Page 200 – BLADE Magazine

What Makes a Knife Sexy in New BLADE

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February 23, 2016

Learn what makes a knife sexy, why select makers of custom folders are crossing over to making different styles, whether James Bowie was an orator, rowdy or some of each—and more—in the latest BLADE®, on newsstands now!

You hear it all the time: “Man, what a sexy knife!” or “That knife has sex appeal!” So what makes a knife “sexy”? Part of it is what our special story identifies as the “feminine factor”—which includes knives that look and feel good and perform well. But there’s more to it than just that. Get the details in the story on page 74.

While tactical folders have been king in the knife industry for many years, some top custom makers have resisted making them—until now. Some award-winning makers of custom slip joints are trying their hand at tacticals or even hybrid tacticals, as are some makers of high-end custom folders. Les Robertson takes you on a tour of those who are doing it and why, and what it means for the present and future of custom knives in “4 Unintended Consequences of Tactical Folders.”

BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member James Bowie has been portrayed in any number of ways in recent years, including as a brawler, a drunkard and other unflattering descriptions. However, what did those who served with him before and during the Alamo siege think of him? In part five of “James Bowie Legend: Fact or Fable?” Jeffrey Dane shares what some of those who served with Bowie wrote about the famed frontiersman. See what they had to say in the story on page 30.

Also: Learn how you can enroll in J. Neilson’s special class at BLADE University on how to qualify for the hit TV show, Forged In Fire (BLADE University will be held in conjunction with the 35th Annual BLADE Show); see how four new Asian-style blades perform, as well as two of the latest skinning knives; immerse yourself in the latest of quick blades in “Golden Age of Autos?”; discover how bone remains at or near the top of handle materials in terms of popularity in “Bone in the USA!”; join in BLADE‘s salute to the late Warren Osborne in “‘Good Enough’ Wasn’t Good Enough For Him”; and much more in the latest BLADE.

Do the Straight Razor Strop!

Featured Knives

Joe Kertzman

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February 19, 2016

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As noted by Pat Covert in the April 2016 issue of BLADE®, there was a time in this great country when all men used straight razors to shave because, well, they had no other choice! Today, though, shaving with a straight razor has been experiencing a revival in an age when five-blade handhelds and multi-head electric shavers are the norm.

Two of the latest straight razors include Boker’s “The Celebrated Ebony” (left) and knifemaker Tom Krein’s model in orange-and-black-layered G-10.

According to Wikipedia, narrow-bladed folding straight razors were listed by a Sheffield, England, manufacturer in 1680. By 1740, Benjamin Huntsman was making straight razors complete with decorated handles and hollow-ground blades made from cast steel, using a process he himself invented. Think about that. Straight razors have been in use, uninterrupted, for nearly 350 years—and no doubt much longer in terms of those who made them earlier.

Larry “The Hammer” Harley forged the wootz damascus blade and handle of his straight razor. A special heat-bluing technique provides the color. A mammoth bone spacer adds the final touch. (SharpByCoop image)

Shaving with a straight razor takes both skill and time when most people get their news lightning-fast off a handheld device—and the rat race shows no sign of waning. So, why would you want to take the time to meticulously shave your face or trim your beard?

To read the rest of the story, see the April 2016 issue of BLADE.

ICCE Changes Knife Show Dates

Steve Shackleford

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February 9, 2016

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Due to unforeseen circumstances, the 2nd Annual International Custom Cutlery Exposition (ICCE) has had to change the dates for its 2016 knife show from early to late September, show officials announced.

Originally slated for Sept. 9-11, the new dates are Sept. 23-25.

The show will be held in the same venue—the Downtown Marriott in Kansas City, Missouri.

According to ICCE officials, the event-hosting hotel, the Downtown Marriott, notified the ICCE’s organizers, the Knifemakers’ Guild and the American Bladesmith Society (ABS), that there would be several events scheduled for the original show dates. Due to the events scheduled in downtown Kansas City, some streets will be blocked, parking will be a hassle, and the downtown will be overcrowded the weekend of Sept. 9-11. The hotel management had other available dates that would make the show far more enjoyable for those who will attend, thus the change to Sept. 23-25.

Held for the first time this past September at the Downtown Marriott in Kansas City, the initial ICCE represented the first-ever knife show held in cooperation between and coordinated by both the Guild and the ABS, the world’s oldest and most important groups of custom knifemakers. Adding to the historical significance of the cooperative effort is that the show was held in the same room as the 1973 Guild Show where BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Bill Moran introduced his knives with damascus steel blades. It was the first time modern damascus steel knives were exhibited at a knife show and it caused quite a stir, and eventually sparked the creation of the ABS in 1976. Most of the knifemakers and bladesmiths from both organizations who exhibited at the 2015 ICCE appeared very pleased with it, and a number of them and other industry observers seem optimistic about the show’s future potential for success.

For more information visit knifemakersguild.com/show, facebook.com/events and/or facebook.com/knifemakers.guild.

Know Your Knife Rights

Joe Kertzman

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February 5, 2016

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“I heard that I’m only allowed to carry knives with 3 1/2-inch blades or shorter in my state, is that true?”

“I carry a 4-inch drop-point fixed blade when hunting, but I’m traveling to Minnesota this season, can I carry it there?”

“Someone told me I can carry an auto in Michigan now, can that be right?”

Good questions, all of them, and as silly as it might be that we have to ask such questions when it comes to carrying tools as utilitarian and downright useful as knives, that’s the world we live in. There are very few “firsts” in the knife industry, but one of them is the first and most comprehensive book ever published on federal and state knife laws. Knife Laws Of The U.S. By Evan F. Nappen answers questions about what knives are legal to own and carry in each state, and which aren’t. It delves into switchblades, ballistic and gravity knives and others, and even explains what to do and what not to do if you are arrested with a knife.

A nationally-known knife and gun rights attorney, Nappen has dedicated his life to fighting for gun and knife rights. Having practiced law since 1988, he was one of the first attorneys to ever get a federal injunction against a state gun law. He has written and produced DVDs, and authored a number of gun rights books, as well as numerous articles that have appeared in national magazines. Now he’s written THE book on knife rights. Knife Laws Of The U.S. is a good one to have, and with you, at all times, no mater where you go while carrying a knife!

His/Her Knives for Valentine’s Day

Steve Shackleford

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February 2, 2016

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Clip and pen blades — Saddle up for Valentine’s Day with the Case John Wayne peanut.

Whether you’re spoken for or not, the Kershaw Spoke will cut it for you and/or your sweetie-pie.

Valentine’s Day is a heartbeat away and there’s no better gift than his/her knives. These knives especially fit the bill because they are smallish folders that work well for both men and women. Featuring blades under 3 inches, they make the ideal everyday carry knife in most any venue.

Boker’s Damascus African Thuya is just such a knife. Boasting a 2.25-inch blade of Chad Nichols ladder-pattern damascus, it has a handle of tight-grained African thuya wood. MSRP: $299.

The Buck Apex is a sporty little folding knife with a 2 5/8 blade of 420HC stainless and a carbon fiber handle with carabiner, pocket clip and integrated bottle opener. Weight: 1.7 ounces. Closed length: 3.75 inches. MSRP: $45.

African Thuya Damascus — Boker’s Damascus African Thuya makes a great Valentine’s Day gift.

If you’re into the Duke—John Wayne for you tenderfoots—Case’s John Wayne peanut pattern should be your cup of cattle-drive coffee. Sporting clip and pen blades—the former with Wayne’s signature—the Red River “D” shield and “The Duke” inscribed on the bolster, this one is made for Wayne fans everywhere.

The black-oxide-coated Spoke from Kershaw is an assisted-opening flipper folder with a 2-inch blade of 4Cr14 stainless and a forged steel handle. Closed length: 2.8 inches. MSRP: $27.99.

Finally, yet another great small knife for Valentine’s Day is the SOG Cash Card. The 2.75-inch blade of 8Cr13MoV stainless and full-metal construction make this minimalist’s dream knife come true.

His/her knives—you can’t beat ’em! For more on these classics and other great knives, stay tuned to blademag.com and the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication, BLADE®.

Forged In Fire, Season Two Premieres!

Joe Kertzman

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January 28, 2016

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According to a new History™ Channel video trailer and television commercial, Season 2 of Forged In Fire premieres on February 9th at 10 p.m. EST/9 p.m. CST. All-new participants/bladesmiths are ready to forge edged tools and weapons, so tune in to History Channel and see for yourself.

ABS master smith J. Neilson tests a blade on History Channel’s Forged In Fire. (Miller Mobley/HISTORY image)

Forged In Fire (page 84, December BLADE) pits bladesmiths against each other to see who can make the best knife in a limited amount of time, with the winner of each episode earning a $10,000 first prize. Last year’s FIF included such well-known forgers as ABS master smiths Murray Carter, Ray Kirk and J.D. Smith, David Goldberg, Peter Martin, ABS journeyman smith Mace Vitale and others, as well as many relatively unknown bladesmiths.

The combination of having to complete knives in a set time limit along with the other contestants before television cameras and over a million viewers makes for a great pressure environment and high drama. As a result, some of the smiths struggle to perform at their best. See the December 2015 issue of BLADE to find out more.

BLADE Picks Hottest Custom Knives

Steve Shackleford

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January 26, 2016

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The hottest custom knifemakers’ hottest knives, a field test of four of the latest factory fixed blades sold for under $50 each, and how factory knife companies and custom makers arrive at collaboration knives are but a sample of the stories in the new BLADE®, on newsstands now!

Factory/custom collaboration knives go back at least as far as BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Blackie Collins’s collaborations with Smith & Wesson’s knife line in the late 1960s. However, the explosion in such knives occurred circa 1990 with the C15 collaboration between Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Bob Terzuola and Spyderco. Since then, collaborations have come by the train load. How has the process evolved and how have collaborations changed in terms of how they are viewed by both sides in the collaboration equation? Find out in “Deal Makers & Heartbreakers” by BLADE field editor Mike Haskew.

To fulfill reader requests for the best in economy knife buys, the new BLADE introduces “Budget Knife Buyer,” the first in a regular series of stories on quality knives obtainable from one or more retailers for $50 or less. First up are utility fixed blades. Join Abe Elias as he puts the CRKT Sting 3B, Condor Tool & Knife Tarpon, Gerber Ghostrike and Puma USA Badlands through the paces.

Twice each year, BLADE canvasses leading custom knife purveyors for the hottest custom makers’ hottest knives. The latest rendition of “What’s Hottest” features some of the world’s leading makers’ best recent efforts. Many of the makers’ names remain the same but the knives are hotter than ever. Check out which ones are sizzlin’ in “Sharp Studies in Standout Steel” by BLADE editor Steve Shackleford.

Also this issue: Join Michael Janich as he visits his friend, Fred Perrin, perhaps the most revered maker of tactical knives in France, in “Blademaker of Burgundy”; ABS master smith Larry Fuegen details his one-of-a-kind forged scroll folder in “Mad About Max”; the latest in straight razors and the secrets to keeping them sharp in Pat Covert’s “Razor Blades by a Whisker”; Zoe Crist’s hot stainless san mai steel and the knives that have it; James Morgan Ayres’s field test of four of the latest tactical folders, including this issue’s cover knife, the Browning Vanquish Pocket Deploy, in “Tactical Folder Field-Test Fest”; and much more, all in the latest issue of the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication, BLADE.

BLADE Magazine

What Makes a Knife Sexy in New BLADE

Do the Straight Razor Strop!

ICCE Changes Knife Show Dates

Know Your Knife Rights

His/Her Knives for Valentine’s Day

Forged In Fire, Season Two Premieres!

BLADE Picks Hottest Custom Knives

Must Read Articles

Knifemaking 101 – Read This Before You Make a Knife

8 Things You May Not Know About “Forged in Fire”

How to Forge Damascus

How to Create Damascus Patterns

Why Are Switchblades Illegal?