Page 187 – BLADE Magazine

Holiday Gift Guide for Knife Collectors, Enthusiasts and Makers

Knife Collecting

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November 30, 2016

Holiday Gift Guide for Knife Collectors, Enthusiasts and Makers

The best gift ideas for knife collectors, enthusiasts and makers can be found at ShopBlade.com. If you’re not familiar with the world of knives and aren’t sure where to start, this is the guide for you. And if you are, we at BLADE won’t cut you short with these suggestions for your own gift list.

For New and Established Knifemakers

Christmas ideas make knives — Want to learn how to make knives, or how to make them even better? This book is a great place to start.

Many books claim to show readers how to make knives, but only one is trusted enough to have three editions with full-color photos. BLADE’s Guide to Making Knives, 3rd Edition is new for 2016, and it’ll be a sure hit with any knifemaker, from the garage tinkerer to the knife show pro.

Get BLADE’s Guide to Making Knives, 3rd Edition from ShopBlade.com at a terrific price.

* Also recommended: 101 Knife Designs.

For Casual or Experienced Knife Collectors

Best price best knife book about knives — Knives 2017 is a great gift idea for someone who collects knives.

For 37 years, knife collectors have looked forward to the latest editions of Knives, the annual book published by BLADE. Knives 2017 is the newest in this long tradition, and it’s can’t-miss material for the knife collector on your list.

While the in-depth features are interesting to read, and the custom knifemaker directory is second to none, it’s the beautiful photography that makes this book stand out year after year. Vibrant, full-color photos of the hottest custom knives on the planet receive the white glove treatment in this handsome tome. It’s as at home in the shop as it is on the coffee table.

Get Knives 2017 from ShopBlade.com here.

For the Armed and Prepared Person

Knives can mean many things to many people, but their use as self-defense tools is undisputed. If the knife enthusiast on your list takes being prepared for the unthinkable seriously, there’s only one DVD you need to consider.

Make Ready with James Williams: Continuing Solutions to Edged Weapons is simply one of the best guides on self-defense with a knife available. Williams is a regular presenter at the BLADE Show, and his insights are second to none.

Get Make Ready with James Williams: Continuing Solutions to Edged Weapons here for 56% off the regular price.

For Someone You’re Unsure About

Book about whittling with knives — Learn how to whittle.

It happens. The knife nut on your list either has everything already or doesn’t seem to need to anything in the first place. Fortunately, there’s a book that fits the bill.

Whittling Twigs & Branches is an unexpected find that cracks open the world of whittling with knives. There’s a surprising amount of information to learn about this topic. This includes how to carve roosters, herons, pheasants, roadrunners, flowers, trees and letter openers from ordinary twigs and branches.

Get Whittling Twigs & Branches here from ShopBlade.com for less than $10.

For the Person with Too Many Knives

Best gifts for knife collectors — Here’s how to store your knives.

After conducting extensive and highly scientific research, 10 out of 10 knife experts agree: there’s no such thing as too many knives. However, there is such a thing as not having enough storage.

That’s why BLADE‘s exclusive 18-pocket knife roll is the perfect gift. Not only does it keep folding knives secure, it rolls up for efficient storage. Its strong yet flexible material keeps out dirt, moisture, light, pollutants and more.

The only place to get BLADE‘s 18-pocket knife roll is at ShopBlade.com.

Also recommended: Quick Release oil and applicator.

For Someone Just Starting Out in Knives

Christmas Holiday Gift Guide Knives — The CRKT Endorser is a great gift for someone new to knife collecting.

That knife collection isn’t going to build itself. Help a new collector along with this terrific CRKT Endorser folding knife. It’s the right mix between price (it’s a bargain for you) and features (it’s a respectable knife for them).

Dimensions

Open Overall Length: 7.31 inches
Closed Length: 4.17 inches
Weight: 3.2 ounces

Blade

Length: 3.18 inches
Thickness: 0.1 inches
Material: 8Cr14MoV
Blade-HRC: 58-59
Finish: Satin
Grind: Hollow
Style: Drop Point
Edge: Plain

Handle

Material: G10

Lock

Type: Locking Liner

Get the CRKT Endorser from ShopBlade.com for just $24.99.

* Also recommended: CRKT Swindle, designed by Ken Onion.

For the Ultimate Knife Collector

Best knife gifts — A top-of-the-line gift for a top-of-the-line knife collector.

If the collector on your list is serious about knives, make a big impression with the Famars Piccolo Aluminum Black Model A with Damascus Blades knife. From the description:

The world’s first pinless sidelock knife. Anodized aluminum body. Standard blade and tanto blade in 416 layered damascus steel.

This is one knife that your lucky recipient won’t soon forget. Get it here from ShopBlade.com.

* Also recommended: Klecker Knives Titanium KLAX Lumberjack.

Cut, Handle or Chop It in BLADE’s Guide!

Steve Shackleford

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November 30, 2016

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Cut, Handle or Chop It in BLADE’s Guide!

BLADE's Guide Spring 2017 — Cut, handle or chop it in **BLADE’s Complete Knife Guide 2017**, on newsstands now!

Cut, handle or chop it—or lock it or look it up—in BLADE’s Complete Knife Guide 2017, on newsstands now!

The knife industry’s only annual buying journal, the 2017 BLADE’s Guide includes a comprehensive listing of anyone and everyone who does business in the factory knife industry, including manufacturers, importers, accessory, material and equipment makers and suppliers, knifemaking schools, photographers, embellishers and more. The Guide also has a special section on some of the top factory knives that will debut in the coming year.

Looking for today’s hottest blade steels? In “Steel Trek: The Search For Sharp,” David W. Jung takes you through not only the latest ones but also the ones that are being used by custom knifemakers and manufacturers most on their newest knives. Need a wedge of hardened steel to chop, whop or split logs, kindling and more? James Morgan Ayres outlines the sharpest in hatchets and hand axes in “Cut Me Some Whack!”

Knifemakers who use elephant ivory have been among those under attack by federal and state legislation, but those who use ancient ivory have found themselves under the gun as well. Meanwhile, the suppliers who sell handle materials are having to change with the changing market. Mike Haskew examines the issue from the sellers’ standpoint in “Ivory: How Knife Suppliers Adapt.”

Framelock folders offer some of the most secure lockup of any folding knife—a good thing for all knife enthusiasts, including the ladies. Daniel Jackson outlines four of the latest such folders from a woman’s perspective in “Framelocks From the Feminine View.”

Also in our special annual issue: knife handles designed for those with big hands; knives that double as bottle openers; an excerpt from the world’s greatest knife book, KNIVES 2017, on bowie fighters; an introduction of BLADE® Magazine’s new managing editor, Erin Healy; and much more. Subscribe, buy the digital edition or tramp on down to the newsstand for the latest issue!

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Prime Cutters Are Good To Go

Steve Shackleford

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November 22, 2016

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Small-to-medium-sized fixed blades make excellent cutting tools, and today’s prime cutters are good to go. Here are five of the hottest in this sharp-looking category.

The P.U.K. (Personal Utility Knife)

Atlas Dynamic Defense P.U.K. — The P.U.K. from Atlas Dynamic Defense is a hungry little cutter in CPM S30V stainless.

The P.U.K. (Personal Utility Knife) from Atlas Dynamic Defense has a 2.52-inch blade of CPM S30V stainless steel heat treated to a Rockwell hardness of 57-58 HRC in a controlled vacuum with an additional -300°F cryo bath. Top that with a DLC blade coat and you’ve got one hungry little cutter. The scales are removable with a coin or rifle cartridge. MSRP: $225.

Buck Omni RT

Among other prime cutters is the Buck Omni RT with a stout 3.25-inch blade of 420HC stainless steel and an ergonomic handle of Dynaflex rubber in Realtree Xtra Green Camo. Weight: 4.6 ounces. Overall length: 7.75 inches. A nylon sheath that matches the look of the handle completes the ensemble.

Western Knives Kota

The Kota from Western Knives includes a 3.25-inch blade of titanium-bonded 420 stainless and an ergonomic handle of G-10 with an elongated hole for a lanyard. Overall length: 7 inches. It’s kind of a cool design, really. A nylon sheath is included. MSRP: $29.99.

ESEE 3HM

If you’re looking for a carbon-steel cutter, the ESEE 3HM offers a 3.63-inch blade of 1095 carbon steel in a low-glare, stain-resistant powder coat and a canvas Micarta® handle. The contrast of the light-colored Micarta and the dark blade is choice. Weight: 7.7 ounces. Overall length: 8.88 inches. A black leather pouch comes standard.

Knives of Alaska Legacy

The Legacy from Knives Of Alaska has a blade of D2 tool steel to go along with a stag handle—all in the style of the late BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Bob Loveless. It includes a leather sheath. D2 is a favorite of Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Wayne Goddard and “Dr. D2” himself, Bob Dozier. Somewhere, Loveless is probably nodding in approval.

Looking for More Edgy Ideas?

Check out BLADE‘s holiday gift guide for knife nuts.

Best Knives for Hunting: Deer & Deer Hunting Clip Point Knife

Featured Knives

BLADE Staff

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November 16, 2016

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Best Knives for Hunting: Deer & Deer Hunting Clip Point Knife

Note: Click this link to purchase the knife, available only at ShopBlade.com. The knife is no longer available at ShopDeerHunting.com.

Best knives for deer hunting — Deer & Deer Hunting knows what makes the best deer hunting knives. When it found one that met the criteria, it put its name on it. Then it made three versions of it.

BLADE‘s media sister over on the deer hunting side is Deer & Deer Hunting, and you can imagine that it knows a thing or two about knives. Deer & Deer Hunting editors recognize how a dependable blade makes all the difference. When you need a knife, you need a knife.

That’s why BLADE was thrilled to hear that Deer & Deer Hunting partnered with the American Knife Company to produce an exclusive line of hunting knives. Here are the must-know details straight from the editors themselves:

Emblazoned with the DDH logo right on the blade, this classic design puts a modern twist on an old favorite of deer camps across North America.

Micarta handles offer a firm grip in slippery conditions common to bad weather, field dressing, butchering and the rugged demands of the hunt. A healthy dose of chromium in the A2 steel blade means it’ll stand up to the worst you can throw at it. The clip point blade design is as versatile as it comes, ready to make any task at deer camp a treat.

That sounds like the makings of the best deer hunting knives around. Whether you’re a collector or a hunter, click here to get the best knife for deer hunting you can shake an antler at.

Bear & Son acquires GATCO sharpener division

Erin Healy

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November 16, 2016

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Bear & Son acquires GATCO sharpener division

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Distinguishing Elephant from Ancient Ivory

Steve Shackleford

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November 7, 2016

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Distinguishing elephant from ancient ivory is challenging and becoming more and more important for the owners of knives with handles of ancient ivory. However, there are two reliable keys to make the determination easier.

Polished cross sections of elephant and mastodon/mammoth ivories display stacked chevrons of cross-hatched lines called Schreger lines or Lines of Retzius—incremental lines of rhythmic deposition of successive layers of enamel/dentine matrix during development. The Schreger lines closest to the outer bark of the tusks are the most visible—and the ones to measure—though there are also inner Schreger lines that are less discernible around the nerve cavity. The intersection of Schreger lines form angles, and this is the key—if the average angle is greater than 115 degrees, then it’s elephant ivory; if the average angle is less than 90 degrees, it’s mastodon or mammoth. Variations in the angles can occur in individual tusks, particularly as the patterns tighten more toward the center. Plus, the visible cross section must be cut square to the axis of the tusk—otherwise the chevrons’ angles will be distorted.

Specimens from both extinct and existing animals can show angles between 90 and 115 degrees in the outer Schreger lines, so the differentiation should never be based solely on a single angle measurement when the angles fall in this range. When averages are used, a clear separation between the ivory of existing elephants and extinct mammoths/mastodons exists. Elephant ivory averages above 100 degrees and mammoth/mastodon ivory averages below 100 degrees.

Another I.D. key, though more involved, can also distinguish mammoth or mastodon ivory from elephant. These ancient ivories can often have blue-green or brownish blemishes on the surface produced by an oxidized iron phosphate called vivianite. Even if the discoloration is barely visible, ultra-violet light will make it stand out with a dramatic velvety-purple appearance. Even if elephant ivory were similarly discolored—though in its natural state, elephant ivory will not display the same discoloration—it would not exhibit the characteristic fluoresence of vivianite.

With recent ivory laws handed down by Fish and Wildlife greying the lines between elephant and ancient ivories, it is possible the laws may give federal agents the right to seize knives and materials that cannot be proven as outright ivory but simply have the ivory look. As a result, if you own knives with ancient ivory handles, having an at least a general knowledge of how to differentiate elephant from ancient ivory could save you from having your knives confiscated, from being fined or both.

Hot Knife Deals at ShopBlade.com

Tomahawks Are Top Chops in BLADE

Steve Shackleford

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November 2, 2016

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New BLADE on newsstands now! — Tomahawks are top chops in the new **BLADE®**, on newsstands now!

Tomahawks large and small continue to take the world of knives by storm and four of the latest models are top chops in the new BLADE®—on newsstands now!

Featuring the Hardcore Hardware Australia CTT-01 on the cover, the issue also includes the diminutive Micro Hawk from TOPS Knives. Sandwiched in between is the versatile EX-T01 from Hogue Knives. All four get in their licks and the once over several times from Pat Covert in “4 Hawk Hoedown.”

The talent level of today’s best custom knifemakers is better than ever, but what about the ones that offer some of the sharpest blades anywhere but nobody knows of them? Mike Haskew smokes out today’s most underrated cutlers in “Under-The-Radar Knifemakers.”

Every knife has its “sweet spot”—the spot on the blade that cuts better than any other, on the handle that feels better than any other and more. Some knives even have more than one sweet spot. High-endurance performance knife master smith Ed Fowler shows you how to find them in “The Sweet Spots.”

A child’s rite of passage comes in many forms, including his or her first experiences with knives. What makes that rite even more meaningful is when it includes teaching the child how to make knives. See how ABS master smith Timothy Potier and the folks at the New England School of Metalwork help usher kids through the keenest of rites in “Life Skills Meet Knife Skills.”

Also this issue: the latest in factory neck knives and a test of four of the latest Japanese-style Santoku kitchen knives; the Case Collectors Club and the festivities at its recent 35th annual reunion at the Case factory in Bradford, Pennsylvania; the latest in knife kits and how to best assemble them; President Theodore Roosevelt’s knife that brought a record price of $414,000 at an American auction; and much more, all in the latest BLADE—on newsstands now, or buy the digital edition or subscribe!

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BLADE Magazine

Holiday Gift Guide for Knife Collectors, Enthusiasts and Makers

For New and Established Knifemakers

For Casual or Experienced Knife Collectors

For the Armed and Prepared Person

For Someone You’re Unsure About

For the Person with Too Many Knives

For Someone Just Starting Out in Knives

For the Ultimate Knife Collector

Cut, Handle or Chop It in BLADE’s Guide!

Prime Cutters Are Good To Go

The P.U.K. (Personal Utility Knife)

Buck Omni RT

Western Knives Kota

ESEE 3HM

Knives of Alaska Legacy

Looking for More Edgy Ideas?

Best Knives for Hunting: Deer & Deer Hunting Clip Point Knife

Bear & Son acquires GATCO sharpener division

Distinguishing Elephant from Ancient Ivory

Hot Knife Deals at ShopBlade.com

Tomahawks Are Top Chops in BLADE

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