Innehållsförteckning för November 2016 från Knives Illustrated

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…

“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…

“SPRING-ASSISTED OPENING KNIVES HAVE BECOME VERY POPULAR BECAUSE THEY REQUIRE ONLY ONE HAND TO MAKE THE KNIFE READY TO USE.” Entropy is a thermodynamic term that relates to the degree of randomness or disorder of a system. For example, a collection of knives may be arranged haphazardly in a pile (high entropy) or they may be arranged in a well-aligned row (low entropy). When it comes to knives, some very creative names have been applied, and Kershaw must be a leader in this area. Then again, a product may be given a name that has no connection to physical reality. Such names as Neon, Dart, Gremlin, Laser and Seville have been applied to cars. One of the newest of Kershaw’s models is the Entropy, and it is a very good…

“IN USE AS A GENERAL CAMP IMPLEMENT, A SURVIVAL TOOL AND AS A COMBAT WEAPON FOR ALL MANNER OF CHORES, VERSIONS OF THIS KNIFE HAVE BEEN GETTING THINGS DONE FOR OVER 150 YEARS.” “ONE THING I NOTICED, WAS THAT I COULD CHOKE UP ON THE KNIFE, PUT MY INDEX FINGER IN THE CHOIL, AND DO DETAIL WORK IN A VERY CONTROLLED MANNER.” Jim Bowie was clearly on to something. He knew it, all his buddies knew it, and ever since the legendary Sandbar Fight near the bustling metropolis of Vidalia, Louisiana, the world knew it. A well-made Bowie knife is a formidable tool to have. In use as a general camp implement, a survival tool and as a combat weapon for all manner of chores, versions of this knife…

A busy mind and creative drive can drive some people crazy, but for others, like Josh Navarrete of Salem, Oregon, it can drive them into a new passion. Having made his first knife, after watching a do-it-yourself video back in 2014, Josh says “it was the ugliest thing you have ever seen,” but when he looked at it, he saw the most beautiful thing in the world. This began his walk down the path of a new calling. 1 The Challenges As with many knifemakers, Josh has struggled with time management. But lately he has been working to prioritize and get that under control. However, he is still battling his tendency to overthink things. 2 Finding Fulfillment Josh finds great joy in the knife community as a whole and finds…

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…

“AS ONE WHO HAS BEEN OVERSEAS DEALING WITH ISLAMIC TERRORISTS, I CAN SAY MORE DANGEROUS AND HARDER TIMES ARE COMING TO THE STATES.” Let’s talk about a bad-boy knife made at the request of an American Hero to complement his equipment for the serious times coming. As one who has been overseas dealing with Islamic terrorists, I can say more dangerous and harder times are coming to the States. It seems we have some really bad people here now and many more still seeping through our Southern Borders. Terrorists respect just one thing — brute force. Our military is our first line of defense, our Federal Border Agents are our second line of defense, our local law enforcement is our third line of defense and “we the people” are the…

Typically, our “Behind the Scenes” column serves the purpose the name indicates: to go behind the scenes of different knife companies and check out their processes and other aspects of the company itself. We also like to place a special emphasis on veteran-owned companies and makers. However, while speaking with a rep for CRKT at the 2016 SHOT Show, I learned of a very unique program CRKT has started with their “Forged By War” program and I thought it was worth going behind the scenes of this special program and see what they are doing for our veterans and veteran-related non-profit organizations. THE PROGRAM Background In 2013 Ryan Johnson of RMJ Tactical and designer for CRKT, approached CRKT to discuss work he had been doing with returning combat veterans. For…

“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…

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…

Each year Atlanta Georgia plays host to hundreds of the knife industry’s finest. Everything from custom makers to large production and distribution companies — there is something for everyone. Although the doors didn’t officially open until afternoon on the first day, people were lined up outside the main event room early in the morning, and the anticipation from the crowd was electric. As we do every year, we had a group of staff editors attend the show and report back on some of the cool new knives coming out from some of our favorite manufacturers. This year did not disappoint. CRKT – KAREN HOOD CHOPPER WWW.CRKT.COM “You can do a small job with a big knife, but you can’t do a big job with a small knife.” Words of wisdom…

“WHILE IT IS A VERY REFINED SKILL, ANYONE CAN LEARN TO SHARPEN A KNIFE ACCURATELY, EFFICIENTLY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, SAFELY.” During my 29 years at DMT, I’ve gained a variety of knowledge and experience in the art of knife sharpening. I often hear people say they’re afraid to sharpen their knives. Usually they’re worried they’ll either ruin the knife or hurt themselves in the process. While it is a very refined skill, anyone can learn to sharpen a knife accurately, efficiently, and most importantly, safely. Knowing what sharpener to use, how to properly sharpen and when to sharpen your knives will not only help you build your skills, but also improve the quality of your cutlery. Before You Begin Sharpening the blade is a crucial part of knife maintenance. Always…