BLADE Magazine

From SOG Specialty Knives and Tools:

Do you have the grit, guts and gall to show their best impersonation of the one and only Gunnery Sergeant R. Lee Ermey, a.k.a. The Gunny, to the world?

SOG Specialty Knives and Tools has kicked off the “Are You The Gunny?” contest. Participants will be asked to videotape and upload their best Gunny impression to SOG’s Facebook page. The best impression will be selected with a winner and guest flown to Las Vegas for the 2011 Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show and Conference. Besides gaining access to the show as a guest of SOG, the winner will be invited to a special cocktail party on the first night to meet The Gunny himself.

Full entry information and contest rules are posted on the SOG Facebook page under “Contest,” along with a special video message from The Gunny. The contest ends on December 21st. I have also included information below on some of the brand-new products SOG will be introducing at the 2011 SHOT Show.

After years as a drill instructor in the U.S. Marine Corps, R. Lee Ermey became widely known for his Academy Award-nominated performance in Full Metal Jacket, as well as roles in Apocalypse Now, the Toy Story trilogy and the History Channel series Lock N’ Load With R. Lee Ermey. Ermey is a spokesperson for SOG, a brand for specialty knives and tools by the military, law enforcement, industrial tradesmen and outdoorsmen worldwide.

The SHOT Show is the world’s largest and most comprehensive trade show for professionals involved with the shooting sports and hunting industries, and is the premier showcase of combined firearms, ammunition, outdoor apparel, optics and more. It will be held at the Sands Expo & Convention Center from January 18-21. Full information can be found at www.shotshow.org.

George Tichbourne, a long-time knifemaker and valued friend of Knife Showcase, passed away Dec. 6 after a long illness. He was 64.

George made bowies, hunters and folders, and kitchen, art and military knives. Featured on page 75 of the December 2010 BLADE®, George related an instance of making a knife for a Marine to take into combat.

“He opted for a military pattern styled after a World War II bayonet,” George recalled. “I’ve donated similar knives to units that contacted me looking for gifts to boost morale. One group sent photos of a recipient getting his knife, with the U.S. flag that flew over their base in the background, a letter of thanks and a challenge coin. I was touched by their gratitude.”

Visitation will be tomorrow, Dec. 9, from 4-9 p.m. and Friday from 2-9 p.m. at Wards Funeral Home in Weston, Ontario, Canada.

The funeral will be Saturday, Dec. 11, at 11 a.m. at the North Bramalea United Church in Brampton.

For more information visit http://tichbourneknives.com/index1.htm.

From Knife Rights:

The Sunday edition of the New York Times featured a front page article on Knife Rights and efforts to remove or rationalize restrictive knife laws and enhance protection for lawful use of knives by honest citizens. While the reporter got a few facts incorrect, in general the article can be viewed as relatively even-handed and a positive, especially considering the source. (Note that this article was written prior to Knife Rights’ first case in New York being settled with a dismissal.)

Read the article at the New York Times online: http://nyti.ms/dERpW1

View a PDF (photos) of the article from the paper: http://bit.ly/fLR6U6

The schedule of classes for 2011 for the Moran School of Bladesmithing at Texarkana College, Haywood Community College, and the New England School of Metalwork are now posted on the ABS Website. Check the school schedules and the ABS Bulletin Board as some new classes have been added at each of the schools for 2011.

Scott Taylor is the new Coordinator for Continuing Education at Texarkana College and is ready to assist you with bladesmithing class registration and information. Scott can be contacted at (903) 832-5565 Extention 3237 or email.

Dereck Glaser reports that the recent Introduction to Bladesmithing class at the New England School of Metalwork had students from Florida, Maryland. Minnesota, Massachusetts, Bermuda, and Israel.