Page 220 – BLADE Magazine

New Jersey Tries to Ban Fossil Ivory, Too

Knife News Wire
The BLADE Blog w/Steve Shackleford

June 23, 2014

New Jersey Tries to Ban Fossil Ivory, Too

A pending New Jersey bill that needs no more than the governor’s signature would ban all ivory, even the fossil ivory of animals long extinct.

Not only would it be the first bill to target fossil ivory in addition to elephant and other ivories, if passed, it reportedly would be the first state bill to ban both the import and sale of ivory.

Meanwhile, in an unseemly effort to smear owners of legal ivory, bill co-sponsor and Jersey City Assemblyman Raj Mukherji went so far as to link them to poaching profits that he said funds the operations of terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabaab, the Lord’s Resistance Army and Janjaweed. Linking the owners of legal ivory with poaching and Al-Qaeda not only is blatantly false but an example of just how far mealy-mouthed politicians and pro-ivory-ban extremists can go to further their corrupt agenda.

Anyone and everyone with any connection to New Jersey who values their ivory items, from knives to pianos and much more, is encouraged to contact New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie immediately and urge him not to sign the bill. As noted, it would appear to be the first bill to ban fossil ivory—the ivory of animals of mammoths, mastodons and other creatures long extinct. It would, of course, have no impact on animal populations that no longer exist but would impact the legal owners of items made of such materials, including knives.

The Elephant Protection Association has contacted Christie to urge him not to sign the bill. For more information on how to do so, send a message online, call Christie at 609-292-5000, email him at [email protected], or write him at Office of the Governor, PO Box 001, Trenton, NJ 08625.

GlobalFlare Names 5 Knives Crocodile Dundee Would Own

Featured Knives
Joe Kertzman's Blog

Joe Kertzman

June 20, 2014

GlobalFlare Names 5 Knives Crocodile Dundee Would Own

“That’s not a knife. That’s a knife!”

In a fun online article, GlobalFlare.com named the 5 Knives Crocodile Dundee Would Own. On top of that list was the TOPS Knives Tom Brown Tracker.

Find out what the other four knives made the list.

For more knives like the TOPS Tom Brown Tracker, and even those Crocodile Dundee might carry, click here.

What knife would you choose for Mr. Dundee?

Ivory Ban Meeting June 24: Act NOW!

Knife Collecting
Knife News Wire
The BLADE Blog w/Steve Shackleford

Steve Shackleford

June 18, 2014

Act now to contact members of a House Subcommittee hearing that will meet June 24 to help decide the fate of the sale of all items containing elephant and other ivories.

“This is our best chance to stop the ivory ban without mega-money lawsuits,” observed scrimshander Linda Karst Stone. Though Stone and others worked on BLADE Show auction knives that should bring a “decent amount of money” to fight the anti-ivory mania in Washington, D.C., she fears it will be nowhere near enough. “It does not feel like we have deep enough pockets to fight an expensive lawsuit,” which is what it will take if the ban is not stopped before it is fully enacted, she noted.

As a result, she encourages those who value their elephant ivory knives to contact their representatives who will be sitting on the June 24 House Subcommittee hearing.

“I caution everyone not to be too optimistic, but the oversight hearing of June 24 could put a stop to this if they think there is enough support and hear from enough of us,” Stone noted.

Those on the House Subcommittee are Chairman John Flemming (Louisiana); Don Young (Alaska); Rob Wittman (Virginia); Glenn “GT” Thompson (Pennsylvania); Jeff Duncan (South Carolina); Steve Southerland II (Florida); Bill Flores (Texas); Jon Runyan (New Jersey); Vance McAllister (Louisiana); Bradley Byrne (Alabama); Doc Hastings (Washington); Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (North Mariana Islands); Eni F.H. Faleomavaega (American Samoa); Frank Pallone Jr. (New Jersey); Madeleine Z. Bordallo (Guam); Pedro Pierluisi (Puerto Rico); Carol Shea-Porter (New Hampshire); Alan Lowenthal (California); Joe Garcia (Florida); and Peter A. DeFazio (Oregon).

For the full subcommittee membership, complete with links to contact each member, visit http://naturalresources.house.gov/subcommittees/subcommittee/?SubcommitteeID=5063. The best strategy is to focus on members with whom you have a connection, you are one of their constituents, you have a business in the official’s district, etc.

Knives With Keyhole Handles In New BLADE®

Knife News Wire
The BLADE Blog w/Steve Shackleford

Steve Shackleford

June 17, 2014

Knives With Keyhole Handles In New BLADE®

Keyhole integrals, knives made in the USA, movie fantasy swords and much more highlight the new BLADE®, on most newsstands now!

ABS master smith Rodrigo Sfreddo appears to have been the first to make knives with the integral-style handle in the shape of a keyhole where the handle material and fittings meet, and other ABS bladesmiths have taken the concept and run with it. ABS master smith Ron Newton’s modified keyhole integral graces the cover of this issue and Mike Haskew’s story examines the concept in detail.

With Independence Day a couple of weeks away, we thought a story on some of the knife companies who make their knives in America would be a great way to celebrate the 4th. And, in the realm of blade grinds and finishes, we offer stories on what to look for in the best blade grinds and the latest look in blade finishes—including those used on the swords of the hit movie, The Hobbit™: An Unexpected Journey.

We continue our “Riddles Of Steel” series with a story on the mystery of the kukri notch, and Bill Simmermacher details how he had a 21st century sheath made for a 19th-century antique bowie. If you like knife tests, Kim Breed compares the Ammo Daddy Alpha and KSR Field/Camp knife, and on the slip joint front, Pat Covert studies models that include both the traditional and those tailored to be “global legal.”

There’s much more, including part two of both Ed Fowler’s “Quest For Cut” and the series on Plaza Cutlery observing its 40th anniversary of selling knives in the South Coast Plaza Shopping Resort in Costa Mesa, California; some of the latest in damascus patterns on custom knives; Eric Ochs’ chute knife flipper; “The Knife I Carry”; and much more, all in the latest BLADE.

Randall Knife Collectors Club Wants You!

Knife Collecting
The BLADE Blog w/Steve Shackleford

Steve Shackleford

June 16, 2014

Randall Knife Collectors Club Wants You!

The Randall Knife Collectors Club is up and running and wants you to join its ranks today.

The RKCC has been over two years in the making and held its third meeting at the 2014 BLADE Show earlier this month at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. “We boast an active membership of over 500 avid Randall Knife Knuts, including 15 percent of that total from our international community,” noted Capt. Chris Stanaback, RKCC founder and authorized dealer of Randall Made Knives. All of the club’s membership recruiting had been done by word of mouth until recently. The club is now running ads in BLADE® to help spread the word, Stanaback added.

The RKCC publishes a club newsletter called “KNIFE NEWS” every four months and also offers authentication and appraisal services of Randall knives. “The club has the blessings of the Randall shop and, if you happen to pay a visit to the shop in Orlando, you can usually pick up our latest issue of KNIFE NEWS,” Stanaback said. Randall Made Knives is owned and operated by Gary Randall, son of BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member W.D. “Bo” Randall.

The club already has sold its first Randall club knife and “is looking to do nothing but get bigger and better,” Stanaback noted.

The RKCC is the successor to the old Randall Knife Society, which was started by Rhett Stidham. The RKS also had a regular newsletter and sold Randall club knives on an annual basis. Stidham, a long-time knife collector, author and purveyor, passed away a few years ago. With his passing, the RKS was dissolved.

The RKCC’s website address is RKCC-RKCA.com and the e-mail address is [email protected]. Stanaback’s phone number is 352-598-1880.

For the latest knives, knife news, trends and more, keep it honed at blademag.com.

Knife Rights Offers Knife Law App

Knife News Wire

Joe Kertzman

June 13, 2014

Now you can download an app that includes knife laws for all 50 states on your iPad, iPhone or other handheld or personal devices. Knife Rights announces the LegalBlade™ App that includes Knife Laws In America™. LegalBlade provides guidance at your fingertips to the knife laws of all 50 states, as well as some cities and local jurisdictions across the United States.

Knife Rights Founder and Chairman Doug Ritter said, “While Knife Rights will continue to aggressively work to repeal bad knife laws, knowledge of the law is the first step in avoiding an unfortunate arrest, loss of your knife or other legal complications. Knife Rights’ LegalBlade app was originally conceived back when I saw the first iPhone in 2007, shortly after Knife Rights was organized. I am pleased that we can finally offer knife owners a comprehensive, up-to-date and readily accessible compendium of knife laws that’s been sorely needed.

Features of the LegalBlade app:

Includes the knife laws of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, plus cities
Results presented incorporate judicial decisions that affect how the law is actually enforced
Easy to understand, color-coded tables
Comprehensive information on the legality of Possession, Open Carry and Concealed Carry for all common knife types, including those most often restricted
Includes length restrictions, age restrictions and other restrictions in the law
Includes the text of the state law, plus applicable portions of court decisions that further define what is legal and what is not
“What To Do If Stopped or Arrested,” by Evan Nappen, noted knife law expert and attorney, provides clear, concise information to protect your rights if you are ever stopped for carrying a knife or arrested for a knife law violation
All legal data is maintained on the server for instant law updates and the addition of more cities going forward

All data is maintained on the server to ensure users always have the most current information that is available to Knife Rights. As more cities are added to the database, they automatically become available to the LegalBlade App.

The LegalBlade™ App is available now in the Google Play Store.

It is expected to be available in the Apple App Store within two weeks; it is currently awaiting App Store approval. For more on knives and knife rights, click here.