Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2022 i Blade

Ed Fowler’s Input I’ve been a subscriber for a number of years and just wanted you to know I really missed BLADE® field editor Ed Fowler’s input when he was gone for so long. It’s so nice to have him back and contributing again. I wanted to share some thoughts about his thoughts. Ed has a different perspective than many of us, which I find very refreshing. His comments, opinions, insight and experience cause me to stop and think about the knives I carry, use and consider on my wish list. And his writings make a positive difference to me. For instance, I recently ordered a very nice knife, a general purpose fixed-blade hunter, for lack of a better term. It is a handmade knife from a well-known and respected…

From time to time, a new handle material—either natural or synthetic—surfaces. These days, a quartet of emerging options is making an impact, and several custom knifemakers have produced some excellent results with them. Those who have been around knives any time at all have heard the term carbon, but it’s usually associated with blade steel or well-known carbon fiber handle materials. In this case, however, carbon fiber has put on a little heft! The material known as fat carbon has found its way onto knife handles, and K.C. Gray is putting it to work. “Fat carbon is a synthetic carbon fiber composite material with alternating layers of carbon fiber and a color layer,” he explained. “When ground or machined the contours reveal the different layers. It comes in a wide…

A switch to the plush Fort Worth Convention Center, an expanded roster of international and domestic custom and factory knifemakers and much more promise to make BLADE Show Texas one for the re-cord books March 18-19 in Fort Worth. Formerly known as the International Custom Cutlery Exposition (ICCE) and held last year at the Fort Worth Stockyards, the new name of BLADE Show Texas and the new venue are all part of the event’s continued revamping under the umbrella of the world’s largest and most important knife show operation, the BLADE Show, the latter which will be June 4-6 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. But first thing first—and that thing is BLADE Show Texas. Approximately 300 exhibitors will be on hand to display their hottest knives, knifemaking supplies…

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. MARCH MARCH 18-19 FORT WORTH, TX The BLADE Show Texas (formerly the International Custom Cutlery Exposition [ICCE]), Fort Worth Convention Center. Visit bladeshowtexas.com.* MARCH 18-19 BLAIRSVILLE, GA Trackrock Hammer-In, Trackrock Campgrounds & Cabins. Call Scott Garrison 770-653-9845.** MARCH 18-20 PIGEON FORGE, TN Pigeon Forge Knife Roadshow, Evergreen Smoky Mountain Convention Center. Call 423-238-6753 or visit jbrucevoyles.com.* MARCH 25-27 JANESVILLE, WI Badger Knife Show, Holiday Inn Express and Janesville Conference Center. Contact Bob Schrap 414-479-9765 or badgerknifeclub@aol.com or badgerknifeclub.com.* APRIL APRIL 1-3 MCCALLA, AL The 34th Annual Batson Bladesmithing Symposium and Knife Show, Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park. Call…

A.G. Russell Knives, Inc. www.agrussell.com ag@agrussell.com Adams Intl Knifeworks - AIK www.adamsknifeworks.com adamsknifeworks.com@gmail.com Automatic & Customized Knife Specialists 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! American Edge www.americanedgeknives.com info@americanedgeknives.com 320-393-2792 We have A Knife For Every Life Artknives.com www.artknives.com fred@fredeisenleather.com fred@fredeisenleather Andre de Villiers www.advtactical.co.za Facebook - Andre de Villiers adv44sales@gmail.com Butcher SOB folders. Arizona Custom Knives www.arizonacustomknives.com sharptalk@arizonacustomknives.com Largest selection in the world of new and consigned knives on the internet. Let us help you find the perfect knife. Dozier Knives and Arkansas Made Dozier, Inc. www.dozierknives.com info@dozierknives.com BladeGallery.com www.bladegallery.com www.bladeconnection.com www.epicedge.com Bob Dozier Knives www.dozierknives.com info@dozierknives.com Buckeye Engraving www.BuckeyeEngraving.com Make Your Mark Manufacturer of Custom Hand Stamps, Dies and Brands CRKT www.crkt.com…

Headlining the cover for our annual bushcraft issue are the three featured edged tools—Kershaw Taskmaster 2, Spyderco Zoomer and TOPS Knives Brakimo—and Jason Fry’s Trapper Bowie. An update of Kershaw’s Taskmaster folding saw, the Taskmaster 2 removes the finger grooves from the handle of the original and enhances control with a rubber grip. For more, see page 24. A Tony Zoomer design, the Spyderco Zoomer boasts CPM 20CV stainless blade steel with a “high volume of vanadium carbides and the highest amount of chromium of any vanadium-rich steel currently available.” For more, see page 12. The TOPS Knives Brakimo (pronounced BRAH-key-moe) is designed by Joe Flowers to be a backup to a machete or serve as a main camp knife. For more, see page 12. Finally, Jason Fry knocks it…

SPEC CHECK KNIFE: E-VAC COMPANY: Hawk Creek Blade KNIFE PATTERN: Karambit BLADE LENGTH: 27∕8” BLADE MATERIAL: A2 tool steel EXTRAS: Includes a coated mild steel trainer for training purposes WEIGHT: 3 ozs. (7 ozs. w/sheath) OVERALL LENGTH: 5” SHEATH: Kydex MSRP: $135 Though karambits/ringed knives are popular, I am not a fan. New from an equally new knife company—Hawk Creek Blade—the E-VAC is such a special-use knife, and it requires practice to use it to its full potential. Normal cutting situations just don’t feel right to me with this knife pattern. I’m sure that with enough repetitions—that’s why they provide a mild steel training blade with the standard version—it would feel normal during most cutting chores. HIT and MISS In slicing 20-pound bond copy paper, when I got the cutting…

Mel Pardue Passes Away Melvin Morgan “Mel” Pardue, BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member, award-winning custom knifemaker, long-time Knifemakers’ Guild board of directors member and prolific knife designer for Benchmade Knife Co., passed away Jan. 23. He was 81. Inducted into the Cutlery Hall Of Fame in 2019 along with Tony Bose and Steve Shackleford, Mel was a voting member of the Knifemakers’ Guild for almost four decades, 14 of those years as a member of the board of directors, the final 10 as vice president. He received the Ron Little Award in 1992 and is a past winner of the Guild’s Red Watson Friendship Award. In 2016, Mel was presented with the BLADE Show’s Aldo and Edda Lorenzi Award for his outstanding work in teaching and mentoring his fellow makers…

Sometimes things take their own sweet time before coming to fruition. Such is the case with Brandon Hyner’s damascus gentleman’s hunter. The knife in the accompanying image is the second of a design Brandon made when he first started blacksmithing and knifemaking. With the help of a Texas bladesmith he forged a damascus billet for the first knife, and “was forever grateful” for the opportunity. Four years later Brandon decided to finish the knife and was very pleased with how it turned out. As he noted, “I decided to keep the blade as is, as it was a big milestone knife for me.” He posted the knife online and someone asked to buy it. However, rather than sell it, Brandon made a similar knife instead. “The second knife came out…

WHEN STEEL MEETS THE WOOD P. 12 Boker USA, attn: N. Nevins, Dept. BL4, 1550 Balsam St., Lakewood, CO 80214 800-835-6433 fax 303-586-6022 sales@bokerusa.com, www.bokerusa.com; Condor Tool & Knife, attn: R. Jones, Dept. BL4, 9924 Universal Blvd. #224-106, Orlando, FL 32819 407-458-9396 fax 407-458-9397 rtj@att.net, condortk.com; Spyderco, attn: J. Laituri, Dept. BL4, 820 Spyderco Way, Golden, CO 80403 800-525-7770 spyderco.com, sfo@spyderco.com; TOPS Knives, attn: Craig Powell, Dept. BL4, 3415 E. 109 N., Idaho Falls, ID 83401 208-542-0113 info@topsknives.com, www.topsknives.com FOLD RUSH! P. 24 KA-BAR, attn: J. Bradley, Dept. BL4, 200 Homer St., Olean, NY 14760 800.282.0130 fax 716-790-7188 www.ka-bar.com, info@ka-bar.com; Kershaw, c/o Kai USA Ltd., attn: D. Aiello, Dept. BL4, 18600 SW Teton Ave., Tualatin, OR 97062 800-325-2891 daiello@kai-usa.com, www.ztknives.com; Silkyhttps://silkysaws.com LAST-DITCH SURVIVAL KITS P. 32 Colonial Knife, A division…