Innehållsförteckning för May/June 2018 från Knives Illustrated

Every year I look forward to SHOT Show, but my body begs me not to go. Although there are different shows throughout the year, there are two that hold the most relevance to the knife industry and knife enthusiasts in general, Blade Show and SHOT Show. As each show draws near, my inner child starts bouncing around like he has been given far too much sugar at grandma’s house and sent home. However, the old guy on the outside starts to grumble a little and my feet send up a formal protest. The most recent scene of podiatry carnage was this year’s SHOT Show. I heard it said once, a few years ago, that if you were to stretch SHOT Show out in a straight line, it would continue for…

“ BASTINELLI DESIGNED THE KNIFE AND PRODUCED IT WITH FOX KNIVES IN ITALY SPECIFICALLY TO OPERATE EFFICIENTLY FOR MASTRO AND HIS SELF-DEFENSE SYSTEM. ” Sometimes a knife design just needs to be simple. In a world where knife designers are consistently trying to reinvent the wheel, simplicity seems to walk away with the win more often than not. Strong ergonomics, good steel, a solid heat treat and a razor-sharp grind are all a knife needs to become a simple and effective tool. French knife maker Bastien Bastinelli and self-defense expert Fred Mastro set out to introduce the all-business PY (Protect Yourself) as an all-around tactical and self-defense knife. In fact, Bastinelli designed the knife and produced it with FOX Knives in Italy specifically for Mastro and his self-defense system. Having…

Ever look at a knife and wonder, “Who designed this?” The question can go one of two ways: You can wonder, “Who designed this?” in excitement or, “Who designed this?” in confusion and disappointment. Recently, I received a package in the mail containing a knife for review, and without recognizing the return address label, I asked myself excitedly, “Who designed this?” I wanted to learn more about it and was immediately ready to take it to the woods once I discovered which shop it came from. “ THE CUMMING BLADEWORKS USA PHILOSOPHY IS EFFICIENCY ... THE LESS TIME NEEDED IN AN ASSEMBLY STAGE, THE MORE PRODUCTIVE THE PROCESS.” Impressive Lineage The knife, a Cumming Bladeworks USA Trailmaster, comes from a long lineage of proven knives created by expert makers, including…

They are sharp, pointy and beg to be held. When I stumbled on the work of Curtis Haaland at Free Hill Blades I found myself wanting to reach into my computer screen and pick one up. It was almost a compulsion. Every once in a while you discover the work of someone that makes you ask yourself, “How have I never seen this maker before?” Curtis is one such maker. 01 An Early Start To look at Curtis’s work it would be difficult to guess that he is only 21, but perhaps more impressive is the fact that he got his start when he was a wee lad of 17. Coming from an artistic family, Curtis has always loved art, knives and working with his hands. One day his father…

It reportedly caused some $125 billion in damages and killed more than 100 people. While not nearly as catastrophic as the damage it caused to Houston, Hurricane Harvey also impacted the knife industry. Knife Rights’ founder and Chairman, Doug Ritter, and Director of Legislative Affairs, Todd Rather, were in Austin, Texas recently, to celebrate last year’s enactment of HB 1935 that eliminated from Texas statute the prohibition against carrying “illegal knives,” including throwing knives, daggers, dirks, stilettos, poniards, swords, spears and most notably, Bowie knives—as well as blades longer than 5.5 inches, except in a few locations. The presentation was originally scheduled to be held last September at The Alamo, but tragically, Hurricane Harvey intervened. On the last Monday in January 2018, a presentation ceremony was held at the Texas…

The hit television show “Forged in Fire” has had a profound impact on modern knife culture. In addition to exposing millions of viewers to the world of high-performance cutlery, it has literally transformed the experts who judge the show into household names. And when two of these experts, Jason Knight and Doug Marcaida, teamed up on a production knife design, it’s no surprise that it turned out to be something extraordinary. During their work together as judges on the show, Knight and Marcaida had the opportunity to exchange thoughts on all aspects of knife design, historical edged-weapon combat, and the direction the knife industry is heading today. The more they talked, the more common ground they found in their personal philosophies on knives and the more determined they were to…

Böker Kwaiken Auto As soon as I saw this knife I knew it would be the lead spread for this article. The beautiful Japanese influence in the design was striking, to say the least. Its simple elegance was not lost on me, and with the first push of the button, triggering the opening mechanism, I was sold. SPECS Böker Kwaiken Auto Blade Material: 154-CM Blade Length: 3.50 inches Overall Length: 8.375 inches Handle Material: Aluminum Handle Length: 4.875 inches Weight: 3.35 ounces Knife Type: Automatic MSRP: $229 BokerUSA.com HK Hadron With the surge in states repealing the automatic knife ban, we are starting to see an influx of everything from side-opening to out the front (OTF) models. The HK Hadron, built by Hogue Knives, is an OTF that gets it…

What once was old is new again. Since sometime around the summer of 2013, prompted by celebrities and a growing interest in the paleo or caveman ethos, facial hair has seen a resurgence. For many men who have always opted for a hirsute lifestyle, seeing well-grown beards appropriated by hipsters and runway models (even as just a temporary fashion statement) is a form of vindication after years of being told to shave in order to be accepted in polite society. As beards grew and shaving fell out of favor, so did sales of the ubiquitous safety razor of the 20th century. However, we are currently seeing a renaissance in the original tool par excellence of men’s grooming, the traditional straight razor. A Long History The straight razor, or cutthroat razor,…

The true goal of self-defense is to stop a threat as quickly and decisively as possible. Logically, the longer you allow an attacker to pose a danger to you, the greater your chances of being killed or suffering serious injury. That’s why stopping power is a core concept of all sound personal-defense tactics. When it comes to self-defense with knives, one of the most confusing and hotly debated topics is targeting. In simple terms, which parts of an attacker should you cut or puncture to make him stop trying to kill you? Depending upon the system you study, the answer to that question runs the gamut from repeatedly and indiscriminately stabbing any body part you can reach to complicated templates of key anatomical structures. So, what’s the real answer? In…

Inspiration can be found anywhere if you’re paying attention. When it comes to machetes, there’s a simple standard: It’s generally thought of as a long, curved blade for underbrush. Throughout history and within many cultures—most notably the jungles of South America—the machete has a standard design and intended use, and while there is no specification for size, they generally tend to be on the longer side. Enter TOPS Knives, which is turning the preconceived idea of a machete on its head. TOPS has a history of pushing the limits of design to produce superior products. This time, the company seems to have hit the proverbial nail on the head again with its new Yacare 10.0. The Yacare 10.0 TOPS Knives calls its Yacare 10.0 a medium–heavy machete. Medium for the…

It’s like an old friend. The first time I got a close look at an out-the-front automatic knife was as a sophomore in high school in the mid-’70s. Although back then we knew it as a “switchblade stiletto,” to be precise, it was an Italian trap-door single-action auto. When you pushed the button, the blade flew straight out of the handle and locked open. Pointing the knife upward and pushing the button again allowed the blade to fall most of the way back into the handle. A pivoting, spoon-shaped trap door built into the front bolster was then used to push the blade in the rest of the way, compressing the drive spring and recocking the action. It was, without a doubt, one of the coolest knives I had ever…

I am often asked, “What’s the best knife in a survival or emergency situation?” My reply is always the same, “The one you have on you.” A knife in these situations can make the difference between living and dying. In capable hands, a knife can be a serious game changer. Even in the hands of a novice a knife can affect the outcome, because necessity is the mother of invention. Human instinct and the will to survive runs deep in the human condition, but having something to assist us in our struggle—such as a knife—can make a drastic difference, which is why I suggest never leaving home without one. Surviving with just a knife is very difficult, but when push comes to shove, and it’s all you have, try to…