Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2018 i Blade

Blade|August 2018

READERS RESPOND

Inspired by Amos in BLADE I would like to thank BLADE® for the three-part article “How to Make a Bowie” using a farrier rasp by Chris Amos. The three-part series starting in the Winter 2017-2018 issue gave me a great idea! I have an old farrier’s rasp that belonged to a close relative who passed away in 1983. It had been laying around in my shop for decades and I thought it would be great to “repurpose” it and pass it down to my grandson. I have been making knives as a hobby for a couple years, so I got to work. Enclosed is a picture of the finished knife. I used oak and brass pins for the handle and am currently tooling a leather sheath. Articles like this are…

2 min

Blade|August 2018

FIELD KNIVES OF DREAMS

PREPARE FOR THE OUTDOORS WITH ANY OF FOUR NEW HUNTERS When a successful hunt is done, you need a knife to field dress your game. Even if the hunt is unsuccessful, no wilderness venture is complete without a knife. Seeing that the knife is one of mankind’s oldest tools—some say the oldest—we all should be appreciative of how it contributes to endeavors such as hunting. A good hunting knife often finds use in regular camp chores, so testing focused a bit on that as well as processing meat. Keep in mind that because of timing this article was written well before fall hunting season, so I paralleled many of the processing chores with farm-raised meat. Farm out, eh? ATTUNED and NIMBLE As the name of Cold Steel’s 3V Pendleton Mini…

6 min

Blade|August 2018

INSIDE CANADA’S KNIFE BAN

Canadian knife users are none too happy and rightfully so. While England has become the gold standard in knife restrictions, confiscating not only knives but multi-tools, needle-nose pliers, screwdrivers, files, and—soon to come—your fingernails, Canadian authorities seem flush with jealously, heaping restrictions on retailers and knife users that are broad reaching, open ended and confusing. The laws directly impact U.S. manufacturers, which supply a massive percentage of the cutlery sold in Canada. BLADE® solicited a broad range of authorities to try to sort through the ramifications of the new laws north of the American border. First, some background. The American Knife & Tool Institute (AKTI) issued the following statement: “On November 16, 2017, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) issued a decision in response to Case AP-2017-012, an appeal of…

8 min

Blade|August 2018

STATE SWITCHBLADE/AUTOMATIC KNIFE LAWS

According to the American Knife & Tool Institute, the following states do not prohibit auto-open knives (also referred to as automatic, switchblade or switch knives) for non-law enforcement citizens. Visit https://www.akti.org/state-knife-laws/ for specific details on possession, carry, manufacturer or sale, as some restrictions may apply in a specific state: 1. Alabama 2. Alaska 3. Arizona 4. Arkansas 5. California (maximum 2" blade length limitation) 6. Colorado (effective approximately Aug. 9, 2017; concealed carry maximum length 3 1/2") 7. Connecticut (maximum 1 1/2" blade length limitation) 8. Florida 9. Georgia 10. Idaho 11. Illinois (effective Aug. 11, 2017 with valid Firearms Owner’s Identification Card/FOID) 12. Indiana 13. Iowa 14. Kansas (since 2013) 15. Kentucky (only with weapons license) 16. Louisiana (effective August 1) 17. Maine (effective Oct. 15, 2015) 18. Massachusetts…

1 min

Blade|August 2018

SPEC CHART

MODEL: KA-BAR BIG BROTHER BLADE LENGTH: 9 5/16” BLADE MATERIAL: 1095 carbon steel BLADE PATTERN: Clip HANDLE MATERIAL: Resin-infused WEIGHT: 14.4 ozs. fiberglass OVERALL LENGTH: 14 1/8” MSRP: $136 MODEL: TOPS STEEL EAGLE BLADE LENGTH: 11” BLADE MATERIAL: 1095 carbon steel BLADE PATTERN: Clip HANDLE MATERIAL & WEIGHT: Linen Micarta® and 33 ozs. OVERALL LENGTH: 16” MSRP: $275 MODEL: CRKT KAREN HOOD CHOPPER BLADE LENGTH: 9.125” BLADE MATERIAL: Powder-coated 1095 carbon steel BLADE PATTERN: Recurve HANDLE MATERIAL: Resin-infused WEIGHT: 15.5 ozs. fiberglass OVERALL LENGTH: 15.199” MSRP: $375 MODEL: KERSHAW CAMP 10 BLADE LENGTH: 10” BLADE MATERIAL: Powder-coated 65Mn spring steel BLADE PATTERN: Recurve HANDLE MATERIAL: Molded rubber WEIGHT: 1 lb. 2.3 ozs. OVERALL LENGTH: 16” MSRP: $69.99…

1 min

Blade|August 2018

FAST FIRE POWER

Automatics are gaining popularity in the knife industry largely because of recently relaxed state laws across the nation (page 39) that make it possible for higher consumer demand. Now that more people can own and carry what many still refer to as switchblades, the market continues to heat up, and knife manufacturers are responding. The result is a more diverse line of offerings that appeal to the general, everyday-carry (EDC) consumer market. “One [customer] complaint that we’ve had is we don’t have smaller versions for EDC purposes,” observed Bill Crook, marketing manager at Hogue Knives. To fill that need, Hogue devised the company’s “micro” line of folders, which puts the blade length at an EDC sweet spot—just under 3 inches. Building off their popular flipper model called the X1-Microflip, which…

8 min

Blade|August 2018

WHAT’S NEW

SPEC CHART KNIFE NAME: Hanson W2 Hanson Dynamite Slip KNIFE PATTERN: Trapper BLADE LENGTH: 3.5” BLADE MATERIAL: W2 tool steel HANDLE MATERIAL: Mammoth bark ivory SHARP STUFF: Stainless steel shield and fittings CLOSED LENGTH: 4” MAKER: Don Hanson, Dept. BL8, P.O. Box B, Success, MO 65570 sunfishforge.com (SharpByCoop image) KNIFE NAME: Red River Bowie BLADE LENGTH: 9.5” BLADE MATERIAL: Damascus BLADE GRIND: Flat GUARD: Stainless ENGRAVER: Renata Vilar OVERALL LENGTH: 15.5” MAKER’S LIST PRICE FOR A SIMILAR PIECE: $700 MAKER: Mark Fleming, Dept. BL8, 1140 Hwy. 195S, Washington, AR 71862 mfwelder@gmail.com , Instagram: @Fleming_Knives, Facebook: Fleming Knives (SharpByCoop image) KNIFE PATTERN: Hunter BLADE LENGTH: 4.75” BLADE MATERIAL: Forged 1095 carbon steel BLADE GRIND: Flat HANDLE MATERIAL: African blackwood BOLSTER GUARD/MATERIAL: Damascus OVERALL LENGTH: 9” MAKER’S…

3 min

Blade|August 2018

SHOW CALENDAR

JULY JULY 6-8 DENVER, CO The 26th Annual Denver Knife Show, Crowne Plaza Denver Airport Convention Center. Contact Craig Camerer 618-753-2147 craig@camererknives.com, denverknifdeshow.net.* JULY 13-15 AUBURN, ME The ABS New England Hammer-In, New England School of Metalwork. Contact Dereck Glaser 888-753-7502 dglaser@newenglandschoolofmetalwork.com.** JULY 13-15 BELLEVILLE, IL The 8th Annual Belleville Knife Show, Belle-Clair Fairgrounds. Contact Carl Edwards 618-645-2959 bvilleknife@yahoo.com .* JULY 15 PORTLAND, ME The NCCA Portland, Maine Knife Show, Clarion Hotel. Contact Mike Maine 207-326-9695 ncca.info.* JULY 21 ANDERSON, IN Indiana Knife Collectors Knife Festival, U.A.W. Union Hall Local 663. Contact C. Engle 765-643-4237.* JULY 27-29 WASHINGTON, MO The AIK Knife Show, Elks Lodge. Contact Crystal 618-656-9868 adamsknifeworks.com@gmail.com , aik-knifeshow.com.* AUGUST AUG. 4-5 SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA The 2018 Sydney Knife Show, Rosehill Racecourse.Contact sydneyknifeshow.com.au.* AUG. 4-5 CROSSVILLE, TN Cumberland County…

5 min

Blade|August 2018

COVER STORY

Lady Liberty by T.R. “Tom” Overeynder with engraving by Amayak Stepanyan is a spectacular tribute to America, freedom and knifemaking in general. The 3.45-inch blade of CPM 154 stainless steel is heat treated to a Rockwell hardness of 61 HRC. The handle frame is 416 stainless with Stepanyan’s 24k-gold-inlay backgrounds of the iconic Statue of Liberty and Chrysler Building (the latter on the knife’s reverse; see page 82). The settings of 33 diamonds and eight rubies are by certified master jeweler Bill Cronin. Closed length: 4.35 inches. In all, the collaboration knife represents nearly 1,000 hours of dedicated work. For more information see page 82 and/ or contact T.R. Overeynder, Dept. BL8, 1800 S. Davis Dr., Arlington, TX 76013 817-277-4812 trovereynder@gmail.com or tom@overeynderknives.com, overeynderknives.com , and/or Amayak Stepanyan at astepanyan@comcast.net.…

1 min

Blade|August 2018

THE KNIFE I CARRY

“I carry two knives with me just about everywhere I go. One is the Victorinox Swiss Army Swiss Champ. This is the most useful tool that I own. I use it for just about everything, from house chores to making perfect marshmallow sticks for all my grandkids at our last family picnic. When I need to cut something quick, I also carry a Kershaw Dividend. I love the assisted opening and the sharp blade. This is one of the best and highest quality American-made knives around if you don’t want to break the bank. I’ve used this knife for everything, from cutting boxes to birthday cake. (I keep my knives very clean.)” James Varrone, Parma, Ohio “I wear a Tangara by Condor Tool & Knife. I like the skeletal design…

1 min

Blade|August 2018

CRUNCH TIME!

The Warble XL by Ryan Schwartz and the Harvester by Jensen Bergman are EDC knives—small enough to be carried every day without dragging your waist band down, but big enough to handle medium-sized jobs as well as self-defense duty, if need be. Time to get cuttin’! OUT-of-the-BOX I used 20-pound bond paper for the first slices to check out-of-the-box sharpness. The Harvester sliced smoothly, tearing the paper only when I started the cut in the oversized sharpening notch/choil. The Warble sliced fast and smooth. It cut better when I used a pinch grip. Next was single-walled cardboard for cross-grain slicing. The Warble cut very aggressively and was controllable until the cardboard came in contact with the thick top grind. This slowed the blade down and curved the cut a little.…

4 min

Blade|August 2018

IN SEARCH OF THE REAL JAMES BLACK

Editor’s note: The author, BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member James L. Batson, has studied and researched the famous daguerreotype of James Black and Jacob Buzzard since 2005. For many years, authorities believed the person at right in the daguerreotype is Black, the man some think made bowie knives in Washington, Arkansas, during the time of Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame member James Bowie, and may himself have made a knife for the legendary Bowie. The man on the left in the daguerreotype is believed to be Jacob Buzzard, the first judge of Lafayette County. In his three-part series, Batson will provide evidence that he says proves the identities of the two men have been reversed: that Black is on the left and Buzzard is on the right. In part one, Batson traces the…

6 min

Blade|August 2018

EDC SHARPENERS

You carry a knife—or knives—everyday, and having a sharpener close at hand means you’re prepared to address any blade maintenance task. Enter the latest choices for your EDC sharpener. Outdoor Edge’s Sharp-X model is engineered to give the best possible edge in the least amount of time, as well as eliminate the guesswork involved with sharpening. The Sharp-X is a compact, two-stage unit that fits easily in storage and travel bags. “There are many two-stage/draw-through carbide/ceramic sharpeners on the market,” begins David Bloch, Outdoor Edge president and founder. “However, the problem with them is they are small and offer little gripping surface.” Some draw-through sharpeners are so little they don’t offer a non-slip surface, and therefore are hard to hold and steady in use. “The Sharp-X features a patent-pending, pivoting…

6 min

Blade|August 2018

DIZZYING DAMASCUS

No two damascus patterns are exactly alike and range from beautiful to hypnotic, the latter being our theme this time. Look into these blades—including a couple of laminates—and enjoy, though you might want to grab onto something in case the room starts to spin. For the contacts for the knives in the story see “Where To Get ’Em” on page 73. For the latest knives, knife news and more visit blademag.com . 1 Explosion damascus forged by Mattias Styrefors split down the middle with a “dragon-breath flame” of 24k gold helps highlight a luscious liner-lock folder by Anders Hedlund. Bolster: Dragon mosaic damascus forged by Jonny Nilsson. Handle: Mosaic damascus, mother-of-pearl and gold. Approximate closed length: 3.85 inches. Maker’s list price for a similar piece:…

2 min

Blade|August 2018

WHERE TO GET ’EM

FIELD KNIVES OF DREAMS p. 12 Buck Knives, attn: R. Rogers, Dept. BL8, 660 S. Lochsa St., Post Falls, ID 83854 619.449.1100 800.326.2825 www.buckknives.com; Cold Steel, Dept. BL8, 6060 Nicolle St., Ventura, CA 93003 800-255-4716 805-642-9727 sales@coldsteel.com, www.coldsteel.com; Spyderco, attn: J. Laituri, Dept. BL8, 820 Spyderco Way, Golden, CO 80403 800-525-7770 spyderco.com, customerservice@spyderco.com; White River Knife & Tool, attn: John Cammenga, Sr., Dept. BL8, 130 Mason Dr., Coopersville, MI 49404 616-997-0026 john@thewhiteriver.com, www.whiteriverknives.com INSIDE CANADA’S KNIFE BAN p. 22 Case, attn: F. Feightner, Dept. BL8, Owens Way, Bradford, PA 16701 814.368.4123 www.wrcase.com; Gerber, attn: Customer Service, Dept. BL8, 14200 SW 72nd , Portland, OR 97281-3088 503.639.6161 www.gerbergear.com; Kershaw, attn: I. Forrest, Dept. BL8, 18600 SW Teton Ave., Tualatin, OR 97062 800.325.2891 www.kershawknives.com; Spyderco (see under FIELD KNIVES OF DREAMS) 60…

3 min

Blade|August 2018

HAWKEYE’S BLADES

The knives Daniel Winkler and Randall King made for the 1992 film, The Last of the Mohicans, catapulted the makers and BLADE® into the international spotlight. Winkler and King gave BLADE the exclusive story and BLADE ran with it—including the movie’s star, Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye, running right at the reader from the cover of the February 1993 issue. It was BLADE’s bestselling newsstand issue to date and it and the movie further established the bona fides of Winkler, who already had made a name for himself with his period knives and Karen Shook’s period sheaths. The film and the magazine also brought instant acclaim to King, a relative unknown at the time. King and Winkler were the proverbial right men at the right place at the right time. The…

3 min

Blade|August 2018

MEET THE NEW OWNER

It is my pleasure to announce that BLADE® Magazine, our website, Blademag.com, and the BLADE Show and BLADE Show West are under the new ownership of Gun Digest Media LLC, publisher of Gun Digest the Magazine and Gun Digest books. •What does this mean for you, the BLADE reader, and Blademag.com, BLADE Show and BLADE Show West fans? It will be business as usual for BLADE—the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication—Blademag.com and the BLADE Show, the world’s largest and most important knife event. In other words, continue to expect the best from the best there is in knife reading/knife reportage and knife shows, respectively. And since this Oct. 5-7 will be the first rendition of the new BLADE Show West (page 79) at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon,…

3 min

Blade|August 2018

WIN A KNIFE!

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@blademag.com. If you send your entry by e-mail, please include your physical mailing address in case you win the pocketknife.…

1 min

Blade|August 2018

60th Anniversary of THE BIG MISTAKE

“THE SWITCHBLADE ACT OF 1958 WAS AN EXPERIMENT BY OVERZEALOUS FEDERAL LEGISLATORS TO MODIFY OR CONTROL GANG-RELATED BEHAVIORS.” —CJ BUCK Six decades ago the landscape of knife legislation changed dramatically. The federal government took action to curb the “menace” of switchblade knives, and its ban enacted with the Switchblade Knife Act of 1958, introduced to Congress by Senator Peter F. Mack (D-Illinois), had a far-reaching impact. Today, that legislation is often referred to as “The Big Mistake.” The new law prohibited interstate commerce and possession of switchblades—today known as automatic knives—of any type, even those that clearly were intended for utility purposes. Of course, the action was spawned by the artificially manufactured and thoroughly irrational fear of the knife’s contribution to growing gang violence in the United States. Inflammatory magazine…

9 min

Blade|August 2018

BIG BAD BLADES

Many years ago BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Bill Moran, one of four founders of the American Bladesmith Society, made a series of big blades he called Maryland, Rio Grande and Colorado camp knives. The concept was that one big knife with a blade about 10 inches long and with good heft could, if properly designed and made, do everything needed to set up and maintain a wilderness camp—clearing brush, chopping and splitting firewood, making tent stakes, dressing small game, dressing and breaking big game, and related bushcraft. As a woods wanderer and long-time advocate of big blades, I have been in the Moran camp for decades, often spending extended periods in the wilderness with my only knife having a big blade. When the assignment to evaluate four ample ones…

6 min

Blade|August 2018

SPEC CHART

OUTDOOR EDGE SHARP-X MATERIAL: ABS plastic LENGTH: 3.75” GRIT: Carbide and fine grit ceramic mounted at pre-set angle MSRP: $12.50 BROWNING KNIFE SHARPENER MATERIAL: Anodized aluminum LENGTH: 3.2” GRIT: Carbide, mounted at pre-set angle SPECIAL FEATURES: Split ring for keychain attachment MSRP: $7.99 LANSKY QUADSHARP MATERIALS: Cast steel, carbide inserts and fine grit ceramic LENGTH: 4.25” GRIT: Multiple carbide, mounted at 17-, 20-, 25- and 30-degree angles SPECIAL FEATURES: Multiple-angle selection; ceramic section also services serrations MSRP:$18.99 COAST SP200 MATERIALS: Anodized aluminum and diamond-coated, tapered steel rod LENGTH: 7.5” extended, 5” closed GRIT: Coarse SPECIAL FEATURES: Knurling on body for improved grip, pocket clip for portability MSRP: $12.99 DMT EDC SHARP MATERIAL: Stainless steel LENGTH: 5.5” GRIT: Fine diamond SPECIAL FEATURES: Includes multiple common tools, all steel construction for durability…

1 min

Blade|August 2018

WHERE TO NET’EM

A.G. Russell Knives, Inc. www.agrussell.com ag@agrussell.com Adams International Knifeworks - AIK www.adamsknifeworks.com Customized Automatic Knife Specialist Admiral Steel www.admiralsteel.com terry@admiralsteel.com Widest Range of Stock for Blade Needs Alaska - Northern Knives www.northernknives.com A Real Store & Working Knife Shop! Andre de Villiers - Facebook email - adv44sales@gmail.com www.advtactical.co.zaButcher SOB folders. Arizona Custom Knives www.arizonacustomknives.com sharptalk@arizonacustomknives.com Arkansas Made Dozier, Inc. www.dozierknives.com info@dozierknives.com Artknives.com www.artknives.comfred@fredeisenleather.com BladeGallery.com www.bladegallery.com www.bladeconnection.com www.epicedge.com BladeJunkee www.bladejunkee.com bladejunkee73@gmail.com BladeOps, LLC www.bladeops.com trevor@bladeops.com Bocki Custom Knives www.bockiknives.com eshword@aol.com Buckeye Engraving www.BuckeyeEngraving.comStamps@BuckeyeEngraving.com Manufacturer of Custom Hand Stamps, Dies and Brands Martin Butler Engraver martsart81@gmail.com one-of-a-kind…

2 min

Blade|August 2018

ARE YOU HUNTING KNIFE READY?

Fall hunting season will be here before you know it. Are you hunting knife ready? If not, consider one of the factory models on this and the following pages. Whether for cleaning game or performing a camp chore or two, one or more of these models will turn the trick for you. Most are new, and the one or two that aren’t are classic companion cutters for your outdoor enjoyment. SPEC CHART KNIFE: 539 OPEN SEASON SMALL GAME COMPANY: Buck BLADE LENGTH: 4.25” BLADE STEEL: CPM S35VN stainless BLADE PATTERN: Modified drop point HANDLE MATERIAL: OD green Micarta® WEIGHT: 2.7 ounces OVERALL LENGTH: 7 5/8” MSRP: $150 (includes black leather sheath) SPEC CHART KNIFE: WESTERN CROSSTRAIL DROP POINT COMPANY: Camillus BLADE LENGTH: 3.75” BLADE STEEL: Titanium-bonded 420 stainless BLADE PATTERN:…

4 min

Blade|August 2018

LADY LIBERTY

Every knife tells a story, but some stories are more fabulous and incredible than others. This issue’s cover knife, Lady Liberty by T.R. “Tom” Overeynder, crosses two continents, two political spectrums, three artists and many decades. Born in 1949 in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, Amayak Stepanyan lived in Russia from 1951 to 2000, at which time he and his wife, Svetlana, immigrated to the USA. As a young Russian master sculptor and tool-and-die maker, he was fascinated by the architectural design of American skyscrapers—in particular the Chrysler Building in Manhattan—but he never imagined that he would visit it someday as an American citizen. Even more iconic for someone raised in the Soviet Union was another New York City landmark—Lady Liberty on Ellis Island. In Russia simply seeing pictures of…

2 min