Knives Illustrated November 2016

While there, I pondered this issue of Knives Illustrated and the topic of everyday carry (EDC), and it occurred to me that EDC is really different for everyone and tends to be based a lot on where you live, work or play. Obviously the same rules apply to everyone when it comes to what you carry on a day-to-day basis; you want a knife that is going to become almost part of you without being unwieldy or uncomfortable, it has to be able to perform typical daily tasks without failure, it has to conform to local laws and ordinances and it has to be something that you enjoy using. However, someone living in a rural farming community is going to have a completely different view of what EDC is than…

As Knife Rights’ founder and chairman Doug Ritter noted when we talked at this year’s Blade Show, “We couldn’t possibly accomplish all that we have, without the support of those who generously donate time, money, knives and other valuable prizes to the cause.” At the start of Blade Show, Ritter surprised two of Hogue, Inc.’s owners, Neil Hogue and Jim Bruhns, with its 2016 Freedom’s Guardian Award. Ritter said, “Although Hogue is relatively new to the knife business, delivering their first knife just seven years ago, they have stepped up big time to support Knife Rights’ efforts to forge a Sharper Future. With over four decades of experience in the firearms industry, fighting for their Second Amendment rights, they appreciate what it takes to fight for knife owners’ rights and…

“TODAY MY FOCUS LIES CLOSER TO THE BOWIE END OF THE SPECTRUM.” —WILL MORRISON WILL MORRISON RINGED GIDGEE FIGHTER BLADE LENGTH: 8.5 inches OVERALL LENGTH: 14 inches BLADE MATERIAL: W2 with Hamon BLADE FINISH: Etched and polished to show Hamon GUARD MATERIAL: 416 stainless steel HANDLE MATERIAL: Ringed gidgee SPACER MATERIAL: Black G10 and stainless steel SHEATH: Leather sheath by maker PHOTO: Chuck Ward “IT WAS WILL’S LOOK AND STYLE THAT ATTRACTED ME TO HIS KNIVES.” —AUTHOR WILL MORRISON IRONWOOD FIGHTER BLADE LENGTH: 8.5 inches OVERALL LENGTH: 14 inches BLADE MATERIAL: W2 with Hamon BLADE FINISH: Etched and polished to show Hamon GUARD MATERIAL: 416 stainless steel HANDLE MATERIAL: Desert ironwood SPACER MATERIAL: Black G10 and bronze SHEATH: Leather sheath by maker PHOTO: Chuck Ward WILL MORRISON JUNGLE…

“THE CONSTRUCTION AND FINISH OF THEIR KNIVES ARE IMPECCABLE, AND THE EK NAME, OF COURSE, IS LEGENDARY IN THE KNIFEMAKING INDUSTRY.” Sometimes it’s hard to start a story just the right way, and this one is particularly difficult to sort out because of the significance of each part, and how closely the threads of the story intertwine. Mainly, it’s a story about a man and a knife, and the desire to make something that is beautiful in function and imbued with the heartfelt pride of a patriot. Oddly enough, this has happened time and again. As they say, there’s nothing new under the sun… We’ll begin with a recent quest to find a new concealed-carry knife. Here in Kentucky, the holder of a Concealed Deadly Weapons License can legally carry…

The deeper history behind the design of the Spartan/Ek Dagger began in 1939, when John Ek designed his first prototype knife, which was named the Model 1. In 1941, Ek began mass production of his knives and they soon found favor among servicemen serving during World War II. I contacted Gary Ek, John Ek’s son, and spoke with him over the phone about his father’s company. He stated that his father had heard various complaints about the knives that were issued to service members. Ek’s son mentioned that complaints revolved around leather grips rotting and blade failures occurring during use. Unable to serve in the military because of an accident that injured his hand, John Ek was still very patriotic and decided to see what he could contribute to the…

Ten years in the making. In the early 2000s, the world was introduced to the RAT-3 knife from Randall’s Adventure & Training (RAT), made by the Ontario Knife Company. Soon after that, a whole new breed of iconic knives appeared on the scene, designed by Randall’s Adventure & Training for the Ontario Knife Company, including the RTAK, TAK, RAT-7, RAT-5, Model 1 folder and the Model II folder. In February of 2010, Rat Cutlery changed their name, but not their quality or dedication to producing hard-use survival gear derived from years of dirt-time and real-world experience. ESEE Knives was the new name. ESEE is pronounced “SE” and is an acronym for Escuela de Supervivencia (School of Survival), Escape and Evasion (ESEE). Donning the ESEE name, their knives and gear have…