Table of contents for July 2021 in Blade

Be Prepared I would like to thank Ed Fowler for his most excellent series of articles, “Square Houses” (page 64). I have just recently become a BLADE® reader and unfortunately missed a lot of his other how-to-stories, but this one is pure genius! I always seem to get a late start on things, so I was in my mid-40s before I realized I really needed to be better prepared in life. I found Ontario Knife Co. and bought several of its knives. I bought the KA-BAR cousin as it is a paternal twin of it, the 1943 M3, and then the M7 bayonet. Mr. Fowler’s article in the February issue (page 24) reminded me of the encounter I had at the store with a middle-aged lady behind the counter. We…

“If you didn’t do good at that show, you’d better go home and look in the mirror,” said knifemaker Bubba Crouch of the 2021 International Custom Cutlery Exposition (ICCE) held March 26-27 at the Fort Worth Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas. Bubba’s comment was directed at the exhibiting makers but it might have applied to anyone who attended the show, which was the first big breakout knife event since the pandemic had locked down many knife shows and cast a pall worldwide in early 2020. “I think folks were ready to get out and spend some money,” knifemaker Roger Green commented, “and Texas is wide open for business!” Many makers sold out and many who didn’t almost did, such as Carl Colson, who sold 13 of the 16 knives he…

From Danes to dragons, draft horses and drawing smoke, the axe and the hawk have become avenues of artistic expression for some of the most innovative artisans of sharp blades. Long a trusted and dependable companion on the trail, in the bush, around the camp and in the military, axes and hawks are utilitarian and versatile, both in form for their intended purposes and as striking examples of imagination, innovation and aesthetic appreciation. Utilizing the best in materials and employing their long study of the axe and the hawk, several makers have produced notable works in recent years, among them Peter Pruyn, Tom Ward, Dave Armour and Bill Burke. Each has his own approach to the craft and adds perspective in producing works of incredible beauty. “My motivation was to…

PART XIV “Why do you make knives?” is a question every knifemaker will be asked somewhere down the line. For many it is a simple question, and the response is typically the last one they read that sounded good. Some of us makers build knives for financial expectations; we see where one maker sold a knife for $2,000 or more and decide that is one way to make a living without having to work a traditional 9-to-5 job and avoid the structure of the workplace. Little do we know what the maker was forced to put into that knife, both from the equipment standpoint and the time and learning how to design and make the knife he only has seen as a finished product. In my time making knives I…

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 4-6 ATLANTA, GA The 40th Annual BLADE Show, Cobb Galleria Centre, I-285 & US 41, one exit off I-75 across from the Cumberland Mall, adjacent to the Renaissance Waverly Hotel. World’s largest show of handmade, factory and antique knives. A combined total of nearly 1,000 exhibitor tables and booths. Join the world’s greatest national and international knifemakers, cutlery manufacturers, collectors, collections and knife lovers. Site of the BLADE Magazine 2021 Knife Of-The-Year® Awards for factory knives, the BLADE Show Custom Knife Judging Competition, the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© inductions and much more. Host to BLADE University…

SPEC CHART KNIFE TYPE: Dress locking folder BLADE LENGTH: 3.25” BLADE MATERIAL: Damascus of 1080 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels HANDLE: Copper and marbled carbon fiber FRAME AND LINERS: Titanium LOCK: Linerlock CLOSED LENGTH: 5.5” KNIFE TO KNOW: The tail acts as a one-hand opener and pocket clip; the maker is an ABS journeyman smith. MAKER’S LIST PRICE FOR A SIMILAR PIECE: $1,600 MAKER: Mardi Meshejian, Dept. BL7, 15 Pollito Rd., Santa Fe, NM 87508 505-310-7441 toothandnail13@yahoo.com, mardimeshejianbladesmith.com (SharpByCoop image) SPEC CHART KNIFE TYPE: Bowie BLADE LENGTH: 10.25” BLADE MATERIAL: 1095 carbon steel HANDLE: Elk horn BOLSTER: Wrought iron SHEATH: Leather OVERALL LENGTH: 16” KNIFE TO KNOW: The maker etched the blade. MAKER’S LIST PRICE FOR A SIMILAR PIECE (INCLUDES SHEATH): $750 and up MAKER: Paul Cooper, Dept. BL7, 9…

Rick Dunkerley’s automatic folding dagger not only took Best of Show at the recent ICCE (page 12) but also Best Folder. The 4.25-inch blade features multiple alloys for the color variations: two different types of powder damascus, a “tiny amount of nickel” and 1080 carbon steel. It’s a material he’d used before, knew he could color in an attractive way, and had saved for a long time because he figured it would look good on a dagger. The mild steel bolsters are color case hardened, a process he had been experimenting with and expected would be attractive in combination with antique shell, which is the handle material. Add the gold leaf inlay and ICCE had a multiple winner! For more information contact Rick Dunkerley, Dept. BL7, PO Box 601, Lincoln,…

“Here’s my trusty old sidekick, the Leatherman Juice S2. For about 15 years I’ve carried this relic. It has saved my hide more than I can count. From fishing to arts and crafts, this little tool kit was well worth the price paid. It really hasn’t ever let me down—unless I left it at home.” Tim Rehm,Fergus Falls, Minnesota “I carry a V Nives Trail Blazer designed by Lt. John Nores. It’s a great emergency/rescue knife with its line cutter and glass breaker, and I like the D2 blade and flipper opening.” Cy Olszewski,a letter via e-mail “I live in the country and carry a Flexcut Nomad belt knife. I use it on a daily basis for slicing, carving, whittling or whatever needs cutting.” Martin Barry,a letter via e-mail For…

BLADE BREAKOUT IN COWTOWN P. 12 Bruce Bump, Dept. BL7, 1103 Rex Ln., Walla Walla, WA 99362 Contact: 509-386-8879, brucebump1@gmail.com, brucebumpknives.com; Bill Burke, Dept. BL7, 20 Adams Ranch Rd., Boise, ID 83716 Contact: 208-336-3792, billburke@bladegallery.com; Wilson Capron, Dept. BL7, POB 27, Christoval, TX 76935 432-967-0684 wilsoncapron.com; Rick Dunkerley, Dept. BL7, PO Box 601, Lincoln, MT 59639 Contact: 406-210-4101, dunkerleyknives@gmail.com dunkerleyknives.com; Josh Fisher, Dept. BL7, 8419 CR 3615, Murchison, TX 75778 Contact: 903-203-2130,fisherknives@aol.com, jnfisherknives.com; Bill Ruple, Dept. BL7, 201 Brian Dr., Pleasanton, TX 78064 Contact: 830-569-0007, bknives@devtex.net; Michael Zieba, Dept. BL7, 95 Commercial St., #4, Brooklyn, NY 11222 Contact: 347-335-9944, ziebametal@gmail.com, ziebaknives.com or brooklynknives.com AXES P. 20 Gerber, Attn.: Josh Headley, Dept. BL7, 14200 SW 72nd, Portland, OR 97223 800-950-6161 www.gerbergear.com; Halfbreed Blades, Attn.: Lili Ma, Dept. BL7, 244 Dorcas St.,…

“IF YOU CAN INSPIRE OTHERS, THEN YOU ARE NAILING IT.”—JASON KNIGHT The formula to Neil Kamimura’s success is hard work and respect—listening to those who offer the benefit of their experience. He trained under Washington-based bladesmith Mareko Maumasi after the two met at a BLADE Show a few years ago, and then connected with Steve Schwarzer after finding him on social media and researching Steve’s career. “Mareko is one of the best pattern welders in the world, and I worked with him for two weeks,” Neil recalled. “It was the longest I ever spent with another maker. Maumasi changed my whole game. He showed me all his processes, and you can imagine how much time that saved me. I came across Jason [Knight], and his designs blew me away. He…

Most in my age group were raised with a slip joint knife. It’s the knife Dad always carried in his pocket. Being raised with a dad who was a commercial fisherman, I used knives as tools every day—everything from cleaning fish to making fishing nets. My father, Jacob, always used a three-bladed stockman for working with twine while making or repairing 90-foot trawl nets. It would take him 30 days or more to hand tie every square in the massive nets. He would always work with the knife’s smallest blade. When it was sharpened down to a nub, he would go to the next blade. The knife would last him five years of heavy work. Then he would put it in his junk drawer and start using a new one.…

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.bladeconnection.corr www.epicedge.com BladeOps, LLC www.bladeops.com sales@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…

Kirby Lambert has made more than a name for himself as a maker of world-class tactical folders, so one of his latest efforts outside that genre was bound to attract attention—and that effort would be his Fuyu sushi knife. The blade of W2 tool steel features a handsome hamon Kirby achieved by differentially heat treating it using the Japanese method of applying clay to act as an insulator. After being heated in a forge and quenched, the blade received a final polish to elicit the wavy temper line. The handle is bog oak with carbon fiber end caps. The white circular collars are white ivory Carboquartz and the orange mekugi pin is Micarta®, which can be removed to allow you to pull the blade out of the handle for cleaning.…