Page 211 – BLADE Magazine

The Living Knife Highlights New BLADE®

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October 7, 2014

On many newsstands today, new BLADE will literally grab you! — Living Knife by Jean-Marc Laroche highlights new issue of BLADE, on many newsstands today!

The Living Knife by Jean-Marc Laroche will literally grab you from the cover of the new BLADE®, on most newsstands today.

Featuring a damascus blade forged by Sweden’s Roger Bergh, the Living Knife includes a mechanical “hand” for a handle, the fingers of which will grasp your hand in return when you grip it! Find out more about this ingenious creation by Laroche, a French knifemaker and sculptor well known for his otherworldly approach to knives.

Speaking of out of this world, ABS master smith Lin Rhea visited Steve Arnold, one of the stars of the Discovery Channel’s “Meteorite Men” TV show, and obtained some meteorite material from Arnold for use in the damascus blade of a special bowie. Get the complete story on the meteorite material and its origin, how Lin made the knife and much more in this issue.

Speaking of damascus, it is one of the most fascinating materials for knife blades, among both knife neophytes and aficionados alike. How did this storied material first come about? How many different versions have there been? Get the inside scoop on this ancient material in the new BLADE.

The American Bladesmith Society traces its creation to the man who reintroduced damascus to the modern custom knife movement—Bill Moran. One of if not the largest organizations of knifemakers in the world, the ABS presented its annual best knife and bladesmith honors at the 2014 BLADE Show. See what those top knives and who those premier smiths are this issue.

Hunting season is in full swing and hunting knives are in hot demand. But is just one enough? Find out why two hunting knives are better than one in the new BLADE.

There’s much more, including a test of two automatics, the latest ceramic kitchen knives, a Nordic knife for every budget, the sharpest Christmas gifts anywhere, how Dan Keffeler won the BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competition and much more in the January BLADE, on newsstands NOW!

ABS Master Smith John White Passes Away

Steve Shackleford

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October 6, 2014

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ABS master smith John White (left) holds his Best of Show and Best Damascus from the 2013 BLADE Show as the knife's owner, Preston Gough, enjoys the moment. — ABS master smith John White (left) holds his Best of Show and Best Damascus from the 2013 BLADE Show as the knife’s owner, Preston Gough, enjoys the moment.

Award-winning ABS master smith John White of Valparaiso, Florida, passed away Oct. 4 after a sudden illness. He was 71.

One of the most talented smiths in the ranks of the ABS, John was known for his elegant fixed blades in his beautiful damascus steel blades, natural handle materials and exquisite embellishment. He was also quite adept at such fixed blades in a take-down construction—that is, the knife was specially built to be easily disassembled and reassembled.

As John’s friend and fellow ABS master smith Terry Vandeventer noted in the American Bladesmith Society’s Express Email, “This is not only the greatest loss to Jill, [John’s] wife of 40 years, but to the knife community. Those who knew him saw a vivacious, smart, funny, and highly skilled artisan.” Vandeventer added that there would be no services and John’s ashes will be spread on the bayou near the Whites’ home.

The little man with the big smile enjoyed a meteoric rise in the fraternity of ABS smiths, winning a number of awards for his work, including several at the BLADE Show. Among them: Best Fixed Blade, 2014 BLADE Show; Best of Show and Best Damascus (see accompanying picture), 2013 BLADE Show; Best Bowie and Best Damascus Knife, 2011 BLADE Show; and Best Damascus, 2010 BLADE Show. Somehow it seemed fitting that John enjoyed so much success at the BLADE Show, as he was among the most vocal supporters of the event.

If you wish to make a comment on John’s passing and your memories of him, Click Here. A visit there will show you how many great makers and collectors thought the world of John. He will be missed.

What To Look For in a Knife Handle

Steve Shackleford

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October 3, 2014

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The knife handle should fit your hand snugly. The knife is the CRKT Fossil.

What to look for in a knife handle is a question whose answer—as with most things knife—depends on many factors.

For one thing, no one knife handle fits everyone. Hands come in all shapes and sizes, so a knife handle that will fit a large hand probably will not fit a small one—and vice versa. As a result, no matter how much a knife handle is touted as being “user friendly,” you can’t know if it will suit your needs unless you pick the knife up and use it. Of course, that’s hard to do when you can’t use the knife unless you buy it. Then, if you don’t like the knife, you’re stuck with it.

One way around that is to find a friend who has the knife in question and borrow it. Of course, you will need to take good care of the knife and give it back when you’re through.

Barring the above, look for a knife handle with gentle curves, contours and palm swells that fit the shape of your palm snugly. This will help prevent the knife from sliding around in your hand or cause you to have to constantly regrip the knife handle with your hand. Avoid finger grooves as they are too restrictive in terms of the way you can hold a knife handle. Besides, you may find over time that grooves you thought fit your fingers/hand really don’t.

Avoid a knife handle that has sharp corners at the butt or any place that tend to dig into your hand. Those can cause hot spots or even cut you. Avoid a knife handle that is too soft. It may feel good at first but it, too, can cause hot spots/friction on your palm and/or fingers over extended periods of use.

Single, integral guards are good as they keep your hand from sliding onto the blade. That’s one of the good things about flipper folders—not only do the flippers ease the job of opening the knife but they also serve as single guards.

For more on the best knife handle for you, see your local knife retailer and ask him to show you the many different options you have when it comes to a knife handle.

Recommended:

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

Enjoy A Dozen Years of the KNIVES Annual Book!

Joe Kertzman

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October 2, 2014

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Enjoy A Dozen Years of the KNIVES Annual Book!

Really, an even dozen? Yes, and you’ll love this eBook collection if:

You are a custom knifemaker searching for examples of fine knives
You love knives of every shape, size and purpose
You enjoy a wide collection of photographs and informative captions of handmade, custom knives

The KNIVES 2004 to 2015 Digital Download Collection in eBook format includes:

Unparalleled writing, incredible photography, irreplaceable resources – KNIVES is the most trusted and cherished annual in the industry. And now more than a decade’s worth of this iconic journal is available in one place, the KNIVES 2004 to 2015 Digital Download Collection. This collection boasts the top names in the field, putting their top-notch reporting and storytelling at your fingertips. And it is filled with vivid color photos of some of the hottest knives that have been produced.

It doesn’t matter your passion when it comes to knives, this collection has you covered. There are in-depth looks at some of the top knifemakers from around the world and how they’ve impacted the field. Articles covering the latest factory knives and how they are being used – whether folders or kitchen knives. And the art knives will leave your jaw slacked with impressive wire work, gobs of gold inlay and the beauty of scrimshaw, engraving and sculpting. Truly, this collection expands your knife knowledge and your knife library, but won’t take up a single shelf.

Knifemaker Featured By San Francisco Chronicle

Featured Knives

Joe Kertzman

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September 26, 2014

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Knifemaker Featured By San Francisco Chronicle

One of the most satisfying things an artist can experience is large-scale exposure, and the San Francisco Chronicle would qualify as a mass audience. American Bladesmith Society master smith Aaron Wilburn was recently featured in a human interest news story written by Tom Stienstra on the San Francisco Gate online blog. It also goes to show that the general public is interested in learning about age-old handcrafts brought current into the modern era. Not everyone is solely a reader of sensational headlines, and in-depth stories like this one should be shared.

(Michael Short / The San Francisco Chronicle photo)

For more quality knives and damascus blades, click here.

Is the Grassroots Ivory Effort Working?

Steve Shackleford

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September 25, 2014

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The grassroots effort to protect Americans’ right to sell legal elephant ivory appears to be having the desired effect on Congress. Why? Because U.S. Fish and Wildlife did not make the expected changes to rule 17.40/Use After Import that were supposed to have been announced this past August. With October only a week away, the delay would seem to indicate that legislators are having second thoughts about approving the rule changes.

Among other things, if approved, the changes would make it anywhere from extremely expensive to virtually impossible to prove your existing legal elephant ivory and/or ivory knife or other item made of ivory was imported legally. As a result, most elephant ivory and items made of ivory or with ivory parts that previously had been legal to sell would become illegal to sell.

One reason Congress is delaying the rule changes may be because of the grassroots ivory effort of many letters, emails and other communications American citizens are sending to their representatives urging them not to make the rule changes.

A leading proponent of Americans’ right to own legal ivory and a founding member of elephantprotection.org, scrimshander Sandra Brady stated she thinks the letters and emails are having an effect on both the Senate and House of Representatives. As a result, she added, no changes to the rule are likely until after the Nov. 1 elections. “We have to keep up the pressure and have our voices heard in the voting booths, too,” she noted. “A Republican-strong Senate would certainly help our cause, even thought this issue is by-partisan.” The anti-ivory contingent is led by the Obama Administration and the currently Democratic-controlled Senate.

Meanwhile, Brady urges those for legal ivory rights to continue their letter and email writing campaigns, and also to use Twitter and Facebook to further the cause. She added that elephantprotection.org has been updated to make it easier for you to stay abreast of law changes and to contact your representatives.

For more information, visit elephantprotection.org.

Knife Industry Opportunity: Steel Will Knives Seeks Sales Representation

Knife News Wire

BLADE Staff

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September 24, 2014

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Knife Industry Opportunity: Steel Will Knives Seeks Sales Representation

New York, NY- STEEL WILL KNIVES, a premium knife manufacturer, fuses the finest steel with extremely practical and innovative designs, producing the highest standards of quality by using the most modern methods of production. STEEL WILL Knives currently has three distinctive lines, Tactical, Outdoor and Urban, creating over 25 quality cutting tools.

STEEL WILL’s mission is to become the world’s best-selected knife producer and provide the upmost experience of class and style while doing so. They are pursuing a sales representation group that will share the same goal when representing STEEL WILL’s complete line of premium knives. This innovative and professional company has a dignified family of knives that consists of exquisite, premium, and classic materials with many more knives in the development stages.

A company representative of STEEL WILL will be attending the NASGW Show in Little Rock, Arkansas in October and would prefer to schedule interview meetings for the show. If your sales agency is interested and would like to learn more or schedule an appointment for NASGW, please e-mail Boris Shekhman at [email protected].

BLADE Magazine

The Living Knife Highlights New BLADE®

ABS Master Smith John White Passes Away

What To Look For in a Knife Handle

Enjoy A Dozen Years of the KNIVES Annual Book!

Knifemaker Featured By San Francisco Chronicle

Is the Grassroots Ivory Effort Working?

Knife Industry Opportunity: Steel Will Knives Seeks Sales Representation

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