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Keep Your Edge with the Work Sharp Guided Sharpening System

Keep your edge with the Work Sharp Guided Sharpening System.
Keep your edge with the Work Sharp Guided Sharpening System.

Next to a knife on their wish list, knife owners and collectors are typically on the hunt for one thing — a superior sharpening system.

Finding the right solution to handle a wide spectrum of blade styles, grinds and material is more difficult than it sounds. As most knife aficionados know, what draws a sharp edge on one blade may struggle on another.

That’s what makes the Work Sharp Guided Sharpening System so exciting. This niffy and elegant sharpener has been designed to put a razor’s edge on every knife you own — from flat grinds to serrated blades.

At the heart of the sharpener is Work Sharp’s Pivot-Response system that allows the abrasive surface to follow the curve of the knife. This innovative feature permits the sharpening surface to tilt with the camber of the blade, thus allowing liner strokes to apply an edge. This takes much of the guesswork out of sharpening the entirety of a knife, making the process faster, easier and more precise.

The Pivot-Response, however, can be locked if a more traditional sharpening platform is desired. This makes the Guided Sharpening System ideal for novices and experts alike.

Making the system almost fool proof is the Angle-Guided Bench Sharpener. These guides — set at 17 and 20 degrees — are designed to ensure the proper angle is taken on each pass, thus guaranteeing a dynamite cutting edge.

Work Sharp Guided Sharpening System includes coarse and fine diamond plates, a three-position ceramic rod for honing, and two small diameter ceramic rods for serrations.

Work Sharp has also aimed to make this sharpener a life-long addition to your knife maintenance kit with a 42-year warranty.

Disabled Vet Knife Graces New BLADE®

Disabled vet knife in new BLADE®.
A knife for disabled vets is the cover knife for the latest BLADE®, on newsstands NOW!

A knife for disabled vets, behind the scenes of the hit TV show Forged In Fire, World War II Japanese swords and much more highlight the annual military issue of BLADE®, on newsstands NOW!

L.T. Wright’s H.E.R.O. (Helping Everyone Reach the Outdoors) knife is specially designed to accommodate people with finger and/or hand injuries. Join Abe Elias as he examines how the knife came about, how it’s designed, how it works and more in his story on page 12.

Forged In Fire has been one of The History Channel’s hottest shows in recent months and has brought the skill required to make a forged knife into full view of a wide-ranging television viewing audience. Go behind the scenes of this fascinating, action-packed show with our special story on page 84. In addition, on page 10, see if you agree that FIF may be the “Eureka moment” the knife industry has been waiting on for these many years.

The Japanese signed the formal World War II surrender on the U.S. battleship Missouri 70 years ago this month. But what of all those Japanese swords carried by those in the Japanese Army and Navy? Who made them and whatever became of them? Leon Kapp gives you the poop in part one of his “The Sun Rises On Them Still” on page 80.

There’s much more in the annual military issue, including a visit with two surviving 90-something members of the First Special Service Force that fought so well in World War II; three military veterans who are new to the knifemaking game in Pat Covert’s story on page 20; the best-selling military knives in the factory realm on page 36; a test of four military-style autos by James Morgan Ayres on page 44; “How To I.D. A True Combat Knife” by BLADE field editor Ed Fowler on page 52; the “Ultimate Survival Knives” of special-operations veterans Grady Powell and Jared Ogden, stars of National Geographic’s action TV series, Ultimate Survival Alaska; a test of two tomahawks by BLADE field editor/retired Green Beret Kim Breed on page 48; and much more in the latest issue.


The latest issue of BLADE is on newsstands now!Subscribe:

Stay abreast of the latest developments on this and many more knife rights issues with a subscription to BLADE.

Classy Tactical Folders Evolve!

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built-like-600

Britton_140606There’s a chapter in the new KNIVES 2016 book called “Some Class Tacts,” and it’s chock-full of color images of the finest handmade, high-end, dressed-up tactical folders in the world. Knifemaker Ken Onion uses the term “Genticals” for such knives (Gent’s Tacticals), but in this case, Class Tacts seemed to sum them up. Whatever you want to call them, whether “Sunday Go To Meetin'” knives, dress tacticals, Genticals or Class Tacts, today’s versions of tactical folders using high-end materials are gorgeous.

And it’s amazing how many different configurations can be made, different versions of dress tacticals. No wonder they remain so popular. It’s no trend, it’s a movement, and Class Tacts are here to stay.

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Want to See More?

T7174See them all in the brand-new KNIVES 2016 book, and enjoy!

6 Hotties Highlight New Knives

Case tear drop and muskrat.
New from Case is the Collector’s Tour Tear Drop and Ambassador Tour’s muskrat.
Bear & Son butterfly in pink.
Think pink with Bear & Son’s new Model 114PK butterfly knife.

What’s hot and new in factory knives for the fall? Among them are 6 hotties ready to cut. Let’s start with Case. Its 2015 Collector’s Tour Knife is a traditional tear-drop pattern with an embellished smooth chestnut bone handle and the company’s famous “XX” scrolled bolsters. Case Collectors Club Manager Lisa Boser-Miller’s signature appears on the Tru-Sharp stainless spear blade.

The 2015 Ambassador Tour Knife is a muskrat in a smooth dark red bone handle and bolster engraving. One of the clip blades bears the signature of the owner of Coffman Hardware who doubles as a Case ambassador, Dennis Mikus.

Liong Mah designed the CRKT Viva.
The CRKT Viva is a pry tool, hex wrench, bottle opener and screwdriver all in one keychain multi tool.

Bear & Son offers up a cool butterfly in hot pink handles—the Model

114PK in a 3 5/8-inch stainless blade. The handles are epoxy-coated aluminum. Weight: 5 ounces. Closed length: 5 inches.

If you’re looking for a stout fixed blade, look no further than the Argonaut 800 from Steel Will Knives. The 6.3-inch blade is AUS-8 stainless in a satin finish and a Rockwell hardness of 56-58 HRC. Weight: 9.59 ounces. The $99.99 MSRP includes a Nylon sheath.

The Baja 4.5 features a 1095 high-carbon steel blade ina Black River Wash finish.
The Baja 4.5 is TOPS Knives’ “stretched sibling” of the Baja 3.0.

OK, so it’s not really a knife. So? Designed by Liong Mah, CRKT’s Viva is one of a growing number of key-ring multi-tools that includes a pry tool, screwdriver, bottle opener, hex wrench and more—all for a measly $9.99 MSRP.

The TOPS Knives Baja 4.5 is the “stretched sibling” of the TOPS Baja 3.0, sporting a 4.5-inch blade of 1095 high-carbon steel in a Black River Wash and a green canvas Micarta® handle. MSRP: $200 (includes a leather dangler sheath).

Grab you some Steel Will Argonaut!
The Argonaut from Steel Will Knives is one stout fixed blade.

 

Also Check Out:

T7174Knives 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

 

Gear Up with The Team Jackal

TOPS Knives Team Jackal Survivor
The Team Jackal Survivor is new from TOPS Knives.

 

Rotating spring steel sheath clip.
The Kydex sheath attaches to a belt or gear via a rotating spring steel clip.
Black Kydex sheath
The sheath protects the blade and makes for a handsome package, too.
Rocky Mountain Tread handle.
The G-10 handle is textured in a Rocky Mountain Tread for enhanced gripping.
The blade is 1095 high-carbon steel.
The 5-inch blade is 1095 high-carbon steel in a Coyote Tan powder coat.

Gear up with the Team Jackal Survivor fixed blade from TOPS Knives, a great everyday utility and/or bug-out-bag knife.

The Team Jackal Survivor sports a 5-inch blade of 3/16-inch-thick 1095 high-carbon steel heat treated to a Rockwell hardness of 56-58 HRC. The cutting edge is 4 5/8 inches long. A steel favored by many bladesmiths and a growing number of factory knife companies, 1095 is easier to sharpen than some of the higher-grade stainless steels such as CPM S30V. This is a valuable trait to have in the field and/or for novice knife enthusiasts who have not quite mastered the proper sharpening techniques required or do not have the proper sharpening equipment to put an edge on the higher-grade steels.

Of course, the trade-off with carbon steel is that it tends to rust more easily than stainless steel, though if you wipe the knife down after each use rust should not be a problem. However, just in case, the Team Jackal Survivor blade features a Coyote Tan powder coating to help reduce rust. The coating also holds down on glare. Still, though, a wipe down after each use never hurts!

The contoured, straight-backed handle is a black G-10 hard synthetic textured in TOPS’ Rocky Mountain Tread for secure purchase and a cool look. Enhancing purchase is a jimped blade ramp just forward of the handle spine and a finger groove behind the choil. The knife’s overall length is 9.75 inches. Without the sheath, it weighs 8.9 ounces.

The sheath is a black Kydex with a rotating spring steel clip. Counting the sheath, the complete knife package weighs 11.7 ounces.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the made-in-the-USA Team Jackal Survivor is $175, but if you visit topsknives.com while its sale lasts you can get it for $140.

 

 

 


The latest issue of BLADE is on newsstands now!Recommended:

Stay abreast of the latest developments on this and many more knife rights issues with a subscription to BLADE.

Act NOW on Ivory Comment Extension

Request an extension on the comment period for the punitive proposed federal ivory regulations NOW! Jean Louis Regel uses ancient walrus ivory for the handle of his bowie. (SharpByCoop image)
Request an extension on the comment period for the punitive proposed federal ivory regulations NOW! Jean Louis Regel uses ancient walrus ivory for the handle of his bowie. (SharpByCoop image)

To help save all ivory from proposed punitive federal regulations, request an extension for the comment period on the regulations from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service NOW!

Among other unreasonable stipulations, the regulations would require you to prove that the ivory on your knife or other item was imported prior to Jan. 18, 1990—a near impossibility for most people to prove about such items. The regulations also claim that the USA continues to play a role as a destination and transit country for illegally traded elephant ivory. However, as Sandra Brady of the Elephant Protection Association noted, the regulations offer no proof of this claim and no figures as to what percentage of illegal ivory is “laundered” here.

The proposed regulations were released on July 29, and concerned citizens were given only 60 days to contact the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) with any objections the citizens might have to the regulations. Since there are 27 pages of proposed regulations, regulations the government had over 13 months to research and write, it seems only fair that concerned citizens get more than 60 days to respond. In fact, the law provides for up to a 90-day comment period, which is especially appropriate for regulations that are so voluminous and affect so many Americans.

The Elephant Protection Association has composed a form letter for you to use to request the extension. The letter is located here. Keep your request short and simple. Amend the letter to fit your association/group but don’t try to make a substantive case of why the extension should be granted so much as simply let FWS know the extension must be granted. The more people, associations and groups that request the extension, the better. In this instance, it’s more a matter of the quantity of requests than the quality of them.

The Elephant Protection Association strongly advises that you send your letter via priority or overnight mail with a means of confirming receipt.

For more information visit elephantprotection.org.

 

Video: A Knife Made from Old Wrench

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Watch as Trollsky Knifemaking turns an old knuckle-buster wrench into a razor-sharp, cool-looking blade.

It just goes to show what you can do with some raw material, the right tools and a little know-how.

What’s the strangest tool you’ve ever transformed? Log in below and leave a comment.


Also Check Out:

Order Knives 2016Knives 2016, 36th Edition

Putting on display custom knifemaking at its finest, Knives is back in its 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. Get it here

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