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Knife News Wire 12/15/17 – Japanese Swordsmithing Going Extinct

BLADE Staff
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Knife News Wire 12/15/17 – Japanese Swordsmithing Going Extinct

Burns's big blades

This is the first installment of the Knife News Wire, a regular series that takes a wide look at the world of knives.

Regulations Hurting Traditional Swordsmiths in Japan

The centuries-old tradition of sword making in Japan is under siege by Japan itself. As a result, the swordsmith trade is nearly extinct. From the Gulf Times:

One reason for their dying art is that swords are today officially regarded as dangerous weapons, falling together with firearms under Japan’s Weapons Protection Act.

By law, the swordsmith featured in the article can only sell two swords per month. Without taking off my shoes and socks to count on my toes, that sounds like a hard way to make a living. 

Read the full article here.

Is It Time to Repeal the 1958 Federal Switchblade Act?

With nation-wide concealed carry reciprocity under consideration in D.C., are switchblades about to get the same treatment?

The American Tool and Knife Institute (AKTI) seems to think so. It’s put together the Freedom of Commerce Act as a model for legislators to work from. The goal is simple:

This legislation will repeal the Federal Switchblade Act of 1958, and allow consumers to purchase any automatic knife legal in their state.

To be clear, the Switchblade Act only impacts interstate commerce, and does not supersede state laws. Some states already decriminalized switchblades separately.

Knife Rights is also pursuing similar legislation.

A Second BLADE Show?

In the Everything Old is New Again Department, it looks like BLADE Show West is making a comeback. Due to the incredible popularity of the BLADE Show, organizers are looking to add a second show somewhere on the west coast.

BLADE Show staff kindly requests you fill out this survey.

Total Ivory Ban in China Goes Into Effect Next Year

While the knife world continues to wrestle with the ivory issue, and the uncertainty of the ivory issue, the end of 2017 marks the complete shutdown on the stuff in the People’s Republic of China. 

From the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post:

Under the ban, 67 of the country’s 172 accredited ivory stores had to shut before March 31 this year with the remaining ones forced to shut by the end of December.

This is significant because the PRC is one of the world’s largest consumers of ivory. The ban marks a leap forward in the push for world-wide ivory prohibition.

That means the ivory issue in the United States, regardless of who is president, isn’t likely to go away any time soon. Stay tuned.

Are Knifemakers Too Secretive?

Most knifemakers are happy to share tips and offer guidance for newbies, but not all. That’s the problem Jared Williams, of Salt Lake City, ran into when starting out. From KSL:

“There was a bit of a thing with knifemakers that was still kind of secretive, almost,” Williams said. “It was like ‘No, these are my trade secrets, I don’t know if you’re worthy of it.’ There’s still a little bit of that in parts of the industry. Not all of it, and maybe it was just kind of a hard thing to find and maybe I just met the wrong guys.”

Williams got the last laugh when he appeared on Forged in Fire. Read the full story here.

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    Bag Hot Big Blades ‘n Edges

    Steve Shackleford
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    Bag Hot Big Blades ‘n Edges
    Big Blades 'n Edges
    Bag Big Blades ‘n Edges in the latest issue of BLADE®—on newsstands now!
    Big blades by Chris Amos
    Big blades can be fun to make and Chris Amos shows you how to make a big bowie in part one of his story this issue.
    Big blades from Boker Arbolito.
    Big blades go hand-in-hand with Thanksgiving and turkey carving. The Boker Arbolito Carving Set is big bird ready!
    Fremont big blades
    A hatchet may not fit into your classic definition of big blades but it definitely can act like one, such as the Farson from Fremont Knives.
    Hoffman's big blades
    In the realm of big blades, kukris are large and in charge—even compact ones such as this one by Liam Hoffman.
    Burns's big blades
    As far as big blades go, Robert Burns’s Joe Musso Bowie is a cutting behemoth.

    Big Blades ‘n Edges, including reviews of the newest factory hatchets, some of today’s top custom bowies and four top turkey carving sets, highlight the latest BLADE®, on newsstands NOW!

    The latest BLADE leads off with “Big Bad Blades,” Daniel Jackson’s assessment of some of today’s hottest bowies and their makers, including Mike Quesenberry, James Huse II, Jason Fry and Robert Burns. Each has an approach to “America’s Knife” sure to stir your bowie blood. Speaking of which, if Daniel’s story makes you want to “take the next step,” check out part one of “How To Make a Bowie” by Chris Amos.

    In “Chop Shop,” join Abe Elias as he takes four contemporary hatchets—the Tomahatchet cover piece, Condor Tool & Knife Greenland, Browning Outdoorsman and Fremont Knives Farson—and subjects them to a round of hacking and cutting exercises. And in “Turkey Cuts,” James Morgan Ayres not only tests a quartet of the latest factory turkey carving sets from Victorinox, Santa Fe Stoneworks, KAI Shun and Boker Arbolito, but he shows you how to prepare your bird for Thanksgiving, too!

    Kim Breed tests two custom straight knives with wharncliffe blades by Ryan Sprinkle and Michael Jarvis in “Little Knives, Stout Cutters. In the latest installment of the Knives That Changed Knife History, Mike Haskew outlines how BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© members Blackie Collins and Ken Onion spearheaded the revolution in assisted-opening knives.

    Speaking of history, Pat Covert examines the over six decades of making Rambo and Star Trek knives, reproducing Paul Ehlers‘ fantasy knife designs, terms as president of The Knifemakers’ Guild, holding a private audience with Elvis Presley and much more of the fascinating life of Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Gil Hibben.

    There’s more, including a new breed of modern slip joints, the very first story of the very first issue of BLADE (then the American Blade), Liam Hoffman‘s compact kukri and scintillating scads of sharp stuff, all in the latest issue of BLADE.

    Halligan, K.I.S.S. Designer, Passes At 81

    Steve Shackleford
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    Halligan, K.I.S.S. Designer, Passes At 81
    The CRKT K.I.S.S. designed by Ed Halligan.
    Ed’s K.I.S.S. design for CRKT was the BLADE Magazine 1998 Imported Knife Of The Year® and is widely considered one of the most copied knives in modern cutlery history.

    Edward Francis Halligan—better known as Ed—designer of the revolutionary K.I.S.S. folding knife and long-time custom knifemaker, passed away Saturday. He was 81.

    Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Nov. 22 at Hillcrest Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia, under the direction of Gamble Funeral Service of Savannah.

    An aircraft mechanic in the U.S. Air Force from 1953-57, Ed also worked for Delta for 37 years. He founded Halligan and Son Knives in 1985 and became a member of the Knifemakers’ Guild in 1990 and the American Bladesmith Society in 1992. He received his ABS master smith rating in 1996 and the B.R. Hughes Award for the best knife submitted by a master smith applicant the same year.

    Ed Halligan passed away Saturday.
    Ed passed away Saturday. He was 81.

    Ed’s K.I.S.S. custom folder took the world of knives by storm in the late 1990s at such venues as the Guild Show and the BLADE Show. Halligan signed a collaboration deal with CRKT to reproduce the K.I.S.S.—”Keep It Super Simple”—and the knife won the BLADE Magazine 1998 Imported Knife Of The Year®. CRKT officials heaped praise on the K.I.S.S., calling it one of the knives that put CRKT on the map, and the neat little folder became one of the most popular and most copied knife designs in the world. It also spawned any number of designs based on the K.I.S.S. in the CRKT line, including the Delilah’s P.E.C.K., Sweet K.I.S.S. and others.

    According to a CRKT release, “Ed’s passion for knifemaking and his zest for life were an inspiration to all. He will be profoundly missed. Our thoughts go out to his wife, Beverly Ann Halligan, and the rest of his family during this difficult time.”

    Ed had an outgoing personality and a lively, quick wit. He made many friends in the industry and stayed active into his later years, including riding his recumbent bike.

    He was the second custom knifemaker designer for CRKT to recently pass away, the other being BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Kit Carson.

    GROUP-T1346-T1348Recommended for You:

    KNIVES 2015

    See the latest knives, swords, and edges of all types, and explore the latest trends in blades, steels, styles, and materials. Gaze upon a “State of the Art” section parading engraved, scrimshawed, jewel-inlaid, carved, etched, sculpted and forge-welded, and Damascus and mosaic-damascus knives. Click here.

    Knife News Wire 3/2/18 – Canadians Petition Government to Overturn Folding Knife Ban

    BLADE Staff
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    Knife News Wire 3/2/18 – Canadians Petition Government to Overturn Folding Knife Ban

    Canadians Push Back on Imported Folding Knife Ban

    canada folding knife border

    As businesses continue to reel from the effects of Canada’s ban on importing folding knives, a petition urging the government to reconsider the prohibition is picking up steam.

    While many petitions, especially those organized online, tend to go nowhere, this one has a fighting chance. KnifeNews.com, which is based in Canada, did a nice job running down the specifics:

    A petition, sponsored by Alberta Conservative Member of Parliament Matt Jeneroux, calls on the government to repeal the Canadian International Trade Tribunal’s (CITT) ruling on AP-2017-012 last November, which prompted the change in CBSA’s policies. The petition has already been signed by nearly 2,000 Canadians and will be tabled in the House of Commons later in the year. Once tabled, the Liberal government will have 45-days to issue a response.

    The petition can be viewed here.

    Other petitions are now redirecting support behind this one due to Jeneroux’s endorsement.

    It’s unclear how much support this will receive with Canada’s lawmakers, but a comparison could be made to a similar situation in New York state. That’s where a repeal of a prohibition on “gravity knives” (basically any folder) was met with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s veto on two separate occasions, most recently in October 2017. That’s despite votes of 128-1 in the Assembly and 61-1 in the Senate, according to Knife Rights.

    Canada isn’t New York, obviously, but the point is that reform isn’t easy, even when the wind is at your back. 

    Read the full article from KnifeNews.com here.

    Will Louisiana Decriminalize Switchblades?

    louisiana knife laws

    Louisiana could be the next on the list for loosening restrictions on switchblades/automatic knives.

    From Knife Rights:

    Louisiana Representative Mark Wright has introduced HB 200, Knife Rights’ bill to repeal R.S. 14:95(A)(4) which outlaws “the manufacture, ownership, possession, custody or use of any switchblade knife, spring knife or other knife or similar instrument having a blade which may be automatically unfolded or extended from a handle by the manipulation of a button, switch, latch or similar contrivance.” HB 200 also repeals the exception provided for so-called “rescue knives” which becomes redundant with repeal of the switchblade ban.

    You can read the bill’s exact language here.

    For the legal nuts out there, here’s how Louisiana defines switchblades. Remember that each state, and the federal government, use separate definitions.

    [a knife] having a blade which may be automatically unfolded or extended from a handle by the manipulation of a button, switch, latch or similar contrivance located on the handle.

    Market Trend: Knifemakers at Craft Fairs

    “Women use cutlery as much or more than any male in a given day.”

    So says North Carolina knifemaker Danny Robinson. That’s why he’s focused on craft fairs, traditionally a female-dominated territory, to sell his custom knives.

    From Asheville Made:

    At craft shows, Danny Robinson becomes catnip for bored, restless husbands. Almost without fail, guys make a beeline for his booth when they catch a glimpse of Robinson’s finely crafted blades.

    “[They] say, ‘I’m so glad to see you here, because this is men’s stuff!’” the knifemaker explains. And he’s fine with it — but he’s also aware of the irony. “I just find it funny, because women use cutlery as much or more than any male in a given day.”

    Here’s an example of Robinson’s work. It wouldn’t look out of place at a craft fair.

    This break from the traditional should come as welcome news. Custom-made goods are hot, and women manage the majority of household expenditures. Custom knives fit perfectly into that picture.

    Read the full article here.

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    Have big news? Tell BLADE with this form.

      Check this box to prove you're not a bot

      BLADE’S SPECIAL EDC ISSUE

      Melissa Miller
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      BLADE’S SPECIAL EDC ISSUE

      A bevy of EDC knives graces the cover of our special EDC issue: the CRKT CEO, V Nives Killabite, Hogue Knives First Response Trauma Tool, TOPS Knives Mini Tanimboca Puukko and Gerber Knife Key Note.

      CRKT’s CEO is a slender Richard Rogers design with the go-to lock of many EDC folders: a linerlock. For a small EDC in damascus blade steel with a miniature tactical feel, the V Nives Killabite fills the bill. The Mini Tanimboca Puukko is a neck knife that doubles as a small bushcraft model thanks in part to its flat-back Scandi-ground blade. The Hogue Knives First Response Trauma Tool is perhaps the most utilitarian in terms of EDC: a rescue knife. And finally, the Outdoor Edge MiniBlaze is a keychain knife—the type of EDC you don’t usually need to worry about remembering to take along with you because it’s with your keys.

      The images of all of the cover knives are courtesy of the participating companies. To subscribe to BLADE Magazine for just $19.99 a year, click here. 

      ABS Announces 1st School Outside USA

      Steve Shackleford
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      ABS Announces 1st School Outside USA
      An example of knives made in Belgium is the Hurak Fighter by new ABS journeyman smith Samuel Lurquin. (SharpByCoop.com photo)
      The ABS will open a new bladesmithing school in Belgium in October. The Hurak is by Belgium’s Samuel Lurquin, who earned his ABS journeyman smith stamp at the 2013 BLADE Show. (SharpByCoop.com photo)

      The American Bladesmith Society (ABS) will offer its first-ever bladesmithing school outside the USA beginning in October.

      Operated in partnership with The Forge at Ostiches, Belgium, the school’s first class will be “Introduction to Bladesmithing.” Limited to seven students, the class will have as its primary instructor ABS master smith Jean-Paul Thevenot of Dijon, France. Belgium’s Dirk Bourguignon and Frederic Taquet, both ABS bladesmiths, will assist.

      The school site is in a beautiful village south of Brussels. Accommodations are nearby within two to three miles. English will be spoken.

      The first ABS school of bladesmithing outside the USA was approved in a vote of the ABS Board of Directors during the ABS annual meeting at the 2013 BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo (www.bladeshow.com) May 31-June 2.

      The Belgian facility is the fourth ABS school of bladesmithing. The others are the original—the Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing in Old Washington, Arkansas—and the Haywood Community College  in Clyde, North Carolina, and the New England School of Metalwork in Auburn, Maine.

      “We now have members in 18 countries,” noted ABS Webmaster Dan Cassidy, “and it is not unusual for my wife Sally and I to communicate with our ABS members around the world in Spanish, Portugese and French on a routine basis. The Internet makes all of this possible today.”

      Cassidy credited ABS master smith and new ABS president Joe Keeslar with making the new school possible. Winner of the 2013 BLADE Magazine Industry Achievement Award, Keeslar has been a groundbreaker in bringing modern bladesmithing to both France and Belgium. “Joe was the one who made all the arrangements for the new school,” Cassidy noted, “and it was done over the course of more than a year.”

      For information on dates, tuition and accommodations for the new school, contact [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected].

      For the latest in knife news, stay tuned to www.blademag.com.

      Disabled Vet Knife Graces New BLADE®

      Steve Shackleford
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      Disabled Vet Knife Graces New BLADE®
      Disabled vet knife in new BLADE®.
      A knife for disabled vets is the cover knife for the latest BLADE®, on newsstands NOW!

      A knife for disabled vets, behind the scenes of the hit TV show Forged In Fire, World War II Japanese swords and much more highlight the annual military issue of BLADE®, on newsstands NOW!

      L.T. Wright’s H.E.R.O. (Helping Everyone Reach the Outdoors) knife is specially designed to accommodate people with finger and/or hand injuries. Join Abe Elias as he examines how the knife came about, how it’s designed, how it works and more in his story on page 12.

      Forged In Fire has been one of The History Channel’s hottest shows in recent months and has brought the skill required to make a forged knife into full view of a wide-ranging television viewing audience. Go behind the scenes of this fascinating, action-packed show with our special story on page 84. In addition, on page 10, see if you agree that FIF may be the “Eureka moment” the knife industry has been waiting on for these many years.

      The Japanese signed the formal World War II surrender on the U.S. battleship Missouri 70 years ago this month. But what of all those Japanese swords carried by those in the Japanese Army and Navy? Who made them and whatever became of them? Leon Kapp gives you the poop in part one of his “The Sun Rises On Them Still” on page 80.

      There’s much more in the annual military issue, including a visit with two surviving 90-something members of the First Special Service Force that fought so well in World War II; three military veterans who are new to the knifemaking game in Pat Covert’s story on page 20; the best-selling military knives in the factory realm on page 36; a test of four military-style autos by James Morgan Ayres on page 44; “How To I.D. A True Combat Knife” by BLADE field editor Ed Fowler on page 52; the “Ultimate Survival Knives” of special-operations veterans Grady Powell and Jared Ogden, stars of National Geographic’s action TV series, Ultimate Survival Alaska; a test of two tomahawks by BLADE field editor/retired Green Beret Kim Breed on page 48; and much more in the latest issue.

      The latest issue of BLADE is on newsstands now!Subscribe:

      Stay abreast of the latest developments on this and many more knife rights issues with a subscription to BLADE.

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