Page 197 – BLADE Magazine

Ivory Ban Opponents Make Advances

Steve Shackleford

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November 23, 2015

Newton ancient ivory knife. — Ron Newton’s bowie features an ancient ivory handle. (PointSeven image)

Massachusetts and New Jersey made advances in the fight against each state’s ivory ban proponents over the past two weeks.

Opponents of the Massachusetts ivory ban outnumbered the proponents in a Nov. 17 hearing before the state’s Joint Committee on Environment. In other words, there were many more legitimate business people there—scrimshanders, musicians, antique dealers, etc.—than animal activists, and that’s a good thing for people interested in maintaining a legal ivory trade in the state.

The ban’s opponents gave many examples of art and culturally significant antiques that would needlessly be rendered worthless under the ban. The committee seemed to acknowledge the beauty and distinctiveness of the antiques that would be outlawed, and that an all-encompassing ban was unnecessarily broad. The activists commented on the “different tone” and the concern the committee showed for scrimshaw and antiques. Many of the questions asked related to creating legal exceptions to the ban.

To submit testimony by e-mail, send your e-mail to all of the following Massachusetts House members: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; and [email protected]. For the state Senate, e-mail Henry Kahn, legislative director and general counsel in Sen. Gobi’s office, at [email protected] and he will distribute your e-mail to the state Senate’s members.

The Massachusetts developments followed on the heels of the chaotic hearing on the Big 5 African Species ban before the New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on Nov. 10. The oppressive bill heard before the committee would have made possession of ivory a criminal offense punishable by three-to-five years in prison and a $5,000 to $50,000 fine. It also would have targeted other wildlife materials, including varieties of mother-of-pearl, shark’s teeth and many more. Thanks in no small part to the invaluable help of Knife Rights and Doug Ritter, written criticisms of the ban read to the committee helped result in a watered-down version of the bill that, among others, exempted ivory and rhino horn and no longer requires ivory owners to comply with the bill’s new possession prohibition and certification requirements; dramatically reduced the number of species covered from 11,800 to around 10; and slashed the penalty for failing to comply with their certification requirements from felony-level penalties to a civil penalty.

Despite the watering down of it, the New Jersey bill is still a bad one and represents a Pyrrhic victory of sorts. Though ivory was excluded, the bill still constitutes unconstitutional taking by criminalizing commercial trade and possession of otherwise legal private property without just compensation. It imposes taxes on those who lawfully possess wildlife through its certification requirements that remain in place, and manages to include additional species with no evidence of a connection between New Jersey and the targeted items. Finally, its one-size-fits-all-prohibition style strips wildlife of all commercial value to local African countries and communities best suited to protect them.

Also Check Out:

Knives 2016, 36th Edition
The trusted guide for knife collectors, enthusiasts, knifemakers, and dealers around the world, this knife book covers the latest and greatest from front to back. A collection of feature articles explores the latest developments, history, and transformation of knives, swords, and edges of various kinds. Get your copy

Knives Unite the World

Knife Collecting

Joe Kertzman

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November 20, 2015

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The following is an excerpt from the KNIVES 2016 book. Click here to order your copy, read many entries like it and view some of the most gorgeous knives on the planet.

Edges of the World

You know it’s American when you see it. That’s the easy part. Isn’t it amazing how something “foreign” is also instantly recognizable? And it doesn’t matter which country you live in, a Chevy is as American as a Ford, and a Maserati as Italian as a Ferrari. One doesn’t look at a Dodge pickup truck, and say, “Wow, those Japanese imports are sure stylish.” The Dodge is easily identified as an American truck. And likewise, even the most novice of car enthusiasts can tell that a Hyundai isn’t a product of Detroit, Mich.

So should knives and swords be any different? When you shrink your product down from a vehicle that a person rides inside to a knife he or she carries, one might think that identifying it by country of origin would be more difficult. But that’s not the case. Many knife enthusiasts recognize Persian upswept blades when they see them, Scottish basket-hilt swords, Japanese tantos or wakizashis, French poniards, Napalese kukris and American bowie knives. Those are the easy ones. But can you identify a Hungarian foko or a Spanish belduque? It doesn’t take much practice.

Perhaps we’re more worldly than we give ourselves credit for. Sure, the average American can’t likely name the countries of South Africa, but we know Chinese food when we taste it, a Cuban cigar when we smoke it and a Mexican fiesta when we attend one. Regional recognition isn’t limited to geography, but also includes cultures, people, clothing, food, arms and armor. That means knives, and these exotic beauties will take you to the edges of the world and back. Or is the world round?

For answers to many of the questions a knife enthusiast might have, pick up your copy of KNIVES 2016 today.

Knives 2016, 36th Edition
The trusted guide for knife collectors, enthusiasts, knifemakers, and dealers around the world, this knife book covers the latest and greatest from front to back. A collection of feature articles explores the latest developments, history, and transformation of knives, swords, and edges of various kinds. Get your copy

High-Performance Knives For Under $50?!

Joe Kertzman

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November 13, 2015

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Leave it to BLADE® Magazine and BLADE field editor Dave Rhea to find quality, yes, quality, production knives for under $50 each. (shown below is the 5.11 Tactical DTP)

As Dave Rhea asks, “How does a knife company create a reliable, quality knife at low cost? According to Stephanie Young, Buck Knives marketing and communications manager, the key is to focus on robust, simple construction and tough materials. With the Buck Trigger folder as an example, she said there are several things for knife enthusiasts to consider—including Buck’s “Forever Warranty.”

“Forever is a long time and our knives need to last a long time,” she relayed. “EDC knives are truly carried every day and used more often than a task-specific knife.”

The Trigger features a drop-point blade because it functions well in a variety of situations, she said. The Trigger gets its name from the choil that transitions into a flipper “trigger.”

(at right is the TOPS Knives ALRT)

“Robust, simple construction with tough materials need not be expensive,” Young explained. She added … Click here to subscribe and find fascinating articles like this at your doorstep monthly, or pick up the February 2016 issue of BLADE on newsstands today.

(Shown here are the BuckTrigger (top) and Bubba Blade 7-Inch Tapered Blade Flex Fillet Knife)

Veterans’ Knives for Veterans Day

Steve Shackleford

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November 10, 2015

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Case V-42 dagger. — The classic Case V-42 with thumbprint ricasso. (SharpByCoop image)

World War II Mark 1's. — Two Mark 1’s, one by Pal (top) and Robeson (bottom).

In honor of Veterans Day, here are a few of the veterans’ knives that have seen action over the past century in the service of our country:

•U.S.N. Mark 2/U.S.M.C. fighting-utility knife: Known to many simply as a KA-BAR or kabar, it was made during World War II not only by Union Cutlery/KA-BAR but also, among others, Pal, Case, Camillus, Utica, Conetta and Robeson Shuredge. The iconic picture of it on the hips of U.S. Marines on the black sands of Iwo Jima tells it all—it was there and so were the Marines, who, by the way, are also celebrating their 240th anniversary. Semper Fidelis!;

•U.S. Mark I Trench Knife: It has all the trimmings: skull crusher, dagger blade, and the four finger holes in the knuckle guard. It reeks of Doughboys, Over There and Jimmy Cagney’s The Fighting 69th;

•Randall Model #1-8: WIth its stacked-leather grip and flowing blade, slightly dropped handle, double guard and narrow tang opening into a magnificently ground clip-point blade, the Model 1 has some of the most beautiful lines of any knife ever made;

KA-BAR Mark 2's. — Two Mark 2’s stamped “KA-BAR.”

•Case V-42: Classic skull crusher, cylindrical/swell-center handle, double guard, dagger blade and the clincher, the thumbprint indentation iwth grooved lines on the ricasso alone would guarantee the V-42 a place in any pantheon of military knives;

•Gerber Mark II: The one with the “cat-tongue” handle—so-called because of the feel of the grip created by spraying molten stainless steel onto the aluminum—and the wasp-waisted blade is a favorite from the Vietnam War;

•SOG Recon: The “twin-peak” blade spine readily identifies this military classic from the Vietnam War. “SOG” comprises the last three letters in the MACV-SOG acronym, the seven which stand for Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group;

•Ulster Mountain Pocketknife: These utlilitarian pocketknives reportedly were issued to the First Special Service Force during World War II and later to the troops of the 11th Mountain Division.

Marines at Iwo. — U.S. Marines land at Iwo Jima, their U.S.N. Mark 2’s/Ka-Bar fighting/utility knives at their sides.

Best Knives Under $50 Top New BLADE

Steve Shackleford

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November 3, 2015

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The best knives under $50, how to make one of the industry’s hottest folders, and two custom knife industry veterans doing their best to protect elephants and your legal ivory are among the highlights of the new BLADE®, on newsstands now!

Budget concerns are at the top of most people’s lists these days, including those of knife enthusiasts. Dave Rhea shows you how to save a few bucks and still get an outstanding knife at a reasonable price in “Best New Knives Under $50.”

Sandra Brady and Linda Karst-Stone are known throughout the custom knife industry as two of the best scrimshanders. They have a vested interest in the nationwide attack on legal elephant and ancient ivory by the federal and state governments. If you think all Sandra and Linda care about is their livelihoods and not the plight of elephants and the state of legal ivory, you would be wrong. Find out what the federal and state grab on legal ivory is really about in the “Dynamic Duo of Ivory” by Pat Covert.

Popularized by the late BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Kit Carson, flipper folders remain one of today’s hottest knives in the custom and factory industries. ABS master smith Wally Hayes shows you what goes into making one of these fast-opening models in “How To Make A Flipper Folder.”

Protecting a knife from the physical degradations of hard use, the elements and more is one of the reasons many companies coat the blade and sometimes even the handle in a variety of different finishes. Find out what the finishes are, how they are applied and more in Mike Haskew’s “Coats of Many Colors.”

Also this issue: tests of the latest hatchets, neck knives and two new folders, those who forge damascus in quantity for use by other knifemakers and companies, 41 reasons you may be an edgeneck and much more in the latest BLADE.

Wisconsin Assembly Passes Knife Law Reform Bill

Knife News Wire

Joe Kertzman

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October 29, 2015

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Wisconsin Assembly Passes Knife Law Reform Bill

A Knife Law Reform Bill, including Knife Law Preemption, AB 142, has passed the Wisconsin Assembly by a voice vote, according to Knife Rights and kniferights.org.

AB 142 removes all restrictions on switchblades and concealed carry of knives from Wisconsin statutes, with the single exception that a person who is prohibited under state law from possessing a firearm may not go armed with a concealed knife that is a “dangerous weapon.” Knife Law Preemption means that all laws more restrictive than the new state law will be voided and knife law will be consistent throughout the state.

An amendment was added to AB 142 that retains political subdivisions’ ability to “[prohibit] the possession of a knife in a building, or part of a building, that is owned, occupied or controlled by the political subdivision.”

The primary sponsor of AB 142 is Rep. Kathleen Bernier, and her co-sponsors are Reps. Joel Kleefisch, James Edming, Bob Gannon, Cody Horlacher, Chris Kapenga, Jesse Kremer, Scott Krug, Thomas Larson, Jeffrey Mursau, John Murtha, Keith Ripp, Jeremy Thiesfeldt and Paul Tittl.

The Senate version of this bill, SB 102, has passed the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety and a vote of the full Senate in the coming days is expected.

Knife Law Preemption repeals and prevents local ordinances more restrictive than state law that only serve to confuse or entrap law-abiding citizens traveling within or through the state. Preemption ensures citizens can expect consistent enforcement of state knife laws everywhere in a state.

New Knives From Ruger/CRKT

Steve Shackleford

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October 26, 2015

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The tactical folder in the line is the 2-Stage, a Robert Carter design with a tanto blade.

Steigerwalt Crack Shot Compact. — Ken Steigerwalt’s new Ruger/CRKT design is the Crack Shot: Compact.

Sturm, Ruger & Co. and CRKT announce new knives designed by a selection of award-winning custom knifemakers.

The designers include Ken Steigerwalt, Ryan Johnson of RMJ Tactical, Bill Harsey, Matthew Lerch and Robert Carter.

CRKT has the knives produced under license from Ruger. They include a selection of EDC, tactical, hunting and utility patterns in an assortment of sizes and materials.

Of the five designers, Harsey designed the most knives: three. His are the “Go-N-Heavy” folder highlighted by a hard-anodized, sure-grip handle and a 3.5-inch blade, the “All-Cylinders” folder with a black, stonewashed 4-inch blade and a “revolver cylinder-style” pivot, and the “Accurate,” a fixed-blade hunter with a reinforced nylon-fabric sheath. The folders have drop-point blades with a choice of plain edge or Veff serrations. The Go-N-Heavy stores in a nylon-fabric sheath.

Go-N-Heavy Harsey — Bill Harsey’s Go-N-Heavy is highlighted by a hard-anodized sure-rip handle.

Johnson’s designs are the “Cordite: Compact” straight knife sporting a 2.5-inch drop-point blade and a paracord-wrapped handle with a “revolver cylinder style” bead, and the “Powder-Keg” fixed-blade survival knife featuring a 4.75-inch blade and rubber overmold full-tang handle with an inset Ruger medallion. The former has a glass-reinforced nylon sheath, the latter a leather sheath.

Lerch’s design is the “Follow-Through” flipper folder with a Ruger-inspired, diamond-checkered, glass-reinforced nylon handle.

The locking liner knife has a 3.75-inch drop-point blade and a two-position pocket clip. Steigerwalt’s design is the “Crack Shot: Compact” assisted opener with a 3.5-inch drop-point blade and a Ruger American Rifle-inspired, glass-reinforced nylon grip with pocket clip.

The blade is stonewashed and available in a plain or serrated edge. Carter’s design is two sizes of the “2-Stage,” a tactical flipper folder with a choice of a 4- or 3.58-inch (the “2-Stage: Compact”) tanto blade in a plain edge or with Veff serrations. Each knife has a machined/hard-anodized aluminum and stainless steel handle, and four-position pocket clip.

Follow-Through Ruger/CRKT — Matthew Lerch’s Follow-Through flipper folder includes a Ruger-inspired, diamond-checkered glass-reinforced nylon handle.

For more information visit Ruger.com/micros/crkt.

BLADE Magazine

Ivory Ban Opponents Make Advances

Also Check Out:

Knives Unite the World

High-Performance Knives For Under $50?!

Veterans’ Knives for Veterans Day

Best Knives Under $50 Top New BLADE

Wisconsin Assembly Passes Knife Law Reform Bill

New Knives From Ruger/CRKT

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