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.
The Outdoor Edge SwingBlaze Knife is two knives in one. Push a button and the blade rotates in the handle from a drop-point skinner to a gutting blade. Blade steel is AUS-8 stainless, the orange handle is Kraton rubber and a nylon belt sheath is included. ShopBlade’s price: $55. For more info click on http://www.shopblade.com/outdooredge-swingblaze-knife-v7926/?lid=blss091912.
In the Body Lock Knife, Kutmaster offers a folding hunter with a finger-grooved Realtree AP HD camo handle and a recurve drop-point blade in 420 stainless. ShopBlade’s price of $19.99 includes a heavy-duty black embroidered nylon sheath. For more info click on http://www.shopblade.com/kutmaster-team-realtree-body-lock-knife-y7729/?lid=blss091912.
No mention of folding hunters would be complete without including the iconic Buck 110. Boasting a 3.75-inch blade of 420HC stainless steel and a macassar ebony Dymondwood® handle plain or finger grooved with brass bolsters, the 110 has a ShopBlade price of $44.99. For more info click on http://www.shopblade.com/buck-110-folding-hunter-knife-y4513/?lid=blss091912.
New from Case is the Collector’s Tour Tear Drop and Ambassador Tour’s muskrat.Think pink with Bear & Son’s new Model 114PK butterfly knife.
What’s hot and new in factory knives for the fall? Among them are 6 hotties ready to cut. Let’s start with Case. Its 2015 Collector’s Tour Knife is a traditional tear-drop pattern with an embellished smooth chestnut bone handle and the company’s famous “XX” scrolled bolsters. Case Collectors Club Manager Lisa Boser-Miller’s signature appears on the Tru-Sharp stainless spear blade.
The 2015 Ambassador Tour Knife is a muskrat in a smooth dark red bone handle and bolster engraving. One of the clip blades bears the signature of the owner of Coffman Hardware who doubles as a Case ambassador, Dennis Mikus.
The CRKT Viva is a pry tool, hex wrench, bottle opener and screwdriver all in one keychain multi tool.
Bear & Son offers up a cool butterfly in hot pink handles—the Model
114PK in a 3 5/8-inch stainless blade. The handles are epoxy-coated aluminum. Weight: 5 ounces. Closed length: 5 inches.
If you’re looking for a stout fixed blade, look no further than the Argonaut 800 from Steel Will Knives. The 6.3-inch blade is AUS-8 stainless in a satin finish and a Rockwell hardness of 56-58 HRC. Weight: 9.59 ounces. The $99.99 MSRP includes a Nylon sheath.
The Baja 4.5 is TOPS Knives’ “stretched sibling” of the Baja 3.0.
OK, so it’s not really a knife. So? Designed by Liong Mah, CRKT’s Viva is one of a growing number of key-ring multi-tools that includes a pry tool, screwdriver, bottle opener, hex wrench and more—all for a measly $9.99 MSRP.
The TOPS Knives Baja 4.5 is the “stretched sibling” of the TOPS Baja 3.0, sporting a 4.5-inch blade of 1095 high-carbon steel in a Black River Wash and a green canvas Micarta® handle. MSRP: $200 (includes a leather dangler sheath).
The Argonaut from Steel Will Knives is one stout fixed blade.
Also Check Out:
Knives 2016, 36th Edition
The trusted guide for knife collectors, enthusiasts, knifemakers, and dealers around the world, this knife book covers the latest and greatest from front to back. A collection of feature articles explores the latest developments, history, and transformation of knives, swords, and edges of various kinds. Get your copy
If you’re looking to do a bushcraft project while in camp or just to pass the time in the dog days of August, check out the Spyderco Bushcraft G-10.
Spyderco’s version of a Bushcraft knife results from a three-fold collaboration between Tactical Bushcrafter Chris Claycombe, a Bushcraft website called BushcraftUK.com, and Spyderco designers. Knives used in bushcraft have specific parameters, such as blades between 4 and 6 inches in length. Spyderco’s is typical of the genre with a 4-inch blade. The blade features a Scandinavian or Scandi grind. A Scandi grind has a single bevel for a wide, flat, strong blade able to withstand twisting and hacking. The blade is O-1 tool steel.
Collector Adam Jacobs (right) had wanted a John Young (left) sub-chute knife for quite some, and his wait came to an end at the recent Plaza Cutlery Knife Show.
“I am an avid collector and huge BLADE® fan,” Jacobs noted. “My friend, Steven Garsson, got me into collecting knives in 2004, and since then I have been fortunate to acquire many pieces by some of the greats. My favorite fixed blades are made by John Young, and, in 2005, I asked John to make me a custom sub-chute. He made the knife this year and I took delivery on it at the Plaza show.
“It is one of only six knives total in existence with John’s rare signature logo. I humbly feel it is a pretty impressive piece and wanted to share it with you. Hiro Soga photographed the knife.
“John really enjoyed the challenge of this piece,” Jacobs continued. “I intentionally asked him to be creative and work outside his normal Loveless patterns and constraints.
“I wanted an amber-stag-handled melding of a chute blade with a sub-hilt handle, but with John’s own unique talent and vision—you don’t tell DaVinci how to paint. I think collectors and the art of knifemaking is well served when we encourage brilliant makers like John Young to do something new!”
Ultra-thin and razor-sharp, the TOPS Little Bugger makes for a nimble and practical EDC fixed blade.
What The Little Bugger Has To Offer:
Thin blade makes for a light and nimble knife.
Straight edge with a saber grind makes quick work of most jobs.
Sturdy Micarta handle is ample enough for a solid purchase.
I have reviewed more TOPS Knives models than I can remember. Some have been hit-and-miss and others have been pretty good with just an issue or two. My biggest complaint with TOPS knives over the years has been their blade geometry. Blade profiles, handles, and sheaths have all worked out in some of the designs. As for the blade geometry, I have always thought, But only if they went a little thinner!
The Little Bugger’s sheath makes for a great little belt carry that provides quick, easy access to the blade.
Thin isn’t the issue with the company’s Little Bugger fixed blade. The blade is thin and cuts like a razor. I couldn’t be more ecstatic with it—seriously. As a knife reviewer, sometimes I find it hard to share what I think about a knife—if I hate it, someone will say I don’t know what I’m talking about, and if I really like it, someone will call me a paid shill.
Well, let the haters hate.
The Skinny
The Little Bugger has a nice wharncliff e-style blade that gives a good articulated tip very similar to a utility knife. TOPS uses a saber grind to form the geometry—oh, and did I mention it was thin? TOPS not only puts a nice, high grind on the blade but starts out with thin stock. To begin with, the blade measures only .9-inch thick. The Little Bugger cuts like a razor. It was a sheer pleasure to use right out of the box. For once, I’m not even going to complain about the choil, though when I first started cutting with it I couldn’t resist the what-if urge and strapped the blade.
You can peel a lime with many knives, but the straight edge of the Little Bugger excels at the task. A little knife with a fi ne edge can do a range of chores, from semi-heavy to delicate
Accessories
The sheath is spot on. It is not big and clunky but snug fitting with a crisp lock. Best of all, the fit is so good there was no notorious plastic rattle during carry—it is quiet as a church mouse. (Though oddly enough, I can’t really tell you how quiet a church mouse is because I’ve never heard one.)
I know many like the Little Bugger style as a neck knife but TOPS includes a belt clip with this knife, and I see why. Between belt-carry clip and a tether carry system, you can EDC this little fixed blade with no problem. I won’t summarize what I think of the Little Bugger. If you haven’t got that by now, I haven’t written well enough. I will say, however, that now that TOPS has found this level of thin, I am excited and filled with anticipation as to see what other small fixed EDCs the company releases in the future.
When it comes to knives, an array of products sits ready to address the issues of protection and maintenance. Depending on personal preference you have your choice of paste waxes, aerosols, oils and cloths to get the job done. Price points vary widely as well.
Tracy Mickley of Midwest Knife Supply suggests the old reliable 3-In-One Oil or another petroleum-based product called Nano-Oil. The 3-In-One Oil sells for about $3 in a 4-ounce applicator container.
“There are hundreds of different things out there,” remarked Tracy Mickley, owner of Midwest Knife Supply in North Mankato, Minnesota. “Many of them are very good, including carrying cases that are protective and sometimes fleece lined. They are inexpensive at $5 to $20 depending on the size.”
Which knifemakers will excel in 2017? What is the mark of knife greatness? When does the magic begin in the making of mosaic damascus, aka canned steel? What were the knife industry’s top stories of 2016? What will not happen in the knife industry in 2017? These and other edge-pressing questions are answered in the latest issue of BLADE®, on newsstands now!
Custom knifemaking is a whirlwind of talented individuals worldwide. Picking the ones on the verge of breakout years is no easy task, but BLADE feature writer Pat Covert tackles the assignment with gusto, interviewing some of the custom industry’s top authorities for their opinions on the subject. Find out which makers will take their work to the edge and beyond in “Will One Steel Your Heart?”
What is the mark of knife greatness? One leading indicator is a knife that, after its debut, serves as a yardstick against which all subsequent knives of a similar type are measured. BLADE field editor Mike Haskew examines these “yardstick knives” in “The Mark of Greatness.”
Mosaic damascus, aka canned steel, provides some of the most beautiful and intricate of blade materials. BLADE feature writer Daniel Jackson visits with some of today’s forgers of the scintillating steel to find out not only why they do it but how in “When The Magic Begins.”
The year past had more than its share of cool happenings in the knife industry, including the first-ever
Read how mosaic damascus is forged, such as on these folders by Mike Tyre, in “When The Magic Begins.” (PointSeven image)Which knifemakers will excel in 2017? One Neil Ostroff highly recommends is Sebastijan Berenji of Borka Blades. (True North Knives image)Find out which knifemakers will excel in 2017 in the latest issue of BLADE®, on newsstands now!
BLADE Show Women’s World Championship Cutting Competition, burgeoning knifemaking stars on social media, pro-knife legislative gains, a world record price for an American knife at auction and much more. Read all about it in “Sharp and Sweet ’16.”
Predicting what will happen in the coming year is a skill far beyond that of yours truly. However, one thing I can do is predict what will not happen in the coming year. Of course, one question remains: Can I even do that? It will take one year to find out. Check out my predictions in “What Will Not Happen in 2017.”
There’s much more in the latest BLADE, including an educational examination of knives and the Second Amendment by Knife Rights’ Doug Ritter (page 6), tests of the latest tantos, flipper folders and factory/custom collaborations, the hottest convenient carry knives and much more, all in the March 2017 BLADE, on newsstands now! For subscription info, click here.
