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.
The knife handle should fit your hand snugly. The knife is the CRKT Fossil.
What to look for in a knife handle is a question whose answer—as with most things knife—depends on many factors.
For one thing, no one knife handle fits everyone. Hands come in all shapes and sizes, so a knife handle that will fit a large hand probably will not fit a small one—and vice versa. As a result, no matter how much a knife handle is touted as being “user friendly,” you can’t know if it will suit your needs unless you pick the knife up and use it. Of course, that’s hard to do when you can’t use the knife unless you buy it. Then, if you don’t like the knife, you’re stuck with it.
One way around that is to find a friend who has the knife in question and borrow it. Of course, you will need to take good care of the knife and give it back when you’re through.
Barring the above, look for a knife handle with gentle curves, contours and palm swells that fit the shape of your palm snugly. This will help prevent the knife from sliding around in your hand or cause you to have to constantly regrip the knife handle with your hand. Avoid finger grooves as they are too restrictive in terms of the way you can hold a knife handle. Besides, you may find over time that grooves you thought fit your fingers/hand really don’t.
Avoid a knife handle that has sharp corners at the butt or any place that tend to dig into your hand. Those can cause hot spots or even cut you. Avoid a knife handle that is too soft. It may feel good at first but it, too, can cause hot spots/friction on your palm and/or fingers over extended periods of use.
Single, integral guards are good as they keep your hand from sliding onto the blade. That’s one of the good things about flipper folders—not only do the flippers ease the job of opening the knife but they also serve as single guards.
For more on the best knife handle for you, see your local knife retailer and ask him to show you the many different options you have when it comes to a knife handle.
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Great knives have face. I’m not talking about a face like on a Halloween mask, but a knife with a design or style that’s recognizable by a large number of knife enthusiasts as having been made first by one knifemaker and one knifemaker only.
The face, in this instance, is the unmistakable knife design or style of the maker in question.
There are at least two provisos: 1. To fully qualify as a knife with face the knife must be recognizable by a large number of knife enthusiasts. Now, there no doubt are great knives made by makers that one or a few enthusiasts may recognize as being the knives of specific makers, but the ones that really fill the bill are the ones many enthusiasts can look at and say, “Yep, that’s so-and-so’s knife.” It’s effective in terms of a conversation starter among knife enthusiasts who are friends, or as a conversation icebreaker among those who have just met. They don’t know each other but they do know great knives with face.
2. Some of the makers of knives with face have had their designs with face emulated by many others. Even so, if the knife has face those who recognize it will say that it’s in the style of the maker who originated it.
Following is a selection of great knives with face and why they qualify. Enjoy!
The Bob Loveless dropped or drop-point hunter. The Loveless drop-point hunter is one of the great knives with face on this list that meets Proviso 2 above. While it may not appear to be all that unusual, the drop-point style of the blade—where the blade tip falls below the plane of the spine—is something Loveless popularized in the 1970s and ’80s, and it remains his signature style to this day.
The Bill Moran style. Actually, as with Loveless, any number of Moran knives have face, though I’ve chosen one of my favorites: the ST-24. The flowing blade with a long clip point and ergonomically contoured dropped handle with silver wire inlay is unmistakably a Moran.
The Michael Walker style. Walker’s linerlock folder changed knives forever but he also makes models unlike anyone else. Outfitted with any number of his clever and innovative locks, each of which gives the handle a notably different look at the pivot, Walker’s knives use the latest and most exotic materials, are embellished in any number of creative and ornate ways, and usually have some of the most interesting blade shapes you’ll ever see.
The Jurgen Steinau style. When I first saw one of Jurgen Steinau’s knives, at first I wasn’t even sure I was looking at a knife. The designs, angles and materials of his knives are like something from a book on intergalactic architecture. Suffice it to say, Steinau’s great knives have face—and then some!
Jim Schmidt’s Goblin Folder. Schmidt’s Goblin Folders have face in more ways than one. Not only do they have the face of a goblin on the handle’s stag butt, but that face makes the knife unmistakable as the style originally made by Mr. Schmidt. A number of his other models have face as well.
There are others who make great knives with face. Which ones make your list?
1 The Loveless dropped or drop-point hunter has face in large part because of the drop-point blade with the tip that drops below the plane of the spine. An original is shown at bottom here, with a Schrade repro at top.4 Jurgen Steinau’s great knives have face for their design, angles and materials that look like something straight out of a book on intergalactic architecture.3 Michael Walker’s spectacular folders have face for any number of reasons, from their distinctive pivots to their exotic materials, creative embellishments and standout blade shapes.2 Bill Moran’s ST-24 has face thanks to the long, flowing blade and ergonomic dropped handle with silver wire inlay—not to mention his distinctive sheaths. Those who know great knives recognize the Moran style immediately.
5 Jim Schmidt’s Goblin Folder has face in more ways than one—it actually has the face of a goblin on the handle butt!
It makes sense that pumpkin spice marketers would want to find ways to push a product that only got used once or twice a year in one or two pumpkin pies. Now, of course, it’s a running joke that there’s pumpkin spice in everything from dog treats to breakfast cereals. Some long for the days when only pumpkin-spiced candles and lattes accosted their sensibilities, others look forward to seasonal yogurts, beers and Oreos. While we’re in the full swing of fall, deer season and stocking up on pumpkin spice M&Ms for Halloween, why shouldn’t we celebrate pumpkin-spiced custom knives?
The pumpkin in this knife’s G10 handle is tempered with black, but you’ll still be able to find it if you drop it in the leaves while dressing a deer.
This APEX has a 3 7/8-inch freehand flat-ground blade made of D2 steel with a darkened stonewashed finish. The handle is made with Fluted Orange/Black G10. Maker’s list price: $230 including handmade cross-draw leather sheath and free sharpening for life. Contact Alex Smith, Smith & Sons Knife Co., 874 N. Beglis Pkwy, Sulphur, LA 70663; 337-527-6468, [email protected], on Facebook: at Smith & Sons Knife Company, on Instagram @smith_and_sons_knives and on Twitter @SmithnSonsKnfCo.
2. Go bold! There’s no need to hide your love of spicy pumpkin with this mini skinner or everyday carry knife.
The Critter Harpoon works as either an everyday carry or small skinner. It has a 3-inch flat-ground blade made of CPM 154 steel with a bright satin finish. The Orange G10 handle has black liners. Overall length is 6.75 inches. Maker’s list price: $360 including sheath made in-house. Contact Daniel Pica at 919-542-2335, [email protected], www.screechowlknives.com and on Facebook at Screech Owl Knives.
3. The pumpkin in this handle is subdued by the black in scales made by 8th Dimension Concepts.
This piece by Randy Madan has a 4.5-inch flat-ground blade made out of 1095 steel by Aldo Bruno at New Jersey Steel Baron. The overall length is 9 inches. The scales were created by 8th Dimension Concepts. Flat grind. Maker’s list price: $200-plus. Randy Madan, Patriot Horde Knives at 760-885-9370, [email protected], on Facebook at Patriot Horde Knives.
4. The striking contrast in this pumpkin and maple handle was created by Tim Kipps of J. Hue Customs. He calls it Magma color. By whatever name, it’s smashing.
This Bushie by U.S. Air Force veteran Bill Dudek has a 4.5-inch Scandi-ground blade made of 1095 carbon steel with a satin finish. The handle was fashioned from a Deadwood blank that Tim Kipps of J. Hue Customs made by clear-casting stabilized maple burl in his Magma color. Overall length is 9.5 inches. Maker’s list price: $150. Contact Bill Dudek, A Better Edge, 845-430-3406, [email protected].
5. A pop of pumpkin is all that’s needed on this handle scale made by Voodoo Resins.
The Carnage tanto has a 4-inch flat-ground blade of CPM S30V steel, stone-washed with a Black Widow etch. Overall length is 8 inches. The handle is a Voodoo Resins Black Honeycomb and Orange resin. Maker’s list price: $380-$400. Contact Brent Vaccaro at [email protected], 908-328-2049, on Facebook at Black Widow Knifeworks & Tactical Gear and on Instagram @blackwidowknifeworks.
6. Pumpkin is just one of the orangey colors in Beyond Wood Products’ Firey Labyrinth scales.
The Cruiser has a 3.25-inch blade of satin-finished Elmax steel. It has a compound, hollow ground with a flat-ground tip and swedge. The scales are Beyond Wood Products’ Fiery Labyrinth. Fittings are removable and stainless steel for easy cleaning. Overall length: 9.75 inches. Maker’s list price: $275 with caiman tail pancake sheath. Contact Tyler Freund. Freund’s Custom Knives, 1755 Madison 541, Ironton, MO 63650; 573-366-3906, [email protected] and on Instagram @freunds_customs.
7. Buckeye burl was used by the maker to create this natural-shaded pumpkin, green and maroon handle.
Jason Batdorf made this Delaney drop-point with a 4-inch flat-ground blade of 1095 steel with hamon. The maker-made handle is stabilized and died buckeye burl. Overall length is 8 inches. Maker’s list price: $250. Contact Jason Batdorf, Delaney Knives, 419-583-7238 and on Facebook at Delaney Knives.
8. It’s a spice; not a whole meal!
Bobby Toerck’s drop-point skinner has a 4.5-inch flat-ground blade of pattern-welded steel from Alabama Damascus Steel. The handle is made of bastogne walnut and spalted curly maple by Terry Dunn with black and orange G10 spacers. Overall length is 10 inches. Maker’s list price: $500. Contact Bobby Toerck at T4 Custom Knives, 903-812-1173, [email protected] and on Facebook at T4 Custom Knives.
9. Pumpkin is an ideal accent for black in this combined G10 handle.
Devin Bliss’ modified boar skinner has a 4.25-inch hollow-ground blade of S35VN steel. The overall length is 9.25 inches. The bolster and pins are 416 stainless steel. The handle is Orange and Black G10. Maker’s list price: $500 with Kydex sheath. Contact Devin Bliss at DB Custom Knives, 903-769-2051 [email protected] and on Facebook at DB Custom Knives.
10. Who says a spice can’t be the whole meal?
Jason Wilder’s Micro Cutlass has a 2.75-inch flat-ground blade made out of 52100 steel with a textured finish. The handle scales are Orange G10 with carbon fiber fittings. The overall length is 6.75 inches. Maker’s list price: $150. Contact Jason Wilder 254-243-0338, [email protected], www.wilderforgeknives.com and on Facebook at Wilder Forge.
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The American-made Ranger RD Tanto by Ontario Knife Co. (OKC) is designed by retired U.S. Army Ranger Justin Gingrich to be a tough tool that, in addition to cutting or slashing, can be used to dig, pry and penetrate better than a standard drop or spear point.
“I don’t traditionally do a lot of tanto blades,” Gingrich said. “I had been getting more and more requests from guys who needed or wanted one that is usable and ‘bomb proof.’” He added that he tested the RD Tanto and it soon became a hit with users.
The thickness is the key to the effectiveness of the robust full-tang knife.
“The Ranger line has always been built on two traits that make it stand out: [that the knives are] affordable and overbuilt,” Gingrich added. “I want to make sure the blade is a tool and that it can be used as such without worry of failure.
“OKC reproduced it very well. They held to my specs without any issues. Price is always a concern, but with OKC already doing the rest of the Ranger Line in quarter-inch-thick 5160 and the same handle material, they can buy in bulk and help keep the costs in check.”
Quarter-inch-thickness runs the length of the black-powder-coated, 5160 carbon steel blade all the way to the chisel tip, designed to make the Ontario Ranger RD Tanto sturdy under intense lateral pressure. Overall length: 12.186 inches. Blade length: 7.187 inches. The Micarta® handle comes in black or olive drab. MSRP: $175.64 (includes MOLLE-compatible black nylon sheath with hard plastic insert and utility pouch). (Ontario photo)
Shadow-pattern penknives form a distinctive niche in the pocketknife world and own a tradition related to their original purpose, which was, as with other forms of penknives, to sharpen writing quills or feathers.
Before the introduction of mass-produced, steel-pointed pens in the early 1800s, feathered quills were the only utensil available for writing with ink and paper. Since the smaller blade on penknives was almost always used to sharpen quills into “pens,” the blade became known as a “pen blade.”
Even after the development of steel pens, the penknife continued to be a most popular style found in the pockets of most townspeople, who used them for opening mail and trimming candle wicks.
What’s the Difference Between Jackknives and Penknives?
A pen style of pocketknife, shadow patterns have blades that open from opposite ends of the handle. These three in mother-of-pearl were all made in Solingen, Germany.
Before exploring shadow-pattern penknives, some categorization about pocketknives in general is in order. In basic terms, pocketknives fall into two large categories: jackknives and penknives. By examining a typical pocketknife, you can quickly discern the difference between the two styles.
Jackknives have both blades opening from the same end of the knife, while penknives have blades opposite each other and open from either end of the knife. During production, the cutlery worker must frequently “crimp” or slightly bend one of the blades sideways so the opposing pair of blades can pass each other in the same slot without one blade landing atop the other. This step results in a costlier knife.
It is interesting that penknives, being more expensive to produce, have not held their value when compared to jackknives. Collectible jackknives consistently have been priced higher than penknives because of their larger size. Hence, the old adage applies to jackknives: “Bigger is better.”
Shadow Pattern Definition
Western Cutlery addressed the lack of bolsters on these two- and three-blade shadow patterns by adding oversized bird’s-eye rivets.
In order for a knife to be a shadow pattern, it must have one important characteristic that separates it from other penknives. Unlike almost all other types of penknives, the shadow pattern does not have a bolster at either end. In fact, the shadow pattern is the only penknife style missing bolsters.
Why is that significant? Bolsters on each end strengthen the knife since the pin that goes through the pivot portion of the blade also goes through both sides of the knife and passes through a hole in the bolsters.
Since many knife users pry the blade sideways from time to time, this action dislodges the pin holding the blade in place, and frequently damages the knife. Shadow patterns defined as having no bolsters at either end of the knife are substantially more delicate than penknives that have bolsters.
Shadow patterns have blades held in place by a pin that passes only through a thin piece of brass and the handle material itself. When you use the knife to pry sideways you quickly widen the pin hole, and, frequently, crack the handle material.
Of special significance is that many of the expensive shadow patterns had either jigged bone, tortoise shell, or mother-of-pearl or abalone sides.
Given the fragile nature of the natural handle materials, an examination of many shadow patterns reveals cracks or missing handle parts.
Advantages
A Schrade Cutlery mint shadow-pattern advertising knife in French ivory celluloid sports a bail for attachment to a watch chain.
Why produce a pocketknife with no bolsters that is prone to the cracking or breaking of the handle material? The answer lies in the beauty of the vintage penknives. Handled in tortoise shell, abalone, mother-of-pearl or even fancy celluloids, the small shadow patterns have sides not limited by bolsters at each end.
A mother-of-pearl side with iridescent shades of pinks, purples, blues and greens are displayed without being “bordered” by bolsters. Even bone, especially those with peachseed- or Rodgers-style jigging, outfit the knives’ sides.
Another reason for eschewing the bolsters was understanding the knives’ general uses. Lightly constructed, small in nature and finely finished, the knives were never intended for opening paint cans or scraping rust from a piece of metal as with standard pocketknives.
Instead, they were designed to handle such delicate tasks as cutting a loose thread, cleaning fingernails, removing splinters, opening packages and loosening a stamp from a piece of mail.
Collecting Shadow-Pattern Knives
In terms of overall beauty, the shadow pattern has few equals. Because of its slight size and rather thin cross section, the knife can be fully appreciated for the work involved in producing such a subtle style. Because the blades oppose each other there is some fascination with the craftsmanship needed to produce a knife with limited clearance between blades.
Some manufacturers found yet another use for shadow patterns—as advertising knives. Because the sides of shadow patterns have no bolsters, the entire side could be used to advertise various products.
Western States Cutlery used the technique often. Western States also found that without the bolsters and by using less expensive handle materials, engraved “tourist knives” could be produced inexpensively and distributed to souvenir shops across the Western USA.
Shadow patterns are under collected and underpriced compared to other knives of similar size and handle material. As an added bonus to collectors, any number of American and foreign cutlery companies made the knives, especially those in mother-of-pearl.
When examining them, look especially close to where the pin comes through the handle material. Here is where the cracks will appear.
Meanwhile, you can amass an outstanding group of these delicate pocketknives for a reasonable price.
In creating a superior knife two factors must mesh seamlessly — design and material. WE Knife has covered both bases again and again in nearly two decades of manufacturing.
The knife maker has whipped up some pretty striking blades over the years, turning an eye to both function and ergonomics. And it has executed them with some of the most resilient and desirable material available today.
Durable Titanium, rugged CPM-S35VN steel, modern ceramics — the company’s knives are built to go the distance — then some. The gallery below showcases two examples of WE’s precision knife making. And it doesn’t take much study of the Model 601 and 604 to see that the manufacturer strives to live up to its goal to “create the world’s strongest, enduring quality, sharpest knives.”
Model 601
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The 601 has been one of WE’s cornerstone knives, for good reasons. Not only is the folder outfitted with a rugged titanium handle and a CPM-S35VN steel blade (renowned for its strength), it also features a top-notch design. The handle is ergonomically shaped to better fit in the palm and gives the user more control over the knife. The blade is easily accessible with the knife’s ceramic ball bearing enabling a smooth and fast action. And the titanium handle features a titanium clip, to always keep the knife at the ready.
Knife terminology can change with the times. Known by many as the drop point, the knife at top by Bob Loveless originally was called the dropped hunter by Loveless himself. (PointSeven image)
Do you know your knife terminology? Yes, I agree that it probably doesn’t matter much if you do or not as long as you’re into knives and love to use them, collect them and otherwise celebrate your favorite sharp tool. On the other hand, there’s a certain satisfaction in knowing your knife terminology. In other words, it’s nice to be secure in the knowledge that your understanding of knife speak is current and that you can hold your own in conversation with knife aficionados.
Of course gentical is a newer entry in knife speak. There are others, some of which go back years, even decades.
For instance, Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Bob Loveless is famous for a hunting knife that many call a drop-point hunter or simply a drop point. However, drop point is a misnomer—at least it is in regard to the name Loveless originally gave the design, which was dropped hunter. Both drop point and dropped refer to the point of the blade in the design, which drops or rests below the midpoint of the blade’s plane. Somewhere along the line someone called it a drop point instead of a dropped hunter and the name stuck. In my opinion, drop point is more descriptive of the blade design than dropped—besides, dropped hunter sounds like a knife you dropped and/or lost in the woods somewhere. But I digress.
Then there’s finger choil. Finger guard is another one. The word finger in either is superfluous—in other words, it’s not needed. It’s a guard or it’s a choil, period. Fingergroove or grooves is correct, but not finger guard or finger choil.
The guard is the cross/double guard with two quillons and/or single guard with one quillon—quillon is another entry in knife speak covered below—at the juncture of blade and handle that keeps your fingers/hand from sliding forward onto the blade from the grip.
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A choil is a small cutout at the base of the edge of the blade. Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer A.G. Russell once said the choil’s original purpose was to indicate where to stop the stroke with the sharpener on the blade during the sharpening process. Some knives have larger cutouts at that juncture for placement of a finger for more detailed-type cuts. However, even then the cutouts are still choils, not finger choils. In addition, some companies and makers put a single groove in the handle just before the guard. Though they may call it a finger choil, it is really nothing more than a finger groove.
Now, for the quillon. According to Websters, a quillon is “either of two transverse projecting members forming the cross guard of the sword.” In other words, a cross or double guard consists of two quillons and a single guard consists of one quillon. The cutlery community uses the term for knife guards as well.
Moreover, you will often hear quillon incorrectly pronounced quill-yun. How the word obtained that pronunciation I do not know, though I suspect it came from someone who saw the word, did not know how to pronounce it, and simply did what many do in such circumstances—took a “stab” (forgive the pun) at saying it and arrived at quill-yun. The correct pronunciation is key-yun (or a reasonable facsimilie. Hey, I’m a writer, not a pronunciation expert). However, many, including a large number in the bladesmithing community, continue to refer to it as a quill-yun. Hence, if you hear that pronunciation, you’ll know what it means. (By the way, I don’t recommend trying to correct bladesmiths on their pronunciation of quill-yun. Trust me on this one.)
There are many knife terminology concepts you might want to know. I will cover them sometime in the future here at blademag.com.
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