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.
Great knives, knifemakers, tips on knife collecting and much more are in the offing at venues across the country and abroad today and tomorrow, April 28-29.
The Solvang Custom Knife Show is in Solvang, California, today ONLY. Some of the world’s finest custom knives and knifemakers are there. For more info click on www.nordicknives.com.
The 30th Annual NCCA Extravaganza Knife Show is at the Hilton Hotel in Mystic, Connecticut, today and tomorrow.
The Wolverine Knife Collectors Show is in Novi, Michigan, today and tomorrow at the Suburban Collection Showcase.
The ABS Spring Piney Woods Hammer-In is today and tomorrow at the Texarkana College/Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing in Washington, Arkansas. For more info click on www.americanbladesmith.com.
The 13th Annual Knifemakers Show is at the German Blade Museum (Deutsches Klingenmuseum) in Solingen, Germany, today and tomorrow. For more info click on www.messer-macher-messe.de.
And finally, today is the final day of the Mason Dixon Knife Club Annual Show at the Best Western/Grand Venice Hotel in Hagerstown, Maryland.
For more on the latest knives, knife legislation, knifemaking instruction, knife trends, knifemakers, what knives to buy and where and much more, subscribe to BLADE Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication. For subscription information click on http://www.shopblade.com/product/blade-magazine-one-year-subscripti…?r+ssfb042812#BL1SU.
The skull-cutter craze is addressed in the current issue of BLADE®, on newsstands now.
If you like knives, swords, cleavers and other edgeware embellished with skulls, the knife industry’s skull-cutter craze is for you. And it’s ideal for Halloween, too!
Knives with skull motifs are nothing new. Knifemakers long have offered knives embellished with skulls, along with other ghoulish characters such as goblins, gargoyles, dragons, witches and warlocks, ghosts, the Grim Reaper—the current issue of BLADE® (www.blademag.com), on newsstands now, has such a knife made by D.B. Fraley and owned by Jon Ukman on the cover—and others. However, the veritable explosion of the motif in recent years seems to have sprinkled skull shards worldwide on the knife scene.
Anders Hogstrom’s “Butch the Cleaver” is one of several models addressing the skull-cutter craze. (SharpByCoop photo)
Meanwhile, the skull motif has engendered a knife cottage industry of sorts. Ernest Emerson, one of the world’s leading makers and author of the legendary CQC-6, has an apparel line through his Emerson Knives, Inc., that features skulls on any number of clothing items. Companies such as Schmuckatelli sell small skulls that serve a dual purpose of both adorning knives and anchoring knife lanyards. There are others.
Of course there will be those who slam the knife industry for introducing morbid themes on what they are utterly convinced are gruesome tools of death. But we’ve heard all that balderdash and even the most irrational of anti-knife fanatics know better by now.
What about you? Do you subscribe to the skull theme, even just a little bit? If not, don’t worry. There apparently are scores of knife enthusiasts who can’t get enough of it. And with Halloween just around the corner, many knifemakers and those in the knife/skull cottage industries are loving every minute of it.
For the latest knives, knife news and much more, keep it edgy with www.blademag.com (www.blademag.com).
When Waysun Johnny Tsai gives his stamp of approval to a knife, you can bet it’s a good one. “After a month it is STILL my EDC,” he wrote in the description of this video.
KEEPING your knife sharp entails more than knowing how to sharpen it. If you maintain the knife’s edge on a regular basis, it will eliminate having to re-establish the edge each time the knife goes dull.
Maintaining the edge is easy. The hard part is getting in the habit of doing it. However, once you get tired of re-establishing the edge every time your knife goes dull, you will appreciate how important the habit is.
Edge touch-ups are a breeze on the GATCO TRI-SEPS.
First, get one of the easy to use pull-through or similarly easy to use sharpeners and store it by wherever you put your knife at the end of the day. When you go to put your knife up, simply grab the sharpener and pull the blade edge through it five or six times. This should be enough to fine tune the edge and get it back to a working sharpness for the following day.
Such sharpeners as the GATCO TRI-SEPS are ideal for the job because they are easy to use and store or even carry. The TRI-SEPS, for instance, includes a chain for keyring carry. It sharpens both plain and serrated edges.
Keeping your hunting knife sharp at all times is a must in the field. One of the best ways to do it is to touch the edge up after each time you use it—and the easiest way to do that is with a portable field sharpener.
The Spyderco ProFile Fine/Medium Sharpener (pictured at top) offers a medium-grit stone for very dull edges and a fine-grit stone for edge finishing and/or touch-ups. A convenient pocket carry leather case is included. For more, click on www.shopblade.com/profile-finemedium-w8595?lid=SSfbbl101112
The GATCO Diamond Stix Sharpener (second from top) features a solid brass knurled handle for easy gripping and which contains a monochrystalline diamond rod that sharpens serrated blades as well as hunting knives, shears and more. For more, click on www.shopblade.com/gatco-diamond-stix-sharpener-50ds1?lid=SSfbbl101112
“Mammoth Spider” by Thomas Lofgren features a blade of a net-pattern mosaic damascus forged by Mattias Styrefors, a mammoth ivory and mosaic damascus handle, and sterling silver detail. (Lofgren photo)
Thomas and Claes Lofgren
Among the noteworthy Swedish knifemakers who have burst on the international cutlery scene in recent years, one of the names that stands out is Lofgren—father Thomas and son Claes.
It is the family’s favorite sport, fishing, which brought Thomas to handmade cutlery. An annual family rite is to spend 10 days fishing—and fishing only—in the Lofoten Islands of Northern Norway. The waters are fish rich and it is not uncommon to pull out one in the 18-to-24 pound range. When you catch them you have to fillet them, which calls for a pretty good knife. Hence, Thomas began making such knives about 20 years ago. The first one cut reasonably well but was so ugly he felt obligated to make another one, and he has not quit making them since. He learned a few things from a book on knifemaking but the real trigger for improvement was an encounter with Roland Stromberg, an experienced maker. Roland taught him how to sew a nice sheath and from there showed him how to improve the general quality of his work.
Having a technical background, Claes started getting interested in the craft in 2000, which made knifemaking just that much more important to Thomas. Since then there have been many elements of progress, emulation and sharing between father and son in the knife field. Now they are both part-time makers. Claes also works for an industrial company, and Thomas was instrumental in coordinating the 2005 and 2008 Sävsjö International Knife Expo. Thomas also found time recently to write the book, Making a Sheath for a Nordic Style Knife. It includes 150 of his own photos and sold 2,600 copies in its Swedish version, was translated into French and is now being published in German and Russian. Meanwhile, He exhibits at many shows in Sweden, other European cities (Paris, Helsinki, Solingen, Nontron), and in the USA.
His knife motto is “What stops growing will soon be dead.” Consequently, Thomas is always trying to improve, learning new techniques—Claes’s contributions are important in this regard—looking for new materials, and experimenting with fresh combinations of shapes and colors. “I like challenges, to walk on thin ice, even if I am not a very good swimmer,” he quipped.
All his knives are distinctive. Even on models of similar design, he introduces many different decorations of handle and sheath, and combinations of colors and materials. In the past few years he turned toward even more high-quality materials. He is using less wood and more mammoth and walrus ivory, hippopotamus or warthog tooth, giraffe bone, etc. If he uses wood, it is often stabilized and colored. Once in a while he will embellish his knives with gold and silver, or a small precious or semi-precious stone. He prefers mosaic damascus for his blades, especially that of Conny Persson or Johan Gustafsson, or sophisticated damascus by Mattias Styrefors and André Andersson. His knives have won a number of awards in judging competitions at Swedish and American knife shows.
LIKE FATHER …
Claes’s background includes welding, most notably operating a robotic welding machine for three years. As the company he worked for expanded, a part-time position for supervising the planning of materials supply was created. Claes applied for the post and got it.
For years he knew his father made knives, but Claes was not interested. However, in 2001 he watched his father and Johan Gustafsson board an airliner for the Knife Expo near Los Angeles (Pasadena), and “felt envious when Dad took off.” Wanting to experience the USA and California—and, of course, “California girls”—Claes saw making knives as one way to pay for the trip. His knowledge of metalworking and materials, plus the teaching of the basics by his father, resulted in very quick progress. Five months after making his first knife alone, he entered it in a judging competition at the Ludvika Show in Sweden and won in his chosen category. It was an enormous boost. By February 2002, he already had enough pieces ready to accompany his father to the Knife Expo. Since then it has become a sort of tradition for father and son to attend the Knife Expo and Ludvika Knife Week, as well as several other European shows.
Claes’s knives share several points of similarity with his father’s. Both makers prefer mammoth bark ivory (the “bark” is the outside crust of the tusk), the same steel suppliers, quality sheaths in the Nordic style, and the same way of naming knife models. Nonetheless, not all the similarities are the result of Thomas’s influence. It is often Claes’s ideas and imagination that inspire his father.
There are also some differences between the two. “Thomas’s knives are well made and imaginative, but with a more traditional approach. He has a feel for elegant and functional knives,” Samuel Karlsson stated. “Claes’s knives are more daring; his designs are more adventurous and extreme.”
Being younger and with more of a technical background, Claes probably experiments more than Thomas. “The worst thing that can happen is that it goes wrong and I have to start all over again,” the younger Lofgren observed. “It can cost some material but I think it’s worth a try. I find it exciting to cross the line to find new approaches.”
I would be remiss if I did not mention that Anna, Claes’s younger sister, also is a very good maker and has won prizes in judging competitions at Swedish knife shows. For the moment her knifemaking career is on hold as she works with her partner on restoring a farm they bought and caring for a 2-year-old boy. Meanwhile, Claes’s partner, Monika Bengtsson, also is making her first knives. “I think that I can retire now, before they all become too good for me!” Thomas laughed. “The only person not making knives in the family is my wife, Ann-Charlotte. But I can tell you that she bought two small blades …”
Father and son makers are not uncommon, and father and daughter are less frequent. But if you add son, daughter, partner of the son and maybe one of these days the mother, a real first family of Swedish steel is in the making.—by Francis Anglade
Specialties: Both make one-of-a-kind knives in similar styles and materials
Blade Steels: Mosaic damascus forged by Conny Persson, Johan Gustafsson, Joe Olson and Henry Hilden, and damascus forged by Mattias Styrefors and André Andersson
Handle Materials: Mammoth (including bark) and walrus ivory, hippo and warthog tusk, giraffe bone and woods (the latter often stabilized and colored)
Embellishment: Occasionally gold and silver, and precious and semi-precious stone inlays; some engraving by Jonny Walker Nilsson
Sheaths: Nordic style
Author! Author!: Thomas wrote the book, Making a Sheath for a Nordic Style Knife, which sold 2,600 copies in the Swedish version and has been translated into French, German and Russian
If you’re looking to make your own mosiac damascus, look no further than theForging Mosaic Damascus Knives download from BLADE. You’ll learn the foundation of this fascinating process to be able to build your own great designs.
Looking for a tough and ready option for EDC? Here are 4 factory high-carbon steel knife options that wear and use the reliable 1095 steel well.
Knives in tried-and-true carbon blade steels such as 1095 often are left out of the conversation. Do they still have relevance in the modern world of knives? The short answer is yes—and they remain relevant for the same advantages that made them popular in the first place.
“There are a number of reasons why 1095 is popular with consumers and manufacturers,” states Joe Bradley, sales and marketing manager for KA-BAR Knives. “It’s a great steel to work with and maintain, which is the primary reason we have used 1095 Cro-Van for decades.” Says Shane Adams, marketing director for ESEE Knives, “It takes a beating and is field-serviceable. We know it, use it and trust it with our lives.” Adds Jeremiah Heffelfinger of TOPS Knives, “1095 is also easier to sharpen, especially in the field, than some stainless steels.”
You can work 1095 to death, then take your favorite sharpener and put an edge right back on it. Try doing that with CPM S30V stainless! Because of 1095’s tendency to rust, you must maintain it more than stainless. Many 1095 blades sport a coating that protects most of the surface except the edge. If you’re not careful, corrosion can begin at the edge then travel up underneath the coating. Consequently, in a wet environment keep a light coat of oil on the blade. If you wash the knife, towel dry it carefully and let it air dry, too. As for some of today’s top models in 1095, check these out.
Condor Tool & Knife Bush Slicer Sidekick
The Bush Slicer Sidekick from Condor Tool & Knife is a small, lightweight fixed blade high-carbon steel knife designed to handle intricate food prep tasks similar to those paring knives address. It also functions as a stand-alone tool for bushcraft, as well as day hikes and such.
The Bush Slicer Sidekick from Condor Tool & Knife is a small, lightweight fixed blade designed to handle intricate food prep tasks similar to those paring knives address. It also functions as a stand-alone tool for bushcraft, as well as day hikes and such.
The 6.4-inch modified wharncliffe blade on this high-carbon steel knife has a defined tip for intricate cutting tasks, but also enough sharpened real estate to get work done. Close to 9 inches overall, the knife carries well and is neither too big nor too small for many food prep and camp chores. The black Micarta® handle is ergonomically shaped for maximum user comfort. The sheath is well designed, too. One of the few hybrid-constructed models employing Kydex and leather, it is quite user friendly. You get the rigid protection of Kydex along with the carry versatility a leather loop offers, allowing the sheath to move somewhat while on the belt. The gray Kydex complements the handle’s appearance.
The Bush Slicer Sidekick is built extremely well, with high quality fit and finish. The edge is razor sharp out of the box. The standard Condor blade finish is two tone, with the darkened heat-treat scale finish on the flats and machine satin on the bevels. The cutting edge is tilted up a bit in relation to the handle, giving more hand clearance on a flat surface. The way the blade profile tapers toward the tip is smart as well, giving the knife the ability to tackle finer cutting tasks. Another nice feature is the 90-degree blade spine for use in conjunction with a fire-starting ferrocerium rod.
Condor’s knives are not flashy but work like pack mules. The Bush Slicer Sidekick slices cardboard like a champ. The flat grind tapers the edge to a thickness that is both durable and sharp.
The flat-ground blade thins the edge well so it sails through a variety of materials, yet is thick enough for durability. The tip is controllable for fine and precise cutting. Integral front and rear guards prevent unwanted hand movement in either direction. However, those with larger hands may find the grip a bit small. It also lacks a lanyard hole. At a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $119, the Bush Slicer Sidekick represents excellent value in an expertly crafted using fixed blade. County of origin: El Salvador.
TOPS Knives 3 Pointer
The TOPS Knives 3 Pointer is a great multi-carry high-carbon steel knife, a fixed blade, with the option of being a neck knife. The drop-point blade is great for cutting food as well as utility tasks that require a sharp blade and precise control, such as wire stripping.
The TOPS Knives 3 Pointer might be the smallest of the test bunch, sporting a 3.1-inch blade and 6.6-inch overall length, but also has the most options. It comes in three handle choices—black Micarta, tan Micarta and skeletonized. In addition, each model comes with two modes of carry. Straps screwed to the sheath permit horizontal belt carry, and a chain provides neck carry (just remove the belt loops). The options might make you consider the 3 Pointer to replace a folder for EDC.
The high-carbon steel knife’s heart and soul lies in its deep-bellied drop-point blade capable of field dressing game, doing chores in camp, etc. Black Traction Coating helps ward off rust. It is a very durable coat that withstands frequent heavy use.
The handle is particularly interesting. The pronounced finger groove can lock into your grip, with the rest of your fingers falling into place on the tapered handle. Unlike other fixed blades of this size, the handle isn’t blocky or bulky, which allows it to be carried as a belt or neck knife. We tested the tan handle version, which has a nice contrast in appearance to the black blade. Three large traction notches accept a thumb comfortably on the spine to exert control and pressure. The red liners provide a subtle pop of color contrast.
The 3 Pointer’s handle is particularly interesting. The pronounced finger groove can lock into your grip, with the rest of your fingers falling into place on the tapered handle.
The Kydex sheath is well made and designed with an integrated thumb rest that lets you grip the knife handle and push out, easily popping it free of the sheath. The feature is very well thought out and not found on many knives.
I carried the 3 Pointer mainly as a neck knife for the evaluation. Neck knives are a love ’em/hate ’em proposition. If you want to carry a smaller fixed blade in a discreet manner this is the most viable option, as neckers conceal easily, even under a plain T-shirt*. They also work well with polo-style and button-down dress shirts. And when you start layering as the temperatures drop, neck knives carry well under a hoodie and other cold weather wear. The flat handle profile enhances discreet carry without printing underneath the aforementioned T-shirt. I like how the shape and contours help you obtain a very secure grip.
The drop point blade is usually my favorite when it comes to straight knives due to its versatility. The belly allows the blade to tackle sizeable cutting tasks while remaining easy to carry. If you prefer taking a small fixed blade into a restaurant to substitute for the knives provided, the 3 Pointer is low profile enough to cut food without attracting unwanted attention. The TOPS 3 Pointer in tan Micarta has an MSRP of $125—an excellent deal for a USA-made sheath knife.
ESEE 4HM
The ESEE 4HM comes in some of the most utilitarian packaging anywhere with information that every outdoor survivalist needs, including how to determine distance traveled, GPS and topographical map tips, and much more.
The ESEE 4HM blends toughness and cutting efficiency in one package that carries easily and is built for extended use. The 4.3-inch blade has a generous belly for field dressing, food prep and some bushcraft. Overall length is just short of 9 inches. Blade thickness is .1875 inch and the flat grind is robust for long-term durability, though thin enough for slicing. The blade has a black powder coat to protect it from the elements.
The ESEE Knives 4HM is designed to be a more modern variation of a bushcraft/utility high-carbon steel knife. With its straight-forward design, it offers high performance with a more user-friendly blade.
The Micarta handle is beefy but rounded in the right places, and fills your hand without generating hot spots. The Micarta is fastened to the tang using three sets of flat-head Torx screws. A lanyard hole comes with a length of paracord, making the 4HM easy to extract from the well-made, sewn pouch sheath of brown leather. The knife sits down in it securely but loose enough so it comes free smartly when needed.
It is a great all-around fixed-blade high-carbon steel knife. The blade and handle shapes are universal and work well in most scenarios. The drop point shape is also a great scraper, if needed. The fat handle cross section gives a reassuring grip, as opposed to shapes that might be comfortable but, due to being too thick, are not as secure in the hand. If you enjoy hunting, camping and hiking and use a fixed blade a lot, this is the knife you need. Country of origin: USA. MSRP: $178.
KA-BAR BK18 Harpoon
The BK18 Harpoon’s tall, flat grind engages whittling and carving jobs with gusto. The swedge provides a bit of visual attitude, too.
The BK18 Harpoon is Ethan Becker’s latest design for KA-BAR. The 4.5-inch drop-point blade offers plenty of length for food prep and outdoor tasks. The prominent harpoon-style swedge projects attitude. The ergonomic handle features multiple swells for comfort and a non-slip grip. A palm swell fills your hand and provides excellent stability and control. The harpoon blade forms an integral forward guard, and the slightly dropped handle butt helps capture your hand. There’s an oblong hole for a lanyard.
At 9.3 inches overall, it’s a great mid-sized sheath knife. The blade belly slices easily, while the handle provides the ultimate in control. Traction notches on the spine allow you to choke up. The sheath is a molded Celcon® polymer with a heavy duty nylon webbing belt loop. The knife fits/clicks in to avoid inadvertent loss. A nifty feature is the two molded-in vent channels that reduce moisture by allowing inside air flow. A secondary webbing button snap secures the handle in place, though the way the knife clicks tightly into the sheath, I cannot imagine it popping loose accidentally. The belt loop also can be re-mounted to set the knife up for left-hand carry.
The KA-BAR Becker BK18 Harpoon is equally at home with food prep or work tasks. The high-carbon steel knife’s blade’s sweeping belly tackles a host of chores inside and out.
One thing many remember about seeing their first Becker design is the chunky handle design. As awkward as it may look, it works. No matter the model, basically the same handle shape is used, a hallmark of Becker designs. The BK18 Harpoon has the same configuration but it’s slimmed down considerably. It’s comfortable for extended use and helps keep your hand in place with no awkward sliding in either direction. It also helps prevent the handle from rotating in your grip.
Speaking of handles, there is an optional upgrade. The tan Micarta kit, which replaces the stock molded grip, is $35. It’s worth it. The Micarta has a nice grab-you-back feel that holds well even with wet hands—a feature the stock handle somewhat lacks. MSRP is $120, also not bad for a USA-made fixed blade.
