Table of contents for June 2020 in Blade

It Must’ve Been Worth It Regarding your column about custom knives being worth the money (“Are Customs Really Worth The Money?” page 10 February BLADE® ): As we all know, is anything really “worth the money”? Think about any artwork that sells for a much greater amount of money than any knife; people that have the money and want something buy it. So is it worth it? My daddy, a farmer, would say, “You can’t eat it.” In about 1981, the most I had ever paid for a knife was $550 from BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame® member Buster Warenski at a time when he was really getting it together. After discussing several original designs and ideas with Buster and some other notable makers, I came up with a…

WHAT: BLADE Show WHERE: Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta WHEN: August 7-9 DAYS and TIMES: Friday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The 39th edition of the biggest, baddest and best knife party is set to ratchet up once again in Atlanta’s Cobb Galleria Centre—and with all the dour happenings going on this year, does the worldwide cutlery community ever need it! Sponsored by Smoky Mountain Knife Works, at press time BLADE Show 2020 had announced new show dates of Aug. 7-9 to host the most important knife event anywhere. That, of course, would include hundreds of exhibitor booths and tables featuring factory, custom knife and knife accessory makers, knifemaking supply companies, knife collections, knife events, knife purveyors and other cutlery enthusiasts everywhere. The living legends…

The BLADE Show is home to the annual meeting of the American Bladesmith Society, the world’s largest organization of bladesmiths—at last count, 2,000 strong. The ABS holds its annual knife auction the Saturday morning of the show at 10 o’clock in Room 103 (page 92), presents its annual achievement awards, and also conducts testing for its master (MS) and journeyman (JS) smith stamps during the show. The MS and JS stamps are among the most coveted by the rank-and-file membership of any honor the Society bestows, and the testing for them is conducted early Friday morning of the show (the testing is closed to the public). Last year, Zach Jonas earned his MS stamp and the following received JS stamps: Mitch Cargile; Charles Carpenter; John Cenotto; Justin Chenault; Michael Clark…

For more on BLADE Show 2020, see the related stories this issue. For the contact information for the knives in the story, see “Where To Get ’Em” on page 84. 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.…

When the time comes to enter the arena, take the plunge and actually buy a custom knife, there might be a moment of hesitation, a pang of uncertainty. Anxiety is the price the unprepared buyer of a custom knife pays—and it is billed separately from the knife itself. The lingering concern about place, price and probability can be tough to reconcile, so preparation becomes a key element in deciding where to buy and how much to pay. Doing some research, setting a budget and understanding the pros and cons of purchase options take some of the mystery out of the process. The long-standing experience of attending a knife show can provide an immediacy the Internet lacks. Still, each has its place. A knife show allows a buyer to interact with…

Brought to you by Work Sharp, the 7th Annual BLADE University will offer three days of a wide-ranging array of knife-related classes taught by some of the world’s leading bladesmiths, knifemakers and knife authorities. For more information on BLADE University—class subjects and the instructors, classrooms, and days and times—see the story beginning on page 12. For mini-bios of the instructors, see pages L and M. For information on how to enroll in BLADE University, visit https://bladeshow.com/classes/ or stop by the Registration Counter in the show lobby. On Saturday, the BLADE Show will hold its annual demos. For more information on them—demos and demonstrators, demo locations, and day and times—see the story beginning on page 12.…

BLADE SHOW PREVIEW P. 12 Adams International, Dept. BL6, 8710 Rosewood Hills Dr., Edwardsville, IL 62025 618-656-9869 adamsknifeworks.com adamsknifeworks.com@gmail.com, adamsknifeworks.com, Instagram/Facebook: @andrewleeadams1/@ andrewleeadams1; Rudy Dean, 540-564-0002 rudy@rudydeancustomknives.com, rudydeancustomknives.com; Pro-Tech Knives, attn: D. Wattenberg, Dept. BL6, 17115 Alburtis Ave., Artesia, CA 90701-2616 562-860-0678 protechknives.com, service@protechknives.com; John Young, Dept. BL6, 483 E. 400 S, Ephraim, UT 84627, Phone: 435-340-1417 or 435-283-4555 BLADE SHOW DEBUT KNIVES P. 22 Al Mar Knives, attn: J. Anthon, Dept. BL6, 315 Hawkins Rd., Travelers Rests, SC 29690 almarknives.com, info@almarknives.com; American Buffalo Knife & Tool 423-337-7423 abktinc@gmail.com, abktinc.com; Bear Ops, c/o Bear & Son Cutlery, attn: M. Griffey, Dept. BL6, 1111 Bear Blvd. SW, Jacksonville, AL 36265 256-435-2227 800-844-3034 info@bearandson.com, www.bearandsoncutlery.com; Benchmade USA, attn.: Matt Glass, Dept. BL6, 300 Beavercreek Rd., Oregon City, OR 97045 503.655.6004 or 800-800-7427…

Connoisseurs of forged cutlery will have a shot at six outstanding forged knives with an international flair as well as other knives during the annual ABS Auction at the 39th Annual BLADE Show Aug. 7-9 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. The auction will begin at 10 a.m. the Saturday of the show, Aug. 8, in Room 103 of the Galleria Centre. All BLADE Show 2020 ticketholders are invited to attend. Each of the knives is donated by the applicable bladesmith. Proceeds go toward supporting ABS knifemaking instruction efforts. One of the auction knives also will raise money for The Order of the Mystic Brotherhood, or T.O.M.B, a “benevolent society” that supports bladesmithing in general and knifemaking instruction as well. The KNIVES ABS journeyman smith Jackson Rumble of Canberra,…

Note: Events with an asterisk (*) have knives and knife accessories as the main/sole focus. Events with two asterisks (**) are knifemaking seminars or symposiums, cutting competitions, auctions or other knife-related events. JUNE JUNE 8-12 CLYDE, NC American Bladesmith Society’s Handles and Guards Class, Haywood College. Contact ABS Coordinator Ken Hall 828-400-7815 khall@hallenergyconsulting.com.** JULY JULY 10-12 AUBURN, ME The 12th Annual New England Hammer-In, New England School of Metalwork. Contact Dereck Glaser 207-777-3375 or Cindy Sheely 419-832-0400 newenglandschoolofmetalwork.com/.** JULY 25-26 WASHINGTON, MO The 4th Annual AIK Summer Knife Show, Elks Lodge. Call 618-656-9868, email adamsknifeworks.com@gmail.com or visit aik-knifeshow.com.* JULY 27-AUG. 7 CLYDE, NC American Bladesmith Society’s Intro To Bladesmithing Class, Haywood College. Contact ABS Coordinator Ken Hall 828-400-7815 khall@hallenergyconsulting.com.** AUGUST AUGUST 7-9 ATLANTA, GA The 39th Annual BLADE Show, Cobb…

SPEC CHECK KNIFE: Coffin handle front flipper MAKER: Jim Taylor BLADE LENGTH: 3 1/8” BLADE MATERIAL: CPM 154 stainless steel FRAME: Titanium liners HANDLE MATERIAL: Vintage European Micarta® FITTINGS: Manually turned titanium pivot screws; pantograph inlaid bumbershoot/ umbrella logo shield CLOSED LENGTH: 3 7/8” MAKER’S LIST PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $650 Jim Taylor made his first coffi n handle folder last year for the Gathering of the Usual Suspect Network knife show and liked it so much he made another one. The handle material is vintage European Micarta®. Its Kevlar/weave surface appearance came about only after Jim sanded it. He opined that the look is unique and he hasn’t “seen anything else like it.” The fittings, including the clip, which also is coffin shaped, are anodized blue. The bumbershoot/umbrella…

The MIK-01 (Medium Infantry Knife) from Australia’s Halfbreed Blades is an overbuilt fixed-blade combat knife designed for “piercing, slashing and slicing tasks,” and “use by elite military units, infantry and members of the broader professional combat community.” Sporting one-piece full-tang construction, the 6.49-inch blade of D2 tool steel in a modified spear-point pattern features a fuller to lighten the load, partial serrations and a Teflon® coat to reduce glare and corrosion. Color coating options include black, dark earth and Ranger green. The 3D, CNC-machined G-10 handle is contoured for an enhanced grip with gloved hands and is secured by steel Torx fittings. The crusher pommel is suited as a glass breaker and hammer and has a large lanyard slot for paracord or carabiner attachment. An extra-large guard aids in control…

SATURDAY, AUG. 8 10-11 a.m.: Knives, Bad Guys and the Law: What To Know and Do If You Carry—Ernest Emerson, Room 104 10-11:15 a.m.: How To Throw Knives & Tomahawks—Bobby Branton, The Courtyard 10-11:45 a.m.: ABS Knife Auction, Room 103 (page 92) 1-2 p.m.: The What, Why and How of High-Endurance Performance Knives— BLADE® field editor Ed Fowler, Room 107 12-3 p.m.: Buck Collectors Club—Room 103 Noon-2 p.m.: 4th Annual Battle for Bali-Champion—Blade HQ, The Courtyard (the actual competition starts at 12:30 p.m.) 2:30-3:45 p.m.: Japanese Sword Demonstration—James Williams, The Courtyard 4:30 p.m. (tentative): BladeSports International Tournament-Style Competition—BladeSports International, The Courtyard…

The BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame® will welcome two new members this year. The inductees will be introduced during the BLADE Show Awards Reception the Saturday night of the show. Nominated and voted on by the sitting Cutlery Hall Of Fame members, the inductees must have a) demonstrated extraordinary service to the knife industry; b) displayed honesty, character and integrity; c) advanced the industry by the creativity and originality of their works or contributions; d) as ambassadors or outstanding contributors furthered the positive impact of the knife industry on the world at large; and e) in summary, demonstrated a worthiness to be a member of such a prestigious group. Last year’s inductees were Tony Bose, a pioneer, mentor and continued world leader in the making of modern slip-joint knives;…

It was long before Raegan Lee sold every knife she brought to BLADE Show 2019—her first time exhibiting—that another female in the knife community set the spark that drew the young knifemaker to the craft. “When I was really young, I went to Arizona for the weekend, and I met a woman. She wasn’t a female maker but she sold knives, and it was her shop,” Raegan stressed. “She ran it completely and kknew everything about every knife in there. And I was fascinated by her, because that was the first woman I knew who had such an interest iin knives.” Growing up, Lee collected knives. Her dad would gift her a knife on her birthday and for Christmas. And she’s not alone. She pointed out that the number of…

Being a knife guy on a budget can be a bit challenging. Though many folder options abound, that doesn’t necessarily mean the uptick in supply has lowered prices. In fact there is always a wide range of knives at varying costs. That wide range also means you should be able to find an everyday carry (EDC) knife to fit your budget. Besides, usually when someone spends big bucks on an EDC, it is likely to be more everyday carry than everyday user. There are many EDCs for $50 or less. Three include the Spyderco Insistent, SOG Terminus and Steel Will Modus. I carried them and used them just as I do my regular EDC—no crazy cutting tests or Kali fighting, just package-opening and renovation chores (the latter because I’m renovating…

SPEC CHART KNIFE NAME: Phoenix KNIFE PATTERN: Gyuto BLADE LENGTH: 10.24” BLADE MATERIAL: Damascus in a Phoenix feather pattern of 1095 carbon and 15N20 nickel alloy steels BLADE GEOMETRY: “S” type w/36” hollow grind HANDLE MATERIAL: Bog oak HANDLE SPACERS: Nickel silver and G-10 OVERALL LENGTH: 16.7” MAKER’S LIST PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: Contact the maker for information MAKER: Joseph Schrum, Halcyon Forge, Dept. BL6, 22190 Highway T., Sedalia, MO 65301-0208 636-226-5846 halcyonforge@gmail.com, halcyonforge.com, Instagram/ Facebook: halcyonforge/halcyon forge (SharpByCoop image) SPEC CHART KNIFE TYPE: Fighter BLADE LENGTH: 7” BLADE MATERIAL: Mosaic damascus BLADE PATTERN: Harpoon HANDLE MATERIAL: American elk antler HANDLE DESIGN: Bird’s beak HANDLE ESCUTCHEON: Mosaic damascus FRAME & SPACER: Argentium silver, both fileworked FITTINGS: Damascus guard and eescutcheon OVERALL LENGTH: 12.75” SHEATH: Hand-stitched w/farm-raised sustainable Nile crocodile…

BLADE Show 2020 not only is the ideal place to record cutlery history in the making, it also provides the opportunity to increase the value of the knives you buy while you’re there. The 39th rendition of the globe’s most colossal knife show is set for Aug. 7-9 (pages 12, 22, 67, 92 and 109), and makers from far and wide will bring their best knives to sell to show patrons. It’s the ideal time to use your smartphone—or even a camera, heaven forbid—to help establish the provenance of the knife you buy, a provenance that not only can you show proudly to anyone and everyone who might be interested in the cool little enclave of makers that comprise the knife industry, but also to help increase the knife’s value.…

Top balisong flippers from all parts known and unknown will descend on the BLADE Show to vie for the title of “Grand Master” in the 4th Annual Battle for Bali-Champion sponsored and conducted by Blade HQ. The top three finishers will receive prizes and all participants will get swag bags. The competition will be limited to 48 contestants. BLADE Show ticket holders are invited to watch the competition in The Courtyard under the BLADE University Tent on show Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. Competitors will start flipping knives at 12:30 p.m.…

Hot knife topics and some of the best instructors to teach them is what the 7th Annual BLADE University is all about beginning the day before the BLADE Show and concluding BLADE Show Saturday. Sponsored by Work Sharp, BLADE University will include The REAL Viking Seax, with Emiliano Carrillo; Big Knife Bushcraft, with Joe Flowers of Condor Tool & Knife; Chef’s Knife Blade Geometry, with ABS master smith Bill Burke; A Military History of Daggers, with award-winning knifemakers Bill Harsey and Les George; How to Make Zanjir Chevron Damascus, with ABS journeyman smith Tom Ward and bladesmith Salem Straub; How To Use a Disc Sander, with ABS master smith Timothy Potier; How To Run a Knife Business, with ABS master smith Murray Carter; How To Make a Keyhole Handle Knife,…

“My everyday carry is actually not just one knife. Being an avid outdoorsman as well as working at a hardware store, I’m constantly involved with projects that require the functions of more than one style of knife. I carry a Leatherman Kick multi-tool and Victorinox Swiss Champ on my belt, with an added leather loop riveted to the Leatherman sheath to hold my Maglite® flashlight. My front right pocket has a Kovacek clip knife. And in my pants watch pocket I carry a small Gerber pliers/multi-tool. The Kovacek is my quick access knife for opening boxes to cutting cord or rope. My Leatherman is good for cutting wire, loosening or tightening bolts, screws, etc. I use the mini Gerber in conjunction with the Kick for holding things. My Swiss Army…

These days, it’s all about convenience. Unless you drink beer, there aren’t many other bottled beverages whose caps require a “lifter,” with the majority being of the twist-off variety. However, lately there has been a resurgence of some soda brands being available in glass bottles. You can use a bottle opener with them, too. We rounded up a few of the latest bottle-opener knives to see what’s new out there. These are fully functional tools that can serve for EDC and as effective top-poppers. So, grab your favorite bottled beverage and try out the latest in bottle-opener knives. LOTS of FEATURES One of Smith & Wesson’s most recent knife offerings is the Benji, a stubby framelock folder with an ultra-compact tanto blade. Hollow-ground from 8Cr13MoV stainless steel, the 1.75-inch pattern…

FRIDAY, AUG. 7 8 a.m.: Exhibitor set-up continues; only those wearing Exhibitor Badges admitted. 8 a.m.: ABS Journeyman & Master Smith Testing, Rooms 103 & 104, respectively. (Closed to the public.) 8:30 a.m.: Knifemakers’ Guild Board Meeting, Room 107. 10 a.m.: Show opens to Early Bird Ticket holders and designated badge holders. 11 a.m.: Show opens to CAP pass holders. 12 p.m.: Show opens to the public. 12 p.m.: All entries for the BLADE Magazine 2020 Knife Of The Year® Awards should be on display for judging. 3:30 p.m.: Table exhibitors only bring all entries for the Custom Knife Judging to Room 104. No knives accepted after 4 p.m.! You must be a full-paying table exhibitor to enter a knife. 4 p.m.-5:15 p.m.: Custom Knife Judging in Room 104. 5…

STEVE BAKER Steve has been with Work Sharp, a maker of a wide range of sharpeners, for more than 17 years. He has extensive knowledge of sharpening and different kinds of sharpeners. TONY BOSE Tony is a pioneer in the rejuvenation of slip joint and multi-blade folders in the modern custom knife industry. He has won many awards for his knives and taught the subject extensively, and is in the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame. BILL BURKE An ABS master smith, Bill specializes in forged fixed blades with gorgeous damascus and mosaic damascus steel, including a number of award-winning chef's knives. He has taught knives and knifemaking at knife shows and hammer-ins around the country. EMILIANO CARRILLO Emiliano has been bladesmithing for six years, focusing heavily in historical styles,…

It was a really big day for my 7-year-old son. Over the past two years he has mentally matured in a way hard to describe. Within the past several months his conversations are noticeably more structured, controlled and concise. For me, the obvious change in his cognitive development is a source of pride in raising this growing mini-me, so to speak. So, how do I encourage his positive development that reflects my pride in him as his father? In reading about cognitive development for boys his age, I learned it is during this time they begin to transition from a mindset led by fantasy into one that understands how to do things in a correct way governed by logic and reason (see Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development). With that,…