Knives Illustrated March 2016

“YOUR KNIFE SELECTION SHOULD BE THE CULMINATION OF CAREFULLY EVALUATED OPTIONS AND FEATURES.” THE word of the day is “tactical.” You hear it everywhere now, sometimes good and sometimes bad. When I look around at the state of the industry today, and everywhere I look is enveloped by a sea of tactical toothbrushes, tactical underwear, tactical tactics for the tactical minded tactician, it seems difficult to really know what an actual good, tactical product is anymore. It has gotten to the point where I find myself really scrutinizing anything labeled “tactical” and expecting far more from it than any other item in the same category. Unfortunately, the knife industry is not immune to tactical marketing and many people are falling prey to cheap, made in China, “tactical” junk. The Right…

AS you read this, Knife Rights’ 2016 legislative efforts are in full swing. Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter told us the organization expects to be running bills in six to 10 states this year. You can find out the latest on these bills at www.KnifeRights.org . We asked Ritter which question he is asked most frequently. His quick response was, “When will you fix (insert a state name)?” He explained, “Every victory — 19 bills passed to date in 14 states — means we are closer to being able to affect change in other states, regardless of which state that is. But, with limited resources, we have to be smart about which states we work in and when.” Ritter noted that Knife Rights focuses on the “states…

WITH SHOT Show 2016 behind us, it should come as no surprise that there were a lot of great knives that debuted this year. In the next issue of Knives Illustrated, we will be providing you with full show coverage, allowing you to get a peek inside the industry and see what the future holds for the upcoming year. Meanwhile, prior to the show, we were able to get a small sampling of what the new year holds. 1 TOPS KNIVES HAZEN LEGION 6.0 OVERALL LENGTH:11.5 inches BLADE LENGTH:6.63 inches CUTTING EDGE:6.0 inches BLADE THICKNESS:0.19 inches BLADE STEEL:1095 high carbon BLADE FINISH:Sandblast HANDLE MATERIAL:Black Linen Micarta WEIGHT:9.6 ounces WEIGHT WITH SHEATH:12 ounces SHEATH:Black Kydex with rotating clip DESIGNER:Mark Hazen of Hazen Knives MSRP:TBD 2 TOPS KNIVES C.U.T. 4.0 – COMBAT…

TO the casual observer of the custom knife market, it appears that the only knives in demand are tactical folders. This is not the case and is becoming less so as I write this. Custom knives, like most collectible items, have one large cycle with smaller cycles within, that move at a much faster pace. The large cycle is in fact the tactical folder market, because many want the hot maker; not so much for their collection, but to flip and make a profit. These particular buyers are more interested in the name and demand for their work, than they are for the actual quality of the work itself. There is nothing wrong with this; the maker is happy, the first buyer/seller is happy and the next buyer is happy.…

“ … THE PALLAS PROVIDES THE MODERN-DAY WARRIOR WITH A KNIFE FIT FOR THE BATTLEFIELD BUT STEALTHY ENOUGH FOR URBAN LIFE.” LIKE its namesake “Pallas” — the Titan god of War-craft and father to the gods Victory, Rivalry, Strength and Power — Spartan Blades’ Pallas knife is a titan that lives up to the legacy from which it was born. Adding to a robust lineage of hard-use, combat-oriented knives designed by those who have been in the fire and came out as hard as the steel they form, the Pallas provides the modern-day warrior with a knife fit for the battlefield but stealthy enough for urban life. Initial Impressions When I first opened the Pallas’ box, I was surprised by the size of this knife, because it is quite substantial…

THERE’S a lot that can be said for experience, and Dave Canterbury is the perfect example. Drawing from his experience and training in outdoor survival, Canterbury started the Pathfinder School, which eventually led to Self Reliance Outfitters — a one-stop resource for hand-selected survival and camping gear. So, it would only make sense that the Pathfinder Knife Shop would follow to round out Canterbury’s offerings. No survival kit is complete without a good knife, and Pathfinder Knife Shop has been offering some great entries into this field. Its newest product is the Scorpion, a hardy, midsized bushcrafting knife with hard use in mind. The Scorpion is a solid workhorse with simple elegance and style at an affordable price point. Sheath I am not a personal fan of dangler sheaths, so…