Russian Premier Vladimir Putin made world news today when he pulled Excalibur from a rock in Vladivostok.
The controversial Russian leader, who has ruffled international feathers lately with his taking of Crimea and bullying of the Ukraine, was salmon fishing near the ancient Russian city when he reportedly spied a flash of light from a river bank. “I rowed my kayak to the bank and there, stuck in a rock, was this beautiful sword,” Putin said. “I got out of my kayak, walked to the rock, grabbed the sword by the hilt and it practically slid out by itself.”
Russian Premier Vladimir Putin reportedly pulled Excalibur from a rock in Vladivostok. (Albion sword photo)
International reaction was swift.
“This guy has got to be kidding. First he rides a grizzly bear and now he’s pulled Excalibur from a rock?” an incredulous President Barack Obama observed. “The next thing you’re going to tell me is he’s drawn a red line with the sword tip!”
Those in the knife industry scoffed at Putin’s assertion.
“Putin pulled Excalibur from a rock?” questioned ABS master smith and BLADE® field editor Ed Fowler, Excalibur champion and proponent of the multiple quench heat-treating method. “I think King Arthur is doing backflips in his grave over this one.”
Meanwhile, sword manufacturers scrambled to see if they could get images and/or drawings of the sword from Russian officials to make a reproduction of the legendary blade.
“We’ve been in touch with the Kremlin and they tell us Putin can’t be bothered with such requests at the moment, that he’s being fitted for a suit of armor to go with the sword,” said Lois Southwick of Camelot Sword Makers. “We will continue to press for the images and drawings. After all, this sword belongs to the world, not Mr. Putin.”
Long before now, you’ve probably figured out that this story is completely bogus. After all, it’s April 1. Happy April Fool’s Day!
Makers to watch in 2016 headline the new BLADE®, on newsstands now!
The makers to watch in 2016, tomorrow’s blade material today, deep-belly vs. recurve blades and more highlight the new BLADE®, on newsstands now!
Headlined by the cover knife by one of the makers to watch for the new year, Jared Price’s tactical folder in bacon-pattern stainless damascus, the latest issue focuses on five cutlers who are building some of today’s most exciting custom knives. In addition to Price, those makers are ABS journeyman smiths Karl B. Andersen and Ben Breda, Michael Raymond and Richard Rogers. Find out why they made our list, examples of their hottest knives and more.
SM-100 is a recently developed titanium alloy that exhibits key traits desirable in a great blade material. Also known as HIPTiNite, the material is used on special models by Strider Knives, knifemaker Eric Bono and others. Get the background story on this intriguing material in Pat Covert’s story.
Machetes and big knives have been appearing in droves in the factory industry, and a number of them opt for either full, wide blades or those with the “S” curve, or recurve. See how the two styles perform, including a sidebar on the concept of weight-forward blade design, in “Belly Up To The Recurve Bar” by Abe Elias.
Also this issue: check out the stories that made headlines over the past year in “It Was A Keen ’15”; enjoy an excerpt from the World’s No. 1 Knife Book, KNIVES 2016, entitled “Chopped Champions” by Joe Kertzman; consider four of the latest factory slip joints and how the traditional design is evolving in general in “Slippin’ and A-Slicin'”; read about the latest knife maintenance products and how they keep your knives performing well and looking good in “Nourish Your Knives”; see how two custom fillet knives compare in Kim Breed’s tests; check out ABS master smith Henry Torres’s hunter’s axe and the many options Henry offers thereof, and much more, all in the latest BLADE®.
American Bladesmith Society master smith Red St. Cyr of Reva Forge in Wilmington, California, passed away yesterday after suffering a heart attack.
Red, pictured above at the 2012 ABS San Antonio Show, was the founder of the American Bladesmith Society’s (ABS) West Coast Forging Clinic, a member of the Southern California Blades, ABS, Arizona KCA, and Oregon KCA, and president of the California Knifemakers Association.
His specialty was fixed blades, forging his own damascus and mosaic patterns. In 1995 he became an ABS journeyman smith and earned his ABS master smith rating in 1998. He has received numerous awards for his knives, including the ABS Bill Moran Award.
At the tender age of 13, Red began an apprenticeship with a farrier and fell in love with working with metal and horses. By the time he was 16, he was a full-fledged farrier. He eventually became a master farrier, designing, forging and custom fitting horseshoes throughout the United States and several foreign countries.
When farmers baling hay began to use twine in place of baling wire, someone asked Red if he could make a knife from a horseshoeing rasp, and that started Red’s life-long love of bladesmithing. He made knives for over 35 years.
Red was known for his readiness to share his knowledge and skills with others. He hosted the California Forging Clinic annually and also did forging demonstrations at the Knife Expo, the old BLADE Show West, BAKCA, and Reno ABS shows.
Facebook’s new policy for Pages, effective now, means it will be even more challenging for knifemakers, companies, enthusiasts and websites to reach their audiences on the site. From a Facebook blog post:
Because space in News Feed is limited, showing more posts from friends and family and updates that spark conversation means we’ll show less public content, including videos and other posts from publishers or businesses.
As we make these updates, Pages may see their reach, video watch time and referral traffic decrease. The impact will vary from Page to Page, driven by factors including the type of content they produce and how people interact with it. Pages making posts that people generally don’t react to or comment on could see the biggest decreases in distribution. Pages whose posts prompt conversations between friends will see less of an effect.
Basically, this means Facebook users will see fewer posts from the Pages they Like in their newsfeeds. Unless the Page pays for an ad, of course.
But that isn’t an option for knife-centric pages. Facebook will refuse ads that feature “weapons,” and that includes legal knives from legitimate organizations. It doesn’t matter if the Page sells knives or not, or if the ad’s content is tame. If there’s a knife in it, Facebook will refuse the ad.
So what are the alternatives?
The only option here is to look elsewhere to spend ad dollars and grow audiences (follow BLADE on Twitter here). Maintain those existing Facebook Pages, because the rules could change later, but focus on building followers on other platforms.
Renowned knifemaker Todd Begg recently made the move from California to Texas, which kicked off a profile by The Dallas Morning News. He talks about how BLADE magazine sparked his knifemaking career in this video:
Begg briefly mentions the controversy with the use of his name to sell knives, something the knife community has been watching closely, but the majority of the article focuses on his craft.
It’s legal to carry most knives in Texas since restrictions relaxed last September, but that doesn’t go for trench knives. From the Dallas Observer:
It’s a lesson local construction worker Christopher Sparks learned when he was arrested over the weekend for possession of prohibited weapon. A Royse City police officer told him that he was under arrest for having brass knuckles, a Class A misdemeanor, and took him to the Rockwall County Jail.
Now Sparks is facing a fine of up to $4,000 and up to a year in jail. He’ll also have a permanent criminal record attached to his name, making it harder to find work and places to live, unless he pays an attorney to have his record expunged.
“I was just trying to get home from work,” Sparks says.
This is a perfect example of how nuance in knife laws creates more problems than solutions. Were Sparks in possession of a dagger instead of a trench knife, he wouldn’t be looking at a four grand tab and a year in the cooler.
FEB. 2-4 LAKELAND, FL
The 40th Annual Gator Cutlery Club Knife Show
Lakeland Center. Call Dan Piergallini 813-754-3908 or 813-967-1471.
FEB. 10 WYOMING, MI
West Michigan Edge Show, the K of C Hall. Call Mike 616-322-5846.
FEB. 17 HONOLULU, HI
Hawaii Custom Knife & Tactical Show
Pomaikai Ballrooms at Dole Cannery. Contact JSM Cutlery LLC, Dept. BKG18, POB 1290, Aiea, HI 96701 872-356-2953 [email protected].
FEB. 17 LITTLE ROCK, AR
The Arkansas Knife Show
Statehouse Convention Center. Call 870-279-7329 arknife.com.
FEB. 24 OZARK, MO
The 21st Annual Spring Cabin Fever Knife Show, 4-H Building, City Park. Call Don Long 417-485-6759.
FEB. 24-25 LEWISBURG, PA
Keystone Blade Association Annual Knife Show
Country Cupboard Inn. Contact Marlyn Kepner 570-584-4835 [email protected] or Skip Fryling 570-204-1544 [email protected].
MARCH 2-3 TROY, OH
Spirit of the Blade Custom Knife Show
Miami County Fairgrounds. Call Joel Worley 937-638-9518 or visit [email protected].
MARCH 2-4 DALTON, GA
The Knife Road Show
Northwest Georgia Trade Center. Contact Spirit of Steel Promotions 423-238-6753 [email protected], jbrucevoyles.com.
MARCH 3-4 NEW BRAUNFELS, TX
Guadalupe Forge Winter Hammer-In & Knifemakers Rendezvous.
Contact Johnny Stout 830-606-4067 [email protected] and/or Harvey Dean 512-446-3111 [email protected].
MARCH 3-4 PASADENA, CA
The 33rd Annual Knife Expo 2018 presented by the Southern California Blades Knife Collectors Club
Pasadena Convention Center. Call Helen 619-417-4329 knifeexpo.net.
MARCH 9-12 NURNBERG, GERMANY
The IWA Outdoor Classics 2018.
For trade visitors only. Contact NurnbergMesse North America Inc. +1.770.618.5842 [email protected].
MARCH 16-17 FORT LAUDERDALE, FL
East Coast Custom Knife Show
Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. Contact 417-866-6688 [email protected] or visit fiftyfiftyproductions.net or ecckshow.com.
MARCH 23-24 HAMPTONVILLE, NC
The 43rd Annual Tar Heel Cutlery Club Show
Yadkin VFW Building. Call Chris Groce 336-679-8817 [email protected].
MARCH 23-25 JANESVILLE, WI
The 2018 Badger Knife Club Knife Show
Janesville Conference Center/Holiday Inn Express. Contact Bob Schrap 414-479-9765 Badgerknifeclub@ aol.com.
MARCH 30-APRIL 1 HARRISONBURG, VA
The 27th Annual Greater Shenandoah Valley Knife Show
Rockingham County Fairgrounds. Call Ralph 540-828-0778 svkc.org.
One of the most revered and admired of all factory knife industry executives, Buck had been suffering from poor health for a few years. However, as recently as the summer of 2013 he ignored health concerns and appeared at the 25th annual anniversary of the Buck Collectors Club Inc., shaking hands with club members, attending the club’s banquet along with his wife of so many years, Lori, and otherwise enjoying himself during the celebration.
Please keep the Buck family in your prayers, stressed the Buck Collector Club’s Larry Oden. “Obviously, there are also many Buck Knives employees who are greatly saddened by Chuck’s passing,” he noted. “He was loved by so many and was a highly respected man. The entire cutlery world has lost an icon.”
“It is with heavy hearts that we regret to inform everyone that we have lost a legend,” Buck Knives, Inc., noted in a statement on its Facebook page. “[Mr. Buck] was an industry icon and friend to all.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and all those touched by this industry giant. Legacy planning for a company is always difficult; many companies do not survive the transition to the second generation, fewer still the third. Chuck was the grandson of company founder Hoyt Buck. It is a testimony to his leadership that the company remains strong today, still widely respected under the fourth-generation leadership of Chuck’s son, Buck Knives President and CEO CJ Buck.”
Along with his father, fellow Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Al Buck, Chuck was a member of Buck’s board of directors appointed after the company was incorporated in 1961. Three short years later the Buck 110 folding hunter was introduced and the factory knife industry would never be the same. The Buck 110 just celebrated its golden anniversary last year.
A Celebration of Life for Chuck Buck will be held at 2 p.m. PST on Friday, Feb. 13, in Post Falls at Real Life Ministries Church. The service will be open to the public. Real Life is located at 1866 North Cecil Road, Post Falls, ID 83854/ 208-777-7325.
The family also will have a memorial service in San Diego, California, on May 13. Chuck was born on May 13, 1936. He will be laid to rest in his family plot there. More details are to come on the memorial. It also will be open to the public.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse, www.samaritanspurse.org, or by calling 1-800-528-1980. Please ask that the call be directed to donations in honor of Charles T. Buck.
Dellana outlines the challenges of making her first goblin folder, including the goblin face on the butt.Read how Buster Warenski’s King Tut dagger changed the knife industry forever in the latest BLADE®.
Dellana shows you how she made her first goblin folder, read why Buster Warenski’s King Tut dagger changed knife history, school yourself on the hottest custom makers’ hottest knives and more in the latest issue of BLADE®—on newsstands NOW!
Dellana is known throughout the custom knife industry for her ornate high-end folders and learned a lot under the great ABS master smith Jim Schmidt. Schmidt was known in no small part for his goblin folder, a style Dellana had never tried until approached by collector Larry Marton to complete one Schmidt had planned to before Schmidt passed away. Dellana accepted the daunting assignment. In her two-part story she outlines the challenges she faced in making the goblin folder she christened “Gryzzlesnick,” which includes a stag handle with a butt shaped into the grotesque face of a goblin. Read part one this issue.
A member of the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame and the top vote-getter in a poll of veteran industry observers for their “Mount Rushmore of Knifemakers” of the modern era—1960 through the May 2015 BLADE in which the applicable story appeared—Warenski spent five years (1982-87) making the reproduction of the gold dagger found in King Tutankhamen’s tomb. Phil Lobred commissioned Warenski to make the knife and liquidated his entire collection of handmade knives to pay for it. The knife featured 32 ounces of gold, the long-lost technique of granulation to embellish the knife’s handle and has been valued at being worth over $1 million. Get the full story on this landmark knife and the trials and tribulations of Warenski in its making in “A Piece of Buster’s Soul.”
Pinpointing the hottest custom knifemakers’ hottest knives is something all enthusiasts of the genre need to stay on top of, and BLADE helps you in the endeavor with the help of top industry observers in “Compound Your Cutlery Interest.”
Dellana details the making of her first goblin folder and much more in the latest BLADE®, on newsstands NOW!
There’s much more this issue, including:
•BLADE Managing Editor Erin Healy’s story on the period-correct knife-and-tomahawk combos by Don Shipman, “Edged Warrior Sets”;
•The best knives to take on summer vacation;
•Rick Barrett‘s custom folder based on and that salutes the legendary World War II Marine F4U Corsair fighter aircraft made famous by the equally legendary pilot Pappy Boyington of Baa-Baa Black Sheep fame;
•Tests/reviews of four of the latest factory utility fixed blades, four EDCs, three assisted openers and a pair of ample straight knives;
•The conclusion of Dexter Ewing’s three-part series on the latest knife sharpeners in “The Hone Zone.”
And much more, all in the latest BLADE, on newsstands now or subscribe to the print, digital, international or Canadian issues here.
BLADE’s Complete Knife Guide Spring 2016 is your one-stop knife road map for the latest in knives and knife accessories, and how to get them.
BLADE’s Complete Knife Guide Spring 2016 is your one-stop knife road map. It features the latest in knives, sharpeners, sheaths, knifemaking safety equipment, a comprehensive directory of knives/knife accessories and who sells them, and much more—and is on newsstands now!
The first-ever International Custom Cutlery Exposition was held in September at the Downtown Marriott in Kansas City, and BLADE’s Complete Knife Guide (BKG) has exclusive coverage of the historic event. It was the first time members of both the American Bladesmith Society and the Knifemakers’ Guild—the world’s two oldest and most important knifemaker organizations—joined forces to produce and coordinate their own knife show. BKG also examines the latest folding knives for executive wear and some of the most convenient of all knives—the newest in keychain cutters.
For hobbyist, part- or full-time makers, BKG offers tips on must-have safety equipment for every knife shop, as well as an excerpt from knife-and-gun-rights attorney Evan Nappen’s new book “Knife Laws of the U.S.” The excerpt focuses on what to say and do, and, perhaps more importantly, what not to say and do if you get arrested for carrying a knife.
There’s much more, including the latest factory knives and accessories for the coming year, how knife professionals can get the most from social media and other sharp stuff, all in the latest BKG!
COVER KNIFE: The Hogue EX-F02 features a choice of a 4.5-inch tanto or clip-point blade in a low-glare black finish, and an ergonomic handle with an easy-to-grip insert in a choice of colors. An ambidextrous automatic retention sheath locks the knife in place and releases smoothly with the push of a trigger lever.
Recommended:
Stay abreast of the latest developments on this and many more knife rights issues with a subscription to BLADE.
Putin made world news today when he pulled Excalibur from a rock in Vladivostok.
