including the surprisingly blade-savvy Mr. Wonderful), and a deal hatched to bring Knife Aid to the masses.
Billionaire investors aside, those in the world of knives likely yawned at this novelty. Mailing in knives for sharpening is Pony Express territory.
In Search Of The Better Mousetrap
Still, I wanted to try Knife Aid for myself for two reasons.
First, Knife Aid‘s execution seemed interesting. This operation looked as polished as a fresh blade, incorporating email updates about order status, slick packaging and the ability to scale. That last part is tough.
I’m a sucker for better mousetraps. I’m interested in how people stay on the cutting edge of what they do, especially in knives. (I’m also obligated by BLADE to use one knife pun per day. Hope you’re reading this, Steve.)
Second, I’m crunched for time like never before. I used to treat knife sharpening as a sort of meditation to unwind. Those days are gone, and my knives in regular rotation show it.
How Knife Aid Works
I contacted Knife Aid directly to try its service, but the process works the same for anyone.
After placing your order, Knife Aid mails you an envelope with everything you need to send knives or scissors in for sharpening.
And I do mean everything: a sturdy envelope, pre-paid postage, adhesive blade guards, you name it. All you need to do is pack your knives according to the instructions. That’s it. You could be all set in three minutes.
From left are a Kershaw Leek, a Camillus canoe, a Camillus Bushcrafter and a J.A. Henckels chef’s knife too embarrassed to be photographed. Not pictured are the Oxo scissors, but they also went out for sharpening.
Knife Aid takes almost any blade you can throw (figuratively) at them, but there are some restrictions to keep in mind. Daggers, autos, single bevels, straight razors and anything longer than 16 inches are out of bounds.
I selected a couple pocketknives, some go-to scissors that border on shears and a bushcraft fixed. However, the real test would be a chef’s knife. That poor thing endured a lot of kitchen abuse. It would be my benchmark.
I liked that Knife Aid left room for custom instructions for the sharpener. This is great if you have a specific angle or grind in mind. You could also draw attention to a repair.
A spot for special instructions was a nice touch.A closer look at how those adhesive blade guards work.
I dropped the stuffed envelope off at the Post Office. Again, the pre-paid postage kept everything simple. I didn’t need to worry about weights or sizes. All I had to do is wait.
The Wait
Waiting didn’t feel like waiting, because Knife Aid kept me updated throughout the whole process with emails. At no point did it seem as though my knives fell into an abyss.
Testing The Sharpened Knives
It doesn’t get more straightforward than this.
I received the sharpened knives back about a week after I mailed them in. The 24-hour turnaround Knife Aid talks about on its website refers to the time from the start of the sharpening.
The scissors cut better than new. No joke. I use those scissors a dozen times a day around the house, especially the kitchen. Any resistance to the cut collapsed. I can’t quantify how much sharper they became, but I can say the fun factor went to 11. Yes, sharp scissors can be fun.
The pocketknives, more for tooling around outdoors, cut paper strips like champs, slicing with the weight of the blade and a feather grip. Had COVID-19 not welded the doors shut, a proper in-field exercise would be in order, but the paper told the story well enough.
However, that’s not what pushed me over the line on Knife Aid.
The Chef’s Knife: From Dull to Lightsaber Sharp
The chef’s knife. Oh, the chef’s knife.
Let me put this into context.
This degraded J. A. Henckels went into service in 2009 as the kitchen beater blade. It’s fought food and fixtures alike, pausing only to take a bath in the dishwasher.
Yes, I know what a sin that is, but you’ve got to understand something. Those clothes you wear while painting? Those shoes you mow the grass in? That truck you never buy tabs for? This is the knife equivalent of those. It doesn’t cut like butter. It cuts like butter. Hence the beating of the blade through the latest victim of food prep.
Things turned around big time after the sharpening. This chef’s knife zoomed past scary sharp to full-blown lightsaber. We’re talking near-zero resistance along the cut, greased only with gravity. Food prep for meals went from count-my-fingers-when-I’m-done bad to I-wonder-would-happen-if-I-tried-to-cut-XYZ great.
Excellent.
Knives to Avoid Sending to Knife Aid
Any time you stick knives through the mail, you risk losing them. Just ask any knifemaker at BLADE Show. Everyone has a story. You can’t count on postal insurance, either. Make that two stories.
For that reason, I’d only send knives to Knife Aid that you can afford to lose. As far as values, I’d peg a well-worn Sebenza as the top class of blade to trust.
The same goes for chef’s knives, which I imagine make up the bulk of Knife Aid’s business. Losing a $200 knife stings, but a $2,000 knife stings 10 times more.
Suggestions
In a perfect world, I’d like to know more about who did the sharpening. Maybe I’d even request the same person again and throw in a tip. Good work should be rewarded.
I also wish they offered to disassemble and clean pocketknives. Why stop at sharpening? Give that gummy knife a spa day.
Worth The Money: A Sharp Knife is Like Getting a New Knife
Here’s the deal. Most of the time, a sharp knife is as good as a new knife. As of this writing, Knife Aid charges as low as $10.64 a knife for its service (check the prices here). Would I re-buy each of my knives for about 10 bucks? You bet.
Raising that chef’s knife from the dead sealed the deal. Knife Aid is a winner. I’d recommend it to anyone.
Knife Aid is going to bring knife sharpening to a lot of people who don’t think about knives as much as the staff at BLADE does. That’s a big positive, because with it comes the appreciation of the craft inside each knife, and that’s pretty sharp.
(That’s two puns, Steve.)
Try Knife Aid For Yourself
If you’d like to try Knife Aid, click here and get started. It’s easy.
Full disclosure: BLADE receives a commission on orders it refers to Knife Aid, because we have to keep the lights on. That shouldn’t stain the service Knife Aid provides. Give it a shot. You’ll like it.
