Blade的April 2025目录

Solvang Custom Knife Show Shout Out I would like to give a shout out for the new Solvang Custom Knife Show. I was lucky enough to have attended a few of the shows back in the 1990s under the original three-day format. It was always a must-do event and a great time. I met two dear friends at that show, John Jerome and Ray Appleton, so it has great memories for me. I also attended the last show Dave Harvey had in Solvang. It was a great show but we all knew it was the end of an era. So it was that I was very excited when I heard a few collectors and makers got together and with Dave’s blessing revived the show in 2023. As a result, the…

Every collector, buyer, seller or trader has one—maybe more. It’s that famous or infamous transaction that let a particular knife slip away or maybe left it on the table or went to someone else when you just couldn’t raise your hand another time during a heated auction exchange. For some these were learning experiences, for others maybe bitter-sweet moments sprinkled across decades in the knife business. And there are those that have seen the same knives come, go and come around again. Longevity in the knife business increases the odds of a dra matic occurrence, as well as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that evaporates within minutes. “There are the ones that got away and two or three that are just memorable,” remarked former BLADE® publisher/editor, BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member and…

“I carry a three-blade Ulster made in the late 1940s. The size is perfect for pocket carry. I use it for everything, such as carving. I cut a sapling out of the ground and have been using the knife to carve it into a walking stick, including carving the knob/root end into the shape of a chickadee.”Ben House, Chickamauga, Georgia For the latest knives, knife news, trends and more, visit blademag.com, BLADE®'s popular Instagram page @blade_magazine, and on Facebook and X (Twitter) WIN A KNIFE! Tell us what knife you carry. Add a little history or an anecdote. Try to include a photograph—if digital, at least 600 KB but no larger than 2 MB—of you with your knife. We will publish your comments in an upcoming “The Knife I Carry.” Your name will then be entered in a…

Robert Young reproduces BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Bob Loveless’s New York Special fixed blade in a flipper folder format, and it’s something that would probably please even Bob himself. Young also makes a standard fixedblade repro of the knife. He holds it and the folder—when the folder’s open, both knives are the same size—side by side at shows to see if customers can tell which one’s which, and nine times out of 10 they can’t. Around 1976-77 when he was 16 and a California resident, he learned a man making knives lived three doors down from a friend’s grandfather’s house. Robert visited the man and it turned out to be Loveless. He had no idea who Bob was until later and then visited him about a dozen times. “He…

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. BOOK SALES: Visit us at www.gundigeststore.com or 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, 5583 W. Waterford Ln., Suite D., Appleton, WI 54913. LETTERS OR ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS: Steve Shackleford, Editor BLADE Magazine 5583 W. Waterford Ln., Suite D Appleton, WI 54913 or email steve@blademag.com.…

Historically speaking, slipjoints have been the gateway for many into the wonderful hobby of knife collecting. Whether a Swiss Army knife, trapper, stockman or what have you, slipjoints are easily carried and plenty useful in daily life for the mundane—and not so mundane—cutting tasks that crop up. They continue to endure and have staying power over the generations. Like most things, slipjoints have evolved over time, as has knife collecting overall. The industry is continuing to see slipjoints that incorporate advanced materials for both blades and handles, as well as more exciting and progressive designs in general. There’s an excellent variety out there. Ready for a closer look? SNAKE FANG Jack Wolf Knives (JWK) is a hot contender in modern slipjoints. It offers knives in contemporary styling with a…

The effect Tony Bose had and continues to have on custom and factory knives is far reaching, from the many custom makers he influenced, including his son Reese, to the factory collaborations he did for Case. However, perhaps nowhere is his influence as observable as it is with the South Texas Slipjoint Cartel. Bill Ruple is the leader of the Cartel, and Tony’s impact on Bill flows directly to the Cartel’s many outstanding slipjoint-making members, including Tom Ploppert, Tim Robertson, Luke Swenson and others. The knife that Tony said made him famous is the saddlehorn trapper, and most every Cartel member has made several renditions of it, not to mention other Bose standards such as the Lanny’s Clip, Zulu spear, Back Pocket, five-blade sowbelly, Arkansas Hunter and others. Tony was…

Long, lean and sharp is what you get with the Olympian flipper folder (page 34) from CobraTec. A false edge runs almost the entire length of the blade, and the textured handle includes a fuller. The glassbreaker is anodized blue and incorporates a lanyard hole. Stanley Buzek outfits his one-blade trapper (page 22) in a clip-point blade of feather damascus forged by ABS master smith Mike Tyre, and the bolsters are adorned in scroll engraving with gold inlay by Alice Carter. An acorn shield accents both mammoth ivory scales. The Venom Jack slippy (page 14) from Jack Wolf Knives cuts with a humpbacked wharncliffe blade that folds out of a patchwork-textured handle secured by screws anodized pink. The knife rides in a leather pouch. The Piranha is from Suprlativ, which…

SPEC CHART KNIFE: Single-blade slipjoint BLADE LENGTH: 3 3/8” BLADE STEEL: Feather damascus forged by ABS journeyman smith Mike Tyre BLADE GRIND: Hollow BLADE PATTERN: Clip point BLADE OPENER: Nail pull SCALES: Mammoth ivory LINERS/BOLSTERS: 416 stainless in an integral construction ENGRAVING: Alice Carter, including 24k-gold inlay KNIFE TO KNOW: Fileworked liners and acorn shield CLOSED LENGTH: 4.25” MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMI-LAR KNIFE: $2,800 MAKER: Stanley Buzek, Dept. BL4, Caldwell, Texas 346-412-2532 stan@sbuzekknives.com, sbuzekknives.com(Jocelyn Frasier image) SPEC CHART KNIFE TYPE: Flipper folder  BLADE LENGTH: 3”  BLADE STEEL: Feather damascus BLADE GRIND: Flat BLADE PATTERN: Clip point LOCK: Linerlock SCALES: Ancient walrus ivory BOLSTER: Stainless steel engraved by Alice Carter w/24k-gold inlay LINERS: Titanium; fileworked and anodized SCREWS: 24k-gold plated  CLOSED LENGTH: 3 15/16” MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMI-LAR KNIFE: $2,500…

It’s immediate. It’s visual. It’s effective. These are just a few of the attributes that describe the impact of social media on modern life. Whatever the topic, some form of social media allows participants, observers, critics and commentators to weigh in, expressing their views and—of course—buying and selling. For instance, the platform of Instagram has become a prominent factor in the marketing of many custom knifemakers, purveyors and collectors, and the reasons for the phenomenon are varied. They center around the immediacy, visual quality and effectiveness in showcasing and selling, developing a following, and generally in raising a knifemaker’s profile in the all-important marketplace. Setting up an Instagram account is simple, cost-effective and for many generates the desired results. “Instagram and other social media platforms are an excellent way to…

SPEC CHART GUARDIAN 3.2 COMPANY: Bradford USA BLADE LENGTH: 3 1/8” BLADE STEEL: CPM MagnaCut stainless ROCKWELL HARDNESS: 63-64 HRC BLADE FINISH: Stonewashed black BLADE GRIND: Saber BLADE PATTERN: Drop point SCALES: Jade-green G-10 CONSTRUCTION: Full tang WEIGHT: 4.5 ozs. OVERALL LENGTH: 7 1/8” SHEATH: Pouch type in 6-to-7-oz. leather COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA MSRP: $229 EDC fixed blades are very popular, small enough to avoid unwanted attention yet able to do most jobs. They often range from 2-to-4-inch blade lengths and 3-to-4-inch handles. Usually carried in a cross draw or pocket sheath, in a pinch they can be used for self-protection (if you have training). In general, it is a very useful tool that is always on you. I carry one constantly. The Guardian 3.2 in CPM MagnaCut stainless…

CAS Hanwei Announces Factory Change CAS Iberia officials regret to announce that the original CAS Hanwei factory has closed. According to a CAS Hanwei press release, “We have expected this to happen for some time, and have taken steps to minimize its impact. The factory producing our CAS Hanwei products was facing many challenges and, unfortunately, was unable to remain open despite all efforts. But the CAS Hanwei brand will endure.” CAS is moving forward with manufacturing the CAS Hanwei brand of products under the direction of Frenchie Jin at the Dragon King forge in Dalian, China. Frenchie was the original engineer behind the design and manufacture of the CAS Hanwei products with Paul Chen for decades. “We are planning upgrades and improvements to some items,” the press release noted.…

Note: Entries with an asterisk (*) include knives and knife accessories as the main/sole focus. Entries with two asterisks (**) include knife seminars or symposiums, cutting or balisong competitions, auctions or other knife-related events. MARCH MARCH 7-8 FORT WORTH, TX The 4th Annual BLADE Show Texas, Fort Worth Convention Center. Visit bladeshowtexas.com.* ** MARCH 7-8 GODFREY, IL Bunker Hill Knife Club Knife Show, Alton-Wood River Sportsmen’s Club. Contact Scott Longnecker slongnecker69@gmail.com 618-779-9773.* MARCH 14-16 PIGEON FORGE, TN Spring Spirit of Steel Pigeon Forge Knife Show, Smoky Mountain Convention Center. Visit spiritofsteel-knifeshow.com.* ** MARCH 21-22 DUNDEE, MI Wolverine Knife Collector’s Club State Line Knife Show, Dundee Community Center. MARCH 28-30 JANESVILLE, WI 2025 Badger Knife Show, Holiday Inn Express and Janesville Conference Center. Contact www.badgerknifeclub.com or call Robert Schrap 414-479-9765 or email nancyschrap@aol.com.*…

A.G. Russell Knives, Inc. www.agrussell.com ag@agrussell.com A.G. Russell The Cutting Edge® www.cuttingedge.com ce-asst@cuttingedge.com Admiral Steel www.admiralsteel.com sales@admiralsteel.com Widest Range of Stock for Blade Needs Andre de Villiers www.advtactical.co.za Facebook - Andre de Villiers Facebook Group - ADV SOB BADNESS IG - advtactical adv44sales@gmail.com Butcher SOB folders and button lock flippers Arizona Custom Knives www.arizonacustomknives.com sharptalk@arizonacustomknives.com Largest selection in the world of new and consigned knives on the internet. Let us help you find the perfect knife Artknives.com www.artknives.com fred@fredeisenleather.com BladeGallery.com www.bladegallery.com www.bladeconnection.com www.epicedge.com Buckeye Engraving www.BuckeyeEngraving.com Make Your Mark Manufacturer of Custom Hand Stamps, Dies and Brands Cutlery Specialties www.restorationproduct.com dennis13@aol.com Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax/Polish, Dennis Blaine Ed Fowler Knives www.edfowler.com eafwb@wyoming.com High Endurance Performance Knives Emerson Knives, Inc. 100% Made In The USA https://emersonknives.com 310-539-5633 Farina Fine Arts www.farinafinearts.com studio@farinafinearts.com…