Also known for his “Funny Folder” design, among many others, Dowell was the only Guild member to exhibit at every Guild Show—40 in all—until the streak came to an end in 2010, Betty always by his side, smiling and flying the “Dowell banner.”
According to Hibben, the family of Ted Dowell has requested that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to the Knifemakers’ Guild (www.knifemakersguild.com) in Ted’s memory. “Ted truly loved the Guild, and the Dowell family’s request reflects that love,” Hibben added.
Best knives, best knifemakers and more are all in the latest BLADE®, on newsstands now!
The best knives by the best knifemakers from all corners of the globe and much more highlight the new BLADE®, on newsstands now.
The best knives by the best knifemakers is what the world’s largest knife show, the BLADE Show, is about, and the latest rendition had them all. Held this past June at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, the 35th Annual BLADE Show enjoyed its largest attendance ever—and that was only after the show’s first two days, with another day to go!
•The hottest EDC knives the industry has to offer;
•A near-total ban of knives with elephant ivory and also those of ancient ivory appears to be the goal of the Fish and Wildlife Service as it enacts a new rule, one that could result in ivory raids at knife shows as well;
•How to get any custom knife you want!
… and much more, including the elusive “shadown pattern” pocketknife, its collectibility and the latest collector values; Ed Fowler’s take on the BLADE Show and knife shows in general and how each can fulfill the dreams of many knife enthusiasts; a knife test of two new fixed blades—the Bullnose by Fred Pittman and his FP2 Custom Knives and the Venator by Frankie Heming of Tactical Pterodactyl Knives; the latest additions to the world’s top 25 knifemakers of the vaunted Art Knife Invitational; and much more, all in the latest issue!
U.S. military issue of BLADE® is on newsstands now!
The annual U.S. military issue of BLADE® includes what to look for in a 4.0 military knife, special presentation Buck knives for a unique unit of National Guardsmen who fought during the Vietnam War, the knives from Johnny Strong’s latest movie and much more—and is on newsstands now!
What kind of knife do professional soldiers favor when they go on active duty? BLADE interviewed Special Ops veterans Jack Stottlemire, Kim Breed and Rob Cude, as well as veteran military knife designer William “Bill” Harsey Jr., for their recommendations. All give specifics and their reasons why in Mike Haskew’s informative story.
The stories of valor are many from the Vietnam War but the one about Company D 151st Infantry, the “Indiana Rangers,” is especially intriguing. They represent what is reportedly the only instance of a unit of National Guardsmen that stayed together from activation and served in combat in Vietnam throughout until being deactivated about one year later. Today many unit members are still living and belong to the Company D 151st Association. All of them were presented with engraved Buck 110 folders in recognition of their service and are saluted in the story, “A Lot of Brothers.”
Johnny Strong is the only actor we know of who also makes knives—knives that also appear with him in two of his films, including his latest, Daylight’s End, which premiered Aug. 26. Check out his movie knives—and a Bill Coye knife that also appears in the flick—Strong’s views on knifemaking and more in “The Knives of Daylight’s End.”
Also this issue:
•A test of four military-style knives in “Sharpest Steel on a Soldier’s Pay,” by Abe Elias;
•Some of the best in portable sharpeners for use in the field in Dexter Ewing’s “On-The-Spot Sharp”;
•Four of the latest military daggers and how they perform in “Daggerous!” by James Morgan Ayres;
And much more, all in the latest BLADE—on newsstands now!
The first phase of a knifemaking business likely starts in the garage. If that sounds familiar to you, keep in mind that fire safety isn’t the only concern, as one knifemaker in Maine found out. City ordinances can hit in a hurry once you cross the line from “it’s just a hobby” to “making several knives per week.”
Finally, a bright spot for knife enthusiasts in the United Kingdom. In a country saturated with imported knives, domestically made knives are becoming tokens of pride in certain pockets. This is especially the case with chefs and custom knives.
Until just a few years ago, a British made knife was a rare sight in kitchens with German and Japanese-made blades favoured by most chefs.
But a small group of artisans are starting to change that, enabled by a number of factors including an increased interest in British handmade products and the marketing power of the Internet and social media.
Flying for Christmas? Here’s How to Transport Your Knives
Everyone’s favorite federal agency, the Transportation Security Agency, generally prohibits knives from being placed in a carry-on. Yes, there are stories of exceptions for this or that multitool, but it’s better to follow this guide from the TSA.
Here’s the quick rundown:
However, that chart goes only for knives you could stand losing. For transporting anything valuable (or, I suppose, invaluable), it may be better to ship it separately through a courier, such as FedEx or UPS. That way, you have a tracking code and know where your $75,000 work of art is hiding.
You’ve probably seen Marc Newson’s work before, but the knife world may not know him by name. He’s designed Apple Watches and airplanes, but knives are his true passion. If you missed this CNN profile, be sure to watch the video here.
From the profile:
“The thing that really fascinates me about knives is that they’re man-made … They’re probably the very first tool that we made, so it’s a little bit like the wheel in a way, it’s a monumental invention and evolution.”
Above the Law, a website covering the legal industry, recently published 5 Holiday Tips On How Not To Get Arrested In NYC. If you guessed that the loose definitions of “switchblades” would make an appearance, you guessed right.
From the article:
The size of the blade and how it opens could make carrying a knife criminal. If it’s a switchblade (opens by centrifugal force), it’s criminal. It doesn’t matter if you’re not using it, just carry it for work, or bought it legally. It’s still a crime.
Let that “centrifugal force” comment sink in, and hope you’re not working in a trade that requires turning one piece of something into two. Read the full article here.
Scouting Knives and School Safety
School safety is an important issue, but what happens when disciplinary policies can’t forgive honest mistakes?
Such is the case with a 13-year-old student in Massachusetts, who apparently didn’t intend to bring a Boy Scout knife to school. The district levied a suspension, although it denied that it has a zero tolerance policy for such items.
[The student’s parent] says the school overreached in its punishment of her son who never took the knife out of his backpack while in school and also objects to the classification of the scouting knife as a weapon.
What to do with those leftover birthday balloons? Here’s one idea. If you can cut the plastic ribbon that hangs down after you let the balloon float to the ceiling, you’ve got yourself a nice edge.
“Knives Save Lives” is a slogan you’ll hear often in stories about first responders, but what about raccoons?
This video made the rounds on social media depicting just that. Here’s a hint for the next time this happens: There’s no reason it has to take that long to cut through tarp. Time for a bigger knife, dude.
This guy found a raccoon tangled in his car tarp and choking to death. Most intense rescue ever! 👏 pic.twitter.com/uAa1C6FUzp
Jay Hendrickson and the husband-and-wife team of Billy and Beverly Mace Imel are the 2021 inductees into the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame®.
Nominated by, and then elected in a vote of, sitting members of the Cutlery Hall Of Fame, the three comprise the 63rd, 64th and 65th members of the world’s only shrine recognizing all segments of the knife industry.
The Imels are the first-ever husband-and-wife team—or any pair, for that matter—to join the Hall simultaneously. A.G. and Goldie Russell are Hall-Of-Fame members but were inducted in separate years.
Along with the 2020 inductees, Joe Keeslar and Jim Sornberger, the 2021 inductees will be formally enshrined the Saturday of the BLADE Show, June 5, in Atlanta. Joe and Jim could not be formally enshrined last year because the BLADE Show was canceled due to the pandemic.
Jay Hendrickson
Impeccable fixed blades in the Moran style with matching sheaths are a Jay Hendrickson staple. (Eric Eggly/PointSeven image)Jay Hendrickson
Jay is an American Bladesmith Society (ABS) master smith who succeeded Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame member Bill Moran as ABS president in 1991—as a nominator noted, “a trying task to be sure, and Jay succeeded Bill very well.” The nominator went on to write Jay is a good bladesmithing teacher who has taught at many venues in the USA and France, and also served as director of the Moran Foundation for 10 years, helping to preserve Bill’s legacy.
Early on, Jay and Bill conducted a forging demonstration that was one of the longest running of all BLADE Show demos. The first installment was in 1987 on the sidewalk outside the show’s former Holiday Inn & Convention Center site in Knoxville, Tennessee, and continued at each succeeding BLADE Show in Knoxville and then at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta until Bill passed away in 2006. Not only was it one of the BLADE Show’s longest running demos, it was also one of the most popular.
In 1995, Jay was presented with the ABS’s highest honor, the Don Hastings Award. The annual honor goes to an individual “who has performed outstanding service on behalf of the forged blade in the tradition of Don Hastings,” one of the founders of the ABS. In 2004, Jay won the William Wales Scagel Award, presented by the ABS to a bladesmith “for longtime service to promote the forged blade.” Another Cutlery Hall Of Famer, Scagel is considered the grandfather of custom knifemaking.
Jay was voted into the ABS Hall Of Fame in 2006 and a year later wrote the how-to guide, Introduction to Bladesmithing, with tips on how to forge various blade styles “exhibiting balance and aesthetic appeal,” how to understand the basic metallurgy of popular blade steels and more. Concluded the nominator, “Jay is a fine bladesmith, a fine teacher helping to preserve the art of bladesmithing, and a splendid ambassador of knives and knifemakers.”
Last but certainly not least, Jay forges magnificent fixed blades in the classic Moran style, including expertly ground bowies, camp knives, fighters, hunters and more, often in curly maple handles with intricate silver wire inlay, all accompanied by superb leather sheaths.
Beverly and Billy Mace Imel
An example of Billy’s premier dagger work is this collaboration with Mace Vitale. (SharpByCoop image)Beverly and Billy Mace Imel
Beverly and Billy Mace are the first pair of Cutlery Hall-Of-Famers ever to be inducted simultaneously. They also join A.G. and Goldie Russell as the only husband-and-wife team in the Hall.
Billy makes fantastic fixed blades yet is perhaps best known for his sleek daggers with stainless steel blades in clean, crisp grinds and slender handles in a variety of gorgeous materials. To augment that knifemaking talent is his many hours of service to The Knifemakers’ Guild.
“What can you say about those who have worked so many hours and years to help so many?” wrote a nominator. “Billy was the secretary of the Guild during a huge building phase of the longtime maker association. Every year many new applicants had to be processed. Those of us who sat on the Guild’s board of directors during many of those years can testify to the energy and effort Billy put forth. The heavy load of accounting, stopping his own work to help discuss an issue—and those issues were many—and still be able to arrive at the Guild Show venues two days early with his own knives and to help set up each show’s exhibition room was a remarkable achievement. I think Billy is a gold standard for the Cutlery Hall Of Fame in terms of working hard for others.”
Beverly, meanwhile, served with distinction for many years on the Guild board as the organization’s secretary-treasurer.
“You can’t mention Billy’s name without mentioning Beverly’s,” the nominator continued. “The Guild board of directors was a large wheel, with every director a spoke in that wheel, but it was Beverly who kept the wheel’s hub lubricated and in motion. She maintained the Guild’s records in perfect order, and if there was a question about something from the past, she either looked it up or could recall it from memory—often smack dab in the middle of a Guild business meeting.”
Beverly’s familiarity with and recollection of Guild bylaws was legendary. Indeed, anytime a Guild president was asked a question he didn’t know the answer to during a Guild business meeting, he would often turn from the microphone and say, “Beverly, do you know?” Invariably she did and more than a few members in attendance would smile and wink at each other as a result.
The nominator went on to state that he wanted the Cutlery Hall of Fame to step out of the mold and do something different in considering Billy and Beverly for enshrinement. “It would be honorable for us to induct both of the Imels as one,” he wrote. Enough sitting Hall Of Famers agreed and the Imels are now members of their august group.
Cyrus Vance, Jr., Allegedly Turned Blind Eye to Weinstein Accusations
Cyrus Vance, Jr. (Image via manhattanda.org)
The Manhattan district attorney notorious for his “gravity knife” prosecutions, Cyrus Vance, Jr., is now being investigated for apparently turning a blind eye to a 2015 sexual assault allegation against disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo directed the state attorney general on Monday to review how the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., handled a 2015 sexual assault allegation against the movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Mr. Vance decided not to prosecute Mr. Weinstein even though his accuser, an Italian model, had provided police officers with a recording of Mr. Weinstein apologizing when she asked him why he had groped her breasts the day before.
Mr. Vance said at the time that there was insufficient evidence, a defense he repeated last year after an outpouring of accusations against Mr. Weinstein reopened scrutiny of the decision, and also cast light on Mr. Vance’s acceptance of campaign donations from Mr. Weinstein’s lawyers.
Noel decided he didn’t want to go to college just yet. He also knew he couldn’t move down to San Francisco and pay rent on both an apartment and a steel-working shop. “I decided I could make my shop inside a trailer,” he says. “Then I wouldn’t have to pay rent, and I could go anywhere and make knives.”
These days he drives up and down the state: to Malibu and Santa Barbara for craft shows, staying afterward to surf, or up to the Sierra, where he can ski in his off hours. Sometimes he sets up his outdoor workshop by the side of the road, opening up the trailer to turn on the propane forge and set up his belt grinder, which runs on generator power.
One wonders, though, what retirement will look like when the getting is this good at 19. Read the full article here.
Video: Make a Knife From an Artillery Shell
The videos explaining how to make knives out of [crazy thing] sure are entertaining, and they reveal where a mastery of knifemaking basics can take you. Here’s one featuring an 88mm artillery shell.
