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.
Bob Terzuola’s ATCF remains among the most iconic of tactical folders and is featured in the latest BLADE®.The Gunny shares his ample knife knowledge in the special military issue of BLADE®.
What are the top 5 U.S. military knives of all time? What’s it like to be married to the military, each other and knives all at the same time? Can the modern knife age be divided into two eras—before and after tactical folders? The latest issue of BLADE®, our special annual military issue, answers these questions and more, and is on newsstands and/or available in the digital editionnow!
The top 5 U.S. military knives of all time–wow, that covers a lot of ground, don’t you think? BLADE polled such military veterans as USMC Staff Sgt. R. Lee “The Gunny” Ermey, Special Forces MSG/BLADE field editor Kim Breed, Navy EOD Chief Petty Officer Rob Cude, Special Forces/Green Beret Mark Carey, USMC Sgt. Les George and others to determine the elite knife grouping. Find out the results on page 42.
Michael Zieba’s Trench Cleaver includes a handle from the iconic World War I Trench Knife in the latest BLADE®.
Army SFC Michael “Rod” Rodriguez (retired) of the 7th Special Forces Group and SFC Kelly Rodriguez and also CW3 Jeremy Valdez (retired) and Sgt. Rachel Valdez (retired) are respective husband-and-wife teams who saw action in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now design knives for CRKT in the company’s “Forged By War” series. Read how these military heroes served their country above and beyond the call and their connection to knives—including Rod, who forges knives and had his portrait painted by President George W. Bush for Bush’s book, Portraits of Courage: A Commander In Chief’s Tribute To America’s Warriors—and more in Erin Healy’s story, “On-Point With Love & War.”
Ever since tactical folders became the hottest knives of all in the 1990s, knife observers have predicted time and again that the folders had peaked and/or were on their way out. Now, about a quarter of a century later, tactical folders maintain their lofty position as being among the most popular knives anywhere. Get the complete story on the longest-lasting knife trend going in Mike Haskew’s “The Renaissance Knife.”
See how many of the Top 5 U.S. Military knives of all time you can pick in the latest BLADE®!
There’s much more in the latest issue but you’re going to have to buy it to find out what all that entails. Get your copy on newsstands or the digital edition, or subscribe to the domestic, Canadian or international print editions, or to the digital edition now!
Depending on where you live and by what method you hunt, deer season is underway. There are any number of blade patterns you could select for a skinning knife, but why are they shaped the way they are? What is the maker considering when he crafts a knife he calls a skinner? Let’s look at 20 examples of 5 types of skinners, plus an extra.
1. Bull-Nose Skinners
“The blunt tip in conjunction with the trailing point helps from punching through the hide,” noted Travis Fleming of Fleming Fabrications in North Texas about bull-nose skinners.
This set of bull-nose skinners were made for a father and son by Travis Fleming. The 4 1/2-inch blade is made out of CPM 154 stainless steel. The bolster is brass, and the antler handles were supplied by the son from the first buck he got with his dad. Overall length: 9 inches. Maker’s list price: $500/set. Contact Travis Flemming at [email protected] or on Facebook at Fleming’s Fabrications.
Josh Bryant of JB Custom Knives put it this way: “The bump and large drop at the tip are intended to go over guts without popping them.”
Josh Bryant’s Mini Green River Skinner is made with a 2 3/4-inch blade out of CPM 154 steel. The handle is made of dyed stabilized maple burl. Overall length is 6 inches. Maker’s list price: $180 with leather sheath made by the maker. Contact Josh Bryant at [email protected], on Facebook at JB Custom Knives and on Instagram @jb_custom_knives.
“I like a skinner made with a CPM steel,” Mike Cleveland of Half Life Knives commented. “(It) keeps its edge longer and that means more game prepared before sharpening.” Mike added: “I prefer the fuller belly for its ability to cape around tight areas. I value that over the ability to stab in a skinner. With this style of blade you’ll finish ahead of those with a sharper point.”
Michael J. Cleveland of Half Life Knives uses CPM S90V to make the 3.85-inch blade on this skinner. The overall length is 8.5 inches. The handle is made of mammoth bone with Voodoo Resin bolsters. Maker’s list price: $650 with leather sheath. Contact Mike Cleveland at Half Life Knives on Facebook or at 405-627-6097.
2. Drop-Point Skinners
The drop-point skinner is one of the most, if not the most, popular skinning knife blade design. Within the drop-point category, however, there is plenty of individual styling.
When Raymon Hunt of 3H’s Knives LLC makes a skinner, he strives for “enough belly for caping, but with enough point to make opening the cavity easy without piercing the organs.” A skinner should be balanced and lightweight, he notes. “It is amazing how carrying a heavy knife along with a rifle on a six-hour stalk through the bush can wear you out.” Raymon added that comfort is important. There should be no areas on the handle that could produce hot spots.
Raymon Earl Hunt’s Nessmuk-style drop-point hunter has a forged 4-inch flat-ground blade made out of 1075 steel. The convex cutting edge is 3 1/2 inches, and the knife is 8 1/2 inches overall. The mortised handle is made with exhibition-grade desert ironwood with sterling silver pins and 416 stainless steel guard. Maker’s list price: $600 (includes sheath). Contact Info: Ramon Hunt at www.3hsknives.com, raymon.hunt@3hsknives and on Facebook at 3H’s Knives, LLC.
“I feel the most important parts of a good skinner are on edge-holding and the ability to be sharpened easily in the field,” Lane Ferrell of Farrell Custom Knives commented. He pointed out that comfort, not being too heavy and being balanced well, is essential “since some skinning jobs can take a while to finish.” He noted that a skinner “should also be small enough to be carried on a belt or in a pack, but large enough to get the job done effectively.”
Lane Ferrell’s Razorback model skinner has a 4.25-inch blade made with 1084 steel. The handle is Russian bog oak with red G10 liners and mosaic pins. Overall length is 8.75 inches. Price $275 with vegetable-tanned leather sheath with red stitching. Contact Lane Ferrell at [email protected] or Facebook at Ferrell Custom Knives.
“I do such a wide variety of skinners that it all depends on what the customer wants,” Spencer Aplin of STA Custom Knives noted. “Most people want a 3- to 4-inch drop-point. Then the second most requested is a trailing-point 4- to 5-inch blade.” And in Spencer’s experience, a whopping 99 percent want finger grooves.
This Spencer Aplin skinner has a 4-inch blade made of ELMAX Steel. The handle is made with stabilized myrtle burl. Maker’s list price $550 with padded zippered pouch. Hand-tooled and carved sheathes are available upon request at an additional cost. Contact Spencer Aplin at [email protected], www.stacustomknives.com or on Facebook at STA Custom Knives.
Chris Rowley made this 3.25-inch blade from pattern-welded 1084 and 15N20 steels. The overall length is 7.5 inches. Scales are by Voodoo Resins. Maker’s list price: $350 with Kydex sheath. Contact Chris Rowley at [email protected] and at Nomad Custom Knives and Tools group on Facebook.
Mike Jeffries of 2 Birds Metalworks made the smaller skinner in this set as a companion to the camp knife. “The slight fighter profile and small size make it excellent for thumb, as well as index, purchase for those internal and fine skinning tasks,” Mike noted.
This drop-point set was made with pattern-welded steel from Alabama Damascus Steel. The scales are made from dyed box-elder burl. The blade on the bottom knife is 3 inches, contributing to an overall length of just over 7 inches. Maker’s list price: $320 with leather sheath. Contact Mike Jefferies at [email protected], on Facebook at 2Birds Metalworks and on Instagram @2birdsmetalworks.
The carbon content in the steel James McClendon used to make this skinner is approximately 1.27 percent. “Makes a most excellent knife,” James declared. “Those old files are getting harder to find.” James likes the “second-to-none on edge-holding–at least as simple-carbon steels go.” He added that the addition of a soft backdraw gives the blade toughness. “I just prefer a guard on a blade so sharp it could take a finger off with one slip. LOL. I also leave just a hint of the file teeth but not enough to hold contaminants.”
James McClendon made this 4-inch drop-point hunter/skinner out of a Black Diamond file. The bolt-through handle is made of stabilized stag. Overall length is 8 1/2 inches. Maker’s list price: $180 with sheath. Contact James McClendon at [email protected].Johnny Stout’s Rio Grande Skinner has a 3 3/4-inch blade made out of 154 CPM steel. Overall length is 8 inches. Handle is made from amber stag antler. Fluted bolsters are 416 stainless steel. Maker’s list price: $925 with custom Paul Long sheath with red full-quill ostrich inlay. Contact Johnny Stout at 830-606-4067 or [email protected].
Will Thompson put it this way: “The 3 1/4-inch blade is perfect to get around those places that you just can’t get to with a bigger blade. It’s ready to help you get those hams and backstraps to the ice.”
Will Thompson made this 3 1/4-inch drop-point blade out of 1095 carbon steel. The Plantstone handles are by Robert Belcher. Overall length is 6 7/8 inches. Maker’s list price: $120 with leather sheath. Contact Will Thompson at [email protected] or 910-385-6021.Phill Bilkey’s Sambar Skinner has a 3.5-inch blade made of 1085 carbon steel. The handle material is Australian sambar antler with red G10 liners. $200 AUD with leather sheath. Contact: Southern Cross Custom Knives on Facebook.Eric Pearson of Lake Effect Knifeworks made this 4.25-inch hollow-ground drop-point blade out of 1095 steel with hamon. Overall length 9 3/4 inches. The scales are big-leaf maple burl. Maker’s list price: $200-plus. Contact Eric Pearson at Lake Effect Knifeworks on Facebook.
3. Nessmuk-Style Skinners
Joe Elinburg in northeast Florida likes the Nessmuk pattern for a skinner. “The rounded point makes skinning easier with less chance of putting a hole in the hide if you’re going to save it for tanning,” he commented. “Also the swoop in the back of the blade makes a great finger rest for more control of the blade.”
This Mini Nessmuk Skinner is made by Joe Elinburg in northeast Florida out of 1095 high carbon steel. The 3-inch blade is convex ground. Overall length is 6 inches. Handle material is camaru. Maker’s list price: $90 with Kydex sheath with mounted metal belt clip. Contact Joe Elinburg at [email protected], @jecustomknives on Instagram or call 904-962-0341.
4. Spear-Point Skinners
“I have always been a fan of spear-point skinners,” Jon Waltz commented. His son designed this model, and Jon made a few changes by adding the thumb ramp and expanding the belly. The deep finger guard and thumb ramp allow for full control of the blade. “The hollow grind makes for a extremely sharp cutting edge, and the large belly is great for slicing through flesh with precision,” Jon added.
Jon Waltz of Edge7 Custom Knives calls this model the 24/7 Skinner. The Hex resin scales are custom-made. Overall length is 7 inches. The 3-inch hollow-ground blade on this particular one is made of CPM D2 steel, but they are now made in PSF27 steel. Available finishes include acid etched, sandblasted and stonewashed. Makers list price: $275 and up with leather or Kydex sheath with combat loop. Contact Jon Waltz through www.edge7customknives.com.
Denny Furey of Furey’s Urban Combat Knives Unlimited uses NJ Steel Baron 1095 steel to make his Sukina, which is Japanese for skinner. Overall length is 7.75 inches with a 3.25-inch blade with a dark blued polished finish. The handle scales are Rob Carper Innovations (RCI) stabilized, dyed spalted maple. Maker’s list price: $175 with Kydex sheath with belt attachments. Contact Denny Furey at Furey’s Urban Combat Knives Unlimited on Facebook.
5. Trailing-Point Skinners
Trailing-point skinners excel for skinning small game, and are probably the second most popular skinning knife blade design behind drop-points.
“I believe that the finger groove and the thinned spot between it and the spine allows for easier indexing when trying to be precise while skinning raccoons or fox,” commented Tyler Freund of Freund’s Custom Knives. “One can simply pinch the knife between their thumb and finger. Much like you would a scalpel.” In addition, “the thin tip and thin steel lets the user make less intrusive cuts and more precise cuts around the wrists and ankles of the coon,” Tyler explained. He feels this would be more challenging with a bigger-bellied or thicker-bladed knife. “The knife has just enough belly in it that you can draw the knife and skin efficiently once you’ve gotten around the ribs,” he concluded.
Tyler Freund made this small-game skinner for a local trapper. The 3-inch trailing-point blade is made out of Vegas Forge’s raindrop-patterned steel, and the maker added file work along the spine. The handle is bone Micarta paired with Mike Sakmar mokume-gane. The knife is 7 1/4 inches overall. Maker’s list price: $350. Contact Tyler Freund at Freund’s Custom Knives on Facebook or on Instagram @tylerfreund08.Bryce Love’s trailing-point skinner has a 5-inch acid-etched stonewashed blade made out of 1095 steel. Overall length is 9 inches. The handle is made from curled cherry. Maker’s list price: $140. Contact Bryce Love on Facebook at 50Cal Forge or [email protected].
“This skinner has a short blade with pointed tip to reach into tight areas when skinning and caping,” Scooter Davis of Rough Run Forge explained about his Shrade-Sharpfinger-like knife. “The recess on the spine serves as a finger rest, allowing you to choke up forward on the knife for more control.”
Scooter Davis made this Shrade-Sharpfinger-style skinner with a 2 1/2-inch hollow-ground blade forged from 52100 steel. The scales are prickly pear cactus fastened with stainless steel corby pins. Maker’s list price: $175 with leather sheath. Contact Scooter Davis at Rough Run Forge on Facebook or call 540-560-1672.
Although not a traditional trailing-point blade shape, an upswept point is still evident. Richard Darby’s customer said you can make long sweeping cuts with this big-bellied blade design, as well as flesh with it. “Plus it gives a longer cutting edge for the length of the blade,” Richard noted.
Richard Darby’s big belly skinner has a 4.5-inch blade of 1095 steel with hamon. Overall length is 9 inches. The handle is made with flame masur birch from JHue Custom Sales. Maker’s list price: $150. Contact Richard Darby at [email protected].
Miscellaneous Skinners
When you skin, the idea is to pull the skin back and make sweeping slices like you would when using an ulu, but it’s not an ulu, Matthew Nolan from Angry Beaver Knives explained. “The whole handle fits in your hand while grasping the blade with thumb and pointer finger…more blade…angles…equals more slicing…and it fits nice in the hand for sweeping strokes.”
Matthew Nolan’s Dear Beaver deer skinner is made out of 15N20 or 1095 steels. The overall length is 5 to 6 inches, depending on the hand size of the customer. The scales are Dustin Smith lace maple burl at Simply Scales. Maker’s list price: $225 with Kydex only sheath. Contact Matthew Nolan at Angry Beaver Knives at [email protected] or at 518-791-2551.
Learn Which Knife Designs Stand The Test Of Time
“101 Knife Designs” provides actual scaled patterns that you can use to spark your own designs. At $19.53, you’ll be saving 35 percent on a classic.
Compare and contrast different skinner designs as well as knife patterns of all types. Hiro Soga’s images will satisfy your knife eye-candy jones, you’ll be able to delve into the theory of blade design and you’ll get 101 scaled patterns that you can use to initiate you’re own design. “101 Knife Designs” by Murray Carter is a must-have in hard copy so you can work with the designs, mark with notes and refer to again and again.
Michael Zieba applies distal taper to the blade of his Brooklyn Made folder. (SharpByCoop image)Note the gradual distal taper of the blade from just above the bolster to the blade tip on Peter Swarz-Burt’s chef’s knife. (SharpByCoop image)
Distal taper makes knives feel more lightweight, quicker in the hand and easier to use. However, the concept affects more than just weight. It also distributes balance so the knife feels neither top nor bottom heavy. In other words, the knife is well-balanced so that it goes where you want it to and cuts how you want it to when you want it to. It looks cool, too.
How does distal taper work? It’s pretty simple, really. The maker removes steel, usually by grinding, from each side of the blade beginning at the ricasso, that is, from just forward of where the blade and handle meet, and ending at the blade’s tip. The effect is of the cross-section of the blade gradually thinning, or tapering, toward the tip. Less steel means less weight and, if removed properly, better balance for the knife. Some makers apply taper to the tang as well, beginning the tapering just below where the blade and handle meet and gradually thinning the tang toward the handle butt. However, in general, the concept is identified more with the tapering of the blade than the tang.
At bottom is the distal taper flat grind and at top is the parallel flat grind. Each image includes both side and overhead views. As you can see, the angle is “blunter” with the parallel spine. The point will be thinner and not as strong with the distal-taper spine. However, unless you simply want to punch holes with your blade, the knife with the distal-taper spine will be more efficient at cutting and chopping (Jim Crowell drawings)
ABS master smith Tim Hancock said tapering is most important on larger, thick blades such as those in the 3/8-inch range that often are heavier and benefit from the weight reduction for quickness and ease of use. “The thinner the blade, the less important distal taper is,” Hancock said. “In fact, full-length distal taper on a bowie blade of a 3/16-inch thickness and an 8-inch length would leave the tip area so thin and weak that, in my opinion, it would be an inferior knife. To me, it’s a process of speed and strength. Some balance between the two must be considered to make a superior knife.” Conversely, ABS master smith Jim Crowell said, if done properly, even a blade with a thin spine can benefit from tapering. “The degree of taper won’t be as much as on a thicker spine—in fact, it will be very subtle—but even then it provides the most efficient cut,” he noted.
Tom Buckner takes what is already a thin blade and makes it even leaner toward the tip via distal taper. (SharpByCoop image)
Larger hunting knives, camp knives, some bowies, fighters and knives used in cutting competitions where quickness and cutting ability are keys will benefit from being tapered. On the other hand, ABS master smith Mike Williams said he did not think distal taper was important for the rope cutting of the cutting competitions except for the balance of the knife itself. “It’s like using a fillet knife versus a butcher knife,” he continued. “When cutting rope you want the weight forward.” Since tapering removes steel toward the end of the blade, the process does not result in a knife with the weight forward such as a khukuri, for instance. Knives designed for cutting meat and paper will benefit from distal taper because it promotes a thinner edge that produces less drag, he observed.
According to ABS master smith Jarrell Lambert, reduced weight, quickness and balance are not the only benefits of tapering. He adds another: flexibility. He indicated distal taper gives the blade more of it and spreads the stress more evenly throughout the blade than one made of the same material but without distal taper.
Crowell added another benefit of tapering: greater edge penetration. “Distal taper allows the cutting edge to have a smaller degree of angle progressing down the blade, resulting in less drag and producing greater penetration into the medium with a said amount of energy,” he explained. “As a result, a blade with distal taper will always cut more efficiently than the same blade with a parallel spine.
“If you want weight in your blade, maybe for chopping, increase the width of the blade, but have a distal taper. This will provide the weight needed but also a lesser degree of angle on the edge. Consequently, you will have the best of both worlds.”
A cool camp cutter is a must to help you fully enjoy the fun and sun of summertime in America. Whether you are wilderness camping or simply spending a leisurely day at the lake, some of the latest models will make your experience easier and more satisfying.
Eating outdoors can be a challenge. Enter the new Tactical Spork from KA-BAR. Featuring the stacked-handle design made famous by KA-BAR’s iconic USMC fighting/utility knife, the Tactical Spork is a fork/spoon combo with a 2.5-inch serrated blade that screws into the handle. The Tactical Spork is made from food- and water-approved Grilamid. MSRP: $8.32.
CRKT addresses outdoor dining with the Eat’n Tool XL. Designed by Liong Mah of Palm Bay, Florida, the Eat’n Tool XL consists of a spoon/fork combo and a
lso has a bottle opener, GI-style can opener and a flat screwdriver (6.8.10mm hex), and carries via a non-load-bearing carabiner clip. Made of 3Cr13 stainless steel, it’s 6.13 inches overall and weighs 2.7 ounces. It comes in a choice of silver and black finishes. MSRP: $14.99.
Cool Camp Cutter No. 3: Camp Axe
Cool Camp Cutter No. 3: Buck Camp Axe. MSRP: $71.
If you need something a bit more substantial to split kindling, hammer tent stakes or otherwise handle heavier-duty jobs, Buck‘s Camp Axe is the ticket.
At 12.25 inches overall, a weight of 17.2 ounces and including an injection-molded nylon sheath, the Camp Axe is an ideal size for convenient carry and a wide spread of utility jobs. The 3-inch head is forged, powder-coated, high-carbon steel and the ergonomic haft is high-impact plastic. MSRP: $71.
A knife that will cut, double as a screwdriver, comes equipped with a jump ring and also will open a bottle of your favorite beverage is an outdoor necessity, and the Shuffle from Kershaw fills the bill. The short (2.4 inches) but wide blade of 8Cr13MoV stainless steel in a black-oxide coating should be legal in most jurisdictions, and the manual-opening folder features a K-Textured glass-filled nylon handle with a single-position pocket clip. Weight: 3.5 ounces. Closed length: 3.25 inches. MSRP: $34.99.
Cool Camp Cutter No. 5: Hobo
Cool Camp Cutter No. 5: Case Hobo. MSRP: $134.
A traditional pocketknife equipped with a clip blade, fork/can opener and spoon makes the Case Boy Scouts of America Hobo an ideal choice for most any outdoor junket. Stainless steel blades/implements and a natural handle complete this utilitarian classic. Weight: 7.7 ounces. Closed length: 4 1/8 inches.
The knife includes Boy Scouts of America and BSA logo blade etches and a BSA logo shield. MSRP: $134.
Plunge cuts should reflect each other in terms of symmetry on each side of the knife blade. The plunge cuts at left do so and the ones at right do not. (B.R. Hughes image)Note the symmetry of the satin finish flowing from the plunge cut to the tip of the blade on John W. Smith’s SD-2 tactical knife. (SharpByCoop.com image)The blade should be centered in the handle when the knife is closed, as on Brian Nadeau’s folder. (SharpByCoop.com image)There should be a correspondence in shape, size and lines between both sides of the knife’s blade and handle, as on these fighters made by Charles Vestal for members of the Custom Knife Collectors Association. (SharpByCoop.com photo)
Fit and finish is a term used to identify the earmarks of a quality made knife. In a nutshell, fit and finish is an arrangement of balanced proportions and symmetry in the entire piece.
With the dividing line being the knife’s spine, there should be a correspondence in shape, size and lines between both sides of the blade and handle. The blade tip must be centered, as should the grind as it moves along the blade toward the ricasso. The blade must have no warping, nor should it exhibit bends where there should be none. The entire run of the blade’s bevel lines, whether primary or secondary, must be even and straight. There should be no flaws, imperfections, wrinkles, creases or cracks in the blade’s surface, nor, in the case of a forged blade, can there be any bad welds. The blade’s finish, whether bead blast, satin, mirror polish, stonewash or what have you, must be consistent throughout the area of the blade to which it is applied.
There should be no gaps between the handle material and the bolster, nor the blade and the guard. The handle sides must have equal thickness and be contoured evenly and smoothly. All materials should be rich and vibrant. For example, if ironwood, it must have nice striations instead of just being a blank piece of wood.
In addition to the above, if the knife is a folder there should be no gaps or differences in elevation between the backspring and the blade when the knife is open. There must be smooth opening and closing of the blade, and the blade should snap both open and closed—known as “walk and talk” among old-time pocketknife collectors. The blade must exhibit little to no vertical or horizontal wiggle, ride dead center in the handle when the knife is closed, and, if a multi-blade, the blades should not rub against each other upon opening and closing.
HOW to LOOK for PROPER FIT and FINISH
There should be no gaps in the knife’s joints, such as between the guard and blade. Mark Knapp’s fixed hunter exhibits a nice guard-blade fit. (SharpByCoop.com photo)
•A loupe/magnifier is unnecessary. Average eyesight is fine. Check the knife in standard light conditions;
•Rotate the knife slowly and study it from all angles;
•Examine folders with them in both the open and closed positions. Feel how smoothly the blade opens, closes and locks into place;
•Remember, no knife is perfect. Each one will have at least one minor imperfection. Learning to recognize the differences between such a knife and one with poor fit and finish requires attending knife shows and handling and studying as many knives—with each individual maker’s permission, of course—as you can.
Finally, while checking for proper fit and finish is a great way to identify a well-made knife, the fact that a knife has proper fit and finish does not necessarily mean that it will cut, feel right in your hand or even be all that attractive to you. The latter three are things you must be determine for yourself.
Taking great photographs of knives is no easy task—unless you’re a professional, in which case you can stop reading. Essentially, you’re taking a highly detailed shot of something that fills the entire frame, not something small like a bee in the center of a background of blurred petals, but a long, thin item that needs to be in focus from point to butt. But there’s so much more. Every line must be fully revealed and a depth established to convey thickness or thinness. I know close to zero about the mechanics of the art. There are plenty of videos and online courses out there that’ll give you the science of the “study of light.” They can speak to you of aperture, ISO and shutter speed in infinite combinations. All I know is a good photo when I see one, and how I have tried to improve my own photography. Here are the 6 things BLADE looks for in a knife photo. It’ll be up to you to make it happen. Why? Because there are “5 Ways To Get Your Knives Featured In BLADE” and you want to be ready.
Dan Eastland of Dogwood Custom Knives used professional photographer Chuck Ward to take this exquisite image of his Hawkins knife. Chuck will be the official photographer at the 2017 BLADE Show. Contact www.dogwoodcustomknives.com for more about this outdoorsman’s knife.
Hire A Professional
Knife manufacturers, like good real estate agents, know that great photos will close a sale. They understand that the investment in a professional photographer pays off. When BLADE asks for a photo of their latest release, for example, some even allow high-resolution downloads right from the consumer website without having to go through a media relations person. That can be a time-saver at deadline. I’ve even experienced a large company resubmitting photos with even better ones. There’s nothing that says a one-man-show can’t learn from that level of perfectionism. It’s the same effort you put into crafting your knives.
Hiring a professional photographer will cost you some money, and it’s worth every penny. But like all professionals, some are more versed in what we’re trying to accomplish than others. A portraitist, wedding photographer or photojournalist may or may not be able to give you the results you’re looking for. You want to make sure you chose someone who can show you a portfolio of knives, guns, tools or similar items that looks…well…perfect.
The handle on Tim Tracey’s everyday performer doesn’t stand out as much as it could against the similarly colored background. The caramel color ends up saturating everything in the photo. Also, although the focus on the blade is crisp, the topline on the handle is a touch soft.Tim Tracey took his knife outside and got not only a good image of the blade and handle, but good contrast and a better depiction of the piece’s fullness. The recurved blade is made of 1095 steel and sports exhibition grade curly maple scales. Makers list price: $220. Contact [email protected], Timtraceyknives.com on Facebook or @TimmTracey on Instagram.
You will want two kinds of photos. Photos for your website and social media will create an emotion, an atmosphere. Instagram is full of examples of survival, bushcrafting and hunting knives being photographed outdoors and tactical knives being shot in gritty workshops or light-painted in darkness. Makers create everyday carry still lifes with folders, wallets and watches. Typical? Sure, but each one tells a story that has been told a thousand times before in a slightly different way. Nobody reads just one novel, and nobody looks at just one knife photo. They are all beautiful in their own way. The other kind of photos you will need are those of just the knife itself on a simple background, what is often referred to as glamour or beauty shot.
The question you have to ask yourself is: Are you willing to put as much study and effort into your photography as you are your knifemaking? Answer honestly. There’s no shame in shelling out cash for stunning work. Fill your website with those choice images and have them on hand for BLADE, and then you can practice your own photography skills for social media. Even on social media, though, take the time to post only your best images. Plenty of knife-related Facebook Groups out there are looking for banner photography and have to reject knifes they’d like to showcase because the image is, say, out of focus.
Although this image clearly shows the blade on this skinner by Bobby Toerck, the multicolored handle gets lost in the textured bark.In this image, the handle on Bobby Toerck’s drop-point skinner is nicely contrasted against the still-textured, but now single-colored burlap. And the 80CrV2 blade still looks terrific. The handle is triple-dyed box elder burl by Terry Dunn. Maker’s list price: $175 with Kydex sheath. Contact T4 Custom Knives on Facebook or call 903-812-1173.
Do-It-Yourself
Let’s say you can’t justify the expenditure at this point in your knifemaking journey. Or, more likely, by the very nature of your interest in crafting, you’re determined to take quality photos of your knives yourself. You think, How hard can it be? Very. It can be very challenging to produce the kind of photos needed for a glossy magazine.
“Real” Camera Vs. Camera Phone
You can take the cost of a few sessions with a photographer and buy yourself a decent camera, for starters. Keep in mind, however, that lenses that come with a camera are usually not very good. Be prepared to buy a decent mid-range lens at a minimum.
In this vertical image of a horizontal knife, the butt is cut off. There is also glare on the handle and the blade looks dull. Will Thompson decided to get some help for the reshoot.Even though Will Thompson’s handle has to work to stand out against the tree bark, it succeeds. The pattern is now discernible and the blade looks great. This drop-point finger skinner is made of 1095 steel and the Plantstone (stabilized pine branches with aluminum flakes) scales are from Robert Belcher. Maker’s list price: $75. Contact [email protected] or on Facebook at Dusty’s Cutlery.
Then again, there are some excellent photos being taken with newer camera phones. Do NOT attempt this with an older model. You will only frustrate us both because they do not allow for high enough resolution of the images. Be sure if you submit a photo from your phone that you email it at its largest size. If there are settings on your phone that need to be changed to allow for taking photos at higher resolution, then you’ll need to set those accordingly. Those settings will apply only to photos you take going forward; you cannot retroactively apply them to photos already taken. Whether you use your phone or a “real” camera, the same fundamentals of photography apply.
Tip: If you smoke or if you have your phone in your shop, there could be resin or dust on your lens. You’ll want to clean that—gently—before you begin.
Be sure to take great photos of all your work before they are sold, and to back them up, either in the cloud, through an online backup service or on a thumb-drive.
6 Things BLADE Looks For In A Knife Photo
Focus
The entire knife must be in focus, from point to butt. Are there some artsy shots of crystal clear blades and blurred handles or vice versa? Sure, but that’s not what we’re looking for in print. Online, we’re more open to considering some of those shots, provided we have some conventional full-focus shots to accompany the story as well.
If you are taking what we call a “using” shot where you’re photographing the knife in use for an online story or if we are working on a story together for print, be aware of where your camera is focusing. I have seen crystal clear shots of a leaves on the ground while the knife and the hand it’s in are both blurry. Focus is probably the single most important aspect of a good photo.
Contrast
Be aware of the color of your background. A grey knife on gray pavement, a black knife on a blackened tree stump, camouflage your knife. It’s like a silver or gray car against gray pavement on a gray winter day—you can’t see it. No contrast. This applies to multicolored handles against multicolored backgrounds as well.
In this image of Andrew Griggs’ knife, the blade looks dull and the focus on the handle is somewhat soft. Also, if this image were being used for a BLADE Magazine section that required a cutaway, the prop would be in the way of the blade.Andrew Griggs got outside to reshoot his knife. Now you can see the pattern-welded steel! The Southern Comfort gentleman’s fixed blade has a Vintage Paper Micarta handle. Maker’s list price: $300 with leather sheath. Contact Griggs Knives on Facebook.
Composition
For two of BLADE’s sections, “What’s New” and “Knifemaker Showcase,” only cutaway images of the knife are used. (See the “5 Ways To Get Your Knives Featured In BLADE.”) This means that you don’t need to worry about the background at all. In fact, white paper is fine, but watch for any shadows. It’s fine to have a slight shadow, provided the lines of the knife are clearly visible. If the edge or spine of your knife bleeds into the shadow to the point where you can’t tell where the knife starts and the shadow ends, that’ll need to be reshot. Our designers need to able to see those lines.
Mood images are fine for both a feature in print and for online stories. Feel free to get as creative as you want, but ensure that the knife is the main attraction. Photographing knives is one of those times when the rule of thirds really isn’t applicable. The knife is the main attraction and we’re not going for proportional sharing with a background. If the image you’re submitting for consideration is for a section of the magazine that uses cutaways and there’s moss or grass, fabric or fur encroaching on the blade itself, that’ll impede the designers in their work.
Make sure no part of the knife is cut off, and don’t crowd the point or butt. If you place the knife in a stand and that stand encroaches on the knife, it can’t be used for a cutaway, but it could possibly still be used for an online story or in print.
Devin Bliss has taken a very good photograph here. However, there is shadow at the handle, which would make it challenging for the designers to see where to make the cutaway image for inclusion in say, BLADE’s “What’s New” or “Knifemaker Showcase” sections.In Devin Bliss’s second attempt, the handle is more visible, but looks less rich in the harsher lighting. The inclusion of the pinecones makes a nice vignette without encroaching on any line of the knife, so it could still be used for a cutaway or as is. As a side note: Artists will tell you that the eye finds odd numbers more pleasing. I did not tell Devin that. I simply told him the truth: He had surpassed my level of being able to offer suggestions for improvement. He contacted another knifemaker for guidance.At this point, knifemaker Devin Bliss has reached a level of photography that serves his knives well. What did he do? “I changed the direction, propped up the handle onto the antler, moved the lighting around and used a foil reflector to get…a bit more light on the handle and a white reflector to mask off some glare on the blade and bolster.” This modified pronghorn is made of CTS-XHP steel with a curly koa handle. Maker’s list price $300 with stamped leather sheath. Contact [email protected], 903-736-3052 or on Facebook at DB Custom Knives.
Depth and Angles
In layman’s terms, you need to ensure your knives don’t look flat. You’re trying to capture something that’s three-dimensional in a two-dimensional medium. This is where some knives can look disproportionate because you’re focusing on the handle and the blade is in the fuzzy background, so to speak. A shallow depth of field is fine as long as your knife is standing out crisply from point to butt.
Finding the right angle will also help prevent your knife from looking flat. Prop up your knife somehow. Even just leaning it against a pebble allows you to move and capture the thickness or thinness of the piece. Laying it on your hand can work as long as your flesh doesn’t obstruct any of the knife’s lines.
Tip: Take dozens of photos from many different angles and distances and pick the best one of the bunch. If you don’t nail it, don’t compromise, don’t settle, get back there and take dozens more. Pros will take hundreds of impressions to deliver 30. Seriously. Take more shots. No, more. Get a ladder and shoot down, circle your quarry and shoot multiple shots from each hour of the clock, and get down and shoot at eye level. Shoot at morning, noon and night, but mostly late afternoon, to see how different types of sunlight affect your knife images. It’s what the pros did when they were starting out. Now, after years of experience, they can judge the sun’s angle and know how to get what they need.
Charles Hawkins has a hard time taking a bad photo, but he pulled out all the stops on this one. That is a stovetop background, complete with streaks and a red glow. The glare on the handle deadens the handle and the pattern in the steel also appears dull. Note the photographer’s hands reflected on the cooktop. Analyze the entire photograph closely.Charles Hawkins took his knife outdoors, and now the focus is as sharp as can be. The background adds interest while still allowing for plenty of contrast. The 3.5-inch blade is made of pattern-welded steel from Alabama Damascus Steel. The handle is ironwood. Maker’s list price: $300. Contact www.hawkcustomknives.com.
Lighting
Natural light is easiest for the amateur to master. A cloudy day is good to reduce blade glare but sometimes it will dull colors. Try a sunny day, but shoot in the shade. Avoid glare on either the handle or the blade whether you’re shooting indoors or out. You also don’t want dappled light coming through the leaves of a tree to interfere with the hamon, for example, so try to find a solid overhang. You also don’t want reflection to make your blade look different than it is in reality.
Indoor lighting is infinitely more challenging. Low light, fluorescent light, light-painting in a dark room—they all have the potential to become “noisy,” grainy, soft. I will leave it to the articles and videos you’re going to pour over to explain why, but trust me, it’s not easy. Sometimes, in light-painting for example, the pins might absorb all the light and they take over the picture. Or the handle’s too dark, or the handle’s visible, but the blade looks dull. Changing the countless variables on this project will help you get the right shot out of your many attempts. It can help to take notes so you know what you’ve tried and whether or not it worked.
Avoid using the flash inside your camera. It will only give you an overlit image that makes your work look flat. An external flash, shot off a wall or ceiling or even a white T-shirt, or an extra light diffused with a white paper bag, may help, but now your knifemaking shop has turned into a spaceship and you’re behind in your orders.
Specs
Images need to be 300 dpi for print with the photo at least 8 inches on the longest side, preferably 10. The image size should be at the very least 600 KB. It’s not that we’ll run it that large, but we need to have the option to do so, especially if we’re doing a cutaway and the knife doesn’t fill the frame.
We prefer .jpg format, and that you attach the image file rather than dragging it into the email. Sometimes that can make a difference in resolution quality, though it admittedly shouldn’t. Also, for similar reasons, submit originals and not versions scraped from Facebook or other social media platform, even for online stories.
Remember, it’s all about the knife here at BLADE. Oh, and makers and manufacturers, too. But without a fantastic photo of a knife as a starting point, how are we ever going to get to know you better?
“101 Knife Designs” is not only filled with great comparisons of blade designs and design theory, but offers terrific examples of exceptional knife photography by Hiro Soga.
Knifemakers of all skill levels will enjoy comparing knife designs in this book by Murray Carter. The photographs by Hiro Soga are exquisite! There is even a discussion on the theory of knife design to help you better understand your craft. Save 35 percent off the cover cost of $29.99 for a total of $19.99.
1. This everyday carry folding knife by Tim Lambkin is lightweight at 3.2 ounces. It measures 4 inches closed and is 3/8 inch thick. Tim welded the pattern, did the filework inside and out and flame-anodized the titanium scales to add the wow factor. The screws are the types used in hip replacements, anodized for color! The thumb stud is mother of pearl. Makers List Price: $900-$1000 Contact http://chopsknives.com, [email protected],903-926-7447. (Ericka Lambkin image)
Has a card, flowers and brunch become the routine for Mother’s Day? Maybe you’ve tried getting creative with gift-giving but it wasn’t well received, so you’re sticking with what works. Dull! Where’s your sense of adventure? What about giving the mothers in your life something sharp and pretty? Just like her! Let’s look at 20 custom knives moms want for Mother’s Day, or any day for that matter.
Isn’t that like giving a vacuum cleaner or an iron?
Yes and no. We’re not talking boxed sets of table cutlery or mass-produced blades, regardless of their quality and usefulness. We’re talking 100-percent hand-crafted custom knives. If you decide on a chef knife, for example, it could be construed as encouraging cooking, but the knife will be so beautiful, so smoothly made, so significant in her hand, she’ll overlook the “get cooking” aspect and start searching for things to julienne. You may find her looking for ways to display her knife not only as an easily accessible tool, but as a work of art. It’s not going to be tossed carelessly into a drawer, that’s for sure.
Hmmm. I’m not so sure.
Ok. What about knives for self-defense? Or engraved knives in pearlesence or vivid colors that mom will want to hold, admire and show off? Knives for shaving? The cowgirl in your life could use a custom livestock castration knife.
Excuse me!
Just look. These 20 custom knives will be well received by all types of mothers. Trust me. Now these knives take time to make, so if you see something you like, contact the maker and if he or she doesn’t have one ready, put in an order for a birthday or the holidays. It’ll be worth the wait. I promise.
Neck Knives
Neck knives are compact blades that are drawn in a downward motion from a sheath on a necklace-length lanyard or looped onto a bra like a gun holster. Moms can use this for self-defense or as an everyday carry knife. Various blade styles are frequently offered.
2. This necker by James Huse has a 2 1/8-inch drop-point-style blade made of A2 tool steel. Overall length is 5 1/8 inches. The handle is pink and black G10 with matching Kydex sheath. You release the knife with light thumb pressure and a downward draw. Maker’s List Price: $165. Contact www.huseknives.com, [email protected] or message to Huse Knives on Facebook, @huse_knives on Instagram.3. Pete Sloan’s neck knife is made from 440C stainless steel with a cleaver-Wharncliffe blade design. The handle was crafted using stabilized pink curly maple. Maker’s List Price: $150. Contact www.sloancustomknives.com, [email protected], 731-225-9209 or message on Facebook at Sloan Custom Knives.4. This neck knife by Travis Fleming has a trailing-point tanto blade design made from Nitro-V, an AEBL steel by New Jersey Steel Baron. A pink sheath completes the set. Makers List Price: $160. Contact [email protected] or message at Fleming’s Fabrications on Facebook.5. Denny Furey makes these three-finger Quick Defense Knives with an index finger ring for sure pistol-grip draw from under a top or from between buttons on a blouse. The 2.5-inch blade is made of high carbon 1095 with a blued and polished finish. The handle is made out of Voodoo Resins with brass pins and lanyard tube. Makers List Price: $160, includes sheath. Contact [email protected], 405-642-2198 or message on Facebook at Furey’s Urban Combat Knives.
Pretty Knives
Sometimes it’s all about the eye candy. Holding something pretty, showing it off, is a luxury mom is unlikely to allow herself either in time or cost. But, hey, beautiful knives can also cut a piece of string or open a box, and every time she studies the engraving, the jewel- and pearl-like finishes, the intricate designs in the pattern-welded steel, she’ll be reminded of how much she is treasured.
6. This Johnny Stout LeGrande Fine Folder has a 2 1/2-inch pattern-welded blade, gold lip mother of pearl handle scales, engraving by Alice Carter and a precious rubies inset in the backspacer and in the thumb stud. Closed, the knife measures 3 3/8 inches. Makers List Price: $3200. Contact http://stoutknives.com, [email protected] or 830-606-4067.7. Karen Jones made the 3-inch blade on this Work Pony out of raindrop-patterned steel. The bolsters are green abalone, the spacers are brass and the scales are elk antler. The 7-inch knife is “made to be used and abused in real life. Pretty is as pretty does,” Karen added. Makers List Price: $250-$275. Contact [email protected], 682-777-1193 or message at ThunderHorse Blades on Facebook.8. This Devin Bliss Bobcat has a 3.75-inch blade made of 1095 steel, walnut handle with mosaic pins and silver wire inlay and a nickel silver bolster. Its overall length is 8 inches. Makers List Price: $560. Contact [email protected], 903-736-3052 or message at DB Custom Knives on Facebook.9. Ben Kabisch made this for an emergency room nurse who works the night shift. She wanted something “cute, light and concealable.” The blade was made from 1084 carbon steel and the scales are an acrylic abalone. The blade is 3.5 inches and the overall length is 7.5 inches. Makers List Price: $175 Contact 940-733-6404 or message on Facebook at Ben Kabisch.10. This Raymon Earl Hunt Swayback Jack has a 2 3/4-inch Wharncliff-style blade, hand-finished and with a swedge. The handle scales are pre-ban elephant ivory with gold pins and stainless bolster. The inlaid engraving is by Bruce Christiansen. Maker’s list price: $1800 with sheath or purse pouch. Contact 214-507-0896, [email protected], or visit www.3hsknives.com.
Kitchen Knives
Whether the kitchen is in an urban apartment or at a campfire in the woods, chef knives that make food preparation more enjoyable, either by their ergonomics or their beauty, preferably both, are welcome gifts at Mother’s Day or on any holiday. This category also includes skinner/meat processing knives for the huntress in the family.
11. Mike Jeffries’ set of chefs knives includes two in AEB-L stainless steel, one in vintage Westinghouse Blue Micarta (rare stuff) with green Shadetree Burlap bolsters and the other in spalted maple burl. The paring knife is made of 52100 high carbon steel with dyed boxelder burl. Makers List Price: $900/set. Contact [email protected], 502-592-4240, on Facebook at 2Birds Metalworks and on Instagram @2birdsmetalworks.12. Nichole Lindstrand’s Modoc model knives are made from 15N20 steel with a drop-point blade, ideal for skinning and processing game. Overall they measure 7.25 inches with a cutting edge of just under 3.5 inches. The handles on these two are made of olivewood and Bone Micarta with blue G10 liners and carbon fiber pins. The makers list price is $165. Contact [email protected], 530-515-6082 or message on Facebook at Lindstrand Custom Knives.13. These 7 1/2-inch kitchen/camp knives by Carson Riley Marquis are made with 1095 steel with a differential heat treatment, acid etched/stonewashed finish and hammered-texture flats with flat grinds. The handles are dyed and stabilized zebra wood bolsters with Ivory Paper Micarta laid atop and divided by Natural Linen Micarta. Pins and lanyard tube are also Natural Linen Micarta. These are right-sized for meat processing and food prep. Makers List Price: $195 each with leather sheath. Contact http://crmarquisknives.bigcartel.com, 903-316-2824 or on Instagram @C.R.Marquis.Knives.14. This Thai-inspired kitchen knife by Todd Stracener is similar to a Japanese bunka. The 6 1/2-inch blade is made of 1095 steel and the handle is made of wenge wood with a resin inlay, The knife is 11 1/2 inches overall. $250. Contact on Instagram @thezeep or message on Facebook at Stracener Knives.
Everyday Carry Knives
Everyday carry, or EDC, knives are ones that you carry on your person or in your purse for both self-defense and general common use. They can be of the fixed-blade variety that you keep in a leather, Kydex or other molded-plastic sheath. Or they can be of the folding type and come with a clip that you can use on your pocket or inside a skirt or pant waistband. EDC makers strive for thin, small and light. They’re often tactical looking, but mom-friendly models come in everything from natural tones to bold and subtle colors.
15. Brian Nadeau’s Cyclone Bowie Flipper has a 3.5-inch blade made of CPM S35VN steel. The pivot is constructed with a stainless ball thrust bearing with AEB-L lock. It has a textured, anodized-titanium frame and aggressive gimping for a secure grip in any weather. The pocket clip is 410 stainless steel. Makers list price: $995. Contact www.knifelegends.com, www.sharpbydesign.com or [email protected].16. Shane Hill made this knife for a woman who wanted to have a knife in her car with her. The 3-inch drop-point hollow-ground blade is 1095 steel; the handle is make of cocobolo wood. Overall length of just short of 8 inches. Makers list price: $165. Contact [email protected] or message Hill Knife Works on Facebook.17. These Mini Me knives by Charles Hawkins have 2-inch hollow-ground blades made of pattern-welded steel from Alabama Damascus Steel. The top one has an Alumilite resin and wood handle with carbon fiber bolsters. The bottom one has a terminate wood with box elder handle with Alumilite resin bolsters. Although these knives are technically skinners, at 4 1/2 inches overall and with a clip-on sheath, something tells me they’re more likely to be used as an everyday carry. Maker’s list price: $100-$125 each. Contact www.hawkcustomknives.com, 325-947-7875.
The Right Knife For The Job
To do the job right, you need the right tool. You wouldn’t use a router to mix cake batter, right? (I can tell you’ve thought about it though.) You wouldn’t use a flat brush to curl your bangs, right? OK, maybe. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Well, it’s the same with knives. Aside from a survival situation, you wouldn’t bushcraft with a paring knife or filet a fish with a tomahawk. Here are just a few of many specialized knives that might be perfect for a mom in your life.
18. Eland Green made this GOLIATH chopper from 5160 tool steel and left the flats black after the heat treatment. The handle is a wood-resin combination. This is a worker for the gardening mom or for chores around a camp, farm or ranch. Makers list price: $600. Call [email protected], 940-736-8333 or message on Facebook at Lost Wood Knives.19. Becky McFall Rodriquez made this teardrop-handled livestock castration knife from a Travis Payne idea. Its 3-inch blade is acid-etched O1 tool steel. The handle is fashioned from blue-dyed box elder burl. The knife is 6-inches overall. When a lady’s doing dirty work, she should have a pretty tool. Makers list price $220-$250. Contact [email protected] or message on Facebook at Rafter M Custom Knives.20. Wet shaving is making a comeback, mainly for men, but also for women. Bruno van Dooren makes a 7/8-plus-inch wide round-point blade from O2 carbon steel with a half hollow grind. The length of the cutting edge is just under 2.5 inches. This shorter edge makes the razor more maneuverable for female shaving. The point is rounded to prevent accidentally poking through the skin. The scales are Kirinite Starlight Pink with Kirinite Glow in the Dark spacers. The pins and washer are brass. Makers list price is $325; pattern-welded or wootz steel versions are higher. Contact [email protected], www.snailforge.be or message on Facebook at Snailforge.
Bonus
Inside the heart of that special mom there lurks both a queen and a warrior princess, a diplomat and an avenger. She’s a lady with a hard edge and a soft inner core. She may be just the one to wield the Tactigal.
Bonus: Tobin Nieto forged his Tactigal out of 1084 steel to an overall length of 8.75 inches. The blade is a 3.25-inch drop-point style. The pink underlay is 550 paracord while the black cord has had the inner strands removed to allow for a flat Mongolian-style cross wrap. Maker’s list price: $175 with sheath. Contact Stonehaven Knife Works on Facebook or on Instagram @stonehavenknifeworks.
The CRKT Homefront is the Official Knife of the 2017 BLADE Show. This is a highly collectable item and the run is limited to 300. At $70 you can save $29.99 off the $99.99 price, if you order now. The field-strip technology allows you to disassemble without tools. The Ken Onion design won Most Innovative Imported Design award at the 2016 BLADE Show. Here’s where to order your Official 2017 BLADE Show CRKT Homefront Knife.
