Table of contents for October 2019 in Blade

SIMMONS SAVES BOY’S LIFE WITH A KNIFE Thanks to a young man’s quick thinking and a pocketknife, a 6-year-old boy is alive and well in Flowery Branch, Georgia. On June 25, Logan Simmons, a Chick-Fil-A employee, noticed the youngster in a car choking on a seatbelt in the drive through. Climbing through the drive-through window, Logan pulled out his pocketknife and cut the boy free, saving his life. As a result of Logan’s actions, Knife Rights awarded the 19-year-old with the Knife Rights’ Carry a Knife – Save a Life Award™. “Logan Simmons’ action to save a young child’s life is a dramatic testimony to the value of always carrying a knife,” said Doug Ritter of Knife Rights. “You never know when your knife will be the difference between life…

The recent passing (page 72) of ABS master smith Tim Hancock and BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Ken Warner gives those who knew or knew of them pause to remember two of the knife industry’s true originals. A supremely gifted bladesmith, Tim was also a highly respected and valued teacher of the craft, as his co-winning along with fellow American Bladesmith Society (ABS) master smith J.R. Cook of the W.W. Scagel Award in 2017 for service in the area of bladesmithing education attests. Tim refused to let Parkinson’s disease deter him from bladesmithing or teaching. ABS master smith Steve Schwarzer’s memory of Tim’s grinding demo at a Batson Bladesmithing Symposium speaks volumes. “He was apologizing for shaking while he ground the blade,” Schwarzer recalled. “I told him he could shake…

“My daily carry is made by David Boye and engraved by Francine. ’Nuff said!”Jim Vitalo, Willow Springs, Illinois “I carry an Exploit out-the-front by Hogue Knives. Automatics are legal in Alabama now and I love mine!”Casper Monroe, a letter via e-mail “My EDC is a Boker Tree Brand canoe pattern pocketknife. I’ve carried it for years. It just refuses to let me lose it, and I’m glad it won’t!”John Fitzhugh, a letter via e-mail For the latest knives, knife news, trends and more visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s popular Instagram page at @blade_magazine, and on Facebook and Twitter.…

What are today’s hottest custom knife styles and/or hottest knives regardless of style, and who are the hottest makers authoring them? Those who fashion knockout knives that offer creative approaches to folding mechanisms, mesmerizing designs with sexy line and flow, and new materials or notable approaches to same are among the ones that issue the siren call of cut to knife enthusiasts with discriminating tastes and deep pockets. According to Dave Stark of Steel Addiction Custom Knives, Tashi Bharucha is such a maker/designer and his Rocketeer tactical folder with “some amazing ergonomics that presses all the touch points” is such a knife—and this issue’s cover (page 7). Titanium frames anodized gold and a 3.9-inch blade in a pattern all its own help highlight the fetching folder. Bharucha has participated in…

A.G. Russell Knives, Inc. www.agrussell.comag@agrussell.com Adams International Knifeworks - AIK www.adamsknifeworks.comCustomized Automatic Knife Specialist Admiral Steel www.admiralsteel.comterry@admiralsteel.com Widest Range of Stock for Blade Needs Alaska - Northern Knives www.northernknives.comA Real Store & Working Knife Shop! Andre de Villiers - Facebook email - adv44sales@gmail.com www.advtactical.co.zaButcher SOB folders. Arizona Custom Knives Largest selection in the world of new and consigned knives on the internet. Let us help you find the perfect knife. www.arizonacustomknives.comsharptalk@arizonacustomknives.com Arkansas Made Dozier, Inc. www.dozierknives.cominfo@dozierknives.com Artknives.com www.artknives.comfred@fredeisenleather.com BladeGallery.com www.bladegallery.com www.bladeconnection.com www.epicedge.com BladeJunkee www.bladejunkee.combladejunkee73@gmail.com BladeOps, LLC www.bladeops.comtrevor@bladeops.com Bocki Custom Knives www.bockiknives.comeshword@aol.com Buckeye Engraving www.BuckeyeEngraving.comStamps@BuckeyeEngraving.com Manufacturer of Custom Hand Stamps, Dies and Brands CRKT www.crkt.cominfo@crkt.com Culpepper & Co., Inc. www.knifehandles.com www.oldschoolknifeworks.com www.stingrayproducts.cominfo@culpepperco.com Custom Knife Gallery of Colorado www.customknifegallery.combob_glassman@yahoo.com Cutlery Specialties www.restorationproduct.comdennis13@aol.com Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax/Polish, Dennis Blaine D. Hoskin's Hand-Made Combat Knives www.dhoskinsknives.comdhbladeisland@twc.com Bob Dozier Knives www.dozierknives.cominfo@dozierknives.com Emerson Knives www.emersonknives.cominfo@emersonknives.com Faneema Cutlery…

The knife industry lost two giants of leadership recently with the passing of ABS master smith Tim Hancock and BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Ken Warner. Hancock was 65 and Warner 90. Each was an icon in his respective cutlery field: Hancock in handforged knives/bladesmithing instruction and Warner writing and editing magazines and books about knives. Hancock was known for his award-winning period bowie knives, including though not limited to dog-bone bowies, and also his love for teaching others how to forge knives. An accomplished bull rider, rock climber and farrier, he started making knives in the early 1990s. David Darom dedicated an entire hardback book, Tim Hancock: The Western Bladesmith, to highlighting Tim’s knives and knifemaking career, even his penchant for forging silver-mounted bits and spurs and other Western…

KNOCKOUT KNIVES P. 28 Tashi Bharucha, instagram.com/tashibharucha/ and/or facebook.com/TashiBharucha-Design; CAS of Argentina, attn.: Claudio and Ariel Sobral, casknives.com/portal/; Exquisite Knives, attn: Dave Ellis, Dept. BL10, 770 Sycamore Ave., Ste. 122, Box 451, Vista, CA 92083 760-945-7177 exquisiteknives@gmail.com; www.exquisiteknives.com; Kevin Foster*; Anders Hogstrom, Dept. BL10, P.O. Box 72, 37011 Backaryd, SWEDEN, Phone: 46 702 674 574, andershogstrom@hotmail.com or info@andershogstrom.com; Web: www.andershogstrom.com; Dave Lespect*; Samuel Lurquin, Hameau Du Bois, Hoyaux 10, 7133 Buvrinnes Belgique, Binches, BELGIUM, Phone: 0032-478-349-051, knifespirit@hotmail.com; Web: www.samuel-lurquin.com; RJ Martin, Dept. BL10, 51 Bramblewood St, Bridgewater, MA 02324, Phone: 508-279-0682; Jared Oeser joeserknives.com; True North Knives, attn: N. Ostroff, Dept. BL10, 2455 Hollywood Blvd., Ste. 201, Hollywood, FL 33020 954-453-1104 866-748-9985 fax 954-453-1105 TNKUSA.com; Recon One Knives and Gear/Recon1.com, attn.: Sako Rouchanian, Dept. BL10, 17200 Ventura Blvd. Ste. #107,…

Visit us online at www.blademag.com to: • Sign up for our free newsletter. • Renew your magazine subscription. There’s a subscription link in the nav bar. • Comment on our site stories written by BLADE® staff members and others. LOOK FOR BLADE MAGAZINE ON: SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES: Visit us on the Web at www.blademag.com or call 877-485-6426. Outside USA: 386-246-3419. BOOK SALES: Visit us at www.gundigeststore.comor call 920-471-4522. BACK ISSUES FOR SALE: Subject to Availability. Call 920-471-4522. ADVERTISING: Contact Lori McDaniel at 715-498-3768 or lori@gundigest.com, or request a media kit by writing to: BLADE, 5600 W. Grande Market Dr., Appleton, WI 54913. LETTERS OR ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS: Steve Shackleford, Editor BLADE Magazine PO Box 789, Ooltewah, TN 37363-0789 or email steve@blademag.com.…

There is no shortage of variations on how cutting tools are interpreted. In an odd way, they are as varied in appearance as the people who make them. An example is what might be called stout blades. Short in length and broad in width, stout blades make nice, little, everyday carries (EDC)—the kind of blade that isn’t there for the heavy work, even though it is stout, but more so for those fast, quick cutting chores you most often see daily. Rarely do most people skin an animal every day. More often, there is the stubborn package that needs opening, the piece of string that needs clipping, as well as all those little tasks that pop up. The following four stout blades are designed for such jobs: the Medford Knife…

SPEC CHART MODEL NAME: Edwin Forrest Bowie reproduction BLADE LENGTH: 12.25” BLADE STEEL: 1095 carbon HANDLE MATERIAL: Cuban mahogany FITTINGS: Sterling silver WEIGHT: 1 lb. OVERALL LENGTH: 17” MAKER’S LIST PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $1,950 MAKER: Forest “Butch” Sheely 419-308-3471 Sheelyblades@gmail. com (Whetstone Studio image) MODEL NAME: Alpha BLADE LENGTH: 2 7/8” BLADE STEEL: CPM 154 stainless; other options include Nichols stainless damascus, Nitro-V, D2, and CPM 154, 3V, M4 and S30V BLADE GRIND: Symmetrical dagger pattern BLADE FINISH: Acid wash BLADE PATTERN: Drop point; also available in tanto and recurve HANDLE MATERIAL: Fat carbon “Jungle Camo”; other options include stag, mammoth, carbon fiber, meteorite, Micarta® , G-10 and super conductor FITTINGS: Titanium liners, backspacer, carved clip and hardware CLOSED LENGTH: 4¼” MAKER’S LIST PRICE FOR A SIMILAR K KNIFE: Base…

In this corner is the Rocketeer, an angular tactical folder by Tashi Bharucha that brings new meaning to the term “the sweet science”—which, of course, makes it one knockout of a knife. The 3.9-inch handrubbed blade is CPM 154 stainless, with 3.5 inches of that pure cutting edge. The flipper folder employs caged bearings for smooth one-hand operation. The hump-backed handle is titanium anodized a gold color, as is the pocket clip on the knife’s non-mark side. The blade secures via a framelock. Closed length: 5.5 inches. Maker’s table price: $1,100. For more on the Rocketeer contact Tashi Bharucha on instagram.com/tashibharucha/ and/or facebook.com/TashiBharuchaDesign, or see the story on the cover knife and other of today’s hottest makers’ hottest knives on page 28. The cover knife image is courtesy of Dave…

Do you remember where you were on Sept. 11, 2001 at 8:45 a.m. EDT when an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City? That day was forever etched in many of our minds as a reminder of how paramount it is to safeguard our freedoms. Murray Carter was approached to collaborate with FDNY343 (fdny343.org) and Building Homes for Heroes® (buildinghomesforheroes.org) to forge a knife from World Trade Center steel, and was humbled at the opportunity. Building Homes for Heroes is a national non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2006. It has been at the forefront of making a significant difference in the lives of wounded American service members and their families, including…

KNIFE: Hunter MAKER: JB Knifeworks BLADE LENGTH: 4 5/8” BLADE STEEL: CPM S35 VN stainless BLADE GRIND: Flat HANDLE: Vintage white paper Micarta® FITTINGS: Micarta hollow pins WEIGHT: 6 ozs. OVERALL LLENGTH: 9” SHEATH: Kydex MAKER’S LIST PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $425 KNIFE: Hunter Utility MAKER: Weswer Blades BLADE LENGTH: 4 9/16” BLADE STEEL: 440C stainless BLADE GRIND: Flat HANDLE: Green Micarta® and ironwood FITTINGS: Stainless steel WEIGHT: 7 ozs. OVERALL LENGTH: 8.5” SHEATH: Leather pouch by Bettina Wernimont MAKER’S LIST PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $265…

Any fixed blade targeted for campsite duty must perform many tasks. The design must address multiple specialties without you having to carry separate tools for each job. In other words, one knife should fit the bill for chopping, slicing and general cutting. One contender is the Steel Will Druid 230. A slender tool, it sports a 9-inch drop-point blade of 9Cr18MoV stainless steel, the Chinese equivalent of the Japanese AUS-8 popular on mid-range knives. A high saber grind gives the blade definition. It leaves the edge thin enough for slicing but not so thin that it deforms when used for chopping. A thing that stands out is its beefy stock thickness—around .2 inch. Nineteen inches overall, the knife is a formidable chopper with reach. The handle is molded thermoplastic rubber…

SEPTEMBER SEPT. 15 MARLBORO, MA Marlboro, Massachusetts Knife Show, Holiday Inn. Contact Lynn Cain 978-249-6070 lynnster29@aol.com.* SEPT. 21 CLAREMORE, OK Central States Hammer-In & Knife Show. Contact Gary Mulkey, Dept. BL10, 533 Breckenridge Rd., Branson, MO 65616 417-335-0123 gary@mulkeyknives.com, mulkeyknives.com.* ** SEPT. 29-30 EASTON, PA Semi-Annual Lehigh Valley Knife Show, Charles Chrin Community Center of Palmer Township. Call Bill 484-241-6176 or visit PAKnifeshow.com.* OCTOBER OCT 5-6 BELOIT, WI The 5th Annual Great Lakes Knife Show, Eclipse Event Center. Call/ text Michael 616-322-5846 greatlakesknifeshow.com, woodlabgroup@gmail.com.* OCT. 12-13 TEXARKANA, TX Fall Piney Woods Hammer-In, W.F. Moran School of Bladesmithing. Contact Mike Williams at hforge@pine-net.com and/or Cindy Sheely 419-832-0400 cindy@americanbladesmith.com.** OCT. 12-13 KINGMAN, AZ Pioneer Country Events Gun & Knife Coins & Collectibles Show, Mohave County Fairgrounds. Contact Lon 928-692-0937 cell 928-530-0937 PioneerCountryEvents@gmail.com…

From the beginning his knives were meant for work, and BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Rudy Ruana never strayed from that premise. A knife simply isn’t a knife if it can’t hold up to heavy use, deliver in the clutch and come back for more. A giant of handmade knives in the early 20th century and a contributor to the fabric of history that ties everyone in the knife community together, Ruana strived for simplicity. He hammered sturdy blades, pioneered the aluminum cast handle, made elk antler a signature material, and built cutting tools that survive long after his death in 1986 at 83. Ruana was straightforward, strong and steady, physically powerful, and focused on a knife that always performed. He began his career circa 1920 while serving as a…

Based on the name of a knife that appears in the Bible, Book of Ezra 1:9, the Machalaphim by Walter Brend showcases the feature for which Brend is known best: an incredible blade grind. In this case it is Walter’s three-dimensional hollow grind—or 3DHGrind for short. He first did the grind some time in the 1990s when he was grinding knives for Tony Marfione of Microtech. “Tony sent me a blade and said do your thing for an out-the-front collaboration. ‘What does a tanto blade look like to you?’ he asked. This is the grind I did and the blade was also double ground,” Walter recalled. “After I did the blade style for Tony, I immediately made my wife a prototype straight-tanto-blade style with the grind.” And so the 3DHGrind…