Knife News Wire Archives

Knife Used to Save Life of 6-Year-Old Boy

Knife News Wire

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August 27, 2019

Knife Used to Save Life of 6-Year-Old Boy

Thanks to a young man’s quick thinking and a pocketknife, a 6-year-old boy is alive and well in Flowery Branch, Georgia.

On June 25, Logan Simmons, 19, a Chick-Fil-A employee, noticed the youngster in a car choking on a seatbelt in the drive through. Climbing through the drive-through window, Logan pulled out his pocketknife and cut the boy free, saving his life.

As a result of Logan’s actions, Knife Rights awarded him the Knife Rights’ Carry a Knife – Save a Life Award™.

“Logan Simmons’ action to save a young child’s life is a dramatic testimony to the value of always carrying a knife,” said Doug Ritter of Knife Rights. “You never know when your knife will be the difference between life and death; these situations cannot be foreseen, as Logan discovered.

“There are still places in America where the pocketknife Logan used would be illegal to carry. Knife Rights is committed to ensuring that law-abiding Americans can carry whatever knife they want to be prepared for whatever challenges they may have to meet without irrational restrictions that do nothing to stop criminal activity.”

The Carry a Knife – Save a Life Award honors an individual who uses his or her EDC knife to save a life, demonstrating the practical advantages to always carrying a knife in order to be prepared for situations when a knife is invaluable—up to and including saving lives.

In addition to an award plaque, Knife Rights’ knife industry friends donated over $5,000 in EDC knives for Logan, including one-hand-opening folders, autos and fixed blades, all legal for him to carry in Georgia. The donors each donated two knives, one for Logan to display and one to carry.

In addition, Logan was presented with a Knife Rights Life Membership, a certificate for him to be Knife Rights’ and BLADE® Magazine’s VIP guest at BLADE Show 2020, and a certificate from W.A. Surls Knives and Pop’s Knife Supply of Braselton, Georgia, for a two-day knifemaking experience where Logan will make a knife from scratch with supplies provided by Pop’s.

Logan’s mother, Teri Simmons, also was presented with a number of pocketknives, recognizing that mothers make a difference. Logan’s co-workers at Chick-Fil-A also were given pocketknives to carry.

A.G. Russell Passes Away at 85

Knife News Wire

BLADE Staff

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October 16, 2018

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ag russell knifemaker — A.G. Russell (1988)

A.G. Russell, long-time knife entrepreneur, founder of A.G. Russell Knives, a founding member of The Knifemakers’ Guild, and a member of the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame, passed away Oct. 12. During what was supposed to be a routine angiogram to check for blockage in a coronary artery, A.G.’s heart gave out. He was 85.

As recently as Wednesday, Oct. 10, A.G. spent a big part of most business days in the office working with Phil Gibbs on knife designs and talking to customers in the A.G. Russell Knives retail knife store in Rogers, Arkansas. Saturdays were especially important to A.G. He would spend most of the six hours that the store was open on that day, talking to customers. He especially enjoyed the children who visited the store.

“To say we are all in a state of shock is putting it mildly,” stated Mrs. Goldie Russell, A.G.’s wife, business partner of over 30 years and fellow BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Famer. “I do take great comfort in knowing from conversations we have had of late that he was simply tired and ready to be called Home, and that he is no longer experiencing pain and discomfort.”

Visitation will be on Sunday, October 21 from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Westfield Chapel Funeral Home in Springdale. Funeral services will be held on Monday, October 22 at 2:00 p.m. at Lakeview Baptist Church on Hwy 265 between Lowell and Cave Springs.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to military and veterans organizations that will be listed shortly here.

If it is your preference to send flowers, that may be arranged at the Heartfelt Sympathies Store online. Click here for more information.

Knifemaker Kit Carson Passes Away

Steve Shackleford

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September 8, 2014

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Knifemaker Kit Carson is dead. — Kit Carson passed away Friday, Sept. 5. He was 63.

Kit Carson of Vine Grove, Kentucky, long-time knifemaker, Army veteran and member of the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame©, passed away Friday, Sept. 5. He was 63.

Instrumental in popularizing the flipper style of folding knife, Kit made a wide range of tactical and utility folders, the best known of which are the M16, M4 and M21. Reproduced by Columbia River Knife & Tool in a wide range of iterations, the M16 has been one of the company’s best-selling and most successful knives for many years.

As revered as he was for his knives, Kit was more respected for his willingness to teach any and all how to make them. When knives and knifemaking exploded on the Internet circa the late 1990s and early 2000s, his mentoring benefited perhaps as many new and upcoming potential makers as anyone before or since.

A voting member of the Knifemakers’ Guild, Kit spent 20 years in the Army, retiring as a master sergeant in 1993. He grew up in North Georgia, interested in all things mechanical from the start. He began making knives in 1972, the same year he was drafted into the Army. It was during his last 10 years in the service that knifemaking became an extremely interesting and challenging hobby for him. While he and his wife Betty supported their children, Kit would scrounge any place he could in government housing to grind a blade shape or handle, or try to figure out how a lock mechanism worked.

“We did not have the Internet, all the books or the specialty tools,” he said of those times in his prepared induction speech into the Cutlery Hall Of Fame at the 2012 BLADE Show. “Many of us still today do every piece by hand, filing, sanding, honing blades, slowly creating knives, spending hundreds of hours at knife and BLADE Shows establishing our names in the industry and, most importantly, making lifelong friends.”

A celebration of his life with military honors will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the chapel of Coffey & Chism Funeral Home in Vine Grove. Visitation begins after noon Wednesday. At the request of family, everyone is asked to wear casual clothing and bright colors in honor of Kit’s life. Donations can be made to the National Parkinson’s Foundation at www.parkinson.org.

Knifemaker Phil Boguszewski Passes Away

Steve Shackleford

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July 8, 2013

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Long-time knifemaker Phil Boguszewski, one of the world’s leading crafters of cool, smooth-operating custom folders, has passed away.

A resident of Lakewood, Washington, Boguszewski was known for such folders as his “Spike” and, later, the “Cobra.” In the July 2013 BLADE® Magazine, a panel of veteran industry observers chose the Cobra as the top custom knife for the years 2001-2012.

A full-time knifemaker, Boguszewski sold his first knife in 1979. According to “Phil Boguszewski: Folding Knife Specialist” in the May/June 1988 issue of BLADE, the first 40 knives he made were all folders. He specialized in utility folding knives, including those in the latest materials, filework and slick mechanisms. He joined the Knifemakers’ Guild as a probationary member in 1984 and became a voting member in 1986.

His folders were highly sought after and sold for anywhere from $550 to $3,000 each—and he rarely if ever had trouble selling them. He was a regular at such exclusive knife shows as the Tactical Invitational and others.

“Phil was an amazing, innovating man,” began Larry Brahms of BladeArt.com. “I guess he is best known for the incredible smoothness and fluidity of his flipper folders, specifically the Cobra, a smoothness that really set the standard for what has become a mainstay in a knifemaker’s stable.

“He really is a legend in his own right and our community will miss him.”

Of Boguszewski’s Cobra, purveyor Les Robertson of Robertson’s Custom Cutlery noted, “With its recurve blade, handle that fits like a glove and that signature smooth opening, it is always a sought-after knife. Phil set the standard for all other makers wanting to build a knife with a flipper opener.” Added Neil Ostroff of True North Knives, “The Cobra excels for its durability as Phil’s best-selling knife.”

For the latest on the hottest knives, knifemakers and more, stay tuned to www.blademag.com.

Bear & Son acquires GATCO sharpener division

Erin Healy

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November 16, 2016

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Bear & Son acquires GATCO sharpener division

Acquiring GATCO has positioned Bear & Son Cutlery to be a true one-stop shop for knife enthusiasts. — Bear & Son Cutlery, Inc., has purchased the sharpener division of GATCO.

Bear & Son Cutlery, Inc. announced Nov. 14 that it has acquired the sharpener division of GATCO. Ken Griffey, president of the Jacksonville, Alabama, manufacturing company, said he’s been in the knife industry for 39 years, and for 28 or 29 of those years Bear & Son has worked trade shows and other events side by side with the Great American Tool Company, Inc., or GATCO, as it was better known. Griffey expressed confidence that Bear & Son can now truly be a one-stop shop for knife enthusiasts. “It’s a natural fit,” he said.

Sharpener production at GATCO ceased in June or July, Griffey explained, so the number one order of business is to get merchants restocked. For the immediate future, GATCO sharpeners will continue to be made in both the USA and China. In short order, Bear & Son executives will assess whether some manufacturing can be moved back to the United States.

All GATCO sharpeners will continue to be made with the possible exception of one or two models. In place of those, Bear & Son will debut two new sharpeners to complement its knife lines. Griffey said he saw 3D models of these new sharpeners but wants to see the real thing before he approves production and sets price. Decisions will be made in time for any new products to make their first appearance at the SHOT Show, Jan. 17-20, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

GATCO celebrated its 25^th anniversary in 2014. Founded by John Anthon and originally based in Getzville, New York, its specialty was offering a wide range of sharpeners. Angle guide, pull-through, stone, diamond abrasive, ceramic, carbide—GATCO had a model. The company’s Tri-Seps sharpener was the BLADE Magazine 1999 Accessory Of The Year.

Griffey said the purchase of GATCO makes Bear & Son Cutlery a full one-stop shop for knife enthusiasts. Always strong on the outdoor and hunting side of the knife market, the company also offers its Bear Ops line that focuses on law enforcement, military and self-defense knives. A new line, the affordable Bear Edge, will offer knives with some components made in China but assembled in the USA.

Steve Shackleford, BLADE® editor, contributed to this article.

This Gear Care Kit Field Grade Tin is a perfect stocking stuffer and includes a GATCO Super Micro sharpener.

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Good and Bad Knife Bills Brewing

Steve Shackleford

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January 23, 2012

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There is both good and bad news from Washington state. Starting with the good, two companion bills, Senate Bill 6179 and House Bill 2347, would make it legal to manufacture spring-assisted and switchblade knives in the state. The bills also clarify the definition of a switchblade, or what is referred to in Oregon law as a “spring blade knife,” so as to not include assisted-opening knives that are currently subject to adverse interpretation of the state statute, making them technically illegal. In addition, the bill would expand the existing law enforcement exemption for possession of “spring blade knives” to members of the military, full-time first responders and the citizens who hold a valid Washington concealed pistol license (Washington is a “shall issue” state).

Knife Rights Director of Legislative Affairs Todd Rather will be in Olympia on Wednesday to testify in support of the bills on behalf of Washington’s knife owners. The bills are a big incremental step forward in a state where any knife with a spring assisted blade has been interpreted as being illegal and where Washington knife companies, such as Fox Knives USA and SOG, were prohibited from even manufacturing such knives in the state, sending those jobs to other states with more rational knife laws, including neighboring Oregon.

The bad news is that last year’s ridiculous anti-knife bill, HB 1006, which would make it illegal to conceal any knife over 3 1/2 inches long even with a Washington concealed pistol permit (since it is not a concealed weapon permit), has been resurrected. In a state where a long coat is a normal part of every outdoor enthusiast’s, fisherman’s and hunter’s attire for a good part of the year, this would turn honest citizens into criminals for carrying a modestly sized sheath knife on their belt, along with quite a few common folding knives longer than the arbitrary length limit.

If you live, work or travel in Washington state, please contact BOTH your Senator and Representative in Olympia and ask them to support SB 1234 and HB 2347, respectively, and ask your Representative to help kill HB 1006 for good. Click here to locate your legislators, or the legislators who represent where you work or travel.

The preceding is courtesy of Knife Rights. For more information click on http://kniferights.org/

For more on the latest knives, knife legislation, knifemaking instruction, knife trends, knifemakers, what knives to buy and where and much more, subscribe to BLADE® Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication. For subscription information click on http://www.shopblade.com/product/blade-magazine-one-year-subscripti…?r+ssfb230112#BL1SU

Queen Cutlery Co. Ceases Production, Reorganizes

Knife News Wire

Steve Shackleford

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January 10, 2018

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Queen Cutlery Co. Ceases Production, Reorganizes

Queen Cutlery Company bankrupt — The #3EXP Mountain Man Express lever-lock pocketknife is one of Queen’s most recent models. The 3.75-inch blade is 1095 carbon steel. MSRP: $350.

Queen Cutlery Co. has been forced to cease all production and close its facility in Titusville, Pennsylvania, as of today, Jan. 10, according to a Queen press release.

Kenneth Daniels, chief executive officer and president of Queen, cited issues with cash flow as the cause of the cessation of the company’s knife production. He added that all Queen employees will be furloughed while the company goes through a period of reorganization.

Queen Cutlery knife company — The announcement posted on Queen’s website.

According to Queen’s Ryan Daniels, more information concerning Queen’s future will be released in February.

Queen made knives under the Schatt & Morgan and Schatt & Morgan Express lines, as well as the private label lines of Queen Classics, Schatt & Morgan Premier, Tuna Valley Cutlery Co., Cougar Creek Knives and Trestle Pine Knives.

Queen traces its roots back to the old New York Cutlery Co. (Schatt & Morgan), which moved from Gowanda, New York, to Titusville in 1902. The company incorporated as Schatt & Morgan Cutlery Co., Inc., and began cutlery production in January 1903. The Schatt & Morgan knives were made until 1931.

Then known as Queen City, Queen had a number of contracts with the government during World War II and also supplied other cutlery companies in their war effort. Queen City supplied product to the Jersey City Depot from May 1944 through October 1954. In addition, Queen City furnished knives for Williams Brothers Cutlery in California from Nov. 18, 1942, to December 1945.

In 1991, Queen started re-issuing the Schatt & Morgan knives, a Robeson Series in 1995, and a “File & Wire” series in 1998.

Kenneth Daniels bought Queen in 2012 and Queen had been specializing in a wide range of traditional pocketknives since then.

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Warren Osborne Passes Away

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Knife News Wire 1/16/18: Canada Bans Imports of One-Hand Opening Knives

Knife Used to Save Life of 6-Year-Old Boy

A.G. Russell Passes Away at 85

Knifemaker Kit Carson Passes Away

Knifemaker Phil Boguszewski Passes Away

Bear & Son acquires GATCO sharpener division

Good and Bad Knife Bills Brewing

Queen Cutlery Co. Ceases Production, Reorganizes

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