Page 232 – BLADE Magazine

Innovative Knives

Joe Kertzman

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October 2, 2013

Congratulations to Michael Vagnino for winning the 2014 Wooden Sword award, given out to one custom knifemaker each year on page 7 of the KNIVES annual book. The yearly prize (no trophy, just recognition via top placement and imagery in the book) is awarded to a knifemaker for his or her work that stands out from the thousands of images that pour in annually for consideration.

As noted in the book where his innovative knives are pictured:

“Michael Vagnino has busied himself most recently with “Convertible Lock-Back Push Daggers.” Yes, that’s correct, he’s fashioning handmade knives that convert from a lock-back fixed-blade position to a locked push dagger and back again. The models shown here sport 3.875-inch blades, one in CPM-154 stainless steel and the other Wootz steel, the former combined with an antique tortoise shell handle, and the latter in black-lip mother-of-pearl. The maker engraved the 416 stainless steel bolsters, and since the push daggers covert to fixed blades, Paul Long sheaths were necessary as fashionable carry options.

For all he has brought to the knifemaking table the past few years, his innovation, talent, all-around good vibes, and for these particularly striking examples of his work, the Knives 2014 Wooden Sword Award goes to Michael Vagnino. Congratulations, Michael, and keep up the good work.”

Click here to reserve your copy of KNIVES 2014.

Cutlery Hall Of Fame: Buster Warenski

Steve Shackleford

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October 2, 2013

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Any discussion of the greatest custom knifemakers of the modern era must include the late Buster Warenski, a member of the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame.

While best known for his reproduction of the King Tut Dagger in the late 1980s, Warenski’s influence on custom knives, knifemakers and the Knifemakers’ Guild was immense and, in many ways, continues to this day. One of the early Guild voting members, he was considered among the best custom makers from the get-go. He excelled not only by the example of his workmanship but also by his leadership, serving on the Guild’s board of directors for a number of terms, including as president (1977-79).

The workmanship of his knives pretty much spoke for itself. He could make just about any fixed blade, folder or sword, and make it extremely well, though it is his art daggers for which he is most remembered. He taught himself how to engrave and although he may not have been the best engraver, the early examples of his engraving held up among other knives of the time.

But then it always seemed that Buster found a way to make his knives the best—and one way was marrying Julie, who learned how to engrave and became one of the best, lending her talents to Buster’s knives and making them even more fabulous. (Julie Warenski-Erickson continues to engrave today and is married to knifemaker Curt Erickson.)

Perhaps the greatest tribute to any knifemaker is one from one of his peers who also happens to be one of the world’s best makers—in this instance, Steve Johnson. As Steve noted, “Putting myself in even the same sentence as a ‘fellow knifemaker’ with Buster makes me uncomfortable. No one will ever attain the skill and ability as a knifemaker as this great man did.”

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

Ballerina’s Knife Dance

Steve Shackleford

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October 1, 2013

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A remarkable video entitled “En Puntas” (“On Points”) featuring ballerina Amelie Segarra and her “knife dance” is on www.boredpanda.com—and it is worth a watch.

At just over three minutes in length, the video starts with a ballerina putting on her leg wraps and then a pair of ballerina slippers with “kitchen knife” blades at the toe ends. She proceeds to somehow gain her balance atop a grand piano and then “dance”—though it’s more like a drag and stick of the blade shoes into the surface of the top of the piano. It’s really very good and about how you might expect such a venture to unfold—the ballerina wobbling, gasping and shouting at times as she does her best to keep her balance. The knife blades appear to be real, as the scratched surface of the piano top would attest. In fact, the top of the piano appears to get quite marred/carved up in the process.

Segarra dances what is called the “en pointe” ballet technique, the classic style in which the ballerina dances on her toes. According to the accompanying copy on the site, Segarra’s performance is “a testament to the intense dedication and sometimes physical suffering required of ballet performers.” The knives look pretty sharp, too. Exactly who made them or what brand they are we have no idea. They get to the point, though.

To see the full video, visit http://www.boredpanda.com/ballerina-with-knife-shoes-performs-en-pointe-javier-pere

Props to BLADE® contributor Stephen Garger for turning us onto this video.

For the latest in knives, knife news and the sharpest stuff anywhere, stay tuned to www.blademag.com.

NYC Anti-Knife Ruling Has Disastrous Implications

Knife News Wire

Steve Shackleford

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September 27, 2013

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People falsely arrested or threatened with arrest cannot sue in a federal lawsuit against New York City and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., according to a Wednesday anti-knife ruling by a U.S. District Court Judge.

If not overturned, a Knife Rights (KR) news release reported, the anti-knife ruling could have wide-ranging effects on knife enthusiasts throughout the USA, including re-classifying legal knives as illegal “gravity knives” and/or “switchblades.”

Judge Katherine B. Forrest ruled plaintiffs falsely arrested or threatened with arrest over “common pocketknives” cannot sue in part because the case documents don’t specify which knives would be illegal under NYC’s interpretation of New York state law—this despite the fact NYC’s inability to specify legal and illegal knives on a consistent basis is the exact reason the case documents cannot specify which knives are legal and which knives are not!

For the purposes of the case in question, “common pocket knife” is a legal term that covers knives with locking blades and a bias towards closure, KR’s Doug Ritter noted. As such, the legal term does NOT include traditional pocketknives in trapper, whittler, stockman and other old-time patterns.

The ruling is in response to a suit brought on June 9, 2011, by Knife Rights, Inc., John Copeland, Pedro Perez, Native Leather, Ltd., and Knife Rights Foundation, Inc., against D.A. Vance and the city of New York. The plaintiffs allege that the defendants’ “application of New York Penal Law 265.01’s prohibition on the possession of switchblade knives and gravity knives to possessors of common folding knives makes 265.01 void for vagueness under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.”

Meanwhile, as KR reported, thousands of citizens in NYC have been arrested on “illegal” knife charges. “In at least one instance of which we are aware,” a KR release stated, “the result of the bogus arrest was that the victim’s entire knife collection was confiscated from his home,” adding that gun owners have had their firearms confiscated based on bogus knife arrests, too.

For information on how to fight Forrest’s outlandish ruling, visit www.kniferights.org.

For the latest on knives and knife news, stay tuned to www.blademag.com (www.blademag.com).

Sharp Knowledge: 3 Knife Steel Basics

Steve Shackleford

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September 24, 2013

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One of the questions knife enthusiasts ask most is What is the best steel for a knife? Before you can answer such a question, you must first know exactly what it is you need in a knife.

1) Will you use the knife to cut meat, or paper, or rope, or plastic, or a little bit of everything? Much depends on what you will be using the knife for, and just about any knifemaker or knife manufacturer who knows his stuff will know which steel he has on hand will be best for your purposes.

how-to-make-knives-knifemaking-book — Learn more about selecting steel types and how to make knives in the third edition of “BLADE’s Guide to Making Knives.” The classic is back and better than ever!

2) The steel is just part of the equation. The blade’s geometry is also important. By blade geometry is meant how the blade is ground and tapered from the back (spine) to the edge. If too thick, it won’t slice or cut properly; if too thin, it may chip.

3) How is the steel heat treated? As BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Wayne Goddard has written, “A knife of the very best steel may not perform any better than one made of an inferior type steel unless it is heat treated to bring out the full potential of the alloy content.” He also writes, “The reasons for a maker to turn out incorrectly heat-treated blades are too many to list. However, the most common is not having the correct heat-treating specifications from the steel maker.” If you find the maker does his own heat treating and does not go by the heat-treating specs provided by the steel maker, that’s an immediate red flag. In fact, many makers simply have professional heat treaters do their heat treating. Goddard is among them.

These are just three basic things to know about knife steels. There are many others.

Art Knife vs. Cutting Tool Debate

Joe Kertzman

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September 19, 2013

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The art knife versus cutting tool debate of whether knives are, or should be, works of art or cutting tools has always intrigued me. There are those who are a bit “put off” by art knives because they prefer utilitarian knives made to be used and employed when needed. That is certainly understandable, and thank goodness there are companies and makers out there fashioning good, sturdy, sharp serviceable fixed blades and folders.

But the notion that art knives are a modern phenomenon ignores the countless officers of world armies who historically carried dress daggers, kings and queens of countries gifted with jewel-encrusted, gold-inlaid, sculpted and carved swords and other edged weaponry, and the “average joe” who saved his pennies in the 1960s and ’70s to buy a Buster Warenski, Bill Moran, Jim Schmidt or even Bob Loveless (many considered him a maker of art knives on occasion) art knife.

And one other argument I’d make is this—the debate doesn’t need to be debated at all. There is plenty of room in the knife industry for both art knives and more utilitarian hunters, soldiers’ knives, blue-collar fixed blades and folders, and many more. Look at it this way, just because one guy prefers his three-blade stockman for ranch work doesn’t mean he shouldn’t welcome the collector of high-end art knives into the industry and market with open arms. Collectors who appreciate that artistic nature and handcraft of knives help drive the industry forward and ultimately expand its offerings. And that’s just good for knives and knife enthusiasts in general!

To see and read about as many well-crafted custom knives, both utilitarian and artistic, as humanly possible, the Knives 2014 book is a must-have for your library. To keep updated on factory, custom and semi-production knives 13 times a year, subscribe to BLADE now!

What To Ask/Not Ask a Knifemaker

Steve Shackleford

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September 19, 2013

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Don't ask a maker how long it took him to make a knife. — Knowing what not to ask a knifemaker is almost as important as knowing what to ask him. (Point Seven photo)

When you buy a knife from a knifemaker, it’s your money and you have the right to ask him or her any question—within reason—about the knife. However, there are certain questions we recommend you ask and others we recommend you don’t ask. For instance:

•Don’t ask how long it took to make the knife. Why? For one, depending on the maker’s expertise and equipment, some knifemaking operations may take some makers longer than others. Some makers may have equipment that performs a knifemaking operation faster, or some makers may simply be faster than others. Besides, how long it takes to make something doesn’t always translate into it being better or worse. It’s the quality of the end product that matters, not how long it took to make it. Besides, the question is usually one asked by people new to knives—and you don’t want to look like a knife newbie, right? Professional makers who have been around many years have heard the question umpteen times, and while some makers are patient and will answer it, it’s a good way to get off on the wrong foot with others. And it’s almost always good to get off on the right foot with anyone, including knifemakers.

•If a price for a knife seems high, don’t ask incredulously, “That knife cost HOW much?” Most knifemakers take their work seriously. They know how much talent and work goes into a knife or how much the knife brings on the market—and some knives bring four figures and higher. If the price seems too high, simply acknowledge it or nod your head, thank the maker for his time and move on.

•Things to ask the maker include how long he’s been making knives; how he tests his knives for cutting ability; why he outfits a knife with a certain feature or how he achieved it/made it that way, such as a flat grind vs. a hollow grind, blade temper line, etc.; whether he’s a full or part time maker; does he accept custom orders and how long his waiting list is; and what knifemaking training he’s had or knifemaking schools he’s attended. There are others but this is a start.

For the latest knives, knife news and more, keep your eyes on www.blademag.com (www.blademag.com).

You Know Your Knifemakers, but Do You Know Knife Laws?

Knife Laws of the U.S., by renowned knife rights attorney Evan Nappen, is an indispensable guide to the legal issues every knife enthusiast should understand. It’s not just a book of laws, though. Nappen expertly explains the history behind knife regulation, the state of mind to have when dealing with law enforcement and the legal traps that are all too easy to fall into.

Order Knife Laws of the U.S. direct from BLADE here to get the best price. A few bucks can save you a lifetime of hassle.

BLADE Magazine

Innovative Knives

Cutlery Hall Of Fame: Buster Warenski

Ballerina’s Knife Dance

NYC Anti-Knife Ruling Has Disastrous Implications

Sharp Knowledge: 3 Knife Steel Basics

Art Knife vs. Cutting Tool Debate

What To Ask/Not Ask a Knifemaker

You Know Your Knifemakers, but Do You Know Knife Laws?

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