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.
One of the things that makes the knife industry such a pleasure to be involved with is artisans, bladesmiths and knifemakers in general sharing their knowledge, teaching people their craft and passing down the handcraft from generation to generation.
March 7, 8, and 9, 2014
Spring Great Smoky Mountain Hammer-In
Haywood Community College, Clyde, North Carolina
ABS Contact – Bill Wiggins (828) 226-2551 or Email [email protected]
April 26 and 27, 2014
Spring Piney Woods Hammer In
Texarkana College – Moran School of Bladesmithing, Washington, Arkansas
ABS Contact – BR Hughes (903) 838-0134 or Email [email protected]
July 11, 12, and 13, 2014
New England Hammer-In
New England School of Metalwork, Auburn, Maine
ABS Contact – Mace Vitale (203) 457-5591 or Email [email protected]
August 22, 23, and 24, 2014
Mid America Hammer-In
Miami County Fairgrounds, Troy, Ohio
ABS Contact – Butch Sheely (419) 832-5801 or Email [email protected]
September 13 and 14, 2014
Fall Piney Woods Hammer-In
Texarkana College – Moran School of Bladesmithing, Washington, Arkansas
ABS Contact – BR Hughes (903) 838-0134 or Email [email protected]
October 4 and 5, 2014
Heartland Hammer-In
Washburn Institute of Technology, Topeka, Kansas
ABS Contact – Steve Culver (785) 484-0146 or Email [email protected]
October 2014
California Hammer-In
College of the Sequoias, Tulare, California
ABS Contact – Mike Vagnino (559) 636-0501 or Email [email protected]
October 18 and 19, 2014
Smoky Mountain Fall Hammer-In
Haywood Community College, Clyde, North Carolina
ABS Contact – Bill Wiggins (828) 226-2551 or Email [email protected]
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
Know the visual tells of whether a hamon is done properly or not.
For centuries, the hamon has served as a mark of excellence in the forging of blades.
Conspicuous by its picturesque line generally dissecting the midsection of a differentially heat-treated blade, it demonstrates a skill set highly valued among top bladesmiths and swordsmiths. Moreover, the difference between a good hamon and one that doesn’t hit the mark can help the maker, owner and user in understanding the prospective performance of the blade itself.
Basically, think of a hamon as the equator between the hard and softer or more malleable areas of the blade. Everything above the hamon is softer, which translates as making the back of the blade malleable and thus tougher. In other words, the blade will bend but not break. Meanwhile, everything below the hamon is harder, which is better for holding an edge.
Emiliano Carrillo indicated a hamon should be continuous, with no areas falling off the edge of the blade. Francesco Piccinin and Denis Mura provide such a hamon on their bowie collaboration. Blade material is C130 carbon steel, according to Eurotechni (eurotechni.com) a grade that makes it possible to obtain “pretty hamons.” Overall length: 13 inches. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
“There are several things that make the edge pattern successful,” explained bladesmith Emiliano Carrillo of Sun and Stars Forge. “The first two are practical.
The hamon should be continuous; there should be no areas of it that fall off the edge of the blade. It should be high enough that the knife can support a lifetime of sharpening and removal of edge material without biting into soft material. For kitchen knives this can be somewhat low to the edge, as the geometry will have to be adjusted if a large amount of edge material is removed.
“The rest are my own opinion and are purely subjective. I’m a bladesmith who works in the historical tradition and therefore my work draws on traditional Japanese metalwork when it comes to hamon aesthetic and technique.
“I think a good hamon should be active and rippling, showcasing your imagination and artistic vision,” Emiliano continued. “It should have good undulations and look like it’s been drawn on the blade with an ink brush. There should be ashi [legs], which are areas of hardening within the hamon that drip down towards the edge. Sometimes a repeating motif, like sanbonsugi [three cedars] or choji [clove] can be utilized to guide the way you want to design the hamon.”
ABS master smith Mike Quesenberry agrees that there are hallmarks to a good hamon that are readily discernable.
“First and foremost, a good hamon will not come down to the cutting edge,” he remarked. “That is a no-no because it is bringing down soft steel where you want hard steel. I want a bigger transition area, and you can credit the Japanese for starting it. As the technology evolved over hundreds of years, they found bits and pieces coming down from the hamon, giving strength to the edge.”
ABS master smith Brion Tomberlin adds that the proper hamon is visible to the eye even when the maker is finishing the grinding process at 120 grit.
“The Japanese have many terms for effects you see and want to see in a nice hamon,” he commented. “And you can spend years studying these. For our purposes, you want it to be very visible and make a very visible demarcation from the hardened area to the softer area. Additional effects such as ashi, which are wispy cloud-like formations hanging down from the main line, are nice and show control.”
Steel Selection
Brion Tomberlin stated that low-alloy carbon steels such as W2, W1, 1095 and 1075 yield the greatest success in producing good hamons. ABS apprentice smith Jesse Hu forged the 8.5-inch blade of his classic integral chef’s knife from W1. Overall length: 14 inches. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Success or frustration in the hamon process begins with the proper steel, and BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member/ABS master smith Steve Schwarzer emphasizes that point.
“Steel selection is critical,” he observed. “You want a simple carbon steel with .70 to 1 percent carbon, and guys are doing ‘gee whiz’ work using a formula with W2 steel, which is a very simple steel. The time-temperature-transformation curve is important, and alloy widens the curve. Too much alloy in the steel won’t transform fast enough to achieve the hamon pattern you want.”
Tomberlin added that low-alloy carbon steels yield the greatest success, and these include W2, W1, 1095 and 1075.
“The maker should look at the certifications for the steel to see the composition,” he recommended. “You want a steel low in manganese, as manganese promotes deep hardening instead of shallow hardening, which we want. We want the transformation of austenite to martensite to be fast upon quenching in order to achieve a hamon, and shallow hardening steels are what is needed. Can you achieve hamons with other steels? Yes, in some cases where the manganese is lower, but they usually do not have the activity or effects you would like to see. My go-to steel is W2.”
Creating A Hamon
Ashi, which Brion Tomberlin describes as “wispy cloud-like formations hanging down from the main line [of the hamon], are nice and show control.” Eliott Robinson provides ashi in ample supply on the 5-inch blade of his fighter. Blade material: U10A carbon steel. (SharpByCoop image)
After the heat treating and hardening process develops the desired hamon, bringing out the robust visual aesthetic is a process in itself that, according to Carrillo, varies from bladesmith to bladesmith.
“All makers have different ways of polishing out their hamon, and these methods evolve over time or to suit a particular project or aesthetic need,” he observed. “My technique has evolved over time but works for 90 percent of the work I do, and is a good way to practice bringing out all the activity you want to see in the steel.”
For his technique, Carrillo grinds the blade to 220 grit; polishes it to 800 grit using a hard backer for the sandpaper; cleans the blade completely using acetone, dish soap or rottenstone while making sure water does not bead up on it; etches it in ferric chloride; removes oxides completely using fine grit sandpaper; assembles; and then oils.
Quesenberry follows a similar protocol.
“I have a blade in front of me and I’m going to a hammer-in this weekend. I will take it up to 800-grit finish and dip it in ferric chloride,” he said, “and then I’ll wait until it turns black depending on the strength of the ferric. Once it’s black I neutralize it with Windex and then pull with a gray 3M polishing cloth in nice, even and straight lines, removing the black to get the white for the ashi to pop.”
Faux Hamons
Emiliano Carrillo outfitted the blade of his K-Tip Gyuto with a clayed hamon. The handle is bird’s-eye maple, as is the saya (sheath), which includes a black walnut liner and a bamboo menugi (ornament) to keep the blade in place. (SharpByCoop image)
To dispel one common question, bladesmiths confirm that all knives do not have hamons. As Carrillo says, “There may be areas of decarb on the blade that may be mistaken for a hamon, but it is only surface level.”
At the same time, some factory-produced blades may have a fake hamon etched onto the blade to make the piece more attractive to the potential buyer.
“If a hamon has been etched on, a perfectly clean line is generally seen,” he added. “It doesn’t have any of the cloudiness or desired fuzziness seen in the line on a real hamon. The fake ones are generally very white and too regular to be a metallurgical effect.”
The blades even of smaller knives such as folders and hunters provide a solid canvas for a hamon, as Kyle Hanson demonstrates here on his no-nonsense hunting knife. (SharpByCoop image)
Tomberlin has seen a false hamon from time to time and says the technique to achieve one is quite different from the genuine article.
“This is usually done by selective etching or different polishing techniques,” he advised. “It is hard to explain how to tell, but if you see one versus a true hamon it stands out immediately, usually as too regular with no effects at all. Also, there is usually a very sharp demarcation line from highly polished to etched, and this is especially prevalent in some pieces from overseas.”
What Makes A Good And Bad Hamon
Separating the good hamon from the bad hamon may require practice. In some cases the differences are obvious but in others, they are more subtle. The professionals have seen it all.
“The biggest issues of a poorly done hamon are things like fading away in some areas or, yes, going off the edge of the blade,” Tomberlin related. “If the hamon fades off the edge that means your edge is not hard in that area, which is not good. The main causes of this are clay coating being too thick and improper heating of the blade when bringing it up to quench temperature. The main issue I have seen is the hamon going off the edge. As long as you have the edge hard you have a hamon.
According to Emiliano Carrillo, a hamon should be high enough that the knife can support a lifetime of sharpening and removal of edge material without biting into the soft material above it. Will Newham achieved such a hamon on his Best Chef’s Knife winner from the 2023 Sydney Knife Show. (SharpByCoop image)
“Poorly done polishing will show up also. A well done hamon takes time both before and after quenching. Trying to cut corners on polishing will definitely show. As for a lack of activity in the hamon, such as being straight instead of having hills and valleys, someone told me a number of years ago that one of the hardest things to do well is a simple straight hamon called a suguha.”
Schwarzer sees crispness in the boundaries of a good hamon and acknowledges that heat treating and polishing techniques are critical in bringing that out.
“In the early ABS [American Bladesmith Society] we used an edge quench to get a hamon, and that is the mainstay of the ABS today,” he said. “In testing now you rarely see a hamon because you don’t see as much polishing as necessary to get you through the test. You can’t bring it out with a buffer. It’s almost like a metallurgical polish so you can see the grain in the steel.”
The well done hamon represents an art form in itself, and Quesenberry is impressed with the current wave of artistic impression.
ABS apprentice smith Aidan Garrity outfits the hamon of the 10.5-inch blade of his V-44 repro with hints of ashi. Blade material: W2 tool steel. Handle: carbon fiber. Overall length: 15.5 inches. (SharpByCoop image)
“People have ‘Americanized’ it I guess you could say, and I can do a decent hamon. But some guys out there have absolutely nailed it,” he smiled. “They can paint pictures with theirs using the clay and the heat treating process. You have to be careful not to over-refine the steel grain structure, especially in W2 shallow hardening steel, or you won’t get good results. There is a dance to it.”
The perfection of the hamon process, start to finish, steel and clay, temperature to quench and harden, has fascinated the bladesmith and the admirer of the finished product for centuries. Looking down the road, the possibilities are infinite.
Yet being aware of the good versus the inferior product adds even further to real appreciation of the process.
Rebooting collections works wonders. OK, so not everyone does it, but many who have done it one or more times seem to enjoy their collecting more.
Chris Nolen has successfully rebooted his knife collection several times since he started collecting. He began in his pre-teens, fueling his cutlery appetite by mowing lawns, and he even wrote a term paper on hunting knives.
Rebooting collections has paid dividends for Chris Nolen, here with wife Linda and their bowie knife collection.
“I was married at 24 and started collecting handmade hunting knives. Most were stag drop points or skinners,” Chris recalls. “I met a great local maker named Jerry Berry of Natchitoches, Louisiana, who got me interested in not just the handles, but the steel in the blades. Of course, I would buy BLADE® and other knife magazines, and I would always find myself looking for big bowies.
“One day I was sitting at my desk and drew out a large, sort of re-curved, stag-handled bowie. I mailed it to Jerry and realized it was time to reboot my collection of maybe 40 knives. And reboot I did! I sold most of the old hunters to make money for my new passion for large bowies.” Nolen is an avid collector of fine bowies to this day and is as enthusiastic as ever.
J.T. Oldham is a long-time folder collector of the modern tactical type and has rebooted his collection on occasion.
“I was a regular customer of the House of Blades in Fort Worth, Texas, where I found many great knives, and also bought up all of the back issues of BLADE I could lay my hands on,” Oldham states. “Production knives were just a way to whet my appetite, as I soon realized that what I wanted to collect was custom knives—and those knives had to have damascus steel.”
As a result, J.T. rebooted and started collecting upscale custom folders—and does to this day.
“At the ICCE [International Custom Cutlery Exposition] show in Kansas City last year, I bought a knife from my No. 1 knife hero, Ralph Turnbull. He was the knifemaker who really started it all for me. I remember looking on his website and in the pages of BLADE Magazine and thinking, ‘If I could only someday own one of Ralph’s knives I would really be a true collector.’”
Since retiring, however, Oldham has tempered his budget a bit. “I no longer have the disposable liquid capital I once enjoyed, so my purchases are now somewhat limited,” he lamented. “However, I follow the custom knife industry with the same interest that I focus on my retirement investments.”
Conversely, rebooting collections is something Kevin Jones has never tried.
“My preference for knives hasn’t changed over the 15 years I’ve been collecting,” Kevin relates. “I started out collecting American Bladesmith Society hunting knives and bowies, and that’s still what interests me. I consider myself a custom knife collector and investor. I’ve found to be successful on the investor side it helps to limit your area of interest so as to become very knowledgeable on both the knives—and the particular knife market—for the knives you collect.”
To REBOOT or NOT to REBOOT?
Why should you consider the concept of rebooting collections?
“Many collectors end up rebooting collections early on as a result of buying their first knives on impulse prior to them acquiring the knowledge and exposure to determine what type and style of knives are going to hold their interest long term,” Jones observes.
Before rebooting, you need to answer questions concerning not only your preferences and current status, but outside realities as well.
Rebooting collections is not for everyone. Kevin Jones has collected ABS hunting knives and bowies and nothing but for 15 years, and has no plans to reboot anytime soon.
“I guess one of the first things to consider is, are you really ready and willing to reboot your collection and take it in an entirely new direction? Has your perspective or your interest changed? Is this an artistic response or a reaction to market trends? For me, a complete reboot means to liquidate your current collection and re-invest in another direction,” Oldham notes. “Are you no longer happy with your knives? Has there been a downturn which has you concerned your collection has lost value? Are you eager to participate in the latest trend?”
Rebooting collections also raises questions as to whether you should sell your current knife collection to finance a new one.
“I feel that’s up to the individual collector,” Jones opines. “However, many need to sell knives in their current collection to help finance them rebooting. I always recommend that while selling an entire collection through a purveyor or auction may be quicker, selling or liquidating piecemeal via a variety of methods will result in a better return.”
Nolen offers a word of caution he discovered after selling off his first collection to reboot.
“Back then I put ads on internet boards and in the newspaper,” he recalls. “I see some knives on eBay that go for hundreds of dollars now that I only paid six to 12 dollars for back in the ’60s and ’70s. I wish now I had most of those back!”
BEST WAYS to LIQUIDATE
What is the best way to liquidate knives if you do decide to sell off your current collection to finance your new one?
“I feel it’s best to use a variety of methods in selling custom knives,” Jones advises, “including contacting other collectors who are interested in the type knives you are selling, selling some on the better knife purveyor sites, and I’ve been very successful selling knives on my ‘collector website.’ It’s very important to have good photos of your knives listed on the internet. You are basically putting your knives out there for the world to see.”
Rebooting collections began for J.T. Oldham when he bought a folder from his hero, custom knifemaker Ralph Turnbull, maker of this damascus linerlock.
“I, for one, would never consider using eBay. Not for my collection,” Oldham states. “And there are just too many trolls on the knife forums! I know that there are decent knife forums, but I simply would not regard that as the right place to offer my knives. I would work one-on-one with certain interested parties—and those individuals may be found on forums. This is all said from my perspective and the knowledge I have of certain individuals with whom I have dealt with in the past. I have a rather large and reliable network of purveyors and collectors whom I trust. A good resource for purveyors is BLADE and the KNIVES annual for a comprehensive listing of those who are associated with the knife community.”
Studying and researching the professionals who deal in knife sales, and then determining who among them are the most knowledgeable and reliable for advice is a must.
“Your purveyor of choice is your best ally in determining what would be in your best interest,” Oldham continues. “If this reboot is purely for financial or investment purposes, no one knows the value of knives better than those who actually determine the value of knives on a day-to-day basis. While they may be able to provide a rough ballpark estimate for your collection, values are subject to change. Be prepared to be presented with values which may be far less than you expected or you’re willing to accept. Be willing to make compromises in order to achieve your goal and obtain what you are truly after, as in any business deal.”
Also keep in mind that when selling to purveyors it is important to remember they are in the business to make money, so they must have a profit margin built into the knives they buy.
IS IT TIME?
As you can see from the comments of our seasoned aficionados, collectors are a distinctly different lot—but that’s what makes the whole avocation of cutlery collecting interesting. As human beings we all have a level of curiosity to see what’s on the other side of the door. Once we have opened it we can either leave or explore. Keep in mind a reboot does not have to be an overnight decision. You can always wade into another genre or style without a full commitment. Whether you wish to upgrade your collection, totally switch gears or seek an investment, there are fresh new knives out there to satisfy any desire.
Knife to Know: Blade has a forged distal taper; handle butt flared to enhance purchase
Weight: 12 ozs.
Overall Length: 20″
Sheath: Wood with handcarved details
Sheath Weight: 3 ozs.
I received a bolo made in the Philippines from my friend, Mike Key, as a gift a couple of years ago. He went on a three-day search for good bolos made from carbon steel in villages, not the souvenir type. He was successful in his quest.
I ran a triangle file down the edge and it skated off, an indication the blade is hardened steel for sure. The forged blade has a smooth distal taper, starting around 3/16-inch thick down to 0 inches at the tip. The knife sports hidden-tang construction. The wood for the sheath and handle are from a local shop in the Philippines. Of course, a blade must cut no matter where it’s made.
Cutting Tests
Up first: the paper slice. Despite a coarse edge, the bolo still managed to give clean slices in 20-pound bond paper. Normally, a bigger blade is cumbersome slicing paper, but the bolo has a perfect balance due to its distal taper.
The bolo was very aggressive on the plastic foam. The author held the pool noodle suspended in air with one hand and sliced it. He indicated the knife is very controllable and the handle is indexed perfectly.
A pool noodle was next on the test menu. The bolo was very aggressive on the plastic foam. I held the pool noodle suspended in air with one hand and sliced it. The knife is very controllable and the handle is indexed perfectly.
Next up: chopping into a hard cardboard tube with the noodle inserted to prevent wall collapse. It worked on the first two chops, but then I hit too close to the previous pair of chops and the tube crushed under the force of the blows. Still, the blade made it halfway through the tube.
When you have trees encroaching on your property, you have to take steps to keep your yard clear. One such branch had scraped me for the last time while I was mowing the lawn. Its 2.5-inch diameter was a breeze for the bolo. Five whacks and the branch was down.
Five whacks and the 2.5-inch-diameter branch was down.
I dragged it away from the fence to whack it into smaller pieces. This is what the bolo was designed to do. One chop per branch and it was in pieces quickly. Just a wrist snap carried the blade halfway through a 1.5-inch-diameter branch. The bolo is a very fast chopper.
A note on the wooden sheath: It’s flat on one side for resting against your body and slightly rounded on the other. The maker even added some hand-carved detail into the wood. Excellent workmanship!
A big thank you goes out to Mike Key for finding this gem of a bolo for me.
Changes
On a blade this long, I would like to see a pin in the handle for a mechanical connection.
Final Results
The bolo is a very balanced working model. You can use it all day without wearing your hand or arm out. It exhibits great workmanship in the forging and the woodwork!
As long as we have the Whittling Chip, then we have nothing to worry about in the knife industry. “What is the Whittling Chip?” you non-Boy-Scout, “no Eagle Scout Badge here”-type folks might ask? It’s a badge earned in Cub Scouts at the “Bear” level, and/or as a Webelos scout.
Bear scouts and Webelos scouts may earn the privilege of carrying a pocketknife to Cub Scout functions. The objective of this award is to make Scouts aware that:
‘A Cub Scout knife is an important tool. You can do many things with its blades. The cutting blade is the one you will use most of the time. With it you can make shavings and chips and carve all kinds of things.
You must be very careful when you whittle or carve. Take good care of your knife. Always remember that a knife is a tool, not a toy. Use it with care so that you don’t hurt yourself or ruin what you are carving.’
The requirements to earn the Whittling Chip card and patch are:
Complete Bear Achievement 19, Shavings and Chips
Demonstrate knowledge and skill in the use of a pocketknife.
Close the blade with the palm of your hand.
Never use a knife on something that will dull or break it.
Be careful that you do not cut yourself or any person nearby.
Never use a knife to strip the bark from a tree.
Do not carve your initials into anything that does not belong to you.
Take the Pocketknife Pledge:
I will treat my pocketknife with the respect due a useful tool.
I will always close my pocketknife and put it away when not in use.
I will not use my pocketknife when it might injure someone near me.
I promise never to throw my pocketknife for any reason.
I will use my pocketknife in a safe manner at all times.
Yes, as long as we have the Whittling Chip, all is well in the world of knives!
Twas the knife before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a Blade-Tech Mouse.
The scabbards were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that knives of nickel silver soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma with her Kershaw, and I looking for my Loveless painter’s cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s knap.
When out near the forge there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the workbench to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a SOG Flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to blades below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny sambar deer.
With a little old bit driver, so lively and slick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nail Nick.
More rapid than Al Mar Eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
“Now Trapper! now, Whittler! now, Lobster and Slim Jack!
On, Muskrat! On, Canoe! on Tickler and Swayback!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now cut away! cut away! cut away all!”
As wood chunks before the bowie fly,
When they meet with a sharp edge, pieces multiply.
So up to the knife shop they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nail Nick too.
And then, in a stropping, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I turned on the grinder and listened for the sound,
It was obvious ol’ St. Nail Nick had come to ground.
He was dressed in overalls, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of knives he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a bladesmith, just opening his pack.
The bolsters how they twinkled! The quillons how merry!
The scrimshaw like roses, the pommel like a cherry!
The knife exhibited just the right amount of “flow,”
And the blade’s belly was full as the BLADE Show.
The body of the knife held tight in the sheath,
And the guard encircled the tang like a wreath.
It had a sharp edge and was a perfect cutter,
That whisked when it cut like a hot knife through butter!
It was keen and useful, a right sprightly tool,
And I laughed when I saw it, me being an ol’ fool!
A honing of its edge and a twist of my wrist,
Soon gave me to know it was on St. Nail Nick’s list.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the scabbards, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his Sharpfinger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whittle,
And away they all flew, not one blade brittle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-knife!”
On behalf of the staff of BLADE® Magazine, the BLADE Show and F+W Media, it is my honor to wish you all a Merry Christmas and/or whichever holiday you are celebrating at this most special time of year.
