Indholdsfortegnelse for September - October 2021 i Knives Illustrated

Do you feel lucky? Well, do you? And if you do, then I wonder if you think it has anything to do with what you’re carrying in your pocket this minute. I don’t consider myself to be superstitious. And normally I don’t believe my destiny can be swayed one way or the other by the presence or absence of some charm or talisman. Yet to be on the safe side, yes, I have at times put my trust in one mystical object whose magic has yet to be explained by modern science. I speak, of course, of the lucky knife. The theory of the lucky knife holds that luck is a type of energy that can be stored in objects or living creatures in a similar way that electricity is…

Based in Escanaba, Michigan, Delta Sheath is a premier provider of production and semi-production sheaths. It has a longstanding relationship with a number of knifemakers, including Bark River Knives, Blue Ridge Knives, Parker River Knife, and Rapid River Knifeworks. While the company offers one-off sheaths and other leather projects on its website, what it refers to as “Therapy Builds” due to the comfort and fun they provide to the staff, it produces a large line of standard sheaths that are distributed through DLT Trading and Blade HQ. They are available in a few different sizes and a range of colors. If you’re in doubt as to which style or size sheath you need for your knife, Delta Sheath’s experts are simply a phone call away.…

The curved sword was historically popular in the Middle East, whereas Europeans favored a straight blade. The reasons for the preference for them in these desert lands were largely due to the battles fought on horseback. The shape of the blade allowed for devastating slashing attacks while on the move. It is physics, more or less, due to the curve of the blade approximating the swing of the user’s arm. While there are many variations on this theme, the word “scimitar” has become something of a catch-all to refer to single-edged swords with a curved blade. The truth is there are numerous iterations of this basic blade shape, including the shamshir, kilij, and talwar.…

“THE STRATA SERIES CONSISTS OF TWO MODELS, BOTH OF WHICH COULD FILL EITHER THE FIGHTER OR THE UTILITY ROLE.” Traditional designs hang around for a reason. Sure, there may be some nostalgia and sense of history, but for them to continue in everyday use, there also has to be a degree of practical form and function. That’s not to say that they can’t be updated with the times, though. Take a look at Buck’s classic 110 folder. It’s been an American mainstay since the mid 1960s, but Buck continues to evolve it with modern materials and it’s still a popular user today. Well, Kershaw also looked to a traditional design for its new Strata and Strata XL, but the company went back a little further than the 1960s. The Strata…

If you like the size of the Mini Leatherneck but want something with a little more Asian influence, Cold Steel also offers the Kyoto Mini Japanese in both a traditional reinforced point and a Western-style tanto point. The general size and material specs are similar to the Mini Leathernecks, but the Kyoto’s have a Japanese Tsumami Maki style handle, like a Katana wrap, although the handle is still made out of Kray-Ex. It’s a good looking handle though, and quite comfortable. It also affords a very positive grip between the material and the wrap style texture. The guard on the Kyoto’s a bit thicker and much smaller than the Leatherneck’s. I like the blade styles on the Kyoto’s quite a bit, and for me the handles are a little more…

Gerber’s new Downwind Series of hunting knives combines a bit of nostalgia with modern materials and manufacturing. Together, they are three affordable blades with matching handles and sheaths that provide everything a hunter will probably need in the field. No, there’s nothing fancy about these knives, nothing ground-breaking in their design. They’re simply very usable knives, well made, one complementing the next. These knives aren’t offered as a set—you’d have to buy them individually. But with the complete series, you could go from the woods to your cutting board needing little else in the way of cutting tools. And you wouldn’t have to sell your favorite big-game rifle to pay for them. DOWNWIND TRIO The Gerber Downwind Series consists of three full-tang, fixed-blade knives at this point: a mid-sized drop-point,…

Ashley Emerson has had a varied career. Aside from his input for ESEE’s Ashley Game Knive, he has created or refined many popular gun sights and scope mounts. He worked at B-Square in the early ’90s and then was head designer and co-owner at Miniature Machine Corp (MMC), where he designed the MMC Adjustable Combat Sight for pistols and shotguns. He is well known for adapting and popularizing express sights for defensive handguns and for long-gun sights utilizing a ghost-ring rear and white-stripe front, both commercialized through Ashley Outdoors (now XS Sight Systems). Since then, he has remained active in the industry, providing ideas for many popular products as a friend, customer, or consultant. Ashley possesses extensive knowledge and real-world experience gained from time in the classroom, in the field,…

The Meatcrafter is equipped with the Benchmade SelectEdge technology. The edge is 14 degrees on a side, 28 degrees inclusive. The idea behind this design was to provide for a fine, sharp edge that is particularly good with push cuts. Benchmade has said that this edge is the sharpest in its product line to date. To maintain the edge, the company has a few suggestions: In the field, carry a ceramic rod and a leather strop to touch up the blade between uses. At home, use a WorkSharp guided sharpening system along with a leather strop. LifeSharp Service: Benchmade offers lifetime sharpening, oiling, and similar services to all of its customers. According to its website, it is running about a two-week turnaround. Find all of the details on this service…

1. Benchmade Claymore Auto SPECS: > Benchmade Claymore Auto • Overall Length: 8.60 inches• Closed Length: 5.00 inches• Blade Length: 3.60 inches• Blade Thickness: 0.114 inch• Handle Thickness: 0.60 inch• Blade Material: CPM-D2 tool steel• Blade Hardness: 60-62HRC• Blade Style: Drop point• Blade Finish: Cobalt black• Weight: 3.50 ounces• Pocket Clip: Deep carry, tip up, right or left• Handle Material: Black or Ranger Green Grivory• Lock Mechanism: Push button• Origin: USA• MSRP: $230 Benchmade.com With 44 states allowing the ownership and carry of at least some form of automatic knife, auto knives are becoming more popular than ever. Benchmade has long been a top tier producer of automatics, and its new Claymore shows that history and experience with autos in its refined design. Benchmade manages to pack…

Mention “hunting knife” to someone who’s not a knife enthusiast and most likely some humongous fixed blade comes to mind. Mention hunting knife to a hunter and you’ll usually get quite a different picture. Whitetail deer, squirrels, and rabbits were regular menu items in my household during the early, low-income days of my adult life. Hunting was more than recreation; it was a way to put meat on the table. Over time, I formed some preferences on the types of knives I carry while hunting. Here’s my thinking on the subject: BLADES FOR LARGE GAME You don’t need a machete or a Bowie knife to field-dress a deer. Generally speaking, blades in the 2 ¾- to 4-inch range are usually the handiest for the job, although those aren’t strict limits.…

Jared Oeser, designer of the Benchmade Tengu Flipper, was always “into” knives. From using them regularly to collecting, the knife, to Jared, had a special place in his life. A home builder by trade, he first dabbled at the idea of creating a knife about 10 years ago. He reached out to his long-time friend, David Lang, to show him the basics and to put his love of knives into creating his own. This started the wheels turning in his highly creative mind and Jared has not looked back since. Today, he works as a knife designer full time and puts his natural artistic talents into every blade he creates. His philosophy is simple: “…never call a blade finished until it looks and performs like a knife he himself would…

Buck Knives offers several Model 110 knives in its catalog these days. There’s the 110 Auto and Auto Elite for those who favor an automatic opener and are allowed to have them. At the other end of the spectrum is the Folding Hunter LT, a 3.2-ounce lightweight with nylon handle and polyester sheath. It’s the least expensive of the 110s at a suggested $32, but it’s every bit as useful. Yes, the original Folding Hunter is still available, although Buck rounded the bolsters on this model years ago. There’s a model with S30V steel and nickel silver bolsters, the Folding Hunter Pro, and a 110 Slim Pro with Micarta handle scales. The 110 Slim Select has a nylon handle. For those who don’t want a clip-point blade, there’s the Folding…