Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2025 i Blade

Mike Crenshaw The knife community lost a passionate member when James Michael “Mike” Crenshaw passed away March 29. Easy to recognize by his colorful Hawaiian shirts, Mike was an avid knife collector and knife history buff who advocated for the industry and the people in it. He worked as an industrial safety professional at the federal facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He served as a safety offcer for American Bladesmith Society youth hammer-ins, as a volunteer for Knife Rights and, for over 20 years, as a moderator on the High Road 2nd Amendment forum. Mike had broad and deep knowledge of knives, their history and evolution, of metallurgy, and of the people who make our community special. He was a walking encyclopedia of the last 40 years of growth in…

“ROBERT DESIGNED THE KNIFE FOR THE MILITARY ELITE WHO CONTINUE TO CARRY IT WITH SERVICE, PRIDE AND A BROTHER’S LOVE.” On June 17, 2005, while conducting military operations against known terrorists, United States Army Master Sergeant Robert M. “Bob” Horrigan was killed in action in Al Qaim, Iraq. In recognition of the 20th anniversary of Bob’s supreme sacrifice for his country, ABS master smith John Horrigan has made a series of 20 special knives in his twin brother’s honor. Robert started his military career in 1984 with the 3rd 75th Ranger Battalion under the command of Captain Stanley McCrystal, going on to serve as a Ranger instructor in Mountain Phase in Dahlonega, Georgia. Robert was a light weapons sergeant with the 7th Special Forces Group ODA. His last assignment was…

For those who truly appreciate the custom knife, particularly the variety of folders, there is beauty in the function as well as the aesthetic qualities of the piece. Nowhere is that functional beauty more evident than in the intricacies, tolerances and precision of a well-made linerlock. Inspecting the inner workings of the linerlock presents an opportunity to evaluate its operation and determine the degree of expertise that has gone into the finished product. In assessing what goes into the best of linerlock construction, top makers agree that the critical connection between spring and blade is the most obvious indicator of a particular lock’s capabilities. To be sure, there are other aspects to consider in the evaluation of the well-constructed linerlock, and these should never be discounted. But first things first.…

CUSTOM Best in Show/Best Fighter: Franco de Souza Best Folder and Best in Show Contender: Tom Overeynder Best Art Knife: Paul DiStefano Best Bowie: David Lisch Best Damascus: Pedro Fornari Best EDC: Evan Nicolaides Best Hunter: Josh Fisher Best Kitchen Knife: Luke Dellmyer and Richard Patterson Best Slipjoint: Evan Nicolaides Best M.A.C.K.: Jared Oeser Best of the Rest: Josh Taylor FACTORY Best in Show/Best Imported Knife: Poikilo Blade VK-Zen Best American Made Knife: Dauntless Manufacturing Clifft Best EDC: Dauntless Manufacturing Moss Best Fixed Blade: QSP Viper Best Folder: Pro-Tech/Vero Engineering Synapse Auto Best of the Rest: Vero Engineering Vortex TI Maintenance Kit *For those winners not pictured in this story, see the story beginning on page 92 of the June BLADE ® For the contact information for the pictured knives,…

Note: Entries with an asterisk (*) include knives and knife accessories as the main/sole focus. Entries with two asterisks (**) include knife seminars or symposiums, cutting or balisong competitions, auctions or other knife-related events. JUNE JUNE 6-8 ATLANTA, GA The 44th Annual BLADE Show, Cobb Galleria Centre, I-285 & US 41, one exit off I-75 across from the Cumberland Mall, adjacent to the Renaissance Waverly Hotel. World’s largest show of handmade, factory and antique knives. A combined total of nearly 1,000 exhibitor tables and booths. Join the world’s greatest national and international knifemakers, cutlery manufacturers, collectors, collections and knife lovers. Site of the BLADE Magazine 2025 Knife Of-The-Year® Awards for factory knives, the BLADE Show Custom Knife Judging Competition, the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© inductions and much more. Host to…

As correspondent Adrian Van Dyk wrote in his story “Knuckle Knives of World War I” in the July-August 1975 issue of The American Blade, three basic styles of knuckle knives were issued during the war: the 1917, the 1918 and the Mark I. The 1917 and 1918 were quite similar with finger-grooved wood handles, a “D”-shaped knuckle guard, and a triangular-cross-section blued blade. They had pyramid projections on the outside of the knuckle bow, including a double row of teeth-like flanged points on the 1917 and a double row of the points on the 1918. “THREE BASIC STYLES OF KNUCKLE KNIVES WERE ISSUED DURING THE WAR: THE 1917, THE 1918 AND THE MARK I.” Since the triangular blade of the ’17 and ’18 was limited in usefulness, the Mark I…

The Defiant7 M320 (page 16) is a modern interpretation in modern materials of the classic U.S. Army M3 combat knife, including ultra-tough CPM 3V carbon blade steel in a stonewash finish and two distinct Grade 5 titanium parts—the guard and buttcap. The CAS Iberia/APOC Wallace Smatchet (page 24) is a reproduction of a classic World War II combat/utility knife. Designed by Mike Wallace, it has a blade of .196-inch-thick D2 tool steel in a titanium coat and full-tang construction for rugged knife use. Th e Rusty Preston tribute trapper (page 62) by Phil Jacob and Ben Champagne is a classic shadow pattern highlighted by green Micarta® scales and a shield cut in the shape of the F4 Phantom jet Rusty (page 10) piloted in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.…

If anyone deserves the title of Father of the Modern Tactical Tomahawk, it’s probably Peter S. LaGana. His fascination with tomahawks and knives began with him throwing them in his youth circa 1940. He had tomahawks produced on a local basis for troop use during the Korean War, and, later in the 1960s and ’70s through his American Tomahawk Co. (ATC), for those serving in Vietnam. Today his ATC designs live on through RMJ Tactical. Peter was born in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, and lived there his entire life (1926-2002). He served in the Navy during World War II on the Baltimore Class heavy cruiser USS Macon. Prior to his service, he worked as a gas station attendant and auto mechanic. After the war he was employed by the U.S. Postal Service.…

As a founding member of the South Texas Slipjoint Cartel, Rusty Preston made lots of traditional pocketknives over the years, but never did he have one made for him like the trapper recently built by fellow Cartel member Phil Jacob and Ben Champagne. It all started when a friend sent Ben some green Micarta® bearing some unusual part and serial numbers. They traced it back to a Vietnam-era F4 Phantom fighter jet. The Micarta was part of a chafing block used on F4s as a support to keep hydraulic-activated metal rods used throughout the plane from rubbing or chafing against each other. Ben and Phil knew Rusty was an Air Force pilot during the Vietnam War and when they learned he flew an F4, they decided to use the Micarta…

“This little Tekto OTF is my everyday carry. It is very sharp and sturdy. I have a leading name brand in this size and the Tekto feels much better in my hand. It has powerful spring action, too, and is legal in California. It’s a super little handy knife.”Joseph Mansueto, Easton, Pennsylvania 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 knife. The drawing will be November 15. Mail to: BLADE ®, 5583 W. Waterford Ln., Suite D, Appleton,…

A.G. Russell Knives, Inc. www.agrussell.com ag@agrussell.com A.G. Russell The Cutting Edge® www.cuttingedge.com ce-asst@cuttingedge.com Admiral Steel www.admiralsteel.com sales@admiralsteel.com Widest Range of Stock for Blade Needs Adams International Knifeworks - AIK www.adamsknifeworks.com adamsknifeworks.com@gmail.com (618) 656-9868 Automatic & Customized Knife Specialists ADV Tactical Andre de Villiers www.advtactical.co.za Facebook - Andre de Villiers Facebook Group - ADV SOB BADNESS IG - advtactical adv44sales@gmail.com Butcher SOB folders and button lock flippers Artknives.com www.artknives.com fred@fredeisenleather.com BladeGallery.com www.bladegallery.com www.bladeconnection.com www.epicedge.com Buckeye Engraving www.BuckeyeEngraving.com Make Your Mark Manufacturer of Custom Hand Stamps, Dies and Brands Cutlery Specialties www.restorationproduct.com dennis13@aol.com Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax/Polish, Dennis Blaine Ed Fowler Knives www.edfowler.com eafwb@wyoming.com High Endurance Performance Knives Farina Fine Arts www.farinafinearts.com studio@farinafinearts.com One of a kind, fine art, collectible knives Knife Center www.knifecenter.com info@knifecenter.com RECON 1 www.Recon1.com sales@Recon1.com Your number one source…