Innehållsförteckning för December 2021 från Knives Illustrated

How do you feel about pocket clips on a folding knife? Maybe it’s a generational thing, but I’ve had a long love-hate relationship with them. I vividly remember a time when none of my knives had pocket clips. I think the Spyderco Delica I carried early in my police career was the first I owned that had a pocket clip and the first I owned that provided for one-handed opening. A flap pocket on a uniform shirt was a good place to clip a knife. The flap covered the clip so it wasn’t visible and tempting to uncooperative “customers.” And I could reach it with either hand, standing or sitting, so I could get to it if needed to cut my way out of my seat belt in the event…

Every professional knifemaker occasionally has a knife that he or she isn’t sure what to do with after it is completed. Maybe the customer changed their mind, or it is a new model and the maker hasn’t decided yet whether to add it to the regular stable. A couple of years ago, Matt decided to use these knives, when they crop up, as prizes in a new sort of giveaway called Bartertown. In their Facebook group, The Vehement Syndicate, he will post a short video showcasing the knife and discussing some of the design elements and such. Then, for a couple of days, members can offer something in trade for the knife, the more obscure the better. Some of the more notable offerings have included: • Antique hand tools •…

Just as Johnny Stout received the benefit of mentorship from J.B. Moore and others in learning his trade, he has continued that tradition by teaching aspiring new knifemakers for the last decade or so. He teaches only one or two classes a month at his shop, and he limits the number of students to two per class so he can provide students with plenty of personal attention. Classes are offered in basic knifemaking, and in making fine folders and flipper folders. Stout also offers a couple of “Your Choice” classes each year. “About the only thing I don’t teach is how to make automatics,” he said. “It’s just too complex. It takes me about two weeks to make one myself.” His advice to aspiring knifemakers is straightforward and to the…

Frank “Woody” Bridwell is a third generation knifemaker who learned his craft from his father, who was a farmer, textile worker, and hunter. Accompanying his dad on hunting and fishing trips or exploring the woods on his own, Woody’s a constant companion was a pocketknife. He began collecting knives, and eventually the interest in making his own blossomed. In addition to the skills he picked up from his father, Woody also studied under master knifemaker Marv Palmer of Hemlock, Michigan.…

Another knife in Wachtman’s lineup is unique in all its glory. The Kliff stayed true to its initial design when Wachtman first dreamed up the knife. “I was drawing Wharncliffe blades one day and started thinking about how the human thumb is shaped. I put the ‘saddle’ in the middle of the spine to act as a sort of large thumb rest for extra fine control,” he said. The only other changes that were necessary were very minimal modifications to the handle to improve the ergonomics of the knife. The MSRP for the Kliff is $120.…

Not just for trappers, this axe may be the ultimate in bushcraft axes. Anyone who has seen online videos from Dan Wowak has seen his trapper’s axe at one point. The one he uses (until now) came from Russia and was produced in the 1950s. “Russian axes are very hard to come by and when you can locate one, often they are damaged or not in good condition,” Dan said. The axe itself was used by government-paid trappers in Siberia, and now Coalcracker Bushcraft is making a hand-forged version. The Appalachian Trapper’s Axe is an absolute workhorse.…

SOG PENTAGON FX Blade Length: 4.77 inches Handle Length: 5.16 inches Overall Length: 9.93 inches Blade Material: CRYO CPM S35VN stainless steel Blade Thickness: 0.180 inch Blade Hardness: 58-61 HRC Blade Style: Double-edge dagger Blade Finish: Black titanium nitride Handle Material: Black G10 Sheath Material: GRN with Universal Mounting System Weight: 6.5 ounces Origin: Taiwan MSRP: $249.95 PENTAGON FX COVERT Blade Length: 3.41 inches Handle Length: 4.11 inches Overall Length: 7.52 inches Blade Material: CRYO CPM S35VN stainless steel Blade Thickness: 0.180-inch Blade Hardness: 58-61 HRC Blade Style: Double-edge dagger Blade Finish: Black titanium nitride Handle Material: Black G10 Sheath Material: GRN with Universal Mounting System Weight: 3.9 ounces Origin: Taiwan MSRP: $189.95…

While anyone can pick up a Dead King Louis bead, if they have the scratch and match up with a seller, only a select few own a Vivo Vehementer Reale. Crafted by Mad Art Studios, it is modeled after an ancient coin, but carries far more than monetary value. It is a literal token of appreciation given to members of the Vehement Syndicate who Matt and Jenna Martin feel exemplify the Vehement spirit. Each one is numbered and is accompanied by a handwritten letter explaining why the recipient has been chosen to receive it. They are never traded, bought, or sold. At least one recipient has instructed his wife to make sure it is in his coffin upon his burial.…

James Helm became interested in blacksmithing around age 15, researching the subject in books from the public library and on internet discussion forums. At age 16 he got a rivet forge, a small amount of coal and started pounding iron. James had the opportunity to work for three metal artist shops in Texas and put together a small gas forge. He started producing knives to sell on his off-hours, working in his employers’ shops and moving his forge as out of the way as possible when finished. Finally, the chance came to rent his own workspace and start his business. Whenever James’ father was contemplating some undertaking, whether custom hay baling or trucking, it was always under the name Helm Enterprises. As a nod to his father and his incalculable…

Someone once told me that life is too short to hunt with an ugly rifle. I look at knives in a similar fashion. If you can afford a nice one, why not carry a nice one? Custom knives come in all shapes and sizes and at an extremely wide range of prices. While I appreciate when great craftsmanship is elevated to the status of art, my knives are still tools. I want to use them, not keep them on display behind glass or hidden away in a vault. As a result, I haven’t paid a four-digit price for any knife, unless you include a decimal point in there somewhere. Fortunately, many custom knifemakers make beautiful knives that are made to be used and enjoyed. One recent acquisition of mine that…

APPALACHIAN TRAPPER’S AXE • Handle made of hickory or ash • Contoured handle for fine and chopping cuts • Each axe comes with a leather sheath Steel: 4140 Head Weight: 1.5 pounds Handle Length: 16 inches Cutting Edge: 4 inches MSRP: $275 COALCRACKER KNIFE Overall Length: 9 inches Blade Steel: 01 tool steel Blade Length: 4 1/8 inches Blade Thickness: 1/8 inch Blade Grind: Saber grind Handle Material: Spalted beech Sheath: Brown bridle leather Weight: 8 ounces (12 ounces with sheath) MSRP: $250 MINESHAFT Overall Length: 8 inches Blade Steel: 01 tool steel Blade Length: 4 inches Blade Thickness: 1/8 inch Blade Grind: Scandi grind Handle Material: Natural canvas Micarta Sheath: Brown bridle leather Weight: 7.5 ounces (10 ounces with sheath) MSRP: $200…

Sheaths are often an afterthought for companies, and that’s long been a sore point for me. If a knife has a poorly constructed or designed sheath, it isn’t going to get carried, which means it isn’t going to get used. While there’s a thriving market in aftermarket sheaths, that’s added time and expense for users who really just want to make their purchase and get to work. SOG has taken all of that into consideration and come up with an extremely functional and practical sheath system so that you’re good to go out of the box. The Pentagon FX and FX Covert come with GRN sheaths that are compatible with SOG’s next-generation Universal Mounting System (UMS). The UMS is as much a part of the story as the knives themselves.…

The logo for Vehement Knives is a skull wearing a crown, called Dead King Louis. A sketch of it was made years ago and it has since found its way onto patches, flags, stickers and more. Then, in 2018 an artist named Robert Peterson, owner of Mad Art Studios, sent Matt something that he’d created, a bronze Dead King Louis bead. It was as if the sketch had come to life, extremely detailed and with a solidity that had to be seen to be believed. This was the start of a partnership between Mad Art Studios and Vehement Knives that continues to this day. The oversized lanyard beads came to be called DKLs and adorn the pockets of VK fans around the world. Many of them will snap photos of…

“ALTHOUGH THE BOWIE IS A HISTORICAL CLASSIC, THE ENVELOPE OF BOWIE DESIGN AND QUALITY IS CONSTANTLY BEING PUSHED BY MODERN MAKERS NEW AND EXPERIENCED.” Bowie knives have been legendary since the Sandbar Fight and the Alamo. From the original James Black to the late John White, from Karl Andersen to Michael Zieba, there have been many interpretations of Bowie’s knife. While the modern definition of “Bowie knife” is a bit flexible, the basic parameters are that a Bowie is a large knife, often with a clip or drop point, and typically includes a guard. The Bowie knife holds a special place in American history. From the 1830s until the advent of reliable repeating handguns in the 1870s, the Bowie was the preferred choice of self-defense weapon. A Bowie was more…

Fate often has a way of intervening and fundamentally altering your life in ways you never saw coming. Such was the case with a Texan named Johnny Stout. Stout had no idea that his life was about to change profoundly when he happened to walk into the knifemaking shop of J.B. Moore in Fort Stockton, Texas, in 1983. Stout, then a 40-year-old employee of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, was completely unaware there was such a thing as a handmade custom knife. “I was just fascinated,” he said. “To actually make one was so foreign to me, I was just taken in immediately and I knew this was something I wanted to do.” “DON’T ACCEPT YOUR LAST KNIFE AS THE BEST ONE THAT YOU’LL EVER BUILD”—JOHNNY STOUT He said he must…

One of the original knives to launch with Wachtman Knife and Tool was the Eddy 2. The original blade started out as a clip point, and Wachtman was into designing neck knives. But his first attempt at the Eddy didn’t go as planned. The overall design was decent, but the handle didn’t have a good grip, and it was hard for the user to pull it out of the sheath efficiently. When Wachtman was in the shop, he decided to play with the handle’s shape and create it with feel rather than a sketch. He tried different variations along with a lot of testing to perfect the design. After some trials and tribulations, he finally reached the design that became the current Eddy 2 that the company sells. “I always…

MARILLA Type: Folding knife with flipper one-handed opening Lock Mechanism: Frame lock Blade Length: 3.4 inches Configuration: Drop point Blade Steel: S35VN with satin finish Handle: Aluminum with G10 textured insert Closed Length: 4.75 inches Weight: 3.6 ounces MSRP: $179.99 KINZUA Type: Folding knife with flipper one-handed opening Lock Mechanism: Frame lock Blade Length: 3.4 inches Configuration: Tanto point Blade Steel: S35VN with satin finish Handle: Aluminum, smooth Closed Length: 4.75 inches Weight: 3.4 ounces MSRP: $152.99…