Knife Collecting Archives

Holiday Gift Guide for Knife Collectors, Enthusiasts and Makers

Knife Collecting

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November 30, 2016

Holiday Gift Guide for Knife Collectors, Enthusiasts and Makers

The best gift ideas for knife collectors, enthusiasts and makers can be found at ShopBlade.com. If you’re not familiar with the world of knives and aren’t sure where to start, this is the guide for you. And if you are, we at BLADE won’t cut you short with these suggestions for your own gift list.

For New and Established Knifemakers

Christmas ideas make knives — Want to learn how to make knives, or how to make them even better? This book is a great place to start.

Many books claim to show readers how to make knives, but only one is trusted enough to have three editions with full-color photos. BLADE’s Guide to Making Knives, 3rd Edition is new for 2016, and it’ll be a sure hit with any knifemaker, from the garage tinkerer to the knife show pro.

Get BLADE’s Guide to Making Knives, 3rd Edition from ShopBlade.com at a terrific price.

* Also recommended: 101 Knife Designs.

For Casual or Experienced Knife Collectors

Best price best knife book about knives — Knives 2017 is a great gift idea for someone who collects knives.

For 37 years, knife collectors have looked forward to the latest editions of Knives, the annual book published by BLADE. Knives 2017 is the newest in this long tradition, and it’s can’t-miss material for the knife collector on your list.

While the in-depth features are interesting to read, and the custom knifemaker directory is second to none, it’s the beautiful photography that makes this book stand out year after year. Vibrant, full-color photos of the hottest custom knives on the planet receive the white glove treatment in this handsome tome. It’s as at home in the shop as it is on the coffee table.

Get Knives 2017 from ShopBlade.com here.

For the Armed and Prepared Person

Knives can mean many things to many people, but their use as self-defense tools is undisputed. If the knife enthusiast on your list takes being prepared for the unthinkable seriously, there’s only one DVD you need to consider.

Make Ready with James Williams: Continuing Solutions to Edged Weapons is simply one of the best guides on self-defense with a knife available. Williams is a regular presenter at the BLADE Show, and his insights are second to none.

Get Make Ready with James Williams: Continuing Solutions to Edged Weapons here for 56% off the regular price.

For Someone You’re Unsure About

Book about whittling with knives — Learn how to whittle.

It happens. The knife nut on your list either has everything already or doesn’t seem to need to anything in the first place. Fortunately, there’s a book that fits the bill.

Whittling Twigs & Branches is an unexpected find that cracks open the world of whittling with knives. There’s a surprising amount of information to learn about this topic. This includes how to carve roosters, herons, pheasants, roadrunners, flowers, trees and letter openers from ordinary twigs and branches.

Get Whittling Twigs & Branches here from ShopBlade.com for less than $10.

For the Person with Too Many Knives

Best gifts for knife collectors — Here’s how to store your knives.

After conducting extensive and highly scientific research, 10 out of 10 knife experts agree: there’s no such thing as too many knives. However, there is such a thing as not having enough storage.

That’s why BLADE‘s exclusive 18-pocket knife roll is the perfect gift. Not only does it keep folding knives secure, it rolls up for efficient storage. Its strong yet flexible material keeps out dirt, moisture, light, pollutants and more.

The only place to get BLADE‘s 18-pocket knife roll is at ShopBlade.com.

Also recommended: Quick Release oil and applicator.

For Someone Just Starting Out in Knives

Christmas Holiday Gift Guide Knives — The CRKT Endorser is a great gift for someone new to knife collecting.

That knife collection isn’t going to build itself. Help a new collector along with this terrific CRKT Endorser folding knife. It’s the right mix between price (it’s a bargain for you) and features (it’s a respectable knife for them).

Dimensions

Open Overall Length: 7.31 inches
Closed Length: 4.17 inches
Weight: 3.2 ounces

Blade

Length: 3.18 inches
Thickness: 0.1 inches
Material: 8Cr14MoV
Blade-HRC: 58-59
Finish: Satin
Grind: Hollow
Style: Drop Point
Edge: Plain

Handle

Material: G10

Lock

Type: Locking Liner

Get the CRKT Endorser from ShopBlade.com for just $24.99.

* Also recommended: CRKT Swindle, designed by Ken Onion.

For the Ultimate Knife Collector

Best knife gifts — A top-of-the-line gift for a top-of-the-line knife collector.

If the collector on your list is serious about knives, make a big impression with the Famars Piccolo Aluminum Black Model A with Damascus Blades knife. From the description:

The world’s first pinless sidelock knife. Anodized aluminum body. Standard blade and tanto blade in 416 layered damascus steel.

This is one knife that your lucky recipient won’t soon forget. Get it here from ShopBlade.com.

* Also recommended: Klecker Knives Titanium KLAX Lumberjack.

Prime Cutters Are Good To Go

Steve Shackleford

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November 22, 2016

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Small-to-medium-sized fixed blades make excellent cutting tools, and today’s prime cutters are good to go. Here are five of the hottest in this sharp-looking category.

The P.U.K. (Personal Utility Knife)

Atlas Dynamic Defense P.U.K. — The P.U.K. from Atlas Dynamic Defense is a hungry little cutter in CPM S30V stainless.

The P.U.K. (Personal Utility Knife) from Atlas Dynamic Defense has a 2.52-inch blade of CPM S30V stainless steel heat treated to a Rockwell hardness of 57-58 HRC in a controlled vacuum with an additional -300°F cryo bath. Top that with a DLC blade coat and you’ve got one hungry little cutter. The scales are removable with a coin or rifle cartridge. MSRP: $225.

Buck Omni RT

Among other prime cutters is the Buck Omni RT with a stout 3.25-inch blade of 420HC stainless steel and an ergonomic handle of Dynaflex rubber in Realtree Xtra Green Camo. Weight: 4.6 ounces. Overall length: 7.75 inches. A nylon sheath that matches the look of the handle completes the ensemble.

Western Knives Kota

The Kota from Western Knives includes a 3.25-inch blade of titanium-bonded 420 stainless and an ergonomic handle of G-10 with an elongated hole for a lanyard. Overall length: 7 inches. It’s kind of a cool design, really. A nylon sheath is included. MSRP: $29.99.

ESEE 3HM

If you’re looking for a carbon-steel cutter, the ESEE 3HM offers a 3.63-inch blade of 1095 carbon steel in a low-glare, stain-resistant powder coat and a canvas Micarta® handle. The contrast of the light-colored Micarta and the dark blade is choice. Weight: 7.7 ounces. Overall length: 8.88 inches. A black leather pouch comes standard.

Knives of Alaska Legacy

The Legacy from Knives Of Alaska has a blade of D2 tool steel to go along with a stag handle—all in the style of the late BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Bob Loveless. It includes a leather sheath. D2 is a favorite of Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Wayne Goddard and “Dr. D2” himself, Bob Dozier. Somewhere, Loveless is probably nodding in approval.

Looking for More Edgy Ideas?

Check out BLADE‘s holiday gift guide for knife nuts.

Distinguishing Elephant from Ancient Ivory

Steve Shackleford

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November 7, 2016

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Distinguishing elephant from ancient ivory is challenging and becoming more and more important for the owners of knives with handles of ancient ivory. However, there are two reliable keys to make the determination easier.

Polished cross sections of elephant and mastodon/mammoth ivories display stacked chevrons of cross-hatched lines called Schreger lines or Lines of Retzius—incremental lines of rhythmic deposition of successive layers of enamel/dentine matrix during development. The Schreger lines closest to the outer bark of the tusks are the most visible—and the ones to measure—though there are also inner Schreger lines that are less discernible around the nerve cavity. The intersection of Schreger lines form angles, and this is the key—if the average angle is greater than 115 degrees, then it’s elephant ivory; if the average angle is less than 90 degrees, it’s mastodon or mammoth. Variations in the angles can occur in individual tusks, particularly as the patterns tighten more toward the center. Plus, the visible cross section must be cut square to the axis of the tusk—otherwise the chevrons’ angles will be distorted.

Specimens from both extinct and existing animals can show angles between 90 and 115 degrees in the outer Schreger lines, so the differentiation should never be based solely on a single angle measurement when the angles fall in this range. When averages are used, a clear separation between the ivory of existing elephants and extinct mammoths/mastodons exists. Elephant ivory averages above 100 degrees and mammoth/mastodon ivory averages below 100 degrees.

Another I.D. key, though more involved, can also distinguish mammoth or mastodon ivory from elephant. These ancient ivories can often have blue-green or brownish blemishes on the surface produced by an oxidized iron phosphate called vivianite. Even if the discoloration is barely visible, ultra-violet light will make it stand out with a dramatic velvety-purple appearance. Even if elephant ivory were similarly discolored—though in its natural state, elephant ivory will not display the same discoloration—it would not exhibit the characteristic fluoresence of vivianite.

With recent ivory laws handed down by Fish and Wildlife greying the lines between elephant and ancient ivories, it is possible the laws may give federal agents the right to seize knives and materials that cannot be proven as outright ivory but simply have the ivory look. As a result, if you own knives with ancient ivory handles, having an at least a general knowledge of how to differentiate elephant from ancient ivory could save you from having your knives confiscated, from being fined or both.

Hot Knife Deals at ShopBlade.com

Trump vs. Clinton: Your Knives Are At Stake

Steve Shackleford

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October 19, 2016

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Trump vs. Clinton: Your Knives Are At Stake

How Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump stack up in terms of your right to own and carry your knives is an issue you should weigh carefully before voting Nov. 8.

According to Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter, Clinton’s anti-gun and anti-Second Amendment agenda is a major plank of her campaign. She advocates undermining the Second Amendment through legislation, executive actions and, more importantly, her appointment of justices to the Supreme Court. Over the years she has endorsed most proposals to limit gun ownership and destroy the Second Amendment through extreme taxes, regulations and executive orders.

“The loss of Second Amendment rights by way of her anti-gun agenda would be certain to disadvantage knife owners as we fight to oppose irrational restrictions on our knives,” Ritter noted. “As we have seen elsewhere, once firearms are outlawed, knife restrictions follow.”

Trump, meanwhile, is pro-Second Amendment and has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association and other Second Amendment organizations. His proposed nominees for the Supreme Court have a record of opposing efforts to weaken the Second Amendment.

As for the ivory issue, Ritter noted that the campaign against ivory owners in the USA, including owners of ivory-handle knives and raw ivory used by knifemakers and scrimshanders, was launched by the Clinton Foundation as part of its Clinton Global Initiative. “The Clinton Foundation and non-governmental organizations affiliated with it continue to advocate for the complete and total ban on all trade in ivory in any form,” Ritter wrote. “They are being assisted by the Fish and Wildlife Service. They are even pushing to ban sustainable use of wildlife in Africa, the core science behind the world’s most successful wildlife conservation efforts that have brought many species back from the brink of extinction.”

Clinton also likely would oppose the African Elephant Conservation and Legal Ivory Possession Act (AECLIPA), an act that would repeal the recent federal ivory ban, resetting the rules back to where they had been for decades, and would enhance elephant conservation efforts in Africa.

Conversely, Trump has never supported ivory bans or the end of sustainable use as a science-based conservation model. Trump would be far more likely to make executive appointments that would signal significant changes at the Interior Department and FIsh and Wildlife. If Congress passed the AECLIPA, he would likely sign it.

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9 Tips for Buying a Custom Knife

Steve Shackleford

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September 26, 2016

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Attend knife shows — To get that special custom knife, attend knife shows—and if you see a knife you want, don’t put it down until you’re through haggling! (PointSeven image)

Is it realistic to say there’s a surefire way to get any custom knife you want? While there are always exceptions to the rule, if you practice the following nine steps, you might just find that beautiful custom knife you’ve dreamed about nestled warm and safe in the fleece lining of your favorite zippered knife pouch:

Attend the knife show(s) where the maker and/or owner of your dream knife exhibits;
Introduce yourself to the maker/owner at the show, talk about his/her work and designs and/or knives, ask questions, and express your interest about the knife inside the show and/or at the hotel bar after show hours;
Ask to look at and hold the knife—and don’t be afraid to tell the maker/seller what you will pay for it;
On a high-end knife especially, it it’s worth it, buy it! You won’t sleep if you pass on the knife for a small difference in the asking price;
If you see the knife you really want and pick it up at the maker’s/seller’s table, do not put it down until you’re finished haggling for it;
If it’s a custom order, supply the materials for the knife directly to the maker;
Visit the maker’s shop or the seller at an agreed-upon place and pay cash for the knife;
In the case of the maker especially, tell him or her you will give the knife a great home and how you will display it, or how good the knife feels in your hand and how you will use it, and;
Plan a pricing strategy to go with all the travel, conversation and luck that surround the big purchase. Have a figure that you will pay for the knife in mind beforehand.

“If the price is way over your head, then walk,” advised custom knife collector Chris Nolen, stressing that even though it may seem unorthodox, it is good to tell the maker how much you are willing to pay. “If the price is in the ballpark, buy the knife,” he concluded. “You will know when it’s that ‘special’ piece.”

Knife Brings World Record Price

Steve Shackleford

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September 14, 2016

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Roosevelt's knife — On one side of President Theodore Roosevelt’s knife is a forest scene with two men behind a tree, one standing with rifle in hand, the other crouching.

President Theodore's Roosevelt's knife. — The top of the handle of President Theodore Roosevelt’s knife is carved in the shape of an eagle’s head of solid gold. The eagle’s eyes are garnets.

Roosevelt circa Oct. 1910. — Theodore Roosevelt in October 1910.

A knife presented to President Theodore Roosevelt brought a world record price of $414,000 at auction this past weekend, Sept. 9-11.

It is believed to be the most ever paid for an American knife at auction, according to the auctioneer, Rock Island Auction Co.

The previous world record price for a knife at auction reportedly was $270,000 in 2006 for a piece that was linked to Sam Houston.

Made by J. Russell & Co. of Massachusetts and with an ornate handle of gold and platinum by New York luxury jewelry retailer Dreicer & Co., the knife originally was presented to Roosevelt “to carry with him on his African hunting trip” by James W. Gerard, New York Supreme Court Justice and later ambassador to Germany. The knife was said to have cost $1,250 when it was presented to Roosevelt in 1909, which is about $33,266 in today’s money. The knife had been in the Roosevelt family ever since until this past weekend’s auction.

The 6-inch spear-point blade has a mottled gray patina and is etched on the left side with “PRESENTED TO/THEODORE ROOSEVELT/BY HIS FRIEND/JAMES W. GERARD.” The blade mark is J. RUSSELL & CO./GREEN RIVER WORKS. The “T” guard is bear heads sculpted in gold. The sculpted gold handle has a pommel in the shape of a highly detailed eagle head with red garnet eyes. The left side of the handle has a frontier scene on a platinum background. Overall length: 11.5 inches.

When Roosevelt died in 1919, the knife became part of the estate of his widow, Edith C. Roosevelt. From there it went to Mrs. Roosevelt’s eldest daughter, Ethel Roosevelt Derby, probably sometime around Mrs. Roosevelt’s death in 1948. In 1976, Mrs. Derby presented it as a gift to the knife’s consignor, who wishes to remain anonymous, as the consignor was about to marry Mrs. Derby’s granddaughter. The consignor and Mrs. Derby’s granddaughter used the knife to cut the cake at their wedding ceremony.

In 2013, Stuteville Antiques & Appraisals reportedly valued the knife at a quarter of a million dollars.

Make Your Own Legendary Knife

The third edition of BLADE’s Guide to Making Knives gives you all the information you need to start making knives. At less than $20 when you order directly from BLADE, it’s the best investment in your knifemaking career you can make.

Pick up your copy of the best knifemaking book under the sun.

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Is a World Ivory Ban in the Offing?

Steve Shackleford

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September 12, 2016

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A CITES meeting that could determine whether there will be a world ivory ban begins Sept. 24 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The 17th annual meeting of the CITES Conference of Parties is set to run through Oct. 5 and will include individuals and organizations around the globe who are for or against a world ivory ban, as well as a ban on ancient and other ivories. CITES stands for “Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora,” and is “an international agreement among governments … to ensure international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.”

Lile ivory folder — A world ivory ban would make such classic knives as this circa 1970s folder by BLADE® Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Jimmy Lile illegal. (Jack Lucarelli image)

Elephant Protection Association officials indicate they expect animal rights groups to push for terminating “sustainable use” as a means of conserving any listed or endangered wildlife, which includes elephants and the trade of ivory. For U.S. owners of legal elephant ivory, this could at the very least mean losing the narrow “De Minimis Exception” in the recent Federal Domestic Ivory Ban instituted in July. Though it allows an extremely low amount of per-person trade in elephant ivory, the De Minimis Exception does allow some of it.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) fighting for a worldwide elephant ivory ban want CITES to list all African elephants on Appendix I. If the NGOs are successful, it will lead to even more pressure on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to list all elephants as endangered, too. According to the Elephant Protection Association, the FWS has indicated that if CITES puts elephants on the endangered list, FWS would abolish the De Minimis Exception. But that’s not all.

The Elephant Protection Association’s Rob Mitchell reports that the petition to declare elephants endangered is already under review. “I don’t know low long before they will reach a final determination, but it won’t surprise me one bit if they try to time it to coincide with [the Sept. 24-Oct. 5 meeting],” he notes. In fact, “FWS could make the determination even if CITES does not list all elephants on Appendix I.”

For more information, stay tuned to www.elephantprotection.org. (Editor’s note: The Elephant Protection Association is building a new website. You also can stay updated on elephant ivory news by watching videos from The Conservation Imperative on the Association’s Facebook page.)

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Holiday Gift Guide for Knife Collectors, Enthusiasts and Makers

For New and Established Knifemakers

For Casual or Experienced Knife Collectors

For the Armed and Prepared Person

For Someone You’re Unsure About

For the Person with Too Many Knives

For Someone Just Starting Out in Knives

For the Ultimate Knife Collector

Prime Cutters Are Good To Go

The P.U.K. (Personal Utility Knife)

Buck Omni RT

Western Knives Kota

ESEE 3HM

Knives of Alaska Legacy

Looking for More Edgy Ideas?

Distinguishing Elephant from Ancient Ivory

Hot Knife Deals at ShopBlade.com

Trump vs. Clinton: Your Knives Are At Stake

9 Tips for Buying a Custom Knife

Knife Brings World Record Price

Make Your Own Legendary Knife

Is a World Ivory Ban in the Offing?

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