BLADE Magazine

From Benchmade

Benchmade Knife Company is proud to announce new partnerships with three custom designers: Butch Ball, Paul W. Poehlmann, and Bill Harsey, Jr. Their world-class custom designs and innovative ideas will allow Benchmade to discover the newest locking mechanisms, modern materials, and custom finishing techniques.

Butch Ball grew up with a fascination of knives and began building his own knives in a machine shop in Florida. In 2001, he built his own shop in Virginia, where he currently resides.

The first Benchmade-Ball collaboration knife will be the new Harley-Davidson® 13450 T-Rod™.  This knife is a push button, two-position knife that can be either a fixed blade or a dagger. Featuring a modified clip point 440C stainless steel blade and aluminum handles, this knife also includes a black leather sheath. MSRP $120.

Paul W. Poehlmann is a skilled custom knife maker and designer of mechanical solutions. He draws on an engineering career in the aeronautical industry where he designed escape system hardware and survival equipment. Poehlmann’s passion for precision has resulted in some of the smoothest and safest folding knives ever made. He invented the Paul® axial locking mechanism and holds over forty utility patents and two design patents.

The new Axial™ series of knives will be released within the Benchmade product line. These knives all feature the Paul® locking mechanism and are available in a variety of sizes and handle materials, including G10, Carbon Fiber, Cocobolo and Ivory Micarta.

Finally, Oregonian Bill Harsey Jr. is an award-winning knife maker and designer. Known for his unique ergonomic designs, he has crafted many one-of-a-kind folding and fixed blade knives that have become the preferred edged tools of several Special Forces units.

The 3800 NTK™ is the new Benchmade-Harsey collaboration featuring a double action locking liner automatic mechanism, D2 tool blade steel and Nylon handle with textured Kraton®.

“I am excited to add three very talented custom designers to the Benchmade team,” says Les de Asis, Founder and CEO of Benchmade Knife Company. “These additions will help Benchmade continue to create the most innovative and functional designs in the industry.”

All of these new knives will be officially released in January at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas, NV.

The March 2011 BLADE® is on most newsstands now. Get the latest on what’s needed in the knife industry in terms of new knife tests; a story on the late, great John Nelson Cooper; a profile of bladesmith Bill Burke; the latest factory tactical fixed blades; a test of bladesmith Erik Fritz’s utility knife; four makers to watch in 2011; a recap of 2010’s sharpest knife happenings; how to carve; a review of Dr. Jim Lucie’s new book, Scagel Handmade; a story on Knife Showcase; a review of the Knifemakers’ Guild Show; the knives our military is using in Afghanistan; and much more.

There is also editorial mention of knives by Mantis Knives, the Mantis “Principal” being the cover knife; William Henry Studio; Steve Koster; Spyderco; Michael Kinker; Tom Mayo; Leatherman; Gerber; Simonich Knives; Meyerco; a TOPS/Buck collaboration; Heckler & Koch; United Cutlery; Zero Tolerance; Ka-Bar/Becker Knife & Tool; Rick Marchand; Tommy Ploppert; David Sloan; Sniper Bladeworks; Joe Szilaski; William Scagel; Todd Begg; Kershaw; Ontario; Brian Tighe; David Winston; Kyle Royer; Boker USA; Jim Grizzard; John Pawlowski; Cold Steel; Jeff Harkins; Blade-Tech; Colten Tippets; Kevin Evans; John Barker; Joel Worley; Steve Davis; Pohan Leu; James Scroggs; Dale Whitesell; Tom Overeynder; Steve Hoel; Rob Hudson; Bill Johnson; Kevin Hoffman; Stephen Mackrill; Jason Rabuck; Al Mar Knives; Dan Winkler; SOG Specialty Knives & Tools; Burt Foster; Woody Woodcock; Bill Amoureux; Alan Warren; and Warren Osborne.

The photo of the Christmas tree in our “rotating” photo screen above that accompanies our news roll is courtesy of Dorris Wood Creations. Dale Dorris e-mailed the image of the tree decorated with Randall knives to wish the BLADE® ad staff a Merry Christmas. We asked him if we could use the image on Knife Showcase and he said yes. Thanks, Dale!

By the way, the knives on the tree are NOT photoshopped. Those puppies are really “hung with care.”

For more information on the tree and Dorris Wood Creations’ custom display cabinets and stands, visit http://www.DorrisWoodCreations.com.