Page 129 – BLADE Magazine

What is a Drawknife? Three Examples

Abe Elias

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May 7, 2021

Whether for bushcraft, carving, or just straight woodworking, drawknives are handy tools that range quite a bit in size, function, and style. There are large drawknives to peel bark or hew small logs, as well as models for specialty purposes such as coopering or making chair seats. There even used to be specialty drawknives for shaping round handles small in diameter for brooms, rakes, and other implements.

Three small drawknives for carving and crafting are the focus this time: the MoraKniv Classic wood splitting knife, Flexcut Drawknife, and Veritas Drawknife. They are great because they are relatively compact and portable, and help comprise part of what you could call a portable rustic tool kit.

DUAL BEVEL

I know, right off the bat the MoraKniv Classic is called a wood splitting knife and not a drawknife. I thought this model would be interesting to test because it departs from the regular one-bevel blade geometry. The handle positioning is straight, giving the tool a compact configuration for transporting. It also comes with a sheath.

The author uses the MoraKniv Classic wood splitting knife in a push-cut motion to perform a stop cut while contouring the grip on a paddle.

Over the years, I’ve seen many a bushcrafter try and find a way for a standard knife to act as a drawknife. You can do many bushcraft chores with the MoraKniv Classic, from spoon work to shaping a tenon on a stool leg. You can do some of the same things with a regular knife, but with a drawknife it can be easier.

The 4.5-inch carbon steel blade has a dual bevel. An advantage of such a bevel is it makes the knife more versatile. A disadvantage is you don’t have depth control on a cut like you do with a single bevel. Single-bevel blades provide control similar to using a woodworking plane or a chisel. You shear through the levels you need to and, once you establish your depth of cut, you can remove material without bogging down by using a bit of depth control. Given that the dual bevel is a Scandi grind, it makes control easier than, say, a grind with a micro and major bevels on both sides. Control is most certainly easier than, for instance, with a convex grind. In the end, it is no big deal. Having to control a blade only becomes a problem when its design is not conducive to the job at hand.

Having in-line handles and a dual bevel, the Mora allows use like a sheath knife. It adds to the tool’s versatility and saves time, as you don’t have to put one knife down and pick up the other.

For the most part, control affects how much energy you put into making the blade do exactly what you want. In the case of a convex-ground blade, if you want to make a long, straight cut at the same depth, you will expend more energy than you should trying to keep the blade from “porpoising” (that is, front to rear bouncing of the blade). The alternative is simply getting used to making shorter controlled cuts more frequently.

The Classic cuts extremely well. Due to the straight handles and dual-bevel blade, you can switch and use it like a sheath knife in a split second.

WESTERN TRADITIONAL

Flexcut has a variety of tools covering chip, relief, and decoy carving, just to name three. The company also has a couple of drawknife styles. The Flexcut Drawknife is more of a traditional Western version. The 5-inch blade is 1095 carbon steel with the bevel brought to a mirror shine.

The Flexcut comes with a well-made sheath. It is always nice to have something protecting the edge—if not for safety’s sake, for that of preserving the edge from accidental harm.

Right out of the box, this thing is wicked sharp. It comes in a leather case with a peg-hole loop. It has a curved blade, which gives it a natural tendency to skew in a leading edge cut. If you haul the spine up a bit on your cuts, it will make more of a scraping action for a hollowing effect. It is a thin blade and not suited for hogging off large amounts of wood at one time. It is great for detailed jobs like the subtle contours you might find in a canoe yoke.

Using the Flexcut Drawknife, the author shapes the handle for a flat-board atlatl. The efficiency you gain using a drawknife is hard to beat for control and energy.

Such a small drawknife is a good tool not only to create art but to make utilitarian items. Given its Western-style handles, it doesn’t make a streamlined package for carrying in a pack like the Mora does, but it still has very little bulk and weight. The arched blade can be sharpened with a flat stone, though I find sharpening it with a small handheld stone and using a dynamic sharpening method easier. The Flexcut Drawknife is the kind of tool that suits the creative mind.

HOB-KNOBBER

The Veritas tool company manufactures the last of the test drawknives in Ottawa, Canada. Sporting a 4-inch blade, it is a small carving-style model. Steel is PMV-11, a stainless with a Rockwell hardness of 61-63 HRC. Veritas made the switch from traditional tool steels like O1 and A2 to up cutting performance and edge retention. A case for the knife sells separately.

The Veritas Drawknife’s 20-degree angle cuts aggressively and you have complete control with the well-shaped handles. Here the knife is skewed compared to its cutting path. Skewing the knife provides a leading edge to the cut, reducing resistance

The company’s technical information says the bevel is ground at 20 degrees. To sharpen the Veritas, be sure the sharpener is of a flat design. Given the knife’s size, you can sharpen it in either a dynamic or a static style*. To cover/sharpen the entire bevel, you will need a flat surface. There is no micro bevel on the Veritas, though that’s not to say you can’t apply one. However, if you want to keep it original, you will need to cover the bevel.

The angling of the handles is a traditional Western style, though they have more of an elongated knob shape to them. The shape helps reduce fatigue. Because of the handle angling the Veritas does not offer as compact of a carry as the Mora, but the .125-inch-thick blade makes it a bit sturdier user than the
Flexcut. Handle material is torrefied maple. Due to the kilning process, the material has a greater stability to it without the use of chemicals. At the top of each handle is a brass ferrule.

The author stated he has been known to push a drawknife to make a quick cut. The Veritas Drawknife clearly warns not to do that. At a 20-degree bevel, you take a chance of damaging the edge if you were to catch and roll it.

It is a good-looking product and out of the box is ready to work. It is the most expensive of the review knives, yet is not so much more that you wind up scratching your head. A drawknife like this can be put to work doing a number of things limited only by your imagination. Veritas promotes it more as a carving tool and actually shows it making a decoy in the company’s marketing media.

Staying within the bounds of this tool, I can’t think why you couldn’t get chores done or entertain yourself by making pieces of art with it. Keeping you busy in the woods and not necessarily only during a survival situation promotes better mental health. It is a great little package and a good tool—I just think the company could include the sheath. When you hold the knife you see where the extra cost is as the precision work shows in the fit and finish.

EXPLORING OPTIONS

Once you leave the big city behind, in order to thrive you must know how to make what you need. Many of the tools you carry will depend on what you plan on doing. If you’re building up a getaway spot, you might need to build items for the camp. When planning to build a more substantial base, you will need more tools. Again, it all depends on what you plan on doing. A good drawknife can greatly increase your cutting and carving options—not to mention that being able to use two hands greatly reduces fatigue. If you haven’t tried a drawknife yet, I highly recommend doing so.

*Static sharpening is when the stone is stationary, and dynamic is when the stone is moving.

A trick to sharpening drawknives both in the shop and field is to brace one handle against your armpit or chest. After bracing the knife, simply use a dynamic sharpening method with a small stone running parallel to the edge.

Hendrickson, Imels Join Cutlery Hall Of Fame®

BLADE Staff

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April 21, 2021

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Hendrickson, Imels Join Cutlery Hall Of Fame®

Jay Hendrickson and the husband-and-wife team of Billy and Beverly Mace Imel are the 2021 inductees into the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame®.

Nominated by, and then elected in a vote of, sitting members of the Cutlery Hall Of Fame, the three comprise the 63^rd, 64^th and 65^th members of the world’s only shrine recognizing all segments of the knife industry.

The Imels are the first-ever husband-and-wife team—or any pair, for that matter—to join the Hall simultaneously. A.G. and Goldie Russell are Hall-Of-Fame members but were inducted in separate years.

Along with the 2020 inductees, Joe Keeslar and Jim Sornberger, the 2021 inductees will be formally enshrined the Saturday of the BLADE Show, June 5, in Atlanta. Joe and Jim could not be formally enshrined last year because the BLADE Show was canceled due to the pandemic.

Jay Hendrickson

Jay is an American Bladesmith Society (ABS) master smith who succeeded Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame member Bill Moran as ABS president in 1991—as a nominator noted, “a trying task to be sure, and Jay succeeded Bill very well.” The nominator went on to write Jay is a good bladesmithing teacher who has taught at many venues in the USA and France, and also served as director of the Moran Foundation for 10 years, helping to preserve Bill’s legacy.

Early on, Jay and Bill conducted a forging demonstration that was one of the longest running of all BLADE Show demos. The first installment was in 1987 on the sidewalk outside the show’s former Holiday Inn & Convention Center site in Knoxville, Tennessee, and continued at each succeeding BLADE Show in Knoxville and then at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta until Bill passed away in 2006. Not only was it one of the BLADE Show’s longest running demos, it was also one of the most popular.

In 1995, Jay was presented with the ABS’s highest honor, the Don Hastings Award. The annual honor goes to an individual “who has performed outstanding service on behalf of the forged blade in the tradition of Don Hastings,” one of the founders of the ABS. In 2004, Jay won the William Wales Scagel Award, presented by the ABS to a bladesmith “for longtime service to promote the forged blade.” Another Cutlery Hall Of Famer, Scagel is considered the grandfather of custom knifemaking.

Jay was voted into the ABS Hall Of Fame in 2006 and a year later wrote the how-to guide, Introduction to Bladesmithing, with tips on how to forge various blade styles “exhibiting balance and aesthetic appeal,” how to understand the basic metallurgy of popular blade steels and more. Concluded the nominator, “Jay is a fine bladesmith, a fine teacher helping to preserve the art of bladesmithing, and a splendid ambassador of knives and knifemakers.”

Last but certainly not least, Jay forges magnificent fixed blades in the classic Moran style, including expertly ground bowies, camp knives, fighters, hunters and more, often in curly maple handles with intricate silver wire inlay, all accompanied by superb leather sheaths.

Beverly and Billy Mace Imel

An example of Billy’s premier dagger work is this collaboration with Mace Vitale. (SharpByCoop image)

Beverly and Billy Mace are the first pair of Cutlery Hall-Of-Famers ever to be inducted simultaneously. They also join A.G. and Goldie Russell as the only husband-and-wife team in the Hall.

Billy makes fantastic fixed blades yet is perhaps best known for his sleek daggers with stainless steel blades in clean, crisp grinds and slender handles in a variety of gorgeous materials. To augment that knifemaking talent is his many hours of service to The Knifemakers’ Guild.

“What can you say about those who have worked so many hours and years to help so many?” wrote a nominator. “Billy was the secretary of the Guild during a huge building phase of the longtime maker association. Every year many new applicants had to be processed. Those of us who sat on the Guild’s board of directors during many of those years can testify to the energy and effort Billy put forth. The heavy load of accounting, stopping his own work to help discuss an issue—and those issues were many—and still be able to arrive at the Guild Show venues two days early with his own knives and to help set up each show’s exhibition room was a remarkable achievement. I think Billy is a gold standard for the Cutlery Hall Of Fame in terms of working hard for others.”

Beverly, meanwhile, served with distinction for many years on the Guild board as the organization’s secretary-treasurer.

“You can’t mention Billy’s name without mentioning Beverly’s,” the nominator continued. “The Guild board of directors was a large wheel, with every director a spoke in that wheel, but it was Beverly who kept the wheel’s hub lubricated and in motion. She maintained the Guild’s records in perfect order, and if there was a question about something from the past, she either looked it up or could recall it from memory—often smack dab in the middle of a Guild business meeting.”

Beverly’s familiarity with and recollection of Guild bylaws was legendary. Indeed, anytime a Guild president was asked a question he didn’t know the answer to during a Guild business meeting, he would often turn from the microphone and say, “Beverly, do you know?” Invariably she did and more than a few members in attendance would smile and wink at each other as a result.

The nominator went on to state that he wanted the Cutlery Hall of Fame to step out of the mold and do something different in considering Billy and Beverly for enshrinement. “It would be honorable for us to induct both of the Imels as one,” he wrote. Enough sitting Hall Of Famers agreed and the Imels are now members of their august group.

Blade Show is BACK!

BLADE Show

Melissa Miller

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April 19, 2021

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BLADE Show is the can’t-miss event of the year. This is where you’ll find the best in EDC, bushcraft, tactical, and chef’s knives, plus tomahawks, sharpeners, knifemaking supplies and equipment and everything else that makes up the wide world of blades. Learn more and purchase tickets at BladeShow.com.

The Latest EDC Multitools

BLADE Staff

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April 19, 2021

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People Who Like to be Prepared Will Love the latest EDC Tools

Knife guys love gadgets, fix-it people love gadgets and DIY-ers love gadgets, so it’s easy to see why multi-tools do so well in the knife market. Though not knives per se, they off er more versatility than just cutting ability by offering on-board tools. With broader appeal than knives, multi-tools have a further reach and encompass more markets, too. They appeal to folks who like to be prepared.In addition to DIY-ers, campers, hunters, fishermen, hikers, mountain bikers and anyone who enjoys outdoor activities benefits from owning and using a multi-tool. It performs in-fi eld repairs on equipment when you do not have access to regular tools. It can mean the difference between bowing out of a camping trip because of equipment failure, or performing an expedient in-field repair or adjustment and carrying on with your adventure. As with knives, advances in multi-tools have made them stronger and more user friendly and versatile.

FLASH in the HAND: Coast’s LED150 multi-tool

When you think of multi-tools, what immediately comes to mind is a pliers-based tool with little fold-out implements nestled inside the handle. Truth is, multi-tools can take on any form as long as they incorporate the implements necessary for field-expedient repairs and adjustments.

At first glance, Coast’s LED150 multi-tool might appear like any other pliers-based multi-tool, except for one thing: it incorporates not one but two LED lights. One LED is on the pliers jaw end and the other is on the partially serrated end of the knife blade. This way, you can confidently work in tight and dark spaces with confidence thanks to the illumination. The lights are activated by a recessed push button located on one side of the handle. Press once to activate the light by the main blade. Press again and the light turns off and, at the same time, the light on the pliers jaws end turns on. Press again and the jaws light turns off. With the multi-tool closed, you can use either light as a stand-alone flashlight, further expanding the multi-tool’s versatility. The lights are powered by two CR1616 lithium button batteries. The batteries replace easily.

The light on the end of the Coast LED150’s handle illuminates what you’re cutting.

The pliers jaws have different gripping surfaces for smaller objects and larger nuts/round objects. The jaws themselves are spring loaded, which helps to open them by spring tension, reducing hand fatigue. When closed, all the fold-out tools are easily accessible: a partially serrated main blade that works on a linerlock, spring-loaded scissors, large and small flat-head screwdrivers, can opener, Phillips head screwdriver and the pliers jaws—most all the common implements necessary for field repairs and adjustments.

The handles are aluminum and feature raised hard rubber for a non-slip grip. The LED150 has a good heft and the heavy-duty build will withstand normal use. The sturdy ballistic nylon belt pouch has a fabric-fastener flap closure. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP): $49.

One of the LED lights on Coast’s LED150 multi-tool shines on the pliers jaws end so you can effectively work in dark areas easily without the need for a separate flashlight.

AFFORDABLE SOLUTION: Gerber’s Armbar

Gerber’s Armbar series incorporates the fold-out implements of pliers-based multi-tools like the Coast LED150—minus the pliers. Sometimes, you just need the versatility of screwdrivers, a knife blade and scissors. About the same size as a large multi-blade pocketknife, the Armbar Drive features seven on-board fold-out tools: 2.5-inch plain edge sheepsfoot blade with opening hole and framelock, 2.5-inch extension driver with a double-sided bit of Phillips and flat-head screwdrivers, a prybar, bottle opener, hammer, scissors and awl.

The Gerber Armbar Drive features a sturdy main blade. The entire package has about the same dimensions as a medium-sized traditional pocketknife.

The extension driver has a magnet that holds the double-sided bit and allows for fast flip-over when transitioning to different screws. The driver socket can accept aftermarket quarter-inch drive bits, too. Hence, you can customize your Armbar Drive just about any way to fit your tasks. The spring-loaded scissors provide enough blade length for cutting coupons, stray threads and duct tape. The plain edge sheepsfoot blade thumbs open easily like any lock blade. The blade is mostly exposed even when closed, but the metal channel protects it from damage and you from accidental cuts.

Perhaps the neatest implement is the combination hammer/prybar/bottle open-

er, which in the closed position is in the hammer mode by default. The squared-off back end takes care of light hammering. The prybar function is rather limited as you’re not going to get a ton of leverage. However, if you need staples removed or to pry open a casing and such, it does the job.

A fold-out prybar/bottle opener on the Gerber Armbar Drive performs light-duty prying when needed, saving the blade tips on your standard knives.

One thing I wish Gerber would have included is the ability to lock the screwdriver in the fully open as well as the 90-degree position. When you torque down with the driver, your hand may move and this will cause the screwdriver to fold a bit. Also, when you use the tool in the 90-degree position, you apply more torque. Having it lock in the 90-degree position would make it easier to use—if not lock in both positions, then a strong detent and a half stop, like a slip joint, would be better than nothing. The form factor permits easy carry in your pocket, toolbox, glove box or a backpack.

At 3.1 ounces the smallest multi-tool in the Armbar line, it comes in an aluminum handle anodized in a choice of urban blue, orange or onyx. With an MSRP of $39, it presents an affordable solution to a typical pliers-based multi-tool by reducing bulk and weight—that is, if you don’t need pliers.

The screwdriver tool on the Gerber Armbar Drive is easy to manipulate. The magnetic socket allows you to flip the double-end bit over, as well as use most any aftermarket quarter-inch driver bit.

TINY TOOLBOX: Utica Minimaster

Utica primarily manufactures knives for hunting and tactical but also makes multi-tools. The Minimaster is the smallest multi-tool of the test bunch. It’s loaded with many small fold-out implements: a pair of tweezers, large and small flat-head screwdrivers, a Phillips screwdriver, scissors, fingernail file/cleaner, knife blade, bottle opener, and ⅜-, 11/32- and ⅝-inch wrenches integrated into the folding cover. Made in the USA, it’s roughly the size of a Victorinox Classic, so it fits well on a keyring, its preferred method of carry.

The scissors may be tiny on the Utica Minimaster but it is effective.

None of the tools lock in the open position. You pull one out and then close the cover; the cover held closed by your grip acts as the lock so the tools won’t fold on you. The tweezers are pretty neat—this is the only compact multi-tool I know of that integrates one. The tips are not textured or ground precise like regular tweezers, so grasping some things with it can be a bit difficult, though having one is better than not. As for the rest of the tools, they are handy to have and definitely will work in a pinch when you need them.

The ultra-compact size of the Utica Minimaster makes it a great candidate for improvised tin-based survival kits.

The only down side to the Minimaster is the hinged cover. It needs to detent tighter in the closed position, as the sample sent to us for review had a tendency to open partway easily. This could present a safety issue, especially if the tools open inadvertently. MSRP: $60. There’s also an imported version that retails for $9.95. Same construction and implement selection, except the multi-tool is made overseas.

MAPPED MULTI-TOOL: Leatherman Signal

When it comes to an article about multi-tools, I would be remiss to not include Leatherman Tool Group, the brand that pioneered the concept. It is the originator of the pliers-based format, and still among the best of them after all these years.

The main blade of the Leatherman Topo Signal features a map-topography laser etching, hence the multi-tool’s name.

The limited-edition Topo Signal is a variant of Leatherman’s Signal multi-tool. The Signal was developed specifically for the outdoor enthusiast, integrating features like a ferrocerium fire starter rod, saw, survival whistle, diamond sharpener and hammer, along with standard Leatherman features such as pliers jaws with replaceable cutting inserts, fold-out driver with reversible bit, awl and can opener. There’s also an integrated quarter-inch-bit socket built into the hammer portion of the handle, which will accept any standard quarter-inch bit driver.

The main blade is a partially serrated 420HC stainless sheepsfoot pattern that locks open via a linerlock. The blade features an oblong opening hole, while the partial serrations eat through tough and fibrous materials with ease. The blade has a map-topography-style laser etch, hence the name. The distinctive appearance is pretty neat and fits in perfectly with the outdoor theme. Speaking of outdoor theme, the Topo Signal comes in a nice dark green Cerakote coating for the aluminum handles and pliers jaws, fold-out implements, and all-black hardware.

Making on-the-spot repairs and adjustments are a multi-tool specialty. The needle-nose pliers of the Leatherman Topo Signal works great at accessing small nuts in cramped places.

Each one comes with a nice ballistic nylon belt sheath with button snap closure. It has a steel pocket clip. There’s also an integrated carabiner in the hammer portion so the tool can be clipped on a D-ring, etc.

Comparatively speaking, a Leatherman multi-tool is engineered better than most on the market. MSRP: $119.95. Country of origin: USA. It is the most expensive of the test group, but the quality of the manufacture and fit and finish justifies the price.

A Smokable Pipe Tomahawk?

Knife Collecting

BLADE Staff

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April 19, 2021

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Since 21-year-old Jarrod Fiscus won with an axe in his appearance on Forged in Fire and also participates in frontier rendezvous events, it seems most appropriate that he would build a traditional pipe tomahawk.

Jarrod handforged the head of 1080 carbon steel and the body of mild steel. He then forge-welded the pipe to the body. He said the “weeping heart” cutout is a design used frequently in Colonial days, from the Eastern woodlands to the Great Plains. Jarrod dyed the curly maple haft in the traditional manner with nitric acid. He poured the pewter inlays directly into the wood. He finished it all up with a brass cap and a mule deer antler plug. As Jarrod noted, “This hawk is a fully functional, smokable piece of art.”

SPEC CHECK
ODEL: Pipe tomahawk
MAKER: Jarrod Fiscus
HEAD LENGTH: 4”
EDGE LENGTH: 3”
HEAD/EDGE MATERIAL: 1080 carbon steel
HAFT: Curly maple
OVERALL LENGTH: 19.5”
MAKER’S LIST PRICE FOR A SIMILAR
PIECE: $550

Fiscus with his winning axe from Forged in Fire.

Knife Knowledge 101: What is a Half Stop?

Knife Collecting

Mike Haskew

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April 19, 2021

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Safety feature, bell and whistle, or what have you, the half stop stimulates lively discussion.

What is a Half Stop?

An old song includes the lyric, “It certainly is exquisite, but what in the dickens is it?”

The slip-joint knife version of the phrase can easily be attributed to the function, or lack thereof, surrounding the half stop, the flattened shaping of the tang that allows the blade to stop in mid deployment.

It’s a safety feature; it relieves pressure on the spring; it’s a mark of fit and finish that the best slip joint makers always include; or, just maybe, it’s like your appendix. It once had a job, but nobody really knows what that job was. It hangs around—and in some cases it has been removed.

What a Half Stop Does

Phil Gibbs knifemaker — According to Phil Gibbs of A.G. Russell Knives, “In a traditional slip-joint knife a half stop indicates the blade has a square tang instead of a conventional rounded one.” In Detail 2 is a diagram of a tang with a round end; in Detail 3 is one with a
square end. (A.G. Russell Knives image)

“In a traditional slip-joint knife, a half stop indicates the blade has a square tang instead of a conventional rounded one,” explained Phil Gibbs, a veteran knife designer who has worked for A.G. Russell Knives for a number of years now.

“There are two reasons for a square tang. One is that a pause to move your fingers out of the way is desired halfway between open and closed. The second is that the knife has a flush end. Most issues of a square tang not working properly can be traced to poor spring/tang design and/or poor execution.”

There are plenty of ideas and opinions out there, and longtime custom knifemaker Gray Taylor admits the purpose of the half stop is something of a mystery to him.

“A half stop is just a low place in the back of the blade, a flat place that stops the blade and takes tension offthe spring,” he observed. “It just protects your spring from breaking, in my opinion, or it could be called a safety feature. Old guys have told me that if you have a whittler pattern, for example, with one blade on either end, you don’t want to open a knife halfway because you double the tension on the spring.”

The Case XX Vault Release Copperhead pattern, new for 2021, features a half stop. The knife is a member of the company’s Black Sycamore family. MSRP: $83.99. (Case image)

The History of the Flat Stop

The history of the half stop is as murky as its real role in the life of the slip joint. For sure, it has been around at least a couple of centuries, dating back at least to the knifemakers of old Sheffield—possibly much earlier.

Museum curator, researcher, and knife historian Pete Cohan points to traditional knives and modern multi-blades that have square backs; therefore, a half stop would have no purpose on them.

For Cohan, the “time factor” is relative, depending on how far back one would have to go.

“The amazing thing is that over a long period of time that feature was not present, and that is a fact,” he commented. “I was puzzled by this a long time ago and couldn’t find any indication of a patent associated with the half stop. At one point, I assumed it was a safety feature, and that was about the only thing I could come up with as to intent. I know similar things have been used in lock making, and that makes sense because you are pushing something to allow it to drop into a location to lock or unlock.”

Gibbs isn’t sure anybody knows the real origin of the half stop, but the earliest example he has seen through the years is on an 1800s barlow with a flush end made in Sheffield.

Veteran multi-blade slipjoint maker Bill Ruple has also seen the Sheffield connection but doesn’t know much more than that regarding the half stop’s history. Nonetheless, he does find function in its continuing existence.

“I have heard the half stop called a ‘safety catch,’ and my theory is that it was invented to be easier on the spring of a multi-blade knife,” Ruple offered. “The blade should literally jump into the half-open position and have no play or wiggle. If you can feel any wiggle or movement, it’s not right.”

Gray Taylor knives — At work here in his shop, Gray Taylor admits the purpose of the half stop is something of a mystery to him. “A half stop is just a low place in the back of the blade, a at place that stops the blade and takes tension of the spring,” he observed. “It just protects your spring from breaking, in my opinion, or it could be called a safety feature.” (Christy Harris image)

Half Stop Debate

For years, Ruple and A.G. Russell engaged in a congenial debate regarding the half stop. They never resolved their difference of opinion, and it remains one of Bill’s fondest memories of his relationship with the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member.

“I personally use half stops on all my slip joint knives, unless the customer wants a full tang, and I have been doing it for 33 years,” Ruple commented. “The late Mr. Russell, however, would disagree with me on this one. A.G. was a good friend of mine for many years, and every time I saw him, he would give me a hard time about using half stops. He hated them.”

Gibbs acknowledges Russell’s disdain for the half stop and says it lies in a bad experience that occurred years ago.

“A.G. was not a fan of square-end tangs due to being severely cut by an extremely poorly designed and executed custom-made trapper,” Phil said. “He was cut because the maker apparently had no idea how to correctly design a pocketknife spring and tang to work well together. If your traditional knife works like a mousetrap, you are doing it wrong!”

Ruple is solid in his support for the half stop, relating, “Half stops are easier on springs, especially on rocker springs, which are springs with a blade on both ends. With the half stop, the spring is approximately the same, whether the blade is open, half open, or closed. With a full tang the spring has more pressure in the half-open position.”

Cohan concludes that the half stop has reached functional obsolescence. “Well, take a scout knife with four blades. Invariably, it has a half stop. Why? I can’t think of any reason they still make knives with half stops. Maybe it is more habit than requirement. My point is that the only answer I have ever come up with is the safety feature, and I’ve certainly never seen a patent on it.”

Some observers still assert that the half stop was a necessary revision to the tang, going so far as to state that it prevents the user from needing a pair of pliers to open a knife. Its absence, they say, would cause the spring to flex the entire distance of the end of the tang, and it functions to prevent the total failure of the spring, relieving pressure with the blade open that would otherwise fatigue and eventually compromise the spring’s integrity.
Gibbs scoffs and strongly disagrees.

“Converting to a square end tang in no way significantly reduces spring deflection,” he remarked. “It is the torque points of the tang that define the opening and closing force applied to the blade. A.G.’s tang designs employ a tangential radius to produce the round end of the tang joining the two torque points and resulting in zero increased spring force.

“Consequently,” Phil continued, “the round end tang and the square end tang would have identical opening and closing forces. Actually, with a square end tang the spring is flexed twice for each opening or closing, so I would surmise it increases stress to the spring. The only time there is any difference to the spring pressure on a square end tang compared to a round end tang is in the half-open position.”

Half Stop Knives — Gray Taylor’s small sleeveboard lobster pattern sports six blades and/or tools: two spear-point pen blades, manicure blade, buttonhook, corkscrew, and pick. The sole-authorship piece is 2 3/16 inches closed. (Francesco Pachi image from the soon-to-be-released book Greatest Living Knifemakers by BLADE® editor Steve Shackleford https://www.gundigeststore.com/product/greatest-knifemakers/)

Making the Half Stop

Through the years, the inclusion of the half stop has probably remained fairly constant, and those who pay attention to it can’t say for sure that its use is waxing or waning. Gibbs recalls that the square end tang was traditionally found on barlows and Remington trappers, and some custom knifemakers continue to incorporate it today.

While the pros may differ in the usefulness of the half stop, they can agree that making a slip joint that includes a half stop adds little or no difficulty or cost to the construction process.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a lot harder,” Taylor commented. “You’ve got to make sure the half stop is positioned that when your blade stops at the half stop, it wants to be perpendicular to your knife. If your grind is off five degrees, the blade won’t sit straight. You’ve got to make it perpendicular to the back of the knife to look right. On the other hand, if you don’t have a half stop and cut a cam on the back of the blade, you’ve got to make sure the cam allows just the right tension. It takes practice. Throw a few blades away and you’ll catch on.”

Gibbs, who actually hails from Sheffield, England, considers the flush end knife more difficult to make than one with a square end tang, so the price might be somewhat higher due to the maker’s skill set. Throughout his career, he has had ample opportunities to assess thousands of knife designs.

“In my previous position as cutlery engineer at [the old] Camillus Cutlery Company, I designed several knives with square end tangs,” he related. “I considered it a required feature on some of the Remington Bullet knife reproductions we produced. We also made the Camillus Double Lock Back Trapper with square end tangs. It was not any harder to make at all.”

How to design knives — Gray Taylor said old-timers have told him that if you have a whittler pattern, for example, with one blade on either end,
you don’t want to open the knife halfway because you double the tension on the spring. This I*XL George Wostenholm antique in ivory is an example of a three-blade whittler. (Pete Cohan image)

The Future of the Half Stop

Relevant or passé, here or gone, the half stop is a pocketknife feature that is likely to generate some lively discourse. While it may or may not add anything to the performance or durability of a knife, it’s healthy for the industry simply due to the fact that it gets people talking.

4 Very Different Versions of the EDC Folder

James Ayres

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April 14, 2021

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4 Very Different Versions of the EDC Folder

Once upon a time a long time ago, my idea of the perfect everyday carry knife was a Randall Model 1. Most of the guys I worked with back then carried 16- to 18-inch pangas every day.

Times change. People change. I no longer carry a Randall in an inside waistband clip sheath every day, or at all, really. No doubt there are many folks today who strap on a 10-inch bowie or a USMC fighting/utility knife every morning before breakfast. To that you can add the legions who EDC a tactical folder.

There are, however, many folks who prefer to carry simple pocketknives. Almost every cowboy I know carries an old school Schrade or Case stockman in the watchpocket of his Wranglers. Many other folks, some constrained by knife laws, EDC more contemporary versions of the traditional pocketknife, the knife that at one time was in every schoolboy’s and every man’s pocket—for some, a gentleman’s folder.

My team and I recently did a field review of four very different contemporary versions of the EDC folder. If we were cowboys I reckon we could have trimmed hoofs, done minor surgery on cows and other cowboy things. But we’re not cowboys. So, we used them for the stuff we tend to do. We opened boxes and cut up cardboard. We did cut rope, which felt kind of cowboyish. We went for a hike and picked and sliced fresh rose hips for tea, peeled and sliced oranges for a trailside picnic, cut pine limbs and whittled fuzz sticks to start a lunchtime fire. Not exactly gentleman stuff either, but hey, everyone has his own EDC needs.

**Four of the latest in EDC knives, counterclockwise from right: V Nives Killabite, Pro-Tech Knives Malibu Wharncliffe, Medford Knife & Tool Gentleman Jack and Smith’s Edgework-Site Wharncliffe Knife.**

SLIM JACK: Medford Knife & Tool Gentleman Jack

Sleek, slim and lightweight, with a blade long enough to slice a watermelon without getting your hand wet, the Medford Knife & Tool Gentleman Jack is a gentleman’s folder in appearance, in feel and in fact. With little effort, its slim blade excelled at cutting nylon kernmantle rope, and at food preparation and slicing thin peels of bark for tinder. The slender handle looks as if it would be uncomfortable, but the edge was so sharp and the grind so slim that little force was required to cut stuff. Hence, the thin handle was not uncomfortable. The slenderness made it easy to carry—we all hardly knew we had a knife in our pocket when carrying it.

With little effort, the slim blade of the Medford Knife & Tool Gentleman Jack excelled at cutting nylon kernmantle rope.

Most folders in this size range tend to be tactical, with black blades and other features the uninformed consider fearsome. This folder, however, is so nice looking, so polished a piece of pocket jewelry, that it’s unlikely to alarm the clueless, which means you could use it in mixed company without getting weird looks.

SPECS: Medford Knife & Tool Gentleman Jack
Blade Length: 3.1”
Blade Steel: CPM S35V stainless
Blade Width: ¾”
Blade Thickness: .125”
Handle Material: Anodized titanium
Action: Slip joint
Closed Length: 4”
Country of Origin: USA
MSRP: $375

WORKADAY FOLDER: Smith’s Edgework-Site Wharncliffe Knife

The Smith’s Edgework-Site Wharncliffe Knife is a workaday folder that equals many high-priced limited-production knives in durability and function. Robust, with a very comfortable handle and a good edge grind, it was our preferred blade for getting up some wood for a fire. Press cuts with modest effort cut deep into, and through, wrist-thick pine branches. In fact, it was the most effective of all the review knives at cutting wood for the fire. Shaving bark and curls for tinder was a piece of cake.

According to the author, the Smith’s Wharncliffe is a workaday folder that equals many high-priced limited production knives in durability and function.

I am not a fan of wharncliffe blades, but the long straight edge and overall cutting efficiency might make me a convert. The edge was very welcome when cutting nylon rope laid across a tree stump, and cutting cardboard boxes into strips. Did I mention the handle? Clearly it is designed by someone who understands hard work, and for someone who must do a day’s work. This is a very good tool and, for the price, a great value.

The edge of the Smith’s Wharncliffe was very welcome when cutting nylon rope laid across a tree stump, and cutting cardboard boxes into strips.

SPECS: Smith’s Edgework-Site Wharncliffe Knife
Blade Length: 2.95”
Blade Steel: 400 series stainless
Blade Pattern: Wharncliffe
BLADE OPENER: Thumb stud
Handle: Glass-filled textured synthetic w/pocket clip
Lock: Framelock
Closed length: 4”
MSRP: $24.99

ROCKETKNIFE: Pro-Tech Malibu Wharncliffe

The Pro-Tech Knives Malibu Wharncliffe is handsome, modern in appearance and detail, and resembles a 21^st-century knife designed to be carried by an astronaut. In fact, the knife looks a little like a rocket—and has a high-tech lock to boot.

The Pro-Tech Malibu Wharncliffe easily and cleanly crunched through nylon rope and kept its edge cutting cardboard.

It also performs well. The overall blade design with its flat grind, fine edge and up-tipped point was terrifically efficient at all slicing tasks. At first glance I thought the point design might inhibit penetration, and it did. But something in the geometry that eludes me made it very efficient at all cutting and slicing tasks. It easily and cleanly crunched through nylon rope, kept its edge cutting cardboard, and was just the thing for slicing rose hips for tea. It did very delicate cuts cleanly and with precision. With its modestly sized blade, brilliant blue handle and overall polished appearance, it qualifies as a large gentleman’s folder, albeit one with more function than the usual run of that type of knife.

Something in the geometry that eluded the author made the Pro-Tech Malibu Wharncliffe very efficient at all cutting and slicing tasks. He uses it here to collect pine sap to help start a fire.

SPECS: Pro-Tech Knives Malibu Wharncliffe
Blade Length: 3.25”
Blade Steel: CPM 20CV stainless
Blade Thickness: .125”
Blade Style: Modified wharncliffe
Blade Finish: Stonewash
Blade Grind: Flat
Blade Opener: Flipper
Lock: Plunge lock
Closed length: 4.25”
Country of Origin: USA
MSRP: $270

MUST-WORK MINI: V Knives Killabite

Can we say the V Nives Killabite is cute?

I don’t usually use that word when discussing knives, but, truth be told, this little puppy is cute. High-tech, too. The damascus blade, carbon fiber handle and framelock all say dress tactical folder. Miniature, yeah, but still pretty tactical.

Don’t let little knives fool you, though—they are useful. I’ve been beating the drum for tiny blades for years ever since I learned a little bit about flintknapping and worked with some experimental archaeologists. (One of the latter was the lithic expert who consulted on Otzi the Iceman, the 5,000-year-old mummy discovered in the Alps who had a complete tool kit with him, including his flint knife with a 1.5-inch blade.) I’ve taught survival classes during which I use a folder with a 2-inch blade to make a tool kit consisting of a spear, bow and arrows, haft for a stone axe, and more. I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same with the Killabite.

The V Nives Killabite peeled and sectioned an orange with aplomb. The handle has a nice curved profile and is comfortable as such a small handle can be, comfortable enough for the kind of work that you would do with the knife.

The trailing point design and smooth edge with no ricasso or other fripperies makes the most of the short blade. The edge is just a tad thicker than I prefer, which makes it strong at the cost of a little slicing ability, but allowed it to bite deep into wrist-thick pine with no trouble. For long term use I might reprofile the edge—or maybe not. I like the notion of such a small blade being so strong.

The V Nives Killabite vanquished pine pieces for firewood. It bit deep into wrist-thick pine with no trouble.

The handle has a nice curved profile and is comfortable as such a small handle can be, comfortable enough for the kind of work that you would do with the knife. Keep in mind, too, a surgeon’s scalpel is only 1.5 inches long. Must work gets done with small blades. A keeper this one is.

The trailing point design and smooth edge with no ricasso or other fripperies makes the most of the Killabite’s short blade.

SPECS: V Nives Killabite
Blade Length: 1.4”
Blade Steel: Stainless damascus
Blade Thickness: .097”
Blade Style: Trailing Point
Blade Opener: Flipper
Blade Grind: Flat
Handle Material: Carbon fiber
Handle Thickness: .35”
Pocket Clip: Tip-up
Lock: Framelock
Weight: 1 oz.
Closed Length: 2.25”
Countries of Origin: USA and offshore
MSRP: $95.95

ONLY YOU KNOW

Which would be the best EDC? There’s no such thing, really. The right question is, which is the best EDC for you?

Only you will know the answer.

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Knife Knowledge 101: What is a Half Stop?

Safety feature, bell and whistle, or what have you, the half stop stimulates lively discussion.

What is a Half Stop?

What a Half Stop Does

The History of the Flat Stop

Half Stop Debate

Making the Half Stop

The Future of the Half Stop

4 Very Different Versions of the EDC Folder

SLIM JACK: Medford Knife & Tool Gentleman Jack

WORKADAY FOLDER: Smith’s Edgework-Site Wharncliffe Knife

ROCKETKNIFE: Pro-Tech Malibu Wharncliffe

MUST-WORK MINI: V Knives Killabite

ONLY YOU KNOW

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