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.
True counterfeit knives are those that not only copy the original in terms of every one of the knife’s features and markings, but also in every detail of the knife’s packaging as well, such as here on the CRKT M16-14. The authentic one is at left, the counterfeit at right.Counterfeiters marked their counterfeit (right) of an authentic Strider fixed blade (left) “Strider,” but from there it becomes obvious the counterfeit is not legitimate. Note the counterfeit’s incorrect dimensions, inaccurate blade grind, finish and length of clip, miniscule sawteeth and sharp corners where they should not be, as well as the shoddy workmanship of the green sheath.The Microtech knife box above with a pinkish hue is a counterfeit. The authentic box at left is outfitted with a unique serialized barcode and also a “claw” watermark to help identify the authentic packaging.The authentic Microtech packaging is black and has the unique serialized bar code.Another indication of authenticity on the Microtech product box is the special Stars ‘n Stripes “claw” watermark.
Fake knives—better known as counterfeit knives—are a worldwide problem that needs everyone concerned to pay attention, and National Fraud Awareness Week Nov. 12-18 is a good time to sit up and take notice.
Factory knife companies are especially prone to having their knives counterfeited by nefarious operations, the latter usually based overseas. The American Knife & Tool Institute has a dedicated program tailored to fight the plague of fake knives, and other cutlery companies such as Browning, CRKT, Cold Steel, Chris Reeve Knives, Knifeart and others have websites that address the scourge.
What can you do? Visit the above sites and others and familiarize yourself with the situation concerning counterfeits of those companies’ knives. While some custom knives are victims of counterfeits as well, it’s largely the factory guys that are targeted simply because their knives are recognized by many and sold on a much larger scale than custom knives, and can earn the counterfeiters much more illicit money as a result.
One thing to keep in mind is exactly what is meant here by counterfeit knife. We are not talking about design features, designs, etc., that are “knocked off” without the original maker/designer’s OK or approval. That is another matter entirely. There are some instances of where knockoffs are done and the parties involved eventually wind up in court to settle the issue. If the matter cannot be resolved otherwise, the original designer ultimately may have to prove that the design feature, design, etc., is his or hers exclusively, it has not appeared on another knife before, etc. As you can imagine, since knives have been around since the dawn of humanity, such a thing many times can be very difficult to prove. However, again, knockoffs are not the issue here.
The issue here is a counterfeit knife in which the counterfeiter has copied everything in question about the knife, from the knife’s exact features, blade stamp and even the product box in which the knife is packaged. The product box even will illegally sport the knife and company’s name, the company’s address, etc. Then, when the unsuspecting buyer purchases the fake knives and sends them to the company about a warranty issue, the company in question has the unsavory duty of telling the buyer that he or she has been duped by counterfeits, and the company cannot honor the warranty. The buyer is then stuck with worthless fake knives.
Some of the counterfeits are easy to identify because they are shoddily done. Others, however, are not as easy to spot. It’s a growing problem, one that knife companies and knife enthusiasts everywhere—including you—must continue to deal with and be vigilant about. For more information look for Daniel Jackson’s story on counterfeit knives in the January 2018 BLADE®, on newsstands Dec. 26.
There are four categories of “glow.” Bioluminescence is, say, a firefly. There’s chemiluminescence, caused by a chemical reaction—think glow stick. Radioluminescence is most frequently used in clock or watch paints and on instrument panels. Then there’s phosphorescence, frequently used in toys, or toys for grown-ups: knives, or more specifically knife handles. The old-school invisible type of glow-in-the-dark scales show white-ish in daylight. The handle might have tinges of color, but it’s essentially white. If it has been exposed to enough sunlight, it will glow in blues, purples or greens in the dark. New-school daylight glow is visible day or night and comes in variety of colors. Here are six knife handles that glow in the dark, three of each variety, perfect options for Halloween or the everyday kid in all of us.
1. A son makes glow-in-the-dark-handled knife for his dad
Randy Madan of Patriot Horde Knives made this Pig Poker for his dad, Randy, who uses it on his farm in Kentucky. This type of old-school glow will appear creamy or pasty by day and either blue-violet or green by night, provided it has absorbed some UV light, explained scalemaker, Rob Carper of Rob Carper Innovations (RCI).
Randy Madan of Patriot Horde Knives made this 4.5-inch flat-ground blade out of 1095 steel from Aldo Bruno at New Jersey Steel Baron. The Pig Poker has an acid-washed finish and a hybrid glow-in-the-dark handle by Rob Carper of RC Innovations. The knife is 9 inches overall. Maker’s list price: $200. Contact Patriot Horde Knives, 760-885-9370, [email protected], on Facebook at Patriot Horde Knives or Jr Madan and on Instagram @the_patriot_horde.In low light this Pig Poker from The Patriot Horde Knives glows blue, provided it has absorbed enough light.
2. This GITD friction folder is pinned by a grenade pull
A rescue knife has a blunt point for two reasons, explained Denny Furey of Furey’s Urban Combat Knives – Unlimited. One, it can be used to pry with, and two, if you needed to cut someone’s seatbelt, for example, you don’t want to run the risk of sticking them with a sharp point.
The grenade pull locks the blade in the open position for secure cutting. The pin can then be stored in the attached slot on the sheath, similar to how a ferro rod might be stowed.
The “ResukyÅ«” (Rescue) Friction Folder is a one-off by Denny Furey of Furey’s Urban Combat Knives – Unlimited. The 3-inch blunt-tip rescue blade is made out of O1 tool steel, as are the breacher/bottle opener and spacers. The blade and back spacer have an acid stonewashed finish. The knife measures 6.75 inches closed and 8 inches overall. The handle scales are Glow In The Dark by Voodoo Resins. The hardware, including the grenade pin lock, is stainless steel. Maker’s list price: $300 with Kydex/Holstex sheath. Contact Denny Furey, Furey’s Urban Combat Knives – Unlimited, 405-642-2198, [email protected], on Facebook at Furey’s Urban Combat Knives – Unlimited.This Denny Furey friction folder handle was made by Voodoo Resins and appears green in the dark.
3. New-school daytime glow is visible day or night
Jason Batdorf of Delaney Knives makes his own glow mix, using raw materials, but one would need to be a chemist with a laboratory to actually make the glow powder.
Jason Batdorf made this 4-inch flat-ground Delaney drop-point blade out of 1095 steel with hamon. The handle is a buckeye burl and glow hybrid made by the maker with his own glow mix. Overall length is 8 inches. Maker’s list price: $250. Contact Jason Batdorf, at Delaney Knives on Facebook or call 419-583-8238.
4. Knife named for a customer’s departed sister
Brent Vacarro of Black Widow Knifeworks & Tactical Gear designed this blade for a customer as a custom order. When Brent began receiving interest in the knife, he wanted to introduce it into his lineup. But there were two problems. “First, I had to get permission from the customer, and second, I needed a name for it,” Brent explained. He contacted the customer and asked if it would be OK if he made more of this knife model. The customer was fine with that. “Then I asked him to name the blade,” Brent continued. “This is where it becomes very special very fast. He had told me about his sister passing away when they were younger, so he had asked if we can name the blade after her. My immediate response was ‘Of course!’ So that’s where H.E.R.L comes from, her initials.”
Brent Vaccaro’s H.E.R.L has a 4.5-inch flat-ground blade of CPM D2, acid-washed with etched skulls. The handle is Voodoo Resins’ Dr. Strangelove (green/blue glow) with green G-10 liners. Overall length is 7 inches. Maker’s list price: $280-$350. Contact Brent Vacarro at [email protected], 908-328-2049, on Facebook at Black Widow Knifeworks & Tactical Gear and on Instagram @blackwidowknifeworks.Dr. Strangelove scales are made by Matt Peterson at Voodoo Resins. Dimensions are 5.9 inches long by 1.85 inches wide by .300-inch thick. Makers list price: $40/set.
5. Glow-in-the-dark honeycomb pattern is echoed in leather sheath
Namen Borras’ BKD Skinner has a flat-ground 2.5-inch blade with swedge made out of CPM S35VN with acid and stonewashed finish. The knife is 6 inches overall. The handle scales are glow-in-the-dark honeycomb with clear resin by DerangedDonkey with black G10 liners. Maker’s list price: $350 with black leather sheath with matching honeycomb pattern. Contact Namen Borras on Instagram @borraskustomdesigns, www.bkdknives.com or at [email protected].This is how the honeycomb pattern on the above knife appears in the dark.
6. Old-school Glow Hex emits violet shade in the dark
Tyler Freund made this one-off custom folder with a 1.3-inch flat-ground blade of pattern-welded steel from Alabama Damascus Steel. The Glow Hex scales are by Beyond Wood Products, and are paired with titanium liners. Screws, pivot pin, pivot screw, backspacers and clip are also titanium. Overall length is 9.7 inches. Maker’s list price: $400. Contact Tyler Freund, Freund Custom Knives, 1755 Madison 541, Ironton, MO 63650; 573-366-3906, [email protected] and on Instagram @freunds_customs.Tyler Freund’s one-off custom folder glows a blue-purple in the dark when it has absorbed sufficient UV light.
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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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Halloween knives conjure visions of human steak and Bela Lugosi, high tops and Frankenstein, and decapitations and zombies. Warming to the genre yet?
ABS master smith Wally Hayes makes a couple of Halloween knives that fit the mold like a stake in Frank Langella’s heart: the Vampire Stake and the Zombie Spike. Formed like, well, a stake to drive into the chest of one of the spooky set’s most famous blood-sucking ghouls, the Vampire Stake has a distinctive cross forged into the handle butt to intimidate the worst of the slimy night crawlers, antique coloration and a leather sheath. The Zombie Spike, on the other hand, is 6 inches long and fashioned from O1 tool steel ground and heat treated for high performance. Hayes says it’s popular among his law enforcement customers, though he didn’t mention if it was the officers in the CSI: Walking Dead unit or not. It comes with a Kydex sheath.
Creatures of the night cringe at the sight of the Vampire Stake by Wally Hayes.Wally Hayes‘ Zombie Spike will keep the Walking Dead on their toes.
Dan Keyes‘ “The Count” features a coffin handle with inlaid ivory crosses, a fullered, 30-inch blade of double-drawn 440C stainless steel and LED bulbs that light The Count’s red eyes. The skull is powder-coated “anthracite gray” with highlighted airbrushing. Weight: Just short of five pounds. Overall length: 38.5 inches.
The Count by Dan Keyes is just what Dr. Death ordered.The red eyes of The Count’s skull light up with the flip of a switch in the handle next to the black-leather-lined skull.The Count boasts a 30-inch blade, weighs just short of 5 pounds and is 38.5 inches long overall.
The creation of French knifemaker/artist Jean-Marc Laroche, The Living Knife has a “hand” for a handle with “fingers” that close, an “eye” and an overall lifelike appearance that will literally, er, grab you. As you grab the handle, the “fingers” actually grab back so that it’s hard to tell who’s holding whom. And, as the fingers grab your hand, the “eye” opens. The hand also is embellished with gears in the Steampunk style. The blade is a composite of 15N20, 15LM and UHB11 high-alloy nickel and carbon steels in explosion, twist and random patterns forged by Swedish maker Roger Bergh. Overall length: 25 inches.
When you grab the “fingers” of the “hands” of Jean-Marc Laroche‘s The Living Knife, they literally grab you back!
The MacV Tool from SOG Specialty Knives & Tools is shaped like a skull and is 12 tools in one, including 1/4-, 5/16 and 3/8-inch wrenches, blade sharpener, strap/cord cutter, small and large flathead screwdrivers and more. Designed to resemble the original skull from the MACV-SOG group of Vietnam War fame the company is named after, it measures 2.5 by 1.5 inches and weighs .6 ounce.
Shaped to resemble the skull logo of the original MACV-SOG group of Vietnam War fame, the MacV Tool from SOG Specialty Knives & Tools is 12 tools in one.
A toxic green handle and big, bad modified-cleaver blade in a black finish complete the KA-BAR Zomstro Chopper.
As you might imagine, knives with a zombie theme are undead and well, including the Reaver Cleaver from Zombie Tools and the Zomstro Chopper from KA-BAR. Based on the Chinese war sword, the Reaver Cleaver features an 18-inch blade of 5160 carbon steel, weighs 3 pounds, 10 ounces, and is 31 inches overall. The Zomstro Chopper, meanwhile, features a big, bad modified cleaver blade in a black finish and KA-BAR’s toxic green Zombie handle.
If The Count and the rest of our Halloween knives don’t keep you down for the count, you might be among the living dead. If so, stay clammy and watch out for sunrise!
Survival instructor and host of The Weather Channel’s new series “SOS, How To Survive,” Creek Stewart is releasing a new addition to his line of Whiskey Knives. The 7.75-inch-bladed tanto in A36 carbon steel is designed by Hank Gevedon of Reptile Toolworks with continual input from Creek.
Creek Stewart of “Fat Guys In The Woods” fame is hosting a new Weather Channel series: SOS, How To Survive. He is also adding The Rising Sun to his line of Whiskey Knives.
Creek runs Willow Haven Outdoor in Anderson, Indiana, where he teaches survival skills, provides some survival supplies and especially enjoys partnering with American artisans to offer items of high quality craftsmanship at affordable prices. His Apocabox is a subscription-based collection of survival items that arrives at your door every two months. He also offers a monthly survival skill program. Creek was the star of “Fat Men In the Woods,” and is again working with The Weather Channel on the new series. He is the author of an young adult survivalist romance titled “Rugosa.” A follow-up to that is also in the works.
In “SOS, How To Survive,” Creek and other survival experts analyze a series of real-life survival situations. They discuss what happened, what was done correctly by the survivors or what went wrong. The show started Sunday, August 20 and is ongoing. Throughout Creek offers tips that can be used in survival situations.
Creek Stewart Hosts The Weather Channel’s New SOS Series
Meanwhile back in Mount Vernon, Kentucky, Hank and his crew are gearing up to roll small batches of The Rising Sun into production by early 2018. Like all Whiskey Knives, The Rising Sun marries the early American frontier spirit and looks with the precision of Asia’s strong cutlery tradition. All of the knives are asymmetrically ground (so remember to only sharpen one side and just strop the other). The A36 carbon steel allows for a hard outer edge that is sharp and holds an edge with a tough inner core that is flexible and stands up to the rigors of hard outdoor use.
The Rising Sun from Whiskey Knives has a “ghost” guard that rides up the sheath, creating a striking visual when carried.
The handles are made from upcycled white oak whiskey barrel staves, which have already gone through a processing and aging. Fitting rivets are aluminum, and Whiskey Knives come with a 9-ounce belly leather sheath, stapled and dipped in paraffin wax. The Rising Sun’s sheath slides up through the knife’s ghost guard for an attractive-looking carry. MSRP: $189.
Contact Creek Stewart, Willow Haven Outdoor, 2867 N. 200 E., Anderson, IN 46012, www.creekstewart.com/whiskey-knives, on Facebook at Creek Stewart and on Instagram at @creekstewart.
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Troney Troler of Knives Plus likes the Victorinox Trekker as a fish knife—and it also has a bottle opener for your favorite ale.
Opening your favorite beer will be on tap Thursday, Sept. 28, for National Drink Beer Day, and you can cap off the festivities with one of the latest in beer knives.
Boker’s Tech Tool takes the traditional bottle-can opener approach to beer knives.
There are a number of new beer knives, from the traditional combo bottle/can-opening tools on Swiss Army and other multi-implement knives, to the more recent trend toward knives with the bottle opener in the butt of the handle or otherwise incorporated into the body of the knife. Examples of the latter style include the TOPS Pit Stop 3 and F.O.R.K. IT, Timberline Javelin BOK, the Kershaw Shuffle, Hops and Malt, Boker Plus Toucan, Coast FX200, DPx Gear HEST 2.0, White River Knife & Tool GTI 2.5 and Knucklehead, and Buck Selkirk Firestarter, Examples of the former include the Boker Tech Tool, Victorinox Walker and Trekker, and Great Eastern Cutlery Beer Scout Knife (a tip of the hat goes to the latter for the title of the knife category).
Since it provided the fizz for the headline, let’s start with the Great Eastern Beer Scout Knife. It employs a bottle opener of 1095 carbon steel to accompany a highly utilitarian sheepfoot blade. Since it’s carbon steel, be sure to wipe your bottle-opening implement and knife down after use and corrosion should be held to a minimum.
The White River Knife & Tool Knucklehead makes a great beer knife with a bottle opener in the butt and has a blade of CPM S30V stainless.
While we don’t think White River Knife & Tool was trying to insinuate anything about beer drinkers in general with the name of its Knucklehead beer knife, we DO like the name—Moe Howard of Three Stooges’ fame problem would, too—and we also like both the Knucklehead’s 2.875-inch blade of CPM S30V stainless steel and the bottle-opener in the butt. As Curly Howard might intone, get yourself a Knucklehead and “whoop-whoop-whoop” on down to National Drink Beer Day.
The preceding two are but a sampling of the latest beer knives. Check out those herein and be sure to drink responsibly and let someone else drive on National Drink Beer Day!
The Kershaw Shuffle has the bottle opener in the butt of the handle for easy opening.The bottle opener on the TOPS Pit Stop 3 is on the handle spine and should be used when the knife is sheathed.The Timberline Javelin BOK has a long handle for great leverage in popping your top.Four beer knives, from left: the TOPS Pit Stop 3, Boker Plus Toucan, Kershaw Shuffle and Timberline Javelin BOK (Bottle Opener Knife).The Beer Scout from Great Eastern Cutlery has a traditional bottle opener and a sheepfoot blade of 1095 carbon steel.Cap off your day with the bottle openers of, from left, the Victoinox Walker, TOPS F.O.R.K. IT, Buck Selkirk Firestarter and White River GTI 2.5.KnifeCenter’s Jason Kunkler used the bottle opener on the blade spine of the DPx Gear HEST 2.0 while on vacation in Peru. He did not mention whether he opened a cold one at Machu Picchu, however.The Coast FX200 is one of the new breed of beer knives with the bottle opener in the butt.