No matter the brand or model, sharpening steels are used the same way. Most manufacturers recommend using one while standing at the kitchen counter or seated at a table.
The Set Up
Take the sharpening steel and place the tip on the table, held upright with the handle at the top.
With one hand, grasp the handle firmly, keeping it perpendicular with the flat surface at all times.
With the other hand, grasp the knife handle and place the blade at a 20-to-30 degree angle in relation to the sharpening steel. Place the blade as close to the guard as possible, set to start at the part of the blade closest to the tang.
Move the Blade
In one motion, move the blade down the length of the rod while at the same time draw the blade fully across the steel. When you near the flat surface you are working from, though without touching the surface, you should be at the blade tip.
Repeat
Raise the blade to where you started from, switching the blade to the opposite side, then repeat the same stroke. Then, return to the side you started from, and repeat once again. Do an equal amount of strokes for both sides of the blade.
Getting Better
As you become more comfortable using the sharpening steel, you can forego the flat surface and hold the steel with one hand similar to how you would a large kitchen knife. With the other hand, place the blade on the rod at the recommended 20-to-30 degree angle and lightly push the blade across the rod, ending at the blade tip.
I highly recommend you not proceed to this step until you are confident enough, because with this alternate method chances for not holding the angle correctly is greater.
Let the Rod Do the Work
Whatever method you use, remember to always use light strokes. There is no need to bear down on the blade with pressure. Let the rod do the work.
Companies on the cutlery side seem to be weathering the COVID-19 era better than those in most other industries, in no small part due to online knife sales. BLADE promised to check on the custom side of things for you, and, though maybe not quite as well as their production brethren, the custom knifemakers we asked about it seem to be holding their own.
Already Practicing Social Distancing
Having employees work from home is one of the measures factory knife and other companies have taken to ensure long-range social distancing and to help control the spread of the virus.
Many custom makers, of course, work out of their home shops and have done so for decades, so they were a step ahead of the game in that regard from the outset.
Moreover, many makers take orders and sell their knives through their own websites, on social media, via email, and through advertising in knife magazines and elsewhere. As a result, not unlike their factory counterparts, they have experienced some success in that area, too. Purveyors who sell the makers’ knives are an added bonus as well.
Ironically, the early lockdown and also the downturn in another industry—travel—actually bene fitted at least one knifemaker.
“Good For My Business”
“Honestly, COVID has been real good for my business. At the beginning when everything was closed, we suddenly had a bunch of free weekends when travel all got canceled,” noted Jason Fry. “I used that time to do a lot of knife work. In the first three months of COVID, I have one customer that bought four of the six knives I put out for sale. Product has continued to move well, even at the $500+ price points.”
Another boost to custom knife sales early on was the federal stimulus and unemployment checks.
“Our sales went up a whole lot when the stimulus checks were sent out and people on unemployment were getting that extra $600 a week,” noted Linda Hibben, wife of BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Gil Hibben.
Linda added that while things had slowed down a bit in late summer, Gil continued to accept orders.
“Believe it or not, the Rambo III bowie and machete are still selling,” she enthused. (Along with the third Rambo movie, the Rambo III bowie debuted in 1988.) “We have had several di fferent bowie orders and combat-type knife orders recently.”
“Orders Are Down Overall”
ABS master smith and BLADE contributor Wally Hayes indicated he was still taking orders via email, messenger, Instagram and Facebook, but had “lost a bunch” also.
“I would say orders are down overall,” he stated. Helping take up the slack for Wally are the damascus watch dials he builds for a watchmaker in Oslo, Norway.
Supplies Still Plentiful
As for having enough supplies to fill knife orders, maker George Brackett said he had everything he needed to make about 70 forged knives, with 32 orders “in the pipeline.” After he gets the go-ahead from his doctors following some recent surgery, he’s going to start making knives again.
Fry indicated he’s experienced no real issues with supplies yet, and intends to order bulk every few months.
“I haven’t tried ordering steel lately,” he added, “but belts, etc., haven’t been a problem.”
On the down side have been the cancellations of a number of knife shows, including BLADE Show 2020, the latter a place where many makers would have sold a significant number of knives and taken a large number of orders. (BLADE Show 2021 is set for June 4-6 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.)
If it weren’t for the fact that other knife shows aren’t the go-to venues they once were due to online sales and other factors, such makers no doubt would be hurting more than they are now.
Contracts Still In Place
Another bonus for makers such as Gil is the collaboration agreements they have entered into with factory knife companies. In fact, his long-time contract with United Cutlery is going great knives, including a knife design in the works celebrating his upcoming 65th anniversary as a knifemaker in 2022.
“We have new designs coming out with United on a regular basis,” Linda wrote, “so all is good!”
Blending the old with the new sometimes can yield notable results.
It’s been said there’s nothing new under the sun. I might add that new ideas in knifemaking are rare. I do not claim the technique I am about to share is new because that could start the story off on the wrong foot. On the other hand, I will say I have not seen it done in the context of making knife parts. Comparisons can be drawn to particular cultural techniques, and I encourage that in the name of inspiration. Speaking of, that will be the purpose of this discussion—inspiration.
PHOTO 1: The spacer arrangement includes the temporary Micarta® spacer in the middle and the actual stainless piece for the spacer in the author’s hand.
PHOTO 2: The stainless piece is inserted into the middle and the outside layers of spacers are used as templates for drilling alignment holes, and to establish the margin of reveal above the surface—in this case, 1⁄4 inch. The middle spacer is simply cut and ground to this margin and further prep is done. (See PHOTO 3.)
PHOTO 3: The margin of reveal is established and, for the author’s purposes in this particular look, the notches are cut. If you want a simpler look, you may want the smooth band—often called wedding band—and omit the notches. For the wedding band, the author recommends not only omitting the notches but using less reveal, say, 3/16 inch or so. Remember, every decision has its consequences. Consider the volume of the material no matter how small and adjust accordingly.
PHOTO 4: The next consideration is “How do you hold the thing?” The author inserted a bolt of appropriate size into the slot. Note: On a knife this large, use a quarter-inch center hole as a start to the slot. Hence, a quarter-inch bolt (or all thread) works well for the process. The bolt has a washer and a
nut on each side and is cut off after tighten- ing. The alignment pins are slightly inside the surface so as not to interfere with the bolt/nut arrangement, as well as the necessary pressure to hold it, while forging the spacer.
I have been fortunate to have had several sources of inspiration, not the least of which is my time and training in historic blacksmithing. One of the guiding principles of the early blacksmith was practicality. You will end up being the judge as to whether or not this technique is practical or not for your purposes. I will try to show how blending the old with the new sometimes can yield unique results that can be beautiful as well as inspiring. I call the technique intermediate forging. I chose the name to imply it involves a mixture of old and new techniques within the same process in order to accomplish the task. It can involve forging—the old—as well as the new via the use of modern tools such as grinders, saws, etc. The particular order of the use of the techniques is at your discretion as well. In other words, you may forge, then saw/grind, then forge more before, perhaps, grinding again and finishing or polishing.
PHOTO 5: While this vise is not the one the author uses for this step, it illustrates the way the piece is held and the relative position to the top of the jaws that the piece should be held during forging. Use a small, 6-to-8-ounce ballpien hammer so as not to move the piece around in the vise when forging the small areas heated by the torch. The grip of a common post vise under moderate jaw pressure will be enough. The radius of the ball along with the positioning in the vise jaws will pro- tect from beating up the outside spacer. The parallel lines provided by the jaws and the layers of the spacer will provide ample references to target the blows. This might take actually doing it before you really get confident.
PHOTO 6: The proud area of the middle spacer is forged down a little at a time using focused heat from a brazing tip of an oxyacetylene torch. The piece is set within the jaws of a vise large enough to provide mass and enough force to the grip. The mass absorbs residual heat that could build up and soften areas that must not be deformed.
PHOTO 7: This shows the progress of the forging as the middle spacer is forged down against the outer spacers. The piece will have to be turned often and with a tool that won’t scar it. The author uses flat-jaw tongs very carefully. The outer spacers should need a light surface clean- ing only, so everything outside the forged part should be viewed as fragile—especially the rim.
PHOTO 8: The piece appears as it does after a few rotations and triple checks to ensure the forging is done. Note that it
is not beat up, nor wracked out of shape and shifted. Risky work? Yes, but it can be done. Bladesmiths do this kind of thing all the time. As the man said, “Aim small, miss small.”
It’s time to return to the finishing. Take the piece apart and examine it.
11: The piece is ready for final shaping and finishing.
Intermediate forging can be used on blades or integral parts of blades. This may be where it is easiest to see and accept the possibility of enlisting the technique. I’m sure you may have seen the need to return to the forge to refine or make corrections in order to improve or actually save a project. It’s often viewed as a concession or acknowledgment of defeat if you must return to the forge for corrections. I now present to you the possibility of pushing aside the puristic view and actually using the intermediate forging technique as part of some projects, and opening up new combinations of techniques for new looks.
PHOTO 12: After final shaping and finishing, the author installs permanent alignment pins. While the way the three pieces are fit together means it’s unlikely they’ll get turned around, the author pins them anyway just to be on the safe side.
PHOTO 13: All hail the completed project!
The HANDLE SPACERSOne way in particular I have made changes in the look of my knives by intermediate forging is on the handle spacers. The accompanying photos and descriptions pertain to how I set up and mix the techniques of old and new to arrive at a unique process with almost endless possibilities. I show the progression of one project along with a finished photo, and then some other examples of variations of the technique.I use stainless steel for the spacer, though mild steel or other forgeable materials would work as well. I start with three layers, leaving the middle layer proud by a chosen margin according to my plan. Note: I often “lean” the guard and spacer forward. This creates the need to provide a fake middle spacer that will be discarded after the outside spacers have their inclination established. I then insert the actual middle spacer and leave it proud for the subsequent steps. The author used his intermediate forging process to make the handle spacer for his S-guard bowie. (Whetstone Studio image)YOU be THE JUDGEAs noted, you must be the judge as to whether intermediate forging is for you. I’ve found that the results are worth the extra effort it takes to accomplish my intent. Also, while steps in this process are examples of workmanship of risk*, the risk is usually limited to an individual part of and not the whole knife. I’ve also found that risk itself adds intrigue to the project, and intrigue attracts the curious. Of course, as with a movie, risk and intrigue are good when the ending can be written with a predictable result. Hence, intermediate forging also needs to have predictable results. I can say that it certainly has for me.*Workmanship of risk refers to a principle found in the book, The Nature and Art of Workmanship, by David Pye.For more information, contact Lin Rhea, Dept. BL11, 413 Grant 291020, Prattsville, AR 72129 870-942-6419 [email protected], rheaknives.com.
Tony Bose, the man perhaps most responsible for the rebirth of the slip joint/pocketknife genre in today’s knives, BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame® member, loving husband and father, and friends to scores in the knife industry, passed away Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020.
A Shock to the Knife Community
Reactions poured in from the knife community.
“Heartbreaking news!” knifemaker Bill Ruple noted on his Facebook page. “Tony was my hero in the knife community!! He broke ground for all of us in the slip joint community!!”
Added knifemaker Bobby Branton, “Through his knowledge and willingness to share with others, [Tony] has played a huge part in keeping the custom slip joint movement alive. His contributions and work with Case knives have made his designs affordable to collectors around the world.”
Chimed in knifemaker Luke Swenson, “We lost a fine knifemaker and a better person and friend.”
A Love Of Traditional Pocketknives
Tony Bose championed slipjoint knives and other traditional styles. (Kerry Hampton image)
Things didn’t come easy for Bose from the get go. Born in 1946, he lost his right eye at 6.
“Most of his life has been affected one way or another by that loss, but perhaps it was the defining moment in steering his career in the direction of self-employment and self-discovery,” Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame member Ken Onion said in his speech inducting Tony into the Cutlery Hall Of Fame in 2019. Tony’s father also was disabled, so Tony sought work to help his family make ends meet. His disability made finding employment difficult, especially at a time when employers were reluctant to hire the disabled.
One of the things that helped Bose persevere was his affection for slip joints.
“He’s had a deep love for traditional pocketknives for as long as he can remember. He always had one, mostly something worn out or someone gave him,” Onion observed.
In high school Bose made money sharpening knives until he saved up enough to buy a brand new Case knife. Eventually he started making fixed blades in his spare time.
“His focus was to acquire the necessary equipment to build folding knives, and that he did,” Onion continued.
In 1989, Bose became a full-time maker.
“His goal was to make traditional folding knives and improve upon them using the best materials he could find, and to perfect the craft,” Onion said.
Bose was self-taught and, due to the difficulty he encountered in finding information on making knives, he vowed to share his knowledge with other makers to keep the interest alive.
Gradually, Tony began to establish himself, making slip joints and selling them at local knife shows. He began winning honors for his knives at various events, including Best Folder awards at the 1994 East Coast Custom Knife Show and, in 1995, at the world’s largest and most important knife event: the BLADE Show in Atlanta.
Bose’s Career Takes Off
The Bose/Case collaboration will be remembered as one of the most successful in modern knives. (Case photo)
The turning point in Bose’s career came in 1999 when, at the request of Mark Zalesky, now editor of Knife Magazine, Ed Jessup of Case called to see if Bose would be interested in working with Case. Tony agreed and the Case/Bose collaborations went on to transform an industry.
Tony and Case did not limit their working agreement to knife collaborations only. Tony became a crowd favorite at Case consumer events and swap meets nationwide, conducting knifemaking seminars, meet and greets, and otherwise serving as an ambassador for all things Case.
It was a relationship beneficial to both parties and the entire industry in more ways than one. In the case of Case, not only did it swell company coffers, it also improved Case knives—no small feat for one of the world’s leading names in cutlery.
In the process of combining on some of the world’s best slip-joint collaborations, Tony and Case refocused attention on slip joints in general. Add the impeccable custom slip joints that Tony continued to make, and custom knife aficionados bought more of them. That influence included other custom makers as well, and more of them switched from making other knife genres to building slip joints.
A Legacy of Teaching and Inspiration
Almost as legendary as his knives is Tony’s legacy of teaching anyone who wanted to know how to make knives.
“Tony takes the time to be sure students understand what he’s trying to teach,” Onion said in 2019. “He’s improved the level of quality in a big way at Case and has taught them to do the impossible. He consistently strives for perfection. He’s very inspirational and has been a muse to the company. He’s respected and loved by everyone.”
Tony Bose poses with his plaque during BLADE Show 2019 after being inducted into the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame alongside Hall of Fame Member Ken Onion (left) and family.
One of the most accomplished of all of Tony’s students is his son, Reese. The younger Bose has become so adept at making slip joints that he is considered among the world’s best.
Concluded Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Dan Delavan, “Tony Bose is another maker who made what he liked, slip joints, when there was not much demand, and then the market took off. His work is still the best and the most sought after.”
Three blades with an Eastern design flair are zesty cutters
For many decades Asian knives, tools and swords languished in the cutlery industry, remembered most for blades brought back by U.S. service personnel who fought in the Pacific during World War II. Times have certainly changed, thanks in no small part to a highly accomplished custom knifemaker named Bob Lum.
Of Asian descent, Lum introduced the custom knife world to his “American” version of the Japanese tanto and leaf-shaped blades circa 1980. Through the balance of the ’80s, and later in the ’90s, Lum’s tanto design was rabidly embraced by a budding modern tactical knife crowd. The tanto has been a mainstay ever since. Other Asian blade styles, such as the bolo and kukri, have been embraced as well. My team and I look at three modern takes on the “Asian Equation” here and put these intriguing cutters through the paces.
CHAMP CHOPPER: Spyderco Lum Darn Dao
source: knifecenter.com
Designed by Lum before he passed away way too early in 2007, the Spyderco Lum Darn Dao is a full-tang Chinese dao-style knife. Overall length: 16.27 inches. The 10.63-inch blade is CPM 154 stainless steel with a flared tip and a swedge grind terminating at the clip on the spine. The 5.64-inch handle has a flared base and the black G-10 scales are ample, fully sculpted and highly polished. A handcrafted dark brown leather sheath with a thumb-break retention loop comes standard. Weight (minus the sheath): 17.89 ounces. MSRP: $649.95. This is a limited edition of one production run only.
The first thing we noticed about the Lum Darn Dao is that it’s not as cumbersome as it initially looks, and then we realized it’s just shy of 18 ounces, which is not that unwieldy as large knives go. The handle is an exercise in comfort—well sculpted all the way around.
The Lum Darn Dao has a deep V-grind, making it an excellent slicer. Sisal rope was a piece of cake. Full grinds like that of the Darn Dao slice and chop well, as the edge doesn’t encounter the hump of a ricasso when it goes about its work.
One inch seemed to be the Darn Dao’s magic number. Employing a basic hammer grip, we used the blade to cut through 1-inch sisal rope like it was butter. When we challenged it on an old phone book (remember those?) with diagonal full-force chops, it repeatedly sunk in an inch deep. For long-term use we’d opt for a rougher finish or texture on the G-10 grip, but all in all the Darn Dao chopped like a champ.
Specs: SPYDERCO LUM DARN DAO Blade length: 10.63 inches Blade steel: CPM 154 stainless Handle length: 5.64 inches Handle material: Sculpted G-10 Sheath: Leather belt carry Weight: 17.89 ounces Overall length: 16.27 inches Country of origin: Taiwan MSRP: $649.95
SHORT, WIDE HYBRID: SOG’s Kiku XR Blackout
SOG’s Kiku XR Blackout is a mid-size folder 7.375 inches open and 4.3 inches closed. Designed by custom knifemaker Kiku Matsuda of Japan, the 3-inch black-coated blade of CTS-XHP stainless steel is a hybrid of the tanto style with some interesting twists. The main grind is recurved and there is a swedge grind on the spine that ends in a harpoon dip. The blade opens via a kidney-shaped hole in the blade or by an optional gimped flipper. The black handle has sculpted G-10 scales over black stainless steel liners, and SOG’s XR pull-down slide release unlocks the blade. On the rear is a blade-tip-up pocket clip. Weight: 5.19 ounces. MSRP: $189.95.
SOG’s Kiku XR Blackout has a hybrid version of the American tanto blade. The recurved portion of the main grind does a great job trapping leather and rope, and the tip finishes the job as it is pulled through.
The Kiku XR Blackout’s blade is shorter and wider than the traditional tanto pattern. We tested it first on 1.5-inch-wide harness leather, executing straight cuts and pull-throughs. The modified edge cut very well, though we almost ran out of blade while pulling upward through the leather strip.
Rope was much easier. The recurve of the blade trapped the rope, and the secondary grind from the dividing line—or yokoke—to the tip finished the job. It should be noted not all tantos have a yokoke; some simply sweep through upward to the tip. The cuts on 3/8-inch rappelling rope were clean as a whistle, while the edge tended to shred thicker 1-inch sisal. The handle was plenty comfortable and added to our cutting pleasure.
SPECS: SOG KIKU XR BLACKOUT Blade length: 3 inches Blade steel: CTS XHP stainless Blade type: Hybrid American tanto Handle material: Sculpted G-10 Special features: Multiple blade grinds Carry: Pocket clip, blade tip upWeight: 5.19 ounces Closed length: 4.375 inches Country of origin: Taiwan MSRP: $210.95
2-HAND HOSS: The TOPS CUMA Kage
photo source: knifecenter.com
The TOPS CUMA Kage is a tour de force by martial arts guru Sijo Wayson Johnny Tsai. Overall length: 23.75 inches. The 15.5-inch blade of 1095 high carbon steel sports TOPS’ Black Traction Coating. The lengthy handle is 8.25 inches with Micarta scales sized for two-handed delivery. The blade is a hybrid straight sword pattern blended with 7 inches of kukri bulge at the tip to give it a bit of utility to go with its, ahem, badassery. It includes a full-length black Kydex sheath with a dangler/attachment ring. Weight: 31.5 ounces. MSRP: $360.
Using one hand or two, the author found the CUMA Kage cut brush equally well. However, as you might expect, you can take on much heavier tasks with it by using both hands.
To test the CUMA Kage for its utility billing, we took it outside for brush-clearing duty. We’ve always admired the kukri and have cleared an acre or two over the years with one, so this long send-up of the chopper intrigued me. We found out quickly we could use the CUMA Kage with one hand or two, which gives it a big leg up on its smaller cousin. The Micarta handle is well filled out and plenty grippy. One-handed we were able to easily whack through half-inch-thick green hardwood stalks and branches. Two-handed we sliced through stalks three-quarter of an inch with ease, and 1 inch as long as we had clearance to pull back for a full stroke. Though not the CUMA Kage’s original intent, it does have formidable utility.
Specs: TOPS CUMA KAGE Blade length: 15.5 inches Blade material: 1095 carbon steel Blade finish: Black Traction Coating Handle length: 8.25 inches Handle material: Micarta Special features: Kukri blade tip Sheath: Kydex w/leather dangler Weight: 31.5 ounces Overall length: 23.75 inches Country of origin: USA MSRP: $360
MELONIOUS ASSAULT
After testing the blades on a variety of fare, just for fun we took to the backyard to let them each have a go at a cantaloupe. Leading off with a reverse grip on the SOG Kiku XR, we stabbed the forlorn melon to the hilt. As stubby a version of the tanto as the Kiku XR’s blade may be, the cantaloupe’s pithy skin gave into the knife’s wishes quite easily.
The Kiku XR Blackout may have a shortened version of the American tanto blade style but it still likes to stab. Here it sinks to the hilt in the cantaloupe. The handle is chubby and comfortable, making the whole package work in harmony.
The author’s neighbor lowers the boom with the CUMA Kage. Short swords this size often are primarily geared toward combat, but the kukri-style tip gives the TOPS tool a welcome amount of utility.
Next up the TOPS CUMA Kage tried the task of halving the cantaloupe in one fell swoop, which we captured in burst mode on my neighbor’s IPhone. Mission accomplished. Finally, we used the Lum Darn Dao to “prepare the meal” by using the blade in quick, rapid-fire chops. The sword’s deep V-grind—not unlike that of a chef’s knife—performed admirably.
Like an oversized chef’s knife, the Lum Darn Dao deftly whacked the cantaloupe into chunks with speed and style.
BEASTS of the EAST
While we often think of knives and swords of an Asian design in the context of combat and martial arts, it’s easy to forget that many Eastern blades were used for everyday utility as well. The tanto was an everyday carry by the Samurai class in Japan, and men and women alike carried a smaller version, the kaiken, aka kwaiken. The chisel grind was not typical on tantos as we see on some of them today, but on knives for culinary purposes. The Japanese kiridashi, which is rapidly gaining a toehold in the cutlery world, was also chisel ground and used for wood carving and marking.
The wicked Indian/Nepalese Kukri was employed in combat, but is primarily a tool for clearing land and is used widely for bush whacking today. Even the Indonesian karambit was considered a working knife by its users. If nothing else, the distinctiveness of Asian cutlery design has added richly to our knowledge base of cutlery and given us a plethora of modern-day knives to explore.
What about knives is susceptible to the cancel culture?
By Steve Shackleford
The so-called cancel culture that’s plagued our nation for some time now has somehow managed to overlook our beloved knife community—at least so far. Of course, this is not to say that the “woke mob” hasn’t attacked a number of personages revered not only worldwide but in the knife community as well, such as presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, both of whom carried knives of various types, including some really cool pocketknives that have been featured in BLADE®.
In fact, some knifemakers, including Ernest Emerson through his Emerson Knives, Inc., and ABS master smith Jerry Fisk, have built and sold knives with handles made of wood taken from the trees on Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. Many other presidents have connections to knives as well, but, for now, their statues or monuments haven’t been toppled, spray-painted with graffiti, or otherwise vandalized by the wokesters—or at least not like Washington’s and Lincoln’s have.
All of which got me to thinking: If the woke mobsters were to come after the knife community, what might they single out? There are some words knife enthusiasts use that could be targeted. Stockman, for instance, would no doubt enrage those who might demand it be called stockperson instead. However, if you ask for a stockperson at a knife store, instead of a knife the attendant might bring out Hank, the 38-year-old shelf stocker from the storeroom.
Another pocketknife pattern name that might ruffle wokester tail feathers is boy’s knife. Somehow I don’t think changing the name to girl’s knife would placate the mob, either. The next-door neighbor, Mr. Wingtip, referred to me as a juvenile delinquent when I was a kid, but juvenile delinquent’s knife probably would send the culture cancelers into conniption-fit overdrive. I’ll just leave the “solution” to that one to woke R&D. As for Boy Scout and/or Girl Scout knives, I’m not even going there!
That brings us to the venerable gent’s knife, but BLADE has chronicled a trend that has been ongoing for quite a while now—women embracing gent’s knives for their own use. As a result, whenever we do stories on gent’s knives, we include them under a gent’s/lady’s knives umbrella. On the other hand, who am I kidding? I would likely get “bricked” by the woke mob for that one, too.
One knife term that might fire up the wokey-dokers is butt—as in butt of the handle, aka the end of the handle. My wife Susan is always saying “pardon my appendage” when she bumps into me, so maybe we could change butt to appendage. On the other hand, we could just tell the cancelers to butt out, eh?
Slip joint is another knife term that might raise some woke-brows. Joint is also another name for prison—think “the joint”—and with so many wokester calls to abolish prisons, slip joint might have to be replaced with slip halfway house or some such. Speaking of which, the defund the police movement means all knives designed for law enforcement would probably come under attack from the mob and would require replacement with some other knife name—social worker knives, anyone?
On the other hand, I can think of at least one knife term that the woke troopers would probably embrace wholeheartedly—pig sticker.
With that, consider this installment of “Unsheathed” canceled!
THE AWARD-WINNING FACTORY KNIFE COMPANY UNDERGOES A BRAND REFRESH IN 2020
The year was 1986. The Soviet Union hosted its first Goodwill Games. Halley’s Comet was visible from Earth for the first time in 76 years. Up to 6.5 million people participated in a charity event called Hands Across America. Phantom of the Opera premiered in London’s West End. And SOG Specialty Knives—aka SOG—made its debut.
The first SOG-brand knife was a reproduction of the original SOG Bowie in tribute to the Studies and Observations Group* of Vietnam War fame. Eventually, the SOG Specialty Knives line grew to include knives mass produced with attention to detail and quality. Today, the company has grown into an innovative, major player whose products are among the leading choices of Navy SEALs and other military, law enforcement, fire and rescue, tradesmen and everyday knife users the world over. Folders, fixed blades, flashlights, multi-tools and gear— SOG has you covered.
Over the years, it’s only natural that a knife company keeps growing in size and product offerings, constantly evolving itself and its knives. SOG has kept moving forward, and 2020 marks a significant milestone in the company’s evolution: a prominent revamp of sales and marketing strategies, a refresh of existing models and an engineering of new ones to further meet the demands of those who serve and keep us safe, as well as the needs of everyday knife consumers.
With its slender form factor, XR lock, carbon fiber handle and CTS XHP stainless blade, the Ultra XR defines classy high tech. The super-slim folder carries well and also doubles as a money clip. The gold-titanium-nitride coating adds a bit of bling. The blade also is available in a more subdued black-titanium-nitride coat.
The architect for the brand refresh is Jonathan Wegner, company brand vice president. “We’ve taken the best things from the last three decades, and doubled down on the things that we feel are most relevant to our end users today and into the future,” he explains, “and are focused on delivering solutions that are authentic to the brand.”
Why the transformation? According to Wegner, consumers reported that the company’s more recent focus and quality were not there. Many stated their idea of SOG was from an era that is now past, when the company brought some innovative ideas to market and was driven to produce the best knives and tools for tactical and other consumers. “So, by first studying and observing ourselves, we were able to determine that a significant change was needed,” Wegner notes. “Most of this led to our reposition and future focus.”
The Flash AT is designed for daily carry with a drop-point blade of D2 tool steel and a handle of molded glass-reinforced nylon in multiple color options.
SOG founder and president Spencer Frazer was the primary driving force behind the company and many of its product designs, from its inception until a couple of years ago when Joe McSwiney was hired to lead the outfit.
Spencer Frazer, SOG founder
Instead of the old SOG mark, the company refresh will include blades marked STUDIES AND OBSERVATIONS GROUP.
“Spencer was involved throughout the brand refresh process, and a lot of what we have done with the brand hearkens back to his original vision,” Wegner states. “Therefore, it was vital that he was involved throughout every aspect of it.” Even back then, Frazer was seriously considering stepping down from overseeing daily operations and returning to his passion of developing innovative products. “So, once the brand refresh and new products strategy were in place,” Wegner says, “he felt comfortable stepping back.”
SOG has been Spencer’s baby since day one, so stepping back at any time or putting just anyone in charge isn’t what he wanted. “SOG’s future is pushing into an even greater extension of the original intent when it was founded,” Spencer notes. “I cannot be prouder of what the company has grown into.”
RELENTLESS by DESIGN
The new company slogan is “Relentless by Design.” This encompasses SOG’s past while embracing the future. Being a major player in the tactical market for many years has pushed the company to continuously innovate and bring new models to market. Starting this fall, SOG will double down on the pushing and debut some intriguing models.
With Frazer retired and the right people in place, the company is poised to embark on a fresh, new and exciting chapter where its knives and other products will be more focused and specifically aimed at three target groups: Professional, Outdoor and Daily. More on them later. Meanwhile, by the time the new vision was in place, many of SOG’s lower-end knives and other products already had been discontinued. “We felt those items didn’t truly represent the types of items we want to be [offering],” Wegner says.
SOG has gone to some stylish pocket clips this year, model examples from top: the Ultra XR and its extra-wide/long clip (it doubles as a money clip), Flash AT, Terminus XR and Pentagon XR.
Along with this, Walmart, which previously sold some of the now- discontinued, lower-end SOG items, was removed as a retailer. Most everyone else who had sold SOG knives will remain, including many knife-specific retailers on the Internet and elsewhere.
Beginning in the fall, the first phase of the brand refresh will officially go live, and, as of press time, some of the new knives already had been released. All of the new product classes are designed to function at peak levels, engineered with intent and built with the best materials for each specific price point.
As part of the new SOG’s knives fall into the three aforementioned categories: Professional (law enforcement, EMT, fire and military); Outdoor (hunters, hikers, campers, fishermen, etc.); and Daily (trades, office workers, warehouse workers and such). All three incorporate what the SOG brain trust calls a visual brand language. This means each category incorporates a specific geometric shape that is a motif for the designs that populate it.
For example, the knives in the Professional category have trapezoidal design elements. Outdoor employs a circular design motif. Finally, Daily employs triangular design elements. The purpose of the visual brand language is so you can readily identify each knife’s purpose.
In addition to the visual brand language, SOG is using new “naming conventions” as well. The standardized approach allows you to easily identify the primary technologies the knives use. For example, XR denotes the knife uses SOG’s XR lock (SEAL XR), AT denotes Assisted Technology (Flash AT), and FX indicates the knife is a fixed blade (SEAL FX). There are a few other designations but these are the most commonly used.
With the assisted- opening AT-XR lock, the Flash AT combines rapid deployment with lock security. Pulling back on the ambidextrous release disengages the lock. Note the lock safety on the handle spine. The red dot indicates the blade is ready to open.
Also new is a color-coded accent stripe on the packaging. Yellow is for Daily, light blue for Professional and gray for Outdoor. Topping it off is new packaging in which you can actually see the product inside and read about its key highlights on the partial flap of the box. The packaging is bold, forward looking and helps usher in the new SOG era.
The blade mark also has changed. The previous SOG logo is now STUDIES AND OBSERVATIONS GROUP—a nod to the past while looking to the future.
FALL KNIFE DEBUTS
First up for the new fall line is the SOG- TAC XR, a Professional class tactical folder using the XR lock, a 3.5-inch drop-point blade of D2 tool steel, flipper opening and a textured G-10 handle. The ergonomic handle integrates a guard, dual nested steel liners, and a deep-carry pocket clip. Handle colors come in black or OD green. Another Professional class piece is the Pentagon XR. Building on the legacy of the Pentagon series of folders and fixed blades, it takes the dagger-ish styling and adds the XR lock, textured G-10 handle, dual nested steel liners, flipper opening and a 3.5-inch spearpoint blade of CTS XHP stainless steel. Handle colors are black, FDE and OD green. The Vision XR flipper folder brings some aggressiveness to the Professional series, with bold styling and a 3.5-inch double- ground tanto blade of CTS XHP, and a textured black G-10 handle with dual nested liners.
The revamped Pentagon XR tactical folder has multiple choices of G-10 handle colors, and a fullered spear- point blade of CTS XHP stainless steel. The knife features flipper-tab and ambidextrous thumb-stud opening options.
In the Daily category is the Ultra XR, an ultra-thin, ultra-lightweight gentleman’s folder with a linerless carbon fiber handle and a 3-inch clip-point blade of CPM S35VN stainless. An extra-large, fold-over pocket clip doubles as a money clip. The blade is available in gold titanium nitride or black coating options. Another Daily category entry, the Flash AT features a 3.5- inch drop-point blade in D2 powered by SOG’s Assisted Opening Technology. The molded Zytel handle is available in a choice of red, cyan, yellow and black. The new folders use pivot bearings for ultra- smooth blade action.
SOG long has been a viable player in the production knife market and the new refresh elevates the company even further. Expect more good things to come.
