Tabla de contenidos para October 2021 en Blade

As the fall outdoor season approaches, it’s important to assess your gear and decide if you need to purchase new equipment—hunting knives included. It’s time to maintain what you have or buy brand new models that will assist in camp chores and/or dressing game. Fixed-blade hunters play an important role on the hunt as they do a lot more than just field dress. They also help prepare meals, prep firewood for cooking, and any other cutting chores that crop up. An example of one of the latest such edged tools is the ADK Keene Valley Hunter from Ontario Knife Co. The wide drop-point blade of 420HC stainless steel adapts to cutting or camp tasks easily. It offers plenty of belly to do the aforementioned chores and field dressing, too. Full-tang…

D.R. Davis won Most Innovative Design for his Carbon Fiber Lanny. The innovation is the slip joint’s spring, which is made of aerospace carbon fiber. “I researched the internet and could not find any reference to a carbon fiber spring,” Davis wrote. “This design significantly reduces the weight of the knife. It weighs 3 ounces and a conventional one of the same pattern weighs 4.5 ounces.” He machined the components, spring, liners and bolsters out of carbon fiber. “I set up a test fixture simulating the action of the blade and spring using a small drill press with a VFD [variable speed frequency drive] to slow the revolutions, magnetic pickup counter, and a cam with the same lift as the tang of a slip-joint knife,” he explained. He tested the…

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 1-to-2 p.m. in Meeting Room 202: BACK FROM THE EDGE OF DULL—Maintaining a keen edge on your knife requires sharpening it on a regular basis. However, regular sharpening isn’t always done and the edge may go almost completely dull as a result. According to Clay Allison of Wicked Edge, his company has the tools to bring your knife back from the edge of dull. Let him show you how. 3-to-4 p.m. in Meeting Room 202: LET THE PROS CRITIQUE YOUR KNIFE—A panel of award-winning knifemakers and bladesmiths share their decades of knowledge and experience in critiquing your custom knife. Ernest Emerson, Jason Knight, Steve Schwarzer, Andreas Kalani, Enrique Pena and Mike Tyre will go over every square inch of your knife and tell you what is good…

When it comes to the knives I have carried as my “EDC,” most of my work demands the reliability of the point and the cutting edge. As a simple demonstration, from about shoulder height I drop a knife point down onto a cement floor. BLADE® Editor Steve Shackleford saw my demonstration at the last BLADE Show and asked me how I achieved a point of a knife that could withstand that kind of torture. Thus, this article came to be—I hope. It’s at this point many times that I am lost at how to write what I want to say in order that readers will understand. Bear with me and hopefully it will all come out in the wash. WHICH STEEL? The point as well as the entire blade depends…

It’s hard to find anything more beautiful than a shapely woman’s leg, and Travis Payne revisits the concept in knife terms with his Gal Leg fixed blade. Study the leg handle and you can see how it would be eminently ergonomic. “That was the whole point of the knife—to get a handle shape that both looked like a leg and was pleasing to grip,” the maker from Telephone, Texas, noted. Leg handles long were favored among manufacturers of antique pocketknives back in the day, but there’s something about Payne’s version with the boot for a bolster, swaybacked handle with the indentation about where the back of the knee would be and the—ahem—handle butt that all comes together. You might say the knife has a leg up on the competition. For…

This issue’s four featured cover knives are all utility hunters, each representing some of the finest of their genre in the factory realm. From top they are the Kizlyar Supreme Caspian, Case Winkler Kyle Lamb Hunter, Spyderco Bow River and Ontario Keene Valley Hunter. To see how they fair in testing, all their vital specifications and more, read Dexter Ewing’s story on page 12. The floral handcarved strap pouch sheath at top left is by Kenny Rowe of Rowe’s Leather. Check out it and other of today’s top hunter sheaths in Mike Haskew’s story on page 22. The Eastern-style fixed blade at top right is a pesh-kabz by ABS master smith Jordan LaMothe, winner of Best Fighter and Hugh Bartrug Best Of Show at BLADE Show 2021. For more on…

“My wife took this picture while I was waiting for her car to be serviced. I was fully engrossed in the article about the chute knives. Love your magazine. My normal everyday carry is a CRKT Piet and I primarily collect Case teardrops.”Jim Grimes, Greencastle, Indiana “The knife I carry is a Benchmade Lum. It has a 3.25-inch blade and is 4.75 inches closed. It is smooth opening and locks tight. Its size and pocket clip make it comfortable to carry. I also keep an unused one in my collection.”Frank Ricco, Shoreline, Washington “I carry the all-black Scoria folder by Artisan Cutlery. The handle fits my hand great and cuts like a good knife should.”Emory Livingston, a letter via e-mail For the latest knives, knife news, trends, and more, visit blademag.com,…

Historical perspective is a relevant component in just about any undertaking. In the realm of cut, incorporating an appreciation of the past into the work of today brings another dimension to the custom knifemaker’s statement. Interest in the knifemaking of a bygone era offers a window into the true artistry required to reproduce the knives of yesteryear, particularly with the absence of modern conveniences in the shop. Along with the interest in the historical knife, several custom makers bring famous designs, styles and patterns to life once again in tribute to those who have gone before. The idea of the period piece blends old and new. “I’ve been making knives seriously since about 2002 when I took a class with the American Bladesmith Society in Washington, Arkansas,” lated ABS…

CRUISING FOR A USING P. 12 Case, attn: F. Feightner, Dept. BL10, 50 Owens Way, Bradford, PA 16701 800-523-6350 CR@caseknives.com, www.wrcase.com; Kizlyar, c/o CAS Iberia, attn: B. Pogue, Dept. BL10, 650 Industrial Blvd., Sale Creek, TN 37373-9797 423.332.4700 bpogue@casiberia.com, www.casiberia.com; Ontario Knife Co., attn: P. Tsujimoto, Dept. BL10, 26 Empire St., Franklinville, NY 14737 716.676.5527/800.222.5233 fax 716-676-5535 knifesales@ontarioknife.com, www.ontarioknife.com; Spyderco, attn: J. Laituri, Dept. BL10, 820 Spyderco Way, Golden, CO 80403 800-525-7770 spyderco.com, sfo@spyderco.com HUNTER SHEATHS P. 22 Julian Antunes, Brazil, julianbladesmith@gmail.com; Nathan Carothers, North Carolina, carothersknives.com; Chris Kravitt, sheathmkr@aol.com; Paul LeBatard, Dept. BL10, 14700 Old River Rd, Vancleave, MS 39565 Contact: 228-826-4137, (fax) Cell phone: 228-238-7461, lebatardknives@aol.com; Kenny Rowe, c/o Rowe’s Leather, Dept. BL10, 3219 Hwy 29 S., Hope, AR 71801 870-777-8216 rowesleather.com, rowesleather@yahoo.com FRAME HANDLE CONSTRUCTION P. 30…

ABS master smith Sam Lurquin is an imposing man by most standards. Checking in at over 6-foot-6 and 204 pounds, the big Belgian began his award-winning bladesmithing career over 20 years ago. A trainer of working dogs, Sam decided to make bladesmithing his full-time occupation about five years ago. Meanwhile, his dog training is strictly limited to home these days as most of his free time is spent at the forge. Sam answered questions through his interpreter, Stephan. When asked why he chose bladesmithing and what about the forging process he enjoys, Lurquin was quick to respond. “I like designing and also drawing my designs,” he said. “The forging process fascinates me but what I like best are the reactions of my many happy customers and end users.” He added…

For the hunter in the field, a dependable and durable hunting knife is indispensable equipment, and it follows that the sheath that holds the knife must be equally up to the task. Secure carry, protection for the blade and handle, easy access, and the ability to stand up to the elements and hard use are essential. While there is a variety of sheaths available and each one contributes something to the equation, the sheathmakers themselves have come to eye-opening conclusions as to the making and deployment of the correct sheath for the hunting knife. Personal preference is still a prime mover, but the basics make the difference between co-operation and catastrophe in the field. “The best style for a hunting knife sheath is whatever the hunter wants,” explained veteran sheathmaker…

Last issue we outlined seven of the custom knife judging award winners at BLADE Show 2021 in an approach new for BLADE®—by recording the judges in the judging room as they explained their rationale for choosing the winners. This time we are using the same approach to celebrate the balance of the winners. The BLADE Show picked four outstanding judges of knifemaking talent—ABS master smiths Harvey Dean, Mike Quesenberry and Jim Rodebaugh, and long-time custom knife purveyor Les Robertson—to rate the show’s best of the best. Following is the balance of the winners and the judges’ rationale for picking them. All were honored in a special presentation ceremony in The Pit of the Renaissance-Waverly Hotel, the host hotel for the BLADE Show, on show Saturday night. It was the first…

A new state-of-the-art show venue, some of the world’s top custom and factory knifemakers, and action-packed chef’s knife and knife flipping championships will be but a few highlights of BLADE Show West 2021 Friday and Saturday Oct. 8-9 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. As with this year’s BLADE Show, it’s been two years since the last BLADE Show West, which was held in Portland, Oregon, the two-year wait being the result of the worldwide pandemic. This will be the first BLADE Show West in Long Beach, though nearby Costa Mesa was home to the show at one time. At press time such outstanding custom makers as BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Ron Lake; Dennis Friedly; Duane Dwyer; a number of members of the South Texas…

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. AUGUST AUG. 27-29 TROY, OH The ABS Mid-America Bladesmithing Symposium, Miami County Fairgrounds. Call Cindy 419-832-0400 americanbladesmith.com.** AUG. 28-29 ST. LOUIS, MO Gateway Area Knife Club Cutlery Fair, Sheet Metal Workers Hall. E-mail Steve Markus at Smarkus@gakc.org or call him at 314-795-4262.* SEPTEMBER SEPT. 2-4 LAS VEGAS, NV The 12th Annual Gathering of the Usual Suspect Network, Trader’s Cove, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Visit usngathering.com.* SEPT. 11 LAFAYETTE, LA Louisiana Knife Show, The Hall. Call Steven Prather 225-315-8818 dredd8@eatel.net.* SEPT. 11 GENTRY, AR Central States Hammer-In, Tired Iron of the Ozarks. Contact Allen 479-530-6439 newberry@newberryknives.com.* SEPT. 24-26…

SPEC CHART KNIFE NAME: Seraphim Feather KNIFE PATTERN: Fixed hunter BLADE LENGTH: 5.25” BLADE MATERIAL: Feather-patterndamascus forged by the maker HANDLE: Stabilized maple burl BOLSTER: Hot-blued mild steel; bronze spacer and domed pin KNIFE TO KNOW: The maker is an apprentice smith in the American Bladesmith Society OVERALL LENGTH: 10.25” SHEATH: Leather belt-loop design w/inlay KNIFE TO KNOW: A commissioned piece, the knife sold for $2,000 MAKER: Jason Kraus, Dept. BL10, POB 151, Carver, MN 55315 612-597-5639 jason@northstarforge.com, northstarforge.com (SharpByCoop image) SPEC CHART KNIFE TYPE: Small hunter BLADE LENGTH: 3” BLADE MATERIAL: O1 tool steel HANDLE: Vintage rag Micarta® w/brass pins and hole for a lanyard MAKER’S REMARK: “I bought the rag Micarta at the BLADE Show in 1998. I had just started thinking about being a knifemaker. It only took…