Table of contents for April 2020 in Blade

1075 or 1095? Having just taken up spoon carving and showing all the enthusiasm of the recently converted, I really enjoyed “Chips Off The Ol’ Blade” (February issue, page 44) by BLADE® field editor Abe Elias. I have a question to help me better understand his views. •As to his preference of 1095 over 1075 carbon steel: Both have a Rockwell quench hardness in the mid-60 HRC range. Would not careful tempering bring either blade to the same finished specs? Ike Bay, Portland, Oregon Hi, Ike. Thanks for contacting us. I am glad you enjoyed the article. As for your interest in the preference for 1095, actually it and 1075 heat treat quite differently. You can’t achieve a high enough Rockwell hardness with 1075 as you can with 1095. At…

While the BLADE Show *—this year’s version of which is set for June 5-7, again at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta—is the be-all/ end-all event for the annual debuts of custom, factory and all other knives, the annual SHOT Show iin L Las Vegas rivals the BLADE Show in terms of factory knife introductions. And this year’s SHOT (Shooting, Outdoor Trade) Show did itself proud o once again. Factory knives, sharpeners and new steels and other materials from all over the world showed their sharp stuff in Sin City. Among the latest steels introduced was CPM SPY27, a collaboration between Crucible Industries and Spyderco. A particle metallurgy stainless containing a proprietary mix of alloys including vanadium, molybdenum, niobium, nitrogen and cobalt, the material is enhanced by the amplifying effects…

The ability to make fire is at the top of the list of survival skills. Fire enables you to ward off hypothermia, the leading cause of death for those lost in the North American wilderness. Fire warns hungry wild critters to keep their distance. Fire cooks your food, thereby killing potentially dangerous bacteria. Fire sterilizes water if you have a pot or know how to make one. Anyone who aspires to the status of a master bushcrafter must be able to make fire under a wide variety of environmental conditions, and without the aid of a lighter or a stash of kitchen matches. How do you make fire without such aids? Flint and steel work, if you have that skill, which is not easy to learn. So too does friction…

As noted in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, “strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.” On the other hand, oaken logs lounging in bogs for a couple of millennia transform into something of a “holy grail” for knifemakers. The oxygen-poor, acid-rich bog environment changes humble woods such as oak into something dark and infused with history. And it’s in no small part because of this that makers have turned to the material for knife handles. Knives seem to have a long relationship with bog oak, a prized and precious wood pulled from bogs after thousands of years. For instance, take the Scottish sgian dubh, the small utility fixed blade sheathed in the sock of a Highlander in traditional Scottish garb. Translated…

There is a time for secrets and a time for sharing. I feel the everyday carry knife that someday may be an essential tool in a lifesaving situation should have the benefit of all the knowledge and technology that man can invest in its nature within the realm of affordability and function. These knife attributes should be well understood among the maker, sales associate and person buying the knife. Along with manufacturing and design restrictions comes safety for the folks making knives, as well as those using them. My extreme dislike for secrets continues to haunt me whenever I read about some new “secret method,” or of proprietary steels and new materials. There are a number of reasons for this. First, if we know something that is not common knowledge…

AN ORIGINAL BUSHCRAFT KNIFE? P. 10 Jeremy Spake, Dept. BL4, 6128 N. Concord Ave., Portland, OR 97217-4735, jeremy@spakeknife.com; Web: www.spakeknife.com, www.instagram.com/jspake SHARP HOT SHOTS OF SHOT P. 12 APOC, c/o CAS Iberia, attn: B. Pogue, Dept. BL4, 650 Industrial Blvd., Sale Creek, TN 37373-9797 423.332.4700 bpogue@casiberia.com, www.casiberia.com; Benchmade USA, attn.: Matt Glass, Dept. BL4, 300 Beavercreek Rd., Oregon City, OR 97045 503.655.6004 or 800-800-7427 www.benchmade.com, info@benchmade.com; Boker USA, attn: N. Nevins, Dept. BL4, 1550 Balsam St., Lakewood, CO 80215 800-992-6537 fax 303-462-0668 www.bokerusa.com; Case, attn: F. Feightner, Dept. BL4, 50 Owens Way, Bradford, PA 16701 800-523-6350 CR@caseknives.com, www.wrcase.com; CRKT, attn: M. May, Dept. BL4, 18348 SW 126th Place, Tualatin, OR 97062 800-891-3100 info@crkt.com, www.crkt.com; Fallkniven, attn: E. Hjortberger, Dept. BL4, Granatvagen 8, S-961 23 Boden, Sweden VAT # SE556494-8684-01, P…

The Firecraft F5 from White River Knife & Tool is tailored for demanding use in survival situations, as well as for chores in camp, on the trail or for general utility. Designed by Jason Tietz, the knife comes with a notch on the blade spine for striking a ferrocerium rod—which comes standard with each model—for starting fires. The green Micarta® handle has a deep finger groove for applying pressure during whittling, carving, cutting and chopping, and a polished stainless steel divot for use with a fire bow. For more information contact White River Knife & Tool, attn: Matt Cammenga, Dept. BL4, 130 Mason Dr., Coopersville, MI 49404 616-997-0026 matt@thewhiteriver.com, www.whiteriverknives.com, and/or see the story on page 34. The cover knife and background imagery are courtesy of White River Knife &…

For rock music fans especially, if the name of Mike Deibert’s knife, the Black Betty Bowie, rings a bell, it’s because it was inspired by a popular song. “The knife’s name came about via my love for music and a correlation with where I live in Alabama,” the ABS journeyman smith wrote. As he was considering the darkness of the blade, fittings and handle, the Ram Jam song Black Betty came to mind: “She’s from Birmingham (bam-BA-lam) Way down in Alabam’ (bam-BA-lam).” And thus was the knife dubbed “Black Betty.”—by BLADE® staff…

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! American Edge www.americanedgeknives.cominfo@americanedgeknives.com 320-393-2792 We have ""A Knife For Every Life” Arizona Custom Knives www.arizonacustomknives.comsharptalk@arizonacustomknives.com Largest selection in the world of new and consigned knives on the internet. Let us help you find the perfect knife. Artknives.com www.artknives.comfred@fredeisenleather.com Dozier Knives and Arkansas Made Dozier, Inc. www.dozierknives.cominfo@dozierknives.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 Buckeye Engraving www.BuckeyeEngraving.comMake Your Mark 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 Cutlery Specialties www.restorationproduct.comdennis13@aol.com Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax/Polish, Dennis Blaine Bob Dozier Knives www.dozierknives.cominfo@dozierknives.com Emerson Knives www.emersonknives.cominfo@emersonknives.com Jim Hammond Hammond Knives & Designs, LLC www.jimhammondknives.comjim@jimhammondknives.com Hawkins Knife Making Supplies www.hawkinsknifemaking…

When you think of a knife with a ring in the handle butt, a karambit probably comes to mind. Fact is, there are other knives with such a feature. In fact, some have rings at the middle and also even at the front of the handle. Unlike karambits, in which the ring is used for quickly spinning the knife in between different grips as well as effecting the grips themselves, nonkarambit versions of such knives employ the ring in utilitarian ways that are less flashy. Examples include assisting in providing a more secure purchase on the handle, dangling the knife from a pinky to allow for full use of the hand while keeping the knife handy, attaching the knife to a keyring, or simply hanging the knife on a tool…

This being our bushcraft special issue and all, we had to do a story on puukkos (page 72), what some call among the original bushcraft knives. For those with a Scandinavian grind especially, the puukko seems made for bushcraft. However, should the puukko really be considered one of the original bushcraft knives? This was among the questions Pat Covert, author of the story on page 72, asked Finland’s Jouni Kellokoski, co-founder of Kellam Knives, and custom knifemaker Jeremy Spake. Jeremy was kind enough to do a seminar on puukkos at the 2019 BLADE Show West. Both he and Jouni (pronounced YO-knee) offer puukkos for sale and know a thing or two about the subject. Pat: What is a puukko*? Jeremy: It’s the name for a specific type of knife that…

Buying custom knives, like any other purchase, is often an exercise in putting research into practice, comparing the available options and then making the informed decision to part with hard-earned dollars. Lasting customer satisfaction provides proof of a quality transaction, and the responsibility for making that happen resides with both the buyer and the custom knifemaker. The integrity, skill, work ethic and attitude of a reputable maker are represented in large part in his or her finished product. But just what ingredients make up the DNA of a standout maker? Some buyers prefer the sseasoned veteran, one whose reputation precedes him or her. However, the marketplace is constantly changing. In the past quarter century the internet has revolutionized the custom knife industry, resulting in many more makers yielding many more…

I remember when the concept of bushcraft knives was almost nonexistent. In the early days, any knife you could get your hands on was a knife you used for bushcraft. As Scandinavian knives started gaining in popularity, custom makers took up the torch and began creating designs specifically targeted at bushcraft. After the custom makers jumped on board, it took a while for the factory lines to really take off. Sure, there were a few that straddled the tactical/wilderness adventure line, but the name bushcraft didn’t really have any pull back then. Now the market is flooded with bushcraft designs. Every year I grab a sample of what’s out there and give it a run. This time I have four models to test: the TOPS Knives D Fly 4.5, Fox…

MARCH MARCH 6-7 TROY, OH Spirit of the Blade Custom Knife Show, Miami Co. Fairgrounds Duke Lund Guard Building. Contact maplewoodforge@gmail.com .* MARCH 6-9 NURNBERG, GERMANY The IWA OutdoorClassics 2020, Exhibition Centre. For the trade only. Visit https://www.iwa.info/en. MARCH 16-27 CLYDE, NC American Blade-smith Society’s Intro To Bladesmithing Class, Haywood College. Contact ABS Coordinator Ken Hall 828-400-7815 khall@hallenergyconsulting.com.** MARCH 19-22 CLYDE, NC American Bladesmith Society’s Smoky Mountain Hammer-In, Haywood College. Contact ABS Coordinator Ken Hall 828-400-7815 khall@hallenergyconsulting.com.** MARCH 21 LITTLE ROCK, AR Arkansas Custom Knife Show, Statehouse Convention Center. For more information call 870-279-7329 or visit arknife.com.* MARCH 27-28 DALTON, GA Dalton Georgia Knife Roadshow, Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center. Contact J Bruce Voyles Auctioneers and Appraisers, attn.: Bruce Voyles 423-238-6753 knifeauctions@gmail.com , jbrucevoyles.com.* MARCH 27-28 GODFREY, IL Bunker…

Paul Lusk came across consecutive cross-cuts of mammoth ivory book-matched so well that it offered him the opportunity to build a once-in-a-lifetime set. His chute knife and Urban Instinct folder combo is the result. It took Paul a while to make the patterns on the handle slabs fit and match up properly on the two knives. He had to put buttcap bolsters on the chute knife because one of the slabs wasn’t big enough. It took about a year to get it all done between all the phone calls, emails and more with the customer, a friend of Paul’s, but the result was well worth the wait. Cason Grantham of Lubbock, Texas, made the matching pigskin-lined sheaths from 7-to-8-ounce leather and basketweave tooling. The strap on the chute knife sheath…