Tomahawks are top chops in the new BLADE®, on newsstands now!
Tomahawks large and small continue to take the world of knives by storm and four of the latest models are top chops in the new BLADE®—on newsstands now!
Featuring the Hardcore Hardware Australia CTT-01 on the cover, the issue also includes the diminutive Micro Hawk from TOPS Knives. Sandwiched in between is the versatile EX-T01 from Hogue Knives. All four get in their licks and the once over several times from Pat Covert in “4 Hawk Hoedown.”
The talent level of today’s best custom knifemakers is better than ever, but what about the ones that offer some of the sharpest blades anywhere but nobody knows of them? Mike Haskew smokes out today’s most underrated cutlers in “Under-The-Radar Knifemakers.”
Every knife has its “sweet spot”—the spot on the blade that cuts better than any other, on the handle that feels better than any other and more. Some knives even have more than one sweet spot. High-endurance performance knife master smith Ed Fowler shows you how to find them in “The Sweet Spots.”
A child’s rite of passage comes in many forms, including his or her first experiences with knives. What makes that rite even more meaningful is when it includes teaching the child how to make knives. See how ABS master smith Timothy Potier and the folks at the New England School of Metalwork help usher kids through the keenest of rites in “Life Skills Meet Knife Skills.”
Also this issue: the latest in factory neck knives and a test of four of the latest Japanese-style Santoku kitchen knives; the Case Collectors Club and the festivities at its recent 35th annual reunion at the Case factory in Bradford, Pennsylvania; the latest in knife kits and how to best assemble them; President Theodore Roosevelt’s knife that brought a record price of $414,000 at an American auction; and much more, all in the latest BLADE—on newsstands now, or buy the digital edition or subscribe!
Kirby Lambert’s straight razor graces the cover of the latest BLADE®, on newsstands NOW!
Stubble is in trouble thanks to the hottest straight razors—one of which, the newest model by Kirby Lambert, is the cover piece for the latest BLADE®, on newsstands NOW!
Known for his custom tactical folders, Lambert is one of several makers who offer custom razors, the others highlighted in the story on page 12 being Sal Manaro, Rick Barrett, Wally Hayes, Neels van den Berg and Bill Ellis. There’s also a factory version from Boker that made the cut. Speaking of Hayes, he wrote a story outlining his approach to making straight razors on page 20.
Is a tactical knife a fixed blade or a folder? The answer depends a lot on who you ask. While knife-o-philes continue to ply the age-old question, we provide nine of the best factory buys in the genre—both folding and fixed—on page 28.
Knife kits have some a long way from the days when they consisted of a blade blank, a couple of handle slabs and several screws. Now they offer folders in a number of configurations, including one for a butterfly knife. Check out the latest versions on page 40.
You’ve already read on blademag.com about the first-ever knife show that will combine members of both the Knifemakers’ Guild and the American Bladesmith Society set for Sept. 18-20 in Kansas City. However, BLADE gets more of the inside info—including the fact that the old Muehlebach Hotel, site where Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Bill Moran reintroduced damascus at the 1973 Guild Show, is in one of the wings of the new venue—for you on page 46.
Spyderco long has been a world leader in factory knives and it continues that role with its Ethnic Series of knives that include designs by such international makers as Pekka Tuominen, the late Eduard Bradichansky and Gabor Szakonyi, as well as accomplished American maker Ed Schempp. Go global with the Spydie guys on page 50.
There’s something about a super-thin custom folder that bespeaks of elegance. And some are so thin and delicate you’d think they might not be able to do their cutting jobs—though such is not the case. Check out some of the leanest of the keen by Richard Rogers, Cliff Parker, Bill Ruple, Scott Sawby and Ken Erickson on page 74.
There’s much more, including Ed Fowler’s “12 Keys to Great Knife Promotion”; a look back at the many contributions of the late, great Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer, Kit Carson; a test of two big fixed blades in MSG Kim Breed’s “Spec Sheet”; E.C. Loerchner’s masterful “Autumn Knife”; and much more, all in the latest issue of BLADE.
Bruce Bingenheimer’s BingaLor folders have handles of mammoth ivory. (Caleb Royer image)
New Mammoth and Elephant Ivory Bans
New laws in three states target mammoth ivory—ivory of an animal that has been extinct for several millennia—elephant ivory or both for bans, according to the Elephant Protection Association.
“Illinois and New Hampshire are the most recent states that will enact bans,” noted the association’s Sandra Brady. “This follows Nevada, which enacted their ban, including mammoth and fossil ivories, earlier in the year.”
The Illinois ban includes both elephant and mammoth ivory, while the New Hampshire ban is on elephant ivory only.
Brady said the latter two bans go into effect Jan. 1, 2019.
According to the latest lists BLADE® was able to obtain, states that ban the sale of mammoth ivory in addition to Nevada include California, Hawaii, New Jersey and New York. States with proposed legislation in process that would include banning mammoth ivory are Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Michigan, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
There are probably more as well.
Specifics of the Bans
New laws in three states target mammoth ivory—ivory of an animal that has been extinct for several millennia—elephant ivory or both for bans. Jim Provost’s damascus dagger sports a handle of mammoth ivory fluted and inlaid with silver wire. Contact Provost at Dept. BL12, 1634 Lakeview Dr., Laurel, MS 39440 601-498-1143. (Caleb Royer)
Illinois HB4843 will ban “any tooth or tusk composed of ivory from any animal, including, but not limited to, an elephant, hippopotamus, mammoth, narwhal, walrus, or whale, or any piece thereof, whether raw ivory or worked ivory, or made into, or part of, an ivory product.”
New Hampshire SB 451 will ban elephant but not mammoth or walrus ivory.
Nevada SB 194 reads “a person shall not purchase, sell, offer for sale or possess with intent to sell any item that is, wholly or partially, made of an animal part or byproduct derived from a shark fin, a lion of the species Panthera leo or any species of elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, pangolin, sea turtle, ray, mammoth, narwhal, walrus or hippopotamus,” except as otherwise provided by state law.
Why Mammoth Ivory Bans?
Raffir fossil mammoth ivory comprises the handle of Danish knifemaker Tommy Astrup’s mosaic damascus fixed blade.
Though bans on elephant ivory have many supporters, the bans adversely affect the local populations of Africans who depend on the legal trade in ivory for their economic well-being. Also, the elephant ivory ban is resulting in an overpopulation of elephants in some areas of Africa, an overpopulation that unduly taxes the environment at the expense of other wild animals.
As a result, as Brady noted, “Several bird species are hanging on by a thread or have disappeared altogether, and much of the habitat is being destroyed. We don’t know how bad the trickle-down effect will ultimately be, but you can be sure that it will not be good.”
Ironically, not only does banning elephant ivory impact both the pocketbooks and habitat of Africans, it also has resulted in the banning of the ivory of mammoth, a creature that has not walked the earth for 4,000 years. The reason is simple enough: money. The state governments cannot even afford to administer the fallout from their own wrongheaded bans on elephant ivory.
According to The Journal of Paleontological Sciences, smugglers have been marking shipments of elephant ivory as fossil or mammoth ivory to get them past U.S. Customs. While the differences between elephant and mammoth ivory have been recognized for some time—see this website for more on how to tell the differences—five state legislatures seem to have decided to save money and simply banned all ivory. New York and New Jersey were the first states to do so.
According to its mission statement, the Elephant Protection Association opposes such overbroad and harmful bans that undermine successful conservation programs, and raises funds for animal rights aligned groups only. For more information visit elephantprotection.org.
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!
Jerry Hossom/Outdoor Edge Brush Demon is the cover knife for the new BLADE, on newsstands TODAY!
The Jerry Hossom/Outdoor Edge Brush Demon is the cover knife for the latest issue of BLADE®, on newsstands TODAY! The Brush Demon is one of the latest examples of the many factory/custom knife collaborations that dot the cutlery landscape. The new BLADE highlights it and three other hot examples of a genre that showcases the great knives that can come of such joint projects. How do they come about? What problems do both the makers and the knife companies face in putting such knives together? Find out in the new BLADE.
Knife collecting comes in many approaches, from amassing scores of the same pocketknife pattern, to collecting specific brands such as Case and Buck, and many others. An approach BLADE focuses on this issue is the collecting of knives by one custom knifemaker—in some cases, as many as 100 knives or more by a single custom maker! Join Stephen Garger as he interviews several such collectors and the knives and the knifemakers they collect.
If your car were to flip and your loved ones were pinned by jammed seat belts, would you be prepared to cut those seat belts and save your loved ones’ lives? One way to be prepared for such an eventuality is to keep a “car blade” in your vehicle. Abe Elias examines some of the latest examples of the genre in his story “5 Sharp Car Blades.”
One of the most followed aspects of knives is the latest steels used for blades. Four of the newest steels to hit the cutlery scene are 80CrV2, CTS-PD1, CTS B75P and PSF-27. Find out from the manufacturers and the makers how well these steels perform, how easy they are to maintain and sharpen and much more in Mike Haskew’s “What’s Hot In Knife Steels.”
There’s much more in the latest issue, including Dexter Ewing’s review of the Work Sharp Ken Onion Knife & Tool Sharpener, tests of fixed blades by Sam Stoner Jr. and Darrin Sirois by Kim Breed, part two of Jim Hammond’s educational three-part series on the ivory ban, a comparison of four hot contemporary automatics, a recap of an exclusive new Italian knife show, the Art in Metal Show, an obituary of long-time knifemaker Joe Kious who lost his life tragically in a truck accident, and much more—all in the new BLADE, on newsstands TODAY!
Designed by custom knifemaker and big blade expert, Jerry Hossom, the Brush Demon is the ultimate outdoor and survival tool. Made of sturdy 65Mn carbon steel with a black powder coat finish, this is one aggressive high-speed chopping tool you’ll want on your side. Be prepared for extreme conditions with the non-slip grip provided by the rubberized ergonomic TPR handle. Learn more
One potential problem with the ban is that some fossil ivories resemble elephant ivory, such as the mammoth ivory on the handle of this dagger by Russ Andrews. (SharpByCoop photo)
The recently announced federal ban on ivory not only seems to outlaw all import, export, interstate and intrastate sales of elephant ivory, it also appears to make all potential exceptions to the rule such as antiques virtually impossible to meet.
Initially announced on Feb. 11, the ban received more coverage Feb. 26 when the federal website http://www.fws.gov posted a story outlining the ban in more detail, including Director’s Order No. 210 from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service.
The story indicated that while virtually all elephant ivory is now illegal, a few exceptions exist, such as antique elephant ivory. However, to qualify as antique, elephant ivory must adhere to a hodge-podge of requirements that not only are virtually impossible to meet but present prohibitive costs in the process.
For instance, to qualify as an antique, the ivory must be 100 years old or older. However, the person claiming the ivory is that old must “definitively prove” the identity of the species. Such proof “can be in the form of bonafide DNA analysis,” a qualified appraisal or “other documentation,” such as “family photos, ethnographic fieldwork or other information.” If such analysis is required on each and every piece of elephant ivory, it would be cost-prohibitive for individual knifemakers. What’s more, the appraiser and the appraisal must meet strict guidelines in terms of the appraiser’s credentials, the scientific method used to determine the age or species must be described in detail, a detailed history of the article including proof of authenticity must be presented, etc.
Not only are the requirements draconian in nature, they don’t even take into account the fact that no one kept such records of their ivory when they bought it months or years ago, and to obtain such information now is virtually impossible.
Further, there must be proof that the ivory was imported through one of 13 specific ports of entry—12 in the USA and the other in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Notarized statements or affidavits by the exporter or seller are not adequate proof.
The maximum penalty for violations—which would qualify as violations of the Endangered Species Act—is one year in prison and a $100,000 fine for the individual, and $200,000 for an organization. Those who submit false records or identification of ivory face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
For the latest knives, knife news, trends and more, stay tuned to www.blademag.com.
D.B. Fraley’s Grim Reaper says Boo! on the cover of the new BLADE—on most newsstands today.
D.B. Fraley’s Torrent 5.0 “Grim Reaper” says boo to you on the cover of the latest BLADE® (www.blademag.com), on most newsstands TODAY!
Sporting extensive gold-inlay by engraver C.J. Cai in a fitting Halloween motif, the big flipper folder was five years in the planning and completion stages and its owner, Jon Ukman, is thrilled with the spooky result.
•Discover which is best for you—a hunting knife that folds or is fixed—and why;
•See who our expert panel selects as the top 14 makers of the Golden Age of Modern Custom Knifemaking;
•Choose from a gaggle of top factory or custom slicing knives for that holiday turkey or ham;
•Learn whether the “Agent” by Jonathan Mcnees can pass the “steel-door-can-opening” test;
•Know a top traditional folder when you see it through “What To Look For in the Best Slip Joints”;
•Sample the top annual hammer-forged knives of the American Bladesmith Society as named at the 2013 BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) & Living Ready Expo;
•Read how collectors’ custom knives almost caused at least one divorce;
•Experience the week-long festivities of the Buck Collectors Club’s 25th Anniversary Celebration in concert with Buck Knives;
•Follow the chops, cuts, slices and other blade-performance derring-do of the 11th Annual BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) World Championship Cutting Competition;
•Learn what it takes to get started making tomahawks;
•Check out the latest knives, including the new bushcraft fixed-blade design for Colonial by Abe Elias, in “What’s New”;
•Absorb 3 keys to functional sheaths;
•Get the lowdown on makers Ron Appleton, Peter Rassenti, Ryan Lemaire, Patrick Randall, Rusty Waide and Robert Weinstock in “Knifemaker Showcase”;
•Also: see what the next knife show is nearest you; what to look for in the next issue; and much more, all in the January 2014 BLADE (www.blademag.com).
For the latest knives and knife news, stay glued to www.blademag.com.
