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.
A strong, reliable, feature-packed folder designed for everyday carry, the Timberline Workhorse in a 3.25-inch blade of 440 stainless steel and a black textured G-10 composite handle is our Knife Of The Day for Dec. 12
The gently curving handle spine is comfortable in the hand and the textured G-10 ensures slip resistance. The blade is titanium nitrate coated to enhance rust resistance and reduce glare. Ambidextrous thumb studs combined with Timberline’s Teflon™ spacer pivot system provides silky smooth action. A left/right reversible clip is included. Approximate closed length: 4.5 inches. Your price: $31.99.
BLADE posts knife pictures on its Instagram account to highlight knifemakers’ work.
Editor’s note: Follow BLADE on Instagram here. Also, anyone buying or selling knives online should take caution when doing so on a social media platform. Recent events have singled out “weapons” content, and Instagram (owned by Facebook) is likely to be no exception. Diversification is key. Remember: In-person knife shows are still the best bet for buying/selling safely and securely.
Instagram Knife Pictures Help Knifemakers Sell and Knife Collectors Buy
A wave of Instagram commerce is building in the knife industry, and there is no indication of a slowdown at this point. Those who have leveraged the platform have seen increased activity that otherwise might have required hours and expenses associated with travel, marketing and promotion.
“The impact on the knife community is significant,” Curtis Iovito of Spartan Blades commented. “I can say that this year we have reached more prospective customers and knife lovers than we have on Facebook based on customer responses. It truly is a mix of social responses, providing information and assisting prospective buyers. Instagram has started allowing businesses to sell via the platform, and we plan to do this soon. Sixty-four percent of sales for us are from mobile platforms, so we see this as a plus.”
“I had to come out of the stone age to get with the program, and it has doubled or tripled my business,” asserted knifemaker and BLADE® field editor Kim Breed. “You can put your wares out there for sale, and people comment or order and everything else on one simple site. You can go straight to your cell phone and post pictures and get immediate feedback.”
Curtis Iovito of Spartan Blades said Instagram is a great way to share knife pictures and information, and to do so “in a flash.” (Spartan Blades photo)
Purveyor Neil Ostroff of True North Knives started an Instagram account as a social tool to connect with friends, family and customers, but it soon became apparent that an additional sales tool was at his disposal. He changed his account from his personal name into the True North Knives (TNK) brand. He monitors how posts are received by the public, using the “View Insights” option for real-time metrics.
“As Instagram and other social media platforms are constantly evolving and getting better, I’m finding that Instagram is the easiest to use and provides the most results,” Neil explained. “An example of a result is getting a direct message, e-mail or phone call asking for more information about the product. Although we only post knives that are immediately available for online purchase, it’s always nice to have some practical contact with the buyer. We take pride in our knife images, whether they’re taken by a professional like Jim Cooper or our excellent in-house team. If the picture is not top rate, then it reflects badly on the product.”
Bertie Rietveld put this image of his Omega dagger on Instagram and received a number of interesting comments, including one that read, “More like OhMyGod Dagger.” The guard is stainless steel with 24k gold. The blade is Rietveld’s dragonskin damascus with Stanhope lens at the base of the fuller. (SharpByCoop image)
More Than Just Knife Pictures
Breed points out that advertising in most any format is expensive. Knife pictures posted on Instagram allow immediate access to potential buyers at virtually no cost.
“Putting yourself out there to hundreds of thousands of people is powerful,” he noted. “If they’re looking for a knife, as soon as they search for custom knife or damascus, all sorts of stuff pops up to choose from.”
Kim refuses to hard sell on the platform. “Buyers just ask ‘how much?’ and it is a process of direct messaging between you and that person,” he said. “Some people post prices out there and everything has a different price to it. [Costs of knife- making supplies] have gone up 20 to 25 percent this year. If you’ve got old stock maybe you can keep prices lower, but if it’s newer stock you’ve got to pass the cost on. People will message me if they’re interested in something and then we talk price.”
After seven or eight months on Instagram, Kim sees an unlimited future for the platform.
“All the stuff you’ve posted from when you first started [on Instagram] is out there,” he observed. “So, you don’t have to continually post the same kind of knife. Just as you make them you can throw them up on Instagram.”
Instagram Cautionary Tales
Though social media is asserting itself in the TNK sales process, Ostroff is warily watching developments. His website is still king with his business at this point.
“In spite of Instagram’s popularity and audience, for True North Knives our website still takes in 90 percent of our sales,” he added. “As with any other shopping-cart-based website, the purchase is triggered by the photos, but then we offer a smooth and easy way to select, pay and order the knife. Instagram does not do that. It merely brings the product to the subscribers but then the hunt begins, and many potential buyers must go through many steps trying to contact the knifemaker, who may or may not be available to take an order.”
Another caution from Ostroff is that Instagram provides any seller with an “escape hatch” to sell a knife to anyone and not necessarily the first customer who steps up to buy. When a traditional e-commerce website operates, the item for sale is listed and directly connected to actual inventory; once it is sold it is gone and marked as out of stock. “Fair game for all!” he said.
“Many knifemakers on Instagram are only offering their knives for sale by lottery or raffle. As I don’t buy knives from Instagram I feel sorry for the people who aren’t always ‘attached to’ their phones, and also don’t have the money to, in many cases, overpay for knives due to the hype,” Neil related. “Many knives are sold at grossly inflated prices by knifemakers who are merely looking for the quick buck with no regard for a potential secondary market”—a secondary market that will never come about when the initial/primary purchase price is way too high.
Still, the luster of Instagram has drawn custom makers, purveyors and purchasers to the platform like moths to a flame.
“Initially, the knifemakers get a large audience, not only from active buyers but also from fans who may not be able to afford these knives but who really enjoy seeing the blade—like eye candy,” Ostroff said. “Knifemakers should assign or hire others to manage their account after knives are posted. Potential clients have questions, most of which never get answered by the knifemaker.”
According to Breed, payment is sometimes a sticky proposition. “When people talk with the knifemaker they should use common sense,” he remarked. “Like the internet, Instagram is a great thing, but it can be ugly at the same time. I let a guy place his order, and when I get close to sticking the handle on [the knife], then he needs to pop a check in the mail. Others pay with Paypal as soon as they order a knife, but some want to see what the finished product looks like.”
Mixed Signals?
No, simply an assessment of the pros and cons of a growing medium in the knife industry, one that cannot be ignored and likely will never go away.
“You almost have to get on Instagram,” Breed offered. “The younger generation that was raised on it will be jumping on other sites, too. I get on the computer once or twice a week because I’m spending most of my time making knives. Instagram is nice because it’s on your phone. If you’re grabbing lunch out or in your shop, you can have a brand new knife posted in less than two minutes and can follow up on what is happening with it.”
However, the traditional opportunity to hold the real knife in your hand is diminished. Buying from knife pictures has its own risks. The situation is always improved when buyer and seller really know one another. Time will tell how Instagram truly changes the buying/selling process.
While it may appear to be an alien looking back at you, the Relic Dagger by ABS journeyman smith Ryan Breuer is inspired by Egyptian daggers from the Bronze Age that were made over 6,000 years ago.
The pommel on the originals are believed to have been made of hippo ivory.
“There’s such a striking shape to it,” Ryan said. “It very clearly looks like a human form in the handle holding up either a head or maybe the sun. It’s as if those who made the daggers thousands of years ago are looking back at me. It’s almost spooky.”
The damascus blade is a collaboration between Ryan and bladesmith Jason Morrissey, though Ryan gives Jason most of the credit for the steel. The blade is a composite mosaic damascus, with twisted mosaic edge bars of Jason’s steel and Ryan’s “eyes” mosaic in the core.
Ryan Breuer
Ryan ground, heat treated and finished the blade. The hilt is cast bronze made with the lost-wax process. The pommel is pattern-welded wrought iron and pure nickel, manipulated to imitate layers of organic ivory. Ryan drilled the two holes for the “eyes.”
Nearly 20 years later and with my original bolo in disrepair, I thought it time to replace it with an updated and more technologically sophisticated design. My goal was to find a knifemaker from my home state of Kentucky who would be capable and willing to collaborate on the project. It was not long before several members of the Knifemakers’ Guild recommended Gene Baskett. A Guild member since 1981, Gene has proved to be one of Kentucky’s finest custom knifemakers and has earned the respect of his peers for the quality work he produces.
He and I based the knife’s design on the old bolo I had used when I served in the SEALs. Our decision was to go with CPM-154 stainless steel, and Gene made several blade adjustments. We experimented with a rubber handle made from extremely durable horse matting material—a perfect Bluegrass State touch, and a substance also favored by a number of makers and contestants in the cutting competitions. The resulting grip is firm yet shock absorbing. The handle can also be securely grasped when wet. My concerns were simple: durability and performance. I wanted a knife that would withstand a heavy amount of punishment and still perform well.
Both Gene and I agree that the knife has exceeded our expectations. Its cutting ability is just plain scary. Without honing the original edge applied by Gene, I put the knife to the test. He already had whacked through 1-inch saplings, and still the blade was gliding through blades of grass and straw. My test consisted of saplings, 1-inch tree branches and wild grape vines. All were easily severed with one clean hit.
After 20-to-30 strikes on branches and vines, I moved on to a grass mat wrap 4 inches in diameter. The grass mat was wrapped tightly around a 1-inch piece of dried bamboo. One diagonal strike went completely through. I finished the test with a piece of quarter-inch tanned cowhide. With only slight pressure, the bolo sank through the hide from tip to handle. Drawing the blade out and away left a clean, effortless cut through 8 inches of hide. The blade was still quite sharp afterward.—BY STEVE WATKINS, retired Navy SEAL
For the complete story on the author’s super bolo, you can get the digital version of the December BLADE® by clicking on http://www.shopblade.com/blade-dec-2012-digital-issue?lid=SSfbbl101612
PICTURE CAPTIONS, FROM TOP
TOP: At top is the author’s old bolo and leather sheath and below it is Gene Baskett’s Super Bolo and Kydex® sheath. (photo courtesy of Steve Watkins)
MIDDLE: One of the instructors near the author’s duty station in the Philippines circa 1990 splits wood with the author’s old bolo. (photo courtesy of Steve Watkins)
BOTTOM: The author (right) and his friend, Brad O’Neill, on patrol circa 1990. The author is shown holding an M-60 (7.62mm) and his friend an M-16 with an M-203 (a 40mm grenade launcher). (photo courtesy of Steve Watkins)
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.”
No matter the brand or model, sharpening steels are used the same way. Most manufacturers recommend using one while standing at the kitchen counter or seated at a table.
The Set Up
Take the sharpening steel and place the tip on the table, held upright with the handle at the top.
With one hand, grasp the handle firmly, keeping it perpendicular with the flat surface at all times.
With the other hand, grasp the knife handle and place the blade at a 20-to-30 degree angle in relation to the sharpening steel. Place the blade as close to the guard as possible, set to start at the part of the blade closest to the tang.
Move the Blade
In one motion, move the blade down the length of the rod while at the same time draw the blade fully across the steel. When you near the flat surface you are working from, though without touching the surface, you should be at the blade tip.
Repeat
Raise the blade to where you started from, switching the blade to the opposite side, then repeat the same stroke. Then, return to the side you started from, and repeat once again. Do an equal amount of strokes for both sides of the blade.
Getting Better
As you become more comfortable using the sharpening steel, you can forego the flat surface and hold the steel with one hand similar to how you would a large kitchen knife. With the other hand, place the blade on the rod at the recommended 20-to-30 degree angle and lightly push the blade across the rod, ending at the blade tip.
I highly recommend you not proceed to this step until you are confident enough, because with this alternate method chances for not holding the angle correctly is greater.
Let the Rod Do the Work
Whatever method you use, remember to always use light strokes. There is no need to bear down on the blade with pressure. Let the rod do the work.
A strong, reliable, feature-packed folder designed for everyday carry, the Timberline Workhorse in a 3.25-inch blade of 440 stainless steel and a black textured G-10 composite handle is our Knife Of The Day for Dec. 12
