Page 213 – BLADE Magazine

Knifemaker Kit Carson Passes Away

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September 8, 2014

Knifemaker Kit Carson is dead. — Kit Carson passed away Friday, Sept. 5. He was 63.

Kit Carson of Vine Grove, Kentucky, long-time knifemaker, Army veteran and member of the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame©, passed away Friday, Sept. 5. He was 63.

Instrumental in popularizing the flipper style of folding knife, Kit made a wide range of tactical and utility folders, the best known of which are the M16, M4 and M21. Reproduced by Columbia River Knife & Tool in a wide range of iterations, the M16 has been one of the company’s best-selling and most successful knives for many years.

As revered as he was for his knives, Kit was more respected for his willingness to teach any and all how to make them. When knives and knifemaking exploded on the Internet circa the late 1990s and early 2000s, his mentoring benefited perhaps as many new and upcoming potential makers as anyone before or since.

A voting member of the Knifemakers’ Guild, Kit spent 20 years in the Army, retiring as a master sergeant in 1993. He grew up in North Georgia, interested in all things mechanical from the start. He began making knives in 1972, the same year he was drafted into the Army. It was during his last 10 years in the service that knifemaking became an extremely interesting and challenging hobby for him. While he and his wife Betty supported their children, Kit would scrounge any place he could in government housing to grind a blade shape or handle, or try to figure out how a lock mechanism worked.

“We did not have the Internet, all the books or the specialty tools,” he said of those times in his prepared induction speech into the Cutlery Hall Of Fame at the 2012 BLADE Show. “Many of us still today do every piece by hand, filing, sanding, honing blades, slowly creating knives, spending hundreds of hours at knife and BLADE Shows establishing our names in the industry and, most importantly, making lifelong friends.”

A celebration of his life with military honors will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the chapel of Coffey & Chism Funeral Home in Vine Grove. Visitation begins after noon Wednesday. At the request of family, everyone is asked to wear casual clothing and bright colors in honor of Kit’s life. Donations can be made to the National Parkinson’s Foundation at www.parkinson.org.

What Are The Best Blade Steels?

Steve Shackleford

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September 5, 2014

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Follow the maker's steel recommendations. — Ask the maker what blade steel he recommends. Bob Dozier holds one of his giant trappers.

A question we often hear is What are the best blade steels? A better way to approach the question is to determine what jobs the knife will be asked to perform.

Do you need a hunting knife or an everyday carry knife? A kitchen knife or a camp knife/chopper? There are others. The type of knife and how it will be used often will dictate the type of steel.

Say you need a hunting knife. Rather than ask what kind of blade steel will be best for it, research the websites of companies or makers who specialize in hunting knives. Such companies and makers will offer hunting knives not only with the steels that they find best for hunting knife purposes, but also with the edge geometries that the companies and makers feel they are most accomplished at making/offering.

Edge geometry refers to the blade’s grind and edge. If the grind and/or edge is too thick or otherwise not formed properly, it doesn’t matter how good the steel is—the knife will not cut well. As for the grind itself, there are many—hollow, flat, convex, chisel, etc., and combinations thereof. Usually the companies or makers employ the grinds they are best at. In cases where you have the option of picking the grind from a custom knifemaker, ask him which grind he’s best at and go with it.

Another important factor is the heat treatment of the steel. In fact, a low-grade steel heat treated properly often will outperform a high-grade steel with a substandard heat treatment.

In addition to the type of steel, ask how it is heat treated. While many makers are adept at heat treating their blades, many simply ship their blades off to professional heat treaters who specialize in the process. Blades heat treated by the pros usually will be heat treated properly and according to industry standards.

High-grade steels such as CPM S35VN, ZDP-189 and others are cutting tigers but can be difficult to sharpen and are more expensive. Lower-grade steels such as 440A, 5160 and others, all things being equal (including proper heat treatment and edge geometry), may not perform as well or hold an edge as long, but are usually easier to sharpen and will do most everyday cutting jobs that most people require. And, knives with such steels should be less expensive. In the case of 5160, while it is not a stainless steel, if you clean it and dry it off after each use, you should not have a problem with corrosion. The same is true with most non-stainless steel knives. Meanwhile, it’s not a bad idea to clean and dry off stainless steel knives after use as well. They can corrode, too—it’s just that they corrode less, as their name indicates.

Bottom line: Tell the company and maker what you plan to do with the knife. They make knives for a living and usually will be able to fit you with the proper knife and suitable blade steel for your needs.

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

Website Details Knife Laws By State

Knife News Wire

Joe Kertzman

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August 29, 2014

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The American Knife and Tool Institute has launched a revised version of its website, www.AKTI.org, with improved features for members and accurate information about the laws that impact knife businesses and owners in every state.

“Making state knife laws available online to our members and easily accessible has been a priority for AKTI in the last year,” explained AKTI Executive Director Jan Billeb. “Ensuring that the information is complete and legally accurate has been our primary goal.”

Members of the organization are able to see knife law information for any state, while non-members can see quick legal facts about each state. The information was compiled and written by AKTI’s legislative consultant, Dan Lawson, a lawyer who has been involved in the knife industry for more than a decade. Topics include which knives are prohibited, which knives can be sold or manufactured, critical dimensions, major cities with ordinances and more.

The website also features news and action alerts; education on knife use for kids, the general public and law enforcement officers; popular resources like AKTI’s approved knife definitions and guide to traveling with knives; and a monthly fundraising auction that supports the organization’s ongoing legislative efforts. In addition, visitors to the site can buy or renew their memberships, give memberships as gifts and purchase AKTI merchandise online.

“Every year we see more and more people – both our members and the general public – looking for information about safe and legal knife use,” Billeb said. “Our website has been redesigned to make it even easier for visitors to learn more about all facets of knife use in the U.S.”

Access the site at www.AKTI.org. For more information on knives, click here.

Most Influential Knives of the Half Century

Steve Shackleford

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August 28, 2014

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Most Influential Knives of the Half Century

LILEKNIF-1000 — Jimmy Lile’s Rambo knife is one of the most influential knives of the past half century. (Jack Lucarelli photo)

This being the 50th anniversary of the Buck 110 and all, it got our friendly staff to thinking: What are the most influential knives of the past half century?

As with any such list, the parameters must be set. Those would include knives that have been emulated most (unfortunately, this would have to include the many unauthorized copies, knock-offs and downright counterfeits that have long plagued the industry) and/or knives that dramatically changed the knife culture (one observer explained it as “the knife that changed all knives after it”). There are other common denominators among the most influential knife designs, but we’ll stick with these two for the moment.

The Buck 110 obviously would have to be in the mix, as its overall look, size, feel and lockback design have been emulated by many. The K.I.S.S. folder designed by Ed Halligan for CRKT has been knocked off/counterfeited perhaps as much as any knife over the past 15 years or so. Michael Walker’s LinerLock™ folder changed the way the industry approached locking folders. Jimmy Lile’s Rambo knife was THE knife of the 1980s and was emulated by scores of factory and custom makers alike.

Ernest Emerson’s CQC-6 and/or CQC-7 had a monumental impact on the tactical knife phenomenon that continues to this day. Bob Lum’s American tanto galvanized the industry in the 1980s and is still seen. Spyderco‘s Worker, introduced in 1981, was the company’s first knife with the blade hole and pocket clip that changed modern knives completely. Bob Loveless‘s drop-point hunter was and remains an international sensation. Though not a knife, Bill Moran‘s reintroduction of damascus steel in 1973 and the repercussions and the many spinoffs from it continue to this day.

There are many others. Which ones would you pick from the above or add of your own?

For the latest knives, knife news and more, stay tuned to blademag.com.

Get the latest knife information with features on the latest developments, history, and transformation of knives, swords, and edges of all types, and explore the latest trends in blades, steels, styles, and materials. Gaze upon a “State of the Art” section parading engraved, scrimshawed, jewel-inlaid, carved, etched, sculpted and forge-welded, and Damascus and mosaic-damascus knives. Learn more

Ivory Ban Proponents Feel The Heat

Steve Shackleford

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August 20, 2014

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Ivory ban proponents are feeling the heat from those who would protect their right to own and sell legal ivory on both the federal and state levels.

If recent developments are indicative, the actions of those fighting to protect their right to sell their legal ivory are having the desired effect.

However, much work remains to be done.

According to Rob Mitchell of the Elephant Protection Association, ivory ban proponents have been scrambling to torpedo pending Congressional bills that would stop a nationwide ivory ban. “In the past few weeks, the Wildlife Conservation Society [WCS] has e-mailed its members praising the the New Jersey ivory ban while soliciting contributions to fight back the bills pending in Congress to stop a federal domestic ivory ban,” Mitchell writes.

New Jersey’s ban is especially heinous as it bans not only elephant ivory but fossil ivories as well. Like New Jersey, New York has instituted a state ivory ban that exceeds the restrictions recommended by U.S. Fish and Wildlife.

According to Mitchell, John Calvelli of the WCS said, “I can’t overstate what a threat this is. These bills could be attached to any larger piece of legislation and swiftly passed at any time.” Meanwhile, the WCS is calling on its members to urge their lawmakers to halt any and all efforts to stop ivory bans on both the federal and state levels.

Mitchell indicated the WCS is disseminating false stories to trigger public hysteria about the possibility of elephant extinction in attempts to snuff out rational discourse on how to both protect elephants and Americans’ right to sell their legal ivory. He added that the WCS is “an organization with over $210 million in annual revenue and over $750 million in assets” that “continues to lead the publicity campaign drawing misleading relationships between legal ivory in the United States and poaching in Africa.”

For information on how you can help protect both the elephant and the rights of Americans to sell their legal ivory, visit elephantprotection.org.

The latest issue of BLADE is on newsstands now! — The BLADE Magazine 2014 Knives Of The Year® highlight the new BLADE®, on newsstands now!

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

Which Knife Collaborations Would You Arrange?

Steve Shackleford

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August 15, 2014

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Which Knife Collaborations Would You Arrange?

Steve Culver's cut 'n shoot would make a great collaboration with Browning. (SharpByCoop image) — Steve Culver’s cut ‘n shoot would make a great collaboration with Browning. (SharpByCoop image)

Which knife collaborations would you like to see between today’s custom knifemakers and knife and/or gun companies?

There have been many great knife collaborations over the years—from such early ones as those between Smith & Wesson Knives and Blackie Collins and Bob Loveless and Schrade, to those between Spyderco and Bob Terzuola, CRKT and Kit Carson, Benchmade and Mel Pardue and many more—all of which got us to thinking: What great collaborations that never happened would you like to have seen?

Or, perhaps better yet, which ones would you like to see among today’s companies and knifemakers?

Here are a few, first of the former:

•Bob Loveless and Marble’s: Hey, the man behind the dropped hunter and one of the leading hunting knife companies of a bygone era. Seems like a natural collaboration;

•Bill Moran and Busse Combat Knife Co.: Moran made those big, sweeping fixed blades and Busse does, too;

•Bob Lum and Cold Steel: OK, so it probably never would have happened, but the possibilities for a special American tanto collaboration would have been intriguing.

And now for the latter:

•Wolfgang Loerchner and William Henry Knives: Two great makers of fine knives would make an awesome pairing in anybody’s knife book;

•Joe Keeslar and Spartan Blades: Joe’s a retired Marine and Mark Carey and Curtis Iovito of Spartan Blades are retired Special Forces. I bet they could put their heads together and come up with a really cool combat knife collaboration;

•Steve Culver and Browning: Culver’s cut ‘n shoot is a tour de force of the genre and a collaboration with Browning would be a real breakthrough in terms of a special limited-edition crossover between the knife and gun industries. Browning has experience working with the knife industry—for example, Russ Kommer and Jim Crowell are two makers who have collaborated with Browning on knife projects—so Browning would not have to break new ground.

How about it? What knife collaborations would you like to see/have seen?

Knives Don’t Make the Man

Knifemaking

Joe Kertzman

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August 14, 2014

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DREW24F620 — Photo by Alejandro A. Alvarez.

It’s always nice when mainstream media, in this case the Philadelphia Daily News, covers a local knifemaker and the knives he creates. Such was the case recently, July 24, 2014, when philly.com ran a story titled “Brewerytown Knifemaker’s On Point With His BiltSharp Products,” about knifemaker Adam Balkovic of BiltSharp Manufacturing Co.

Drew Lazor, writer for the Philadelphia Daily News, starts out:

KNIVES don’t make the man. But in the case of Adam Balkovic, founder of BiltSharp, a man definitely makes the knives. Emphasis on the singular. In addition to being the creator of the Philly-based bespoke forgery, founded in 2012, Balkovic also serves as its CEO, creative director, marketer, chief fabricator and sales coordinator. He is the steadily growing company’s only employee – and he’s happy to report that he’s got an excellent relationship with his supervisor.

“When I come to work now, I do whatever the hell I want,” he said. “It’s very fulfilling.”

Look at the pieces Balkovic, a native of the small York County town of Dillsburg, produces with his bare hands, and it’s easy to assume he’s been at the craft for years, apprenticing under an experienced blacksmith, or maybe an elderly Japanese blademaker.

But while the work screams veteran craftsman, Balkovic has been at this for only a few years and is entirely self-taught. Right now, in his inventory there’s a nearly foot-long chef’s knife, made from raw, military-grade 52100 carbon steel and mounted on a gorgeous polished handle of rare Southeast Asian amboyna burl. There’s a one-of-a-kind hunter’s blade … Click here to read the rest of the story. Click here to see more quality cutlery.

BLADE Magazine

Knifemaker Kit Carson Passes Away

What Are The Best Blade Steels?

A question we often hear is What are the best blade steels? A better way to approach the question is to determine what jobs the knife will be asked to perform.

Website Details Knife Laws By State

Most Influential Knives of the Half Century

Recommended:

Ivory Ban Proponents Feel The Heat

Ivory ban proponents are feeling the heat from those who would protect their right to own and sell legal ivory on both the federal and state levels.

Which Knife Collaborations Would You Arrange?

Which knife collaborations would you like to see between today’s custom knifemakers and knife and/or gun companies?

Knives Don’t Make the Man

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