Table of contents for January 2021 in Blade

Maserin is 60 Maserin, a maker of fine fixed blade and folding knives in Maniago, Italy, celebrates 60 years in the industry in 2020. Coltellerie Maserin originally began making knives in Maniago, aka “the city of knives,” in 1960. Born in 1934, company founder Fervido Maserin started work at the age of 14 in a factory that produced knives, scissors and tools for agriculture. In fact, he was so committed to his job that he worked it seven days a week. After his separation from military service, he founded Maserin and worked as a subcontractor manufacturing components for large corporations. The company also made high-quality spring-operated stilettos typical of the Maniago tradition, as well as other knives. In 1985, he built the current 3,000-square-meter Maserin production site. According to a…

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. DECEMBER DEC. 4-6 BROOKLYN, PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA Brooklyn Knife Show, Queenspark Atrium, Brooklyn Mall. Contact Neels van den Berg 083 451 3105.* DEC. 12 EUGENE, OR Oregon Knife Collectors Association December Holiday Mini Winter Show. For more information visit https://www.oregonknifeclub.org/shows.html.* DEC. 12-13 COLUMBIA, SC Columbia Gun & Knife Show, South Carolina State Fairgrounds. Contact Mike Kent and Associates 770-630-7296 mike@mkshows.com, mkshows.com. 2021 JANUARY JAN. 19-22 LAS VEGAS, NV The Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor, Trade (SHOT) Show is for the trade only and will be at the Sands Expo and Convention Center with expansion into the new Caesars Forum. For…

If you are going to carry a fixed blade for EDC, there are two ways to do it. One way is bold and proud, the knife equivalent to open carry. The second way is low key—keep it handy but don’t let it stand out. A style I find convenient for low-profile fixed-blade carry is a smallish straight knife with a cord-wrapped handle. A cord-wrapped knife is a trim carry yet not hard on the hands like a plane skeletonized frame. In the case of its Utsidihi and unlike most knife outfits, CRKT doesn’t use paracord to wrap the handle. Instead, the company enveloped the handle in a flat cord very much like a Japanese traditional wrap. Many people look at cord-wrapped handles as a source of emergency cordage in a…

A.G. Russell Knives, Inc. www.agrussell.com ag@agrussell.com Adams Intl Knifeworks - AIK www.adamsknifeworks.com adamsknifeworks.com@gmail.com Automatic & Customized Knife Specialists Admiral Steel www.admiralsteel.com terry@admiralsteel.com Widest Range of Stock for Blade Needs. Alaska - Northern Knives www.northernknives.com A Real Store & Working Knife Shop! American Edge www.americanedgeknives.com info@americanedgeknives.com 320-393-2792 We have A Knife For Every Life Artknives.com www.artknives.com fred@fredeisenleather.com Andre de Villiers www.advtactical.co.za Facebook - Andre de Villiers adv44sales@gmail.com Butcher SOB folders. 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. Dozier Knives and Arkansas Made Dozier, Inc. www.dozierknives.com info@dozierknives.com BladeGallery.com www.bladegallery.com www.bladeconnection.com www.epicedge.com BladeOps, LLC www.bladeops.com trevor@bladeops.com Bob Dozier Knives www.dozierknives.com info@dozierknives.com Buckeye Engraving www.BuckeyeEngraving.com Make Your Mark Manufacturer of Custom Hand Stamps, Dies and…

Which makers will be building some of the most desirable and coveted custom knives in 2021? In addition to taking notes on the mosaic damascus knives and their makers in BLADE® field editor Les Robertson’s story on page 50, you might want to consider the opinions of some other of the industry’s top professionals as well. BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Tony Bose (see sidebar) is an industry muse, and many knifemakers, particularly those who make traditional pocketknives/slip joints, regularly ask him for tips on the knives they make, what he would do if it were his knife, etc. One such maker is Tim Robertson, and Tony is a big fan. “I met Tim about four years ago,” Tony wrote. “I talk to many makers around the country and other…

The Knight Hawk made by the RMJ Tactical Special Products Division is a collaboration among RMJ Tactical, ABS master smith Jason Knight and “AJ” at Tactical Elements. Available exclusively through Tactical Elements, the Knight Hawk is a full-tang spike tomahawk with a head of .275-inchthick 52100 carbon steel in a Rockwell hardness of 57-58 HRC. Cutting edge: 2.875 inches. Spike: 2 3/16 inches. There are three Cerakote color options: savage steel (on the cover hawk), OD green and desert tan. The 3D-contoured G-10 scales come in a choice of black or black cherry and are permanently mounted for durability. Weight: 1 pound 7 ounces. Overall length: 14.5 inches. Sheath: Kydex with two low-ride MOC (Multiple Option Carry) straps. MSRP: $500. For more information on the Knight Hawk, visit Tactical Elements…

Meeting knifemaker/designer Bill Harsey gave me the reason to try out his design. I bought this Lone Wolf T2 and it became my daily carry. I got to know the designer better over time and he signed the knife for me, which made it more special. It was used in the field to complete a field amputation on a mountain where they flew me by helicopter for a patient terribly injured by an auger. I still carry that knife today. Thank you, Bill Harsey, for one amazing blade.” Sydney Vail, Scottsdale, Arizona When I saw Olamic Cutlery had come out with its Wayfarer 247 folder with a ‘sheepscliffe’ blade, I had to get one. I’m glad I did. As the name implies, it’s a combo of a sheepsfoot and a…

IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR More thoughts about the biologically influenced knife can be explored through many aspects of the handle. The human hand is a remarkably versatile aspect of our evolutionary development. For proof, simply examine and study all the artifacts of man that our hands not only craft ed but also readily adapted to, from simple tools such as awls, needles, clubs, bone and stone, to broomsticks, hammers and steering wheels. The fingers of our hands type messages on full-size keyboards and our thumbs text on phones. We can grasp a pencil or turn the page of a book, peel a banana and tie our shoelaces. With our hands we have developed some wonderful tools. Th rough the centuries our hands have made tools from natural materials, and today…

When it’s time for field duty, tactical fixed blades report as ordered. Carrying on the tradition of tough, hard-working tools that live up to the tactical badge of honor, their value and performance are top notch. From light chores to heavy chopping and camp work, these stout fixed blades are reliable, and they reflect the best in balance between form and function, cost and materials, and old-fashioned good looks. Contemporary tactical fixed blades bring reasonable price points along with their operational attributes, and stand out in terms of both the time tested and new arrivals. MODIFIED BOWIE Metallurgist Jim Ankerson and custom knifemaker Darrin Sanders teamed up to design the Province for Spyderco. The result is a steady seller with a 6.76-inch saber-ground blade of CPM 4V tool steel, contoured…

KNIFE IMAGES BY MARTY STANFIELD, MARTY STANFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY Spike tomahawks are fascinating tools. You can cut, chop, pry, hammer and penetrate with them. They can be handy as camping implements or in tactical applications. In the tactical realm, tomahawks can be used in numerous rescue applications or as a backup weapon if needed. Be they folding or fixed, knives are limited when it comes to such heavy uses as chopping and hacking. The longer handle of a hawk offers more leverage and power in a chopping stroke. One of the latest designs from RMJ Tactical is this issue’s cover piece, the Knight Hawk. ABS master smith Jason Knight and RMJ Tactical co-designed it to handle a variety of jobs, not just chopping. Fourteen-and-a-half inches overall, it weighs 1 pound, 7…

John Phillips scored a delectable double at the 2020 Damasteel Chef Invitational Online Show by winning the custom awards for Best In Show and Best Bread Knife. James Oatley and Drew Hash also were double winners, Oatley copping Best Japanese Chef’s Knife and Best Cleaver and Hash nabbing Best Chef’s Knife and Best Paring Knife. Seventeen knifemakers participated in all, including ABS journeyman smith Matthew Parkinson, Salem Straub, Brian Tighe, Niko Nicolaides, Kevin Cross, Don Carlos Andrade and others. Phillips won Best In Show for his Nakiri model in a 7.5-inch blade of Damasteel stainless damascus in a Grosserosen pattern and a koa wood handle. Overall length: 12.8 inches. His Best Bread Knife winner features a 9.25-inch serrated blade of Damasteel stainless damascus in a Hiemskringla pattern and a walnut…

The Art Knife Invitational—the biennial knife event that made biennial knife events cool—is now under the direction of Barry Lee Hands, and will be Oct. 30 at the M Hotel Casino Resort and Spa in Las Vegas. Consisting of some of the world’s top custom knifemakers, each of whom votes on any additions to the group’s membership, the show had been held for many years in San Diego. Spearheaded by BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Phil Lobred when it started in 1983 in Reno, Nevada, the AKI was held again in 1984 before undergoing a hiatus until 1993, when it was moved to San Diego. It had been there every other year since. When Phil passed away in 2016, his daughter Sandee took over the reins and coordinated the show…

TACTICAL EVOLUTION p. 12 Chris Reeve Knives, attn: A. Reeve, Dept. BL1, 2949 S. Victory View Way, Boise, ID 83709-2946 208.375.0367 www.chrisreeve.com; Ernest Emerson, Dept. BL1, 1234 W. 254th, Harbor City, CA 90710 Contact: 310-539-5633, info@emersonknives.com, emersonknives.com; Rick Hinderer, Dept. BL1, 5373 Columbus Rd., Shreve, OH 44676 Contact: 330-317-2964, rhind64@earthlink.net, rickhindererknives.com; RJ Martin, Dept. BL1, 51 Bramblewood St, Bridgewater, MA 02324 Contact: 508-279-0682; Brian Nadeau, Dept. BL1, 8 Sand Hill Rd., Stanhope, NJ 07874 Contact: 862-258-0792, nadeau@sharpbydesign.com, sharpbydesign.com; Les Robertson, c/o Robertson Custom Cutlery, customknives@comcast.net, www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com; John W. Smith, Dept. BL1, 1322 Cow Branch Rd, West Liberty, KY 41472 Contact: 606-743-3599, jwsknive@mrtc.com, jwsmithknives.com; Bob Terzuola, https://www.terzuola.net/terzuola-custom-knives; Brian Tighe, Dept. BL1, 12-111 Fourth Ave, Suite 376 Ridley Square, St. Catharines, ON, CANADA L2S 3P5 Contact: 905-892-2734, tigheknives.com; True North Knives, attn:…

SPEC CHART MODEL NAME: 195/60 Sessantesimo PATTERN: Two-blade pocketknife BLADE LENGTHS: 2.36” and 1.625” BLADE MATERIAL: 420 stainless steel ROCKWELL HARDNESS: 56 HRC BLADE THICKNESS: .08” BLADE PATTERNS: Pen and serrated sheepsfoot BLADE GRINDS: Flat BLADE FINISH: Stonewash ACTION: Slip joint w/halfstop safety HANDLE: Carbon-fiber inlays (also available in colored Micarta®) BOLSTERS: Anodized aluminum HANDLE THICKNESS: .37” WEIGHT: 1.35 ozs. CLOSED LENGTH: 3.45” SHEATH: Leather pouch w/clip WEIGHT WITH SHEATH: 1.98 ozs. KNIFE TO KNOW: The knife celebrates the 60th anniversary of Coltellerie Maserin, a knife manufacturer founded by Maserin Fervido in Maniago, Italy, in 1960; Sessantesimo translates as “60th” in English COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Italy MSRP: $118.80 COMPANY: Coltellerie Maserin SNC, attn: Maserin Gianfranco, Via Dei Fabbri n. 19, 33085 Maniago (PN), Italy 0039 0427 71 335 fax 0039…