Innehållsförteckning för January 2024 från Blade

Watchwords for ’24 Chris Quinn of GP Knives is familiar with the ebb and flow of trends and styles in the knife industry and advises to approach the ’24 market with an appreciation of that ongoing phenomenon. “The knife industry is quite the rollercoaster,” he related, “and what could be popular in the future is anybody’s guess and depends on a lot of things, but mostly the economy at the time. We are a disposable income industry. Over the past year, as inflation and interest rates continued to rise, our industry has had a noticeable slowdown. That said, items that continue to sell well are either hard to get, limited production and exclusive, or a good deal. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.” Considering the economic influences and the…

Multi-tools date back at least 1,800 years to an ingenious Roman tinkerer who was way ahead of the curve. You could even make a case for Stone Age flintknappers who took a shallow piece of flint and added a graving tip, spokeshave* and scraper for daily chores. Other iterations like the farrier’s knife and scout utility knife popped up much later, though nothing turned the multitool market on its head like the successful Leatherman PST (Pocket Survival Tool) when it hit the market in 1983. Multi-tools today are a popular, firmly entrenched segment of the worldwide cutlery market, show no signs of slowing down and make highly versatile everyday carry knives. A simple multi-tool that fits in the palm of your hand is the Maserin D-Dut 214, which also happens…

Winner of Best EDC in the factory category at BLADE Show West 2023 (page 12) is the D- Cipher from Mr. Mr. Designs. Designed by Mircea and Mihai Rusnac, the midsize flipper folder features premium M390 stainless blade steel and a raindrop carbon fiber handle. For more, see page 12. The SOG Stout FLK Cleaver folder is a design collaboration between custom knifemaker Mikkel Willumsen and SOG Founder Spencer Frazer. It features a framelock, deep-pocket nail nicks and a blade of cryo D2 tool steel with a Rockwell hardness of 60-63 HRC. For more, see page 32. The Boker USA L’Egg is designed by custom knifemaker John Kubasek. The folding neck knife locks open and closed via a magnet, with the scales folding over the blade to serve as an integral sheath.…

SPEC CHART MODEL: Friction folder BLADE LENGTH: 3” BLADE MATERIAL: 15N20 nickelalloy steel BLADE GRIND: Full flat BLADE THICKNESS @RICASSO: .118” BLADE AT WIDEST: 1”  HANDLE: Dyed and stabilized blue maple  LINERS: Black G-10 CLOSED LENGTH: 4.75” KNIFE TO KNOW: Richard Morgan is an ABS apprentice smith MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $210 (at press time rate of exchange) MAKER: Richard Morgan, Hartland Forge, Dept. BL1, 2 Mayne Court, Traralgon, Victoria 3844 Australia 0409 756 247 hartlandforge@gmail.com SPEC CHART KNIFE NAME: Bugsy DESIGNER: KailaCumings BLADE LENGTH: 3 ⅞” BLADE MATERIAL: 1095 carbon steel BLADE @THICKEST: .15” BLADE FINISH: Stonewash HANDLE MATERIAL: Micarta® WEIGHT: 4.3 ozs. OVERALL LENGTH: 7.44” SHEATH: Full grain leather w/belt loop KNIFE TO KNOW: Bugsy is the first knife designed for CRKT by Kaila Cumings of Discovery…

CAS IBERIA KIZLYAR GENT BLADE LENGTH: 3” BLADE MATERIAL: D2 tool steel HANDLE MATERIAL: Carbon fiber ACTION: Slip joint WEIGHT: 2.5 ozs. CLOSED LENGTH: 4.25” COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Russia MSRP: $119 Gent’s knives are fashionable EDCs for gentlemen and ladies alike The gent’s knife has always held a special place in the cutlery industry. Available to handle the everyday carry chores that come along, it’s a ready-made conversation piece and a utilitarian accent to the wardrobe, whether a business meeting or a day on the worksite. At the same time, the gent’s knife provides artisans and designers with a blank canvas, a clean slate for the innovative, the good looks, and the latest in materials that mark its ever-evolving appeal. Looking at the latest in gent’s knives provides an exciting…

Ready for rapid deployment, unobtrusive but available, and designed to deal with the job at hand, the neck knife is a staple for many who appreciate the ease of carry and quick availability. In response to the demand for those winning attributes, knife manufacturers are producing a range of choices, new takes on the proven versatility of the neck knife. Veteran knifemaker/knife designer John Kubasek brought the idea for the L’Egg to life for Boker USA, intending a sleek but subtle minimalist approach that sets it apart from other neckers. “Lots of makers offer neck knives but nobody else makes them like this,” commented Mike Gugliociello, Boker USA sales director/Northern USA. “The satinfinish, hollow-ground D2 clip-point blade offers enough cutting edge to be a highly functional tool instead of a…

SPEC CHECK 1. GERBER PRYBRID UTILITY BLADE LENGTH: .75” BLADE PATTERN: Standard utility IMPLEMENTS/FUNCTIONS: Prybar, nail puller, wire stripper, small and large flathead screwdrivers, bottle opener, cord cut notch HANDLE MATERIAL: G-10 HANDLE WIDTH: 1.25” WEIGHT: 2.9 ozs. CLOSED LENGTH: 4.25” COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Off-shore MSRP: $30 2. COAST DX126 BLADE LENGTH: 1.2” BLADE PATTERN: Standard utility CLOSED LENGTH: 3.1” WEIGHT: 2.1 ozs. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: China KNIFE TO KNOW: The blade locks via a linerlock for standard use and via the Double Lock that virtually eliminates any unintended disengagement of the linerlock during use MSRP: $14.99 “IT DOES THE JOB AND LOOKS GOOD DOING IT WHILE NOT BEING BULKY AND WEIGHING A TON.” Utility knives—aka box cutters—have changed quite a bit over the years. I used to frown on folding…

“I carry an Emerson USA Mini-B CQC-7. I love the chisel-ground, partially serrated tanto blade, which is only 2.875 inches long—perfect for my EDC needs. Like me, it’s an older model but it gets the job done.”Burt Elliott, Mowbray Mountain, Tennessee For the latest knives, knife news, trends and more, visit blademag.com, BLADE’S popular Instagran page @blade_magazine, an on Facebook and Twitter. 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 knife. The drawing will be…

While the outward signs of the pandemic—masks, shutdowns, etc.—that ravaged the world in the earlier part of the decade are largely gone now, the economic impacts remain. That includes in the world of knives. Factory knife sales rolled right along in the first couple of years or so of the pandemic, due partly to the federal government stimulus checks and extended unemployment benefits offered to many Americans. The checks and benefits eventually stopped but healthy knife sales continued unabated throughout much of the factory knife industry into mid-2022. That’s when one company experiencing record sales the first six months saw consumer spending “suddenly jerk to a halt in the second half” of the year. “Dealers had loaded up with knives going into the summer because they expected the Covid spending…

The gent’s knife is going more places than ever in 2024. “Gent’s knives are a huge category that appeals to massive numbers of people,” remarked Jake Broce of A.G. Russell Knives. “As more and more people are starting to work in offices around America, the popularity of the gent’s knife grows. Gent’s knives aren’t as useful as a good EDC or work knife out in the farming, construction or other trade industries, but many find that they don’t need larger knives in their normal everyday lives.” Joyce Laituri of Spyderco sees a continuing and even growing demand for gent’s knives in the year ahead. “I carry a Spyderco Chaparral as an EDC frequently,” she commented. “The function, mid-size and elegance of the model appeal to me, and I find it…

As users look for an EDC complement to the pocket folder, the landscape for the neck knife appears promising. Neckers have an appeal that is multi-dimensional and functions well in roles as an outdoor tool, a day-to-day self-defense or law enforcement officer’s backup, and simply a utility knife for routine tasks. “The efficacy of the neck knife depends on the user’s intent,” suggested Mike Gugliociello of Boker USA. “Is it a backup? A fashion choice? Self-defense? A smart tool for when you don’t want your pockets cluttered? Neck-knife wearers should be clear in why they want a neck knife and then choose their blade accordingly.” The knife industry is regularly responsive to the needs of the market, and the swell of interest in neck knives will produce a greater field…

SPEC CHART VEGGIE SLICER MAKER: Delight Valley Blades BLADE LENGTH: 7.5” BLADE STEELS: 26C3 carbon core and 416 stainless cladding in a san-mai construction BLADE GRIND: Full flat BLADE WIDTH: 1.78” HANDLE: Masur birch and carbon fiber PINS AND LINERS: G-10 WEIGHT: 10.5 ozs. OVERALL LENGTH: 12.25” MAKER’S PRICE: $600 Never judge a book by its cover. That holds true for knives, too. When I opened the box containing the Veggie Slicer from Delight Valley Blades, I noticed it did not have a tip like most knives. Well, at least I wouldn’t stab myself. The knife has a full flat grind to sharp, with a very fine edge. It’s made for slicing and dicing, though you know I will do more with it than that. Since hunting season was starting,…

JANUARY JAN. 23-26 LAS VEGAS The Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum. For the trade only. Visit shotshow.org. JAN. 26-27 LAS VEGAS Las Vegas Antique Arms Show and Brian Lebel’s Old West Events, Westgate Resort & Casino. Visit antiquearmsshow.com. JAN. 26-28 LAKELAND, FL The 45th Annual Gator Cutlery Club Show, RP Funding Center (formerly Lakeland Center). Contact Dan Piergallini 813-754-3908 or 967-1471 gatorcutlery.com.* FEBRUARY FEB. 3-4 FREMANTLE, WESTERN AUS-TRALIA Perth Knife Show, Esplanade Hotel. Visit www.perthknifeshow.com.au.* FEB. 3-11 HARRISBURG, PA The 2024 Great American Outdoor Show, Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. Visit greatamericanoutdoorshow.org. FEB. 9 GARDEN GROVE, CA Tactical Knife Invitational, Embassy Suites Anaheim South. Details to come at r1promotions.com.* FEB. 10-11 GARDEN GROVE, CA Spring California Custom Knife Show, Embassy Suites Anaheim South. Visit r1promotions.com.*…

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and her leadership skills have captured the imagination of many Americans, including Colorado knifemaker John Dennehy. John’s been looking for a place to retire, and Noem’s handling of the pandemic put South Dakota square on his list of places to consider. “The state stayed open and came out of the pandemic with a strong economy,” John noted. “I like Kristi’s no BS approach and her conservative Christian values.” As a result, Dennehy decided to carry on a family tradition started by his father, BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame member Dan Dennehy, of making knives for notable individuals that he admires. John reached out to Kristi’s office and offered to make her the knife of her pick of his DAN-D models. One of Kristi’s aides got back…