Tabla de contenidos para February 2020 en Blade

Standard Sharpness Rating I live in Ferring, a village on the English Channel coast, 50 miles south of London. I am a member of our University of the Third Age, an academic organization for the “retired-but-still-curious” community. We have a science group that meets regularly to discuss scientific matters in the news and of general interest. A question was posed recently asking how to rate the sharpness of a blade. I have been in touch with an organization here that tests blades to internationally recognized standards. A spokesperson for the organization explained to me that there is no word or words to rate sharpness, as every blade differs in matters such as type and quality of material, purpose, weight, angle of grind, etc., which makes absolute sense. However, I suspect…

Editor’s note: It’s been a long time since High Endurance Performance Knife master smith/BLADE® field editor Ed Fowler last wrote for BLADE—since the September 2017 issue, to be exact. Ill health forced one of our favorite scribes to attend to something much more demanding of his time than writing: his own well-being. He’s better now, though, and back—and you’ve got him! Enjoy! Often I find myself wondering where my desire to make knives originated. I often come up with many little pieces of my personal history that pointed me in the direction I usually find myself. This article covers one tiny piece of many experiences that led me to what I do. EARLY LESSONS One of my early knife recollections is seeing my grandfather open his pocketknife and sharpen his…

The past two years I have noticed all sorts of carving taking off in popularity—spoon to folk, chip carving and even relief carving. If you carve, you need something sharp to do it. Most of the edged tools in this article focus on spoon carving. One tool gets into some detail carving. Because of the number of edged implements reviewed, I will give you my impressions on each company’s lines rather than a lot of detail about the specs, which you can research via the Internet. I have been carving for a number of years now and want to give you a feel for the performance of these tools. FULL-TANG TANGO The Condor Curved Knife ($49.95 MSRP) is a hook knife and the Classic Carver Model 62702 ($59.98 MSRP) is…

Beyond work-a-day use, tiny fixed blades such as neck knives can be used for bushcraft tasks. Otzi the Iceman, a 5,000-year-old mummy discovered in the Alps in 1991, made his entire outfit, clothing, bow, backpack frame, etc., with a knife that had a 2.5-inch flint blade. I don’t have Otzi’s skills, but for some years I have worn a 2-inch-blade neck knife via a dog-tag chain. With it, while demonstrating such skills for students, I’ve made field-expedient bows, arrows, atlatls and spears. I’ve split bone for needles and fishhooks, cut scrap skins into usable thongs and split various plant stems to make cord. I’ve also used the little blade to make fish traps from discarded plastic water bottles and to dress fish and small game for cooking. Most of the…

14 CUTS ABOVE P. 12 Jens Anso, Dept. BL2, GL. Skanderborgvej 116, Sporup, DENMARK 8472, Phone: 45 86968826, info@ansoknives.com; Web: www.ansoknives.com; Arizona Custom Knives, attn.: A. McMichael, Dept. BL2, 150 Hilden Rd., Ste. 315, Ponte Vedra, FL 32081 904-826-4178 arizonacustomknives.com; CAS Brothers, attn.: Claudio Sobral, Dept. BL2, Malabia 1364, Villa Ballester, CP1655, Argentina clacuchillos@live.com.ar, casknives.com; John Denton, c/o Bad Bob’s Knives, Dept. BL2, 703 Hiawassee Est. Dr., Hiawassee, GA 30546 706-781-8479 jwdenton@windstream.net, boblovelessknives.com; Dave Ellis, c/oExquisiteknives.com, Dept. BL2, 770 Sycamore Ave., Ste. 122, Box 451, Vista, CA 92083 760-945-7177 exquisiteknives@gmail.com; www.exquisiteknives.com; Kevin Foster (see Sako Rouchanian); Alex Gev, Dept. BL2, blvd. “Osvobogdenie” 44, Kazanlak, 6100, Bulgaria +359 887 429 652 or +359 889 313 627 info@alexgev-artmasater.com, alexgev-artmaster.com; Jonas Iglesias, Dept. BL2, 3783 Stuart St., Apopka, FL 32703 305-764-7907 iglesias1125@aol.com ;…

Sometimes things must come together just right for good things to happen. Such is the case with Matt Gaskill’s custom World War I trench knife reproduction. A friend of Matt’s had been after him to make a trench knife and, since the enactment of HB 1935 in Texas in 2017, it is legal for an adult to carry any knife legal to possess anywhere in the state as long as the blade is not over 5.5 inches.* At 5.5 inches, the blade of Matt’s knife is not over the maximum length limit. “I drew up my own version of the knife and revised it with my friend a little,” Matt said. “The traditional trench knife had a lot of brass and we didn’t want to go with that.” However, to…

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 5600 W. Grande Market Dr. Ste. 100 Appleton, WI 54913 or email steve@blademag.com.…

What collectors look for in the hottest custom knives is embodied in 14 outstanding examples of fixed blades and folders submitted to BLADE® by several top industry purveyors. The knives are built by ssome of the most talented makers extant, makers with talent levels that seem to be going nowhere but up. When it comes to showcasing the world’s top custom makers in terms of knife mechanisms and locks, it’s hard to beat those who build folders. Argentina’s Javier Vogt is making some of the slickest and best looking autos anywhere, including his Art Knife Folding Auto, this issue’s cover knife. Vogt has the vote of Carlos Lopez of Knife Treasures. “He is a young knifemaker that h has a very bright future. He is one of the hottest makers…

According to Blue Spruce Toolworks (bluesprucetoolworks.com), sloyd is a word derived from the Swedish word slojd, meaning handiwork or crafts, and a slojd knife could be considered a knife made for such endeavors. The Teacher’s Hand-book of Slojd written by Otto Salomon in 1892 describes the original sloyd knife as having a tapered blade about 4 inches long and no more than three-quarters of an inch wide. The edge was straight and the tip came down at an angle forming a blunt point—kind of like a narrow, squared-off sheepsfoot or wharncliffe blade. The handle was barrel shaped. Blue Spruce Toolworks stated that most contemporary sloyd knives are not patterned after the original design.— by BLADE® staff…

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. JANUARY JAN. 18-19 KINGMAN, AZ Pioneer Country Events Gun & Knife, Coins and Collectibles Show, Mohave County Fairgrounds. Visit pioneercountryevents.com. JAN. 21-24 LAS VEGAS, NV The 42nd Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, Sands Expo and Convention Center. For the trade only. Visit https://www.lasvegashowto.com/shot-show-lasvegas for more information. JAN. 24-25 LAS VEGAS, NV Las Vegas Custom Knife Show, Palace Station Hotel & Casino. For more information visit fiftyfiftyproductions.net/las-vegascustom-knife-show-info.* JAN. 25-26 ST. LOUIS, MO Gateway Area Knife Club, Carpenters Hall. Contact Steve Markus 314-795-4262 smarkus@gakc.org, gakc.org.* JAN. 31-FEB. 2 LAKELAND, FL The 42nd Annual Gator Cutlery Club Custom, Modern…

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 cover piece is the latest in a series of stunning folders by Javier Vogt. Winner of the award for Best Folder at both BLADE Show 2019 and the 2019 BLADE Show West, Vogt specializes in automatics with clever releases, among others, and the cover piece is a classic example. Deploying via a guard release, the 4.75-inch blade is a ladder-pattern damascus forged by Marcial Dos Santos. The antique tortoise handle houses a lockback mechanism. Closed length: 5.5 inches. The knife carries in an elegant leather zippered case and stores in an expertly crafted wooden box custom made by Vogt. Knife Treasures’ price: $8,500. For more information contact Javier Vogt, Dept. BL2, 409 N 2915, Villa Elisa, Buenos Aires 1894 Argentina javi_lp@hotmail.com; Carlos Lopez, c/o Knife Treasures, Dept. BL2, 10097…

“My everyday knife is the ABKT Tanto in the Thin Blue Line Series to commemorate law enforcement officers. It’s a great knife and has thin, blue-line anodized liners. It’s a beautiful knife.”Ricky Neely, Covington, Georgia “I carry a JPT-3S drop-point BP folder by Ontario. Joe Pardue, Mel’s son, designed it. Like father like son, eh? I like the recurve blade and the handle fits me a like a glove.”Sol Smith, a letter via e-mail “I pocket an E6 by William Henry Knives. It’s a great EDC. The M390 blade steel is borderline brutish.”Rodney J. Mansfield, Jr., a letter via e-mail For the latest knives, knife news, trends and more visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s popular Instagram page @blade_magazine, and on Facebook and Twitter.…

The popularity of neck knives has increased over the past decade. Many observers, however, have opined that such blades lack any utility. My team and I recently reviewed three neckers with the focus on exactly that—everyday utility. After doing initial examinations to see how sharp the knives were from the factory, we put them to the test by accompanying a friend who owns a security alarm company and working with him to install alarms. Our initial sharpness test was to slice ripe tomatoes and grapes. Forget about cutting paper as a sharpness test. My daughter-in-law’s $1.95 paring knife will cut paper. It will not cut a wafer-thin slice from a grape or a ripe tomato without squishing the fruit. Each of the review neck knives passed the wafer-slice test. That…

Lockbacks are some of the oldest locking-blade folders extant. Before the linerlock, the AXIS™ Lock, the Compression Lock®, the framelock and more, there were lockbacks. Operating off a lever principle, the lockback has a spring bias that places a tooth in the end of the bar into a corresponding notch in the tang, which in turn prevents the blade from inadvertently folding closed. The release or lockbar is situated at the rear of the handle, though some lockbacks have the release in the middle* for ease of one-hand closing. Lockbacks appear more in the outdoor, hunting and EDC folder genres and rarely in today’s tactical models. They cost less to manufacture than most other locks as well. FEATURE CREATURE SOG’s Salute line of lockbacks exhibits several hallmarks of modern tactical…

SPEC CHART KNIFE NAME: The Alzheimer’s Fight KNIFE TYPE: Fixed-blade fighter BLADE LENGTH: 9” BLADE MATERIAL: W2 tool steel w/hamon BLADE PATTERN: Harpoon HANDLE: Stabilized bog oak and big leaf maple, ivory G-10 liners and spacers, brass pins and mosaic center pin w/maker’s logo OVERALL LENGTH: 14” KNIFE TO KNOW: Knife was made for the Greater East Ohio Alzheimer’s Association 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer’s; the maker auctioned it on Instagram and Facebook and raised over $2,000, which went directly to the Alzheimer’s Association MAKER’S LIST PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $950 MAKER: Jesse Miller, Jesse Miller Made Custom Works, Dept. BL2, 1784 County Rd. 144, Sugarcreek, OH 44681 330-260-1060 jessemillermade@ gmail.com, Instagram/Facebook: @ jessemillermade/Jesse Miller Made Custom Works (SharpByCoop image) SPEC CHART  KNIFE MODEL: Bird & Trout Keyhole Hunter…

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of Willey Knives, observances are in the making. The company has two standing annual events: one celebrating Case knives in June and a fall open house. Case is making a limited-edition 50th - anniversary knife for the happening in the spring, while Buck Knives will be contributing a 50th -anniversary knife for the autumn gathering. “I am trying to plan a number of special things for our 50th anniversary in 2020,” Geri Elliott explained. “Besides our two events and the limited-edition knives, I am planning on doing some giveaways in the store and on Facebook and Instagram. Matt and I talked with some of our companies at the SHOT Show in January, and we might be doing some other limited-edition knives besides Buck and…

A growing favorite of the outdoor crowd, carabiner knives and multi-tools have carved out a niche in the cutlery market. While not for concealed-carry types, they are for those who like a readily accessible knife or tool and who make no bones about showing it off. Spyderco might well have invented the genre with its Snap-It series in 1993. The most recent update of the Snap-It series is the Snap-It Salt. The front-lock folder features Spyderco’s H-1, an extremely corrosion-resistant nitrogen steel, in a 2.96-inch, fully serrated drop-point blade. The bright-yellow FRN (fiberglass-reinforced nylon) handle has black Kraton inserts. Closed length: 5 inches. The star of the show is the fixed shackle, which features a spring-loaded wire gate for attachment to carabiners, loops and D-rings. The first thing you notice…