Table of contents for May 2022 in Blade

There’s something about classic custom pocketknives that tugs at the heartstrings. Once you get bitten by the bug it’s an itch you can never quite finish scratching. It becomes indelibly etched in the DNA. Fortunately, custom knifemakers never tire of building them and every year provide new offerings and fresh looks. Meet four of those makers, each highly skilled at the craft who build exquisite knives with personalities all their own. With its beefy bolster and no-nonsense stout handle, the bar-low slip-joint pocketknife is designed for hard use. Adam Rogers gave his two-blade iteration all the right stuff for a million-dollar look. “I see the barlow as the perfect example of a gentleman’s folder, very universal and great as an everyday carry,” the Aussie maker observes. His upscale workhorse is…

ABS master smith Brion Tomberlin makes a lot of hidden-tang knives in his shop in Norman, Oklahoma, and a set of handle broaches he got from fellow ABS master smith John Perry are a must have for that style of knife construction. “They do a great job of opening up the slot for the tang in handle blocks,” Brion observed. “I bought the first two from John way back when there was a Spirit of Steel knife show in Mesquite, Texas, probably his first or second batch of them. I still use them all the time. They’re very finely crafted tools. “Another must-have tool for me and most makers is a set of calipers. In order to get things fitted correctly, such as guards and getting the measurements on things…

The TILI Ultralight by Origin Handcrafted Goods is a small fixed blade that can fit in your pocket like a pocketknife with no need to figure out how to open the blade or disengage a safety. Pull it clear of the pocket sheath and you’re ready to cut. Among the things I love about smaller fixed blades is people don’t give you the evil stink eye when you use the knives in public. TEST TIME I started with a simple paper slice using 20-pound bond copy paper. The TILI sliced very smoothly using both a draw cut and a push cut. The knife was controllable in making the width of the slices—I just had to move my fingers out of the way fast. “PEOPLE DON’T GIVE YOU THE EVIL STINK…

Want to increase your knife acumen, fine tune your knifemaking or sharpening skills, school yourself on the hottest knife types, materials and embellishment techniques, or simply cram before the BLADE Show to show off your newly gained knife knowledge? If so, the 9th Annual BLADE University has something for you. Sponsored by Work Sharp, BLADE University will be held in conjunction with the 41st Annual BLADE Show June 3-5 at the Cobb Galleria Centre. Classes begin Friday, June 3, and conclude Saturday, June 4. While most are held in the Cobb Galleria, some classes also are conducted under the tent in The Courtyard—the latter the parking lot of the show’s host hotel, the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly. BLADE University assembles some of the world’s best knifemakers, bladesmiths and other knife professionals…

One of the world’s leading makers of art knives, South Africa’s Bertie Rietveld is known for magnificent custom daggers and fixed blades, many in his Dragonskin damascus and with a Stanhope lens at the ricasso, a peek into which reveals whatever image Bertie likes to put there—usually the Stanhope logo. Among his knifemaking equipment that proves invaluable to building his award-winning knives are his Rosa Italian precision drill presses. “I have three of them,” he wrote, “each one set up with a different-diameter drill bit so I don’t have to change bits. The speeds are set to match the ideal speed of each drill bit in the chuck of each machine. They are super accurate and an absolute pleasure to use when drilling small holes. Each one has a light…

It’s all about perspective. Everyone agrees that knife collecting is one of the greatest enterprises around. However, there are variations on a theme—if the collection even has one. Probably the biggest variation on the common thread of knife collecting is the existence or absence of a theme, a focus on the collection that revolves around a specific aspect such as an individual custom knifemaker, group of makers, handle material, style of knife, period of time—well, you get the idea. Theme collecting has its followers and its detractors, and gaining insight into these points of view enriches the collecting experience. First, however, there is a single universally accepted piece of advice regarding the knife collecting adventure. Collect the knives that you admire, enjoy and make you feel good! “When it comes…

Bear and Blackhawk Ink Licensing Agreement Bear & Son Cutlery has entered into a licensing agreement with Blackhawk, a brand that offers “quality and reliable gear for those who serve at home and in foreign lands.” Among other things, a Bear press release reported, the agreement will allow Bear to manufacture new Blackhawk knives in Bear’s Alabama factory and distribute Blackhawk knives throughout Bear’s nationwide dealer network. In addition, Bear will have the opportunity to influence the design process of new knives under the Blackhawk label. The models will include a butterfly knife, automatics, a fixed-blade dagger, a tactical pry tool, a modified karambit and many assisted openers. Look for them at most sporting goods stores and firearm dealers. Blackhawk is a leading U.S. manufacturer of tactical, military, shooting sports…

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 Bob Dozier Knives www.dozierknives.com info@dozierknives.com Buckeye Engraving www.BuckeyeEngraving.com Make Your Mark Manufacturer of Custom Hand Stamps, Dies and Brands CRKT www.crkt.com info@crkt.com…

You are holding our Pocketknife Special Issue. However, before diving into the May BLADE®, consider the question, What is a pocketknife? When I first entered the knife biz in 1985, there was little doubt a pocketknife was a traditional folder such as a trapper, stockman, peanut or one of many other patterns, the blade or blades of which opened and closed under tension supplied by one or more back-springs. Then, circa the early 1990s, along came the term slip joint, and the nomenclature began to change. Exactly who originated the term is beyond me but, all of a sudden, any and all folding knives with blades that operated via backsprings were called slip joints. The term probably originated in the custom segment of the industry and, before long, what many…

“NOT EVERY MANUFACTURER TAKES THE TIME AND EFFORT TO CROWN THE EDGES.” The slip joint is perhaps the most recognized form of folding knife. Chances are you started your knife-collecting journey by buying some sort of slip joint, such as a Swiss Army knife or other multi-blade. Slip joints have been on the comeback trail for some time now, with an increasing number of factory knife companies offering new examples of the tried-and-true design. This is good for the entire slip-joint genre, as novice collectors discover and veteran ones rediscover their love for the classic traditional folders. CRKT and custom knifemaker Richard Rogers have a few factory collaborations under their belts. Richard’s distinct style lends to knives with both a signature-refined appearance and a high level of usability. He mainly…

In general terms, a knife profile isn’t something that seems like it should be reversed. The American tanto* blade pattern, commonly seen on modern tactical and combat knives, is a modified version of the somewhat longer and more flowing traditional Japanese tanto. While there are variations, the American tanto blade features a hard angle in the belly curve up to the shallow, chisel-ground tip. A reverse tanto profile keeps the hard angle of the tanto profile but moves it to the spine, thus "reversing" the conventional tanto style. This edge profile doesn’t usually have as harsh of an angle on the spine; on a tanto the tip usually curves up, akin to the larger katana profile. By flipping the edge over, the tip is brought into a straighter line with…

Murray Sterling turned 93 the first day of Spring and still makes knives like he’s 39. What are the most important pieces of knifemaking equipment for the self-described “old-school machinist” on the low side of 100 who’s been making knives for over three decades? First are his four 2x72 belt grinders. He made three of them, including one he built 25 years ago that he uses 90 percent of the time. “I hollow grind and profile all my folders and finish all my folders with it,” he wrote. “The only other grinder I bought new was a square wheel in 1989. I only use it for 45-degree scales.” Next on Murray’s list is his Taft Pierce surface grinder. “This is probably the most important machine in the shop for making…

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 drawing to win a free, high-quality, name-brand knife. The drawing will be May 15. Mail to: BLADE ®, 5600 W. Grande Market Dr., Ste. 100, Appleton, WI 54913, or e-mail steve@blademag.com. If you send your entry by e-mail, please include your physical mailing address in case you win the knife. I carry a Victorinox Sportsman. I have a firefly insert in the corkscrew. I’ve wrapped the tinder/ferro rod/corkscrew with heat shrink as suggested by the Felix Immler…