A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) on
The pair of knives the titular Rambo character, played by Sylvester Stallone, will use in the fifth Rambo movie is no longer a secret. Rambo will use the “Heartstopper,” made by Dietmar Pohl, of Pohl Force in Germany, as his “big one.” Pohl also made a “small knife” Rambo will use.
Pohl joins Jimmy Lile(FirstBlood, First Blood: Part 2) and Gil Hibben (Rambo III, Rambo) as the knifemakers selected to supply the movie franchise’s iconic knives.
The fifth movie is set to release in fall 2019 as Rambo V: Last Blood, and will be set in Mexico. To date, the only image of the knife is what Stallone posted on his Instagram page. Filming began “a few weeks ago,” according to the Pohl Facebook page.
In a statement, translated from German, Pohl couldn’t say much more beyond being excited.
“RAMBO V – We’re very happy to be part of it! A very special project for Dietmar Pohl and the Pohl Force team.
“With the official posting from Sylvester Stallone on Instagram it became public that Dietmar Pohl (knife designer & CEO of Pohl Force Knives) designed the knives for the Rambo V movie.
“Now we’d like to confirm the cooperation. Because the film production started only a few weeks ago and the movie start is announced for autumn 2019 we ask you to understand that we cannot provide any further information and details on the knives at this time.”
This isn’t the first time Hollywood tapped Pohl’s knives. He provided blades for Hunter Killer, released Oct. 26, 2018 and starring Gerard Butler. Here’s Pohl on the set of that movie:
When she was 15, Charlotte asked Wally if she could make a knife. He likes teaching her so he said, “Sure, let’s do it!” (Morgan Graham image)
Making “Ruby’s Knife” from Supernatural
My daughters Savannah and Charlotte had always been craftsy and artistic, but they rarely spent time in my shop. One day in 2016, Charlotte, who was 15 at the time, asked me if she could make a knife. It was to be based on a knife from a TV show she was watching called Supernatural. A character on the show named Ruby used the knife to kill “demons.” It is a very unusual design.
I like teaching so I told her, “Sure, let’s do it!”
A Daughter’s First Knifemaking Project
To get Charlotte started, Wally had her practice grinding. Note her safety glasses and gloves.
For her first knife I thought grinding it out would be easier than forging it. To get started I had her practice grinding wood to learn how to use the 2×72 belt sander. Grinding the bevels of the blade in wood to practice gives you very fast feedback and speeds up the learning process. I don’t use jigs, so it can be tricky to get hollow grinds the same height up the blade on both sides. Flat grinding is an easier technique to start with compared to hollow grinding, so we began with that.
Charlotte cut out and ground the blade, getting it ready for heat treating. We heated the blade until it reached critical temperature (when a magnet will not stick to the steel), then took the blade out of the fire and quickly quenched it in oil. Next we tempered the blade and sanded it to a high polish.
Charlotte carved the markings on the blade, and we found a piece of deer antler very similar to the TV knife to use as the handle.
Safety First
Charlotte drills a hole while in her dad’s shop. Note the gloves and ear protection.
As I taught each step I also taught her about knife shop safety, as so many of the tools and machines can be dangerous.
For instance, it’s important to know how to safely clamp a blade on a table for sanding and how to hold a blade against a buffer—the latter which I think is the most dangerous machine in the shop.
I showed her how to drill holes and gave her a safety tip on how to make sure a blade does not get away from you and spin around and cut you. She had her hair tied back and wore safety glasses, as well as Kevlar® gloves and hearing protection.
A Fantastic Finish
That first knife is always special. Charlotte’s initial piece not only is special but also unusual—based on a model used by a character in the TV show Supernatural to kill “demons.”
Charlotte’s first knife turned out great and it was so cool to see how fast she learned and progressed. It also surprised me that she did not experience all the challenges I had when I started.
The knife’s fit and finish was great, and the blade was straight. She decided to keep her first knife for herself. Each subsequent knife she made was different and she had to learn new skills for each new model.
Making the Game of Thrones Obsidian Dagger
The next knife Charlotte made was a copy of the obsidian dagger from the TV series Game of Thrones. In the show the dagger was made from “dragon glass” and was used to kill “night walkers.”
Charlotte employed O1 tool steel for the blade so she could gun blue it black like the TV dagger. She ground the blade and then textured it with the small half-inch-wheel attachment to look like obsidian. She polished it with a Dremel® tool. My brother Ted loved the knife so much he bought it.
Next Up: Sting from The Hobbit
Next up was a mini letter opener modeled after Bilbo’s sword “Sting” from The Hobbit. The new model required her to grind a dagger blade with a straight line down the center. She used a flat grind and, after heat treating, polished the blade by hand. She also learned how to carve with my high-speed/hand-held grinding tool.
She made the mini sword as a gift for her best friend, Morgan.
Hooked on Knifemaking
Charlotte wants to make knives for fun and as a part-time job, so she decided to make a kitchen knife to sell. It was a Japanese-style model and when it was done, I posted it on Facebook. It sold in no time.
With this new model she learned about Japanese kitchen knives and how thin they are. She also was introduced to forging by texturing the blade, which was later ground off to make the knife thinner.
Moreover, she learned a new skill making a multi-part octagon handle for the knife. Excited by her new part-time job, she decided to make a tanto. Again, the new style required learning many new skills. Her tactical-style tanto has a hollow grind, so we started with wood again to teach her how to hollow grind, ensuring the grind was even on both sides. She learned how to grind in a tanto tip and how to make the angle the same on both sides.
Charlotte learned how to tie a Japanese handle wrap and etch the blade to make the temper line or hamon really stand out on her tanto. She also learned how to make the mune (the blade spine).
To make Japanese-style tantos, she had to learn how to create temper lines and put a high polish on the blade. She learned how to tie a Japanese wrap and etch the blades to make the temper line really stand out. She also learned how to make the mune (the blade spine). I posted a picture of the knife on social media and she quickly sold it and received another tanto order.
This past March break she forged out a bushcraft-style knife and will continue to work on it in my shop. She is not taking orders as she has a heavy school year finishing the 12th grade. She has been accepted to the University of Windsor in the forensic science program next fall.
She does have a waiting list and loves working with her hands. Knifemaking fills her need for creativity, just like it did for me. Charlotte intends to make one order at a time and she is getting comfortable using all the equipment. Making leather sheaths is the next skill she wants to learn.
This past March break, Charlotte forged out a bushcraft-style knife and was working on it in her dad’s shop at press time.
What Better Way to Spend Quality Time with Family?
There are so many branches to the tree of knifemaking and I look forward to seeing where she takes her knifemaking in the future Charlotte is a unique 17-year-old who wants to make knives and can do so just as well as boys. Her favorite part of knifemaking is watching the progress of polishing the blade. She takes her time with each step and really is a perfectionist. I am so proud of both my girls and it has been so much fun to show Charlotte what I have been doing for 32 years.
Go, Charlotte!
* All images by Wally Hayes unless otherwise noted.
After years of being as mythical as its title character, the fifth movie in the Rambo franchise, Rambo V, is slated for a fall 2019 release, according to Deadline:
In the fifth episode of the franchise, when the daughter of one of his friends is kidnapped, Rambo, who has been working on a ranch, crosses the U.S.-Mexican border and quickly finds himself up against the full might of one of Mexico’s most violent cartels.
Sylvester Stallone confirmed the announcement on his Instagram account:
A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) on
Upon release, it will mark 11 years since the previous installation, 2008’s Rambo. It will also be the second in the franchise with a title that mercifully follows the logical sequence of releases (First Blood [1982], First Blood: Part 2 [1985], Rambo III [1988], Rambo [2008], Rambo V).
Another False Start?
That’s if it releases. The only proof of life is the movie poster and some press. Stallone was non-committal when BLADE pressed him about it last year, saying only, “Never say never” (read the full interview here).
Even Rambo’s creator, First Blood author David Morrell, expressed his doubts when the news broke today.
Don’t know if this is true about a fifth RAMBO film. The author of the source material is always the last one to find out. Every six months there’s an announcement along these lines, but DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD is reputable.https://t.co/Ju58qX8KSU#RamboV@DEADLINEpic.twitter.com/4eC7uOisQ0
Time will tell. That the announcement comes during the Cannes Film Festival could mean this is only a play to see whether investors will bite. A little hype from the fan base, by way of a poster release, couldn’t hurt those prospects.
Who Will Make the Knife?
Cutlery-Hall-of-Fame® member Gil Hibben made the knives for RamboIII and Rambo, but it’s not clear whether he will be back for a third time. Regardless of who makes the knife, it’s encouraging to see the poster feature a blade. Sourcing the knife won’t be an afterthought.
Even if the movie is financed and starts production, it may be a while before the knifemaker is selected. Not only would the commission need to be negotiated, but Stallone himself will have to sign off on the design.
Cutlery-Hall-of-Fame® member James Lile created the iconic knives for First Blood and its sequel, First Blood: Part 2.
Stay Tuned
BLADE will report on developments as they occur. Keep an eye on the movie’s IMDB page, too.
Can’t Get Enough Rambo? Download BLADE‘s Rambo Issue
Here’s a look at a movie knife classic, First Blood, and a movie that tried to rip off Rambo. Spoiler alert: ripping off Rambo is never a good idea.
Knife Use in First Blood: Rambo-esque, but Not Ridiculous
After I saw First Blood, the first Rambo movie, some buddies and I started to look at it with a critical, knife-centric eye.
Nothing that Rambo does in the movie is impossible. Some of the feats require a very well-trained man who’s in excellent physical condition, not to mention one who’s stubborn as hell. The feats also require a great deal of luck.
I’ve always been critical of fight sequences where the hero beats up 10-15 opponents all at one time. You can see the bad guys hanging back, each waiting his turn. That doesn’t happen in real life.
However, in First Blood, each person Rambo fights is physically isolated, so Rambo can take each one on one-on-one. It could work that way. The movie was very well thought out choreographically.
At one point Rambo leaps from a cliff and falls through a pine tree, breaking tree limbs on the way down, and survives. Tricky and tough—and yet possible. I once fell out of a pine tree, breaking pine limbs on the way down, and wasn’t hurt at all except for my 18-year-old ego. It was about a 20-foot drop, not anywhere near what Rambo fell, but long enough to convince me that it was possible to survive it.
Rambo’s use of the knife in First Blood is excellent. He knows what he’s doing. One of the first things he does is use the knife to make a spear, which is a good idea because a spear is a better hunting tool and a much better weapon than a knife. For one thing, a spear has reach and speed over a knife alone.
First Blood is an exciting movie. If you haven’t seen it, rent it. It’s worth it.
Knife Use in The Hunted: Ridiculous
Several of my friends saw The Hunted and told me that it was the MOAB (Mother Of All Bombs). However, having seen The Musketeer, I didn’t believe them. While The Hunted isn’t the MOAB, I would put it in the 2,000-pound category.
The Hunted isn’t a remake of First Blood but copies it—and does a lousy job at that.
The movie opens with a hellish scene in Kosovo, with Serbs killing Albanians right and left, especially women and children. I think the viewer is supposed to get the impression that all the Kosovo violence has driven the villain, Aaron Hallam— played by Benicio Del Toro—crazy.
I realized that I was in a fantasy movie very quickly. Tommy Lee Jones, who portrays L.T. Bonham, is running through a forest that’s deep in snow when he sees a wolf caught in a snare. He catches the injured animal, frees it from the snare and then dresses its paw. The animal doesn’t bite Bonham or, for that matter, make any threatening moves whatsoever. Heck, my wife rescued a four-week-old puppy a few months ago and was bitten!
(image via imdb.com)
The plot is that Hallam is a real killing machine whom Bonham has trained. The main action takes place in the dense rain forest of Oregon—sound familiar?—and starts with a scene of two deer hunters. The hunters are equipped with bolt-action rifles sporting monstrous telescopic sights. Stupid is such a harsh word, so let me just say that it makes no sense to use telescopic sights in underbrush so thick you can’t see 10 yards in front of you!
Anyway, Hallam threatens the hunters, telling them they have no reverence for life, and they have to match their guns against his knife. Needless to say, he kills the hunters, and subsequent photos show that he chopped them up like butchered deer. Meanwhile, it turns out that he also has killed a couple more hunters. Since the movie never offers any other reason for Hallam’s behavior, I guess he must have joined a radical arm of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
Bonham is an amazing tracker and expert knife fighter who’s called in to capture the killer. He starts out after Hallam and, of course, doesn’t take a weapon. Hallam immediately finds Bonham, they have a brief fight and the chase begins.
I can’t begin to tell you how incredibly stupid this movie is. For one, in one scene a thrown knife goes all the way through a tree trunk that looks to be about 3 inches in diameter! Bonham knaps a flint blade to use as a weapon, never thinking to simply buy a knife instead.
One of the most startling scenes is when Hallam breaks off chunks of leaf spring. He starts a small fire and then forges a knife using the chunks of leaf spring for steel, and another chunk as a hammer. After he rough forges the blade, he hardens it and then files it! I have no idea where he gets the file, let alone how an open fire that size develops the heat necessary to forge steel.
In certain segments, The Hunted is a direct steal of First Blood, right down to Bonham repeating a quote from the Stallone movie about how many body bags will be filled in the quest to nab Hallam.
The knife fighting and the scenes showing the training aren’t so much stupid as just silly. Some guy stands still as someone pretends to cut his throat, chest, stomach, brachial artery, and then moves down to cut both femoral arteries! I mean, what’s the point? How many times does your opponent need to bleed out? It’s like blowing up a rabbit with a stick of dynamite—the furry little critter can only die so much!
The final fight sequence between the two principals is very poorly choreographed. It bears no resemblance to a real fight. For those who have read my reviews about movie knives before, you know that I feel a fight must follow the flow of the film. In other words, it need not necessarily be a “real” fight but one that must be consistent with the plot. In that respect, the final fight does follow the plot—both are total and complete nonsense.
Don’t waste your time or your money on The Hunted. This time I did the suffering for you.
Promos for Tomb Raider, the movie based on the video game series that hits theaters today, may bring to mind the action scenes from the Rambo films, but the kit for protagonist Lara Croft is light on knives. Instead, Croft (played by Alicia Vikander) carries a climbing axe to handle tough environments and dispatch enemies.
Here are some shots from the film that feature the climbing axe:
(image via imdb.com)(image via imdb.com)Lara Croft (played by Alicia Vikander) carries the axe on her hip. (image via imdb.com)(image via imdb.com)
The film version of the axe is a copy/paste of the one used throughout the video game series, the latter of which can be seen on the cover of the game at right.
So it should come as no surprise that Tomb Raider fans figured out how to make a replica of the climbing axe as early as 2013.
Here are a few tutorials:
These are items for cosplay, meaning they’re made by fans for the sake of entertainment, not proper tools. They’re usually included as part of a larger ensemble.
However, the knife industry at large should pay attention to this on-ramp strategy. For many new and young knife collectors, bringing something from a video game into the real world is their first commissioned piece. Once they get a taste for the craftsmanship that goes into knifemaking (or axe making), they likely won’t stop there, especially when built-in fandoms keep the resale markets healthy.
Forged in Fire will go down as one of the most significant television programs to knife enthusiasm of all time. Here are eight things you may not know about the show, as sourced from BLADE interviews with contestants.
1) The Set is Hot
Despite the Forged in Fire staffs’ efforts to reduce the heat in studio, the combination of forges and overhead lighting for filming makes for piping-hot working conditions.
The forges are lined up four abreast so you are sandwiched between fires. The stage is fireproof, which means it’s vented to prevent asphyxiation, but not as you would vent a home forge, drawing heat up and away. This is where you see contestants collapsing. Add to that the heat and brightness of the lights needed to adequately film the show, and you’ve got an extremely hot environment.
2) Knifemakers Need Reminders to Drink Water
The staff is great about providing thermoses of water, but often the makers are driven and forget to drink.
3) Filming Isn’t Like a Casual Hammer-In
Everyone who appears on Forged in Fire undergoes a telephone interview, a Skype interview and a background check. The participants are flown to New York City and set up in a hotel. The filming takes place in a studio in Brooklyn.
One knifemaker thought it would be cool to hang out after the show, “light a fire and make stuff,” but due to insurance liabilities there was no resemblance to a relaxed hammer-in.
4) It’s a Competition With Yourself, Not Others
One knifemaker who appeared on the show told BLADE there is no backstabbing, no negative talk about other smiths. It is very stressful, but it’s about doing your personal best and reflecting well on the industry.
5) Knifemakers Have to Speak in Present Tense
To a man, each bladesmith found filming the interviews a long, challenging process. Those need to be conducted in the present tense, which is hard to remember when you’re talking about something that’s already past.
6) The Show Format Changes Based on Knifemaker Feedback
Although knifemaker JW Randall was contacted early on to be on the show, he didn’t like how it seemed to take advantage of people and their situations. Randall caught up with Forged in Fire judge J. Neilson and expressed how off putting the original format was to him. The show evolved.
7) Not Every Knifemaker Jumps on the Chance to be on TV
Mace Vitale (featured in the latter half of the video above) of Vitale Knives in New Haven, Connecticut, received an email invitation to interview for selection on Forged in Fire. A batch of emails had been sent to noted smiths in the industry.
“We were all talking about it,” Vitale said of the reaction within the bladesmithing community.
Some thought it was going to be the ruin of the craft ; others saw the potential. Vitale passed but then changed his mind.
“I didn’t care about being on TV,” he said. He wasn’t concerned about promoting his knives or his business. He decided to try it because it was a personal challenge. He wanted to know if he could compete with his experience and skill set and beat the competition.
8) The Twists in the Show are Surprises to the Knifemakers, too
In episode eight of season one, Vitale and his competitors were told to pick what they wanted off “a table of junk.” There were shovels and hoes, mid-carbon steel; horseshoes and railroad spikes, no carbon steel; and ball bearings, most likely 52100.
This is where experience came into play. Vitale grabbed some ball bearings and began making a 9- to 12-inch knife that would have to survive a coconut chop and another sharpness test, which turned out to be cutting a reinforced sand bag, though the contestants didn’t know it at the time.
Get Started in Knifemaking for $50
If Forged in Fire gave you the itch to try making a knife, start with Wayne Goddard’s classic knifemaking book, $50 Knife Shop.
For how it should and shouldn’t be done when it comes to historic blades, consider the classic and contemporary film versions of the Joan of Arc story.
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the August 2003 issue of BLADE magazine. You can read more from BLADE‘s archives with this extensive collection.
When I first heard of The Messenger, the 1999 movie version of the Joan of Arc story, I thought it best to ignore it. It just didn’t sound very good. However, I caught a trailer on HBO about the film—directed by Luc Besson and starring Milla Jovovich as Joan and John Malkovich as The Dauphin—and was quite impressed.
According to the trailer, the producers spent an enormous amount of time researching the era in which the story is set, including the armor and weapons. They also researched Joan and reportedly would present a different portrait of “the Maid of Orleans.”
On this basis, my wife, Toni, and I journeyed to the theater prepared to see the new portrait, and to appreciate the research into the clothing and the arms and armor.
What Went Wrong
One of the most notable things about the movie was the popcorn. It was really fresh and delicious. The drinks were well mixed, and, as usual, the price was sky high—but the popcorn was worth it.
I regret to say, however, that I have a weak stomach. Oh, scenes of carnage don’t bother me, but really bad acting, directing and outright falsehoods in a movie have a tendency to make me want to heave!
Nonetheless, I’m not a coward. I walked to the restroom, threw some cold water on my face, steeled my nerves, and went back to try to watch the rest of the movie.
I failed.
I made it through the fall of the Tyrell and the relief of Orleans. About 10 minutes later, though, my stomach quailed at what I watched on the screen, and Toni and I had to leave. Meanwhile, a couple of my friends braved the whole film. They told me that as the time approached for Joan to be burned at the stake, many in the audience were shouting, “Burn her! Burn her!”
Not Falling for Those Cheap Movie Swords
If the producers paid for research on The Messenger, they should get their money back.
All the armor looks as if it’s straight out of some cheap fantasy movie, and the same goes for the swords and other weapons. However, the war hats look pretty good. As for the fighting, it’s more ludicrous than anything else.
After the fall of the Tyrell, the camera pans somewhat lovingly over the scene of “carnage.” There’s one severed foot, a “tastefully arranged” group of what might be entrails and, I think, an arm lying about. In short, it’s the most unrealistic battle scene since the Saturday serials.
Actually, I would be willing to overlook a lot of the flaws and errors if the movie had anything else going for it, but this one doesn’t.
The Hundred Years War helped create a time of deep cynicism that co-existed with a profound and strongly held religious belief. Whatever one’s opinion of Joan of Arc—and whatever the reality actually was—she was able to lead and inspire many men, those sincere in their religious belief, as well as those quite cynical.
On the other hand, this movie’s version of Joan could, and did, inspire an exodus from the theater. Don’t waste your time with this one. For one thing, I doubt that you’ll be as lucky with the popcorn as we were.
Better Swords, Better Movie: Joan of Arc (1948)
After we left the theater from watching The Messenger, I promised Toni that I would show her the definitive film version of Joan of Arc. Produced by Walter Wanger in 1948, Joan of Arc remains one of the most stupendous epics ever produced for the silver screen.
As Joan, Ingrid Bergman had a positively ethereal beauty that really hits home in the movie. She was also a tremendous actress and comes across as a confused peasant girl, driven by forces she only partially understands but in which she fully believes.
La Hire, one of Joan’s great battle captains, is well played by a bluff, tough Ward Bond. Since I always liked what I read about La Hire, I was pleased to see him played so admirably.
The Dauphin, a somewhat feckless and timid person, is well handled by Jose Ferrar. I could go on and on, as everyone in the movie does a superb job and each is quite believable in his/her role.
The primary battle in the movie is the capture of the Tyrell and the relief of Orleans that’s besieged by an English army under the command of Sir William Gladsdale. This is one of Joan’s first battles and in it she’s wounded by a crossbow bolt.
She regains consciousness and insists on leading a final charge against the Tyrell, which falls in the ensuing battle.
This is one of the best siege battles ever on the big screen, and is worth the price of the movie rental alone. You see arrows flying from crossbows and bows, and the horrors of trying to storm walls—men fighting their way to the top of the ladder only to have it hurled down or being speared from the top.
As the Tyrell falls, La Hire climbs over the wall and shouts for Gladsdale, and the two meet in the center and fight with two-hand swords. La Hire drives him back and, rather than surrendering, the Englishman falls into some burning debris.
Getting the Two-Hand Swords Right
Read 10 years worth of back issues, including the three-part series about “The Iron Mistress,” in this collection.
The two-hand sword was just beginning to become popular at that point in history, and for two knights in full plate armor it was a handy weapon to have. Certainly, you can’t cut plate armor with a regular sword but you can crush it.
The movie is well acted and well done, but even more impressive is the costuming, right down to the haircuts of the men. The hair is worn thick and cut into the shape of a bowl. This was done at first to provide extra padding under the helmet but also became the fashion for the dandies, even if they never fought. The armor is accurate and so are the many swords, pikes, fauchards, pole axes and battle axes.
The pair of knives the titular Rambo character, played by Sylvester Stallone, will use in the fifth Rambo movie is no longer a secret. Rambo will use the “Heartstopper,” made by Dietmar Pohl, of Pohl Force in Germany, as his “big one.” Pohl also made a “small knife” Rambo will use.
One of the most notable things about the movie was the popcorn. It was really fresh and delicious. The drinks were well mixed, and, as usual, the price was sky high—but the popcorn was worth it.
