When you talk Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© members, few carry the cache of A.G. Russell, and his Sting design reproduced by CRKT is a great way to experience his knife genius. The non-reflective, powder-coated blade of 1050 carbon steel is 3.197 inches long, and the integral handle is contoured to fit your hand.
Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame Series: CRKT/A.G. Sting
Video: New England School of Metalwork Tour
Here’s a look at the classes offered by the American Bladesmith Society at the New England School of Metalwork.
Featured Knife: CRKT Kit Carson M16-14ZLEK
The M16 line of Kit Carson knives manufactured by Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) continues to grow in popularity. The latest from this partnership is the M16-14ZLEK, a blade that some are calling the best tactical knife in the M16 family.
Here’s the rundown on one of the hottest CRKT knives on the market:
Columbia River Knife and Tool produced Kit Carson‘s popular M16® line in many variations over the past decade. Our glass filled nylon version has built the largest user base of all. These knives are built for function, not fad, and they are exceptional values.
Our new M16 ZLEK line uses our very successful InterFrame construction, with tough, textured glass filled nylon scales over a 420J2 stainless steel liner InterFrame and solid glass filled nylon back spacers. We assemble the handle with superior offset Torx® fasteners.
For professional use, we’ve added a seat belt cutter to the Carson Flipper, and a tungsten carbide window breaker at the butt. Automobile side windows shatter with one quick whack from the butt of the knife.
All components receive a tough tactical black coating. The Flipper can be pressed for fast one-hand opening, and creates a blade guard when open. We use our premium AUS 8 high-carbon stainless steel for the blades, which have Combined Razor-Sharp and Triple-Point™ Serrated edges to easily cut rope, cord, canvas, and vegetation.
All three models are fitted with our exclusive patented* AutoLAWKS™ safety, which automatically makes them into virtual fixed blades when the blade is opened and locked.
M16®-14ZLEK. The “Big Dog” M16 is a hefty 6.2-ounce knife with a 3.75″- long Tanto blade that is able to tackle virtually any emergency task. This larger model features a four-position clip, allowing carry on belts or webbing— tip up, tip down, left or right. Please note: These knives are not designed for tip-up in pocket carry.
Full professional features. Non-reflective black finish. Exceptional affordability. Kit Carson rides again. This is without a doubt the best tactical knife in the line of CRKT knives to hit the market in a long time.
Video: Jigging and Shaping Knife Handle Scales
American Bladesmith Society master smith Steve Dunn demonstrates how to jig and shape knife handle scales in this video.
The tutorial was shot during the Slip Joint Folding Knife class at Haywood Community College in Clyde, North Carolina, on Dec. 3-7, 2012.
Learn more about knife designs, including handles, in 101 Knife Designs.
Urban Survival Knife Tools
What has happened in NYC post Sandy can happen to many. In such an instance, you need tools not only that can cut but also can work as pliers, screwdrivers, can openers and much more. Enter the multi-tool.
Gerber Diesel Multi-Tool
Features pliers, wire cutter, wire crimper, partially serrated knife blade and more. Click here for more on the Gerber Diesel Multi-Tool.
CRKT Zilla-Tool
This Columbia River Knife & Tool item sports pliers, screwdriver w/hex bits, 3-inch flipper knife blade, can opener and more. Click here for a full breakdown on the CRKT Zilla-Tool.
Byrd Knives Meadowlark2 SpyderEdge Rescue Knife
The key to the Meadowlark2 is that it lacks a tip. This helps minimize damage to whomever or whatever needs to be freed from binding materials. Click here for more specs on the Meadowlark2 SpyderEdge Rescue Knife.
Deibert’s Award-Winning Mid-Bowie
ABS journeyman smith Michael Deibert took home the George Peck Award for the best knife made by a journeyman smith applicant at this year’s BLADE Show.
“I forged this knife after a long look at many historical and modern bowies. After a few rough sketches I lit the forge, heated a hefty piece of 1095 and let the hammer fall. I tried to come up with something as original as possible, yet maintain the flavor of the bowie. Even though the bowie inspired this particular knife, it is a bit shorter, though I don’t consider it a ‘small knife.’ For this reason I call it the ‘Mid-Bowie.’”—Michael Deibert
Knife Name: Mid-Bowie
Maker: Michael Deibert
Award: George Peck Award for the best knife submitted by an ABS journeyman smith applicant
Blade Material: 1095 carbon steel
Blade Length: 8.5”
Handle: Stabilized spalted maple
Special Features: Guard and pin are both cold-blued mild steel; a slender clip extends the majority of the blade length
Overall Length: 13”
Maker’s List Price For a Similar Piece: $400
Click here for a full list of award recipients from the 2012 BLADE Show.
A Few Great Everyday Carry Knives
No. 1 for knife enthusiast Nick Morgan is the Chris Reeve Sebenza. “The tolerances are so much better on Chris Reeve knives than any other production knives, and you’ll find just about perfect fit and finish on every model. I love the blade and handle shapes, and the plain, simple looks are beautiful,” he said.
The Spyderco Sage2 is second on Morgan’s list. “I love the deep-carry wire clip—for my money the best clip in the industry,” he stated. “The profile of the titanium Sage2 is thinner than the carbon fiber Sage1, so using and carrying it is noticeably nicer.”
Morgan said the Benchmade 940 is a blast to play with due to the AXIS lock. “It’s super easy to open and close, and it’s fast!” he emphasized. “The reverse tanto blade shape is my favorite. For cutting, whittling and stabbing, it’s strong, sharp and great looking. It’s the best knife to sit in front of the TV and flip open/closed hundreds of times.”
Next on Morgan’s list is the DPx HEST 2.0, “a knife that can survive heavy-duty use day after day. I love the functional blade shape and, at 3.25 inches, it’s big enough for 99 percent of my cutting tasks while not being too big that it scares people when I use it in public. It locks up solidly like the Sebenza and I love the extra features—bottle opener, wire stripper and glass breaker/skull crusher, the latter which is really nicely executed. My favorite feature is the bayonet clip—it buries so deep in the pocket that nobody suspects I’ve got a knife on me.”
Last on Morgan’s list is what he terms the “best-bang-for-the-buck” knife: the Large Buck Vantage Pro. “It has a great blade and handle shape, I love the flipper, it has top quality blade steel [CPM S30V] and handle material, an excellent deep-carry bayonet clip, it’s USA made and has a nice, slim profile. Best of all,” he added, “it’s less than half the cost of every other knife on my list.”
For more EDC knives, check out this selection at ShopBlade.com.
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