The late Gunny’s final knife collaboration was certainly not his least.
KA-BAR Gunny Review
The KA-BAR Gunny is a hybrid design that resembles a bolo. I suspect R. Lee Ermey, the unforgettable Gunny who serves as the knife’s namesake, spent some time in jungles because this combination chopper/slicer’s performance is on par with village-forged bolos I’ve used in Southeast Asia, and that’s a high compliment.
Its forward weight and terrific blade design promote efficient chopping. We cut through 3-to-4-inch-thick saplings with two strokes. We took down a tree with a 6-inch-thick truck just because we could.
After the chopping the blade was still sharp enough for camp kitchen work. The belly, good balance and fine edge combined to make slicing meat and vegetables a pleasure. Slashing hanging rubber hose and the water bottle were a piece of cake.
The comfortable handle lends itself both to heavy chopping and fine meat cutting, which is unusual.
Bottom line: The Gunny is an excellent all-around bush knife. The sheath has a pocket for a sharpening stone, which was not included with the review model.
After chopping wood, the Gunny sliced tomatoes like a chef’s knife.
The 2021 Overall Knife of the Year® is the Fox Saturn. The 40th BLADE Show took place June 4-6, 2021, at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta, Georgia. The event is the largest knife show on Earth, with attendees and exhibitors from around the world.
This prestige is what makes the awards at BLADE Show so vital to the knife industry. Below are the factory and custom award winners.
2021 BLADE Show Knife-Of-The-Year® Award Winners
Representatives from BLADE (www.blademag.com) distributedBLADEMagazine Knife of the Year® awards in 11 categories, plus awards for individuals’ career achievements. All entrants in the Knife of the Year® competition were evaluated by a super panel of undisclosed judges on a number of factors, including utility, design, creativity, materials, aesthetics, feel and other traits.
If you are fortunate enough to attend this year’s 40th BLADE Show, when you initially walk into the mammoth show hall of the Cobb Galleria Centre, take a moment and look around you. Every table, every booth, every person and the exquisite atmosphere that screams knives! would not be if not for two people: BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® members Bruce Voyles and Jim Parker.
Bruce Voyles
It was Bruce and Jim who organized the first BLADE Show—advertised early on as The Blade Magazine 1982 Knife Show—at the Drawbridge Motor Inn in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. (At the time, Jim and Bruce co-owned both the show and BLADE® Magazine.) Just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio, the event drew 7,000 attendees, by the standards of the day a huge amount of folks for one knife show. Even now, other than the BLADE Show, few if any knife shows attract that many people.
Remember, this was all done long before there was an internet and social media to generate pre-show interest. Pre-show advertising was basically all print—mostly in BLADE—and by word of mouth. Add the fact that the knife industry itself was a shadow of what it is today in terms of numbers of factory knife companies, custom knifemakers and, most importantly, knife enthusiasts, and attracting 7,000 attendees is even more remarkable.
Bruce and Jim, the latter founder of Parker Cutlery, were nothing if not visionary marketers of knives and venues in which to market them. They knew that to make the BLADE Show really stand out, they would have to make it the focal point of all things knives. To do this, they had to establish the event as the be-all/end-all knife show.
One of the things that set the BLADE Show apart even back then was it gathered all segments of the cutlery industry—factory, handmade, antique, knife collections, etc.—all under one roof. While the concept had been tried before, it had never continued in an annual fashion the way the BLADE Show was about to do it under the direction of Jim and Bruce.
Jim Parker
Another way to make the show unique was to establish awards that would be the factory knife industry’s equivalent of the movie industry’s Oscars. The awards would be the standard to which all factory knives and knife companies would aspire. The BLADE Magazine Knife-The-Year® Awards were the result, and they remain the most coveted factory knife honors to this day.
Bruce and Jim had the Knife-Of-The-Year concept covered, but what about a way for the show to memorialize its pioneers, the movers and shakers that made the knife industry the dynamic entity that it had been and would become even more so? The solution: the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame®, with the latest members enshrined each year at the BLADE Show. Created for the 1983 event, it remains the industry standard to this day.
Jim and Bruce would continue to grow the show, moving it to the Holiday Inn & Convention Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1984. In only its third year, with over 30 booths and almost 500 tables, it was vying for the title of the world’s largest knife show—if it wasn’t already.
Bruce bought out Jim’s interest in both BLADE and the BLADE Show in 1986, and moved the show to Atlanta and today’s Renaissance Atlanta Waverly in 1992. Bruce sold the show and the magazine to Krause Publications in 1994, and the event moved to the adjoining Cobb Galleria Centre in 1997, eventually evolving into the monster it is today, now under the ownership of Caribou Media Group LLC.
Jim passed away in 2004 but Bruce remains active in the knife industry as an auctioneer, show coordinator and author, among others. As of this writing, he had reserved BLADE Show booth No. 608. Unfortunately, he might not be able to attend this year’s show and if he does not, his beautiful wife Debbie and equally beautiful daughters Heather and Vanessa will be there to woman the booth. If he somehow is able to attend, he can answer any and all questions you have about knives, as well as the early history of the BLADE Show. Oh, and pack a lunch. He would have more tales to tell than a little bit.
BLADE Show is home to countless knives and just as many exclusive deals. Here are some outstanding highlights from our sponsors you don’t won’t want to miss.
Smoky Mountain Knife Works
WE Knife
Work Sharp
Big Daddy Unlimited
Wicked Edge
W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery
Hogue Knives
Kizer Cutlery
Microtech Knives
Smoky Mountain Knife Works Get Your Free Swag Bag at Booth 29
Stop by SMKW’s Booth (29) at BLADE Show, and we’ll give you an awesome free swag bag (while supplies last). Don’t wait!
WE Knife WE KNIFE BANTER at Booth 725
See more of our new knives at Booth 725.
Work Sharp Precision Adjust Special $50 (Only 300 Available) – Booth 312
All orders over $50 include a FREE Micro Sharpener. Precision Adjust on sale for $50 while supplies last.
Big Daddy Unlimited We’ve SLASHED the price on our Big Daddy Unlimited annual membership!
Take a STAB at these savings ($79.41) & Sign up NOW! Click here.
Wicked Edge 10% Off – Booth 42
Come see us and our newest arrivals in Booth 42 and pick up your BLADE Show 2021 coupon for 10% off your favorite tool.
W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery FREE “Made in Bradford” Stickers from Case Knives! – Booth 109
Get a free “Made in Bradford” sticker when you stop by Booth 109 to check out the all-new Marilla™ and Kinzua™ EDC knives from Case!
CPM 20CV stainless steel blade with a Glow Rhino Tritium infused ABLE Lock® carbon fiber frame and blue titanium hardware. Exclusively available at BLADE Show at Booth 52.
Kizer Cutlery 2021 BLADE Show knife – Kizer Sheepdog Mini C01c, 40th Anniversary Special edition
This special edition of the Sheepdog mini C01c is equipped with 154CM steel and champagne handles, only 300 available with a serial number. Get it here.
Microtech Knives Ultratech D/E for Only $160 – Booth 324
This year’s BLADE Show Special from Microtech Knives is the Ultratech D/E. Price is $160. Cash only. Limit one per person. Available at Booth 324.
OK, it’s been two years since the last BLADE Show as of this writing in 2021, so, in case you’ve forgotten authorized BLADE Show protocols, here’s your official “How To BLADE Show Manual.” This is to supplement the knife show courtesy guidelines here.
Walk, Don’t Run
Walk, don’t run, when you first enter the BLADE Show. I know, the temptation will be to sprint into the exhibition hall to get to your favorite maker’s table or booth. However, please don’t. For one thing, you might run me over. On the other hand, I understand your excitement, so if you do happen to flatten yours truly, please don’t wipe your feet on me.
Acceptable Whooping
To all ABS members who, if and when you first learn early Friday morning of the show that you’ve earned your master or journeyman smith stamp: Please feel free to let out your best war whoop (not that you need our permission, of course). We would, too, if it were us.
Winning Awards
The same (see previous) goes for those who win BLADE Magazine Knife Of the Year® or Custom Knife Judging Competition honors. Celebrating in such a manner releases endorphins and puts you on an emotional sugar-type high, which is something we all need after waiting 730-or-so days for it.
Spread the Word
If you see or find a maker you think has tremendous promise or could well be the next great one, make note of it and tell all your friends. Some of today’s best makers got their start at, or were inspired by, the BLADE Show. That is a tradition we cherish and want to sustain, because it is another thing that makes our show so splendiferous.
Say Hi
When you see a BLADE Show legend or BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member (for one of the latter, look for the new Hall-Of-Fame badge each of them will be wearing), smile, nod, and say hi. They will appreciate it. Make them feel welcome.
They are fountains of knowledge and most if not all of them not only want to share that knowledge, but feel a need to for both the present and future good of the knife community.
Be Mindful
If you see people in wheelchairs and/or with oxygen tanks, make room for them and even offer to assist them if they need it. Such people obviously love the BLADE Show more than most. Why else would they to so much effort to attend?
Listen Up
I’m hoping the PA system in the show hall will be somewhat easier to understand this year but, just in case it isn’t, if someone claims to have a device that automatically translates the system’s Charlie-Brown’s-teacher-ese into English, let me know. I want one.
No Amateurs After Hours
Choose wisely in the Pit after show hours. There are no doubt going to be some amateurs who go coo-coo for crazy puffs and imbibe a liquid refreshment or two too many.
Hey, after two years of no BLADE Show, that will be quite understandable, even for the old pros. My advice: nurse your beverage responsibly. The better you do that, the less likely you will be to suffer the “show hall shimmy” the following day.
Take Note
Finally, keep track of the youngest and oldest knife enthusiasts you see. They are all reminders of how we both were and, hopefully, some day will be when it comes to experiencing all things sharp. In a nutshell, they really are much of what the BLADE Show is really all about.
Find more information about the BLADE Show on bladeshow.com.
A new book from the publishers of BLADE magazine, Greatest Living Knifemakers, celebrates today’s legends who make knives in ways that most can only dream about. They make knives that can easily fetch tens of thousands of dollars, and even more.
Given all that talent, how does a book like this come together? Who gets to decide who is counting among the “Greatest Living Knifemakers” anyway? If you’re someone looking to collect or make knives, you’ll enjoy this interview with the editor of the book, Steve Shackleford, who is also a member of the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame®.
Many talented people make knives of outstanding quality. How did you go about choosing who should appear in this book?
Steve Shackleford
The hardest part was choosing who NOT to include. I’ve been covering the knife industry for BLADE®, the world’s No. 1 knife publication, since 1985, so I’ve had the privilege of seeing and handling some of the world’s greatest knives, and meeting some of the world’s greatest knifemakers.
As a result, some of the makers I picked peaked years ago and don’t even make that many knives anymore. On the other hand, some are peaking now. However, at some point in their careers each has made knives that are among the world’s best.
In addition, each has either made knives and/or introduced designs, techniques, folding mechanisms, damascus or other steels and other materials, etc., that in turn have set a standard or inspired other makers in the way they make knives.
And, of course, to qualify as per the book’s title, each must be living, though Tony Bose passed away after the book was finished. We decided to include him as a tribute to his fantastic slip joints and the overall impact he had on the knife industry, which was and remains monumental.
A mechanism that enables the handle to slide back while the blade closes, with the result being that the handle and blade can be the same length, distinguishes Emmanuel’s Mata Hari Dagger. What makes the feature so notable is that the handles of most folding knives must be at least one-half to 1 inch longer than the blades so that the blades will fit into the handles properly. The sliding mechanism is a combo of titanium and stainless steel gears, with the inlays moving on Teflon™ pads. (Francesco Pachi image from 2017 AKI)
What makes a knifemaker “great”?
Some of that is covered in my first answer above but there are other things as well. They must have a lifelong dedication to making knives, which all of those profiled have exhibited, as well as a passion to make knives for much more than just the money.
It’s kind of hard to explain unless you’ve followed knives for a long time, but, in a nutshell, most great knifemakers make knives because they sweat the load, they agonize over the details, and they don’t provide just a “product”—they produce a knife that almost always acts, looks and feels like it’s the best knife that maker makes. There’s much more but that’s part of it.
Are there any names that couldn’t make it into the book due to space limitations?
As noted above, yes, many make knives worthy of inclusion. However, I won’t name names here in case we decide to do a second volume of the book.
The Razorback State is the theme for Jerry Fisk’s Arkansas #1. The 11-inch blade has a Dog Star-pattern damascus with 1836 layers to represent the year Arkansas became a state. The blade also has steel welded into it from the Statue of Liberty. The walnut handle is from the official James Black walnut from the cemetery where Black is buried in Historic Washington Arkansas. Some believe Black made a bowie knife for James Bowie. The mountings are fully engraved and carved, including deep relief scrollwork and 24k-gold inlay—all by Jerry. (Whetstone Studio image)
Are the names ranked or is this just a collection of noteworthy knifemakers?
Since they are all great and, as John Wayne’s character once said of two great gunfighters in the movie Rio Bravo, “I’d hate to have to live on the difference,” I decided to list them all in alphabetical order—with the exception of R.J. Martin.
His profile appears first in the book because it is the only profile written by the maker himself. I did not ask him to write it, he volunteered to do it. I was so taken by the quality of his writing and the information he provided on what being a great knifemaker is really like that it was a no-brainer to include it.
In my opinion, it’s one of the best ways for the reader to truly appreciate what it’s like to be a great knifemaker—done from a great knifemaker’s point of view. I think it’s the best profile in the book, hands down.
Steve Johnson’s spectacular repro of a Loveless Big Bear sub-hilt fighter is highlighted by Barry Lee Hands engraving that includes 24k-gold inlays and overlays set with diamonds and gilded mother-of-pearl. The knife is made from one block of 5/8-inch thick, 4-inch-wide and 16-inch long CPM 154 stainless steel. The blade is a quarter-inch thick and 8.5 inches long. Overall length: 14 inches. Steve made it for the 2015 Art Knife Invitational. (Francesco Pachi image)
Do great knifemakers have a peak or a golden era within their careers, or are they great throughout their careers?
As with most all great talents, they do indeed seem to peak at certain times. Some peak for longer periods than others and some even seem to have more than one peak. Some may burn out early and then something happens to help them regain their mojo.
However, in most cases the great ones maintain varying levels of greatness throughout their careers, and I think that’s the case with all of those featured in the book.
Is there a list of the knifemakers featured in this book posted somewhere for people to check out?
Maybe it’s a bit of a contradiction, but both elegance and simplicity are elements of African blackwood, a handle material with a rapidly rising profile in the custom knife industry.
The color of the material combined with properties that make it a pleasure to work with has resulted in an explosion of interest. Ranging in luster from a reddish to a deep black hue, the wood is the product of a flowering tree also known as granadilla or mpingo. A relatively small tree, it grows primarily in the forests of Senegal east to the horn of Africa and in some parts of South Africa. Long used in musical instruments and high-end furniture, African blackwood is protected in order to prevent overharvesting.
Ken Hall’s sgian dubh features a 4.25-inch blade of twist damascus in a blend of 1075 spring and 15N20 nickel alloy steels. The pommel is formed from stone and giraffe bone. The African blackwood handle not only is ideal for its carvability but also in keeping with the sgian dubh’s name, which is Scottish for black knife.
When the material finds its way to a knife handle, something dazzling happens, and the makers who use it sing its praises. “I’ve always loved black-handled knives, especially with brass,” related Abel Price of Fayetteville, Arkansas, a part-time maker who is completely self-taught. “The black and gold combo just pops and gives it a beautifully elegant Art Deco feel.”
In the mountains of western North Carolina, ABS master smith Andrew Meers finds African blackwood a pleasure to work with. “It’s a dense and stable wood with a consistent grain structure that is excellent for handle material. It is workable and carves well,” he noted. “It has a rich, dark color and finishes out beautifully when sanded, and I haven’t noticed any cracking, shrinking or expanding, especially compared to the cracking I’ve noticed at times in similar looking wood such as ebony. I think these qualities contribute to its growing popularity among makers.”
Abel Price used African blackwood for the handle of his Deco Petty kitchen knife. He said the handle “was sculpted to contain design elements of the Art Deco era while hitting several notes of contrast: smooth and stippled, round and flat, black and white, and straight and sweeping lines.”
Andrew uses rasps and files for shaping, a flex shaft for carving, and prefers to sand and buff to finish his handles of the material. Last of all, he applies a coat of Danish oil. So, the finished product is just what the maker wants, and getting there is most often a pleasurable journey rather than an arduous trek. African blackwood exhibits excellent stability and takes a shine quite well. Custom makers agree that the material is ideal for carving, though whether it carves easily or not is open to the interpretation of the individual maker.
“I think the main reason for its carving ability is that it is hard,” commented Pekka Tuominen, a 17-year maker from Keitele, Finland. “Wood has to be hard if you wish to carve it with sharp and tight curves, and also polish those curves. Let’s say it’s not easy to carve, but when wood is hard you can get a good finish. Of course, it’s popular, too,” he observed. “Everybody knows that if some famous knifemaker uses a material, then the rest of the makers at least want to test it.”
MORE ATTRIBUTES
Waynesville, North Carolina-based ABS journeyman smith Ken Hall appreciates additional attributes of African blackwood. “I like using it because it’s a very dense wood, doesn’t require stabilizing, is hard and does not crack easily,” he stated. “It has a tight grain structure, so you don’t have to fill voids, and it can be carved or shaped without difficulty and provides a dark contrast to a steel blade.”
Huginn and Muninn are the names for two bowies by Richard Dawes. Huginn and Muninn are two mythical ravens that attend Odin. Dawes carved the African blackwood handles in a bird’s-head motif based on the style of bladesmith Bill Bagwell, one of the founders of the American Bladesmith Society.
Securing the handle to the blade most often involves a quality epoxy and a combination of pins, depending on the type of knife under construction. “I use rivets, pins and epoxy,” Pekka said, “but I don’t use African blackwood for full tangs. With hidden tangs sometimes just epoxy will keep the tang solid inside the handle.”
When Price went to work on his Deco Petty, a kitchen knife creation with a 6.5-inch blade of AEB-L stainless steel, overall length of 12 inches, and a handle of African blackwood, deer antler and a copper spacer, he knew just what he wanted to achieve. “The goal was to hit form and function,” he commented. “The ultra-thin cutting edge flexes with lateral pressure, and a Rockwell hardness of 61 [HRC] makes for a laser sharp tool in the kitchen. The handle was sculpted to contain design elements of the Art Deco era while hitting several notes of contrast: smooth and stippled, round and flat, black and white, and straight and sweeping lines. African blackwood does everything you want it to do with a perfect finish.”
Hall fashioned his sgian dubh as an interpretation of a historical Scottish knife. “African blackwood is the ideal wood for the sgian dubh because it can be carved and shaped to the hourglass design of the traditional sgian dubh handle,” he noted, “and provide an eye-catching contrast to the stainless steel bolster and pommel.” He added that blackwood is his preferred wood for a handle with a keyhole design because it can take the force applied to pressing the wood into the keyhole.
AESTHETICS & FUNCTION
Meers made the striking Vulpecula with a 12-inch damascus blade of 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel alloy steels. Meanwhile, something of a surprise is embedded in the African blackwood handle.
Matt Gregory’s LWT (Lum-Walton Tanto) is based on a design by Mike Walton inspired by the late Bob Lum. The African blackwood handle is polished to a mirror shine and tapers slightly in reverse of the tang, and has a delicate bulge in the center to provide for a subtle yet improved grip. The sheath (not shown) is by Jill Gregory.
“Vulpecula is a reliquary dagger,” Andrew explained. “It is inspired by the tradition of keeping objects, often hair or remains, in an embellished vessel. I found a fox tooth and had it sealed in a glass vial by a friend. I then built this dagger to house the vial as a reliquary.
“The blade fittings and handle are adorned with 24-karat gold inlay depicting a large fox, its skull and paw prints. The hardware is torch-cut steel plated with gold that is brushed back. Vulpecula, the ‘Little Fox’ constellation, is set into the blade with blue diamonds.
“It was a combination of aesthetic and functional choices that made me choose blackwood for this piece,” he concluded. “The wood machines and carves well, so for this handle it was the ideal choice. The blackwood’s depth serves as a rich contrast to the bright gold used in small inlays to represent a starry sky and the fox prints as well.”
Tuominen built his Protector, or Suojaleijee, dagger with a 5-inch welded damascus blade of 1080 and 80CrV2 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels, a guard of Nicorros (a copper/nickel alloy), African blackwood handle, and a handmade leather sheath with stainless clip. The blade is 7 inches and overall length is 12 inches. “It’s a custom order for an American collector,” he noted. “I used African blackwood because it’s black and more stable than other black-colored woods.”
SOURCES
While African blackwood remains protected, it can be found through various sources. However, Abel has a warning.
“I stocked up at a Rockler store a few years ago,” he remarked. “I’m not looking forward to finding another supplier. I believe the demand is outpacing the supply, and as conservation efforts increase, as they should, so will the price.”
Kelly Vermeer Vella em- ploys African blackwood and sterling silver for the handle of her dagger. The blade is a damascus of 1075 spring and 15N20 nickel-alloy steel.
Hall searches eBay for African blackwood and makes his selection based on what is available. Pricing, he says, runs $20 to $30 for a handle block or set of scales. While Pekka often sources his African blackwood from European knife shows, he also checks the internet for block-size pieces. Meers has had success with retail suppliers and finds a broad range of dimensions.
The custom knifemaker and the consumer alike have taken a new interest in African blackwood, and that fascination is not likely to fade in the near future.
Smoky Mountain Knife Works
WE Knife
Work Sharp
Wicked Edge
W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery
Hogue Knives
Microtech Knives
