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.
If your knife is a damascus folder, all eyes are on it when you pull it from your pocket and deploy the blade. Is that damascus? Is it sharp? Who forged it? What’s the pattern? The questions flood in and the conversation starts. Enjoy the discussion!
Bob Hook: Dress Locking Folder
ABS journeyman smith Bob Hook employs a damascus of 1080 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels forged by Salem Straub for the clip-point blade of his dress locking folder. The scales are Alaskan mammoth ivory and the bolsters are mokume gane. Blade and closed lengths: 2.75 and 3.25 inches.
David Kramp: Navy Rope Knife
Rose pattern damascus from Damasteel comprises the sheepsfoot blade of David Kramp’s Navy Rope Knife. The slipjoint is modeled after a Sheffield, England-built U.S. Navy rope knife likely issued around the time of the Spanish American War of 1898. A frame of 410 stainless steel supports the stag scales. Bolster: 416 stainless. Closed length: 4.5 inches.
Dirk Loots: Engraved
Dirk Loots opts for Fracture pattern damascus by Bertie Rietveld for the 3.5-inch hollow-ground blade of his exotic folder. Scales and liners/bolster: Mammoth ivory and bronze. Inlays: 24k gold and fine silver. Closed length: 5.5 inches. Dirk also did the engraving.
Tom Overeynder: Dagger
A 3.62-inch blade and 4.66-inch frame of Gysinge pattern damascus forged by Damasteel highlight Tom Overeynder’s folding dagger. The spanner bolts used in the construction of the knife are Blue Tongue pattern damascus, also by Damasteel.
Ted Moore: Hollow Grind
Larry Donnely forged the damascus for the blued, hollow-ground blade of Ted Moore’s folder engraved by Madeline Crumling. The frame and liners are 416 stainless steel and the inlay is black pen shell. Blade and closed lengths: 2.5 and 3.5 inches.
Manuele Messori: Halo
Damasteel forged the Thor pattern damascus for the 4.13-inch blade of Manuele Messori’s Halo. The blade inlay is white and black-lip mother-of-pearl, and the handle is zirconium, Timascus®, mother-of-pearl and Gibeon meteorite. Liners: Timascus. Closed length: 4.9 inches.
Andrew Takach: Harpoon
A damascus blade in a harpoon pattern, crosscut mammoth ivory handle in a bird’s-beak-butt pattern, and a flared damascus bolster with 24k-gold inlay complete a dress locking folder by Andrew Takach.
Ed Halligan’s K.I.S.S. design (left) revolutionized factory folding knives. At right is his Delilah’s P.E.C.K. design. Both knives are reproduced by CRKT. (CRKT image)
An unusually high number of knifemakers have died recently, all of whom left more than their fair share of lifelong marks on family, friends and the knife industry. In terms of influence on knife design, though, the two that probably had the largest impact were Ed Halligan and Kit Carson.
Ironically, both men designed wildly popular folding knives for CRKT, and it is those folders that have been so influential on the knife industry.
The K.I.S.S. is a simple yet ingenious folding knife. In the closed position, its two-piece frame-lock construction and safe, user-friendly design “seals” the cutting edge of the chisel-ground blade against the handle. As Halligan once explained, “With the K.I.S.S., the frame and the lock are all one piece … I made the original knife with the blade chisel ground on one side only so it would slide against the frame when folded and make a seal so you wouldn’t cut yourself.”
Kit Carson’s M16 design remains one for the ages. This is the M16-12Z CRKT repro. The flipper is the extension with the hole in it seen here acting as a guard just below the handle pivot. (CRKT image)
In fact, when it first came out, I recall talking to one long-time industry observer who thought the K.I.S.S. was a lawsuit waiting to happen because he thought consumers would cut themselves on the blade edge despite the blade’s seal against the handle in the closed position. However, Halligan’s version of the design works so well that such accidental cuts never happen. One of the main reasons the design is safe is that Halligan tested it in real-life conditions to be sure that such accidents never occur. “Safety is a big reason why I carried the knife around so much to make sure it worked properly,” Halligan said.
In 1997, Halligan signed a deal with CRKT for the company to reproduce the K.I.S.S., and CRKT launched the repro of the knife at the 1998 SHOT Show. Only four years old at the time, CRKT was struggling to find a knife that would help “drag the rest of the product lines along,” as CRKT’s Rod Bremer put it. The K.I.S.S. was that knife. Unfortunately, a number of unscrupulous companies blatantly knocked the K.I.S.S. off so much that it eventually became one of the most copied sporting knives worldwide. CRKT and Halligan weathered that storm, though, and Ed designed a series of K.I.S.S. iterations and spinoffs for CRKT that included the Delilah’s P.E.C.K. (for Precision Engineered Compact Knife), Samson’s K.I.S.S., the H.U.G. (Halligan’s Ultimate Gadget), the Slip K.I.S.S., the Neck P.E.C.K., the blackened K.I.S.S. In The Dark, even a fixed-blade version called the Stiff K.I.S.S. and others.
Just as they were linked in their passing, Halligan and Carson were also linked in their CRKT collaboration deals. CRKT must have been living right back in those days because it was just a year after signing the deal with Halligan to reproduce the K.I.S.S. that it signed the deal with Carson to reproduce Carson’s M16 folder. Even though Carson did not invent the flipper, his M16 is universally credited as the model that popularized flipper folders—folding knives with one-hand-opening “flippers” that double as guards when the blade is opened. “The M16 with the Carson Flipper was a huge improvement on non-assisted blade opening, making a manual knife open almost as fast as an auto without a secondary thumb stud or hole mechanism,” observed long-time knife writer Mac Overton. “Because it had less moving parts and its opening relied on inertia rather than a spring or torsion bar, the mechanism was inherently stable and reliable.”
The M16 and its military look—Carson was a U.S. Army career man—soon became not only immensely popular with consumers but with service personnel as well. In fact, by many accounts, the M16 was the most popular knife among active duty service personnel in the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
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The best in blade and handle materials decorated some of the most creative folder designs anywhere at the recent New York Custom Knife Show. Enjoy seven of them in all their glory on this and the facing page.
Alan Hollerbach Flipper Folder
Alan Hollerbach’s flipper folder has a 4-inch hollow-ground blade of damascus forged by Baker Forge & Tool, and scales of Fatcarbon carbon fiber and carbon fiber inlays. All hardware is titanium. Closed length: 4.5 inches.
Eyal Landesman Mini Tritan Flipper
The Mini Tritan flipper folder by Eyal Landesman sports a 3.5-inch blade of mirror-polished RWL34 stainless steel. The mosaic “fish scale” inlay includes assorted “scales” of black-lip and white mother-of-pearl. Closed length: 4 inches.
Corrado Moro Vantage Framelock Flipper Folder
The Vantage framelock flipper folder by Corrado Moro features a 3.38-inch harpoon-pattern blade of RWL34 stainless steel with a tapered fuller in the flat. The frame and pocket clip are Grade 5 titanium and the handle and pivot inlays are a G-10 composite. Closed length: 4.62 inches.
Chris Richardson Lockback Folder
Panel and pivot inlays of fossilized coral and a 3.5-inch flat-ground blade of mosaic twist damascus top off Chris Richardson’s lockback folder. Frame: 416 stainless steel. Closed length: 4.5 inches.
Jeremy Krammes Helix Flipper Folder
Jeremy Krammes helps celebrates his 20th year of knifemaking with his Helix flipper folder in Chad Nichols damascus blade steel, a titanium frame, carbon fiber scales and a zirconium bolster and pocket clip. The 3.5-inch recurve blade is hollow ground.
Edison Barajas Waka Folder
Edison Barajas combines new school with old on his Waka folder, using titanium for the scales engraved by Wilfred Valtakis II and a thumb stud to open the 3.25-inch blade of premium stainless steel. Closed length: 4.5 inches.
Stefano Compostella Stria XL
Stria XL by Italy’s Stefano Compostella sports a 5-inch wharncliffe blade of premium stainless steel. The linerlock flipper folder features Damasteel handle overlay and titanium liners.
Chris Quinn of GP Knives gives his view of knife trends for the upcoming calendar year.
Chris Quinn of GP Knives is familiar with the ebb and flow of trends and styles in the knife industry and advises to approach the ’24 market with an appreciation of that ongoing phenomenon.
“The knife industry is quite the rollercoaster,” he related, “and what could be popular in the future is anybody’s guess and depends on a lot of things, but mostly the economy at the time. We are a disposable income industry. Over the past year, as inflation and interest rates continued to rise, our industry has had a noticeable slowdown. That said, items that continue to sell well are either hard to get, limited production and exclusive, or a good deal. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”
Economical & Political Tides
Considering the economic influences and the fact that knife prices naturally rise in step with costs related to materials, production time, scarcity and maker branding, then keeping a keen eye on value is a watchword for the new year.
“2024 is an election year,” Quinn commented. “They are always tricky to navigate. Who’s next in office has a direct effect on the shooting and cutlery industries.”
Design Trends
With this influence, he looks forward to a couple of developing style aspects in the next year.
“The more fidgety the better,” he smiled. “A large percentage of knives aren’t used for more than fidget toys these days, or at least they need to function that way to impress the end user. Popular fidgety locks like Demko’s Shark Lock or WE Knife/CIVIVI’s SuperLock or Pro-Tech’s button lock are all the rage. The smoother and faster the opening and closing a folder can be the better. Traditional folders are hanging in there, but EDC is king. Also, the automatic category continues to grow as we see more and more states loosening their laws on ownership and carry.”
Summarizing, Quinn related, “I don’t have much in the way of predicting styles of knives and don’t see longstanding industry leaders lowering their prices soon, but I do see smaller makers getting more competitive to take the space the giants have abandoned.”
Draconian New Jersey ivory ban includes the ancient ivory of animals that have been extinct for millennia. (SharpByCoop.com image)
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed the nation’s most draconian ivory ban into law yesterday, one that targets not only elephant ivory but also the ancient ivory of animals extinct for over 10,000 years!
The ban also contains wording that appears to make it possible for the mere possession of any ivory to be an offense punishable by law.
According to Knife Rights, the measure bans the “import, sale, purchase, barter or possession with intent to sell” ivory from any species, including ancient ivory from mastodons and mammals, with no exceptions whatsoever.
The part of the measure that reads “possession with intent to sell” is especially disturbing as those with any experience with the law know that such language is open to any number of interpretations by law enforcement and prosecutors.
In other words, the language of this ban could make mere possession of ivory an illegal act. At the very least, it could make those wrongfully charged with possession with intent to sell have to spend the money and time to hire a lawyer, miss time from work, etc., that fighting such a charge can require.
Of course, as has been noted elsewhere, the banning of ancient ivory—that is, of animals that have long been extinct—flies in the face of the purpose behind other such bans. The stated purpose of those bans is to save living animals. A ban against extinct animals can have no effect on those animals because they have been dead for millennia. Of course, some may argue that ancient ivory may be mistaken for elephant ivory and thus should be banned, but that is a specious argument because there are scientifically proven ways of telling ancient ivory from elephant ivory.
The ban will go into effect in six months, during which time those in the Garden State who own ivory items must sell them or face fines of $1,000 on the first offense and $5,000 on the second.
For more information on how you can help fight draconian ivory bans and, at the same time, help save the elephant, visit elephantprotection.org.
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During the Buck Collectors Silver Anniversary, David Yellowhorse is inducted into the Buck Collectors Club Hall Of Fame. From left: Larry Oden, David Yellowhorse, Gene Merritt and John Foresman.
Hundreds of Buck knife collectors converged on Spokane, Washington, and Post Falls, Idaho, last week for the Buck Collectors Club International’s 25th Anniversary Gala.
A celebration of Buck knives, seminars on Buck knives, tours of the Buck manufacturing plant just across the border in Post Falls, and much more highlighted the event, which drew collectors from all over the country.
The event kicked off with a banquet Tuesday night, and included the induction of four into the BCCI Hall Of Fame: knifemaker Jerry Bodner, Jane Davie and the aforementioned Mssrs. Yellowhorse and Wilson. BLADE® (www.blademag.com) Magazine Editor Steve Shackleford served as the banquet keynote speaker and was presented with a special plaque in recognition of his work with the BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) and support of the BCCI over the years.
Wednesday included a complete slate of seminars and factory tours. The seminars included one on Buck Yellowhorse knives by award-winning Buck Yellowhorse collector Gene Merritt. The day was capped by a sunset dinner cruise on the nearby Lake Coeur d’Alene. Thursday featured seminars by CJ Buck on what’s on the horizon at Buck Knives and on Buck Customs by John Foresman, Leroy Remer and Wilde Bill Cody, among others. A “Knife Swap Plus” was held Thursday evening and included Russ Donoghue signing his new BCCI History Book, raffles, auctions, artist demos and more. The event concluded with more seminars Friday, including one on the Buckmaster/M-9 and Buck Tactical Knives by Rich Neyman, and a Buck Knife Survival Seminar by Karen Hood. A picnic at the home of Chuck and Lori Buck was a fitting end to the extravaganza.
For more information on the BCCI, visit www.buckcollectorsclub.org.
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.
