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T
K ITS
FEBRUARY 2017
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HOW TO
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The CASE BESH WEDGE

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 FEBRUARY 2017

46

12
81

12 UNDER-THE-RADAR 40 4 HAWK HOEDOWN 72 SCRATCH YOUR

KNIFEMAKERS Current tomahawks close the gap KNIFEMAKING ITCH
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36 CASES CUTTIN COUSINS
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Two folding knives address the same Roosevelt piece sets record for
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56 THE SWEET SPOTS 82 CURLY MAPLE MODIFIED
Every knife has at least one and some Barney Barnes rehandles a classic Bill
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4 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

 BLADE
EARN YOUR CHOPS
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SPYDERCO
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7 | COVER STORY 7
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10 | UNSHEATHED
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62 | BLADE SHOPPE
63 | AD INDEX
64 WHERE TO GET EM
|
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1 Durable TiCN Coating
66 | WHATS NEW 2 Faceted Point for Penetration 6
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BLADE (ISSN 1064-5853) is published monthly (Vol.

XLIV, No. 2), with an additional issue in November, by F+W,
A Content + eCommerce Company, 700 E. State St., Iola,
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FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 5

RE ADE RS RESPOND |
Heplers Hammersmiths: Up-
date from Kwajalein
R
egarding the article you wrote
on our program (page 10, Octo-
ber BLADE), I saw no errors of
any kind. The facts and the story were
exactly as I told you.I am very flattered
that my boys received the recognition
they deserve.
One thing to add: In the fall, I am go-
ing to add forging and hardening to the
class in which the students will start with
a good U.S.-made mild steel and work
from there.We will be using my Oceans-
ide Forge. I will send you pictures and
updates from time to time.
Thanks again for all youve done.
Doug Hepler,
Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands
P.S.: I initiated contact with knifemaker
Jack Stottlemire using the article Disabled
Veteran Knifemakers in the December 2013
BLADE. I mailed him a large selection of
the exotic woods we have here, as well as
some whalebone, to use with his disabled vet
knifemaking classes. I hope to meet him and
the BLADE staff at a future BLADE Show.
Koji Corrections
I
was really pleased to see a knife by
Koji Hara featured on page 58 of the
November BLADE. I have been col-
lecting his knives since I learned about
him in a feature BLADE did on his
Airstep folders back in another mil-
lennium. I had the pleasure of meeting
Hara-san when he came to Toronto for
the late, lamented Canadian Knifemakers
Guild shows of the past few years.
I bought a knife with similar embel-
lishment from him and got a bit of an ed-
ucation. If I may, I would like to correct
the description of his knife as published.
The cartouche on the blade is not an
insert. It is a milled-out section, and
the Kanji characters are pierced right
through the blade. The embellishment
on the pearl is not engraving but a thou-
sand-year-old Japanese technique called
maki-e. Usually done on lacquer ware,
the design is laid down by putting layer
after layer of gold dust in a lacquer binder
onto the pearl, using a fine brush. Each
layer must dry before the next can be ap-
6 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017
plied, so it can take months to complete.
Tom Saask, a letter via e-mail
Editors note: For more on the knives of
Koji Hara, contact him at 292-2 Osugi,
Seki-City, Gifu, Japan 501-3922 0575-24-
7569 phone/fax info@knifehousehara.com,
knifehousehara.com.
No Forged In Fire Fan (cont.)
B
oy, I was right in my last letter that
this was going to turn into a mud-
slinging contest. As I stated, opin-
ions are like noseseveryone has one
and each person has the right to his own.
I have been making knives for 40
years. Before military contractors and
government overseers, there were many
cowboysfolks who traveled to other
countries illegally just to get in another
war for democracy that the USA did not
Quality Ulu
he single-stem ulu is a Western Arctic
T Inuit design, a so-called Canadian
style. It dates back at least 4,500 years.
I like it over others because of how you can
wrap your hand into it for control. Your body
position is also more centered over the blade.
Ulus are a little trickier to make and must be
heat treated properly or will snap at the neck.
An ulu is an amazing tool because of its
versatility. It is different in that you push
and roll it. I would not be without an ulu
in the bush.
You can make a simple ulu with a 10-inch
table saw blade that is without the carbide
tips. Cut a wedge to the size you want from
the hole to the edge with a Zipcut blade
on a 4.5-inch mini grinder. The Zipcut
blades are great because they move quickly
through the saw blade and will not lose the
temper. Cut the teeth off. Cool the steel in
water. Grind on a bevel. Constantly keep
want to get involved in. They were rogue
operations that were not sanctioned
by anyone. These people wanted sterile
equipment. They used false passports.
I am not a manufacturer, do not deal
with government contracts and I do not
care to. I just make the best knives I can
for discriminating collectors.
If Mr. Ernest Emerson does not want
to believe my statements about the knives
I have made, that is his right (page 6,
December BLADE). If he wants to deni-
grate me, that is his right under the First
Amendment. But I know what I have
done in my life and know for whom I
made knives, and sleep the deep sleep of
the truthful and just.
Thanks for a great magazine.
Jim Turecek, knifemaker,
Ansonia, Connecticut
the metal from over heating by dipping it in
water. The temper is a Rockwell hardness
of around 48 HRC. You can do the rest of
the edge with les and stones.
Fashion a handle from antler. Use
the Zipcut blade to cut a place into the
antler to insert the blade. With the handle
attached, slowly drillwith a cobalt bit to
be surea couple of pin holes, insert your
pins and pien them over.
Caribooblades
The preceding post is from Quality Ulu?
in General Discussion on KnifeForums.
com. To read the post and others on your
favorite subject and/or nd out how
you can participate in the discussion,
click KnifeForums at the bottom of the
blademag.com home page.
 C OV E R S T ORY |
IF ITS BEEN A WHILE SINCE YOUVE BEEN TO
KNIFE THEY SCRATCH YOUR KNIFEMAKIN
KITS G ITCH!
FEBRUARY 2017

FEBRUARY 2017
www.bladem ag.com

B
L
A
D
E
Worlds #1 Knife Publication

HOW TO
GET YOUR
KIDS INTO
KNIVES
CUTTIN
COUSINS
S M O K Y M O U N T A I N K N I F E W O R K S

Har dco re
OF CASE
CELEBRATE 35

HAWK
FASTEST

WE HEARD YOU
FOLDERS
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& UNDER

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LOUD & CLEAR.

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FETCHES $414,000
F+W
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TOP KNIFEMAKERS
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SANTOKU: KNIVES:
CLOSE TO
02

KING OF THE KITCHEN

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THE HEART

0 74470 50251
cnVlZ2VyAFbi7pYEMTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ
JUYrVyBQdWJsaWNhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo
SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL
Qy1BDDA3NDQ3MDUwMjUxNwA=
FnL1
04
03
02
01 04 0120

7
Display until November 28, 2016

OPPOSITE THE BIT IS A

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rums, blogs and more, visit blademag.com.

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 7



Inkosi
The WORLDS #1 KNIFE PUBLICATION
Vol. XLIV, No. 2, FEBRUARY 2017

Zulu: Chief Publishers Of

Giving you more features in a

smaller knife

Large Editorial/Advertising Office:

Hollow Grind 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001
Technology 715.445.4612 blademag.com
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2.75 Blade
Length
Editor | STEVE SHACKLEFORD
S35VN
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Field Editors | MSG KIM BREED

g Pocket Clip
Angled p ABE ELIAS
DEXTER EWING
ED FOWLER
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LES ROBERTSON
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BLADE (ISSN1064-5853) is published monthly, with an addi-

tional issue in November, by Krause Publications, a division of
F+W, A Content + eCommerce Company, 700 E. State Street,
Iola, WI 54990-0001. Periodicals postage paid at Iola, Wis., and
at additional mailing office. Canadian Agreement No. 40665675.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BLADE, P.O. Box
420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. BLADE and its logo are
registered trademarks. Other names and logos referred to or
displayed in editorial or advertising content may be trademarked
or copyrighted. BLADE assumes no responsibility for unsolicited
materials sent to it. Publisher and advertisers are not liable for
typographical errors that may appear in prices or descriptions in
advertisements. The possession, transportation and sale of certain
types of knives is restricted or prohibited by federal, state and
local laws. BLADE and F+W, A Content + eCommerce Company,
rely upon the fact that collectors, purveyors/dealers, exhibitors,
advertisers and manufacturers are expected to know and comply
with these regulations.

F+W, A CONTENT + ECOMMERCE COMPANY

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BLADE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK
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8 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

U N S H E AT H E D | BY STEVE SHACKLEFORD
EBAY
JIGGED
BONE
BAN?
T
he banning of any and all items,
including knives, from being sold
or traded because they are made of
parts of endangered animalsespecially
elephant ivoryis a question that is be-
ing debated worldwide. However, when
an organization that serves as a global In-
ternet marketplace refuses to sell pocket-
knives with jigged-bone handles because
the knives violate its ivory policy, its time
for the offending organization to take a
remedial class in elementary zoology.
Such is the case with eBay, the Inter-
nets version of a planetary yard sale.
According to a reliable source who un-
derstandably wishes to remain unidenti-
fied, as of Sept. 14 eBay was pulling all
knives with jigged bone from its auc-
tions because the knives are in violation
of eBays endangered species ivory poli-
cy. The source said eBay had pulled two
of his jigged-bone-handle pocketknives,
one of which was a Case model, and given
him a three-day suspension from selling
items on eBay because he had violated its
ivory policy.
As the source noted, most of the bone
for jigged-bone pocketknives is cow
bone, often from cows in South Ameri-
ca, none of which, of course, are on the
endangered species list. Recently some
knifemakers have jigged giraffe bone for
knife handles, though not major manu-
facturers such as Case (see page 36).
EBay is portraying themselves as
10 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017
judge, jury and prosecuting attorney in
these matters, allowing no evidence to the
contrary, the source indicated, and the
hours Ive spent on the phone explaining
that cows and elephants are different ani-
mals, that cows are not endangered, and
that leg bone and elephant tusks are to-
tally different has fallen on deaf ears.
According to the source, at press time
there were almost 18,000 Case knives for
sale on eBaymost of which have bone
handlesas well as over 2,400 knives
advertised as jigged bone, all of which
were in danger of being pulled. [EBay
employees] admitted to me that they had
already pulled 1,400 knives in the time
period that I called them, he noted.
Unless eBays policy concerning
jigged-bone pocketknives is changed, the
marketplace for such knives would take a
major hit. And if jigged bone is ivory ac-
cording to eBay, whats next on the Inter-
net sellers hit list?At press time, officials
from Case, Knife Rights and the Ameri-
can Knife & Tool Institute reportedly
were looking into the matter. However,
it could be an uphill battle. As an indus-
try observer noted, One huge potential
problem is that eBay as a company can
make their own rules. Stay tuned.
JACK CRAIN PASSES
Veteran knifemaker Jack Crain of Weath-
erford, Texas, builder of knives for such
Arnold Schwarzenegger action movies
According to a knowl-
edgeable source, as of
Sept. 14 eBay was pulling all
knives with jigged bone from its
auctions because those knives are in
violation of eBays endangered species
ivory policy. (Case image)
as Predator and Commando, passed away
Sept. 7 after a long illness. He was 70.
Crain started as a wood craftsman, spe-
cializing in the design and installation of
custom cabinetry. From there he got into
steel work and knifemaking. In addition
to the knives he designed and made for
Schwarzenegger and actor Sonny Land-
ham in Predator and those in Commando,
he also made knives for television shows
and books. Following in the footsteps of
such makers as John Nelson Cooper (The
Night of the Grizzly), R.W. Wilson (Jer-
emiah Johnson), BLADE Magazine Cut-
lery Hall-Of-Fame members Jimmy Lile
(Rambo I and II) and Gil Hibben (Rambo
III and IV), and Jody Samson (Conan the
Barbarian), Crain was among the pio-
neering knifemakers to the stars.
CORRECTION
On page 80 of Uncle Sam School of
Knife Design in the December BLADE,
knifemaker William C. Bill Johnson is
incorrectly identified as a veteran of the
U.S. Army. He is instead a veteran of the
U.S. Air Force. We are happy to make the
correction and thank Bill for his service.
For the latest knives, knife news, KnifeFo-
rums, blogs and more, visit blademag.com.
www.tormach.com/kmt
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N O BL ADE BLI PS | BY MIKE HASKEW BLADE FIELD EDITOR

UNDER-THE-RADAR
KNIFEMAKERS
CHECK OUT SOME
OF TODAYS MOST
UNDERRATED
AND OVERLOOKED
BLADECRAFTERS

O
ne of the best ways to
identify the most under-
rated and overlooked
custom makers is via purveyors
and collectors, and though the
landscape of custom knives is
always changing, there are un-
discovered stars out there.
Larry Connelley of KnifeArt.
com readily includes former sil-
versmith and Canadian maker
Rod Olson in the overlooked/
underrated realm. While Olson
has been building knives since
1979, some blade enthusiasts
may know little about him. Im
seeing lots of new models and
increasing popularity for Rod,
Larry remarked.
According to Connelley,
Olson began working in fixed
blades and hunting knives. He
visited veteran maker Henry
Franks shop a few years ago
and then stepped into making
folders. Olsons favorite materi-
als include titanium, carbon fi-
ber and RWL-34 stainless steel.
He is known for knives with
outstanding fit and finish and
utilizes button-lock, lockback

Custom knife purveyor/photographer Duane Weikum said Brazils Mauricio Dobruski

is well known in the balisong world, but remains relatively unrecognized elsewhere.
He has been making knives since around 2001, and he had taken several years off
to work as a machinist, Weikum explained. But now hes back and making even
better knives. He wont be overlooked for long. (Weikum image)

12 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017


and bearing-pivot mechanisms in his
folders.
Pennsylvanian John Gray is anoth-
er fine maker Connelley says is lesser
known. Grays slogan is Overbuilt, Prac-
tical, and Tactical. He lives up to that
billing with tactical designs that incorpo-
rate blades of CTS-XHP stainless, over-
sized pivot mechanisms, and titanium
frames with real heft that let you know
you have a handful. I see a lot of inter-
est now in both Johns folders and fixed
blades, Larry said.
RISING ABOVE the CYBERTRAP
Purveyor/photographer Duane Weikum
noted a downside of the rapid rise of
some new makers on various social me-
dia. It seems that even fresh makers get
on Instagram and Facebook and become
superstars before they really become
true knifemakers, he observed. There
are makers out there who turn out sub-
par knives, but due to social media they
are able to become overnight sensations.
Then people [who buy the knives] dont
Custom knife purveyor Dave Nittinger rates Tim Withers an
up-and-comer whose knife prices are fantastic for collectors
looking for a new maker who many years from now will be un-
touchable. Withers not only makes stunning xed blades (left)
but the sheaths (above) he supplies with them are outstanding
as well. (SharpByCoop knife photo; photo of sheathed knives
courtesy of Dave Nittinger)
THE COMMON THREAD
P urveyor Les Robertson of Robertsons Custom Cutlery
sees a similarity among makers who are escaping
appreciable notice.
Those that I feel are underrated or overlooked all
have one thing in common, he opined, and thats
quality at a value price. Most knifemakers dont know
their position in the market that they are competing in.
Often, their prices come from asking a fellow knifemak-
er. Unfortunately, [the resulting price advice] is usually
want to say they made a just an educated guess. Pepsi does not go to Coca-Cola
bad decision, so they say for advice on the pricing of a new soft drink.
they got a good knife and Robertson advises makers to get as many of their
the sham grows. knives in circulation as possible, particularly in the
Those who have obvi- hands of collectors and users. Establishing their voca-
ously risen above the cy- tion as a business is also a step in the right direction
bertrap of mediocrity are for those who want and need to gain some recognition.
a relative few, Weikum Social media is a must along with attending shows and
says. Brazilian Mauricio creating an Internet presence.
Dobruski is well known by Mike Haskew
in the balisong world, but
remains somewhat in the
shadows elsewhere. He has been making overlooked category. Fred makes amaz-
knives since around 2001, and Mauricio ing knives, Duane remarked. They are
had taken several years off to work as a made on the rugged side, not the collec-
machinist, Weikum explained. But now tor side, so theyre a great value for using
hes back and making even better knives. knives. Add that Fred is a super-fun guy
He wont be overlooked for long. to have around, super skilled with pretty
While generally not fancy, the work of much any weapon. Its fun to watch him
Rick Marchand and Wildertools remains flip a balisong.
totally functional in Duanes book. These Others who rate with Duane are
are beautiful knives and swords, Weikum the South African team of Andre van
observed, and you could carry his knives Heerden and Andre Thorburn. Amazing
and survival kits to the ends of the Earth. workmanship for not a lot of money, he
He counts veteran maker Fred Perrin noted, and theyre super nice guys.
as one of the best in the underrated and Purveyor Les Robertson of Robertsons
FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 13
N O BL ADE BLI PS |

Custom Cutlery has been buying and sell- Larry Connelley said Rod Olson (left) is known
ing custom knives for 31 years. Among for knives with outstanding t and nish.
Olson uses button-lock, lockback and bearing-
the makers he sees as underrated are Will pivot mechanisms in his folders. His M9
Morrison, an Australian who specializes Urban Tac features a 3-inch blade of RWL-34
in forged blades, Tim Steingass,ass, a stock stainless, a titanium body and carbon-
removal maker with seven yearsears experi- ber inlay. His base price: $500.
ence, and bladesmith Tad Lynch. ch. (images courtesy of Rod
Olson)
Morrison has an excellent nt value for
mented, and
the money, Robertson commented,
ourneyman
Lynch is a top-shelf ABS journeyman
smith. He flies below the radar,r, and those
who have seen his knives in person un-
derstand hes ready for the ABS master
b craftsman
smith test. Steingass is a superb
cialty.
and custom orders are his specialty.

3 to GET READY
A collector of art knives since ce the 1986
Solvang Show, Dave Nittinger er lists Tom
Overeynder, Mamoru Shigeno no and Tim
Withers among the underrated d and over-
looked because each brings a distinctive
style and flair to their genres.
Tom has quietly been recog-
nized as one of the very bestt in
high-end folders, Dave re--
lated, and has been invited
to attend the 2017 AKI [Art
Knife Invitational] show of the h
best 25 makers today [page 10, November
BLADE]. I believe that finally his name
will become a household word in the
knife industry, and his attendance at the
San Diego AKI will increase his visibility
greatly.
When he attended the 2014 Solvang
Show, Nittinger had never heard of Shig-
eno. He left Solvang with a lasting im-
pression. [Solvang Custom Knife Show
coordinator] Dave Harvey writes that
Mamoru creates fantastic knives and that
his fit and finish, grind and polish work
are among the worlds best, he said. I
was fortunate at the 2014 show through
the lottery system to be drawn for two of
the best knives I have ever held and now
own. The Special Big
Fighter and the Spe- According to custom
cial Fighter are shown knife purveyor Les
on my website. Ma- Robertson, Tad Lynch
moru is in his early is a top-shelf ABS
journeyman smith. He
40s with many years seems to y below the
ahead for our enjoy- radar, and those who
ment. have seen his knives
Shigeno makes in person understand
20-to-25 knives per he is ready for the ABS
master smith test.
year and uses ATS- (SharpyByCoop image)
34 stainless steel. His

14 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

work has been recognized in the Bob
Loveless tradition, and Nittinger invites
Shigeno to come to America more often,
and, with a bit of luck on our part as col-
lectors, we can increase his workload to
over 50 knives a year.
Withers works long hours as a com-
mercial plumbing project manager. He
says his phone rings at least 30 times a
week with collectors requesting a knife in
the Loveless style. Why, you say? smiled
Nittinger. Well, Tim has only been mak-
ing knives since 2011 using ATS-34,
440C and 1095 steels. His first show was
in Pasadena, California, and he sold out
the first day. His prices are fantastic for
collectors looking for a new maker that
many years from now will be untouch-
able and will have a long waiting list.
Dave adds Joe Cordova to the under-
rated/overlooked list for an interesting
reason. According to Nittinger, the only
maker Loveless ever asked to make knives
for him was Cordova. During a visit to
Loveless shop in October 2005, Dave

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16 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017
Larry Connelley of Knifeart.com said
he is seeing a lot of interest in both the
folders and xed blades of John Gray.
Grays Intercept linerlock ipper folder
features a 3.8-inch satin-nished blade
of CTS-XHP stainless steel that pivots on
the Ikoma Korth Bearing System. Weight:
6.3 ounces. Closed length: 5.25 inches.
KnifeCenter.coms price: $895. (images
courtesy of KnifeCenter.com)
asked about the request. Bobs answer
was simple, Nittinger recalled: [Joe] was
the only maker that could do it right. The
reference was to three reproductions of
Marbles canoe knives.
Dave asked Loveless if he really needed
all three of the knives, and Bob pulled
him aside. He said, Heres one. I bought
it immediately, and, along with its broth-
er that I obtained from Jim Merritt later
on, its part of my permanent collection.
The final knife was taken back to Japan
with Bobs wife of many years, Nittinger
related. Cordova has been making
knives for over 60 years and still makes a
few each year.
WHAT it TAKES
As for todays maker-talent level, Nit-
tinger says it is as good as ever with more
makers coming along every day. Robert-
son attributes a growing number of tal-
ented makers to the improvement of and
access to machinery in the knifemaking
process, and the American Bladesmith
Society with its Bill Moran School of Bla-
desmithing that teaches the building of a
complete knife.
That said, Les cautioned, it isnt
about the quality of the work from the
new makers. Its the prices theyre asking
for their knives that are filled with mis-
takes. Granted, it may take a keen eye
to spot some [of the miscues]. A maker
may have talent, but it takes years of ex-
perience to hone those skills to produce a
knife of exceptional quality.
$95.00
$85.00 For the contact info for the makers of the
$145.00
pictured knives, see Where To Get Em
on page 64.
Dave Nittinger stated two of the best
knives he has ever held are Mamoru
Shigenos Special Big Fighter and Special
Fighter. The latter (above) features a
6-inch blade of ATS-34 stainless steel
and a mammoth ivory handle. Shigenos
list price: $3,000. (SharpByCoop image)

3Cr13 stainless steel 7 7/8" blade

Cast metal guard and pommel
Embossed leather belt sheath
14 1/4" overall length Includes embossed
custom leather sheath
Black Micarta handle
#GH5051
MSRP $18200
Heavy-duty sawback
serrations

Master knife
maker Gil Hibben

DEALER INQUIRIES CALL 800-548-0835 OR VISIT WWW.UNITEDCUTLERY.COM

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 17

 NO BL ADE B L IPS |

Though ABS master smith Joe Cordova has

been making knives for many years, hes on
Dave Nittingers underrated/overlooked list.
Nittinger said Cordova is the only maker
Bob Loveless ever asked to make knives
for him. The knives were repros of Marbles
canoe models like the two above. (image
courtesy of Dave Nittinger)

Rick Marchand (inset) is

another maker on Duane
Weikums underrated
list. These are beauti-
ful knives and swords,
Weikum observed of
Marchands work, in-
cluding the Bush Waki,
and you could carry
his knives and survival
kits to the ends of the For the latest knives, knife news,
Earth. (PointSeven
sword image)
KnifeForums, knife blogs and
more, visit blademag.com.

18 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

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T HE K NI F E I C A RRY |

I own several pocketknives.

The one series that is
absolutely my favorite is the stockman
family. I bought my rst Buck 301 after I was
done with graduate school and got my rst
real professional job with my rst paycheck.
With all the other knives I have, this one
goes everywhere with me daily, from the
ofce to outdoors, at home and all over the
world as I travel. I even had a custom shield
made for it. I once had to plant it under a
tree in Chicago when I forgot to remove it
from my bag when I went for jury duty. I
from jury duty, I was relieved and overjoyed
refused to let the security ofcer take it and
to nd my little stockman there under the
decided to run out and bury it under a pile
dirt. Thats my story and my love for the
of leaves and dirt by a small tree right next
little Buck 301. Thanks!
to the court building in the heart of Chicago.
I worried the whole day and when I was off Jeff Heng, a letter via e-mail

I carry the Megumi by You wont nd me without

Benchmade. Its a great gents my Steel Will Bruiser. Its big
knife and the CPM S30V stainless steel and bad and the two ways of openingby
holds an edge forever. The carbon ber and the ipper or the thumb discare great
cocobolo handle reeks of class. Sharp stuff. options in such a large folder.

Rocky Farkas, a letter via e-mail Hamilton B. Jones, a letter via e-mail

Tell us what knife you carry. Add a little history or an anecdote.

Try to include a photograph (if digital, at least 600 KB but no
larger than 2 MB) of you with your knife. We will publish your
comments in an upcoming The Knife I Carry. Your name will then
be entered in a drawing to win a free, high-quality, name-brand
pocketknife. The drawing will be Nov. 15. Mail to: BLADE, P.O.
Box 789, Ooltewah, TN 37363-0789, or e-mail steve.shackleford@
fwcommunity.com. If you send your entry by e-mail, please include
your physical mailing address in case you win the pocketknife.

2 0 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

KF
INTELLIGENT
DISCUSSION FOR THE
KNIFE ENTHUSIAST

Knifeforums.com
N E C K , PLEA SE | BY DANIEL JACKSON

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF THE PARTICIPATING KNIFE COMPANIES

THE LATEST
NECK KNIVES
CAPTURE THE
HEARTBEAT OF SHARP

CLOSE TO
THE HEART

The CRKT
Minimalist Black Drop
Point neck knife has
a 2.16-inch blade of
5CR15MoV stainless in a
black stonewashed nish.
Weight: 1.7 ounces. The
glass-reinforced nylon
sheath weighs .6 ounce
and has a black paracord
lanyard. MSRP: $39.99.

2 2 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

F
or the most part, a neck k knife is
a fixed blade designed to pack a
ackage. It
lot of utility in a small package.
is not defined by how it is shaped
so much as how it is carried. Today, day, knife
companies build sheaths so their heir neck
knives can be carried in several positions,
such as at the boot, around thee waist or
any number of ways via MOLLE-compat-E-compat-
ible accessories. Though long (6.25 inches overall)
Rescue knives such as 5.11 Tacticals for a neck knife, the Condor Tool
Side Kick Rescue Tool benefit from om neck- & Knife Bushneckers 2.75-inch
tting in a
knife accessibility. If youre sitting blade of 1075 high carbon steel
is thin (1/8 inch) and thus low
vehicle and need a knife, theyree easier to on bulk (2.24 ounces). Handle:
get to than pocketknives. wrapped paracord. Sheath: Kydex
ward-win-
5.11 Tactical approached award-win- w/ball chain. MSRP: $39.98.
ning knife designer Mike Vellekamp
to configure a variation of its top sell-
ing knife, the Side Kick Boot Knife. The
thinking was, Vellekamp said, iff it works
so well with the law enforcement ment guys,
lets see if we can meet the needs eds of the
rescue guys.
According to Vellekamp, the SK
Boot Knifes handle is comfortable ortable
even in a gloved hand and the fi finger
nger
hole helps you keep a secure hold
on the knife. However, he tweaked ked
the blade for the SK Rescue Tool.l. In
addition to the existing O2 wrench, Velle-
The Gerber Ghostrike Punch Knife is a
kamp added a seat-belt cutter to the spine push dagger with a 2.5-inch blade of
and a chisel tip. I dont see a whole lot 420HC stainless steel and a skeleton-
of [this style] with a chisel tip, he said. ized T-handle with a rubber overmold.
Theres a lot of utility someone engaged Weight: 3.2 ounces without sheath and
3.6 ounces with. Overall length: 4.8
in rescue can get out of a chisel tip. inches. MSRP: $53.
Vellekamp said he sees many first re-
sponders knives with broken blade tips.
In a rescue attempt, the rescuer might
use the blade as a pry bar or screwdriver. to the Condor Tool & Knife line. He de- The paracord-wrapped handle is built a
They use them as everything, he said, scribes it as the bushcrafters equivalent bit larger to fill the hand. Moreover, he
which was his reasoning for building a of a patch knife. added there just arent many neck knives
small fixed blade rather than trying to When people think bushcraft, they of- that feature carbon steel, Scandinavian-
overbuild a folder. ten think of a mid-sized knife with a 4-to- ground blades. Survivalists, preppers,
6-inch blade. However, such knives arent bushcrafters and woodcrafters are liking
BUSHCRAFTERS PATCH KNIFE taken everywhereincluding on a fishing that package of knife, Flowers opined.
Bushcraft neck knives seem to be rare. I trip, for exampleaccording to Flowers. He said he noticed a need for a bush-
dont know why, knife designer Joe Flow- The 6.25-inch Bushnecker is somewhat crafting neck knife when he was teaching
ers said. Theyre so handy. Flowers de- long for a neck knife, but Flowers said wilderness survival. When it came time
signed the Bushnecker, a recent addition its thin cross section helps reduce bulk. to make a frog spear or to hollow out a

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 2 3

 NECK, PLEASE |
EXCLUSIVE from TOPS:

BLACKOUT
WILD PIG
HUNTER

www. bladeops.com 888-392-5233 Award-winning knife designer Mike Velle-

kamp took 5.11 Tacticals Side Kick Boot
Knife and added a belt cutter and a chisel
tip to the 2.13-inch blade of AUS-8 stain-
less to arrive at the Side Kick Rescue Tool.
Overall length: 5.89 inches. The MSRP of
$52.99 includes a molded sheath. An Ultra-
Sheath ($16.99 MSRP) option compat-
ible with web platforms and belts enables
mounting the knife at 12 different angles.

blowgun, it wasnt the bushcraft knife

most of the survivalists reached for but
their small knives, knives that after hours
of use would cause hot spots to develop
on their hands. As a result, Flowers de-
signed the Bushnecker to better fill your
hand so you can carve for hours and grip
the knife however you like. Plus, Flow-
ers said, It has no skeletonizing in the
handle. A couple of people commented
to me that they like it because they can
put a handle on it.

3-FINGER KNIFE
The three finger groves on CRKTs Mini-
malist Black Drop Point are configured to
push the knife out from the palm of the
hand like a scalpel. Its about the grip,
said the designer, knifemaker Alan Folts.
Its about the ergonomics.
CRKT issued Minimalist knives with
wharncliffe, tanto, kerambit and bowie

24 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 25
N E C K , PLEA SE |

blades in the past. The newest drop point,

with its black stonewash finish, is de-
signed to appeal to a wider audience.
Having the Minimalist in the fingers
doesnt diminish the force you can put
behind the knife. Meanwhile, the para-
cord fob enables you to wrap your pinkie
around it and make the three-fingered
knife more comfortable.
The original was all for me, Folts
said. I built it to carry when I was out in
my canoe on the water. Often he would
encounter microfilament hanging from
trees. He wanted a knife he could wear on
his personal flotation device so he didnt The Minimalist Black Drop
Points three-nger-grooved
have to fumble for a knife in his pocket. handle is black G-10.
To adapt the knife for others, he spent
two years asking people with different
hand shapes for feedback. It helped him
develop the Minimalist faster.
Recently according to Folts,
Recently, Folts Walmart
and Lowes started selling the Minimalist,
offering a neck knife in a world domi-
nated by folders. As he noted, I wanted
something that reached a great deal of
people.

SECOND CARRY KNIFE The Gerber

Gerbers Ghostrike Punch Knife is de- Ghostrikes glass-
signed to serve as a backup piece for po- lled-nylon sheath
lice officers. As with most neck knives, offers multiple
carry options, and
the Ghostrike can be worn either open or the knife locks
concealed. Not only does the sheath pro- into it with metal-
vide multiple carry positions, the knife to-metal contact to
locks into it with metal-to-metal contact promote durability.
to promote durability.
According to Gerbers Bill Raczkowski,
the Ghostrikes development began in
2011 when the company felt there was
something missing in the knives offered

2 6 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

 I BUILT IT
TO CARRY WH
EN
I WAS OUT IN
MY CANOE.
ALAN FO
LTS

to police officers. We worked with lo- Designed by world-class knife maker, Ken Onion, Field Strip lets you easily
cal law enforcement and came out with disassemble your knife whenever, whereverwithout tools.
two knives as a second carry knife,
Raczkowski said. We kept hearing the
phrase, two is one and one is none in the
world of law enforcement, which is true
for guns, lights, pens and knivesmean-
ing an officer, in the heat of engagement, CRKT.COM/FIELD-STRIP-TECHNOLOGY
occasionally loses his primary gun, light,
pen and/or knife.
While the knife was designed as a self-
defense tool, Raczkowski said its also
suited for backpacking because its light-
weight, easy to access and easy to clean.
CAUTION: Knife enthusiasts should
study the applicable knife laws before
buying any punch knife, also known as
a push dagger. All users should be fa-
miliar with knife laws in their states, city
and county before they purchase a knife,
Raczkowski said, adding that according
to the American Knife & Tool Institute,
many knife laws dont define dagger ad-
equately. As a result, the potential is great
for confusion among police officers, pros-
ecutors and users as to what is and what is
not legal concerning daggers.

Editors note: Be sure to check the laws gov-

erning concealed knife carry in your area.

For the contact information for the makers

of the pictured knives, see Where To Get
Em on page 64.

For the latest knives, knife news, Knife-

Forums, knife blogs and more, visit
blademag.com.

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 27

C UL I N A RY C UT T ERS | BY JAMES MORGAN AYRES

ALL IMAGES BY S. CARLSON

Four of the latest san-

tokus, with manufacturers
suggested retail prices in
parentheses, from top:
Boker Forge Santoku
Maple ($99.95), Case
Santoku ($62), Spyderco
KO8 Santoku ($79.95)
and Victorinox SwissClas-
sic Santoku ($60).

Is a
SANTOKU
for You? THE LATEST FACTORY VERSIONS
OF THE JAPANESE KITCHEN KNIFE
ARE FOOD-PREP SPECIALISTS

2 8 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

 SHAWN COULD
ACCOMPLISH BOTH
TASKS EASILY WITH
ANY OF THE FOUR
REVIEW KNIVES,
AND PROBABLY
WITH A WORLD The Boker Forge San-
WAR II BAYONET. toku Maples 6.25-inch
blade of forged stainless
steel cuts very thin
THE AUTHOR slices of mushroom.

A
santoku is a kitchen knife of Japa-
nese design. Santokus have a wide
blade sometimes with scalloped
surfaces, which are supposed to create
less friction than non-scalloped surfaces,
a sheepfoot shape, and are lighter and
thinner than a French or German chef s
knife. Their blade lengths run between 5
and 8 inches. They do not have a bolster.
They have a straight edge with no curve.
San-to-ku is Japanese for the three cut-
ting tasks for which the knife is designed:
slicing, dicing and mincing. It is a special-
ized knife that, in the Japanese view, is op-
timized for the three aforementioned tasks.
The straight edge of a santoku does not The scalloped 7-inch blade of the Case Santoku cores a red pepper. Blade steel is Tru-Sharp
stainless steelCases version of 420HC stainless.
allow for the rocking motion commonly
used with a French or German chef s knife.
Cuts are made straight down with little Santokus are not meant to be all-around for a specific function.
or no forward movement, almost a guil- kitchen knives. An all-around knife used Japanese kitchen knives typically have
lotine action, which, again in the Japa- to cut many things is not a Japanese con- a chisel grind, which also contributes to
nese view, allows the precise slicing of cept. The Japanese chef will typically have precise cutting of very thin slices, as you
very thin pieces of whatevers being cut. a vast array of knives, each one designed may have seen sushi chefs do. The chisel

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 2 9

C U L I N A RY C U T T E R S |

Prepping beef for stir-fry is a breeze with

the Spyderco KO8 Santokus 6.81-inch
blade of MBS-26 stainless steel.

The Victorinox SwissClassic Santoku preps zucchini. The 6.69-inch

scalloped blade is Granton Edge stainless steel.

The Boker produces very thin

slices of squash. The handle
is maple. Weight: 9.2 ounces.
Overall length: 11.5 inches.

grind is optimal for slicing, say, very thin

slices of fish, with the caveat that there
are left and right grinds. If you are right
handed youll need a blade ground on the
right side. The chisel grind doesnt work
well for cutting through thick media,
such as roasts and ribs because the chisel
grindsince the edge is off centerwill
cause the blade to cut off center, and to
wander. Also, the thin edge of a santoku
should not be used to cut through joints
or bones, or to disjoint, say, a chicken.
The four review knives are Western in-
terpretations of the santoku, and, fortu-

3 0 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

 TIM BRITTONKnifemaker

NEW FROM TIM BRITTON...SHARPBYCOOP, 3 3/8 IN., STEEL BG 42,

CLOSED LENGTH 3 1/2 IN HANDLE MATERIAL IS JADE, ENGRAVING JIM SMALL,
INLAID 14 PCS. OF 24K GOLD $1,200

www.timbritton.com | 336.923.2062
P.O. Box 71, Bethania, NC 27010

nately, all have bi-lateral edge grinds. Thus,

with a virtually undetectable loss of single-
function precision, they gain versatility.
Shawn Carlson often works with me
when I review kitchen knives. He is a
graduate of The American Culinary In-
stitute, has over 15 years experience as a
chef in Michelin-starred restaurants, and
has operated his own restaurant as well.
He probably has more actual cutting time
with blades than any 10 knife aficionados.
During the past few weeks, using only
the review knives, Shawn and I sliced,
diced and minced a bushel basket or two

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 31

C UL I N A RY C UT T ERS |

The Victorinox handles the delicate

The green onion separates cleanly task of slicing ginger. The knife
under the blade of the Case Santoku. weighs 3.8 ounces. The grip is TPE
The handle is walnut. (Thermoplastic Elastomer).

of vegetables, about 15 pounds of beef

for stir fry, and portioned an entire side
of fresh salmon. The four review knives
worked well for all the tasks. Two of
the knives had the traditional scalloped
blades. Neither of us experienced any
difference in performance between the
scalloped and plain-sided blades. None
required stoning, though the Victorinox
did require steeling once. Each had its
own characteristics.

HAPPY MARRIAGE
With its hefty blade, full tang, nicely sculpt-
ed bolsters and maple scales, the Boker
Forge Santoku Maple is a happy marriage of
a classic santoku and a German or French
chef s knife. While it lacks the acute point
of a chef s knife, the slight point is usable.
The edge does have somewhat of a curve,
which allows the rocking motion Western-
trained chefs, and many domestic home
cooks, are accustomed to using. It is the
only one of the four knives reviewed that
I would use to cut through pork rib joints,
chicken backs, etc. The Boker is almost a
mini cleaver as well as being an excellent
slicer. It is a handsome knife and comfort-
able for long periods of work.
STURDY STUDY
With its walnut scales and full tang, the
Case is also a sturdy example of a san-
toku. It has a barely perceptible curve to
the edge and a scalloped blade. The Case
looks more like a classic santoku than the
Boker, but like the Boker has a thicker
blade than a standard Japanese santoku. It
Zucchini succumbs to the Spyderco
santoku. The knife weighs 5 ounces.
felt solid in hand and while not as sculpt-
ed as the Boker, the traditional American
handle was comfortable during extended
use. The Case sliced, diced and minced as
well as thin-bladed Santokus while giv-
ing the impression that it would be up for
harder work if need be.
21st-CENTURY SHARP
With its wide blade, classic santoku
profile, comfortable, molded grip and
graceful overall appearance, the Spy-
derco looks like a 21st-century interpre-
tation of a classicwhich is pretty much
what it is. It is a very lightweight knife
with an extremely thin blade, which is
optimal for doing what a santoku is sup-
posed to do. The Spyderco does have a
slight curve toward the tip, which I think
adds to its smooth lines. Since I am ac-
customed to using a French or Ger-
man chef s knife, the curve also made it
easier for me to work my way through
piles of squash and mushrooms, espe-
cially mushrooms, which I find hard to
slice. The blade also made it easy to slice
salmon smoothly and evenly. Shawn, of
course, could accomplish both tasks eas-
ily with any of the four review knives,
and probably with a World War II bayo-
net. A pro is a pro, right?

32 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

ENTRY-LEVEL PROFESSIONAL
Victorinox makes the knives The Ameri-
can Culinary Institute gives to its students:
chef s knives, paring knives, bread knives
and, yes, santokus. Shawns first profes-
sional knife roll contained only Victorinox
knives. So, he was familiar with the Vic-
torinox characteristics: thin profile, very
sharp, fairly soft (55-56 HRC) steel that re-
quires frequent steeling but which returns
to a fine edge quickly, and which does not
chip if dropped on a kitchen floor. It has
the standard santoku shape: flat edge and
sheepfoot tip rather than a curved profile
and pointy tip. I missed a curved edge and
had trouble adjusting to the flat straight
edge. Shawn did notagain, a pro is a pro.
It is an entry-level professional knife.

FLAIR GAME
If you enjoy cooking and take pleasure in us-
ing specialized tools, youll find a santoku a
welcome addition to your quiver of kitchen
kniveskeeping in mind that a santoku is
a specialized tool. If you like to keep things
simple, an 8-inch chef s knife and a 4-inch
paring knife will do most any kitchen job
if not with the flair of a santoku.

For the contact information for the makers

of the pictured knives, see Where To Get
Em on page 64.

For the latest knives, knife news, Knife-

Forums, knife blogs and more, visit
blademag.com.

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 3 3

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K N I FE C LUBS | BY MIKE HASKEW BLADE FIELD EDITOR

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF THE CASE COLLECTORS CLUB UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

CASES
CUTTIN
COUSINS
CASE COLLECTORS CLUB HOLDS ITS 35TH ANNUAL
REUNION WHERE IT ALL COMES TOGETHER

T
hirty-five years ago, the Case
Collectors Club was found-
ed to enhance the experi-
ence of owning, appreciating and,
most of all, collecting Case knives.
Since then, the club has grown in
numbers and developed a devoted
following. In July, the group gath-
ered in Bradford, Pennsylvania,
home of Case and its parent com-
A special collection of sample knives straight from
the Case archives was presented during the live
auction at the Case Collectors Clubs 35th Annual
Reunion at the Case factory in Bradford, Pennsylva-
nia. In the background from left are Elliott Jessup
and Michele McCann of the clubs reunion staff.

Award-winning knifemaker Tony Bose reprises his

presentation on what goes into the making of a
pocketknife and a custom folder. He has collabo-
rated with Case on many folding knives, including
the Wilfred Lockback Hunter, which was set for an
October debut at press time. The TB612016 154CM
model features a bone handle. MSRP: $366.99.
(Case knife photo)

3 6 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

 learn about knife safety, the proper care
and handling of knives, and the lifetime
enjoyment of collecting. Custom knife-
maker and longtime Case collaborator
Tony Bose also provided demonstrations
on the assembly of pocketknives, draw-
ing large crowds in the process.
I always enjoy these events, and I feel
they are important, not only for Case,
but for the entire knife-collecting com-
munity, related Jay Parker of Smoky
Mountain Knife Works in Sevierville,
Tennessee. People have a chance to
meet up, trade stories and just have fel-
lowship with like-minded people with
similar interests. They have an oppor-
tunity to attend a good old-time knife
show and connect with the hard-work-
ing folks that build these knives right
here in the USA.
Brent Beshara, custom knifemaker
and knife designer, was on hand to meet
and greet attendees while introduc-
During the Case Junior Academy for youngsters ages 6 to 16, Doug Bryant (above, right) ing his newest collaboration with Case,
teaches about the parts that make up a knife. Seated, from left: Lucas Eliason, Ty Hardy and the Besh Wedge V-42. Scheduled for
Alexis Hardy. Standing behind them is Jeff Hardy.
release this fall, the modern utilitarian
knife is designed with a tip of the cap
to the famed V-42 stiletto of the World
War II era. Featuring Besharas blade

design that incorporates two diagonal

Canadian knifemaker and Canadian Special Forces veteran Brent Beshara greeted attend- b l fforming
bevels i a thi d cutting
third tti edge
d and d
ees while introducing his newest collaboration with Case, the Besh Wedge V-42. It features
Besharas blade design that incorporates two diagonal bevels forming a third cutting edge and strengthening the blade tip, the Besh
strengthening the blade tip. MSRP: $390 (includes Blade-Tech precision-molded sheath w/ Wedge includes a 6.5-inch blade of Case
integrated Tek-Lok attachment). (Case knife image) Tru-Sharp surgical steel and a handle of
Earth brown G-10 textured scales. The
blade is completed with the Besh Wedge
pany, Zippo Manufacturing. Over 1,000 bigger and better. grind and a matte blast finish.
club members attended the weekend re- The reunion included plenty of activi-
union, the high point of a yearlong series ties for club members, dealers and their BORN to SWAP
of anniversary observances. families, while Case associates hosted Visitors participated in a lively knife auc-
We were delighted with the turnout the event most hospitably. Visitors tion of rare and classic Case knives, and
and the atmosphere that was created dur- toured the Case manufacturing facility, recognized several award recipients. Club
ing the reunion, commented Collectors browsed through the Zippo/Case Mu- members who are military veterans were
Club Manager Lisa Boser-Miller. We seum, and enjoyed live demonstrations. presented a commemorative knife in ap-
always appreciate an opportunity to visit Case/antique knife dealer Tony Foster preciation of their service. The festivities
with our great friends from around the conducted free knife appraisals. Case also included an extensive knife show and
world who enjoy collecting Case knives associates were available to sharpen and swap meet, entertainment, and opportu-
especially here in our hometown of Brad- clean knives free of charge, and kids nities to reconnect with old friends, tell
ford. Future events promise to be even attended the Case Junior Academy to stories and trade pins. Inside the demon-

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 37

BOKER SCOUT HONEYCOMB K NIFE CLUB S |

Patrick Bianchi,
Case Collectors
Club life member,
attends to his ex-
hibitor table full of
Case knives under
the Collector Knife
Swap Tent. The
tent was lled with
almost 100 tables
covered with Case
knives and/or
Zippo lighters.
%2.(586$,1&ZZZERNHUXVDFRP

Entertaining children was a

big part of the reunion, not
unlike the theme of My First
Case. (Case image)

stration tent, Case offered a glimpse of

il bl to
new knives that will soon be available t
the general public.
As one of the largest, if not currently
the largest retailer in the country for Case
knives, its important for us to be present
at these types of events and represent all
we do to make this industry and Case
knives even better, Parker commented.
We have a chance to gauge public inter-
est in our extensive line from Case, as
well as get feedback on what the public
thinks of the company as a whole.
Another great advantage for all the
Case dealers that attended this event was A new event consisted of learning how to
s"LADE.MIRRORPOLISHED
I LI H D the 2016 dealer meeting. It was a great paint a Case canoe work of art under the
s(ANDLE3EMI TRANSPARENTRESINWITH chance for all of us to get together, ex- direction of local artist Allison Ambrose.
press our concerns for things that can be Case Collectors Club life member Marshall
ALUMINUMHONEYCOMBSTRUCTURE Jackson tries his hand at it.
s!LSOAVAILABLEINREDORBLACK better, talk about what is working well,
s"LADELENGTH" look over new product offerings for the
s/VERALLLENGTH"
near future, and give our advice on where has served its members, the Zippo/Case
the company should be heading in these family, and the knife industry well. Each
s7EIGHTOZ
changing times. year new collectors are introduced to
s-ODEL.O For years now, the Case Collectors Club the collecting of Case knives, and events

3 8 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

such as the clubs 35th reunion bring even
more excitement to the process.
We just really enjoy gatherings such
as this, added Fred Feightner, Case con-
sumer marketing and communications
manager. When were able to bring col-
lectors, knifemakers and designers, Case
employees and families together, the
energy is unbelievable. The atmosphere
is something thats hard to describe. We
urge everyone to get involved. Its an in-
credible experience to be part of the Case
family.

For more on the Case Collectors Club visit

wrcase.com/collectors_club/ or e-mail Lisa
Boser-Miller, Case Collectors Club man-
ager, at LBoser-Miller@wrcase.com.

For the latest knives, knife trends, knife

news, KnifeForums, blogs and more, visit
blademag.com.

Announcing the new and Ne

imp w and
rov
improved Paragon furnaces ed!
Compact Paragon knife making fur- Both doors include the safety switch,
naces need less table space than before. We which turns off power to the elements when
moved the temperature controller from the the door is opened. Both doors are
side and placed it in an elegant sloped base. mounted onto a heavy steel case and rotate
We also improved the heat distribution. on a rugged shaft that is built to last a life-
time. The doors open effortlessly.
Drop or side door? We can custom-
ize your new furnace. Do you prefer the Color selection Choose the standard
traditional counter-weight drop door or the black paint or, at no extra charge, an op-
side-swing door? Choose either; the price tional color such as turquoise, jade, navy,
is the same. berry, purple . . . or even pink.
Select between 3 con-
trollers Choose the 12-key
digital controller, the new
Sentinel touch-screen control-
ler shown in the black furnace The soul of the blade
above, or save money with the is born in the crucible
3-key controller. of the furnace.
For more information
please call or email us. We
would love to hear from you 2011 South Town East Blvd.
about our new design and Mesquite, Texas 75149-1122
colors. What you think has 800-876-4328 / 972-288-7557
The Paragon oven is very well constructed, said Ed Fowler,
who bought his Paragon KM-14D in 1993. Mine is as solid as always meant everything to www.paragonweb.com
the day it was made. us. info@paragonweb.com

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 3 9

H AW K N TA L K | BY PAT COVERT

ALL IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

4 HAWK
HOEDOWN
TODAYS TOMAHAWKS ARE BEEFIER TO CLOSE
THE GAP BETWEEN HATCHETS AND AXES

This issues cover

piece, the Hardcore Hardware
Australia CTT-01 is handy for
splitting wood for kindling. (See
page 7.) (Kris Kandler image)

4 0 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

W
ho would have thought toma-
hawksaka hawkswould have
such a strong presence in the cut-
lery market? Witness the fact that virtually
every major knife manufacturer has at least
one or two in its lineup, and thats not count-
ing the smaller niche factories and custom
knifemakers.
Primarily used for breaching and combat,
many recent designs have gotten beefier to
close the gap between hatchets and axes. Just
as hawks in the bird kingdom come in all
shapes and sizes, so do those in the cutlery
world. We will examine four very different
of the latest in factory hawks, not just to see
where this segment of the industry stands
today, but to help point you in the right di-
rection when buying one of these cool chop-
pers.

HAWKS for ALL REASONS

This issues cover cutter (page 7), the CTT-01
(Compact Tactical Tomahawk) by Hard-
core Hardware Australia is a brute. It may
be the third smallest of the featured hawks
but boasts the thickest steel (.35 inch) of the
four. The CTT-01 is, indeed, compact at 9.57
inches overall, sporting a 3.25-inch chop-
ping edge on a bearded bit and a 1.85-inch
spike at the rear. It is a full-tang design of
D2 tool steel with a tan Teflon coating. The
haft has nicely sculpted 8.75-inch scales that
extend all the way up into the head. Weight
is a feisty 1 pound 7.2 ounces. The sheath is
Kydex with a retention strap and both Molle-
Lok and Tek-Lok backs included. MSRP:
$345.
Hogue EX-T01: Though the Hogue EX-
T01 has all the appearances of a tactical
tomahawk, collaborator Allen Elishewitz
has stated he also designed the 14.125-inch
hawk for field use. The head and shaft is a
partial tang design fitted into a 9.75-inch
G-10 haft, held in place by a series of heavy-
duty screws. The head features a 3.125-inch
edge sporting a cutout that allows it to be
carried in a magnetic retention sheath with
a rotating security lock. The back side of the
bit has a flat head that can be augmented
with optional spike, hammer and pry-bar
attachments. S7 tool steel does the cutting
chores and a black Cerakote finish helps re-
duce rust. The sheath is a pocket-paddle Ky-
dex unit with MOLLE or Tek-Lok options.
No cookie-cutter hawks in this foursome. Theyre as diverse as it gets. From top : Medford
Weight: 14.2 ounces. MSRP for the base EX- Knife and Tool Bearded Hawk, Hogue Knives EX-T01, Hardcore Hardware Australia CTT-
T01 with paddle sheath: $299.95. 01 and TOPS Micro Hawk.

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 41

 H AW K N TA L K |
ABS BLADESMITHING SCHOOLS
LS
The American Bladesmith Society
oers bladesmithing courses
in conjuncon with the following schools:

B ill Moran School of Bladesmithing

Washington, Arkansas
Vicki McCorkle, Texarkana College, 903-823-3015
Classes vary at
each locaon
and may

H aywood Community College

Clyde, North Carolina
Doug Burchfield, 828-564-5128
Include
Introducon to
Bladesmithing,

N ew England School of Metalwork Handles and

Auburn, Maine Guards,
Dereck Glaser, 207-777-3375 Folders,

S
Quillon
outhern Ohio Forge and Anvil
Daggers
Troy, Ohio
and
www.sofablacksmiths.org (click the workshops tab) Medford Knife and Tool Bearded
Damascus Hawk: The juggernaut of the group is
Medford Knife and Tools Bearded Hawk,
See schedules at www.americanbladesmith.com a 16-inch hunk of D2 topping the scales
at a not-so-svelte 2 pounds, 2.5 ounces.
Medford designed the Bearded Hawk
for both tactical and field purposes. The
handsomeand imposingbearded bit is
KNIFE AND GUN FINISHING SUPPLIES 3.73 inches long and .3-inch thick. Med-
ford uses a unifacial wedge grind on the
Order Line Customer Service cutting edge and the haft is skeletonized
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hex pattern. The nicely sculpted scales are
Stabilizing - Our Specialty since 1990 G-10 and the steel finish is the matte Black
Vulcan. An OD green Kydex sheath with
Blades Guards Handles Solder Books Adhesives lanyard is provided. The MK&T Bearded
Hawk is USA made with an MSRP of $425.
TOPS Micro Hawk: Diminutive com-
How To Grinders Belts DC Etching Buffers pared to the rest of the test hawks, the
DVDs Motors Machines TOPS Micro Hawk is a scant 6.9 inches
long and lightweight at only 11.2 ounc-
Buffs Horn Ivory Bone Flitz Scribes es. The steel, TOPS standard 1095 high
Screws Taps Drills Sheaths Pommels Rivets carbon, is a very respectable 0.32-inch
thick topped off with TOPS Black Trac-
Stabilized Knife Hermes Steel & 416 1080 tion coatinganother company stan-
Wood Cases Abrasives Blades Stainless Steel dardto keep corrosion and glare to a
minimum. A full 3.75 inches of the haft
is paracord wrapped and at the base is
CM 154 440C 1095 D2 Pure a large karambit-style finger hole. De-
Powdered Nickel signed by Filipino martial arts expert
Steel Shawn Owens, the Micro Hawk was in-
tended primarily as a defensive weapon
but with field opportunities as well. The
www.knifeandgun.com main blade edge is 1.95 inches and the
1972 Forest Ave
csinfo@knifeandgun.com spine is sharpened. A Kydex belt loop
Lakeside AZ 85929
sheath is included for stow and carry.

42 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

 The two mid-size hawks performed well and between them offer drastically different paths.
The Hardcore Hardware Australia CTT-01 is built like a tank and can bash with the best, and
the Hogue Knives EX-T01 is feature laden with options out the roof. Respective blade thick-
nesses: .35 and a quarter inch.

The TOPS Knives Micro Hawk is the smallest
in the test group but packs a wicked sting and
nice utility. It sliced cantaloupe and kielbasa
with ease. The 3.94-inch spine is sharpened.
The paracord-wrapped haft is skeletonized to
decrease weight. The paracord is optional.
MSRP is $180 and its USA made.
LETS DANCE!
Tomahawks are typically used for straight-
line force as opposed to alternating angles.
By chopping at a 90-degree angle you can
judge the bits ability to penetrate. I started
with some 7/8-inch-diameter, dried, sea-
soned privet, a close member of the olive
wood familyneedless to say, very tough
stuff. The Medford Bearded Hawk sliced
through it in single strokes with ease.
The lighter Hogue EX-T01 and Hardcore
Hardware CTT-01 hawks took six-to-
eight strokes. Next I moved up to 1 1/4-
inch privet with the Medford hawk and it
whacked through the thicker wood in two-
to-three strokes. It was clear at this point

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 4 3

H AW K N TA L K |

Youll hum the tune to Roger

Millers Big Bad John while sling-
ing Medfords Bearded Hawkall
2 pounds, 2.5 ounces of it. By
far the heaviest of the test hawks,
not surprisingly it handled dense,
seasoned privet with ease.

The bit is the bite of any tomahawk, and

theyre typically designed to excel at straight-
line force. The Medford Bearded Hawk and
Hardcore Hardware CTT-01 at top and bottom
left are bearded designs, while the Hogue
EX-T01 and TOPS Micro Hawk at top and
bottom right are more traditional in style. In
addition, both the CTT-01 and Micro Hawk are
spike hawks while the Medford and Hogue are
hammer/poll designs.

the Medford Bearded Hawk, with its heavier

weight and bigger head, was the best chopper
of the bunch.
I moved to 3/8-inch rappelling rope to
test our two mid-size hawks, the Hogue
EX-T01 and Hardcore Hardware CTT-01.
Both handled the rope with ease, chop-
ping through one and two lengths simul-
taneously in single strokes. Keep in mind
everything weve cut to this point is much
tougher than animal flesh or viscera.
The TOPS Micro Hawk was not included
in the tests above as it would have been un-
fair to expect it to perform the same duties
due to its much smaller size. Cantaloupe is
often used as a cutting or chopping medi-
um to simulate animal flesh because it has
a tough outer skin and soft inner core, so I
gave the Micro Hawk a go at one. Our larger
hawks would have easily decimated the can-
taloupe, but would the pint-size Micro Hawk
perform? Quite well, thank you! The little
hawk sliced through the melons outer skin
with impunityand then theres that 3.75
inches of cutting spine at the top that also
can be put to good use. In fact, I used it as
an ulu-style blade to sliced up some kielbasa
sausage for breakfast.

From left, the EX-T01, Bearded Hawk and CTT-

01 all have hafts of machined G-10 composite in
a wide choice of styles. The Micro Hawks camo
paracord wrap could come in handy in a pinch,
as could the karambit-style hole in the butt.

4 4 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

LIGHT or HEAVY DUTY?
The Medford Bearded Hawk was the
groups king chopper. Given its weight
advantage this was no surprise, and
Medfords quality shines through on the
behemoth. The mid-size Hogue EX-T01
and Hardcore Hardware CTT-01 hawks
are first class as well. Both performed ad-
mirably. The big decision is whether you
want a lighter hawk with many features
like the EX-T01, or a rough and tumble
party crasher like the rugged CTT-01.
The TOPS Micro Hawk more than de-
lights for its size and proved an excellent Casstrom Swedish Bushcraft Knives
multi-tasker. Bottom line, theres a hawk NOW AVAILABLE!
for all reasons in this diverse lineup.
NO. 10 SFK - SCANDI GRIND
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CURLY BIRCH SCALES
For the contact information for the makers MATCHING FIRE STEEL
of the pictured knives, see Where To Get KS13124

Em on page 64.

For the latest knives, knife news, Knife- ALSO AVAILABLE IN FULL FLAT GRIND BLADE
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Wholesale Distributor Or call us at (800) 635-9366 - Dealer inquiries welcome

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 4 5

KIDS N KNIVES | BY MIKE HASKEW BLADE FIELD EDITOR

LIFE
SKILLS
MEET One day Nathan Klecker asked his dad
Glenn, Can I have a knife? When Glenn re-
sponded that Nathan was not yet old enough,
the boy began to think about the situation.

KNIFE
He asked his father for a wooden knife, and
an idea was born. The following day, the two
came up with Nathans Wooden Knife Kit.
The Trigger Knife Kit followed that. (images
courtesy of Glenn Klecker)

SKILLS
RESPONSIBILITY AND SAFETY ARE
BUT TWO LESSONS KIDS MUST
LEARN ABOUT THEIR FIRST KNIVES

4 6 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017


The sense of pride and accomplishment
experienced by youngsters forging their own
knives is something they will never forget.
ABS master smith Timothy Potier (right)
seems equally proud of one of his young
students during an Auburn, Maine, hammer-
in funded by the New England School of
Metalwork and sanctioned by the ABS.
(Albert Barney Boardman image)
K GREEN COAL AREAS
ids depend on adults to show
them the ropes and help them
understand safety and respect for
any toolincluding mans oldest one,
the knife. Consequently, getting kids ac-
quainted with knives and nurturing their
interest in them is rewarding for every-
one involved. From collecting to care
and maintenance to bladesmithing and
custom knifemaking, kids are captivated
when the world of knives is opened to
them.
For over 30 years, Timothy Potier of
Oberlin, Louisiana, has made custom
knives. Along the way he earned his mas-
ter smith rating with the American Blade-
smith Society (ABS) and in 2008 became
an instructor, teaching at the forge. He
says a childs introduction to knives be-
gins with parents because young people
mature at different ages. In August 2015
he participated in a youth hammer-in
funded by the New England School of
Metalwork and sanctioned by the ABS as
a group of kids was introduced to the ba-
sic techniques of bladesmithing.
The hammer-in was in Auburn,
Maine, Timothy said. A maximum of
nine students attended, ages 13 to 18.
Those 13 to 15 had to be accompanied
by a parent. The youths 16 to 18 were al-
lowed to attend with a release form from
their parents. The hammer-in consisted
of a one-day instructional and hands-on
event focused on bringing young students
in contact with regional bladesmith-
ing experts. A safety overview, parental
guidance and a two-to-one student-in-
structor ratio all were designed to ensure
a memorable event for youths interested
in the hand forging of steel.
According to Timothy, the second
youth hammer-in was held earlier this
year and plans are going forward for a
third. Also instructing were ABS journey-
man smiths Ben Breda and Nick Rossi.
Nick is the assistant administrator of the
New England School of Metalwork. Stu-
dents gain insight toward the proper se-
quence in the forging, grinding and heat
treating of a small knife. Morning safety
demonstrations are followed by students
forging their own blades. Timothy also
has conducted a number of Bladesmith-
ing For Kids seminars in conjunction
with the ABS at the BLADE Show.
KIDDO PROJECT
Every knife tells a story, and bringing kids
into the collecting fold is a process that
usually begins with a parent or grandpar-
ent putting a knife in a young persons
hand and relating the story. At Queen
Cutlery, the Kiddo Project encourages
youngsters in the knife community,
building on that early introduction.
My family has been involved in knives
for five generations, explained Ryan
Daniels, Queen vice president of sales,
and my family always gave knives to the
kids of their customers. They would al-
ways make the kids give them a coin in
return because of old Indian lore that says
you cant give a knife away because it will
cut the friendship. So, once we purchased
Queen we wanted to make a special pro-
gram for this and keep it going with the
Queen brand. If a kid will come see us at a
show or come to one of our special events
during the year, they get a knife once a
year until they are 18. This way we can see
them grow up over the years and hope-
fully help them love knives.
Queens Kiddo Project has been ongoing for
four years now, and opportunities regu-
larly arise to tell children about the various
aspects of knife collecting. This way we can
see them grow up over the years and hope-
fully help them love knives, Queens Ryan
Daniels noted. At left is Queens Ken Daniels
with a couple of young knife enthusiasts.
Queens Kiddo Project has been ongo-
ing for four years now, and opportunities
regularly arise to tell children about the
various aspects of knife collecting.
There are many ways people collect
knives, and they usually have some per-
sonal reason for collecting the way they
A BS master smith Timothy Po-
tier says adult hammer-ins also
offer youth opportunities. At most
bladesmith hammer-ins there is what
is called a green coal area, he
observed. This is where parents can
bring their children and introduce them
to the craft of knifemaking. A demon-
strator is available to help the youths
hammer on a piece of steel. When
nished, the children are able to take
what they made home with them.
Timothy remembers taking his sons
to hammer-ins. Both my boys would
head for the green coal area, he
said. I look on their desks and there
are several crude examples of forged
knives made out of small railroad rails
still cherished by them. My oldest son
won a scholarship to attend a class on
knifemaking. After that he attended
two other classes, using some of his
graduation money for the tuition.
by Mike Haskew
FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 47
KIDS N KNIVES |
S ARE
ALL THE KNIFE KIT OUGH
THR
GUARANTEED TO CUT EDOM!
OR
WARM BUTTER AND B
JON SESTAK
ABS master smith Timothy Potier (right) long has been involved
in the ABS Bladesmithing for Kids program. At this years ham-
mer-in at Auburn, Maine, young students gained insight toward
the proper sequence in the forging, grinding and heat treating of
a small knife. (Albert Barney Boardman image)
do, Ryan noted, such as survival, histo-
ry, forging, tactical, something that gives
them a personal interest in collecting. I
always tell them too that if they take care
of their knives, like cleaning them once
a year and keeping them wiped down,
that over the years if they ever wanted to
sell them its like a savings account. Knife
safety is always key, and parents have to
be the ones who show their kids about
safety. All kids are different at different
ages, and only the parents are going to
know their childs maturity level.
CAN I HAVE a KNIFE?
Glenn and Nathan Klecker, the father-and-
son team who founded Klecker Knives,
have blazed a trail in bringing kids and
knives together. Glenn is an experienced
engineer and knife designer whose Titani-
um KLAX Lumberjack multi-tool axe sys-
tem won the BLADE Magazine 2014 Most
Innovative Imported Design. One day his
son asked the momentous question: Can
I have a knife? When Glenn responded
that Nathan was not yet old enough for
4 8 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017
A Trigger Knife Kit from Klecker Knives that should appeal to many
young ladies is one in pink. MSRP: $12.95. According to Klecker Knives,
the smooth, rounded plastic edges make the kit safe for kids 7 and up
with adult supervision.
one, the boy began to think
about the situation. He
asked his father for a wood-
en knife and an idea was
born. The following day the
two came up with Nathans
Wooden Knife Kit. The
Trigger Knife Kit followed.
In both cases, the kit
contains all the parts to
make a fully functional
locking knife, related
Klecker Knives spokesper-
son Jon Sestak. A child can
pop out the pieces and as-
semble the knife just like a
car or plane model, all the The Klecker Knives Trigger Knife Sets come
while learning about the mechanics and in a wide ranger of colors, and the way they
locking function of a folding knife. All the are assembled and displayed is pretty much
knife kits are guaranteed to cut through limited only by your imagination. (image
courtesy of Glenn Klecker)
warm butter and boredom!
The Kleckers perspective acknowledges
that most kids are excited about knives most useful tools. Everyone uses them or
and understand that they will not be able encounters them on an almost daily basis,
to use one until they get older. Knives, they and it is a life skill for everyone to know
reason, are among mankinds simplest and how to correctly handle a knife.
The results of the small knives forged by
youngsters at the Auburn hammer-in show
remarkable promise. (Albert Barney
Boardman image)

Glenn and Nathan Klecker wrote their book

on knives to help parents engage their
children not only with a fun project but an
opportunity to talk about knife safety and
engineering, and to grow the childs appre-
ciation for knives.
A youngster quenches a blade under the
watchful eye of Timothy Potier (left) at the
Auburn hammer-in. Ben Breda is at right.
(Albert Barney Boardman image)

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 49

KIDS N KNIVES |

At Klecker Knives we feel that knife

safety is first and foremost, and it be-
gins at a young age, Sestak comment-
ed. Since everyone will eventually use
knives in one way or another, we felt the
best way to help educate not only kids but
their parents and the wider world was to
provide them with something that com-
bines the tool with the information need-
ed to help parents without knife expertise
to teach their child about knives and the
responsibility that goes along with them.
We hand out a My First Knife flyer from
the American Knife & Tool Institute ev-
ery time we sell a knife kit to help out in
that area.
The comprehensive engagement of a
child pays the greatest dividend in the life-
long appreciation of knives. Jon notes that
knife collecting is a great basis for sharing
the enjoyment, while adding maintenance
of knives and then possibly even making
one exposes youngsters to a full spectrum
of knife appreciation, all of which will help Graduates of the Auburn hammer-in pose proudly after receiving their diplomas.
them understand everything that is truly (Albert Barney Boardman image)

CONQUER YOUR WORLD.

Camillus knives are expertly designed to survive the toughest task. Titanium bonded.
Built to perform. No matter the challenge, consider it conquered. camillusknives.com/tactical

5 0 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

 Andre de Villiers
Pocket Butcher, slip joint
Steel D2, length of blade 3
OAL- 6.2
Glenn and Nathan Klecker are regulars at Scales, bone or wood .
knife shows. Here they take time out to
plug their Trigger Knife Kit at the 2013 price $270
BLADE Show.
shipped to USA

involved with knife ownership. IG: advtactical FB: Andre de Villiers

Glenn and Nathan Klecker actually co- email: adv44sales@gmail.com
wrote a book on knives. It walks a father-
and-son team through making a wooden
M
knife from scratch, Glenn said. Mixed M BADER BALDOR BURR KING DEERFOS DAMASTEEL DYNABRADE ELECTRO CHE E
3

TCH EVENHEAT HARDCORE PRODUCTS

in with the instructions are stories told by
HERMES KALAMAZOO KLINGSPOR

some of the most influential knifemakers

of our time. The stories were contributed
to me by people like Tim Leatherman,
C.J. Buck, Paul Poehlmann, Brian Tighe,
and Grant and Gavin Hawk, to name a
few. It was written to help parents engage
their children with not only a fun proj- 760 East Francis Street, Unit N (909) 923-4116
Ontario, California 91761 trugritinc@gmail.com
ect but an opportunity to talk about knife ABRASIVE BELTS, BLOCKS, DISCS, PADS, ROLLS, STONES & WHEELS ADHESIVES BLADE BLANKS
safety and engineering, and grow a childs BUFFERS BUFFING WHEELS CARBON FIBER COMPOUNDS DAMASCUS ETCHING SUPPLIES KILNS
appreciation for knives. GRINDERS HANDLE MATERIALS HARDWARE HEAT TREATING PRODUCTS & SERVICES KNIFE CASES
KYDEX LINERS MACHINES & ACCESSORIES MOSAIC PINS PARTS SAFETY PRODUCTS
M SCOTCH-BRITE SHARPENING SUPPLIES SHEETS STEELS TITANIUM & MUCH MORE
TM
The KNIFE CONNECTION E RIT NORTON PEARL STANDARD ABRASIVES SURGI-SHARP VSM WALTER WILTON
Young people who grow up with an ap-
preciation for knives find enjoyment that
will last a lifetime. They may mature to N EW YO R K S L A RG E S T S E L E C T I O N O F C U S TO M K N I V E S
be custom knifemakers or possibly col-
lectors who exhibit their passion in knife
show displays. One thing is for sure: They
will always be connected to knives.
Knives by : Kansei Matsuno & Mitch Jenkins
For the contact information for the makers
of the pictured knives, see Where To Get
Em on page 64.

For the latest knives, knife news, KnifeFo-

rums and more, visit blademag.com. Contact Robin Bremner
(212)255-8889 PA R AG O N S P O RT S
rbremner@paragonsports.com 18 TH S T R E E T & B ROA DWAY, NYC www.paragonsports.com

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 51

SPEC SHEET | BY MSG KIM BREED 5TH SPECIAL FORCES (RETIRED)

ALL IMAGES BY AUTHOR UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

DOES
LESS FILLING
CUT GREAT?
TWO KNIVES USE DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION METHODS TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION

MODEL: Targa
COMPANY: SOG Specialty
Knives & Tools
BLADE LENGTH: 3 1/2
BLADE STEEL: VG-10 stainless
BLADE FINISH: Black TiNi
HANDLE: Stainless steel
LOCK: Arc-Lock
APPROXIMATE CLOSED
LENGTH: 4
MSRP: $140

The Targa shaves the pine beautifully, giving

near-perfect curly-cues.

I
ts time for another installment of
less filling, cuts great. There are two
ways to make knives lightweight: 1)
Make them smaller in size or 2) lighter
in construction. The Flip Shank by A.R.S.
Knives goes the smaller route and the
Targa from SOG Specialty Knives & Tools
opts for lightweight construction. Both
methods have pros and cons. No matter
what, the resulting knives must cut.

The lightweight (3.1 ounces) Targa boasts a thin
(.12-inch-thick) recurve tanto blade and a skeletonized
handle. The clip is reversible and designed for low pocket
carry. Blade steel is VG-10 stainless with a Rockwell hard-
ness of 58-60 HRC. (Kris Kandler image)
SLICIN n DICIN
I chose a sheet of copy paper for the first
slice test. I had to change my hold on
the Flip Shank to cut the stationery. Us-
ing my thumb and index finger, I rolled

52 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

 THE SURVIVAL STAFF
By Pat & Wes Crawford
Handmade for 25 Years
Hiking
Staff
Walking
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Baton
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All in one package
Made from Hard Aircraft Aluminum
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Extras available: Rie Rest
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The small (3.08 inches closed) Flip Shank Slingshot
framelock folder features an abrupt, curved Get in on our e-mail newsletter discounts.
Just e-mail me and say add me to the list.
clip-point blade with a Nylatron bushing pat@crawfordknives.com
between it and the scale. A titanium clip
carries the knife blade tip up. The G-10 CRAWFORD KNIVES, LLC
205 N. Center Drive
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(Kris Kandler image) www.crawfordknives.com

Domestic Producer of Sheet and

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MODEL: Flip Shank all CPM Knife steels plus new:
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BLADE LENGTH: 1 7/8
BLADE STEEL: 154CM stainless Quick Response.
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CLOSED LENGTH: 3.08
MSRP: $295

Niagara Specialty Metals

The Flip Shanks compact blade curls the
716-542-5552 nsm@nsm-ny.com
pine quickly and smoothly.

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 5 3

SPEC SHEET |

the knife into the paper. The Flip Shank

cleanly sliced it. The slightly longer Tar-
ga required no grip change. The thinner
blade sliced and diced the paper quickly.
Single-walled cardboard was next. The
Targa was very aggressive, making long,
smooth cuts. As I applied more pressure,
the thin handle started to show possible
hot spots. The Flip Shank cut smoothly
and comfortably, though I used shorter
strokes.
Next up: phone book pressure cuts.
I employed a ulu motion with the Flip
Shank, starting with the tip and rolling
into the belly of the blade. It worked
perfectly, giving me a nice pile of paper The Targa was super aggressive cutting the 3/8-inch sisal rope. Its 176 crunching cuts were
superb, though the author stated the thin handle was hard on his hand.
pieces. The Targa piled the medium up
like a paper shear. It cut very aggressive-
ly with more pressure, though the thin
handle was starting to bite into my hand. The Flip Shank cuts the
Some 1-inch pine pieces were perfect cardboard smoothly and
comfortably. The author
for whittling. The Targa shaved the pine indicated he would give the
beautifully, giving near-perfect curly- knife a sheepfoot blade.
cues. The blade was controllable while
whittling and the handle was still hard
on my hand. The Flip Shank was very
comfortable and manageable. The com-
pact blade curled the pine quickly and
smoothly.
I switched to a grabby medium: plas-
tic-foam peanuts. I really dislike these
things. They stick to everything but in-
side the box. Anyway, both knives sliced
them cleanly and smoothly. Neither

The Targa piles the corners

of the phone book up like a
paper shear. It cut very aggres-
The Flip Shank makes 80 clean, crunching cuts in the 3/8-inch sisal sively with more pressure.
ropeexcellent performance for a knife its size.

5 4 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

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smoothly. Neither edge stuck to the sticky
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number.
Next was the 3/8-inch sisal rope. The
Flip Shank started slow but found its
rhythm. Eighty clean, crunching cuts en-
suedexcellent performance for a knife
its size. The Targa was super aggressive
parting the sisal. At 100 cuts I put on a
light leather glove and got another 76
clean slices. One-hundred-seventy-six
crunching cuts was superb, though the
handle was hard on my hand.

CUT to the CHASE

Both knives performed great, with the
Flip Shank being easier on my hand.
Weight is not a factor as both knives are
very light.

I WOULD
give the Targa a thicker handle and the
Flip Shank a sheepfoot blade.

Contact A.R.S. Knives at 205-383-6224

lastditchblade.com or SOG Specialty
Knives & Tools, attn: C. Cashbaugh,
Dept. BL2, 6521 212th St. SW, Lynnwood,
WA 98036 425.771.6230 sogknives.com.

For the latest knives, knife trends, knife

news, KnifeForums, blogs and more, visit
blademag.com.

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 5 5

K N I FE TA LK | BY ED FOWLER BLADE FIELD EDITOR

ALL IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR

THE
SWEET
SPOTS
EVERY KNIFE HAS AT LEAST
ONE AND SOME MORE
THAN OTHERS

W
hen you look at the face of any
blacksmiths anvil you will see
one place that looks differ-
ent. To the trained eye it will be friend-
lier, or maybe I could call it comfortable.
When you tap on the face of the anvil
it will sound different, the hammer will
rebound a little quicker, and a ball bear-
ing dropped on the anvil in this area will
sound different and rebound higher.
Many call the area the sweet spot.
Initial heavy forging in the area will
seem more efficient and you will find
yourself enjoying a kind of partnership
with the anvil. Naturally there will be
other sweet spots on an anvil for other
purposes as you shape the steel on which
you are working. Once you learn to work
on your personal anvil, working on any
other anvil will require some learning on
your part.
A different farrier came to the Willow
Bow to shoe some horses. He had a new
In this demonstration by style of anvil. It has a 1-inch-thick layer of
Chris Amos, the blade hard rubber in the center 2 inches below
tip and handle butt come the steel anvil face. I tried it out and there
together to form a sweet spot
based solely on purpose. was very little sound. Somehow it just was

5 6 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

The 1830s Huber is the authors pride and joy. As he noted, You can see she
did not do a lot of hard cutting work, some prying and was probably in a ght.
Her hardest work was pounding on something steel, I feel probably a steel
wagon wheel rim. You can see the steel displaced on her spine from
being used as the only hammer someone had.
not the same and would take a lot for me
to get used to it. He said that this kind
of anvil was easier on your ears. Maybe
thats so. Some anvils you can learn easily,
some take more time.
MORE than ONE
Students who come to the Willow
Bow to learn what we have to
teach about the forged knife
may start forging their blades
on other areas of the anvil face. If we let
them go on their own, soon they will
naturally gravitate to the sweet spot to do
most of their work. Of course, the sweet
spot on an anvil will vary with the form-
ing task you wish to accomplish.
Many tools of man, including musical
instruments, are known to have a sweet
spot. Some have more than one. The knife
is one tool of man that can share many
sweet spots with her human companion.
When you watch cutting competitions
you will note that the experienced man
competing with the knife will use differ-
ent areas of the blade for special tasks.
The more sweet spots he has developed in
his blade for special tasks, the greater his
understanding of the knife and the sweet
spots combined potential for success. If
you watch closely you will see that the rope
slice may be accomplished with one area of
the edge and other tasks with other areas.
Much knowledge about blade geometry
has been gained through the competi-
tions. Some of this knowledge has worked
its way back into both the custom and fac-
tory knives produced today.
There is nothing new about these sweet
spots. They have been incorporated in the
design and development of blades since
the beginning of time. For instance, slic-
ing blades have their most efficient sur-
face according to what they are being used
to slice (intended purpose). A bread knife
will usually be a long, slender straight
blade. By intent and design the sweet spot
will be the full length of the cutting edge.
camp site or everyday work outside, I pre-
fer a heavy-duty tip that can force its way
into the job and will stand up to the task if
some prying and twisting is required. The
Just like tip of the blade is a sweet spot the nature
the anvil, you of which is dictated by its task.
will be able to see
the sweet spots on a ON the HANDLE
well-used knife by the ar- The handle of a knife also has its sweet
eas of the blade that have been spots. Consider the common U.S. ma-
abraded away. Usually on a skinning or chete many knife enthusiasts picked up
hunting knife, most of the use will be to- after World War II. The handle had an
ward the front third of the blade. The pur- appendage on the lower end. For years I
pose of the tip is to get the knife into its wondered what purpose it served. Even
work. Delicate, thin blade tips are OK for though I used it a lot, I did not find a rea-
opening taped boxes or other light tasks. son for its being there. Then a few years
However, when it comes to working in a ago I had to cut some vegetation that was
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Our decorative synthetic materials include Alternative Ivory
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FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 57
K N I FE TA LK |

slowing the flow of water through an ir-

rigation ditch, and decided to use the ma-
chete. Holding the knife by the rounded
portion of the handle I found that it easily
twisted when flowing through the water
at a slight angleand promptly put a nice
slice in my $79 irrigating boot. I was just
lucky it was not my leg, too. Moving my
hand back on the handle and wrapping
my little finger around the appendage
on the butt provided significantly better
control of the blade.In Wyoming I dont
get the chance to cut a lot of hanging foli-
age like those who live in the jungle, but
I would imagine the same reason exists
for the extended tang on the handle butt
when cutting thick vegetation.
Another aspect of function for the
knife to be used in the field is the butt of
the handle. I see many knives that have
skull crushers, spikes or glass breakers
protruding from the butt. The way I use
a knife, this is a design fault. I like a nice,
Chris modies the location of the sweet spot by the location of his hands on the blade and
wide, well-rounded handle that will allow how he uses the knife.
me to use my off hand comfortably to beat
on the grip and force the tip of the blade
into its work, be it chipping ice, splitting a ry Huber bowies that was probably made vious and deepest in the area where the
piece of wood or fitting a door jam. in the early 1830s. I feel the first of the force generated by blows would be most
Sheffield Works bowies were made to be efficient. Obviously to me she was used to
HUBERS SWEET SPOTS used hard and were the most likely knife pound on another piece of metal, such as
A well-designed all-purpose knife has meant for the Texas volunteers to defend the steel rim on a wagon wheel.
many sweet spots. They all dont have to the Alamo. While the blade edge shows To my eye the Huber is a beauti-
be on the edge or the handle. some wear, she was not used for any ful knife. Her design is absolutely and
Some time ago I was afforded the op- tough chopping. She is well balanced and knowledgably dedicated to heavy use in
portunity to own what I consider one of it takes all my will power to keep from the battlefields of the mid 1830s. Were I
the most historically significant knives of putting her to work. a betting man, I would wager that when
frontier America. I am told she may be A second sweet spot is evident on the the Ames Riflemans Knife was designed,
one of only eight surviving genuine Hen- blade spine. Dents in the spine are ob- there was a Huber lying on the table.

ONE with ENOUGH

Sweet spots on a knife are those aspects
that are friendly to your hands and make
your work a little easier. One may not fit
all, but once you find a knife that offers
enough of them for your hands and pur-
pose, you will know good times.
Thanks for sharing time with me.

Yours truly,
Ed Fowler, HEPK Mastersmith
The sweet spot of this boning Knifetalkonline
knifes blade is about gone Edfowler.com
from being sharpened repeat-
edly over the years. She is
from a meat plant in Rapid For the latest knives, knife news, Knife-
City and a gift to the author Forums, knife blogs and more, visit
from his friend, Charlie blademag.com.
Damp, who picked her up in
the 1940s.

5 8 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

So, if you were to guess,
where would you say the
sweet spots are on this
well-traveled skinner?

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 5 9

 S HOW C A LENDA R | BY BLADE STAFF
Note: Events with an asterisk (*) have knives and knife accessories as the main/sole focus. Events with two asterisks (**)
are knifemaking seminars or symposiums, cutting competitions, auctions or other knife-related events.
OCTOBER
OCT. 22-23 GARDEN GROVE, CA The
California Custom Knife Show 2016,
Embassy Suites Anaheim-South. Contact
Dan or Pam Delavan 714-549-3932 dan@
plazacutlery.com.*
OCT. 28-29 BLAIRSVILLE, GA Trackrock
Hammer-in #31, Trackrock Campground.
Contact Carl 770-490-6746 crex68@yahoo.
com.**
OCT. 29-30 PORTLAND, OR Portland
Custom Knife Show, Portland Expo Center.
Contact Christine Palmer & Associates
503-282-0877 christinepalmer.net.*
NOVEMBER
NOV. 4-5 CAMBRIDGE OH Ohio Classic
Knife Show, Pritchard Laughlin Center.
Call 616-322-5846 ohioclassicknifeshow.
com.*
NOV. 4-6 PIGEON FORGE, TN The Spirit
of Steel Show, Smoky Mountain Conven-
tion Center. Call Bruce or Debra Voyles
423-238-6753 knifeauctions@gmail.com.*
NOV. 5-6 MT. VERNON, IL The 33rd
Annual Jefferson County Custom Knife
Show, Roland Lewis Community Building.
Contact Nancy Hancock, Dept. BL2, 12193
E. Turner Dr., Mt. Vernon, IL 62864 or
618-242-4514 jcckc1982@yahoo.com.*
NOV. 12-13 TULSA, OK Wanenmachers
Tulsa Arms Show, Expo Square (Tulsa Fair-
grounds). Contact Tulsa Gun Show, Inc.,
Dept. BL2, POB 33201, Tulsa, OK 74153
918-492-0401 tulsaarmsshow.com.
NOV. 18-20 JERSEY CITY, NJ The 39th
Annual New York Custom Knife Show,
Westin Jersey City Newport, fiftyfiftypro-
ductions.net 417-866-6688.*
DECEMBER
DEC. 2-3 EAU CLAIRE, WI Chippewa
Valley Knife Show, Best Western Trail
6 0 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017
Lodge. Contact Gary Thompson ECknife-
show.com, ECknifeshow@gmail.com.*
DEC. 9-11 SEVIERVILLE, TN Parkers
Knife Show, Sevierville Convention Center.
Call 423-892-0448 bulldogknives.org.*
DEC. 10 EUGENE, OR Oregon Knife
Collectors Mini Show, Wheeler Pavilion,
Lane Events Center. Call 541-484-5564
oregonknifeclub.org.*
DEC. 17-18 TUCSON, AZ Tucson Expo
Knife Show, Copper State Cutlery in
conjunction with Gun Show, Tucson Expo
Center. Call 650-520-6002 azgunradio.
com.
JANUARY 2017
JAN. 6-7 HELSINKI, FINLAND The 8th
International Knife Show, Hotel Scandic
Park. Visit helsinkiknifeshow.com for
details.*
JAN. 20-22 LAS VEGAS, NV Las Vegas
Invitational Knifemakers Show/Antique
Arms Show, Westgate Resort & Casino.
Call 951-970-9669 antiquearmsshow.com.
JAN. 21 LAS VEGAS, NV Tactical Knife
Invitational, Caesars Palace. 10times.com/
tactical-knife-invitational.*
JAN. 27-29 LAKELAND, FL The 39th
Annual Gator Cutlery Club Custom,
Modern & Antique Knife Show, Lakeland
Center. Contact Dan Piergallini 813-754-
3908 or 813-967-1471.*
JAN. 28-29 ST. LOUIS, MO Gateway Area
Knife Club, Carpenters Hall. Contact Steve
at 314-795-4262 stevemarkus@sbcglobal.
net.*
FEBRUARY
FEB. 11-12 PASADENA, CA Knife Expo
2017, Southern California Blades Knife
Collectors Club, Pasadena Convention
Center. Call Helen 619-417-4329 scblades.
org.*
FEB. 18 HONOLULU, HI Hawaii Knife
Show, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Kalia
Tower in the Hibiscus Suite. Contact Plaza
Cutlery, South Coast Plaza, attn: Dan or
Andrew Delavan, Dept. BL2, 3333 S. Bris-
tol St., Suite 2060, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714-549-3932 hawaiiknifeshow.com.*
FEB. 18-19 LITTLE ROCK, AR The Art
of Steel Custom Knife Show, Wally Allen
Ballroom, Statehouse Convention Center.
Contact 800-378-6704 info@theartofstee-
lar.com.*
MARCH
MARCH 3-4 TROY, OH Spirit of the Blade
Custom Knife Show, Miami County Fair-
grounds. Call 937-638-9518 maplewood-
forge@gmail.com.*
MARCH 17-18 FORT LAUDERDALE
BEACH, FL East Coast Custom Knife
Show, Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach fifty-
fiftyproductions.net.*
MARCH 17-18 DALTON, GA The Knife
Road Show: Dalton, Northwest Georgia
Trade Center. Call 423-238-6753 knifeauc-
tions@gmail.com or visit jbrucevoyles.
com*
MARCH 1-APRIL 1-2 HARRISONBURG,
VA The 25th Annual Greater Shenan-
doah Valley Knife Show, Rockingham
County Fairgrounds. Contact Ralph Engle
540-828-0778 svkc.org.*
APRIL
APRIL 8-9 EUGENE, OR The 42nd
Annual Oregon Knife Show, Lane Events
Center. Call 541-484-5564 oregonknife-
club.org.*
JUNE
JUNE 2-4 ATLANTA, GA The 36th
Annual BLADE Show, Cobb Galleria
Centre, I-285 & US 41, one exit off I-75
across from the Cumberland Mall, adja-
cent to the Renaissance Waverly Hotel.
 WANT A RAZOR EDGE?
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Worlds largest show of handmade, factory Just pull backwards Maintenance free
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nearly 900 exhibitor tables and booths. Join at Knives Plus nished
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KNIVES PLUS STROP BLOCK
Site of the BLADE Magazine 2017 Knife
800-687-6202 OR WWW.KNIVESPLUS.COM
Of-The-Year Awards for factory knives, We are a stocking dealer of most major knife brands since 1987.
the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-
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Seminars include the BLADE Show World
HAWKINS KNIFE MAKING SUPPLIES
Championship Cutting Competitions, 110 BUCKEYE RD., FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
how to use, how to make, youth clubs, etc. PHONE 770-964-1023
Contact BLADE, c/o F+W, A Content +
eCommerce Company, attn: Alicia Newton Contact us for your
513-531-2690 ext. 11310, alicia.newton@
fwcommunity.com, bladeshow.com.* **
Knifemaking Supplies and Equipment!
www.HawkinsKnifeMakingSupplies.com
AUGUST
Send $2.00 for Complete Listing ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
AUG. 18-19 LEXINGTON, KY Central
Kentucky Knife Club Show, Clarion Hotel
Convention Center. Call Kathy Litton
502-863-1840 or Jim Thompson 859-338-
1804.*

To ensure timely publication of your knife

show in the Show Calendar, BLADE
requests that you send all pertinent in-
formation concerning your show in writ-
ten formdates, locations, etc.at least 4857 South Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, Florida 32839 407-855-8075
three months before the show takes place
to Krause Publications, a division of NEW 75TH ANNIVERSARY CATALOG PRICE $2.00
F+W, A Content + eCommerce Company, INTL. MAILING CATALOG US $6.00 http://www.randallknives.com
attn: BLADE, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI
54945 715.445.2214 fax 715.445.4087.
BLADE depends on the shows themselves
for prompt and accurate information.

To read about the latest knives, knife

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news, KnifeForums, blogs and more, visit High carbon, high contrast Damascus
blademag.com. Stainless Damascus
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FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 61

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ADVERTISERS INDEX
A Doublestar Corp .............................83 L Randall Made Knives......................61
A.G. Russell ....................................16 Dozier Knives .................................39 L.T. Wright Handcrafted Knives ......64 S
American Bladesmith Society .........42 Du-Star Knife ..................................62 Lambert, Kirby ................................77 Shepherd Hills ................................30
B E Lone Star Wholesale ......................55
Spyderco, Inc ......................................
Blacksmiths Depot ..........................65 Evenheat Kiln, Inc...........................55 M Shefeld Knifemakers Supply .........62
Blade Junkee ..................................63 F Masecraft Supply Co ......................57
Blade Magazine ............21, 63, 68, 69 F+W Media, Inc./Comp Subs .........19 Midwest Knifemakers Supply..........77 Smoky Mountain Knife Works ...........7
Bladegallery.Com ...........................33 Spartan Blades USA ......................15
Fallkniven........................................59 Mission Knives................................15
Bladeops, LLC ................................24 N Spyderco, Inc ....................................5
Blue Ridge Knives ....................27, 63 G
NC Tool Company...........................64 T
Boker USA ......................................38 Gaston Glock Style, LP ....................3 Niagara Specialty Metals ................53
Taylor Brands, LLC .........................15
Boker USA ......................................77 H Nichols Damascus/ Nottingham
Buck N Bear Knives ........................31 Hardcore Hardware Australia Pty, Tim Britton custom knifes ...............31
Tactical..........................................61 TOPS Knives ........................9, 18, 49
Buckeye Engraving .........................55 LTD ...............................................43
Nordic Knives .................................65
C Hawkins Knifemaking Supplies.......61 O
Tormach, LLC .................................11
C.A.S. Iberia ...................................45 Hogue Knives .................................25 Tru-Grit ...........................................51
C.R.K.T............................................27 OHare Knives ................................62
J Olamic Cutlery ................................24 True North Knives .............................8
Camillus Knives ..............................50
Chris Reeve Knives ..........................8
Jantz Supply .............................34, 35 Ontario Knife Company ..................45 U
Crawford Knives .............................53 JTs Knife Shop...............................63 P United Cutlery.................................17
Custom Knife Collectors K Paragon Industries .........................39 W
Association ...................................75 Knife and Gun Finishing Supplies ..42 Paragon Sports...............................51 W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery, Co..........2
D Knife Center ....................................55 Plaza Cutlery ....................................5
We Knife Co., Ltd ............................17
Dave Ellis/Exquisiteknives.com ......33 KnifeKits.com ..................................84 Premium Knife Supply ....................25 White, Gordon ................................62
Davidson, Edmund .........................62 Knifesupply.Com .............................62 Pro-Tech Knives USA .....................45
de Villiers, Andre.............................51 Knives Plus .....................................61 R Z
Denton, John ..................................62 Krudo Knives ..................................63 Randall Knife Collectors Club .........62 Zieba New York ...............................51
Dont Miss The Next The advertisers index is provided as a reader service. Occasional last-minute changes may result in ads
appearing on pages other than those listed here. The publisher assumes no liability for omissions or errors.

700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001

1-888-457-2873 FAX 715-445-4087 Issue Date Ad Deadline
Lori Hallman Spring 2017 Oct. 14, 2016
Magazine Advertising Sales ext. 13642 March 2017 Nov. 11, 2016
ORDER YOUR ADVERTISING TODAY! lori.hallman@fwcommunity.com

FEBRUA RY 2017 blad emag.co m 6 3


NC Tool Co. Inc.
6133 Hunt Road
Pleasant Garden, NC 27313
336/674-5654 Web site: www.nctoolco.com
6 4 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017
WHERE TO G E T E M
UNDER-the-RADAR KNIFEMAKERS
page 12
Larry Connelley, c/o KnifeArt.com, Dept. BL2, 13301
Pompano Dr., Little Rock, AR 72211 501-221-1319
www.knifeart.com; Joe Cordova, Dept. BL2, 1450 Lillie
Dr., Bosque Farms, NM 87068 Phone: 505-869-3912
kcordova@rt66.com; Mauricio Dobruski (see Duane
Weikum/EDC Knives below); John Gray (see KnifeCenter
below); KnifeCenter, attn: J. Kunkler, Dept. BL2, 5201
Lad Land Dr., Fredericksburg, VA 22407 800-338-6799
knifecenter.com, info@knifecenter.com; Tad Lynch, Dept.
BL2, 140 Timberline Dr., Beebe, AR 72012 Phone: 501-
626-1647 lynchknives@yahoo.com Web: lynchknives.
com; Rick Marchand, Dept. BL2, Wildertools, 681
Middleton Lane, Wheatley, ON, CANADA N0P 2P0
Phone: 519-825-9726 rickmarchand@wildertools.
com; Will Morrison facebook.com/willmorrisonknives/;
Dave Nittinger dnknives@aol.com; Rod Olson, Dept.
BL2, Box 5973, High River, AB, CANADA T1V 1P6
Phone: 403-652-0885 rod.olson@hotmail.com; Tom
Overeynder, Dept. BL2, 1800 S. Davis Dr., Arlington,
TX 76013 Phone: 817-277-4812 Fax: 817-277-4812
trovereynder@gmail.com or tom@overeynderknives.
com Web: www.overeynderknives.com; Fred Perrin
fredperrinconcept@yahoo.fr; Les Robertson, c/o
Robertson Custom Cutlery, customknives@comcast.net,
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com; Mamoru Shigenu
shigeno.knife@gmail.com; Tim Steingass, Dept. BL2,
194 Mesquite Lane, Hedgesville, WV 25427 Phone:
304-268-1161 tksteingass@frontier.com Web: http://
steingassknives.com; Andre Thorburn, Dept. BL2, P.O.
Box 1748, Bela Bela, Warmbaths, LP, SOUTH AFRICA
0480 Phone: 27-82-650-1441 Fax: 27-86-750-2765
andrethorburn@gmail.com Web: www.thorburnknives.
co.za; Andre van Heerden, Dept. BL2, P.O. Box 905-417,
Garsfontein, Pretoria, GT, SOUTH AFRICA 0042 Phone:
27 82 566 6030 andrevh@iafrica.com Web: www.
andrevanheerden.com; Duane Weikum, c/o EDC Knives,
Dept. BL2, 5111 Telegraph Ave., #150, Oakland, CA
94609 415-336-4234 www.edcknives.com; Tim Withers
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/576320083547189417/
CLOSE to the HEART page 22
5.11 Tactical, attn: J. Alacorn, Dept. BL2, 1360 Reynolds,
Irvine, CA 92614 949-800-1517 www.511Tactical.
com; Condor Tool & Knife, attn: R. Jones, Dept. BL2,
7557 West Sand Lake Rd. #106, Orlando, FL 32819
407-905-0413 fax 407-905-0414 rtj@att.net; CRKT, attn:
L. Phelps, Dept. BL2, 18348 SW 126th Place, Tualatin,
OR 97062 503.685.5015 www.crkt.com; Gerber, attn:
Customer Service, Dept. BL2, 14200 SW 72nd, Portland,
OR 97281-3088 503.639.6161 www.gerbergear.com
IS a SANTOKU for YOU? page 28
Boker USA, attn: N. Nevins, Dept. BL2, 1550 Balsam St.,
Lakewood, CO 80215 303.462.0662 fax 303.462.0668
www.bokerusa.com; Case, attn: F. Feightner, Dept. BL2,
Owens Way, Bradford, PA 16701 814.368.4123 www.
wrcase.com; Spyderco, attn: J. Laituri, Dept. BL2,
820 Spyderco Way, Golden, CO 80403 800.525.7770
www.spyderco.com, customerservice@spyderco.com;
Victorinox Swiss Army, attn: L. Pepper, Dept. BL2, 96
Spring St., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10012 212-965-0285
ext. 7119 http://twitter.com/swissarmy
HAWK HOEDOWN page 40
Hardcore Hardware Australia, c/o Dull Knife
Terminator customerservice@sharpernow.com,
hardcorehardware.com.au; Hogue, attn: Bill Crook, Dept.
BL2, POB 1138, Paso Robles, CA 93447-1138 805-239-
1440 800-438-4747 hoguestore.com and hogueinc.com;
Medford Knife & Tool, attn: M. Travers, Dept. BL2, 17464
N. 25TH Ave. Bldg. B-1, Phoenix, AZ 85023 623-249-4506
medfordknife.com; TOPS Knives, attn: C. Powell, Dept.
BL2, POB 2544, Idaho Falls, ID 83403 208.542.0113
www.topsknives.com
KIDS INTO KNIVES page 46
American Bladesmith Society americanbladesmith.com;
Klecker Knives kleckerknives.com; New England School
of Metalwork, attn: N. Rossi, Dept. BL2, 7 Albiston
Way, Auburn, ME 04210 888-753-7502 fax 207-514-
8109 http://www.newenglandschoolofmetalwork.com/;
Timothy Potier, Dept. BL2, PO Box 711, Oberlin, LA
70655 Phone: 337-639-2229 tpotier@hotmail.com;
Queen Cutlery Co., attn: Jennie Moore, Dept. BL2,
507 Chestnut St., Titusville, PA 16354 814-827-3673
queencutlery.com
HANDMADE GALLERY
page 70
Ricardo Romano Bernandes, Dept. BL2, Cel Renno
1261, Itajuba, MS, Brazil 37500-050 55 35 3622-5896
cutromano@yahoo.com, instagram.com/cutromanu;
Greg Cimms, Kayne Custom Knife Works, Dept.
BL2, 11 N. Mabbettsville Rd., Millbrook, NY 12545
845-475-7220 cimms1@aol.com m.facebook.com/
Kaynecustomknives1; Toshiaki Michinaka, 1-679
Koyamacho-nishi, Tottori-shi, Tottori, Japan 680-0947
0857-28-5911 michi4u@khaki.plala.or.jp; Matthew
Parkinson, Dept. BL2, 10 Swiss Lane, Wolcott, CT 203-
879-1786 info@fallinghammerproductions.com; Pekka
Tuominen, puukkopekka@luuku.com, puukkopekka.com;
Curt Erickson 435-627-2504 curtericksonknives.com;
Matt Venier venierforge.com, matt@venierdesign.com
SCRATCH YOUR KNIFEMAKING ITCH
page 72
Jantz Supply, attn: S. Kemp, Dept. BL2, POB 584, Davis,
OK 73030 800.351.8900 knifemaking.com; Knifekits.
com, attn: S. Andrews, Dept. BL2, 1600 Palmetto
Tyrone Rd., Sharpsburg, GA 30277 888.250.5650 www.
knifekits.com; Premium Knife Supply, Dept. BL2, 828-
835-2707 pmgnc.com sales@premiumknifesupply.com;
USA Knife Maker, attn: Tracy Mickley 507-720-6063
usaknifemaker.com
FASTEST FOLDERS UNDER 50? page 78
Kershaw, attn: I. Forrest, Dept. BL2, 18600 SW
Teton Ave., Tualatin, OR 97062 800.325.2891 www.
kershawknives.com; Kutmaster, attn: M. Manseld,
Dept. BL2, 820 Noyes, Utica, NY 13503 315.733.4663
www.kutmaster.com; Remington, c/o Bear & Son
Cutlery, attn: S. Griffey, Dept. BL2, 1111 Bear Blvd.,
Jacksonville, AL 36265 256.435.2227 www.bearcutlery.
com; SOG Specialty Knives & Tools, attn: C. Cashbaugh,
Dept. BL2, 6521 212th St. SW, Lynnwood, WA 98036
425.771.6230 www.sogknives.com
 NE X T
ISSUE
On Most Newsstands
By November 29

BLADES COMPLETE
KNIFE GUIDE
SPRING 2017
KNIVES FOR
BIG HANDS
SHARPEST
BLADE STEELS
FRAMELOCK
LOWDOWN
AXES N HATCHETS:
CUT ME SOME WHACK
HOTTEST
KNIFEMAKING
SUPPLIER SPECIALS
BLADES THAT
OPEN BOTTLES, TOO
www.blacksmithsdepot.com
LATEST GRIP
MATERIALS

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 6 5

W H AT S N E W |
1
Replacement-Blade Knife
1 New From Outdoor Edge
The Onyx EDC from Outdoor Edge is a
replacement-blade lockback that comes
with drop-point and gut-hook bladesthree
blades in allof 420J2 stainless and a
Grivory (glass/nylon) handle. Weight: 2.6
ounces. Approximate closed length: 4.5
inches.
Contact Outdoor Edge, attn: D. Bloch,
Dept. BL2, 500 Osage St., Ste. 800, Den-
ver, CO 80221 800-447-3343 303-530-
7020 outdooredge.com.
Campbell Gussies Up
2 Bird & Trout Knife
The 4-inch blade with hamon and modied
Spanish notch of Doug Campbells bird &
trout knife is W2 tool steel, and the carved
handle is ancient walrus ivory. Overall
length: 8 inches.
Contact Doug Campbell, Dept. BL2, 46
W. Boulder Rd., McLeod, MT 59052 406-
220-1038.
6 6 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017
5 6
Bowie Sports Turkish
3 Twist Damascus Steel
Turkish-twist damascus and mammoth ivory
highlight Terry Vandeventers bowie. Overall
length: 14 inches. The knife includes an
inlaid leather belt sheath.
Contact Terry Vandeventer, Dept. BL2,
1915 Timberlake Pl., Byram, MS 39272
601-371-7414 cell 601-278-9838.
First Tactical Folder Has
4 Thumb-Bridge Technology
Thumb-bridge technology for easy opening,
a screw-less pocket clip and enhanced G-10
handle texture distinguish the Diamondback
tanto from First Tactical. Blade steel: AUS-8
stainless. MSRP: $64.99.
Contact First Tactical, attn: C. Moscozo,
Dept. BL2, 4347 N. Star Way, Modesto,
CA 95356 209-408-1987 cameronm@in-
nov8partners.com, rsttactical.com.
3
Iota Engages Via Thumb
5 Wedge Or Flipper Tab
A sculptured steel frame and .187-inch-
thick blade of 9Cr18MoV stainless outt
the Iota ipper folder from Krudo Knives.
The 2.5-inch recurve blade activates via the
patent-pending Thumb Wedge or a ipper on
thrust bearing washers. Weight: 5 ounces.
Approximate closed length: 3.5 inches.
Contact Krudo Knives 727-753-8455
meg@krudoknives.com, krudoknives.com,
youtube.com/SNAGknife, facebook.com/
TheSNAG.
Ramos Camp Knife
6 Is Quite Recurvaceous
A recurve, partially serrated blade of CPM
154 stainless and a G-10 handle with G-10
liners and a birds-beak pommel highlight
a camp knife with double guard by Steven
Ramos. Overall length: 14.375 inches.
Contact Steve Ramos 801-913-1696
srknives88@gmail.com, stevenramosknives.
com.
 7 9
Hen & Rooster Canoe
7 Boasts Mother-of-Pearl
Pure mother-of-pearl scales highlight the
Hen & Rooster 102-MOP. Closed length: 3
inches.
Contact Frost Cutlery, attn: E. McCarson,
Dept. BL2, POB 22636, Chattanooga, TN
37422 800-251-7768 423-894-6079
frostcutlery.com.
Landis Fixed Blade Has
8 W-Pattern Damascus
A 5 7/8-inch clip-point blade of W-pattern
damascus and a desert ironwood handle
help complete a xed blade by David
Landis. Overall length: 11 inches. The knife
comes with a custom leather sheath.
Contact David Landis, Dept. BL2, 4544
County Rd. 29, Galion, OH 44833 del@
redbird.net.
10
11
Mammoth Bark Buoys
9 Hanson Effect Bowie
Don Hansons Hanson Effect bowie includes
a long clip-point blade of DH3 damascus
and a grip of mammoth bark ivory. Overall
length: 18 inches.
Contact Don Hanson, Dept. BL2, POB
13, Success, MO 65570 info@sunshforge.
com, sunshforge.com.
Companion MG Features
10 Cold-Rolled Stainless
The Companion MG from Morakniv has a
4.1-inch blade of Swedish cold-rolled stain-
less steel and a patterned high-friction grip.
A color-matching plastic sheath with belt
clip is included.
Contact Morakniv, c/o Industrial Revolu-
tion, Dept. BL2, 5835 Segale Park Dr. C,
Tukwila, WA 98188 425-285-1111 sales@
industrialrev.com, industrialrev.com.
FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 6 7
12
Okapi Panga Machete
11 Is 21.75 Inches Overall
Made in South Africa, the Okapi Panga
machete includes a black-coated blade
of 1055 high carbon steel and an orange
injection-molded handle. Weight: 1 pound,
2 ounces. Overall length: 21.75 inches.
MSRP: $13.99.
Contact CAS Iberia, attn: Blake Pogue,
Dept. BL2, 650 Industrial Blvd., Sale Creek,
TN 37373 423.332.4700 www.casiberia.
com.
Wide Blade In 1095
12 Highlights Sheath Knife
David Collett outts his straight knife in a
wide (1.75 inches) recurve blade of 1095
high carbon steel and a black micarta
handle with orange and black G-10 liners.
The pins are nickel silver. Overall length:
10 7/8 inches. A leather pouch sheath is
included.
Contact David Collett, Dept. BL2, 101
Willow Oak Pl., Knightsen, CA 94548 or
visit @moab_knives on Instagram.
A.G. Russell Knives, Inc. BladeGallery.com D. Hoskin's Hand-Made
www.agrussell.com www.bladegallery.com Combat Knives
ag@agrussell.com www.bladeconnection.com www.dhoskinsknives.com
www.epicedge.com dhbladeisland@twc.com
Adams International
Knifeworks - AIK BladeOps, LLC Bob Dozier Knives
www.adamsknifeworks.com www.bladeops.com www.dozierknives.com
Customized Automatic trevor@bladeops.com info@dozierknives.com
Knife Specialist Brian Tighe eKnives.com
www.tigheknives.com www.eknives.com
Admiral Steel
tigheknives@xplornet.com Clayton@eknives.com
www.admiralsteel.com
terry@admiralsteel.com Buckeye Engraving Emerson Knives
Widest Range of Stock for www.steelhandstamps.com www.emersonknives.com
Blade Needs stamps@steelhandstamps.com info@emersonknives.com
Manufacturer of Custom
Alaska - Northern Knives Hand Stamps Fine German Cutlery
ww
www.northernknives.net www.tool-shop.com
Classic Knife Design info@tool-shop.com
A Real
Rea Store & Working Robert Nelson Parker
Knife Shop!
Shop www.clknde.com Jim Hammond
Andre de Villiers www.classicknifedesign.com Hammond Knives
rnparkerknives@gmail.com & Designs, LLC
www.advtactical.co.z
www.advtactical.co.za
adv44sales@gmail.com CRKT
email- adv44sales@gmail www.jimhammondknives.com
Butcher SOB folders. www.crkt.com jim@jimhammondknives.com
info@crkt.com Handmade Knives
Arizona Custom Knives
Culpepper & Co., Inc.
www.arizonacustomknives.com Culpep www.handmadeknives.us
www.knifehandles.com
www.knife handmadeknives.us
sharptalk@arizonacustom-
www.oldschoolknifeworks.com
www.oldschoo
knives.com Hawkins Knife Making
www.stingrayproducts.com
www.stingraypr
info@culpepperco.com
info@culpepp Supplies
Arkansas Made Dozier, Inc.
www.hawkinsknifemaking
www.dozierknives.com Custom Knife
Kn Gallery of supplies.com
info@dozierknives.com Colorado
Colorad sales@hawkinsknifemaking
Artknives.com www.customknifegallery.com
www. supplies.com
bob_glassman@yahoo.com
bob
www.artknives.com Hoffman Haus Knives
fred@fredeisenleather.com Custom Leather Knife Sheaths www.hoffmanhausknives.com
www.customsheaths.com
Benchmade hoffmanhaus1@yahoo.com
rschrap@aol.com
www.benchmade.com Order Custom Knives
info@benchmade.com Cutlery Specialties
www.restorationproduct.com Hoffman Knives - Selling
Blade HQ, LLC dennis13@aol.com www.hoffmanknives.com
www.bladehq.com Renaissance Micro-Crystalline wphoff@cox.net
info@bladehq.com
info@bladehq Wax/Polish, Dennis Blaine Top Quality Collection - Walt
Jays Knives/American Edge
www.americanedgeknives.com
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info@americanedgeknives.com
JerzeeDevil
www.jerzeedevil.com
webdevil@jerzeedevil.com
The best damn forum, period
Knife Center
www.knifecenter.com
info@knifecenter.com
TheKnifeConnection.net
support@theknifeconnection.net
Discount Pricing-In Stock
Knife Country USA
www.knifecountryUSA.com
customercare@knifecountryUSA.com
KnifeKits.com
www.knifekits.com
We ship Worldwide
Knife Mart
www.knifemart.com
sales@knifemart.com
KnifeSupply.com
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cutomerservice@knifesupply.com
America's #1 Knife Supply
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L.T. Wright Handcrafted Knives
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Knives Bought and Sold
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info@truenorthknives.com
Uncle Al
www.riversidemachine.net
uncleal@riversidemachine.net
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www.richardswright.com
rswswitchblades@hotmail.com
HA N DM ADE G A LLERY | BY BLADE STAFF

HERES TO THE
OLD ONES
G
reat makers and design-
ers of knives and swords
have abounded through
the centuries. While some
are known, most are not.
Either way, their blades live on 1
and speak to todays makers who
choose to reproduce the classic
pieces. A few appear on this
and the facing page. Heres
to the old ones!

4
70 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017
 1
w
Based in Shefeld, England, Joseph
Rodgers & Sons made some of the
worlds nest knives in the 19th century.
TToshiaki Michinaka reproduced this one in
leworked ATS-34 stainless blade steel and
a dropped handle of sambar stag. A ne
leather scabbard (not shown) with stainless
ffrog and tip is included. (PointSeven image)
5
2 Matt Veniers Roman gladius hybrid
boasts a 19.75-inch blade of D2 tool
ssteel with ame-pattern hamon, a braided
wwrap over a blackwood handle, copper
habaki and inlays, and zirconium guard
aand pommel. Overall length: 28 inches.
(PointSeven image)

3 Matthew Parkinson gives the ancient

Scottish dirk its due in an 11-inch blade
of 1084 high carbon steel, a walnut handle
and bronze ttings. The piece includes a
leather sheath (not shown) by the maker.
(S
(SharpByCoop image)

4 The puukko is an ancient Finnish

design reproduced here by Pekka
Tuominen
Tu in a blade of RWL-34 stainless
and
an a birch bark handle. A traditional black
leather
lea sheath (not shown) with belt loop is
included.
in (SharpByCoop image)

5
bl
A reproduction of a Roman gladius by
Greg Cimms has a 21-inch damascus
blade of differentially hardened W2 tool and
10
1095 carbon steels. The handle is ivory with
a macassar ebony pommel. The buttcap is

6 wr
wrought iron. (SharpByCoop image)

6 Michael Price, Will & Finck and others

made small dress bowies that ourished
during
du the 19th-century California Gold
Rush.
Ru Curt Erickson reproduced his with
gold
go engraving by Julie Warenski-Erickson,
gemstones,
ge mother-of-pearl and more. The
knife
kn comes with an elegant steel sheath
(not
(n shown) copiously engraved, also by
Wa
Warenski-Erickson. (SharpByCoop image)

7 7
sk
Brazils Ricardo Romano Bernandes
captures the look of the classic Marbles
skinner with his repro in a 4.5-inch blade of
CPM
CP 154 stainless, and a stag handle with
brass
br pins. (SharpByCoop image)

Fo the contact information for the pic-

For
tu
tured swords and knives, see Where To
G
Get Em on page 64.

Fo the latest knives, knife news, Knife-

For
Fo
Forums, knife blogs and more, visit
bl
blademag.com.

blad emag.co m 71
K N I FE KI T S | BY ABE ELIAS BLADE FIELD EDITOR

ALL IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR

Four of the latest knife kits

in assembled form, from
left: Knifekits.com Westwood
hunter, Premium Knife Supply
SX90-KA laguiole, USA Knife
Makers trapper and Jantz
Supplys Whitetail hunter.

SCRATCH YOUR
KNIFEMAKING
ITCH THE NEWEST KITS ADDRESS A RANGE OF
KNIFE STYLES AND SKILL LEVELS

K
nife kits are a great way for collec-
tors or novices with limited tools
to scratch their knifemaking itch.
For jobs such as drilling you can use a
hand drill, but if you have a drill press it
will make them much easier. Other tools
should include a small ball-pien hammer,
coping saw, rasp, small ruler, epoxy (a
good 20-minute curing brand), sandpa-
per and at least three 2-inch clamps, drill,
magnifying glass and vise. Depending on
which kit you choose, you might not need
some of the tools.
DAMASCUS FIXED BLADE
The Knifekits.com Westwood hunter does
not have the complexity of folder kits but
dont let it fool youit has its own set of
required techniques. First, the blade is
416-layer American-made damascus. It is
full-tang construction with a slight trail-
ing-tip/clip-point profile. Overall length
is 10.125 inches and the blade is 5 inches.
Fixed blades can be straightforward but
the devil and difficulty can be in the de-
tails. To match the damascus pattern I
ordered camel-bone scales. Since handle
material is not included with the kit, you
can choose your own. Working with any
handle material and damascus is difficult,

72 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

but a natural material like camel bone can
add a twist.
First, to get a good fit to the tang, pre-
pare the scales. I use spray adhesive to at-
tach sandpaper to a piece of plate glass.
The sandpaper with the glass forms a flat
surface to true up the scales. I move the
scales in a figure-eight motion to ensure
an even sanding. Once the inside surface
of the bone scale is perfectly flat, the pin-
holes are ready for drilling. Bone presents
a number of challenges, one of which is
finding a flat surface on the outside of the
scale to rest on while trying to drill. Usu-
ally bone has an arched surface, so you
can try to make a parallel flat surface or
you can try a clamping jig. If the blade has
a flat surface, you can clamp the blade to a
block. Next, clamp the scale to the blade.
You can then support the block with a
second block underneath, raising it up
off the table. The two blocks will hold the
knife flat and perpendicular to the drill
bit. Finally, give the underside of the scale
just a little support.
To glue a scale to the liner of the Whitetail folding hunter, spread a thin layer of epoxy and
When dealing with damascus it is diffi- clamp in place. Be sure the scale is butted ush against the bolster. If you use too much
cult to keep the pattern on the sides of the epoxy, it will be difcult to clamp everything in place without pieces moving about.
tang. When shaping the handle, it is easy
to hit the edges of the tang and remove the
pattern. If this happens, you have a couple cotton swab in some muriatic acid and to darken the edges. Finally, if you do all
of choices. First, after the knife is com- apply to bring back the pattern. Another your shaping before securing the scales,
pleted, take electricians tape and tape off technique is to polish the edges of the tang simply re-etch the entire tang by dunking
the scales, leaving only the tang exposed. as if you were going to etch them, and, in- it in muriatic acid. I recommend finding
After you have taped off the scales, dip a stead of acid, use a cold-bluing solution a good resource on etching a damascus
blade. CAUTION: Use all safety precau-
tions before using any chemicals.
The author chose a set of camel
As you can see, a fixed blade can be in-
bone scales to go with the West- volved. It is not difficult, just remember
wood hunter. If you have a damas- to go slowly when shaping bone, as you
cus blade, you need an equally do not want to overheat it. Because of the
aesthetic handle material. knife style, I recommend also using epoxy
in addition to the two pins to help secure
the scales. The epoxy can add a waiting pe-
riod. Overall, though, the kits should not
require more than a couple hours of ac-
tual labor. The skill level and time are de-
creased greatly if you use another handle
material, such as stabilized wood. Because
of the damascus, I put this kit at a mid-skill
level. Also due to the damascus, this is the
most expensive of the kits herein.

FRENCH TRADITIONAL
As the Premium Knife Supply SX90-KA
laguiole and USA Knife Makers trapper
are both traditional-style pocketknives,
some of the things I cover here will be the
same for both. The laguiole has a 3.5-inch

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 7 3

K N I FE KI T S |

blade and is 4.75 inches closed. The kit

assembles fast. Most everything has been
done for you.
I always start with attaching the scales
first. Mushroom one side of the pin to
form a cap on the inside of the liners side.
Assemble the handle material to the sides
by pushing the pins through, and mush-
room the insides of the pins on the anvil
part of your vise. Be sure each pin sticks
out beyond the handle material the same
amount on both sides. Lightly tap the pin
with the pien of the small ball-pien ham-
mer, being sure the other side of the pin
and not the handle material is touching
the anvil. Dont go crazy, just form a small
cap. If the cap sticks out too far from the
countersunk hole, sand it down a bit. This
is where the small ruler comes in. So your
sanding is consistent, wrap the sandpaper
around the ruler. To sand, use the ruler as
you would a file, changing paper and go- The author uses a plate of glass with a sheet of sandpaper glued to it to atten the scales. A
good trick if the scales are too thin to hold onto is to fold over a couple pieces of duct tape
ing up grits as needed. Next, flip the knife and make handles.
side over and pien the pins that secure the
scales. When attaching the scales, use an
epoxy as well as the pins. running the pivot pin through the bol- throwing things, when it comes time to
After you have attached the scales to sters and the blade. At this point, you are insert the blade, clear off your bench top.
both sides, dry fit the rest of the knife. I just dry fitting everything; dont hammer This kit took me just over an hour and the
assemble the knife with both pins in the the pins until you are certain everything majority of the time was spent putting in
backspring. I use a little jig in my vise to is in order. Open and close the knife to the blade. Worst of all, once you get the
take the tension off the spring so I can check for rough spots. A word of advice: blade in it is only to do a dry fit, and then
insert the blade. The difficult part here is If you are prone to getting frustrated and you have to take the knife apart to adjust

The SX90-KA kit has

every part you need. Just
pien the pins and do a
little nish sanding.

74 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

everything. When you are satisfied with
the fit, pien the pins.
The SX90-KA is a cool kit at a great
price. Since everything is mainly done for
you, the skill level required is not high.
Once the knife is together, polish and
sand the pivot pin and spine.

JIGGED-BONE 2-BLADE
The major difference between the SX90-
KA and the USA Knife Makers trapper
is the latter has two blades. The trapper
comes with everything, including handle
material. Taking it a step further, the kit
comes with pre-capped pins for the scale
material. Thats rightyou dont even
have to pien one side of the pins for the
handle material. The trapper is 4 inches
closed and both blades are 2.75 inches.
The kit assembles like the SX90-KA
with one major exceptionyou must line
up two blades instead of one. This prac-
tice was a bit trying but, in the end, the kit
was together in about an hour. That time The SX90-KA scales are almost a perfect t. After assembly, it just needs some shaping on
includes the final finish as well, which the ends and sides. Since the scales are natural material, go slow if you use machinery as to
was not much. not over heat them.

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 75

K N I FE KI T S |

The author stated that working with a two-blade kit can be challenging. However, he added that the USA Knife Makers trapper kit is probably
the easiest of the group to assemble since as much is done as possible for you outside of assembling it. The piece at bottom is a spacing tool.

The Whitetail kit comes with everything except pre-tted scales. If

you are up to the challenge, it is a chance to get a bit more creative.

The author tries out the spinner on one of the pins for the trapper.
The spinner does a clean, quick job of capping the pin.
A small note is I found the spot welds that secure the front
bolsters a little rough. Since the welds are where the blade piv-
ots, I sanded them smooth before final assembly. The scales are
a jigged bone, so be careful when you pien the pins. You really
want to use a magnifying glass to allow you to see when the pin
is fully swollen. One hit too many can spell disaster, as I ended
up cracking the scale. It is an easy kit and requires only a bit of
work off the dry fits. Once the knife is together, there is only a
little finish work to do.
LOCKBACK HUNTER
The Jantz Whitetail hunter is a lockback design 3.75 inches closed
with a hollow-ground 2.5-inch blade. The kit does not come with
handle material so I requested some Kirinite to give this tra-
ditional design some modern flash. Assembly pretty much runs

76 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

the same as the other reviewed kits except
I had to drill out the scales. If you dont
have a drill index, order the bits from
Jantz. I used both epoxy and pins to se-
cure the scales.
Once I drilled the scales, assembly was
a breeze. Outside the epoxy drying time
it took under two hours, as I did not have
For the Whitetail, glue full scales to the
liner. It is much easier to drill when the
scale is attached and before shaping. If you
shape the scale before drilling, you have to
fuss with lining it up. Notice how with the
full scale the author easily gets a tight t up
against the bolster.
While shaping the Westwood hunters han-
dle, use a set of guide pins instead of the
actual pins. The larger pins make it easier to
apply and remove the scales when needed.
to bother with a jig to install the blade
though I did have to shape the scales.
Since it is a lockback, just depress the
locking lever. After assembly, I shaped
and sanded the scales in no time.
One tip would be to attach the scales
as one piece. After they are attached, cut
then sand to profile. Once you are done,
get a leather kit to make a carry pouch for
the knife.
FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 7 7
For the contact information for the makers
of the pictured knives, see Where To Get
Em on page 64.
For the latest knives, knife news, Knife-
Forums, knife blogs and more, visit
blademag.com.
FREE KNIFE CATALOG
A complete catalog of knives, including
Damascus, collectors knives, tactical
and work knives, and much more!
To request a free catalog of
knives, either call (toll free)
1-800-835-6433, write to
Boker USA, Inc., 1550 Balsam
Street, Lakewood, CO 80214,
or visit our website at
www.bokerusa.com.
BUDG
BU DG E T K
KNI
NIFF E BUY
BUYER
ER | BY DEXTER EWING BLADE FIELD EDITOR

ALL IMAG
IMAGES
ES BY
BY THE
THE AUTHOR
AUTHOR UNL
UNLESS
NLESS
S OTHE
OTHERWISE
ERWIS
WISE NOTED
NO ED

FASTEST
FOLDERS
UNDER
$50 ?
THE LATEST ECONOMY STYLE
ASSISTED OPENERS BRING THE
BLADE TO BEAR FOR A SONG

sonal-defense crowd, and so is its price
point. We wanted to offer them a product
built to last and if they misplaced it, they
could afford to get another.
The 440A stainless steel blade is a use-
ful drop-point shape and the ergonomic
uses our [SOG Assisted Technology, or
SAT] assisted-opening mechanism, has
our low-profile pocket clip, and one-piece
slim stainless steel handle, notes SOGs
Chris Cashbaugh. The blade is AUS-8
stainless steel, a material that offers a

A
ssisted-opening folders come in
all price ranges, and there is a
broad selection in the $50-and-
under category. The knives are priced
right for use as working folders on a daily
basis, and are inexpensive enough to re-
place if lost.
Remingtons R11516 tactical folder
boasts all the hallmarks of todays assisted
openers: a G-10 handle, black-coated
blade, pocket clip and one-hand opening.
The user-focused design allows the knife
to be easily operated and maintained at
every skill level, Remingtons Jacob Ea-
ton says. The knifes tactical appearance
is marketed to the LE, military and per-
handle is machined G-10, which offers
reduced weight with a secure grip quality.
The 3 1/8-inch blades black oxide coat-
ing not only provides superior anti-glare
properties but also adds a protective layer
on the blade to ward off corrosion. With
a closed length of 4.5 inches, the R11516
is a great size for a working folder. MSRP:
$39.99.
BIG SLIM
An expanded version of the companys
SlimJim assisted opener, the SOG Spe-
cialty Knives SlimJim XL folder is a large-
yet-slim-profile knife. The major selling
points of the SlimJim XL are the knife
great balance of edge holding and ease
of sharpening. We have been working
with that steel for many years and have
a good handle on how to get the most
performance out of it, and be able to of-
fer it at a good price for the consumer,
the company marketing director reasons.
At a little over 4 inches, the blade offers
reach for ample cutting jobs.
The handle also is stainless steel. It
offers good performance, is low mainte-
nance and allows us to form the handle
out of one piece of steel, Cashbaugh
adds. The tip of the modified-clip-point
blade excels at piercing and scoring tasks,
and a bit of blade belly facilitates easy slic-

78 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

 A ipper tab helps actuate the
SpeedSafe assisted-opening
mechanism of Kershaws Intellect.
Weight: 3.7 ounces. Closed length:
3.75 inches. MSRP: $49.99.

The triple-action assisted-

opening mechanism of the
Kutmaster Greased Lightning fold-
er was designed by the brother tandem
of Michael and the late BLADE Magazine
Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame member, Blackie
Collins. It is the only folder in the line of
Kutmaster knives designed in collabora-
tion with the Sportsman Channels Brian
Pigman Quaca. MSRP: $34.95.

A textured G-10 grip

with an integral guard
and an angled blade fuller
help distinguish the Remington
R11516 assisted-opening tactical
folder. MSRP: $39.99.

Employing SOG Assisted

Technology, the SlimJim XL from
SOG Specialty Knives & Tools includes
a built-in blade-locking safety. Weight:
2.7 ounces. Approximate closed length: 5.18
inches. Though its MSRP is above $50, the
SlimJim XL can be found on the Internet for
under that amount.

ing. Reversible for southpaws, the bayo- one affordable pack-

net-style clip carries the knife blade tip
up and deep in the pocket. Strategically
placed traction notches are machined
into the handle and blade thumb rest to
provide a sure grip. Though its MSRP is
above $50, the SlimJim XL can be found
on the Internet for under that amount.
TOUCH of CLASS
The Intellect from Kershaw Knives mesh-
es style, economy and high function
and SpeedSafe assisted openingin
age. The Intellect offers
a great combination of value
price and a very solid look and
feel, says Kershaws Thomas Welk.
The drop-point blade is a classic shape
and offers plenty of cutting versatility,
and the curved, contoured handle pro-
vides a secure grip. The 3-inch blade is
8Cr13MoV stainless steel, yet another
material heat treated in such a fashion to
offer a good balance of edge holding and
ease of sharpening. For an extra touch

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 7 9

BUDG E T KNI F E BUYER |

A framelock wedges
the Intellects 3-inch
blade of 8Cr13MoV
stainless steel in the
open position. The clip
is right/left reversible.
The backspacers are
polished.

A lockback, the SlimJim XL

boasts an integral single guard
and a low-carry, reversible
pocket clip. SOG is one of
the few companies that offers
assisted openers in a lockback
conguration. The blade secures via a linerlock on the
R11516. Three handle holes lighten the
weight and serve as windows on the blade.
Five holes in the long pocket clip reduce
weight as well. Weight: 4.1 ounces. Closed
length: 4.5 inches.

the triple-action assisted-opening mech-

of class, we added a polished finish to the
blade, Welk adds.
The medium-sized folder has a fra-
melock design. The Intellect rides tip up
and as low as possible in the pocket thanks
to the fold-over, deep-carry clip. The clip
is left/right reversible and offers both dis-
creet and versatile pocket carry options,
Welk observes. The stainless steel handle
is finished in an attractive gray titanium
carbonitride coating. Not only does the
coating add to the knifes aesthetics, Welk
says it also adds hardness to the steel and
will not wear off. MSRP: $49.99.
PIGMANS PICK
Kutmaster, a division of Utica, teams up
with the Sportsman Channels Brian Pig-
man Quaca to design a line of knives,
with one of the latest being the Greased
Lightning assisted opener. The only
folder in the Pigman lineup, the Greased
Lightning has a 3-inch, black-oxide-coat-
ed blade of 420 stainless steel. The handle
is Zytel for durability and reduced weight,
says Kutmasters Mike Mathews. A steel
pocket clip carries the Greased Lightning
tip down. With a tug on the thumb stud,
anism takes over. It allows for continu-
ous movement of the blade while open-
ing, Mathews says. A sturdy linerlock
secures the blade in the open position
for safe use and releases with a firm push.
MSRP: $34.95.
For the contact information for the makers
of the pictured knives, see Where To Get
Em on page 64.
For the latest knives, knife news, Knife-
Forums, knife blogs and more, visit
blademag.com.

8 0 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017

HAIL TO THE CHIEF | BY BLADE STAFF

PRESIDENTS
KNIFE FETCHES
RECORD
ROOSEVELT PIECE SETS A WORLD MARK
FOR AN AMERICAN KNIFE AT AUCTION

The eagles head pommel is solid gold,

with red-garnet eyes. The bear-head
quillons are also solid gold. (Rock
Island Auction Co. image)

The mark side of the blade has the engraved inscrip-

tion, Presented To Theodore Roosevelt By His Friend
James W. Gerard. The handle is a forest scene of two
men behind a tree, one standing with rie in hand, the
other crouching. (Rock Island Auction Co. image)

W
ith the presidential elec-
tion upon us, its only fit-
ting that a knife that once
belonged to a presidentTheodore
Rooseveltrecently set a world re-
cord price for an American knife at
auction.
The ornate knife encrusted in
gold, platinum and gemstones sold
for $414,000 in an auction conduct-
ed by Rock Island Auction Co. Sept.
9-11.
The previous record for an Ameri-
can knife at auction was the $276,000
reportedly fetched for a piece that
was linked to Sam Houston.
Made by J. Russell & Co. of Mas-
sachusetts and with a highly embel-
lished handle by New York jewelry
retailer Dreicer & Co., the knife
originally was presented to Roos-
evelt in 1909 to carry with him on
his African hunting trip by James
W. Gerard, New York Supreme
Court Justice and later ambassador
to Germany.
The knife was said to have cost
$1,250 when it was presented to
Roosevelt, which is about $33,266
in todays money. In 2013, Stute-
ville Antiques & Appraisals report-
edly valued the knife at a quarter of
a million dollars.
For more on the world record knife,
visit www.blademag.com/blog/
knife-brings-world-record-price.

FEBRUARY 2 017 blad emag.co m 81

C OOL C US T OM | BY BLADE STAFF

CURLY
MAPLE
MODIFIED BARNEY BARNES
REHANDLES A BILL
MORAN CLASSIC

I
f anyone is qualified to modify a knife
made by the Father of Modern Damas- A.G. Barney Barnes
cus, the late Bill Moran, it would be replaced the original two-
his friend of almost half-a-century, ABS piece ivory handle on a
vintage 1965 Bill Moran
master smith A.G. Barney Barnes.
trailing-point hunter (top)
Moran made a trailing-point hunter in with British tan curly maple.
1965 with the ivory handle in two pieces Overall length: 10 5/8
so one could be removed to reveal the inches. The sheaths moon
knifes hidden-tang construction. The face medallion may be the
only such Moran medallion
knife appears on page 31 of Moran: Fire with a beard. (Barnes/Moran
& Steel by Wayne V. Holter and page 88 knife image by PointSeven;
of William F. Moran, Jr.: Forever A Legend image of vintage ivory Moran
written by BLADE editor Steve Shackl- knife by Francesco Pachi
from William F. Moran, Jr.:
eford. Barnes bought the knife from Dale
Forever A Legend)
White a few years back and decided to re-
place the ivory handle with one of curly
maple, the latter Morans favorite handle
material, because the ivory handle had de-
teriorated while in storage over the years.
Barnes said several Moran aficiona-
dos told him he would ruin the knife
if he changed the handle material. But I
said its my knife and Ill do what I want,
Barney grinned. He attached the handle
of British tan curly maple to the knife,
putting an oval with his name and master
smith stamp on the butt. The blade retains
the original W.F. Moran/Lime Kiln mark.
According to Barnes, such Moran
trailing-point hunters normally sell for
about $2,000 each. He didnt particularly
want to part with the knife but took it
to the 2016 BLADE Show anyway, and
put it on his exhibitor table along with a
$5,000 price tag. It sold to a gentleman
from China in short ordera sale that
was no doubt helped by the fact the knife For more information contact A.G. Bar- For the latest knives, knife trends, knife
includes a Moran sheath sporting a moon ney Barnes, Dept. BL2, 11341 Rock Hill news, KnifeForums, blogs and more, visit
medallion with a bearded face. It may be Rd., Hagerstown, MD 21740 301-223- blademag.com.
the only such medallion with a beard. 4587.

8 2 BL ADE FEBRUARY 2 017