SURE

STEEL

BEST KNIVES FOR THE COLD AND WET

MAY 2005

MAY 2005

www.blademag.com
B
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A

D
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Worlds #1 Knife Publication

Dressed-Up
TACTICALS
F+W Publications

Sword of the
VIKINGS
The Magic Price
For Handmades?

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May 2005
THE WORLDS #1 KNIFE PUBLICATION

FEATURES
12 Open Frames are Fair Game
Air-raising folders are gaining momentum. By Mike Haskew

20 A Match Made in Heavin Forge

Heather and Kevin Harvey are good as South African gold. By B.R. Hughes

26 Best Knives for the Cold and Wet

Handling can be as important as performance in inclement weather.
By MSG Kim Breed

12

42 All Dressed Up With Places to Go

Negotiate another fork in the road for the tactical folder. By Mike Haskew

50 The Magic Price for Handmades?

Know the amount, whose knives are worth it and why. By Steve Shackleford

60 Sharpest of the Steel Shapers

Conclusion
Hone in on the Burr King, Hardcore and the "Herndon Hogger." By Bill Herndon

64 Fury of Viking Steel Part I

Go old school with the long blades of the long boats. By Hank Reinhardt

70 Lanyards or Thongs: Right or Wrong?

Consider the pros and cons of the handle loop. By Wayne Goddard

34

94 Bigfoot of Randall Blades

With a name like "Sasquatch," how can you miss? By Pete Hamilton

96 EDGES Top 10 Advertising Knives of

All Time
In part one, count your way down from No. 10 to No. 7. By Richard D. White

105 A Stress Riser Strikes Again!

Overlooking the basics ruins a blade. By Ed Fowler

108 Kitchen Knives for Mother's Day

Give Mom the ideal gift on May 8. By Joe Kertzman

42
4 / BLADE

Contents.indd 4

114 For Those About To Rock Conclusion

Two makers explain their approaches to stone knife handles. By Scott Sawby &
Tim Herman
MAY 2005

2/11/05 10:36:33 AM

114

William Henry Knives is celebrating the end of their

locking liner production with an extraordinary offering
of the T10 Lancet Folder. Adorned with handinlaid 24K gold and sterling silver, this knife
boasts Mike Norris stainless Damascus
and an inlaid diamond thumbstone.
This special edition of 60 numbered
pieces will be available in Spring
2005 contact the William
Henry Studio or your local
Authorized Dealer to
reserve yours today.

BLADE

SPOTLIGHT
6
7
10
18
34
58
75
85
86
86
87
88
90
93
102
104
104
120
122

Readers Respond
Cover Story
Unsheathed
The Knife I Carry
Factory Focus: Lakota
Where To Net 'Em
BLADE Shoppe
Show Calendar
BLADE List
Classified Ads
Ad Index
Knifemaker Showcase
Your Knife Rights
Guild Directions
What's New
Where To Get 'Em
Next In BLADE
The Leading Edge
Hot Handmade

w w w. w i l l i a m h e n r y k n i v e s . c o m
503.434.9700 orders only 888.563.4500
T

122
MAY 2005

Contents.indd 5

BLADE / 5

2/11/05 1:36:27 PM

readers
readers respondrespond
This Is Your Column! And we want to know what you think.
Do you like what youve read in BLADE? Do you have a
complaint? A suggestion? An opinion youd like to share with
the largest knife audience in the world? Mail your comments
21st-Century OSS
he story, the Hottest Makers of the Internet in the January BLADE missed
T
mention of a hot new knife designer and
company named HideAwayKnife.com. It
is, to the best of my knowledge, the firstever tactical knife company formed by a
womanCameron Caseyand it was
certainly born and raised via the Internet.
As you know, I have some contacts in
the world of military special operations
and it was members of these elite military
units that directed my attention to HideAwayKnife.com. How did these guys know
about a new knife company before me?
They found it on the Internet. We all see
new knife companies but what caught my
attention are HideAways extremely wellexecuted, unique designs and carry options.
The knives from HideAwayKnife.com
are 21st-century OSS. They represent some
of the most innovative work I have seen
in my over 20 years observing the knife
industry as a maker and designer.
The companys knife-and-carry design
package was successfully carried out by a
woman with no prior exposure to knives or
knifemaking, martial arts or military/law
enforcement. Again, much Internet-based
research and communication has been at the
core of the products development. The motivation to make knives of this type is personal.
The company owner is known by the
name of FrontSight on the Internet and is
an engineer by profession. She does all the
design, prototyping and CAD and CAM
work herself, as well as personally overseeing all orders, which are in the thousands.
FrontSight has collaborated with some
of the best in the knife industry, including
Mick Strider, Ken Onion, Mickey Yurco,
Tom Anderson, Charles Marlowe, Ken
Brock and the late Rob Simonich. As one
Army Special Forces soldier noted on an
Internet forum, You will see SEALs playing combat volleyball with Oakleys, UDT
shorts and HideAway knives on chains
around their necks all over the world.
William W. Harsey Jr., Creswell, Oregon
P.S.: I personally know many in the Army
Special Forces who own and carry these
knives daily. I even own several myself.
Editors note: Mr. Harsey is an award6 / BLADE

Respond.indd 2

to: BLADE, P.O. Box 789, Ooltewah, TN 37363-0789, or visit

our Web site: www.blademag.com or e-mail: blademagazine@
krause.com. We reserve the right to edit your comments to fit
the space available.

ATTENTION PART- AND

FULL-TIME KNIFEMAKERS!
id one of your peers give freely of his
time and expertise to teach you how
D
to make knives? Were you an apprentice
who learned knifemaking under someone
with more experience? Were you taken
under the wing of a veteran knifemaker
and shown the ropes?
The BLADE staff often hears from
knifemakers who express gratitude toward
others who willingly share knowledge
with them. Some even open their shops
to the newcomers, allowing them to watch
and learn. Many novice knifemakers
are amazed by the generosity of veteran
makers happy to share everything they
know, much of which was initially learned
through trial and error.
winning knifemaker and designer who also
has done factory/custom collaborations
with Chris Reeve Knives and Gerber. HideAwayKnife.com, meanwhile, is a regular
BLADE advertiser.
Side-Splitting Steel?
egarding the article that Durwood
Hollis wrote in the December BLADE,
R
Top Hunting Knife Designs By Bona Fide
Hunters, my brother and I would like to
thank you for the wonderful humor. It is
great that your magazine was able to break
from the norm and print a real side-splitter.
However, if the author was serious,
BLADE needs new writers who know
what they are writing about and have the
experience to recommend the correct knives
to your readers.
Granted, any knife will work when
hunting, but there are knives that are more
suited to the task than others. The authors
recommendations for the top hunting knives
had to have been made due to his lack of
hunting experience or just maybe a few free
knives in his pocket. I mean no disrespect to
the knives that he recommendedthey are all
good onesbut they are no more the ultimate
hunting knives than an ax is the ideal tool to
remove a sliver from your littler nger.
The author should consult real hunters
about the knives they use in the eld. I bet he,

If you are the benef iciary of such

generosity, why not share your experience
with BLADE readers? You do not have to
be a writer to tell your story. Send us a
few paragraphs detailing who taught you
how to make knives, and how he or she
went about doing it. Include a few good,
clear, color photographs of yourself, your
mentor knifemaker and the knives each
of you make. Be sure to include the specifications, dimensions, etc., of each knife
pictured. Use as many words as it takes to
tell the story, and not one more.
Send your stories and pictures to Mentor
Knifemakers, c/o BLADE, 700 E. State St.,
Iola, WI 54990. Though prints, slides or
transparencies are preferred, digital images
may sufce if they are high-resolution .tifs
or .jpegs, which should be sent on CDs
under separate cover, or as Zip les through
e-mail to kertzmanj@krause.com.
BLADE and BLADE readers would have their
eyes opened by what knives are used daily by
a hunter. Of course, their answers might not be
what you want to see written in your magazine,
so I will understand if this never happens.
The author is more than welcome to call me
for advice on a true hunting knife. I have used
several over my 36 years of big-game hunting.
However, my stories will not be glamorous.
Last year I was fortunate to take a bull elk
that scored 363. The knife I used for cleaning,
skinning, caping and quartering it was a twobladed, 4-inch, slip-joint pocketknife.
In closing, please give your readers
something that is worthwhile and never
claim that a knife is the best knife made for
this or that. Just because I disagree with the
article does not mean that I do not respect
the hard work you do in publishing your
magazine. Keep up the great work!
Jim Bliss, Fort Collins, Colorado
Editors note: We would be remiss if we did
not point out that Mr. Hollis has about a
half-centurys worth of hunting experience,
and not a whole lot less writing experience
on the subject. Also, his story claimed only
that the knives were designed by people
who knew what they were doing when they
designed them. If the headline implied that
the knives are the best or the ultimate,
that implication, though not intended, is
my doingbecause I wrote the headline!
MAY 2005

2/11/05 10:54:28 AM

cover
story

Schatt & Morgan is proud to reintroduce after 10 years Genuine

Sambar Stag. This is the same stag
that cutlery manufacturers have been
using for the past 100 years.
A Premier Collector Series Featuring:
Nickel silver bolsters
Genuine presentation grade
Black Lip Mother of Pearl
2005 limited walnut
display case
Mirror polished 420 H.C.
stainless steel blades at
56/57 Rockwell c-scale
\ Each pattern is limited
to 600 each
Fully hand crafted
traditional finish

2005
SERIES XV

cover story

he E.T. cover knife is by Grant and

Gavin Hawk. E.T. stands for External
Toggle, which describes the folders locking mechanism. With the knife open, the
three pivot points of the handles long and
short toggle come to rest slightly beyond
an imaginary straight line drawn through
them, thereby preventing the mechanism
from feeding backward and the knife from
closing.

LIMITED
RUN
OF 600

E
C

E.T. stands for

External Toggle.
The blades opening hole doubles as
a carabiner, and a safety prevents accidental opening. The 3.125-inch blade is
CPM S30V stainless steel heat treated by
Chris Reeve, and the handle and toggle
links are hard-anodized 7075 aluminum. The pocket clip and carabiner are
titanium. Closed length: 5 inches. The
Hawks list price: $650. At press time, a
factory/custom collaboration of the knife
was in the works. Stay tuned to BLADE
for more on it.
For more on the cover knife, see the
story on page 12 or contact Grant and
Gavin Hawk, Dept. BL5, Box 401, Idaho
City, ID 83631 208.392.4911. The knife
is also available through Steel Addiction
Custom Knives at 909.731.3903 www.
SteelAddictionKnives.com.
The cover photo is by Bob Best.

MSRP
$754.20
A. 151116
B. 032117
C. 033448
D. 033163
E. 031302
F. 032127

3 Genuine Presentation grade Black Lip Mother of Pearl Mini Toothpick. Full nickel
silver liners and pins. MSRP $130.04
2-7/8 Genuine Sambar Torched Stag. Reversed Peanut pattern
gentlemans knife. With master clip blade and secondary pen blade. MSRP $120.16
3-1/2 Genuine Sambar Torched Stag Split Backspring Carpenters Whittler pocket knife. With
rough carving and detail blades. Slanted and lined dimpled bolsters. MSRP $150.56
3-1/2 Genuine Sambar Torched Stag Rail-Splitter pattern, with dimpled bolster. Master
Blade is a traditional clip with pen and coping secondary blades. MSRP $170.72
5 Genuine Sambar Torched Stag Large Coke Bottle with lined bolsters. Clip blade has
long pull nail mark and cut in swedge grind. MSRP $187.08
4 Genuine Sambar Torched Stag Original Single back spring Yankee Muskrat. With two
Turkish style clip blades. MSRP $148.74
Complete set with display case MSRP $754.20 (this price reflects a 10% discount if you
pruchase a complete set in a single purchase.)

QUEEN CUTLERY CO., PO Box 500, Franklinville, NY 14737

Phone 800-222-5233 Fax 800-299-2618 E-mail: sales@ontarioknife.com
Proudly manufactured in Titusville, PA
MAY 2005

CoverStory.indd 2

BLADE / 7

2/14/05 3:17:31 PM

The Art of the Jeweled Blade

BLADE

WORLDS #1 KNIFE PUBLICATION

Vol. XXXII, No. 5, May 2005

Publishers Of

And CutleryRetailer

See us at the
East Coast Custom
Knife Show, NY
March 4th, 5th & 6th

700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001

715.445.2214 www.blademag.com
blademagazine@krause.com
Divisional Publisher
HUGH MCALOON

NEW CUSTOM FOLDERS

Asteroid Folder
Damascus steel blade by Kenneth King
Premium Mother-of-Pearl inset into Damascus Steel
Textured Knife Handle (Asteroid Pattern), 14Kt gold
gem strip with 1/2 carat fine diamonds, 14Kt gold
button set with Black Opal, Fileworked Back Spine,
Fileworked Titanium Liners (colorized to match),
14Kt gold Thumb Stud set with Mother-of-Pearl,
and 14Kt gold screws

Knife as shown $2,675.00

Models available from $1,500.00

KENNETH KING KNIVES

www.kennethkingknives.com
770-476-1475

Editor
STEVE SHACKLEFORD
Managing Editor
JOE KERTZMAN
Field Editors
ED FOWLER, WAYNE GODDARD, MSG KIM
BREED, JAMES AYRES, DEXTER EWING, HANK
REINHARDT, PETE HAMILTON, LOWELL BRAY,
STEVE SCHWARZER, RICHARD D. WHITE
Advertising Manager
BRUCE WOLBERG
Advertising Sales
MISSY BEYER, EXT. 642
GARY REICHERT, EXT. 778
Advertising Assistant
MARY ANN RICE
Art Director
CRAIG NETZER
Graphic Designer
JEROMY BOUTWELL
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES: 800.258.0929
12 ISSUES $25.98 ABBL63
BLADE (ISSN 1064-5853) is published monthly, including the
directory and calendar issues, by F+W Publications, Inc., 700 E.
State St., Iola, WI 54990-001. Periodical postage paid at Iola,
Wis., and at additional mailing offices. Canadian Agreement
Number: 40665675. POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to BLADE, Circulation Department, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI
54945. Copyright 2005 by F+W Publications, Inc. BLADE
and its logo are registered trademarks. Other names and logos
referred to or displayed in editorial or advertising content may
be trademarked or copyright. BLADE assumes no responsibility
for unsolicited materials sent to it. Publisher and advertisers are
not liable for typographical errors that may appear in prices or
descriptions in advertisements. The possession, transportation
and sale of certain types of knives is restricted or prohibited by
federal, state and local laws. BLADE and F+W Publications, Inc.
rely upon the fact that collectors, dealers, exhibitors, advertisers
and manufacturers are expected to know and comply with these
regulations.

F+W Publications, Inc.

WILLIAM F. REILLY, CHAIRMAN
STEPHEN J. KENT, PRESIDENT
MARK F. ARNETT, EXECUTIVE VICE
PRESIDENT & CFO
F+W Publications, Inc. Magazine Division
JIM GLEIM, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER

8 / BLADE

MastHead.indd 2

MAY 2005

2/14/05 2:52:01 PM

1027289_BL.qxd

12/13/04

9:25 AM

Page 1

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The 911 designation isnt for the emergency call, its to remind its user of the enemy we face,
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unsheathed
unsheathed
By Steve Shackleford

For Old Timers Sake

A

s the new Schrade builds for

the future, at least one question
remains: What of all the old
Schrade knives, the family heirlooms and
other vintage collectibles that folks want repaired for Old Timers sake, or simply for
continued use as an everyday carry knife?
If you have an old Schrade that needs
f ixing or refurbishing, Colonial Knife
stands ready to honor all such repairs and
replacements.

He said, Fine,
do whatever
you need to do
to x it.
Steve Paolantonio
Steve Paolantonio, grandson of Colonial
Knife co-founder Antonio Paolantonio,
said Colonial will repair existing Schrade
knivesfor a small fee, of course. (At
press time, the fee was $10 for the knife
and $5 for shipping. Contact Colonial for
verification.) All Steve requires is that you
send Colonial the knife. If the knife is
irreparable, Colonial can
replace it with
one of its models
in the price
range of the
aforementioned
small fee, or return
your knife to you as
is.
Colonial Knife,
a division of Colonial
Cutlery International
in North Scituate, Rhode
Island, and Schrade share
s o m e h i s t o r y. A n t o n i o
Paolantonios sister married
one of the Mirando brothers,
who helped found Imperial in
1917. In fact, both the Paolantonios
and Mirandos emigrated from the
same region in Italy. Imperial later
became Imperial Associated Knife
Cos., and then Imperial-Schrade.
10 / BLADE

Unsheathed.indd 2

The repair offer is targeted for

individual knife users, not large clients
wanting to have mass quantities of broken
knives repaired. Moreover, if the influx of
repair requests gets overwhelming, Steve
Paolantonio said he reserves the right to
withdraw the offer at any time.
Paolantonio sees the service as sort
of a sharp therapy for people who still
have the old Schrade knives their fathers
or grandfathers gave them, and who want
to keep those knives in as good a condition
as possible. And with the old Schrade
no longer around to do it, Colonial fills a
An example of an old Schrade is the
model 80T Senior in the Old
Timer line. This particular
model was an exclusive
for the Future
Farmers of
America
(FFA).

niche.
Paolantonio said
many of the stories he hears
about the old Schrade knives
that have fallen into disrepair are
similar.
Most people just want to
vent and tell us their problem,
he noted. One guy said
hed had his Schrade knife
forever. Some are sad
stories. I broke the tip
on my knife or Its
my g randdaddys
knife. Can you fix
it? These people
are just happy
to talk to
somebody.

Colonial
will f ix and
clean the knife and
sharpen it. We use
a heavy-duty Scotch
Brite wheel to get the
dings out, Paolantonio
explained, and then a less
abrasive wheel to bring the look

back.
A long-time maker (since
1926) of inexpensive
k n iv e s , C o l o n i a l h a s
reaped a public-relations
bonanza from the offer,
Paolantonio observed.
You cant get that
back in advertising,
he noted. When
someone sends
you a note and
s ay s t h ey r e
so pleased, it
just makes
yo u f e e l

good. They
dont use the word
precious when they
talk about their knife,
but you can tell it was
to them.
One guy had a Schrade
switchblade from World
War II and wanted the scales
put back on, but we said we
couldnt do it for [the small fee
accompanying the standard repair
offer]. It was his dads automatic and
I said I would repair the handle, but it
would take time and $50. He said, Fine,
do whatever you need to do to fix it.
Paolantonio is looking to hire a couple
of people to help restore the old Schrades
in case Colonial gets inundated with repair
requests. Only problem is, he mused,
there arent any knife repair guys around
anymore.
Which seems fitting, since neither is
the old Schrade.
Instead of telephoning Colonial, Steve
Paolantonio asks that people interested
in having their old Schrade knives
fixed go to the companys Web site at
colonialknifecompany.com and click on
Colonial Cutlery Inc. or Colonial Knife Co.
and then click on Schrade Knives repair,
or write to: Colonial Cutlery International,
attn: S. Paolantonio, Dept. BL5, POB 960,
North Scituate, RI 02857.

MAY 2005

2/11/05 10:01:30 AM

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10:06 PM

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SPECIFICATIONS
Portable all-in-one knife kit in a convenient,
impact-resistant carrying case. The Big Game Field Kit
is designed especially for your fishing, hunting, or
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or in your home.

Big Game Field Kit

FS0008

Triple riveted, impact-resistant Bakelite handles

420 stainless steel blades
Impact-resistant tungsten carbide sharpener,
non-slip rubber grip
All components snap into the impact-resistant
ABS carrying case

Kit Includes:
Boning Knife
Skinning Knife
Butcher Knife
Hunters Bone Saw
Tungsten Carbide Sharpener
6 pairs of disposable field
dressing gloves

Impact-resistant case,
side locks, sides molded
in 3-D relief

See our full line of Outdoor Life products at knife dealers worldwide. Dealer inquiries
invited, call 1-800-548-0835 and ask for Dept. BL06 or fax 865-428-2267.
Exclusively from United Cutlery Brands.
2005 United Cutlery Corporation

1425 United Blvd.

Sevierville, TN 37876
www.unitedcutlery.com

TRAVELING KNIFE KIT

THE SOURCE FOR HUNTING AND FISHING ADVENTURE
Outdoor Life and The Source For Hunting and Fishing Adventure are trademarks of Time4 Media, Inc. Used under license.
Bakelite is a registered trademark of Union Carbide Corporation.

folding
trends
folding trends

By

ew
ask
H
e
Mik

12 / BLADE

OpenFrame.indd 12

Columbia River Knife & Tools

Snap Lock II is a smaller, more
compact version of the Snap Lock,
the latter an Ed Van Hoy design that is
the Blade Magazine 2004 Overall Knife
Of The Year. The Snap Lock II has
a 1 3/4-inch blade of AUS-4 stainless
steelwhich is comparable to AUS6Mand an MSRP of $49.99.

MAY 2005

2/14/05 8:51:40 AM

The open-frame handle of the Delta folding combat utility knife from Surere
also serves as a half-inch hex wrench
and toothed slot for loosening smaller
nuts down to 13/64-inch size. The knife
comes equipped with a wire cutter,
cord/harness cutter, screwdriver and
a reversible pocket clip. The 3.37-inch
blade is CPM S30V stainless. Weight:
4.6 ounces. Closed length: 4 inches. At
press time, the Delta was slated to be
available for public consumption on
March 1 at a tentative MSRP of $300.

Those who have carried and

used them are sold on both the
form and function of the openframe knife. Not to be confused with a
skeletal-handle design, with holes or slots
cut through the handle strictly for aesthetics or weight reduction, the open-frame
knife is a folder, usually of smaller stature
and often sporting a handle that is built up
on one side and at on the other. Almost
always, pockets or lines of air are visible
through the handle.
In recent years, the open-frame design
has evolved into a well-received genre all
its own. Many of the resulting knives are
attractive, lightweight and more than tough
enough to get the job done, with no tradeoff
in handle endurance.
The reason for the one-sided construction is straightforwardif it can be done,
MAY 2005

OpenFrame.indd 13

Mind-Boggling Toggle Lock

he handle of Grant and Gavin Hawks

E.T. cover knife not only serves as a
grip but is a full partner in the opening
and closing of the knife itself.
E.T. stands for External Toggle and
works on the same basic principle as pliers that lock. You grip the handle to ensure
that the folding blade stays locked open.
With the knife open, the three pivot points
of the long and short toggle come to rest
slightly beyond an imaginary straight line
drawn through them, thereby preventing
the mechanism from feeding backward
and the knife from closing.
A light torsion spring positioned
around the axis of the rear toggle propels
the blade forward when opening and backward when closing. It also helps hold the
blade closed. An adjustable blade stopa
1/16-inch Allen key is includedensures
tight lock-up without generating excessive closing force.
For correct clearance, the locking
nuts securing the long toggle to both the
blade tang and short toggle are also adjustable via a socket wrench that stores in
the handle frame. The free end of the rear

torsion spring secures the wrench, which

doubles as a lanyard hole liner. To remove
the wrench, press the small end protruding from the frame, which displaces the
retaining spring. Reinsert the wrench
into the lanyard hole and the spring recaptures it. The knurled portion of the
wrench serves as a nger grip to turn the
lock nuts to the correct setting. The adjustment is correct when the pivot points
turn free without drag.
To unlock the blade and close it, push
on the end of the short toggle in the butt
to collapse the linkage, or push out on the
long toggle/short toggle knee joint.
Located along the spine near the blade
pivot, a safety prevents partial opening
of the folder when carried in a pocket or
suspended by the carabiner, which doubles as the blade-opening hole. Roll the
safety forward to lock it and backward
to unlock it.
When the blade is closed, the carabiner is in the active mode for carry.
The top of the carabiner also serves as
a thumb ramp. The Hawks list price for
the E.T.: $650.

When the blade is open, the three pivot

points of the long and short toggle come
to rest slightly beyond an imaginary
straight line drawn through them, thereby
preventing the mechanism from feeding
backward and the knife from closing. To
unlock the blade and close it, push on the
end of the short toggle in the butt to collapse the linkage, or push out on the long
toggle/short toggle knee joint.

BLADE / 13

2/14/05 8:52:06 AM

folding
trends
folding trends

The Gerber Trendy is available in black

Teon with pearwood accents or bead-blast
nishes. The locking-liner folder boasts a
2 1/4-inch blade of AUS-6 stainless. MSRP:
$30 and under.

then why not do it? Meanwhile, refreshing

variations in the design keep interest alive
and conversation owing (see sidebar).
The granddaddy of all open-frame
knives is the K.I.S.S., Ed Halligans innovative design from Columbia River Knife
& Tool (CRKT). With its 2 1/4-inch AUS6M stainless blade, solid frame-lock system
and manufacturers suggested retail price
(MSRP) of $39.99, the K.I.S.S. has been imitatedrepeatedlybut never duplicated.
The appeal of the K.I.S.S. was and
continues to be that, in looking at it, theres
that spark of being curious about the exposed blade, related Rod Bremer, CRKT
president. Its funky enough that it begs the
question, Can I see that knife?
Bremer said that the appeal of the
K.I.S.S. fueled subsequent CRKT offerings,
such as the P.E.C.K. and S.S.T. A continuation of the open-frame concept is CRKTs
Ed Van Hoy RSL Snap Lock design and a
pair of variants, the Snap Lock II and the
Snap Fire, the latter two new for 2005.
Named the Blade Magazine 2004 Overall Knife Of The Year, the Snap Lock is
a side-opening folder with a wishboneframe handle and a 2 1/2-inch blade of
14 / BLADE

OpenFrame.indd 14

AUS-6M stainless. MSRP: $59.99. The

Snap Lock II and Snap Fire boast AUS-4
stainless steel blades in respective lengths
of 1 3/4 and 2 3/8 inches, and respective
MSRPs of $49.99 and $89.99. (According to
Bremer, AUS-4 is comparable to AUS-6M,
the latter which has become very difcult to
get these days.)
The Snap Fire has a lot of bling-bling,
as some of the younger people around here
tell me, CRKTs head man smiled. With
a 7075 aluminum frame and the patented
compression lock, youve just got to pick
this piece up. The functionality in this style
of knives is the minimalism in weight and
parts that people like. These are fairly small
knives in the gentlemans folder type, not
intended to be big and heavy like you would
sell to the military. Theyre pocket jewelry,
but if you ask whether the locks are strong,
the answer is, You bet!
Minimize Me
Scott Almsberger, Xikar vice president,
sees the Model 730 Express tting right into
the companys line. Like others in the openframe style, the 730 Express is equal parts
light-duty cutting implement, money clip
MAY 2005

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12:53 PM

Page 1

folding
trends
folding trends

Knifemaker Darrel Ralph designed

the Smith & Wesson Pocket Protector, an open-frame folder offered by
Taylor Cutlery. The 2 5/8-inch blade is
440A stainless steel and the handle is
anodized stainless. Weight: 1.9 ounces.
Closed length: 3.25 inches. MSRP: $20
and under.

and a conversation piece. Its bead-blasted,

2-inch blade and frame of 440 stainless are
incredibly light for an overall weight of just
1.7 ounces. With an MSRP of $29.99, it is
also available in black Teon or natural
silver stainless nishes.
It really is the minimalist approach,
to create the bare essentials, Almsberger
explained. If its light and easy to carry,
theyll use it.
Open-frame knives from Gerber, meanwhile, are the direct result of an emphasis
on trend tracking.

We started doing a lot more market research a few years ago to see what
trends were coming down the pike, noted
Mark Schindel, Gerber marketing services manager. For the last three years,
weve talked to the customer to see what
they want and then introduced knives to
meet those needs.
One trend clearly identied by Gerbers
informal polling of customers was toward
the open-frame knife, and the company responded with the Ridge and Trendy, each
with MSRPs under $30. The locking-liner

The Xikar 730 Express can double

as a money clip. Its bead-blasted,
2-inch blade and frame of 440 stainless combine for an overall weight
of just 1.7 ounces. With an MSRP
of $29.99, it is available in black
Teon (as shown) or natural
silver stainless nishes.

16 / BLADE

OpenFrame.indd 16

MAY 2005

2/14/05 8:53:02 AM

Ridge includes a 1.81-inch 400 series stainless blade and AUS-6 stainless handle coated with black Teon. A smaller variant, the
Mini Ridge, is available in black Teon and
bead-blast nishes, with a 1.63-inch blade
and weight under 1 ounce. The Trendy
locking liner, available in black Teon with
pearwood accents or bead-blast nishes,
boasts a 2 1/4-inch blade, also of AUS-6.
People are looking for smaller, compact, dual-purpose knives in a lot of cases,
Schindel noted. Even guys in the Special
Ops in Iraq are carrying the little Ridge.
The design is as a small, unobtrusive and
functional knife. Some people carry the
Ridge as a backup, and when you are in a
jam, even a $1.99 knife could bail you out
at those times when you would give anything to have one. The same philosophy is
true with the Trendy, but with a little more
wood-grain styling to dress it up a bit.
Knifemaker Darrel Ralph designed the
Smith & Wesson Pocket Protector, an openframe folder offered by Taylor Cutlery. The
2 5/8-inch blade is 440A stainless steel
and the handle is anodized stainless. At 1.9
ounces, it is one lightweight carry piece.
The Ralph design is cute and its a
small knife that can t on a key chain, commented Stewart Taylor, president of Taylor
Cutlery. Having a solid piece of metal on
one side [of the handle], we can use some
bright colors, and it has caught the eye of
some people. Solid black is No. 1 always,
but people do like the uorescent blues and
reds. Darrel does a great job creating some
very desirable and eye-pleasing designs.

combat utility knife. Developed at the request of a major aerospace company, the
Delta is a lightweight yet durable folder that
incorporates mission-specic design features in the form of specialized tools meant
for use under extreme conditions.
The open-frame handle provides a
half-inch hex wrench and toothed slot for
loosening smaller nuts down to 13/64-inch
size. The 3.37-inch blade of CPM S30V
stainless steel has an enlarged hole for
opening with a gloved nger, and an integral guard that doubles as a screwdriver.
The Delta also has an emergency cutter
for materials up to 1/8-inch thick, such as
parachute cord, tubular webbing and harnesses. A cutter/crimper accepts up to 12gauge wire and the low-prole wire pocket
clip is reversible. At press time, the folder
was slated to be available March 1 with a
tentative MSRP of $300.
Taking the open-frame concept to the
extreme is this issues cover knife, the E.T.,
by the father-and-son team of Grant and
Gavin Hawk. The E.T. stands for External
Toggle, and the fascinating folders handle
combines an open frame with a remarkable
locking system (see sidebar on page 13) that
makes it hard to put the knife down.
It works on a toggle system the same as
the T.O.A.D. [another Hawk design], except
on this its all open and the toggle forms the
handle, Gavin explained. The mechanism
has three pivot points and a safety, and the
blade hole doubles as a carabiner for hooking
onto gear. As the younger Hawk added, Its
the kind of knife you just have to play with.

The Next Level and Up

An example of an open-frame piece taken to
the next level and designed for both military
and everyday use is Sureres Delta folding

For the contact information for the knives in

the story, see Where To Get Em on page
104.

Technology with an Edge

The Technology.....Kershaws Ken Onion Tactical Blur

The Edge................. Speed-Safe assisted-opening system
Tanto blade design
Trac-Tec handle inserts
for extremely secure grip
Ergonomic design
Kershaws shaving-sharp edge
Removable/reversible pocket clip
Lifetime guarantee

TACTICAL BLUR
Model 1670TBLKST
(Partially Serrated)
MSRP $99.95
Blade......3 3/8 in. (8.6cm)
Steel.......440A stainless
Handle...Anodized aluminum
w/ Trac-Tec inserts
Lock........Liner
Closed....4 1/2 in. (11.5cm)
Weight...4.2 oz.

The Gerber Ridge is a locking-liner

folder with a 1.81-inch 400 series
stainless blade and an AUS-6
stainless handle coated with black
Teon. MSRP: $30 and under.

For information
or a dealer near you, call:

1-800-325-2891
www.kershawknives.com
MAY 2005

OpenFrame.indd 17

BLADE / 17

2/14/05 8:53:41 AM

the knife i carry

the knife i carry

One of my favorite knives is a very old Kastor Bros.which is an

early Camillusbut the knife I carry is a Gerber Silver Knight
with a camo handle. It lays at and stays sharp.
R. Sullivan, Apple Valley, California

n
i
WKnife!

Just tell us briefly what knife you

carry. Add a little history or an
interesting anecdote. Try to include
a sharp photograph of you and
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 pocketknife. The drawing will be held
May 15. Mail to: BLADE Magazine,
P.O. Box 789, Ooltewah, TN 373630789, or e-mail blademagazine@
krause.com.

18 / BLADE

KnifeICarry.indd 2

The knife I carry is a Schrade Old Timer BeastMaster. Ive used it so much that the bristles have come off.
Its still very sharp, though.
Steven Seth Rosewell, Mt. Pleasant, Texas

The primary knife I carry is a BuckTool. When camping,

canoeing or hiking I carry a Cold Steel Voyager, but the
BuckTool is always around in my pocket or car. My most
memorable day with the BuckTool was when I was taking a
group of 5th and 6th graders on a long, overnight car trip.
On the rst day I used the knife in the tool to cut one of
the kids sandwiches in half when he couldnt eat the whole
thing. Then, when we got to where we were staying, three of
the boys set off a door alarm. I used the tools at screwdriver
to pry off the cover so I could remove and replace the battery
to shut off the alarm. That same night, a couple of the girls
came running to tell me they couldnt shut the water off in
the bathtub. I used the knife blade to pry the cap off the
faucet handle and then the Phillips screwdriver to tighten
down the handle and shut off the water. I had just bought the
tool a few days before our trip, so that day was the rst I had
occasion to really use it. Ive never been without it since!
Beth Sorensen, Lincoln, Nebraska

MAY 2005

2/8/05 1:20:18 PM

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bladesmiths
abroad
bladesmiths abroad

Another Harvey collaboration,

the Young Princes Sword won
nest ghting knife at the 2001
South African Guild Show. The
16 1/4-inch blade is Heathers
damsel damascus in a raindrop
pattern, and the handle is carved
rosewood burl with a leworked
wrought-iron guard. The sheath is
ostrich leather capped in antiqued
nickel silver with an antique-coinand-silver-medallion belt-loop
stud. BladeGallery.coms list price:
$2,500. (BladeGallery.com photo)

By B.R. Hughes
BLADE correspondent

Kevin and Heather Harvey

20 / BLADE

HeatherKevinHarvey.indd 20

MAY 2005

2/10/05 1:11:41 PM

hen South Africans Heather and

Kevin Harvey were awarded
their American Bladesmith
Society master smith stamps at the 2003
BLADE Show, they became the rst married masters team in ABS annals. Whats
more, Heather is only the second woman to
attain an MS stamp, the rst being Audra
Draper, who accomplished the feat in 2000.
Earning an ABS master stamp is quite
an achievement. Since the rst MS ratings
were presented in 1981to Bill Bagwell,
Don Hastings, Blade Magazine Cutlery
Hall-Of-Famer Bill Moran, and Jim
Schmidtonly about 100 other smiths have
attained this lofty plateau.
Heather is a native South African who
longed to be a veterinarian but, because she
was allergic to a number of animals, her
rst vocational goal seemed out of the question. However, without missing a beat, she
traveled to the United States and learned to
be a farrier at Montana State University at
Bozeman. She returned home and opened
a farriers shoponly to develop an allergy to horses! When medication failed, she
turned her talents to blacksmithing.
Gold Reef City, an amusement park
loosely based on Johannesburg during its
boom days, was looking for a village smithy,
and Heather was hired. She worked at the
park for approximately ve years, and it was

Heather won rst prize in the historical category at the South African Guild Show for
her gaucho knife. The 10.75-inch blade is dapples damascus and the handle is spiraluted box-elder wood with wire inlay. The sheath is brown cowhide with bone beads
and horsehair tassels. (Custom Knife Gallery of Colorado photo)

Heather and Kevin Harvey

c/o Heavin Forge
POB 768, Dept. BL5
Belfast 1100, South Africa
27-13-253-0914
heavin.knives@mweb.co.za
Specialties Heather: handforged
knives, war axes, spears, arrows,
forks, spoons and swords; Kevin:
xed-blade bowies, daggers and
ghters, swords and some folders
Blade Steels Heather: carbon damascus in a variety of patterns;
Kevin: carbon steel, damascus in a
variety of patterns, and stainless
Handle Materials Giraffe bone,
oosic, rosewood and buckeye burls,
box elder, wart-hog tusk, buffalo
horn and other naturals
Mark Both use rst name and surname in oval shape with MS in
the middle
Miscellaneous First husbandand-wife team to achieve ABS
master smith status; engraving;
and elaborate sheaths in a variety
of animal skins, nickel silver and
other materials
Other Sources For Their Knives
BladeGallery.com and customknifegallery.com.
List Prices Heather: $300-$5,000;
Kevin: $500-$5,000

MAY 2005

HeatherKevinHarvey.indd 21

The Kings Crown Dagger, a collaborative effort between Heather and Kevin Harvey, won
the award for best dagger at the South African Knifemakers Guild Show. The 17-inch
blade is ladder-and-ash damascus by Heather, and the handle is uted oosic with wire
inlay. The sheath is ostrich chick skin. (Custom Knife Gallery of Colorado photo)

BLADE / 21

2/10/05 1:12:06 PM

bladesmiths abroad
bladesmiths abroad

during this time that she began to turn out a

few knives. Then, one day she read a story
in BLADE about a school of bladesmithing
located in Old Washington, Arkansas. The
repercussions of the knowledge she gained
from that story would affect her in the nottoo-distant future.
Also a native South African, Kevin was
graduated from a technical high school,
where he studied metalwork and technical
drawing. His grandfather, a knifemaker,
taught his grandson the art. Following a
compulsory two-year hitch in the military,
Kevin attended college and, in 1991, joined
the South African Knifemakers Guild.
Later, he also was hired by Gold Reef City,
where he was employed as a knifemaker.
With both Heather and Kevin working at the same amusement park, it was not
long before they were spending a great deal
of time in each others shops. In 2001 they
were married. Three years earlier, they had
traveled to Old Washington to the Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing, where they
took the Introduction to Bladesmithing
course under Dr. James Batson, and a damascus steel course taught by Joe Keeslar
and Greg Neely.
The Harveys returned stateside in 2001
and received their ABS journeyman smith
stamps. As noted, they earned their MS
stamps in 2003. The same year, Kevin won
the B.R. Hughes Award for the best knife
by an ABS master smith applicant, and the
Antique Bowie Knife Association award for
the best bowie by an ABS member made in
the spirit of the 19th century.
It was difcult to focus on what to do
next, Heather noted, because every knife,
course attended and action taken before this
point was aimed at earning the MS. What
now? we asked ourselves.
They already knew the answer: Each
knife had to be better than anything they

Kevin forges a billet with a power

hammer in the Harveys recently
expanded shop. (Harvey photo)

22 / BLADE

HeatherKevinHarvey.indd 22

MAY 2005

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Page 1

SE

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05 CC S AT
BL KS TH
AD & E
ES
HO
W

20

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bladesmiths
abroad
bladesmiths abroad

Kevin reproduces the classic 19th-century

Samuel Bell bowie in the Stafford style with this
mother-of-pearl-inlaid beauty. The 9-inch blade
is heart-beat-pattern mosaic damascus and the
sheath is nickel silver. BladeGallery.coms list
price: $1,800. (BladeGallery.com photo)

had ever made before.

We would ask ourselves each time that
we were about to use that coveted MS stamp,
Is this knife worthy? Kevin explained.
Had we always answered yes, we would
not have been advancing in our art, so we
sometimes said no. Consequently, we constantly had to strive for better work.
We felt that it was time to take aim at
the ultimate in knifemakingsole authorship. We realized that our damascus had
to improve, and we wanted to be able to
embellish our knives without others assistance. Our next step would be to attend an
advanced damascus class at the bladesmithing school and take the engraving course offered by GRS Tools in Emporia, Kansas.
Fortunately for the Harveys, the dates
for the engraving classes were close to that
of the BLADE Show in Atlanta. All the
while, they were busy preparing knives
for the South African Guild Show, where
Heather won rst prize in the historical category for her damascus gaucho knife. The
Kings Crown Dagger, a Heavin Forge creationthe Heavin of Heavin Forge is a play
on words combining Heather and Kevin

won the award for best dagger.

Now, they had to prepare for Atlanta.
However, before leaving for the states, they
decided to display their artistry at the small
Durbin Easter Knife Show. Every one of
their knives sold! In addition, Kevin won
two awards, so it was a terric showbut
now they had to get ready for the BLADE
Show all over again!
After arriving in Kansas City, the Harveys rented a car and drove to Emporia.
Both have only great things to say about
the GRS engraving course, and they plan to
take more engraving classes in the future.
While in Kansas, Heather and Kevin
were introduced to the threat of a tornado
and, a bit later, while camping in Kentucky,
their tent was attened by a twister. Its exciting to say that we survived a tornado in a
tent, Heather mused, but we dont want to
experience a repeat of that night!
While at the 2004 BLADE Show, the
Harveys were asked to help present the
Blade Magazine Knife-Of-The-Year
Awards at the shows banquet. Heather
wore a traditional South African hat and
Ndebele dress. While the true dress is top-

This buckeye burl hunter was one of Heathers ABS master smith test knives.
The 4.87-inch blade is 1070 carbon steel and the handle is buckeye burl. The
pouch sheath is brown cowhide. BladeGallery.coms list price: $585. (BladeGallery.com photo)

24 / BLADE

HeatherKevinHarvey.indd 24

MAY 2005

2/10/05 1:12:54 PM

less, she felt that the BLADE Show Awards

Banquet was not quite ready for that!
Following the show, they drove to Old
Washington, and took the advanced damascus course under the able instruction
of Cliff Parker and Don Hethcoat. Upon the
Harveys return to South Africa, they put
their newly learned skills to work, as Kevin
won best art folder and best hunter, both
embellished with his engraving, at the 2004
South African Guild Show.
Whats in the future for the Harveys?
For starters, damascus swords. Plus, Audra
Draper and Heather are working on a couple of collaboration knives for the BLADE
Show June 3-5 at the Cobb Galleria Centre
in Atlanta. The collaborations will be entitled Dangerous Curves Ahead, and they
are certain to be extraordinary knives! The
week after the BLADE Show, the Harveys

will teach the Introduction to Bladesmithing class June 13-24 at the Moran School.
The Harveys have a two-year waiting
period for their knives. For the time being
they are accepting no orders in the belief
that not overloading themselves with custom knife projects will better enable them
to do their nest work. You can see their
artistry on BladeGallery.com or customknifegallery.com. The Harveys attend only
three shows per year: the BLADE Show,
the South African Guild Show in Johannesburg, and the Durbin Easter Show.
Heather and Kevin are a handsome,
vastly talented young couple, obviously
very much in love, and there seems to
be no limit to how far they can go in the
world of bladesmithing.

HeatherKevinHarvey.indd 25

April 1, 2 and 3, 2005

Friday - 3 p.m.-8 p.m.
Saturday - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday - 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Janesville, WI*
Holiday Inn Express &
Janesville Conference Center
One of the finest regional shows in the
United States, with 175 tables featuring
custom knives, factory knives, antique
knives, dealers, suppliers and displays.

Displays - Silent Auction - Door Prizes

$3.00 at door $5.00 three-day pass
Children under 13 free when accompanied
by an adult Early Bird Passes Available
A delighted Heather
and BLADE eld editor Ed Fowler modeled
each others hat at the
2004 BLADE Show. The
hat Ed is wearing is in
the traditional South
African style.

MAY 2005

22nd Annual
Badger Knife
Show

For information contact:

Badger Knife Club, Inc. Robert G. Schrap
P.O. Box 511 Elm Grove, WI 53122
Phone/Fax (414) 479-9765
E-mail: badgerknifeclub@aol.com
*Janesville is located approximately half
hour south of Madison, WI and half hour
north of Rockford, IL - Exit 171C from
I-90 and U.S. Highwy 14 east to 3100
Wellington Place

BLADE / 25

2/11/05 1:37:30 PM

field
testing
field testing

Handling can be as important as

performance in inclement conditions
By MSG Kim Breed
5th Special Forces (retired)

In addition to the material used, the shape

of the handle can enhance
gripping. Some types of birds-beak
butts help keep a gloved hand on the
knife. The author said Mike Iries TFK
2004 has a ne handle shape in this
regard, as Kurt demonstrates in the
chopping phase (above) of the testing.

Among the xed blades tested were,

with specs and MSRPs where available,
from left: CRKT First Strike 2706 w/AUS6M stainless blade, resin-impregnatedJapanese-cord-wrap w/ray-skin-underlay
handle, $89.99; Mike Irie TFK 2004 w/ATS-34
or 154CM ($375 list price) or CPM S30V ($425 list price) blade, black or green canvas
Micarta handle, 12 1/2 overall; Ka-Bar KBD1, W/1095 cro-van carbon steel, Kraton G
handle, $82; and Ontario RAT-7 D-2 w/D-2 blade, Micarta handle, 12 overall, $128.
26 / BLADE

ColdWet.indd 26

MAY 2005

2/11/05 10:46:58 AM

hat are the best knives for use

in the cold and wet? The overall method to my madness
was to evaluate the knives on their operability in a cold, wet environment as much
as, if not more than, their cutting ability.
After all, if you do not have at least sufcient control over a sharp knife, it can do
more harm than good.
I enlisted the aid of my brothers Kurt
and Micky, my friend, Gary Wheeler, and
ABS bladesmith Perry Elder in gauging a
range of xed blades and folders. The folders we tested were the SOG Trident, KaBar/Dozier 4064 and 4065 models, Kershaw Blackhorse II, and the Columbia River
Knife & Tool (CRKT) M1 Greg Lightfoot
tactical model and M16-14ZSF Kit Carson
design. The xed blades were a Mike Irie

TFK (Tactical Field Knife) 2004, TOPS Fire

Strike, Kershaw Antelope Hunter II, CRKT
First Strike, CRKT M60 SOTFB, Ontario
RAT-7 D-2 and ASEK (Aircrew Survival
Edges Knife), and Ka-Bar KBD-1.
One note I would like to make is that
when your bare hands are freezing and wet,
it is almost impossible to grab any knife and
use it. With that said, I employed two types
of gloves for the tests: one was leather mittens that are common in the North, and the
other was wool gloves that have half ngers
and a ap that can be pulled over to turn
them into mittens. Of the two types, the
leather gloves were least likely to slip on
one of the knife handles, whereas the wool
ones were a little slippery sometimes.
We evaluated the knives according to
a number of factors by eliciting answers to

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Among the folders tested were, with

specs and MSRPs where available,
from top: CRKT M16-14ZSF w/AUS6M stainless blade, Zytel handle,
5.3 closed, $124.99; Ka-Bar 4065, w/
AUS-8A stainless blade, Zytel handle,
$28; and SOG Trident w/AUS-8 stainless blade, Digi-Grip handle, ~4.25
closed, $84.95.

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MAY 2005

ColdWet.indd 27

BLADE / 27

2/11/05 10:47:33 AM

field
testing
field testing

The handle checkering that the author

liked the best is the Digi-Grip on
SOGs Trident, here used by Kurt to
cut a sliver from a piece of wood. The
author said the handle has extra grip
where you need it and only a little
where there is a possible hot spot
for your hand.

nine questions. The questions and the answers to each are as follows.
Should the handles
be oversized for
gloved use?
The answer is an emphatic yes. The knives
with average-sized handles made us adjust
our grips to get a secure hold. The smaller
folders were dwarfed in the big mitts.
As folders go, the Kershaw Blackhorse
II and the CRKT M16-14ZSF each have
large handles that accommodated both glove
styles and still felt good in our bare hands.
Among the xed blades, Ka-Bars KBD-1,
Ontarios RAT-7 D-2, CRKTs First Strike,
and the TOPS Fire Strike had the best-feeling handles for gloved use. Kershaws Antelope Hunter II has a smaller handle but
the soft rubber-like Kraton material made
gripping easy.

1)
The BO450 Neck Knife > $48.95 > With its 3 3/8 AUS8 stainless steel
blade, you can carry it in your pocket, and yes, around your neck. For your
free catalog of quality crafted knives, call toll free 800.835.6433 ext.18 or
visit magnum-online.com

Should the handle material be natural or

manmade?
All the knives I had for evaluation are of a
synthetic material. The softer Kraton, as
on Kershaws Antelope Hunter II, was tops
in gripping because you can squeeze into it
and it almost molds into your handa denite plus in wet and cold conditions. Moreover, Kraton is the best at providing a nonslip grip. Besides, it has a warmer feel.
The harder handle materials, such as
with the Zytel of CRKTs M60, depend
more on texture to aid in feel. Wood or stag
fall into the same category. When it comes
to durability and expansion, the manmade
materials are not subject to swelling, cracking and water retention.

2)

Are nger
grooves good?
The answer depends on the type of grooves.
The multiple grooves on Kershaws Blackhorse II folder are large enough to accept
gloved ngers. The single nger groove
seems to work the best as long as it is big

3)

28 / BLADE

ColdWet.indd 28

MAY 2005

2/11/05 10:48:16 AM

ng

enough for the thickness of the gloved nger. The TOPS Fire Strike has the largest
groove of the knives tested.
The shape of the handle also enhances
gripping. Some types of birds-beak butts
really help keep a gloved hand on the knife.
Mike Iries TFK 2004 has a great handle
shape in this regard, as does Ontarios RATAs folders go, the Kershaw Blackhorse
IIhere in a Realtree Polyamide
handleand the CRKT M-16 each
have large handles that accommodated both glove styles
used in the test and still felt
good in the testers bare
hands. The multiple
grooves of the Blackhorse II folder are
large enough to accept gloved ngers.

MAY 2005

ColdWet.indd 29

BLADE / 29

2/11/05 10:48:46 AM

field
testing
field testing

Cliff Parker
Handmade Knives &
Damascus Steel

See Me At
The East Coast Custom
Knife Show

6350 Tulip Drive

Zephyrhills, FL 33544
(813) 973-1682

Other of the xed blades tested (see facing page) were, with specs and MSRPs
where available, clockwise from bottom left:
Kershaw Antelope Hunter II w/AUS-8A blade,
co-polymer handle, 8 overall, $34.95; CRKT
M60 w/AUS-8 stainless blade, Zytel handle,
9.25 overall, $89.99; TOPS Fire Strike w/1095
carbon steel blade, Micarta handle, $179; and
Ontario ASEK, $120.

7 D-2. The Ontario ASEK has a large steel

buttcap that also helps keep the knife in
place in the hand.
Should checkering be
used to enhance
gripping on hard,
manmade materials?
One problem with checkering is how much
of it should be done. The handle of the TOPS
Fire Strike has a coarse-grit nish that can
be rejuvenated with sandpaper. The CRKT
M60 and M1 each has a dot matrix molded
into the handle material. On bare hands, the
M1 is a little on the aggressive side.
The one I liked best is the Digi-Grip
on SOGs Trident. It has extra grip where
you need it and only a little where there is a
possible hot spot for your hand. The Irie
TFK and RAT-7 D-2 have smooth handle
surfaces that were slippery with the wool
gloves but OK with the leather gloves.

4)

Should the xed

blades have single or
double guards?
I cannot think of a reason not to have a
guard on a straight knife. If you have ever
had your hand slip down onto a sharp edge,
you know what I mean.
Single guards are good but I prefer double guards on xed blades. A double guard
is safer with gloves on because the top quillon will catch the web of your thumb. The
Ka-Bar KBD-1 is the best example. The
slab-handle knives with cut-out guards are
OK, but you have to watch them when you
are wearing gloves.

5)

Should the folders have

guards?
Most of the folders tested have a guard built
into the handle that provides minimum protection. The CRKT M1 has a ipper opener
that doubles as a single guard. The CRKT
M16 has a double guard that places it at the
top of the list for safety, even when wearing
gloves. Ka-Bars smaller folders have to be
used with caution so your hand does not slip
down on the blade edge.

6)

Which is better, stainless or carbon steel?

The answer to this question is up to the user.
Stainless steel will resist corrosion but, in

7)
30 / BLADE

ColdWet.indd 30

MAY 2005

2/14/05 8:54:43 AM

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KNIVES

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PH: 503-670-9080
FX: 503-639-4789
For Our Complete Line, Visit:

www.almarknives.com

MAY 2005

ColdWet.indd 31

BLADE / 31

2/11/05 10:49:38 AM

field
testing
field testing

Of the xed blades, the

author indicated that KaBars KBD-1, Ontarios
RAT-7 D-2, CRKTs First
Strike, and the TOPS
Fire Strike had the
best-feeling handles
for gloved use. As
shown here, the
TOPS Fire Strike
has the largest
single nger
groovea key
to control
with a gloved
handof all
the knives
tested.

Other of the folders

tested were, with specs
and MSRPs where available,
from top: Ka-Bar 4064 w/AUS8A stainless blade, Zytel handle,
$28; CRKT M1 w/AUS-8 stainless blade,
Zytel handle, 4.37 closed, $69.99; and
Kershaw Blackhorse II w/440A stainless
blade, Realtree Polyamide handle, 4
7/8 closed, $54.95.

The author indicated that he prefers

double guards on
xed
xed blades because
the guards top quillon will catch the
web of a gloved thumb and prevent the
gloved hand from proceeding onto the
blade edge. Kurt uses the Ontario ASEK
here to demonstrate.

my opinion, does not keep as good an edge

as carbon steel. That being said, I know that
the high-end stainless steels will perform
as well as carbon steel, and some are even
better. It all comes down to a cost issue and
what you want your knife to do.
I will add a note here on serrations. I
do not care for them. Unless I will be cutting a lot of rope, I do not have any use for
them. That is my opinion. You may see
it differently.
What kind of sheath
should the knife have?
In a damp environment, leather will rot
and deform. A sheath made from Kydex is
the best thing going for wet weather.
Usually, the sheath will have two ways
to secure the knife. One uses snaps on nylon
thongs and the other uses pressure with a
formed pouch and throat. I like the snap a
little better because I can still sheathe and
unsheathe quietly. Preformed sheaths lock

8)

32 / BLADE

ColdWet.indd 32

in the blade loudly and are very secure, but

I like sheaths that are quiet. Both types are
good as long as no problems occur while deploying the knife.
The sheath for the Ka-Bar KBD-1 has a
set of lugs that lock behind the guard. This
is secure yet challenging when unsheathing
the knife while wearing gloves.
What type of folder action works the best?
This question is similar to the one about
stainless vs. carbon steels. Again, you use
whatever feels comfortable. But lets look at
the pros and cons.
Slip joint: You need two hands to open
one and to do so you will need to expose
your ngers in cold weather. A slip joint is
great for ne work but can be hazardous under a heavy load;
Lockback: It requires two-handed
opening most of the time. It is very secure
and safe when opened and can handle heavy

9)

MAY 2005

2/11/05 10:50:40 AM

cutting chores. Depending on the size of the

knife, you still might need to expose your
ngers when opening or closing one; and;
Locking liner: Opening can be done
with one hand even with gloves on and, if
it is an assisted opener, all the better. Most
are very secure and can handle heavy loads.
The CRKT M1 and M16 and SOG Trident
have safeties to lock the blade open, though
the safeties are hard to operate and closing
can be tricky at best if you are wearing the
types of gloves we used for our tests.
If I had to choose, I would pick a lockback for very cold weather and a locking
liner for everything else.
The Authors Preferences
Personally, I would use a neck knife in a Kydex sheath for ne work and a larger blade
with a Kydex-lined sheath on my rucksack
for the heavy stuff. Folders would be a lockback on my belt and a locking liner in my
pocket. None would have serrations and I
would carry a diamond sharpener for edge
touch-ups.
The big knife would be carbon steel,
along with the neck knife. The folders
would have stainless steel blades of CPM
S30V, S60V or S90V.
When it comes to knives, practice the
Boy Scout motto of Be Prepared. And remember my motto: In the cold and wet, you
can never have enough knives.

Best New Maker

Atlanta Blade Show 2004
George Peck Award
ABS 2004
J. White Knives
308 Regatta Dr.
Niceville, FL 32578
(850) 729-9174

For the contact information for the knives

in the story, see Where To Get Em on
page 104.

Bringing you the finest knifemaking products!

Most of the folders tested have a guard

built into the handle that provides minimum protection. The CRKT M16-14ZSF
has a double guard that places it at the
top of the authors list for safety, even
when wearing gloves.

MAY 2005

ColdWet.indd 33

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BLADE / 33

2/14/05 10:33:16 AM

factory
focus
factory focus

By Mike Haskew

One might say the Phoenix has risen

from the ashes to become one of the
best-selling pieces in Lakotas older
knife line. In AUS-8 blade steel, a
cocobolo handle and the companys trademark Stand-Up
design, it has an MSRP of $99.
Closed length: ~5 inches.

Lakota Knife, USA

34 / BLADE

Lakota.indd 34

MAY 2005

2/14/05 8:37:05 AM

hen Louis Collier, Steve Hamilton and Brian Gray purchased

the Lakota Knife Co. in January 2002, they knew a good thing when
they saw it.
A well-established name in the knife
industry, Lakota was already known for
offering knives touted as being designed
and crafted with only the highest quality
of materials to ensure long life for the rugged outdoors. For the trio of new owners,
seeing was believing.
Collier serves as president, Gray is vice
president, and Hamilton is chief nancial
ofcer of Lakota Knife, USA, which observed three decades of operation in 2004.
All three of us had been working in
other elds, but Louis ran into a gentleman who knew that a knife company was
for sale, Gray explained. We found out
that it was Lakota, and I had used a Lakota
Phoenix for many years. I knew what that
knife was like and said, Lets talk! Three
months later, we owned the company.
The hefty Phoenix lockback is available in a choice of cocobolo, Micarta and
G-10 handle materials for manufacturers

Lakota Knife, USA

attn: Brian Gray
POB 155, Dept. BL5
Greenville, VA 24440
800.807.1169
fax 540.324.0305
www.lakotaknife.com
Specialties A variety of outdoor, using,
gents tactical folders, gents knives
and xed blades
Steels AUS-8, VG-10 and 440A
stainless
Handle Materials Various exotic
woods, including cocobolo, quince burl
and African ebony; G-10, Micarta,
aluminum and Kraton; and motherof-pearl, jasper leopard, turquoise, jet,
malachite, howlite, lapis lazuli and sugilite in the Legacy Series
Miscellaneous A number of the older
designs feature the companys trademark Stand-Up design; full-grain
leather and polymer sheaths in both
pouch and belt styles; some embellished pieces include 24k-gold inlay or
scrimshaw
MSRP Range $28-$165

Technology with an Edge

The Technology.. Kershaws

BIG BOA & BABY BOA

The Edge................. Speed-Safe assistedopening system

Big Boa features ti-nitride
coated blade
Baby Boa has smoked
anodized aluminum handles
Lifetime guarantee

BOA
Model 1580
MSRP $185.00
Blade......3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.)
Steel.......S60V stainless steel,
ti-nitride-coated
Handle...anodized aircraft
aluminum
Closed....4 3/4 in. (12 cm.)
Weight ...4.9 oz.

BABY BOA
Model 1585
MSRP $74.95

Designed in the classic style of Blade

Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Bob
Loveless, the Lakota 720 is 8 1/8 inches
long overall with a 4-inch drop-point
blade of V-ground AUS-8 stainless. The
handle is quince wood burl. MSRP: $135.

Blade......2 in. (5.1 cm.)

Steel.......440A stainless
steel, polished
Handle...T061 anodized
aluminum
Liner........410 stainless
Closed....2 3/4 in.
(7.1 cm.)
Weight ...1.7 oz.

For information or a dealer near you, call:

1-800-325-2891
www.kershawknives.com

MAY 2005

Lakota.indd 35

BLADE / 35

2/14/05 11:08:11 AM

factory
focus
factory focus

CRISWELL SWORDS
GIVE YOURSELF THE EDGE..........

$295 - $495
RETAIL/WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTOR
H & L SALES, INC
503 720-9272
270 N.E. 20TH PLACE
www.swordsandknives.homestead.com
HILLSBORO, OR 97124

suggested retail prices (MSRPs) of around

$99 each. Anchored by a 2 1/2-inch AUS-8
stainless steel blade, the knife is accented
by sturdy brass pins and stainless bolsters.
It comes with a leather sheath.
The Phoenix is one of the biggest sellers of the old Lakota line, Gray observed.
I guess its been around since the beginning, and it remains very popular. What
the Phoenix hasnt had is an introduction
to people who are new to knives. It has
always had its following, and by Lakota
doing some advertising in print and television and doing some knife shows in the last
two years, more people are seeing it now.
In the last two years, Ive probably done
24 or 25 shows, just getting out and promoting Lakota knives and showing them
to people. I love to do the shows and meet
the people face-to-face that purchase our
knives. Their eyes light up and they say,
Gosh, Ive never seen these knives before.
Even if they dont buy a knife while theyre
there, theyll never forget they saw one.
Raising the prole of Lakota knives
has been a primary mission of the company, which has been relocated to Greenville,
Virginia, from the old Riverton, Wyo-

F R E S H A I R o r T I M E S S QUA R E

STYLE THAT CUTS BOTH WAYS.

New. 174 Buck/Mayo Cutback.

Evocative contours. Frame-lock technology. Understated elegance. These qualities

distinguish collaborator Tom Mayos latest design.
The compact Cutback is exquisitely balanced and
smooth to deploy. Such style is welcome everywhere.

T he measure of a knife since 1902.

800.326.2825

36 / BLADE

Lakota.indd 36

www.buckknives.com

2005 Buck Knives, Inc.

A contoured handle in cocobolo highlights the Talon locking-liner folder.

Note the state-of-the-art clip design.
The 3 1/8-inch blade is AUS-8. Closed
length: 4 1/8 inches. MSRP: $122.

MAY 2005

2/14/05 8:39:26 AM

factory
focus
factory focus
culated risk, but there has been no shortage
of fresh ideas. Sources include the Japanese manufacturers allied with Lakota and
custom makers who share their considerable experience.
These are custom makers that I know
and who buy our knives, Gray said. Incidentally, were talking with several Knifemakers Guild members about future collaborations now.
After last years product ood, the plan
The Trout in Stream folder in Lakotas
Aluminum Scrimshaw Series makes an
excellent desk knife. Blade steel is
440A and the handle frame is aluminum. Closed length: 4 inches.
MSRP: $46.

The jigsaw effect of the stones in the

handle of the Aztec is mesmerizing.
Blade steel is AUS-8. Closed length:
~3 inches. MSRP: $76.

A. G. Russell Damascus Kitchen Knives

European Styling Meets Japanese Craftsmanship.
13 Piece Set of VG-10
stainless Damascus
Kitchen Knives at
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Place your order now @

1-800-255-9034 Code# H0505

For your free catalog call

479-571-6161 Dept #H0505

Copyright 2005, A. G. Russell Knives, Inc.

38 / BLADE

Lakota.indd 38

MAY 2005

2/14/05 8:44:08 AM

BLMAY05

2/9/05

9:18 AM

Page 3

factory
focus
factory focus
for 2005 is to introduce a few new models while allowing the market to absorb
the high-powered mix of the old and the
new. We went crazy in 2004, and before
we start saturating the market with new
knives, we want to give the knives we introduced last year time [to be assimilated by
consumers], Gray noted. Those knives
have been out there for a few months, and
were getting feedback from people who
bought models such as the 640 Raven
[$124 MSRP] and skinned six deer with
it and havent had to sharpen it yet. Thats
our research and developmentwhat the
customer likes.

Even if they
dont buy a knife,
theyll never forget they saw one.
Brian Gray

Handles With Care

from

MASECRAFT
SUPPLY COMPANY
Pearl, Horn, Bone, Exotic Woods, Micarta,
G-10s, Carbon Fiber, Celluloids, Stag,
ImiStag, Laminated Pearl Veneer Sheets,
Color Ply Laminated Veneer Wood,
Imitation Pearl, Alternative Ivory, Recon Stone
and More

Call to order our catalog

P.O. Box 423 BL
254 Amity St., Meriden, CT 06450

Phone: (203) 238-3049

All Lakota knives in the Mastercraft,

Pardner and Kingsher styles will continue to sport the companys trademark
Stand-Up designstanding on the edge
and handle for easy access while a job is
in progress. Lakota will continue to use
AUS-8 steel on its knives, which company
ofcials say strikes an effective balance of
edge holding and corrosion resistance. Two
knives introduced last year, the Talon 101
and 102 (MSRPs: $122 each) are offered in
blades of VG-10 stainless.
Two xed blades are newa small
caping model and a drop-point utility
hunter, with quince and Micarta handles,
respectively. MSRPs are just over $100
each. There are also three new Lakota folders, which can best be described as gentlemans tacticals. With G-10 or such exotic
wood handle choices as quince, cocobolo
and African ebony, the folders are built to
perform yet are small enough to t comfortably into a dress pants pocket.
Another Lakota hallmark over the
years has been the choices of stone and
scrimshaw handles on selected models.
The company will continue to offer them
as well.
Things change, but they also can stay
the same. In the case of Lakota, both are
for the better.

E-mail: masecraft@masecraftsupply.necoxmail.com

40 / BLADE

Lakota.indd 40

MAY 2005

2/14/05 8:44:55 AM

BL0001023717.qxd

2/10/05

8:30 AM

Page 1

2005

BLADE SHOW

2005
June 3, 4, 5, 2005
In Atlantas Cobb Galleria Centre
SHOW OPENS TO THE PUBLIC
Friday, June 3: 2pm - 7pm
Saturday, June 4: 9am - 6pm
Sunday, June 5: 9am - 4pm

Show Highlights
American Bladesmith Society
Annual Convention

2005 BLADE Magazine Cutlery Industry

Hall-of-Fame Inductions

Special Knifemakers Guild Section

The Nations Top Collections

FREE Super Seminars

Over 500 Knifemaker and Antique Tables

and Manufacturers Booths

Blade Magazines 2005 Knives of the Year

and Handmade Awards

You could Win A Knife like

this one donated by
Steve Skiff

All Major Knifemaking Suppliers

2005 Hotel Reservations

Renaissance Waverly Hotel
Phone: (770) 953-4500
- Please book early Mention the Blade Show
for Special Rate
Travel Discounts
United Airlines is the official air carrier
for the BLADE Show.
Call 800-521-4041.
Use Event Code 554SF.
Avis is the official car rental service.
The discount code is JO99319.
Call them at 800-331-1600
For additional information contact

2005 BLADE SHOW

For more information on Steve Skiff see,

Where To Get Em.

700 East State Street

Iola, WI 54990-0001
(877) 746-9757
Fax: (715) 445-4087
E-mail: lutzm@krause.com
http://www.bladeshow.com

tactical
or technical?
technical?
tactical or technical?

Ken Onion said his Bump assisted-opener is his knife

of choice. I upscaled it because it was my favorite and
I thought that would make it look sexier, he noted. The
rst upscale Bump was one he made for himself. Then,
there was so much demand, he made more, though only
a few. This one has a Mike Norris starburst damascus
blade and a mother-of-pearl handle. Closed length: ~5
inches. Onions list price for a basic Bump: $650. Upgrades could push it as high as $2,000. (Weyer photo)

By Mike Haskew

42 / BLADE

Tacticals.indd 42

MAY 2005

2/9/05 10:56:58 PM

rriving at an adequate denition of tactical folder is a difcult

chore at best, probably because the
genre is continually being redened.
Just when the tacticals position in the
knife spectrum begins to solidify, something new comes along. Watching both custom knifemakers and manufacturers create
the upscale and embellished tactical folder,
the buying public is witnessing yet another
phenomenon in the tactical evolution.
Tactical is such an overused term, I
think, commented Joe Verbanac, marketing manager for Benchmade Knives. It isnt
well dened and I believe its more often used
incorrectly than correctly. I dont know that
I have ever come across a clear denition of
it. Consumers are becoming more educated
about steels, designs and mechanisms, and
theyre looking for more in a knife. Then, in
order to get a knife originally created for law
enforcement or the military to appeal to a
consumer, something that looks more ashy,
The original Benchmade 910
Stryker is a modied locking liner
with titanium liners and a G-10
handle. The Benchmade 910 TI
Strykeras shown hereis
a dressier version thanks in
part to a titanium handle
with anodized edges
and silver G-10 inlay.
Filework adorns
the spine, and the
CPM S30V blade
is tanto shaped.
MSRP: $500.

MAY 2005

Tacticals.indd 43

BLADE / 43

2/9/05 10:49:18 PM

tactical
or technical?
technical?
tactical or technical?

Phone: (276) 783-6143

Fax: (276) 783-9298
Web Site: www.blueridgeknives.com
E-Mail: onestop@blueridgeknives.com

Over 270 Brands

44 / BLADE

Tacticals.indd 44

Send a copy of your business license and $3 (refundable) for 752 page color catalog. Minimum order required.

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Brian Tighe offers his Tighe-Die dagger in

Double X and Triple X patterns carved out
of the titanium handles. This is the Double
X. He also makes it with a carbon-
carbon-ber
ber
handle and as a framelock with titanium
inlay. At press time, a limited-edition TigheDie with a stiletto-style blade was available
through Knifeart.com. (Point Seven photo)

His rediscovery of an old French ornamental turning technique called guilloche

has Allen Elishewitz spicing up handles on many of his knives. The titanium
bolster of his Emperor model sports the embellishment. The blade is Damasteel
damascus and the handle is amber jigged bone. (Elishewitz photo)

MAY 2005

2/9/05 10:49:51 PM

l?

A blade and bolsters of damascus complement the ivory-handle model, and jeweled
bolsters and a 154CM stainless blade complete the carbon-ber piece in Pat Crawfords
two-folder set. (Point Seven photo)

Blade Art Inc.

14216 SW 136 Street Miami, FL 33186

Email sales@bladeart.com
Phone (305) 255-8684 Fax: (305) 233-6943

the two have been melded together. The result is a high-performance knife that looks
like a sports car.
Those who have dressed their tacticals
up insist that there is no compromise in performance. The addition of anodizing, damascus, titanium, mother-of-pearl, guilloche
and more simply opens a new door for the
collector and authors a new chapter in the
tactical story.
Two Benchmade offerings available in
the companys Gold Class might be considered such. The Warren Osborne-designed
960 CFP and the 910 TI Stryker retail for
$600 and $500, respectively, and the combination of craftsmanship and materials means
a big payoff for the buyer.
The 960 CFP appeared in 2004, a couple
of years after the original 960. Its carbon-ber handle surrounds mother-of-pearl inlays,
and the blade steel is CPM S30V stainless
accented by ambidextrous thumb studs with
jeweled inlay. The original 910 is a modied
locking liner with titanium liners and a G-10
handle, while the 910 TI is a dressier version
sporting a polished titanium handle with anodized edges and silver G-10 inlay to create
a palm swell. Filework adorns the spine, and
the S30V blade is tanto shaped.
The CFP is near custom quality, Joe
asserted. It was limited to 100 pieces, and
some handwork is involved in its manufacture. The 910 TI, also a limited edition,
was based on the rst 910 platform, which
was originally a tactical folder, and this
MAY 2005

Tacticals.indd 45

OSBORNE
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Tel: (972) 935-0899 Fax: (972) 937-9004 - Catalog $3.00
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BLADE / 45

2/11/05 2:37:50 PM

l?

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Ken Onion
upgraded only a
few of his Spade
assisted-openers
with a textured
titanium handle
fashioned to look
like wrapped-andstitched leather.
The blade comes
in a choice of BG42, CPM S30V or a
Japanese alloy known
as Cowry-Y. This one
is at-ground S30V.
(Weyer photo)

going a step further with two-tone blasting

intermixed with color. The addition of color
adds only about $25 to his base dagger list
price of $475, while damascus adds roughly
another $200.
People are looking for something
unique, he said. A splash of color dresses
the knife up, and even after you carry it for
a while the nish is quite durable. It doesnt
wear off. I usually stick with blue because
most people like it, and you can still use these
knives as you normally would, though they
are a little dressier. Ive been working on a
new nish on stainless steel. Its an abstract
design that involves etching and the way I
apply the resist. Each one is different.
Spice is Nice
His rediscovery of an old French ornamental turning technique called guilloche
has Allen Elishewitz spicing up handles
on many of his knives. (For more on Elishewitz and his guilloche knives, see the
April BLADE.) The guilloche machine is
a lathe that makes patterns and is usually
hand powered, he explained. The cutter is
a single point cutter that does not move. It
planes and carves into steel.
He said the art of ornamental turning
and guilloche dates back to the 1700s at a
time when the nobility of Europe would buy
the machines and try to outdo one another
with fancy uted designs in wood, ivory,
silver, gold or jade. The demise of the early
MAY 2005

Tacticals.indd 47

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BLADE / 47

2/11/05 10:38:41 AM

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tactical or technical?
technical?
tactical or technical?

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48 / BLADE

Tacticals.indd 48

www.lonewolfknives.com

guilloche craze was the advent of the automobile, Allen noted, which simply gave the
wealthy a new toy.
He bought his rst guilloche machine
nearly three years ago. He owns three of
them now and is looking for another. The
last of the machines was manufactured about
half-a-century ago, and most of them are at
least 100 years old.
I bought my rst machine for watches,
Allen related. I was looking at different
techniques to make watch dials, but I said
to myself, Youve got the machine now.
Try it with knives. I knew no one else in the
cutlery industry had heard of guilloche, let
alone done it, and I still dont know anybody
that has done it with titanium, which is my
main material to use it with.
I guilloche and anodize and then guilloche and anodize so that I have multiple
colors. The machine is actually engraving
into the material a certain depth with certain
colors, depending on what effect you want.
Though he admits that he is not an engraving type of guy, Allen appreciates the
way the guilloche machines geometric and
circular patterns in both points and radii
techniques accent his work with an art-deco
look. At least 50 percent of the knives he
makes involves the guilloche embellishment. Depending on the extent of the work,
guilloche may increase Allens asking prices
between $75 and $300 per knife.
I dont want to offer guilloche on every knife I make, he noted, because then
it becomes something standard, something
that isnt as special. As far as the embellishment on tacticals, I think you can only own
so many black and gray knives. As a collector becomes more sophisticated, the knives
he collects become more rened, and he
changes his tastes.
With knifemakers, its the same thing.
How many black and gray knives can one
individual make? As the maker becomes interested in other things and renes his technique, he wants to better his style. His knives
start changing, and this opens multiple layers
of potential buyers he can sell his knives to.
To date, Allen is aware of two other
knifemakers who own guilloche machines
but have done very little with them so far.
One knife company has contacted him about
buying a machine as well.
Continued Evolution
The ever-changing tactical, it appears, may
have less to do with the function of the knife
itself than the appeal of something new and
different. If that is indeed the case, then continued evolution is a guarantee.
For the contact information for the knives in
the story, see Where To Get Em on page
104.

MAY 2005

2/9/05 10:50:16 PM

1029290_BL.qxd

12/13/04

9:27 AM

Page 1

ask
the experts
ask the experts

According to purveyor Les

Robertson, $250-$350 is a good
ballpark gure to pay for the
low-end handforged xed blades
of such up-and-coming makers as
Dan Farr, Brett Gatlin, Jason Howell,
Jason Knight, Australian Sean McIntire and Terry Primos, among others.
Gatlin makes this clip-point model.
(Hoffman photo)

50 / BLADE

MagicPrice.indd 50

By Steve Shackleford

MAY 2005

2/9/05 11:03:20 PM

ow do you know when you are paying

the correct amountnot too much
or too littlefor a handmade knife?
BLADE went to the people who
sell knives for a livingthe purveyors
for the answer.
Since there are so many different categories of handmade knives, arriving at the
right price for the knives in each and every genre is beyond the scope of this story.
However, since the knives that are hot are
the ones many knife enthusiasts are buying,
we will focus on them.
As a result, not only will we provide
valuable pricing info*, we also will identify some of todays hottest knivesand

among the hottest sellers right now are

xed blades, many of them handforged by
select members of the American Bladesmith Society, as well as those of the tactical persuasion.
Two Price Ranges
There seems to be two prevalent price ranges for the top examples of handforged xed
blades: $250-$350 and $1,000-$2,000.
The ones in the higher range include those
with unusual materials, such as the minigun blade steel of Rob Pattonwith his
knives so equipped starting at $2,000the
multi-bar damascus of Bailey Bradshaw
and those by Ed Caffrey, each of the latter

Technology with an Edge

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Quince wood or smoked anodized
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Removable pocket clip
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SPLINTER
Model 1460
Model 1460BR
Model 1460BRST

Model 1460

(Quince Wood)
MSRP $140.00

Blade......3 in. (7.5cm.)

Steel.......AUS8A stainless
Liners.....420 stainless
Handles..Quince wood
or Aluminum
Lock .......Liner
Closed....4 in.
(10.3cm.)
Weight ...2.3 oz.

Model 1460BRST
(Black, Red)
Partially Serrated
MSRP $99.95

Model 1460BR
Purveyor Larry Brahms
said Scot Matsuoka is
one of the new young
lions who makes outstanding tactical folders
in the $400 range. These
two beauties feature
3 1/8- and 3 1/2-inch
blades of 440C stainless.
(Weyer photo)

(Black, Red)
Straight Edge
Not Shown
MSRP $99.95

For information
or a dealer near you, call:

1-800-325-2891
www.kershawknives.com
MAY 2005

MagicPrice.indd 51

BLADE / 51

2/9/05 11:03:58 PM

ask
the experts
ask the experts
According to purveyor Larry Brahms,
Todd Begg established his reputation
with xed-blade tacticalssuch as
the 6 7/8-inch Mach 1 in CPM S30V
stainless and crowned green-canvas
Micartaand has expanded into
tactical folders. Brahms said Beggs
tactical folders are in the $400 range.
(Lum photo)

accompanied by an elaborate sheath. There

are, of course, others.
Ed spends a lot of time and effort on the
sheath. Its a big selling feature. He doesnt
just glue two pieces of leather together and
call it a sheath., purveyor Neil Ostroff of
True North Knives observed. He hand
tools them out of expensive, high-quality
leather and they have aps, leather straps to
tie to your leg, and other features. Theyre
really beautiful and functional.
Ironically, as purveyor Les Robertson
noted, the $250-$350 xed-blade spread is
close to the same range that hot handmade
tactical folders were fetching when they
rst became popular about a decade ago. Of
course, the magic number for hot handmade tactical folders has increased considerably, as we will discuss later.
Today, $250-$350 is a good ballpark
gure to pay for the low-end handforged
xed blades of such up-and-coming makers as Dan Farr, Brett Gatlin, Jason Howell,
Jason Knight, Australian Sean McIntire
and Terry Primos, among others. Robertson said the knives these makers are offering at $350 are exceptional, and even the
$250 hunter Gatlin makes includes a $35
sheath.
BladeArt.coms Larry Brahms is especially complimentary of Knights work.
Hes one of the best bladesmiths Ive run
across, Brahms observed. Hes solid at
the $300 mark. You can get a really good
52 / BLADE

MagicPrice.indd 52

MAY 2005

2/9/05 11:04:45 PM

ask the experts

Measure Of Quality
rout Custom
Made Knives

SOLE AUTHORSHIP
Fileworked
Tapered Tang
Mosaic Pins
Handmade Sheath
Thong Hole

ask the experts

George Trout
P.O. Box 13
Cuba, Ohio 45114
937-382-2331
gtrout2@earthlink.net

Exotic Cocobolo Knife Display Stands

AAA exhibition grade cocobolo dalbergia
retusa. Custom quality fit & finish.
Two sizes: 6 inches, 3 1/2 inches outside,
end to end.
Prices: Large $19.50 plus $1 shipping.
Small $17.50 plus $1 shipping.
Order online at www.woodgrips.com or
send check to

Sporting Arms Custom Grips

8448 4th Avenue, Hesperia, CA 92345.

Dealer inquiries call 888-748-5407 toll free

watch are Todd Begg, Rick Hinderer and

Scot Matsuoka.
According to Ostroff, the $475 tactical
folder is still a daily seller. I nd that makers who keep their prices at that level are
really doing the right thing. They know the
selling point.
What should you expect for $475? Listen to Ostroff.
Whenever a maker does something
new, its immediately welcomed by the
publica different pocket clip, a slightly
Purveyor Les Robertson
tabbed Jason Howell as
one of the new young
ABS bladesmiths making
outstanding xed blades
in the $250-$350 range.
Howells 10 1/2-inch
bowie includes a
5 3/8-inch damascus
blade of 1084
and 15N20 steels,
and a handle of
Australian gidgee
wood. (Custom
Knife Gallery of
Colorado photo)

www.twinxblades.com
BG42 Steel
Axis Stag Handle

54 / BLADE

MagicPrice.indd 54

Charlie Mathews
Harry Mathews
121 Mt. Pisgah Church Rd.
Statesboro, GA 30458
912-865-9098
twinblades@bulloch.net
MAY 2005

2/14/05 10:36:23 AM

rts

Purveyor Larry Brahms said

brothers Jon and Josh Graham
are representative of makers
who follow a different drummer. An example is their Razel
xed

xed blade. The uninitiated

could call it a sharpened chisel,
Brahms noted. It has cool lines.
The Grahams make unique
designs. They dont follow
anybody and do what they want
from a utilitarian point of view.
(Hoffman photo)

Purveyor Les Robertson advised that

there is a large group of veteran ABS
master smiths that is offering outstanding knives and sheaths, such as Joe
Keeslar, ABS chairman. Joes Paradox
model features a 6 1/2-inch blade of 5160,
lework,

lework, engraving, a silver-wire-inlaid

curly maple handle, and a handsome
beaded sheath. (Point Seven photo)

MAY 2005

MagicPrice.indd 55

BLADE / 55

2/11/05 10:45:02 AM

Gryphon Knives M-10

esigned by Robert Terzuola, the Gryphon M-10,
with its straight-forward design, falls into that
just right category of being large enough to
accomplish most tasks, yet small enough to be
carried with ease. The full tang blade is lightly
bead blasted to reduce glare, and each blade is
individually Rockwell tested to assure perfect
blade hardness. The indestructible handle is made
of DuPont Zytel, which is checkered to give you a
positive gripping surface. Each M-10 sheath is
hand crafted by Survival Sheath Systems from
.090" thick Concealex. Belt attachment is handily
accomplished with a Terzuola/Wegner designed
Tek-Lok, which can be positioned to carry the M10 on your belt horizontally, vertically with
handle-up, or inverted with handle-down. For
discreet inside-the-pants carry a belt loop
attachment is also included. Given all of these
features, and better yet, getting one in your hand,
and you ll see why the Gryphon M-10 is truly just
right!

Blade steel:
Rc hardness:
Blade length:
Length overall:
Blade thickness:
Weight, knife:
Weight, sheath:
Made in:

AUS-8A
57-58
4"
8 1/2"
3/16"
4.6 oz
2.6 oz
Japan

Retail $179.99
Discount Price $12500
2 or more only $115.00 ea.
Free shipping to active
duty military personnel

www.cutleryshoppe.com
800.231.1272
208.884.5250

ask the experts

ask the experts

different shape, different inlay, whatever

it is, the customers are desperate for something new. They jump all over it, he offered.
When somebody comes up with something
different, even a carry system, its warmly
accepted. Different types of sheaths, even
for folders, are very welcome.
An example is a sheath with a swiveling Kydex clip by Ryan Wilson. It adjusts
for carry at the side and can turn 40 or 50
degrees sideways, which enables people to
sit down without the sheath digging into
their stomachs. Another hot item is Kydex
sheaths covered with animal skin. This really gives the customer a reason to take a
second look, Ostroff observed.
In the end, it all comes down to makers
who are always looking for ways to make
their knives stand out from the crowd.
The makers who are constantly thinking are the ones who thrive. They dont sit
back on what theyve been doing, Ostroff
stressed. They continually update and improve their knives.
A term I learned a long time ago is
value added. Its the American way. Double
features, two for one, thats such a terric
marketing tool. When you give a guy something hes not expecting for the same price,
its an absolute winner.
Which Are & Which Arent?
So now that you know which knives are
worth what, how do you know which
knives are not worth the asking price? This
is a touchy subject.
A brand new maker needs to be south
of $250, if for no other reason than you
can buy one of his knives and not get in
too deep, Brahms said. He added that if a
maker is asking $275-$350 for a low-end
xed blade, there has got to be some kind
of stamp of approval on the knife, such as
a great write-up in a magazine or an Internet tout, or an ABS journeyman or master
smith stamp. The maker needs to have a
good reputation or the knife itself must have
notable materials, such as an ivory handle,
a Talonite blade, etc., Brahms stressed.
On the other side of the coin are such
name makers as Kit Carson and his sonin-law, Mike Obenauf, who keep a lid on
their asking prices. Mike continues to
keep his knives under $400, Ostroff said.
Theyre really worth more but he continues to keep them there, which is great for
the consumer.
It is interesting to note, Ostroff added,
that Obenauf is one of the few top makers
who can sell his knives for under $400 and
get away with it. A knife under $400 wont
attract as much attention because [a number of serious buyers] think that because
its under $400, the maker isnt known or
the knife isnt any good, he explained.
I think its Kit Carsons inuence [Obe-

56 / BLADE

MagicPrice.indd 56

MAY 2005

2/14/05 10:35:17 AM

rts

Mother
of
Pearl
Company

Purveyor Larry Brahms tabbed Jason Knight as

one of the best forgers Ive run across. Brahms
said Knights xed blades range from $250 on
the low end to $500 for a more elaborate piece.
The 1084 carbon steel blade boasts a handrubbed satin nish and the handle is imitation
ivory on Knights spear-point bowie. The sheath
is by Shelly Knight. (BladeGallery.com photo)

Pearl slabs including;

white, gold, pink, black, brown & abalone

OTHER MATERIALS;
Jig, Pick, Smooth & Stag Bone in a
variety of colors & patterns: Mosaic
Abalone Buffalo & Rams Horn,
Stingray Skins, Wallets & Belts.

See Us At:
East Coast Custom Knife Show
New York, NY
March 4-6, 2005
Oregon Knife Collectors Show
Eugene, OR
April 8-10, 2005
Blade Show
Atlanta, GA
June 3-5, 2005
Knifemakers Guild Show
Orlando, FL
August 4-6, 2005
Catalog send $5.00 or download from our
Web site to:

Mother of Pearl Company

P.O. Box 445, Franklin, NC 28744
Phone (828) 524-6842 Fax (828) 369-7809
www.knifehandles.com
www.stingrayproducts.com

Terms:
C.O.D. Prepayment MC/VISA

KNIFE/SWORD BLADE STEELS

New Expanded Stocks For Blade Needs

nauf learned how to make knives from Kit]

to keep prices reasonable and bring them
up slowly, Neil concluded. Thats important for the guy whos making knives under
the radar to understand that he cant raise
his prices by $50 or $60 for no reason.
And if he does, you should satisfy yourself that the increase is warranted before
you buy.
*These prices are what the knives were
commanding at press time, prices that can
change at a moments notice. No matter
what the knife, always keep that in mind.
For the contact information for the knives
pictured in the story, see Where To Get
Em on page 104.

MAY 2005

MagicPrice.indd 57

Stainless ATS34 440C 154CMBG42303304 410 416 420

Alloy S30V S60V S90V A203E 5160 52100 (round / flat)
High Carbon 1050 1075 1080 1084 1095
Low Carbon 1008 1010 1020
Tool Steels L6 I5N20 O1 A2 D2 (precision ground)
6AL/4V Titanium Nickel 201
Damascus Admiral Hi Quality Random / Twist Patterns

All bar sizes & full sheets in stock Small quantities welcome

Quality Steels

Quality Service

Quality Value

Custom Knife/Sword Blades

Lasers Cut to your specifications.
Send drawings for fast quotes.
Call or write for free catalog.
Online ordering See web site.

:HVWUG6WUHHW
$OVLS,OOLQRLV
)D[

ZZZDGPLUDOVWHHOFRP
HPDLOVDOHV#DGPLUDOVWHHOFRP

BLADE / 57

2/14/05 10:35:36 AM

1023795_BL.qxd

2/11/05

10:08 PM

Page 1

1starmoryauction.com
Online Firearms Auction
phil@1starmoryauction.com

Blackstocksinc.com
www.blackstocksinc.com
garyz@yellville.net

2thehilt.com
2thehilt.com
phil@2thehilt.com

Blade Art Inc.

www.bladeart.com
info@bladeart.com

A.G. Russell Knives, Inc.

www.agrussell.com
ag@agrussell.com

Bladegallery.com
www.bladegallery.com
Omalley@bladegallery.com

Anders Hogstrom
www.andershogstrom.com
andershogstrom@rixmail.se
andershogstrom@hotmail.com

Blades N Business
www.bladesnbusiness.com
Sales@bladesnbusiness.com

Anderson Knives
www.cbaknives.com
info@cbaknives.com
Angel Sword
www.angelsword.com
info@angelsword.com
Archers Knives
www.archersknives.com
archert@trib.com
Arizona Custom Knives
www.arizonacustomknives.com
sharptalk@bellsouth.net
Atlanta Cutlery
www.atlantacutlery.com
atlcut@mindspring.com
Bailiwick Enterprises
www.ThrowingKnives.com
Whips and Throwing Knives
Lash & Steel Shows
BahamaJohn@sprintmail.com
A.T. Barr
www.customknives.com
atbarr@alltell.net
Beckwiths Blade
www.beckwithsblades.com
info@beckwithsblades.com
Benchmade
www.benchmade.com
Benchmade_Update@Benchmade.com

Cutlery Specialties
www.restorationproduct.com
Renaissance Micro-Crystalline
Wax/Polish
Dennis Blaine; dennis13@aol.com
Cutting Edge Cutlery Co.
No one in Canada has more knives
www.swords.ca
Dantes Knifeworks
www.DantesKnife.com
sales@DantesKnife.com

Bob Neal Custom Knives

www.bobnealcustomknives.com
bob@bobnealcustomknives.com

E-Blades.com
www.e-blades.com
sales@e-blades.com

Brian Tighe
www.tigheknives.com
tighe@netcom.ca

Dave Ellis - CA. 1st ABS M.S.

www.exquisiteknives.com
ellis@mastersmith.com

Bubba Knives
www.bubbaknives.com
warren@bubbaknives.com

Ernie Lyle - Knifemaker

www.ernestlyleknives.com
ernestlyle@msn.com

Burger Knives
www.swordcane.com
info@swordcane.com

Frost Cutlery
www.frostcutlery.com
knives@frostcutlery.com

Busse Combat Knife Company

www.bussecombat.com
busse@bright.net
C.A.S. lberia
www.casiberia.com
cas@casiberia.com
Cable Joe Knives
http://homepage.mac.
com/coffman/cablejoe
cablejoeknives@earthlink.net
Canadas Knife Zone
Online Knife & Sword Store
www.knifezone.ca
sales@knifezone.ca
Cobra Imports Swords & Knives
www.cobraimports.com
cobraimports@aol.com

Gary Levine Fine Knives

www.levineknives.com
Gary@levineknives.com
Great Lakes Custom Knives
www.customknives.info
bud@customknives.info
Greco Knives
Official Website
www.grecoknives.com
johngreco@grecoknives.com
(Back with a vengeance!)
Guild Knives - Selling
Custom Collection, Don Guild
www.guildknives.com
Halpern Titanium
www.halperntitanium.com
info@halperntitanium.com

Benchmark/National Knife
Distributors
www.nkdi.com
nkdi@nkdi.com

The Custom Knife Connection

crknives@charter.net
www.thecustomknifeconnection.com Helds Discount Knives
www.pumaknives.com
Custom Knife Gallery of Colorado sales@pumaknives.com
www.customknifegallery.com
bob_glassman@yahoo.com
HideAway Knife
Easy to retain. Easy to conceal.
Custom Knife Consignment
Fast to access.
www.customknifeconsignment.com
www.hideawayknife.com
bob@customknifeconsignment.com

Best Knives
www.bestknives.com
info@bestknives.com

Custom Leather Knife Sheaths

www.customsheaths.com
rschrap@aol.com

Best Blade
www.bestblade.com
info@bestblade.com

Hoffman Knives - Selling

Top Quality Collection - Walt
www.hoffmanknives.com

1023795_BL.qxd

2/11/05

10:09 PM

Page 2

Independent Knife and

Novelty
independentknife.com
info@independentknife.com
m

Moulton Knives
www.moultonknives.com
dusty@moultonknives.com

Spartan Cutlery
www.knivescentral.com
info@knivescentral.com

Museum Replicas
www.museumreplicas.com
musrep@mindspring.com

Sporting Arms Custom Grips

www.woodgrips.com
rosewood@rascsa.co.cr

Nashville Knife Shop

www.nashvilleknifeshop.com
info@nashvilleknifeshop.com

Steel Addiction Custom Knives

www.SteelAddictionKnives.com
davestark@steeladdictionknives.com

Knife Mart
www.knifemart.com
knifeologist@knifemart.com

Neilsons Mountain Hollow

J & Tess Neilson
www.mountainhollow.net
mountainhollow@emcs.net

Svord Knives
www.svord.com
svord@xtra.co.nz

KnifeShows.com
www.knifeshows.com
tedmerchant@comcast.net

New Graham Knives

www.NewGraham.com
mdye@newgraham.com

Knife & Sword Auction

www.bladebid.com
bladebid@cs.com
Knife Center of the Internet
www.knifecenter.com
info@knifecenter.com

Knives and Such LLC

www.knivesandsuch.com
sales@knivesandsuch.com
Knives Plus
www.KnivesPlus.com
KnivesPlus@KnivesPlus.com
Kubasek Custom Knives
www.kubasekcustomknives.com
kubasekknives@yahoo.com
Last Legend Competition Blades
www.lastlegend.com
sales@lastlegend.com
Lightfoot Knives
www.lightfootknives.com
pitbull@lightfootknives.com

Ohare Knives
sean@ohareknives.ca
www.ohareknives.ca
Okuden Custom Kydex
www.okuden.net
info@okuden.net
www.portlandknife.com
Your source for the Northwests
finest knives
sales@PortlandKnife.com
Pratts Collectible Cutlery
Case, Puma, Parker, Boker, Bulldog,
Muela, Remington
Knife Store www.prattscutlery.com

Little Hen Knives

www.littlehenknives.com
ron@littlehenknives.com

QuickKnife
Live Sharply
www.quickknife.com
sales@quickknife.com

Lone Wolf Knives

www.lonewolfknives.com
sales@lonewolfknives.com

Darrel Ralph
www.darrelralph.com
darrel@darrelralph.com

Mackrill Knives
www.mackrill.co.za
info@mackrill.co.za
Mantis Swords
www.mantisswords.com
mantisswords@toadmail.toad.net
Charlie Mattox
www.mattoxknife.com
charliemattox@aol.com
Moore Cutlery
www.moorecutlery.com
gary@moorecutlery.com
Mother Of Pearl Co. Inc.
www.knifehandles.com
www.stingrayproducts.com
mopco@earthlink.net

Ray Jay Knives

www.rayjayknives.com
ray@rayjayknives.com
Ray Rogers Handcrafted Knives
www.rayrogers.com
knives@rayrogers.com
Robertsons Custom Cutlery
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
customknives@comcast.net

Swamp Rat Knives

www.swamprat.com
info@swamprat.com
The Equipment Outpost
www.the-equipment-outpost.com
chad@the-equipment-outpost.com
The Sword Armory
www.swordarmory.com
sales@swordarmory.com
Tool Shop
www.toolshop.de
info@toolshop.de
Trident Knives
www.tridentknives.com
tridentknives@yahoo.com
Triple Aught Design
www.tadgear.com
info@tadgear.com
True North Knives
www.truenorthknives.com
info@truenorthknives.com
Twin Blades
www.twinxblades.com
twinblades@bulloch.net
Viking Wholesale
www.vikingwholesale.com
sales@vikingwholesale.com
Vinnys Knives
www.vinnysknives.com
vinny@vinnysknives.com
Jim Whitman, Knifemaker
www.whitmanknives.com
jim@whitmanknives.com

Smoky Mountain Knife Works

www.eKnifeWorks.com
webmaster@smkw.com

Daniel Winkler
Master Bladesmith
www.winklerknives.com
daniel@winklerknives.com

Sooner State Knives

www.soonerstateknives.com
ssknives@swbell.net

Richard S. Wright
www.richardswright.com
rswswitchblades@hotmail.com

equipment
equipment

By Bill Herndon
BLADE correspondent

As the author puts it, he throws

sparks from L.A. to Sacramento
with his 3-horsepower Herndon
Hogger. (Merlino photo)

60 / BLADE

Grinders.indd 42

MAY 2005

2/11/05 10:34:51 AM

n the 1970s, Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Bob Loveless contacted Don McCarthy Sr.,
owner of Burr King, about building a grinder quieter than the old Wilton
Square Wheel model. Working with McCarthy, Loveless had a hand in the creation
and design of the Burr King 1272. Over
the years, it has undergone modications
to make it better for the knifemaker.
Several years ago, legal action was
brought against Burr King regarding the
1272 over safety concerns, but the jury found
that the machine is safe. According to the
jury, the only thing lacking on the grinder
was a hazard-warning label. At the time,
Burr King withdrew the 1272 from stores
until the labels could be placed on all the
machines. Once that was done, Burr King
returned the 1272 to the market. Today, the
grinder is available through various dealers.
WARNING: At this point, it should
be noted that all machinerygrinders includedis potentially dangerous. Proper

safety equipment, glasses, face masks/respirators, good ventilation, common sense

and knowing where your hands are at all
times are the best protection. Exercise caution when using any grinder to avoid entanglement in rotating parts, entrapment in
pinch points, being struck by grinding debris or ejected work pieces, and other hazards that are associated with power-driven,
rotating equipment. Failure to properly use
any grinder and follow operating instructions and good safety practices may lead to
property damage, serious personal injury
or death. The late Bob Engnath had a favorite saying: A 50-grit belt will remove
esh at the speed of light, and he was
rightI have done it!
Burr King
Today, Don McCarthy Jr. owns and manages Burr King. The Burr King grinder is a
standard in the market and the 960-272 and
1272 models are coveted machines. Both
are basically two-wheel grinderswith
the proper attachments they can be outtted with three wheelsand feature all the
standard attachments and many options,
including a mechanical tension-adjusting system.
The specs on the Burr King are:
Motor: 1- or 1 1/2-horsepower
AC, or variable-speed 1- or 1 1/2horsepower DC;
Wheels: From 9/16 to 10 inch; if
you want to go larger, Burr King will
be happy to comply. The contact
wheels on the Burr King slip over
the shaft of the motor, so there are
no wheel bearings, which makes
the wheels less expensive;
A at platen is integrated

The Burr King 960-272 is a two-wheel

modelwith the proper attachments, it
can be outtted with three wheelsand
features all the standard attachments and
many options, including a mechanical tension-adjusting system.

MAY 2005

Grinders.indd 43

BLADE / 61

2/14/05 2:55:30 PM

equipment
equipment

SANDING BELTS FOR SHARPENING

Add 10% to Zirc prices for Ceramic belts.
SIZE

A.O.
ZIRCONIUM
S.C.
BROWN
BLUE
BLACK
1x30
$.75 ea
$1.50 ea
$1.10 ea
1x42
.80
1.65
1.40
2x48/2x42 1.20
2.50
2.00
2x60
1.50
3.00
2.25
2x72
1.60
3.50
2.50
2x90
2.25
4.00
3.50
2x132
2.50
6.00
5.00
3x132
4.50
7.50
7.00
4x36
1.60
3.50
2.75
4x132
6.00
9.00
9.50
6x48
3.50
6.50
4.50
CERAMIC BELTS - NORTON SG/CARBO MEDALLIST
NORTON BLUE NORZON ZIRCONIA, CORK BELTS
WOOL FELT WHEELS GREY S.C. DEBURRING WHEELS
6x1x1
Medium (Grit 120)
$20
Fine (Grit 220)
$22
V. Fine (Grit 320)
$24
Super Fine (Grit 400) $26
other sizes available 6x2x1 and 8x1x1

6x1x1
Medium
$30
Hard
$32
Rock Hard
$34

COTTON BUFFING WHEELS & POLISHING COMPOUNDS

DISCS, FLAP WHEELS, SHOP ROLLS

into the basic machine;

It has a built-in mechanical tension
knob;
Optional attachments: buffer with/
without a guard, grinding stone with
guard, and various rests for wheels and
platens; and;
Burr Kings prices: 8-inch wheel, 1horsepower AC, $1,460; 10-inch wheel,
1-horsepower AC, $1,627; 8-inch wheel,
1-horsepower AC, $1,712; 10-inch wheel, 1
1/2-horsepower AC, $1,880; 8-inch wheel,
1-horsepower DC, $1,932; 10-inch wheel,
1-horsepower DC, price N/A; 8-inch wheel,
1 1/2-horsepower DC, $2,205; and 10-inch
wheel, 1 1/2-horsepower DC, $2,373.
Contact: Burr King Manufacturing Co. Inc., attn: Don McCarthy Jr.,
Dept. BL5, 3 Tamara Ln., Warsaw, MO
65355 800.621.2748 or 660.438.8998 fax
660.438.8991 info@burrking.com.
This is a clean, quiet, smooth-running,
moderately priced machine. It is a pleasure
to operate. Wheel changeover is fast.

RED HILL CORP., P.O. BOX 4234, GETTYSBURG, PA 17325

RED HILL CORP., P.O. BOX 4234, GETTYSBURG, PA 17325

(800) 822-4003

www.supergrit.com

$7.00 S&H
Free 48p.
Catalog

I built a grinder
that will throw
sparks from L.A.
to Sacramento.
the author
Hardcore
Tru-Grit is a dealer for Burr King, Bader,
Wilton and Hardcore, but it is the locally
manufactured Hardcore grinder that is the
focus here.
John Mallet, owner of Tru-Grit, encouraged Randy Phillips, owner of Hardcore Products, to build a grinder, and the
two men cooperated in the overall design
and options of the resulting machine. The
main drive shaft is driven by a serpentine
belt, which delivers added horsepower and
runs quieter. Mallet generally displays and
demonstrates the machine at various knife
shows and has allowed the ABS-sponsored
California seminar to use the grinder during its two-day instructional event.
I have demonstrated various applications with the machine. The main housing is available in cast aluminum, which
lowers the cost. However, it also comes
machined from a solid billet of aluminum,
which is a tad more expensive but the precision makes for a better grinder. This is
a quiet, smooth-running, well-made machine and is available in a 1-horsepower

62 / BLADE

Grinders.indd 44

The Burr King 960-272 is available in a

10-inch wheel with an integrated platen.

motor. However, I prefer it with a 1 1/2horsepower motor. (Yes, I am a power nut.

More on that later.)
The specs for the Hardcore include:
Motor: 1- or 1 1/2-horsepower AC or
1 1/2-horsepower DC. Cast and machined
billet;
Wheels: From 3/16-1/2 inch without
rubber and with bearings (requires a special yoke arm; Hardcores price for the
arm: $155), and from 1/2-inch with rubber
through 10-inch wheels without bearings;
Flat Platens are optional (Hardcores
prices: $220 and $339 each);
It has a built-in mechanical tensionadjustment system;
Optional attachments: work rest, idler
wheels, and small-wheel and disc grinder;
Many of the wheels and the work rest
also operate on Burr King machines; and;
Hardcores prices: Basic machine,
8-inch wheel, 1-horsepower AC, $1,145;
cast 8-inch wheel, 1 1/2-horsepower AC,
$1,696; and cast 8-inch wheel, variablespeed, 1 1/2-horsepower DC, $2,156 cast
or $2,415 machined billet.
This grinder has no bearings in the
wheels and some slick small-wheel attachments that go down to 3/16-1/2 inch,
MAY 2005

2/11/05 10:03:39 AM

and both ends of the small wheels are supported. It also has a disc sander/table attachment. The spindle lock makes wheel
changeover time pretty quick. Basically,
this is a two-wheel machine with well- nished and anodized aluminum castings.
The Herndon Hogger
After 10 years of using the Bader grinder, I
decided to build my own machine. I do not
recommend that you build your own grinder unless you have access to a full machine
shop and welding equipment.
I combined my knowledge and expertise, as well as that of Jerry Braggs, Jim
Sornberger, Les Berryman, Bader, the
advice of Bob Engnath and the help of a
fellow named Rabbit, to build the ultimate grinder.
Well, on a good day, ol Bob Engnath,
mentor of many, could grind 100 knives,
and I was amazed to see him work with
a blank that was red hot. His gloves were
wrapped with duct tape and burning most
of the time. Now, Bob was a big man and
The Hardcore grinders belt-tracking
and tensioning device is encased within
the main beama solid billet of 6061-T6
aluminumand sealed from any abrasive
contamination. Vibration-free operation, a tilting beam, a versatile work rest,
speed control, and easy belt installation
and excellent belt control are among its
special features.

had that old machine tied down so he could

lean on it, and he rarely could slow down
that 3-horsepower Baldor motor.
I built a tilting-head, adjustable-height
model because I usually sit to grind, and
a 3-horsepower grinder that will throw
sparks from L.A. to Sacramento. I incorporated a belt-tensioning device and
a slide-in arm that would use my Bader
wheels and go as big as a 16-inch wheel. (I
built a 16-inch wheel but am afraid to run
it at the moment. That big ol thing really
intimidates the heck out of me.)
By the way, sitting down to grind is
great for the back but hell on aprons and
trousers if you are hogging steel. The
sparks will set you a re ASAP. I still use
the big machine for my heavy work but
bought another Bader variable speed for
nish work.
So, after years of experimentation, I
am running two Baders and a homemade
grinder for blades, and a loose-belt homemade machine for handles.
It is too late and I am too old to buy
another grinder, but a lot of new machines
have come along and the choices are greater now. Grinders get more versatile every
year. Look around and talk to folks. There
are many machines available that may be
even better than the best I have covered
in The Sharpest of the Steel Shapers.

JOY ENTERPRISES

1862 MLK BLVD, RIVIERA BEACH, FL 33404-7105 Phone: (561) 863-3205 Fax: (561) 863-3277

For Quick Service Toll Free: (800) 500-FURY(3879) e-mail : mail@joyenterprises.com

e-mail : mail@joyenterprises.com Catalog available to dealers only. Please include letterhead, phone number & resale license number.

Brand New Pocket Knives from

Genuine Ram Horn Handles
440 Steel Blades
All With Sheaths
Nickel Silver Bolsters

10305 - 4
Genuine Rams Horn
Stockman with Soft Pouch

MAY 2005

Grinders.indd 45

10304 - 33/4
Genuine Rams Horn
2 Blades with Soft Pouch

BLADE / 63

2/11/05 10:03:16 AM

sword
sagas
sword sagas

The most popular type

of Viking sword was the
double-edged model. It
was about 30-32 inches
long and about 2 inches
wide. It was a one-handed
piece, the hilt usually of wood
covered with a leather wrapping. This well-preserved example
is from the late 9th century. The
Viking helmet is a reproduction courtesy of Museum Replicas and has an
MSRP of $219.

By Hank Reinhardt
BLADE eld editor

64 / BLADE

Viking.indd 64

MAY 2005

2/11/05 10:03:17 PM

n the year 793, the Anglo-Saxon

Chronicles recorded that heathen
men ravaged and sacked Gods
church in Lindisfarne. Lindisfarne is a
small island off the east coast of England
that had a church and an abbey. It was
the rst recorded raid by those called
Vikings, and was the beginning of The
Viking Age. For the next 300 years, a
people infamous for being tough, hardy,
adventurous, cruel and murderous shook
Europe. So feared were they that they inspired the prayer, Deliver us, O Lord,
from the fury of the Northmen.

Since a Vikings sword

was an entirely personal thing, there is a
great variation among
the double-edged type.
As with most early
European swords, the
two edges were parallel and then curved
gently to a rounded
point, as on this late11th-century piece.

There is no
drag with a
rounded point.
the author
The Vikings consisted of Danes, Norwegians and Swedes. The Europeans
noted little difference and called them
all Danes, Vikings or Northmen. In their
time, the Vikings sailed to the New World,
settled Iceland and Greenland, settled and
conquered parts of England and France,
served as bodyguards to the Emperor of
Byzantium, and plundered and pillaged
the Mediterranean. Their descendants,
the Normans, conquered Sicily.
Today, the Vikings reputation is varied. Some think of them as settlers, traders and adventurers, while others consider
them merely savage barbarians. All agree
on one thing: the Vikings could ght.
The weapons they used in their 300-

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The Vikings all-steel

swords had a slightly different shape. Instead of the edges
being parallel, there was a dened
slope to the point. It was still rounded
but the slope put weight closer to the
hand, thereby making the swords somewhat
quicker on the stroke and on the return. This
10th-century example is similar to the style.
The new swords all had Ulfberht engraved
on the blades, as this one appears to have
been embellished in the blood groove just
above the crossguard.

MAY 2005

Viking.indd 65

New Graham Knives

Since 1935
WWW.NEWGRAHAM.COM

566 Virginia Ave.

Bluefield, Virginia 24605

Toll Free:
1.866.333.4445

BLADE / 65

2/11/05 9:51:12 PM

sword sagas
sword sagas

Sunfish Forge
Ill Be At The
East Coast
Custom Knife Show

Don Hanson III

P.O. Box 13
Success, MO 65570
573-674-3045

WWW.SUNFISHFORGE.COM

CREATE YOUR OWN LEATHER SHEATHS

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6 BIG Issues

year scourge throughout Europe were

little different from those favored by most
Europeans of the time: swords, axes,
spears and bows. The Vikings also used a
particular kind of halberd.
A fair number of original Viking
weapons still exist. Many are grave nds,
some are river nds, and some have no
provenance whatsoever. Good, original
examples of all the weapons save one, the
halberd, have been found.
The Viking Sword
First and foremost of Viking weapons
was the sword. Like the modern handgun, it could be carried on the person all
day, and usually was. It was not nearly

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The Vikings used two

types of swords. One
was single edged
and used more by the
Norwegians, and was
called the long sax. The
style is curious, as the
blade spine can curve
down to the edge at the
point in one example
but curve up the spine
in another.

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66 / BLADE

Viking.indd 66

MAY 2005

2/14/05 12:48:25 PM

as

Technology with an Edge

The blade of Dean Piesners
Viking sword repro consists
of a core of a double-helix
damascus pattern and 13 outer
layers of pattern-welded L-6
and 1045 steels. The edge is
100 pattern-welded layers of
W-1 and 203E. Overall length:
27 1/4 inches. Piesners contact
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2N0 Canada 519.664.3622
info@forgeandanvil.com.
(Weyer photo)

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ttings

ttings are pattern-welded L-6 and 1018,

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Cashens contact information: 5615 Tyler
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(Weyer photo)

MAY 2005

Viking.indd 67

For information
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2/11/05 10:03:45 PM

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as heavy as many think. Most weighed

about 2 1/2 pounds, some a little more,
some a little less.
The Vikings valued their swords
greatly and handed them down to their
sons. The swords bore such delightful
names as Tyr ng or Mimming, or more
descriptive ones, such as Leg Biter or
Widowmaker. The famous Viking known
as Thorolf had a sword he called Lang,
which meant long. His brother, Egil, had
a sword named Viper.
The Vikings favored two types of
swords. One was single edged and used
more by the Norwegians, and was called
long sax. The style is curious, as the blade
spine can curve down to the edge at the
point in one example, but curve up the
spine in another.
The most popular was the second type,
the double-edged sword. It was about 3032 inches long and about 2 inches wide. It
was a one-handed piece, the hilt usually
of wood covered with a leather wrapping.
Since a Vikings sword was an entirely

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an 8th-century
English prayer

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68 / BLADE

Viking.indd 68

personal thing, there is great variation

among the double-edged type. As with
most early European swords, the two edges were parallel and then curved gently to
a rounded point.
It has been stated many times that the
early swords with rounded points were
useless for thrusting. This simply is not
true. The rounded point will penetrate
esh quite well and also will penetrate
mail, though not as easily as a very narrow point. One thing the rounded point
will do is enable the sword to be used as if
it has a longer blade. (More on this later.)
The sweet spot on a sword is usually
about one-third down the blade from the
point, and delivers the greatest force with
the least vibration. On a sharp-pointed
sword, a cut with the point will drag, set
up vibration, and not cut near as well as
when using the sweet spot.
Conversely, there is no drag with a
rounded point, as the point will slice its
way through the material. Also, the depth
MAY 2005

2/11/05 10:04:09 PM

as

of the cut will be close to the same as the

optimal striking point, as the point of the
blade travels faster than the sweet spot.
It is interesting to note that the rounded point on a Viking sword blade is quite
similar to the corresponding point of a
Japanese katana. Were you to cut a Viking sword in half along the long axis,
you would see a point quite similar to that
of a large number of katanas. Many cuts
with a katana were made with the top 6
inches of the blade, and my experiments
show that the Viking sword can be used in
the same way. This allows the user to have
a slightly longer reach, and he no longer
has to get in close enough to land a blow
with the sweet spot of the blade.
Cutting mail with the round point is
surprisingly effective. I have cut through
mail rather easily, as I have demonstrated in my seminars at the BLADE Show.
One area in which the round point is not
as effective is in the thrust through mail.
Though I have pierced mail with the
round point, it is not as easy nor does it go
as deep as a narrow point.
Viking Damascus
Early Viking swords were pattern welded, or damascus. The Viking method
mixed iron with steel strips and welded
them together to provide the center of
the blade, to which a hard steel edge was
welded. The resulting sword blade was
tough and exible.
Sometime in the early 10th century,
the ability to produce a large enough
bloom of steel to make a full sword was
developed. Though the process did not
happen overnight, all-steel swords became the norm.
The all-steel swords also had a slightly different shape. Instead of the edges
being parallel, there was a de ned slope
to the point. It was still rounded but the
slope put weight closer to the hand, thereby making the sword somewhat quicker
on the stroke and on the return. The new
swords all had Ulfberht engraved on the
blades. It is fun to speculate on who Ulfberht was and how the sword bearing his
name was developed.
I have often heard it said that the Viking sword was a crude, clumsy weapon, suitable only for slashing and wild
swings. Nothing could be further from
the truth. Handled with skill, it was capable of thrusting and cuts that could easily
take off a leg at the thigh. All of the above
is based on many hours of testing I have
conducted using Viking-style swords to
cut pig parts covered with mail.
Next time, in the conclusion, the author
examines Viking axes, spears and halberds.

MAY 2005

Viking.indd 69

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2/14/05 11:57:55 AM

question &
answer
question & answer

By Wayne Goddard
BLADE field editor

Lanyards or Thongs:
Right or Wrong?
While the loop on the handle can be quite handy,
it also can be hazardous if you are not careful
separated from the hand that is using it,
and third is to create the effect of having a
longer knife. The latter, as far as I know, is
my own invention.
There is a certain amount of risk when
using a knife with the thong attached to the
wrist, and it is not safe to walk around with
a sharp knife in your hand with a thong
hanging out. One of my friends received a
serious injury when the thong on the knife
he was carrying in his hand caught on a
door knob and pulled the edge of the blade

Illustration 1: Heres the authors 40year-old Buck 110 with thong and the
thong hole he drilled in the back bolster
around the time he first bought the knife.
The thong wound up saving the almost
new knife when the author tubed down a
river as a teenager. (Goddard illustration)

1: I have bought a couple of knives that

came with lanyards, but I cannot imagine how they could be useful. They look
like they would snag on a bush and be a
nuisance. Would you describe the use of
a thong? (Steffen Richards, California)
Thongs on a knife can have at least three
functions: First is to keep the knife from
becoming separated from the sheath,
second is to keep the knife from becoming
2 / /BLADE
70
BLADE

QandA.indd 2

Illustration 2: The author makes the handle of many of his outdoor-type knives with
three hollow rivets, or thong holes. With a short thong placed through the center hole,
the end portion of the handle is grasped with the index and middle fingers and thumb.
This effectively lengthens the knife by 3 inches, thus providing a useful increase in
inertia or cutting force. (Goddard illustration)
2002
MAY 2005

2/10/05 1:08:46 PM

across the inside of his fingers.

If you are hanging from a rope while
mountain climbing or working at bridge
maintenance, or dangling over the side
of a ship, the thong may keep the knife
from being lost. One of my folding knife
customers from the 1970s worked on the
Hughes Glomar Explorer. When he ordered
a folding knife, he requested that it have a
hole for a thong. I made the knife and
shipped it to him. I met him some years
later at a knife show and he told me that the
knife would have been lost three times if he
had not used the wrist thong. An interesting read, especially with the movie Aviator
about Howard Hughes now playing, can be
found at http://www.fas.org/irp/program/
collect/jennifer.htm.
I spent my high school years in the
small town of Gooding, Idaho. The favorite spare-time activity for my friends
and I was rabbit hunting, and that put us
outdoors a lot. Our part-time jobs were
farm- and ranch-type work. An essential
part of our outfit was a large, two-blade
folding hunting knife that we carried in the
back pockets of our Levis jeans. (Mine
was a Ka-Bar with the dogs head on the
stag handle.) It would not have been cool
to carry our large folding knives in a belt
sheath or wear anything other than genuine
Levis. That was before the style change
that came in with the introduction of the
Buck 110 in 1964. By 1972, it seemed that
most men carried their Buck folders in belt
sheaths.
One experience I have always remembered happened at the Gooding County Fair
in 1955. My friend Pete and I had just got
off a wild ride on the Rock-O-Plane. Pete
was bleeding from the back of his head.
While upside down, his folding hunter
had slipped out of his back pocket, rattled
around and then hit him hard enough to
make a nasty gash. A thong holding it to
a belt loop, or a belt sheath, would have
prevented his injury, or the potential loss of
the knife. My Ka-Bar stayed in my pocket
and I was uninjured.
I came home from work one day in
1962 and Elwood Crowe, one of my wife
Phyllis cousins from Kansas, had come
for a visit. As I walked through the door,
Elwood said, Youre a big boy. Now,
Elwood was 69 and about 300 pounds. I
looked him over and returned the compliment. He asked me if I liked guns and I
said yes. He then asked if I liked knives,
and I again answered in the affirmative.
Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled
out a two-blade Ka-Bar folding hunter. He
opened the main blade with a loud click,
then let it close with a another loud click,
and remarked how he loved that sound. I
reached into my back pocket and pulled
out my Ka-Bar, which was exactly like
his, and showed him that it too had a nice
click. Elwood gave me a bear hug and said,
MAY 2005

QandA.indd 3

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2/14/05 12:58:37 PM

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BLADE

QandA.indd 4

www.knifeandgun.com

question &
answer

question & answer

Youre all right! That was the quickest I

ever got adopted into a family.
When I got my Buck 110 in 1965 or
66, one of the first things I did was drill
it for a thong. Drilling it has to be done
carefully in order to miss the end of the
spring that works the lock lever and the
pin that holds the end of the knife together.
(Buck did not put thong holes in the 110
until a little later.) I did not use the thong
on my wrist but would loop the thong
through a belt loop to keep the knife with
me. That folder was one of my prized
possessions and I carried it full time in
my back pocket. I retired it when I started
making folding knives in 1973.
Normally, I did not keep a thong on
my 110 unless I thought I might be going
upside-down, for example, floating the
Boise River on an inner tube. I misjudged
the force of the waterfall at a diversion
dam and ended up flying through the air. I
hit the water headfirst and then had quite a
fight to get to the surface. Fortunately, my
inner tube was right where I surfaced and I
was able to save myself.
As I reached shore, I realized that my
treasured Buck was hanging by its thong
from a belt loop. The thong saved the
almost new knife, and the only thing I
lost was one canvas shoe. It has been 40
years now and I still have the knife. (See
Illustration 1 on page 71.)
I make the handle of many outdoortype knives with three hollow rivets, or
thong holes if you prefer. (See Illustration
2 on page 70.) Note the hook pommel,
which I believe is essential to a campknife design. With a short thong placed
through the center hole, the end portion
of the handle is grasped with the index
and middle fingers and thumb. This effectively lengthens the knife by 3 inches, thus
providing a useful increase in inertia or
cutting force.
Be aware that the use of a thong on
a large chopping knife can be extremely
dangerous. If the handle should slip out
of your hand, the blade may be propelled
backward in the direction of your legs or
more precious body parts.
The Puma White Hunter model was
traditionally made with a large hole in
the handle and came with a sheath with a
thong attacheda valuable feature on an
outdoors-type knife. The doubled thong
was fed through the hole from the back
side of the handle, then looped over the
handle. (See Illustration 3 A on page 73.)
If the strap that snapped over the guard
should fail, the thong through the handle
would hold the knife in the sheath. See
Illustration 3 B on page 73 for the safe
MAY 2005
2002
MAY

2/11/05 10:31:04 AM

way to store the thong on a carrying knife.

Adjust the thong so that it is a tight fit as it
is looped over the butt of the knife.
(Editors note: In its cutting competitions, the American Bladesmith Society
requires each contestant to use a thong or
lanyard to help keep the knife from flying
out of his or her hand.)
2: Grinding Micarta creates a nasty
dust that I cannot help but feel is
hazardous to my well-being. What is the
best way to rough out a Micarta handle?
What do you do to minimize the dust
during grinding? What do you use to
rough the shape: files or rasps, grinding
or hand sanding, and in what grit? For a
finer finish, do you use a rag wheel, wax
or sealant? (John McComb, Portland,
Oregon)
Following are 11 steps to follow:
1) Always use a facemask suitable to
stop fine particulates. For more information, see the Web site at http://www.osha.
gov/SLTC/respiratoryprotection/recognition.html;
2) Cut close to the final shape with the
band saw or whatever saw you use so as to
leave less to grind with the abrasive belts;
3) Use a coarse and sharp belt to eliminate a lot of very fine dust, which is the
most harmful kind;
4) If the top wheel of the belt grinder
does not have a guard, make one. This will
help keep the dust headed down with the
direction of the belt instead of spreading it
out in the air;
MAY 2005

QandA.indd 5

5) Have the inlet of a shop vacuum

hose placed strategically so as to catch as
much dust as possible;
6) Place a container of water under the
grinder to catch the dust that escapes the
vacuum;
7) For handwork, use wet or dry paper
for wet sanding. Double-cut files are good
for rough shaping;
8) Experiment with how fine to go on
the finish paper. This depends somewhat
on the type of Micarta and style of knife.
For example, a tactical knife will require a
coarser grit than a collector-grade piece;
9) Hand rubbing with 000000 steel
wool, or the finest steel wool you can find,
provides a good final finish;
10) Buffing will result in a slick handle.
Some of my customers do not mind slick,
some do. Buffing must be done carefully
so as not to burn the Micarta or undercut
parts of the grain created by the cloth or
paper layers; and;
11) Do not expect too high of a finish
on the canvas and cloth grades of Micarta.
Use the linen-base variety if you want a
smoother finish.
Send your questions for Wayne Goddard
or Joe Szilaski to BLADE, P.O. Box
789, Ooltewah, TN 37363-0789
blademagazine@krause.com. Include an
SASE with your full name and where you
live for a personal response from Wayne, or
e-mail him at wgoddard44@comcast.net. If
you would prefer to email your question to
Joe, his email address is joe@szilaski.com.

www.striderknives.com

Illustration 3: The Puma White Hunter was traditionally made with a large hole in the
handle and had a sheath with a thong attacheda valuable feature on an outdoorstype knife. The doubled thong was fed through the hole from the back side of the
handle, then looped over the handle (A). If the strap that snapped over the guard
should fail, the thong through the handle would hold the knife in the sheath. B shows
the safe way to store the thong on a carrying knife. Adjust the thong so that it is a tight
fit as it is looped over the handle butt. (Goddard illustration)

IMITATED
BUT NEVER
DUPLICATED
BLADE 73

2/14/05 9:45:16 AM

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BLMAY05

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Page 7

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BLMAY05

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Page 8

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Polishing Supplies, Engraving Supplies,
Abrasive Belts, Blades, Books & Videos.

Call Us Toll Free

1-800-447-4342

Brand Names
Dependable Sales Staff
Courteous Operators
Quick Service

125 Depot St., Forest City, NC 28043 Ph: 828-245-4321 Fax: 828-245-5121
E-mail us at nkdi@nkdi.com or Visit our Web site at www.nkdi.com

Great Lakes
Custom Knives
Bud Angelo
574-293-8936
574-596-9906

Catalogs $5.00 U.S.A.

* $8.00 outside U.S.A.

SHEFFIELD KNIFEMAKERS
SUPPLY INC.
P.O. Box 741107, Orange City, FL 32774-1107
Phone: 386-775-6453 Fax: 386-774-5754
Web: http://www.sheffieldsupply.com
E-mail: sheffsup@totcon.com

FREE KNIFE CATALOG

The online source

for quality custom
and art knives

www.customknives.info
e-mail: bud@customknives.info

Cera-Titan Blade

To place an order or request a FREE catalog

of knives, call toll-free: 800.992.6537x18
or write to: Boker USA,1550 Balsam St.
Lakewood, CO 80214-5917

188 Zeta
$97.95

TRU HONE
KNIFE SHARPENER
The Tru Hone Knife
Sharpener gives you a perfectly sharpened knife in a
fraction of the time
required by old-fashioned methods. It sharpens both bevels of a knife
blade simultaneously, resulting in equal bevels and
precision sharpness in less than a minute. The
Tru Hone can easily be adjusted to different angles
allowing you to tailor your knives for any type of
cutting operation. Its heavy duty stainless steel
construction and 1/2 hp motor means you will get
years of maintenance free knife sharpening.

TRU HONE CORP.

1721 NE 19th Ave. Ocala, FL 34470 USA

1-800-237-4663
(352) 622-1213 FAX (352) 622-9180

76 / BLADE

MAY 2005

BLMAY05

2/9/05

9:31 AM

Page 9

SPEC OPS TRUST

TOPS

...CAUSE THEY'RE
HARD TO THE CORE
"APACHE DAWN"
#APAD-06

(Combat/Sportsman)

T. O
.

U.S

AP
D AC
G AW HE
-5 N
09

.A

101%
Made in
USA

yJ
er

ed
B
gn

De
si

Ed
ge

Up
pe
rC
utt
ing

O/A - 9.6"
Blade - 5" x 1/4"
Handle - Contoured Black G-10

"SAW" (Special Assault Weapon)

#SAW-02
"SAW"
O/A - 7 1/2"
Blade - 3 1/2" X 3/16"

Handle - Black G-10

T. O
.

Both Knives:
Steel - 1095
High Carbon
Alloy - Rc 58
#SAW-01
SRP
$109.00
+ S&H

3399
-55
GG-

T. O

G
-5
39

U.S
.A

SRP
$139.00
+ S&H

P PSS .
.

. .
. .

T
T OO

.A.A
UU.S.S

W
W
SAA

O/A - 7 1/2"
Blade - 3 1/2 x 3/16"
Skeletonized Handle

RANGER SHORT-STOP
#RSS01
O/A - 6 1/4"
Blade - 3 1/8" X 3/16"
EROP
T
-S

U
SA

P S

U.S

.A

T. O

Steel - 1095
High Carbon
Alloy - Rc58
SRP
$119.00
+ S&H

T. O
.

UNION

OF BLADE AND FIREARM

RANGER
BOOTLEGGER
#RBL-01

HO
RT

THE PERFECT

SRP
$149.00
+ S&H

RA
N
S

www.bowiecorporation.com
ph: 906.864.3922 fax: 906.864.3924
Toll Free: 877-622-2397

SRP
$179.00
+ S&H

k
oo
nC
Va

ry

.A

BOWIE CORPORATION
2036 13th Street, Menominee, MI 49858

Both Knives
Steel - 1095 High
Carbon Alloy Rc 58

U.S

2002 Reproduction

"LONER" #LO1
O/A - 9 1/4"
Blade - 4 5/8" X 3/16"

SA
W

M.S.A. Co. Safety Hunting Knife

O/A 12"
Blade 6 3/4" x 1/4"
Handle - Black G-10 (Traction Style)
Blade - 1095 High Carbon Alloy - Rc 58

WHEN IT'S TIME TO SEPARATE THE TALKERS...FROM THE DOERS!

No. 3 Five Inch

SOLUTIONS FOR X-TREME FIELD CONDITIONS ... IN ACTION NOW

SRP
$229.00
+ S&H

Designed
For Kelly
Worden"

SRP $149.00
+ S&H

NITE CHASER
#NC808

$125

.00

(+S/H)

Use Ad Code
AD-0407-02
for sale price

T H E CORWIN R I F L E S T O C K
H U N T I N G K N I F E PAT. PEND.

(616)293-5663 corwinknives.com
MAY 2005

Steel - 154CM - Rc 58 Cryo Treated

O/A Length - 8" Blade - 3 5/8" X 1/8"
T. O P S.

Tactical-OPS USA
P. O. Box 2544 Idaho Falls, ID 83403
PH: (208) 542-0113 FAX: (208) 552-2945

TOPS ...BORN IN THE USA... www.topsknives.com

BLADE / 77

BLMAY05

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3:42 PM

Page 10

Visit us at
www.plazacutlery.com
All of our custom Knives,
Randall, Chris Reeves,
William Henry & other rare
knives are updated daily.

Phone Orders Welcome!

We accept MasterCard, VISA, &
American Express. Shipping by UPS.

Plaza Cutlery
South Coast Plaza
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714-549-3932

www.plazacutlery.com

Personal Hunter

George Gibo Stainless

Damascus Liner lock
Last Samurai

$46000

$67500

A Jim Davis hand filed

www.kayneandson.com
Worlds Finest Blacksmithing
Tools and Equipment
Best Prices
Sold By Experienced Blacksmiths
NEW!!
Fly Press

Peddinghaus 2
Horn Anvils

Gas Forges

Rick Browne Stag handle Split Back Whittler

$89995
Kayne and Son
Custom Hardware, Inc.

Bill Ruple Bone handle Sprig Back

$69000

All knives available at the time we place the ad, check Web site for availability!

100 Daniel Ridge Road

Candler, NC 28715
(828) 667-8868 or 665-1988
fax (828) 665-8303

LONE EAGLE INTERNATIONAL

PRESENTS

SHADOW FOX
DESIGNED BY

ROD CHAPPEL

Made
in the
USA

TITANIUM
6AL/4V and Commercially Pure Titanium, Sheet,
Bar, Rod, Stainless Steel Fasteners; Carbon Fiber,
G-10; Titanium Pocket Clip Blanks

BLADE: 154 CM
VAC H.T. RC 59-60
HANDLE: GLASS
REINFORCED NYLON
LINERS: 6A4LV TITANIUM
OVERALL LENGTH: 10.25
WEIGHT: 7.6 OZ

Specializing in hard to find knifemaking materials

-

Full line of Tactical Knife-making Supplies

6 Lobe Stainless Steel Fasteners
Wholesale Prices on Carbon Fiber
G-10 Available in Colors
Rings
See Our New Specials Page
on www.halperntitanium.com

Call: 888-283-8627
Fax: 413-289-2372
LONE EAGLE INTERNATIONAL LLC
19117 63RD AVE. N.E. UNIT B
ARLINTON, WA 98223
PHONE# (360) 435-7195

78 / BLADE

Web site: http://www.halperntitanium.com

E-Mail Address: info@halperntitanium.com

H A L P E R N T I TA N I U M , I N C
P.O. Box 214, Three Rivers, MA 01080

14th Annual

Greater Shenandoah
Knife Show
Fri.-Sun., April 1st thru 3rd
Rockingham Co.
Fairgrounds
Harrisonburg, VA
For Show & Booth Info Contact

Joey Foltz
540-833-6500
MAY 2005

BLMAY05

2/14/05

12:58 PM

Page 11

GAS FORGE
Shape Your Large Blades
By Hot Forging
NC
Knifemaker

Reaches Welding Temperature

NC
Lowboy

FREE CATALOG

NC Tool Company Inc

6133 Hunt Road
Pleasant Garden, NC 27313
1-800-446-6498

2
0
0
5
C
L
A
S
S
S
C
H
E
D
U
L
E

BILL MORAN SCHOOL OF BLADESMITHING

Washington, Arkansas
DATE

INSTRUCTOR

CLASS

Feb. 21-Mar.4
Mar. 7-11
Mar. 14-18
Mar. 28-Apr. 1
Apr. 11-22
Apr. 25-29
Apr. 30 & May 1
May 2-6
May 913
May 16-20
May 23-27
Jun 1324
July 1122
July 18-22
July 25-29
Aug. 1-5
Aug. 8-12
Sept. 19-30
Oct.37
Oct. 1014
Oct. 1728
Oct. 29- & 30
Oct. 31-Nov. 4
Nov. 28-Dec. 9
Dec. 12-16

Intro. to Bladesmithing
Damascus
Advanced Damascus
Folding Blades/Slip Style
Intro. to Bladesmithing
Damascus
Spring Hammer-In
Handles & Guards
Folding Blade/Bowie Style
Advanced Damascus
Bladesmithing Lab
Intro. to Bladesmithing
Intro. to Bladesmithing
Engraving
Handles & Guards
Silver Sheaths
Leather Sheaths
Intro.. to Bladesmithing
Damascus
Handles & Guards
Intro. to Bladesmithing
Fall Hammer-In
Advanced Damascus
Intro.. to Bladesmithing
Damascus

Cashen/Robinson
Cook
Pendray
Colter
Crowell/ Gaston
Fitch
Fisk/Neely/Williams
Newton
Ashworth
T. Foster
D. Anders
K. & H. Harvey
Fuller/Bradshaw
Dunn
Lambert
Randall
Rowe
Massey/Shane Taylor
Walker
TBA Taylor
Scott
Dean/Connor
Fisk/Neely/Williams
Keeslar/Schosseler
Flournoy/Williams
Dunn

Schedule subject to change

Contact Mr. Scotty Hayes, School Director 903/838-4541, ext. 237
Texarkana College 2500 N. Robison Road Texarkana, TX 75599

KNIVES WANTED
Custom Handmade Knives
One Knife or Entire Collections

Highest Prices Paid

Quick Payment
Free Appraisals
We Also Sell the Finest Knives
Knifemasters Custom Knives (1963)
P.O. Box 208, Westport, CT 06881
Phone: 203-226-5211
Fax: 203-226-5312

Lightweight (23 oz.); compact (17).

Tempered steel blade and unique sickle hook.
An ideal companion for all types of outdoorsmen
Split kindling
Open shooting lanes
Prune landscape Hiking Gardening Hunting
Clear brush
Blaze trails

Aperb
t
Su Gif

No
Other Tool Like It
Handles like a machete, delivers the powerful cutting performance of an axe!
Order yours now!

1-800-708-5191(M-F/9-5)
www.woodmanspal.com

100% hand-made
in America.
Satisfaction Guaranteed.
Since 1941

BL

trademark

Several models, prices

Custom engraving avail.
BOYERTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

Manufactured by hand exclusively by Pro Tool Industries, Inc. Free information. Order secure online 24/7. Credit cards accepted. Dealers Welcome.

MAY 2005

BLADE / 79

BLMAY05

2/11/05

1:42 PM

Page 15

...When its time to RED LINE!!!

O/A - 8 5/8" Blade - 4 3/8" X 3/16"

Blade Color - Gray
Steel - 1095 High Carbon Alloy Rc 58
Handle - Black G-10

"FIRE HAWKE" #FIREH-001

2 x 72

ea.
ea.
ea.
ea.
ea.
ea.
ea.

S
O. P

.A
U.S
.A
U.S

.70
.70
$1.15
$1.40
$1.70
$1.20
$2.90

S
O. P .

Camo Blade
+ $10.00

.
T. O . P S

TOPS

Price
$179.00
+S&H

$21.00

Tactical-OPS USA
P. O. Box 2544
Idaho Falls, ID 83403
Phone:(208) 542-0113
FAX: 552-2945
Internet: www.topsknives.com
...BORN IN THE USA...

SPECIAL OPS TRUST TOPS...CAUSE THEYRE HARD TO THE CORE

The KNIFE CENTER of the INTERNET

The Original and Largest Catalog of Cutlery on the Web

shipping & handling $6.95

THE SURVIVAL STAFF

By Pat and Wes Crawford
Handmade for 15 years
Hiking
Staff
Walking
Stick
Baton
Blow Gun
Lance
All in one package
Made from Hard Aircraft Aluminum
$224.95 - Ready for delivery

WWW.KNIFECENTER.COM
The Only FULLY SEARCHABLE Database
of the Cutlery Industry
800-338-6799

"PICK YOUR PLAYGROUND"

0000
0100
0200
0300
0400
0500
0600
0700
0800

Hrs.
Hrs.
Hrs.
Hrs.
Hrs.
Hrs.
Hrs.
Hrs.
Hrs.

On Duty - Night Shift

High Risk Entry
SWAT Callout
Officer Needs Assist
Chopper Insertion Rescue
Street Fight
Drug Boat Interdiction
Emergency Response Team
Armed Vehicle Patrol

...and the day has just begun... For GUYS that PLAY for KEEPS ...
TOPS knives ..."ON DUTY " Around The Clock!
"AIR WOLFE"
AIR WOLFE #AIR-01
#AIR-01
(Combat/Sportsman)
Blade Length - 5 3/4 Cutting Edge - 5
O/A Length - 11 Thickness - 3/16
Blade Color - Gray or Tactical Black
Steel - 1095 High Carbon Alloy - Rc 58
Handle - G-10 (Traction Style)
AIR FE
Sheath - Included
.A
L
U.S
WO 512
Mfg. - Handcrafted
Gin the USA
.
.O

CRAWFORD KNIVES
205 N. Center Drive
West Memphis, AR 72301
(870) 732-2452
735-4632
(870)
www.crawfordknives.com
MAY 2005

Anywhere
Border Town, Pakistan
Ramparts, Los Angeles
Downtown Miami
Mountains, Afghanistan
Fallujah, Iraq
Keywest, Florida
Pipeline Probe, Iraq
Downtown, Baghdad

P S.

12771 Rt. 536

Price:
$199.00
+S&H

T. O . P S

TOPS
Tactical-OPS USA
P. O. Box 2544
Idaho Falls, ID 83403
Phone: (208) 542-0113
FAX: (208) 552-2945
Internet:www.topsknives.com

TOPS ...
...CAUSE THEYRE HARD TO THE CORE!

SPECIAL OPS TRUST

BLADE / 83

show calendar
show
calendar
Note: Shows marked with an asterisk (*) have knives as the main focus. Events marked with two asterisks
(**) are knifemaking instructionals/seminars, knife-throwing competitions, auctions, or other similar events.
BLADEs Show Calendar also can be seen on BLADEs Web site at www.blademag.com.

MARCH

53122 414.479.9765 badgerknifeclub@aol.com.*

info@espolama.ch.*

March Dates TBA Exeter, CA Sierra Forge &

Fire Bladesmithing School. Contact Sierra Forge
& Fire, 130 E. Maple St., Exeter, CA 93221
www.ForgeAndFire.com.**

April 1-3 Harrisonburg, VA 14th Annual Greater

Shenandoah Knife Show, Rockingham County
Fairgrounds. Contact Joey Foltz 540.833.6500.*

April 30-May 1 Old Washington, AR ABS &

Texarkana College Spring Hammer-In. Contact
Scotty Hayes, c/o Texarkana College, Dept. BL5,
2500 N. Robison Rd., Texarkana, TX 75599
903.838.4541 ext. 237.**

March 4-6 New York NY 16th Annual East

Coast Custom Knife Show, Park Central.
Call 417.335.2170 fax 417.335.2011 hg_
inc@hotmail.com, www.ecckshow.com.*
March 4-6 Dalton, GA NKCA Northwest
Georgia Knife Show, Northwest Georgia Trade
Center. Contact the NKCA, attn: L. BroylesSebenick, Dept. BL5, POB 21070, Chattanooga,
TN 37424 423.892.5007.*
March 5-6 Bloomington, IL Gun & Knife
Show, Sale Barn. Contact E.C.A., Dept. BL5,
Box 138, Centralia, IL 62801 618.495.2572.
March 11-13 Bristol, TN Harleys Hammer-In,
Lonesome Pine Forge. Contact Larry Harley,
Dept. BL5, 348 Deerfield Dr., Bristol, TN 37620
423.878.5368 cell 423.571.0638 www.lonesomepineknives.com.**
March 13 Marlboro, MA NCCA Show, Holiday Inn. Contact Bill Cain 978.544.5348 www.
ncca.info.*
March 18-20 Scottsdale, AZ 2nd International
Custom Knife Show, Parada Hall & Convention
Center. Call 408.994.0700 fax 408.945.3333
usgrc@qwest.net.*
March 18-20 Wilmington, OH NKCA Ohio
Spring Knife Show, Roberts Convention Centre.
Contact the NKCA, attn: L. Broyles-Sebenick,
Dept. BL5, POB 21070, Chattanooga, TN 37424
423.892.5007.*
March 19 Allentown, PA Eastern Pennsylvania
Knife Collectors Show, Schnecksville Fire Co.
Contact Tom Iobst 610.965.8074, Eddy Petro
610.965.9248 or Bill Odor 610 847.4600.*
March 19-20 Toronto, Ontario, Canada 11th
Annual Canadian Knifemakers Guild Show,
Days Inn Toronto Airport. Contact Eric Elson
519.453.4482 cdnguild@ckg.org www.ckg.org.*
March 26 Soddy-Daisy, TN Soddy-Daisy
Knife Collectors Association Show, Mile
Straight Baptist Church. Call Rhonda Gilreath
423.622.9752.*

April 1-3 McCalla, AL 17th Annual Batson

Bladesmithing Symposium, Tannehill State
Park. Contact James Batson 256.503.0386
jbbatson@knology.net.**
April 9-10 Bethalto, IL Bunker Hill Knife Club
Show, Knights of Columbus Hall. Contact Mike
Pellegrin 618.667.6777 mikepell@apci.net.*
April 9-10 Eugene, OR 30th Annual Oregon
Knife Collectors Association Show, Lane
County Convention Center. Contact the OKCA,
Dept. BL5, POB 2091, Eugene, OR 97402
541.484.5564 www.oregonknifeclub.org.*
April 9-10 Munich, Germany Hedi Volm,
sponsored by Messer Magazine. Contact der.
biber@tonline.de.
April 15-17 Fort Worth, TX The Lone Star
Knife Show, Green Oaks Hotel. Call 972-8422918 or 214-460-6888.*
April 16-17 Odessa, TX Knifemaking school.
Contact Weldon Whitley 432.530.0448
wgwhitley@juno.com or Loyd Mac McConnell 432.363.8344 ccknives@ccknives.com.**
April 22-24 Novi, MI 2005 Wolverine Knife
Collectors Show, Novi Expo Center. Contact Pat
or Jan Donovan, Dept. BL5, 56600 Edgewood
Dr., Shelby Township, MI 48316 586.786.5549,
or Frank Meek, Dept. BL5, POB 1356, Sterling Heights, MI 48311-1356 586.264.2031
(evenings).*
April 22-24 Shepherdsville, KY NKCA Spring
Knife Show, Paroquet Springs Conference
Centre. Contact the NKCA 423.892.5007.*
April 23-24 Gulfport, MS 4th Annual Gulf
Coast Custom Knifemakers Knife Show, Airport
Holiday Inn. Contact Perry Wingo 228.863.3193
PBWingo@bellsouth.net.*
April 29-30 Frederick, MD Mason-Dixon
Knife Club Show, Frederick Fairgrounds.
Contact William C. Crilley 717.762.4530.*

APRIL

April 29-May 1 Solvang, CA Solvang Custom

Knife Show, Royal Scandinavian Inn. Contact
Nordic Knives 805.688.3612 www.nordicknives.
com.*

April 1-3 Janesville, WI 22nd Annual Badger

Knife Show, Holiday Inn Express and Janesville
Conference Center. Contact the Badger Knife
Club, Dept. BL5, POB 511, Elm Grove, WI

April 30-May 1 Lugano, Switzerland 110th

Espolama Knife Show, Palazzo dei Congressi
Lugano. Contact Fabio Bianda 41 91 7516203
fax 41 91 7516421 www.espolama.ch,

MAY 2005

Calendar.indd 2

MAY
May 21-22 Dover, OH 17th Annual Western
Reserve Cutlery Association Invitational Knife
Expo, Tuscarawas County Fairgrounds. Contact
D. Musgrave, POB 355, Dover, OH 44622
dmusgrav@neo.rr.com http://wrca-oh.com.*

JUNE
June 3-5 Atlanta, GA 24th Annual BLADE
Show & International Cutlery Fair, Cobb
Galleria Centre, I-285 & US 41, one exit off I75 across from the Cumberland Mall, adjacent
to the Renaissance Waverly Hotel. The worlds
largest combined show of handmade, antique &
factory knives. Over 560 tables and 110 factory
booths. Join the worlds greatest national and
international knifemakers, cutlery manufacturers,
collectors, collections and knife lovers. Site of
the Blade Magazine 2005 Knife-Of-The-Year
Awards for factory knives, points for the 2005
BLADEhandmade Awards, Blade Magazine
Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame induction & much more.
Site of the annual ABS meeting and special
Knifemakers Guild section. Seminars include
ABS World Championship Cutting Competition
and forging demos, how to collect, how to make,
the latest materials, etc. Contact BLADE, c/o
Krause Publications, 700 E. State, Iola, WI 54945
715.445.2214 blademagazine@krause.com.*
June 24-26 Springfield, MO NKCA Show.
Contact the NKCA, attn: L. Broyles-Sebenick,
Dept. BL5, POB 21070, Chattanooga, TN 37424
423.892.5007.*

JULY
July 22-24 Gillette, WY Heritage Collectables
Knife Show, The Clarion Inn. For more
information contact John Etten 800.301.5593
jetten@hcknives.com.*

To ensure timely publication of your knife

show in the Show Calendar, BLADE
requests that you send all pertinent information concerning your show in written
formdates, locations, etc.at least
three months before the show takes place
to Krause Publications, attn: J. Kertzman,
700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54945 (715) 4452214 fax (715) 445-4087. BLADE depends
on the shows themselves for prompt and
accurate information.
BLADE / 85

2/9/05 11:07:13 PM

BLMAY05

2/14/05

12:51 PM

Page 18

MAGAZINE CLASSIFIED
HEADINGS AVAILABLE

CLASSIFIED ADS

Only 60 per word

Minimum charge is $9.00 per ad.

800-942-0673
CLASSIFIED FREQUENCY DISCOUNT

(Consecutive Issues Only Of The Same Ad.)

1-2 Issues No Discount; 3-6 Issues 15%; 7-12 Issues 20%

ANTIQUE FACTORY KNIVES

6010 American Knife Co.
6020 Baldwin Cutlery Co.
6025 Belknap Hardware Co.
6030 Bertram (C) Cutlery Co.
6035 Boker Germany
6040 Boker USA
6045 Bruckman (E) Cutlery
6050 Bruckmann, Solingen
6055 Burkinshaw Knife Co.
6060 Camillus
6065 Canton Cutlery Co.
6070 Case Brothers
6075 Cattaraugus
6080 Central City Knife Co.
6090 Christy Knife Co.
6095 Colonial Cutlery Co.
6100 Cripple Creek, USA
6105 Diamond Edge
6110 Eagle Pocket Knife Co.
6120 Eye Brand Knives
6125 George Wostenholm
6130 Gerber Legendary
Blade

6135 Grohmann
6140 Heimerdinger Cutlery Co.
6150 Henry Sears 1865
6175 John Primble, Belknap
6200 Klaas, Robert
6210 Lackawanna Cutlery Co.
6225 Marble Arms & Manf Co.
6235 Napanoch Knife Co.
6254 Ontario Knife Co.
6262 Pal Cutlery Co.
6282 Russell Barlows
6300 Utica
6310 Wade & Butcher
6325 Misc. Antique Factory
Knives
FACTORY BRANDS
6340 Al Mar
6380 Barteaux Machetes Inc.
6390 Bear MGC
6398 Benchmade
6421 Blue Mountain
Turquoise
6424 Boker
6448 Buck

6466
6476
6480
6486
6492
6510
6523

Bulldog
C.A.S. Iberia Inc
Camillus
Case
Case Classics
Cold Steel
Columbia River
Knife & Tool
6530 Cripple Creek
6580 Fairbairn-Sykes
6586 Fightn Rooster
6614 Gerber
6650 Henckels
6660 IBCA/ABCA
6700 Ka-Bar
6766 Marbles
6842 Puma
6860 Queen
6876 Remington
6940 Smith & Wesson
6944 Sog Specialty
6952 Spyderco
7000 Tops
7040 Valley Forge
7046 Victorinox
7084 Winchester
7090 Misc. Factory Brands
KNIFE TYPES / PATTERNS
7100 Advertising
7126 Baseball Bat
7132 Bayonets
7138 Bolos
7144 Boot
7152 Bowies
7158 Bowies (Antique)
7180 Camp
7232 Commemoratives /
Limited Editions

7290 Diving
7322 Fighters
7334 Folding
7338 Folding (Multi-Blade)
7344 Fruit
7374 Hunting (Folders)
7376 Hunting (Straight)
7420 Machetes
7450 Navy
7460 Office
7466 One-Hand
7526 Razors
7532 Riflemans
7540 Scout
7546 Senator
7576 Sog (Type)
7602 Swords
7622 Tool/Pliers
7628 Toothpick
7640 Trench
7650 Utility
7660 Wharncliffe
7666 Whittler
7674 Misc. Knife Types/
Patterns
HANDMADES
7718 Bartrug (Hugh)
7778 Bose (Tony)
7785 Boye (David)
7792 Burke (Dan)
7800 Centofante (Frank)
7818 Cooper (John Nelson)
7825 Corbit (Jerry)
7888 Davis (Terry)
7928 Emerson (Ernest)
7958 Fisk (Jerry)
7980 Fowler (Ed)
8020 Gilbreath (Randall)

7000

TOPS

TOPS KNIVES- Buy from Blade Place and save. Orders over
$100 get free shipping (USA Only). Buy 2 knives and get 10%
discount. Toll Free order line 888-356-4724 or order online
www.bladeplace.com. Mention this ad to get your discount.

8400

LOVELESS (BOB)

8030 Goddard (Wayne)

8128 Holder (D)
8188 Hudson (Robbin)
8348 Lile (Jimmy)
8400 Loveless (Bob)
8450 Moran (Bill)
8708 Randall
8788 Ruana (Rudy)
8808 Scagel (William)
8880 Shadley (Eugene)
8900 Smith (J.D.)
8968 Terzuola (Robert)
9000 Tighe (Brian)
9100 Walker (Michael)
9150 Warenski (Buster)
9170 Wile (Peter)
9180 Yellowhorse (David)
9224 Miscellaneous
Handmade
MILITARY
9310 Civil War
9365 Korean
9405 Vietnam
9432 WWI
9445 WWII - German
9450 WWII - Japanese
9465 WWII - USA
9470 WWII - Miscellaneous
9475 Miscellaneous Military
MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS /
SERVICES
9680 Agency Wanted
9685 Appraisal Services
9690 Auction Services
9700 Books / Magazines /
Videos
9705 Buy / Sell / Trade

WANTED: ANY condition handmade knives; Randall, Scagel,

Ruana, F.S. Richtig, Morseth, Bone, Cooper, Loveless,
Moran, Lile, etc. Also military knives and pocketknives,
watches. Send description and price to: Angelo Solino, 201
Toronto Ave., Massapequa, NY 11758. 516-798-4252.
WANTED CORBET R. Sigman hand made knives. Ill buy 1 or
any size collection. Contact Eric A Asbury, POB 1081, Eleanor,
WV 25070 304-546-7326 or 304-586-0131

9710

LOVELESS KNIVES wanted: Gordon White, PO Box 181,

Cuthbert, GA 39840. 229-732-6982 anytime.

8450
6135

GROHMANN

MORAN (BILL)

MORAN KNIVES wanted by collector. Bob 415-768-4821.

9710 Catalogs / Mail Order

Lists
9712 Cigar Cutters
9715 Collectible
Advertisements
9720 Collections
9730 Dealers Wanted
9735 Design Services
9738 Distr Wanted
9740 Engraving
9750 Factory Reps Wanted
9770 Handle Materials
9780 Heat Treating
9790 Knife Boxes / Containers
9800 Knife Cases / Displays
9810 Knife Clubs / Societies
9825 Knife Rolls
9840 Knifemaking Equipment
9850 Knifemaking Instruction
9875 Knifemaking Supplies
9890 Knife Shops
9895 Knife Shows
9900 Leather / Sheaths
9915 Manufacturers Wanted
9924 Memorabilia (Knife)
9935 Multiple Brands For Sale
9936 Multiple Brands Wanted
9938 Oils & Lubricants
9940 Original Catalogs
9945 Repair (Knife)
9965 Sales / Auctions
9975 Scrimshaw
9980 Services, Miscellaneous
9985 Sharpening /
Sharpeners
9988 Show Cases
9991 Steels
9993 Tobacco Products
9996 Miscellaneous Products

CATALOGS/ MAIL ORDER

LISTS

DISCOUNTS UP to 55% on Case, Columbia River, Chris Reeve,

Buck, Puma, Lone Wolf, Smith and Wesson, Gerber, Boker,
Benchmade, Spyderco, Queen Schatt & Morgan, Kershaw and
many more. Free catalog. Sooner State Knives, PO Box 67,
Konawa,
OK
74849.
580-925-3708
VISA/MC.
ssknives@swbell.net
or
visit
our
web
site
www.soonerstateknives.com.

CANADAS KNIFEZONE, premier online knife and sword store.

160 brands including Grohmann knives. www.knifezone.ca, 1866-885-6433.

8808

6340

SCAGEL KNIVES and Axes wanted: Gordon White, PO Box

181, Cuthbert, GA 39840. 229-732-6982 anytime.

GREEN RIVER Knives, ivory micarta, buffalo horn, oak, with

sheaths. Brochure $1 York Mountain Enterprises, RD2 Box
272B Dept. B, Pittsfield, PA 16340.

9180

KNIFE LIST: Usually 150+ old/ new/ discontinued items. $1

(refundable) and large SASE to: Knives, 1426 S. 167th St.,
Omaha, NE 68130 or knifelist@tconl.com

AL MAR

AL MAR Knives wanted by collector. 1 to 100. Also catalogs,

price lists, ad slicks, etc. Stu Shaw 772-285-3755 anytime.
Fax: 772-287-3523. E-mail: stushaw@adelphia.net

6448

BUCK

BUCK COLLECTORS Club memberships available. For

information or application, contact: John Foresman, 110 New
Kent
Drive,
Goode,
VA
24556,
or
E-mail:
buckcustom@aol.com
BUCK KNIVES on consignment. To sell or for list of knives to
buy, call Larry Oden. 765-472-2323 wkday eves. or Sat.
References available.

6486

CASE

OLDER CASE pocketknives for sale. XX, USA, 10 Dot and

others. Clean outstanding knives with pretty handles. Please
call or write for my list. Charlie Mattox, PO Box 1565, Gallatin,
TN 37066. 1-877-520-9192, voice mail pager. Mobile phone
615-419-5669. Http://www.mattoxknife.com
WANTED: CASE pocketknives especially 10 Dot and older.
Check with Charlie before you sell. Call or write. Charlie
Mattox, PO Box 1565, Gallatin, TN 37066. 1-877-520-9192,
voice mail pager. Mobile phone 615-419-5669.
Http://www.mattoxknife.com

86 / BLADE

SCAGEL (WILLIAM)

YELLOWHORSE (DAVID)

BUCK YELLOWHORSE Knives. For information on old classics,

newer editions or availability, Contact: Gene Merritt 813-6217549 (message) or E-mail: genemerr@aol.com

9224

MISCELLANEOUS HANDMADE

EXQUISITE HANDMADE Dendritic Steel Kitchen Cutlery,

Outdoor Knives, Basics and Folders, with or without original
artwork Etched on the blades. Superb edge holding & easy to
sharpen. Francine Etched Knives www.francineetchings.com
831-426-6046, 800-557-1525.
WANTED: SCAGEL, R.H. Ruana, Randall, Loveless, Morseth,
Remington, and Marbles knives and axes. Any Heiser knife or
axe sheaths. 229-732-6982, anytime. Gordon White, Box 181,
Cuthbert, GA 39840.

9705

BUY, SELL, TRADE

ANVILS. WWW.OLDWORLDANVILLES.COM
FOR SALE: Antlers (deer, elk, moose), buckskins, tanned furs,
etc. Over 150,000 items. Complete Internet catalog (pictures).
http://www.hideandfur.com

LIST OF over 600 automatic antique and modern knives.

Including Case Zippers, Ka-Bar, Grizzly, Presto, Flylock, Case,
Remington, Latama, Italian pick locks and many more brands.
Send $5.00 refundable with first order. Skelton Enterprise,
Jerry Skelton, 3795 Hwy. 188, Alamo, TN 38001. 731-6562443. Request list S.
THROWING KNIFE catalog and instruction sheet sent free for
SASE to: Tru-Balance Knife Co., PO Box 140555, Grand
Rapids, MI 49514.
COLLECTOR KVIVES- Queen, Schatt & Morgan, Ka-Bar,
Remington and Case. Send $2 for our catalog. S & S and Sons
Cutlers, Po Box 501A Lomita, CA 90717 PH 310-326-3869 or
www.snsandsonscutlers.com.

9730

DEALERS WANTED

DEALERS WANTED! Sell our line of Swinguards, Picklocks,

and Stilettos. Regardless of whether you sell at Gun & Knife
Shows, Flea Markets, Pawn Shops, at Auction, or on the
Internet. These handcrafted automatic knives sell themselves.
Huge profit margins! No minimum purchase. Call or e-mail us
today to get your Dealers package. Contact Brad at 919-3272252 or Swinguard@nc.rr.com

MAY 2005

BLMAY05

2/14/05

12:52 PM

9770

Page 19

HANDLE MATERIALS

ARIZONA IRONWOOD defect free burl handle material, since

1998, new low prices, custom cuts and quantity discounts.
buy online or call at www.arizonaironwood.com or 623-9796969. Published as a safe place to purchase quality ironwood
online by the TCKA.

9780

HEAT TREATING

OIL HARDENING/ zone and clay tempering- all steels. Lee

Oates, PO Box 1391, LaPorte, TX 77572-1391. For prices
http://www.bearclawknives.com 281-587-6080.

9790

KNIFE BOXES/ CONTAINERS

DISPLAY CASES: Oak, Walnut, wood, glass, standard or

custom sizes. 28 page catalog. Send $1. Woodland Products,
61292 CR 7, Elkhart, IN 46517.

9840

IVORY PRE-BAN African elephant sold in slabs, tusk sections,

and whole tusks. Warthers of Ohio, 330-343-1865.
MOKUME-GANE FOR Knifemakers!: For more information
visit our website at www.shiningwave.com
NORDIC KNIVES and materials, handmade and factory made.
Blades, sheaths, wood, leather. Large selection.
http://www.brisa.fi
STEEL TANG Stamps: Mark your knives with your name, logo
or design. Quality hand-cut hardened steel stamps made to
your specifications. If its worth making, its worth marking.
Established 1898. Henry A. Evers, Corp. 72 Oxford St.,
Providence, RI 02905. 800-553-8377.

9890

KNIFEMAKING EQUIPMENT

BUILD YOUR Own Rockwell Style Hardness Tester! Detailed

plans available of my original design. Send $17 to Ray
Rogers, P.O. Box 126, Wauconda, WA 98859. More info
http://www.rayrogers.com/rhc.htm or rhc @rayrogers.com
COOTE BELTGRINDER and contact wheels. Visit us at
www.cootebeltgrinder.com, E-mail coote@olypen.com, phone
360-437-0366.

9875

FOLDER SUPPLIES pivot pins, stainless and gold plated

screws, titanium sheet. IBS Intl., R.B. Johnson, Box 11,
Clearwater,
MN
55320.
320-558-6128.
http://www.customknives.comr.b.johnson/

KNIFEMAKING SUPPLIES

DENDRITIC BLADES: Blademaker, (formerly Reproduction

Blades) offers Dendritic D2 early-American style blades for doit-yourselfers. www.theblademaker.com, or call 503-6497867.

KNIFE SHOPS

KNIFE WEBSITE: Own your very own knife webstore, make

money selling top quality, brand name blades and swords, call
Ken 954-815-7587 or email cruiserkf1@aol.com
12 YEAR established knife business in North Carolina for sale.
919-460-0203 or email beckscutlery@mindspring.com Becks
Cutlery

9900

LEATHER/ SHEATHS

CUSTOM LEATHER Knife Sheaths in your design or mine.

Write or call: Robert Schrap, 7024 W. Wells St., Wauwatosa,
WI 53213. 414-771-6472 evenings or knifesheaths@aol.com

FINE FOLDERS deserve protection. Ron Lake and Mike Walker

send their folders with one of these soft goatskin, ultrasuede
lined slips. Six sizes for pocket or belt. Arne Mason, 258
Wimer,
Ashland,
OR
97520.
541-482-2260,
www.arnemason.com

9935

MULTIPLE BRANDS FOR SALE

CUTTING EDGE CUTLERY is CANADAS source for knives. Visit

www.swords.ca or Call 306.374.EDGE for your needs. No one
in CANADA has more knives.

9975

SCRIMSHAW

CUSTOM SCRIMSHAW by Juanita Rae Conover. Single or full

color. Wildlife a specialty. Exceptional quality. Call for sample
pictures and turn around information. PO Box 70442, Eugene,
OR 97401, 541-747-1726 or juanitaraeconover@yahoo.com

9980

SERVICES, MISCELLANEOUS

ATTENTION KNIFEMAKERS, knife collectors and resellers! I

will help you to establish your presence on Internet: Design
and redesign, development and maintenance for your own
Web site. E-mail me: blades@repairman.com
KNIFE SCHOOL: April 16th & 17th, 2005. West Texas Knife
Clinic, fixed & folders, bench grinding. Contact: Weldon
Whitley 432-530-0448 wgwhitley@juno.com or Loyd
McConnell 432-363-8344 ccknives@ccknives.com

9996

MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS

NORTHWEST KNIVES, www.nwknives.com 800-611-8849,

Antique, custom, military, factory, swords- weve got it all. Free
Catalog!

ADVERTISERS INDEX
A
A. G. Russell Knives, Inc.............38
Admiral Steel L.P.........................57
Al Mar Knives..............................31
American Bladesmith Society .....79
Arizona Custom Knives...............66
Atlanta Cutlery ..........................123
Axtion Bladez ..............................84

B
Badger Knife Club.......................25
Banyon Bay Inc. ..........................46
Beckwiths Blades .......................99
Best Knives ...............................106
Bestblade.com ..........................107
Blade Art .....................................45
Bladegallery.com.........................52
Blades By Brown Cutlery ..........106
Blue Ridge Knives.................44, 75
Bob Dozier Knives ......................68
Bobs Trading Post.......................80
Boker USA ..................................28
Bonds House Of Cutlery .............69
Bowie Corporation ......................77
Briar Custom Knives ...................28
Buck Knives ................................36
Buckeye Engraving .....................80
Bud Angelo .................................76
Busse Combat Knife Co..............49

C
C.A.S. Iberia ..............................124
Camillus Cutlery Co. ...................24
Carlson, Kelly ..............................69
Center Cross Video.....................82
Chopra Deepak.....................46, 68
Chris Reeve Knives.....................16
Cliff Parker Knives.......................30
Collectibles Insurance Agency....48
Columbia River .....................29, 43
Corwin Knives .............................77

Crawford, Pat ..............................83

Custom Knife Company ..............79
Custom Laser............................100
Custom Shoppe, LLC..................92
Cutlery Shoppe .....................56, 69
Cutting Edge Cutlery...................81

Davidson, Edmund......................80 Kayne Custom Hardware, Inc. ....78

Denton, J.....................................75 Kencrest/Hara .............................80
Kershaw Knives ........17, 35, 51, 67
E
EdgeCraft Corporation ................30 King, Kenneth................................8
King Enterprises .........................77
Elishewitz Custom Knives ...........68
Klotzli, Burgdorf...........................79
F
Knife & Gun Finishing Supplies ..72
Fllkniven ....................................40 Knife Center of Internet...............83
Faust, Dick ..................................77 Knife Mart .............................55, 91
Finer Points .................................56 Knifekits.com ...............................39
Foster Knives ..............................98 Knifemakers Guild Show.............37
Fowler, Ed .................................117 Knifeshows.com ........................107
Fraps, John .................................66 Knives Plus ...............................106
Frost Cutlery ...............................43 Koval Knives & Supplies .............92

G
G.L. Pearce Abrasive Co.............83
Gary Levine Fine Knives.............99
George Trout .........................54, 80
Giraffebone.com..........................33
Glendo Corp................................71
Graham Knives ...........................82
Grohmann Knives Ltd. ................52

H
H & L Sales, Inc. .........................36
Halpern Titanium.........................78
Hanna, Jack ................................81
Hanson, Don ...............................66
Harrison, Dan..............................71
Heckler and Koch........................31
Hideawayknife.com .....................76
Horsehead Creek Knives ............99

Investment Arms ...........................3 N.I.C.A.........................................98

National Knife Distributors ..........76
J
Jantz Supply ...............................19 NC Tool Company .......................79
Joy Enterprises ...........................63 New Graham Knives ...................65
JTs Knife Shop ...........................81 Nordic Knives ............................101

L
Lansky Sharpeners .....................47
Leather Crafters & Saddlers .......66
Lone Eagle International Inc. ......78
Lone Star Wholesale.................112
Lone Wolf Knives ........................48

M
Magnum USA..............................76
Marzitelli Custom Knives...........113
MaseCraft Supply .......................40
Master Cutlery ....................15, 111
Masters Of Defense Knife Co. ..116
McLean, Lawrence......................82
Mission Knives & Tools .............100
Mooney, Mike ..............................78
Moore Cutlery ...........................101
Moteng International, Inc. ...........14
Mother Of Pearl Company ....23, 57

O
OHare Knives .............................80
Ontario Knife/Queen Cutlery
..........................................7, 113
Osborne, Warren.........................45
OSO Grande Knife & Tool...........45

P
Paragon Industries ....................118
Paragon Sporting Goods ..........112
Parkers Knife Coll. Service.........84
Peters Heat Treating Inc. ............61
Plaza Cutlery...............................78
Pro Cut..................................5, 121
Pro Tool Industries Inc. ...............79
Pyramont North America ..............9

Sierra Forge And Fire .................72

Simbatec .....................................77
Simonich Knives LLC..................53
Smoky Mountain Knife Works
Inc............................................62
SOG Specialty Knives Inc.........109
Solvang Knife Show ....................22
Sporting Arms Custom Grips......54
St. Amour, Murray .......................84
Steel Addiction Custom Knives...54
Strider Knives..............................73
Swamp Rat .................................53
Szilaski, Joseph ..........................53

Taylor Cutlery ..............................29

Texas Knifemakers Supply..........97
Toolshop......................................82
Tops ....................75, 77, 81, 82, 83
Treestump Leather ......................81
Tru-Grit ........................................47
Q
Tru-Hone Corporation .................76
Quick Knife..................................33 True North Knives .........................8
R
Twin Blades.................................54
R & J Cutlery.............................107
U
Randall Made Knives ..................75
United Cutlery .............................11
Rapp, Steven...............................53
W
Red Hill Corporation ...................62
Riverside Machine.......................77 W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. .....2
Ruko LLC ....................................33 Western Reserve Cutlery
Assoc.....................................118
S
Saviolo Publishing.......................25 White, John .................................33
Sawby, Scott................................81 William Henry Knives ....................5
Self Defense Supply ...................27 Wilson Tactical Knives.................37
Sentry Solutions Ltd..................117 Wolverine Knife Collectors ..........95
SETO Cutlery..............................79
Z
Sheffield Knifemakers Supply
Zima Knives ................................78
Inc............................................76
Shenandoah Valley Knife Coll.....78 2thehilt.com.................................82

The advertisers index is provided as a reader service. Occasional last-minute changes may result in ads appearing on pages other than those listed here.
The publisher assumes no liability for omissions or errors.

MAY 2005

BLADE / 87

knifemaker
showcase
knifemaker showcase

Knifemaker Showcase spotlights the photographs of knives sent by any and all custom knifemakers to BLADE for filing in the Knifemakers Archive. The
Knifemakers Archive is the most complete collection of knifemakers knives and information in the world. If you are a custom knifemaker and have not sent
us a photo (the better quality the photo, the better chance it has of getting in the magazine), write to: BLADE, c/o Krause Publications, 700 E. State, Iola,
WI 54990 blademagazine@krause.com. Please include a close-up mug shot of yourself with your knife picture.

H.H. Frank
Friends saw the first knife H.H. Frank made in the 1960s and
suggested he fashion more for an upcoming Ohio gun show.
I marked each knife at $25 and got arguments about the high
price, he recalls. In 1971, knifemaker Bob Loveless phoned
me, saying he was impressed with my folders and wanted to
sell them in his catalog. Orders started to come in. Specializing in high-art knives, Frank
does his own engraving and heat
treating. The push dagger (left)
showcases an aged-elephant-ivory
handle and sheath, gold inlays and
scroll-pattern relief engraving on
the blade and throat. Frank says it
sold for $6,500. His address: Dept.
BL5, 13868 N.W. Keleka Pl., Seal
Rock, OR 97376 541.563.3041.

David
Mosier

Mark Russon
Ever since I was a boy, I watched
my dad make knives as a hobby,
Mark Russon says. He is a
skilled craftsman and engraver,
and when arthritis finally started
to win the battle with his hands, I
found myself with a pile of tools
and books. That placed the knifemaking tradition on my shoulders. I live in Utah,
have seven children and work as a computer
programmer. If knifemaking paid as well [as
computer programming], Id switch careers in a
minute. The trailing-point hunter (right) dons
an L-6 blade, a purpleheart handle and brass
fittings. Russons list price: n/a. His address:
Dept. BL5, 729 W. 925 S, Woods Cross, UT
84087 801.294.0666 mark_russon@comcast.net.
88 / BLADE

Showcase.indd 2

David Mosier says his

initial knifemaking motivation came from the first
custom knife he bought
from Bob Dozier. I loved how the blade was ground, and
its edge was amazingly sharp, he notes. Locking-liner
folders have been a passion of mine lately. I learned most of my knifemaking
knowledge from Bob Terzuolas book The Tactical Folding Knife. I made a few
futile attempts at making folders before buying the book and, ever since, my folders have taken on a new level of quality. The Large Infiltrator Folder (above)
sports a 4 1/2-inch CPM S30V blade, 416 stainless steel bolsters and a blacklinen-Micarta handle. Mosiers list price: $450. His address: Dept. BL5, 1725
Millburn Ave., Independence, MO 64056 816.796.3479 dmknives@aol.com.

MAY 2005

2/8/05 1:19:37 PM

Ricardo
Vilar
Before finishing any knife,
Ricardo Vilar claims to test
each blade on hardwood
in the Brazilian jungle. I
tell my friends, You wont
believe what these steels
are capable of doing in the
jungle or on hunting trips, Vilar,
who made his first knife in 1993,
relates. He practiced the stockremoval method of knifemaking
until 2001, when he invited other
makers to a workshop in Brazil.
Of those who came, Jerry Fisk
was the one who taught me how to
forge a blade. Since then, I forge
all my blades, Vilar says. I love
the possibilities that arise during
the forging process. He travels to the United States twice a
year for the BLADE Show and Arkansas Custom Knife Show.
He prefers natural handle materials, including exotic woods,
horn, bone and ivory, and high-carbon-steel or damascus
blades. The bowie (above, right) sports a 9-inch damascus
blade, stainless steel furniture and a coffin-style, giraffe-bone
handle. Vilars list price: $850. His address: Dept. BL5, Alameda Dos Jasmins, 243 PQ Petropolis, Mairi Pora, SP, Brazil
07600.000 +55.11.4485.4346 ricardovilar@ig.com.br.

Don Maxwell
It sounds simple, but Don Maxwell says the most satisfying aspect
of knifemaking is when customers tell him how much they love their
knives. I began making knives at age 14, in 1984, the full-time
knifemaker notes. I make both fixed blades and folding knives, but
over the last few years, I have primarily focused on folders. Most of
Maxwells knife handles are fashioned from natural materials, such as
ivory, bone, wood and mother-of-pearl. The locking-liner folder (below) sports a 3 3/4-inch Robert
Eggerling damascus blade
and bolsters, a mastodonivory handle and a citrine
inset into the thumb stud.
Maxwells list price: $1,100.
His address: Dept. BL5, 1484
Celeste Ave., Clovis, CA
93611 559.299.2197.

Mark McCoun
In 1989, I made my first knife and I havent stopped yet.
Ive always loved working with wood, and it only seemed
natural to take it to another level with metal, states Mark
McCoun. My father made a Plexiglas-handle knife when I was younger, and I
have forever been compelled to make anything he made. McCoun says he prefers
ATS-34 blade steel because of its corrosion resistance and edge-holding ability.
Wood handles are my favorite, he notes. Even if you make two identical blades,
and outfit them with similar wood handles, each will have its own character
because of the wood. The knife (above) sports a Mike Norris random-patterndamascus blade and a bark-mammoth-ivory handle. McCouns list price: $250.
His address: Dept. BL5, 14212 Pine Dr., DeWitt, VA 23840 804.469.7631.
MAY 2005

Showcase.indd 3

BLADE / 89

2/8/05 12:53:25 PM

your knife
rights
your knife rights

Knives In School Revisited

A Colorado court considers whether all knives are
weapons, or just certain ones
By Judge Lowell Bray
BLADE field editor

n recent years, law enforcement officers and school off icials have been
concerned about the possession of
weapons by students in schools, which is
certainly understandable in light of such
tragedies as the Columbine shootings.
One of the byproducts of this concern
has been the increased scrutiny of knives
and attempts to remove them from schools
through the application of existing laws
that were not originally designed for the
purpose. Consequently, a number of appellate court opinions have been rendered
dealing with knives in school.
In the Interest of J.W.T.
A recent knife in school case from
Denver caused the Colorado courts to ask
the question, Are all knives weapons and,
if not, which knives are weapons?
A petition was filed asking that J.W.T.,
13, be found a delinquent. The offense
charged was possession of a weapon on
school grounds. The weapon was
described as a knife with a blade 3 inches
long. The attorney for the juvenile filed a
motion to dismiss the petition on the basis
that the knife was not a weapon. The trial
court granted the motion and the case was
dismissed. The statereferred to in the
appellate court decision as the People
appealed.
On appeal, the People argued that a
knife is per sewhich translates as in and
of itselfa deadly weapon. Moreover, the
2 / BLADE
90
/ BLADE

Rights.indd 2

possession of any knife on school grounds

is prohibited by Colorado Criminal Code,
Section 18-12-105 5(1), which says: A
person commits a class 6 felony if such
person knowingly and unlawfully and without legal authority carries, brings, or has in
such persons possession a deadly weapon
as defined in Section 18-1-901(3)(e) in or
on the real estate and all improvements
erected thereon of any public or private
elementary, middle, junior high, high, or
vocational school

Because of its
length, the blade
does not qualify
as a knife as
dened.
Colorado
appellate court
Two other sections of the state code are
significant to the charge. One is Section
18-1-901. In part, it says, (1) Definitions
set forth in any section of this title apply
wherever the same term is used in the same
sense in another section of this title unless

the definition is specifically limited or the

context indicates that it is inapplicable.
(3)(e) Deadly weapon means any of the
following which in the manner it is used or
intended to be used is capable of producing
death or serious bodily injury: I. A firearm,
whether loaded or unloaded; II. A knife;
III. A bludgeon; or IV. Any other weapon,
device, instrument, material, or substance,
whether animate or inanimate.
The second related section of the code,
Section 18-12-101, provides:
As used in this article, unless the
context otherwise requires:
(f) Knife means any dagger, dirk,
knife, or stiletto with a blade over three
and one-half inches in length, or any other
dangerous instrument capable of inflicting
cutting, stabbing, or tearing wounds, but
does not include a hunting or fishing knife
carried for sports use.
The appellate court decided that it had
to consider all three of the statutes to make
a determination as to whether the knife was
a weapon. The court said:
In analyzing a statute, a court
must read and consider the statutory
scheme as a whole to give consistent, harmonious and sensible effect
to all its parts ... Where possible, statutes governing the same subject must
be reconciled Further, a construction that would render part of a statute
meaningless should be avoided
MAY 2005
2002
MAY

2/8/05 2:41:21 PM

The People cited some older cases that

had held that a knife was a deadly weapon
per se. In addition, the People argued that
the definition of knife contained in Section
18-12-101(1)(f) should not be used in
J.W.T. Their argument was that the words
the context otherwise requires should
be employed to necessitate the use of the
definition of deadly weapon in the statute
and not the definition of knife.
The court gave the first argument little
weight. In considering the second argument, the court cited Bower v. People. The
case examined whether a liquor bottle
could be considered a bludgeon or any
other weapon. As the court observed:

A conclusion that
any knife is per se
illegal would render meaningless
the blade length
distinction.
Colorado
appellate court
The [Bower] Cour t noted that
Section 18-1-901(3)(e) created two
separate categories of deadly weapons. Firearms, knives, and bludgeons
are deadly weapons by their essential nature. All other items may or may
not be deadly weapons, depending
upon how they are used or intended
to be used. Thus, a knife [any knife]
is a per se deadly weapon when it is
used or intended to be used during the
commission of another crime.
Since there was no claim that the knife
had been used or was intended to be used
as a weapon, the court considered whether
there was any way the knife could come
within the definitions of deadly weapon
in the statute. The section of the statute
that defined deadly weapon used the term
knife but did not define it. The only section
of the statutes that did have a definition of
knifethe one quoted aboveexcluded
this particular knife by limiting the term to
exclude blades under 3 inches in length.
Considering the statutes together, the court
said:
Consequently, reading and harmonizing these provisions together,
the plain language of both proviMAY 2005

Rights.indd 3

sions establishes that, for purposes

of Section 18-12-105.5(1) where the
deadly weapon at issue is a knife, it
must qualify as a knife under Section
18-12-101(1)(f).
The court next pointed out that the
definitions in Section 18-12-101 were in
existence for at least 18 years before the
legislature adopted the statute making
it illegal to possess a deadly weapon on
school grounds. The court then said it
must presume that the legislature knew
that there was already a definition of knife
in the statutes when it passed the school
statute. Finally, the court held:
Thus, we conclude that the plain
language of the two definitional provisions, Sections 18-1-901 and 18-12101, compels the conclusion that a
person carrying a knife with a blade
less than three and one-half inches
in length, on school grounds, cannot
be prosecuted under Section 18-12105.5(1) unless the prosecution can
also establish that the person used or
intended to use the knife as a weapon.
Here, the knife found in J.W.T.s
possession had a blade that was not
longer than three and one-half inches
in length. Because of its length, the
blade does not qualify as a knife as
defined, and it could only qualify as
a knife under the catchall provision
of Section 18-12-101(1)(f) if it was
capable of inflicting cutting, stabbing, or tearing wounds. To so qualify the knife, the prosecution would
have been required to prove that J.W.T.
intended to use the knife as a weapon
... (because all knives of any blade
length necessarily meet the catchall
definition in Section 18-12-101(1)(f),
a conclusion that any knife is per se
illegal would render meaningless the
blade length distinction). At the motions
hearing held in this case, the prosecution stated that it did not intend to
present evidence that J.W.T. was using
the knife or that he intended to use it.
Consequently, the juvenile court properly dismissed the charges.
The court was none too happy with its
ruling, though it appeared to believe it had
properly applied the law. Consequently, it
took advantage of the opportunity provided
by writing the opinion to give the state
legislature a little nudge:
We recognize the Peoples observation that this construction can lead
to the absurd result that a person can
carry a knife less than three and onehalf inches in length on school grounds
as long as he or she does not use or
BLADE / 91

2/11/05 10:43:25 AM

Northwoods
Knives
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The perfect lightweight, practical
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your
knife
your knife rights
rights
intend to use it as a weapon. We are
not suggesting that schools may not
adopt regulations prohibiting possession of any knife or weapon. Our holding is directed to situations where a
juvenile is charged with a felony necessitating proof of specified elements
of the crime. It is up to the General
Assembly to determine policy regarding what weapons are punishable as
felonies when possessed on school
grounds ...
Conclusion
In short, the court was sympathetic to the
Peoples attempt to keep knives out of
schools, but was not in sympathy with the
Peoples attempt to twist and stretch the
existing statutes to make them fit a situation they were never intended to cover.

The bucolic days

of barefoot boys
with barlows in
their pockets are
probably gone
forever.
the author
It is likely only a matter of time before
all knives of any kind are outlawed in
schools. The bucolic days of barefoot boys
with barlows in their pockets are probably gone forever. Certainly, the days when
teachers were concerned only about pocketknives because they might be used to
carve initials in desktops are history. We
can regret it, but we may as well accept it.
[Facts and law taken from In the Interest of
J.W.T. 2004 WL 742891 (Colo. App.).]
The author has been a lawyer since 1973
and a judge since 1982. He also is a charter member of the Florida Knifemakers
Association, a journeyman smith in the
American Bladesmith Society, and a voting
member of The Knifemakers Guild.

For a complete Catalog of knifemaking supplies send $4.00 to:

Koval Knives P.O. Box 492 New Albany, OH 43054

Visit our Showroom at: 5819 Zarley St., New Albany, Ohio
Or Visit us online at: www.kovalknives.com email: koval@kovalknives.com
92 / BLADE

Rights.indd 4

MAY 2005

2/8/05 2:40:57 PM

guild
directions
guild directions
Will They Make The Grade?
The Guilds Voting Class of 05 enters the home stretch
By Gene Shadley
President, The Knifemakers Guild

he next group of makers up for voting

status in The Knifemakers Guild
will soon be preparing for their nal
inspection prior to receiving voting status.
The whole process started several years
ago when they had to nd four voting
members to inspect their work and sign
their applications. The applicants were then
placed on a waiting list.
Depending where they are on the
waiting list, there might be a two-year wait
until there is room for them to be able to
attend the next Guild Show, where they will
have their work inspected again in order to
gain probationary status.

The Guild is very

serious about
the quality of its
members.
the author
The inspections check t, nish, grinds,
symmetry and overall workmanship and are
conducted by voting members. Promotional
materialsbrochures, etc.and good
business practices are also required.
Once the applicants pass inspection,
they must serve a two-year probationary
period. The next step is yet another
inspection before voting status is granted
by a vote of the membership during the
annual business meeting.
As you can see, the Guild is very serious
about the quality of its members.

MAY 2005

Guild.indd 32

Harvey King is among the applicants for voting membership for the Guilds Voting
Class of 05. His Model #7 hunter sports a 4.5-inch blade of D-2 tool steel and a giraffe
bone handle. His list price: $265. His address: 32266 Hwy. K4, Dept. BL5, Alta Vista, KS
66834 785.499.5207 or 785.449.2487. (Hoffman photo)

05 Voting Applicants
Makers up for voting status for 2005 are:
Shaun Hansen; Mark Clark; Des Horn;
Louis Van Der Walt; Douglas A. Alcorn;
Gayle Bradley; Mark Bucholz; James Elton
Davis; Joseph R. Dewitt; Robert Doggett;
Carlton Evans; Antonio Fogarizzu; Harvey
King Jr.; Ken Linton; Gail Lunn; L.D.
Patterson; John R. Pawlowski; John W.
PerMar; Theuns C. Prinsloo; Michael
Rochford; James R. Shaver II; Brad

Shepherd; Jan Slezak; and Stan Wilson.

Good luck to all these ne makers in
their nal leg of the process.
The Guild Show will be Aug. 5-7 at a new
venuethe Renaissance Orlando Resort
at Sea World in Orlando, Florida. For
more details contact Gene Shadley, Dept.
BL5, 26315 Norway Dr., Bovey, MN 55709
218.245.3820 fax 218.245.1639.

BLADE / 93

2/8/05 12:52:30 PM

randall
answer man
randall answer man

The Sasquatch is one of several

Randall dealer specials. It is available
exclusively through Doug Keneck.
This one has a scalloped collar, wood
handle, a scalloped buttcap, and a
nameplate embedded in the side of
the grip. (G. Glock photo)

By Pete Hamilton
Past Randall Shop Foreman

have been receiving a lot of questions

about the dealer specials, so we will
examine some of these exclusive Randall knives in this and future installments of
Randall Answer Man. First on the docket:
the Sasquatch.
Designed by Doug Keneck in the late
70s, the Sasquatch has a 12-inch blade of
3/8-inch-thick O-1 tool steel and a brasslugged hilt. The handle is a standard commando shape and the material is whatever
Mr. Keneck orders. Other than his special
handles, the standard material is leather.
The dealer specials are not available
through the Randall shop and must be
ordered from the applicable dealer. Mr.
Kenecks contact information: 29 Leander St., Dept. BL5, Danielson, CT 06239
860.774.8929.
1: Are the models 14 and 15 more collectible with the Randall trademark or the
94 / BLADE

RandallAnswerMan.indd 94

Solingen trademark? (H.W., Atlanta)

The older Randall 14s and 15s are very
collectible no matter what the trademark.
You must remember that the knives with the
Solingen trademarks were made in Solingen for only a short time and are thus few
in number, so they are highly collectible. Of
course, condition does come into play.
There were ve stamps done at the
Solingen factory and an etched trademark was done at the Randall shop. The
ve Solingen stamps were removed at the
Randall shop during the installation of the
hilt and handle, and the Randall etched
trademark was added at the completion of
the knife. If the stampings were very deep,
they were left on the blade.
Mr. W.D. Bo Randall did request
that the Solingen factory not stamp any
further orders of these blades. His request
applied to the balance of the orders until

Randall Made Knives stopped ordering

the Solingen blades around the late 70s or
early 80s. The blades in stock were kept
to replace any broken knives sent in for
repair, and some were used to make what
was called the Solingen Fighter, which is
no longer available. However, some Solingen Fighters are still making the rounds in
the secondary market.
Orange G-10
A few of you have asked about a new handle
material that is appearing on some Randall
models, what some are calling orange
Micarta. First off, it is not Micarta but
orange G-10.
The customer placing the order for a
Randall knife with an orange G-10 handle
must buy the material from Jim Behring of
Treeman Knives (21055 30 Mile Rd., Dept.
BL5, Ray Township, MI 48096 586.749.9069
behring@comcast.net). The customer must
MAY 2005

2/9/05 11:22:30 PM

then slot the material himself or have it slotted by an outside agency if it is to be used on
the models 14, 15 and 16. Plus, the material
must be available in the size required for the
model in question.
While on the subject of handles, I have
been toldsome of you already know
that the Randall shop is offering a replacement for ivorite. It is called Antique Gold
Micarta. The material is available only on
small (1-inch) handles. It is unavailable on
bowies or 7/8-inch-tang knives at this time.
2: What is the story on the Model 3s with
the sharp top edges? (G.Q., Lincoln, Nebraska)
The standard top edge on the Model 3 is
a false one. It is not sharp but it is beveled.
It can be sharpened on request. However,
there was one problem with sharpening the
top edgeit made the blade thin and weaker near the point. It seemed that sharpening
the top edge was unnecessary for a hunting
knife, so the procedure was discontinued.
If you look, you probably will nd quite a
few Model 3s with sharp top edges on the
secondary market.
Meanwhile, it is my understanding that
there will be a special run for a customer of
a Randall model with a sharp top edge. I do
not know what the model will be or when it
will be available. As soon as I do, I will let
you know.
3: What is going on with the orders for
the Model 10 Salt Fisherman and Household Utility? At one time you could or-

der one and receive it in about six weeks,

then delivery went to 12 weeks, and now I
hear that it will take about one year. The
Model 10 sure must be popular! (name
and address n/a)
I contacted the shop and the guys really
do not know why it is taking so long to ll
the orders for the knife. Part of the reason is
that, as you say, the Model 10 is very popular and so many orders have been placed for
it that the waiting list is now one year. I do
know that the shop is delivering the 10s as
fast as it can, so your patience in this matter
is greatly appreciated.
Steps in Making a Randall
For those of you who have not been to the
Randall shop or do not have my book, The
Randall Chronicles, I thought you might
like a general idea of the steps that a Randall knife goes through before it becomes
a nished piece. Use the photograph (see
below) as a guide and start at the right for
Step 1 and work your way to the left.
In Step 1, the steel is cut to a prescribed
length in order to make a specic size of
knife. In Step 2, the steel is heated to 1900F
and the tang is forged for the handle. This
step takes four-to-ve heating processes to
get the desired handle length.
Step 3 is the shaping and the forging of
the bevel, which also takes four or ve heatings. Step 4 is the grinding of the bevel. In
Step 5, the trademark is stamped into the
blade and the blade is heat treated. In Step 6,
the blade is ground. The blade is sanded in
Step 7 and polished in Step 8. In Step 9 (not

shown), the handle is installed and shaped.

In the last step, the blade and handle are nal polished.
See You At The BLADE Show!
Just a reminder for all my knife friends: the
BLADE Show will be June 3-5 at the Cobb
Galleria Centre in Atlanta. Every year the
show has been outstanding for me. It gives
me the chance to meet you and to talk new
and old knivesother than being a voice
on the other end of a phone.
I have it on good authority that two collectors whom I have talked with on many
long telephone calls but have never met in
person will be at the show. One is from
AustraliaI do not get there very much
and the other is from Texas. I am looking
forward to these meetings! Also, I once
again will be conducting my Ask Pete
Hamilton About Randall Knives seminar
at the show.
Also, do not forget that The Knifemakers Guild Show will be Aug. 5-7 at a new
venuethe Renaissance Orlando Resort
at Sea World in Orlando, Florida. All of
you who can, come see us!
Editors note: For information on how to
get your copy of the authors book, The
Randall Chronicles, contact the author at
850.539.4320 fax 850.539.4992.

WOLVERINE
KNIFE COLLECTORS
SHOW
BuySellTrade
250 Tables
Custom and Factory Knives
Supplies, Displays, Auction

New Date:
April 22, 23, 24, 2005
Friday 1 pm-8 pm,
Sat. 9 am-6 pm, Sun. 9 am-2 pm

NOVI EXPO Center

I-96 at Novi Road, Novi, MI 48375
Hotel Reservations Call:
Wynkham Garden Hotel 248-344-8800
Beginning with the piece of steel at right in the photograph, which shows how
the steel looks after it has been cut to a prescribed length for the prospective
blade, these are the steps that a Randall goes through before it becomes a
nished knife. (See the accompanying story for a brief description of each step.)
(Hamilton photo)
MAY 2005

RandallAnswerMan.indd 95

For Table Reservation Call:

Pat Donovan 586-786-5549

or Frank Meek 586-264-2031
$1 off admission with this ad
BLADE / 95

2/9/05 11:22:47 PM

No. 103

One Mans Top 10 Advertising

Knives of All Time Part I
In the first of two parts, the author counts
his way down from No. 10 to No. 7
By Richard D. White
BLADE field editor

ost salesmen would agree

that giveaways are one of
the important components

a number of other prizes, most business

deals include some sort of incentive.
The advertising pocketknife is perhaps
the most productive form
of advertising giveaway
because, unlike many
free
incentives,
the
pocketknife is actually
a useful and practical
tool. Thanks to its utility
and in contrast to other
giveaways, it is rarely
tossed into a drawer to
be buried by worn-out
pencils, batteries, paper
clips and rubber bands.
Instead, it is carried in
a pants pocket or purse,
to be used over and
over again, each time
imprinting the advertisers name, slogan and
phone number in the mind
of the user. For that reason,
thousands of businesses
and corporations chose
and continue to choose
a pocketknife as the
perfect format for their
advertising dollar.
Though
thousands
Made for Spratts Dog Food Co., a British concern, and coming in at No. 8 on the authors Top 10 list,
of
pocketknives
with
this advertising knife has teeth-like blades designed to comb burrs from the hair of small hunting dogs.
advertising
imprinted
Handled in jigged bone, the knives were included in large bags of dog food. The authors value: around
on the handles or etched
$100 each. (White photo)
96 / BLADE

Edges.indd 96

of a successful business. Whether

complimentary trips, balloons for the
kids, oil changes, free samples, or any of

MAY 2005

2/11/05 10:40:23 AM

on the blades have been

produced over the years,
some exceptional examples
of the genre stand out.
The knives have attained
signicant monetary value
not because famous cutlery
factories, such as Remington
or Winchester, produced
them, but because their
advertising was creatively
designed for lasting impact.
In fact, by applying a
feature-oriented
system
to evaluate them, anyone
can identify the antique
advertising knives that truly
stand out. By evaluating
hundreds
of
different
examples, it is possible
to separate the average
advertiser
from
the
exceptional one by identifying the characteristics that
answer the question, What
makes an advertising knife
so valuable and important?
Evaluation Criteria
The system this writer and
others use to evaluate antique
advertising knives includes
the following:
1) The knife must have

Ranked by the author at No. 9, one of the most ornate advertising knives presents a 3-D view of the
Metropolitan Life Insurance Building. This double exposure shows both sides of the knife. Made by
A. Kastor & Bros., the piece is a classic example of German cutlery excellence. The authors value
for examples in mint condition: $75-$100. (White photo)

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MAY 2005

Edges.indd 97

BLADE / 97

2/11/05 10:41:44 AM

EDGES (CONT.)

some historical value. It must, through

the advertisement itself, say something
about a period in history that is important
to most Americans. It must be more
than just a knife; it must be a historical
artifact;
2) It must advertise a product that
was widely or commonly used over a
signicant period of time, or is familiar or
recognizable to most people;

Their advertising was creatively

designed for
lasting impact.
the author
3) It must be creatively designed.
The shape, materials used, implements
included, or actual design of the knife
must be innovative; and;
4) It must have a wow factor, a
certain characteristic that is striking and
that warrants closer inspection. A knife
you like to show others or one that is the
showcase specimen for your collection
falls into this category.
I evaluated hundreds of antique
advertising knives by these four criteria
to arrive at my Top 10 list. Though some
of the knives herein do not meet all four
requirements, they are still striking
enough to be included in my top antique
advertising knives of all time. I will start
with No. 10 and work my way down to
No. 7, and will reveal the top six in the
conclusion in the next issue of BLADE.
No. 10: E.H. Best and Co.
In addition to the bold stampings and
hand-inscribed oral designs at each end
of the knife, the ornately etched words
E.H. Best & Co. on the master blade adds
beauty and desirability to the E.H. Best
advertising knife.
Best was one of the rst to use
aluminum sides on an advertising knife.
Before
mass-production
techniques
were developed for the manufacture of
aluminum, the common alloy was very
rare and quite desirable as a handle
material in the cutlery industry.
The Best company, still in existence in
Boston, makes Knoxall textiles and various
woolen-belting products. The original E.H.
98 / BLADE

Edges.indd 98

MAY 2005

2/11/05 10:04:54 AM

Rarely are advertising

knives handled in aluminum.
However, the E.H. Best & Co.
advertising knivesNo. 10
in the authors Top 10are
exceptions to the rule. Add
aluminum sides, hand
tooling and a selection of
famous American cutlery
companies as makers, and
you have a very successful
and desirable advertising
knife. Because the piece
was made in such large
numbers, an example should
be in everyones advertising
collection. The authors
value for mint examples:
$35-$45 each. (White photo)

Best knife was made by the

now-defunct New York Knife
Co., recognized by a signicant
number of knife observers as the
worlds nest cutlery company.
Others that made the E.H. Best
knives were Ulster, Schrade,
Schrade Walden, and Schrade
USA. Collecting one example
by each manufacturer is quite
a challenge. Over the years,
literally thousands of the knives
were given away to customers
with each batch of woolen goods
produced by E.H. Best.
No. 9: Metropolitan Life
Insurance Co.
One of the most beautiful advertising
knives was made for the Metropolitan Life
Insurance Co. by the German cutlery rm
of A. Kastor & Bros. The Metropolitan
Life Insurance Building is carefully
sculpted on the side of this attractive
knife. The Met building is patterned
after the Campanile, a famous bell tower
in St. Marks Square in Venice, Italy. The
knife displays the Met building in intricate
detail, complete with windows, clock and
towering spire.
The real Metropolitan Life Insurance
Building is located in New York City
and, as the knife extols, was the Tallest
Building in the World. Completed in 1909,
the Met building was, in fact, the tallest
building until the Woolworths department
store headquarters was completed in 1913.

We offer a full line of quality,

name brand knives, swords and
other tools at below retail costs.

W W W. B E C K W I T H S B L A D E S . C O M

www.levineknives.com
Specializing in
folders

It must be more
than just a knife;
it must be a historical artifact.
the author
The knife is one of the most desirable
advertisers because of its sculptured
building, ornate design work, patterned
background, outstanding German maker,
and accurate dating of the knife from 19091913. Exacting detail and a tremendous 3D effect make this advertising knife one
that is not easily forgotten.
No. 8. Spratts Dog-Grooming
Comb/Knife
Heeling at the eighth spot on the list is the
Spratts dog-grooming comb/knife. Spratts
was a British dog food company, well
known for its quality pet care products
and dog food. As an advertising giveaway,
Spratts placed a pocketknife in each
large bag of dog food. The Spratts doggrooming model is a well-made, two-blade,
MAY 2005

Edges.indd 99

The best makers

The rising stars

Fair prices

Dealer of Handmade Knives

Phone: (914) 238-5748

PO Box 382 Chappaqua, NY 10514

GARY LEVINE FINE KNIVES

INTRODUCING THE

LOUSIANA TOOTHPICK

15" OVERALL LENGTH, 3" WIDE, 1/4" THICK DAMASCUS BOWIE, DESERT IRONWOOD HANDLE
15"

3"

Loyd Thomsen,
Award-Winning Bladesmith
605-535-6162
HCR 46 Box 19 Oelrichs, SD 57763

You dream it... Ill build it!

See more of Loyds knives on his website:

www.horseheadcreekknives.com
BLADE / 99

2/11/05 10:04:28 AM

EDGES (CONT.)

Ornately crafted with 3-D images

of young people demanding
Hires Root Beer, the Hires Root
Beer knife is eagerly sought
after by collectors and comes
in at No. 7 on the authors Top
10 list. The front side shows
a student in a three-piece
suit standing behind a table on
which sit mugs of Hires Root
Beer. Hires is clearly etched
below the table. (White photo)

Q 4ITANIUM#ONSTRUCTION
Q ,IGHTWEIGHT,IGHTER4HAN3TEEL
Q #ORROSIONAND2UST0ROOF
Q 9EAR0ROVEN533PECIAL&ORCESAND

-ILITARY4RACK2ECORDWITH:ERO"ROKEN
+NIVESINTHE&IELD
Q (OLDSA3HAVING%DGEANDIS%ASILY
&IELD3HARPENED
Q -ADEINTHE53!

6HRHS
VVVLHRRHNMJMHUDRBNL
SN
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NTS

-)33)/.+.)6%3!.$4//,3
0/"/8
79,)%4853!
0HONE  sCRAIG MISSIONKNIVESCOM
WWWMISSIONKNIVESCOM

100 / BLADE

Edges.indd 100

The reverse side of the Hires Root

Beer knife shows a young girl holding
a frosty mug of Hires Root Beer.
The words Drink Hires are etched
between her feet. The oral design is
representative of German advertising
cutlery of the time. The authors value:
regularly over $100. According to the
author, the piece seems to be one
of the rarest advertising knives in
existence. (White photo)
MAY 2005

2/14/05 11:56:39 AM

bone-handle knife, some of which were

probably made by George Wolstenholm,
the legendary cutler of Shefeld, England.
The knife is strange indeed, with
the blades being sharpened steel combs
instead of conventional blades. The combs
were pulled through the hair of small, wirehaired hunting terriers that spent much of
their time crawling through deep thistles
and underbrush looking for rodents and
small animals. The Spratts dog comb cut
out the thistles and burrs as the hair on the
animal was methodically groomed. The
knife certainly has the wow factor of
the best advertising knives and, though
duplicated by other companies, including
Remington, is quite rare with the Spratts
stamping.
No. 7: Hires Root Beer
The Hires Root Beer drive-ins were one
of the most popular hang-outs for many,
especially in the 1950s and 60s. Probably
before the turn of the century, O. Stader,
a German cutlery company, produced
one of the smallest but most impressive
advertising knives for Hires. Despite being
only 2 3/8 inches long, the watch-fob knife
has four separate blades.

What makes
the little piece so
impressive are
the distinct layers
and 3-D effect.
the author
What makes the little piece so
impressive are the distinct layers and 3-D
effect, the latter achieved by the multiple
etchings on the metal sides. The etched
front shows a boy, dressed in a fancy suit
complete with tie and vest, standing before
a table upon which sit mugs of root beer.
The reverse side of the knife shows a
girl, complete with curly hair and fancy
owered dress, clutching a frosty mug of
Hires Root Beer in one hand and holding
her other hand aloft, with ngers pointed.
Like the male gure on the front, the
etching also includes fancy oral designs
above and below. Between the girls feet
are the words Drink Hires. Because of
the different layers achieved by multiple
etchings and polishings, portions of the
knife appear almost mirror nished, while
others appear matte nished.
Next time, in the conclusion, the author
reveals the remaining six in his Top 10
advertising knives of all time.

MAY 2005

Edges.indd 101

WWW.NORDICKNIVES.COM
Specializing in Custom & Randall Knives Since 1971

Your Satisfaction is Guaranteed by our Return Policy

Visit our Web Site,
also featuring
manufactured sport knives
and kitchen cutlery

1634-C6 Copenhagen Dr.

Solvang, CA 93463 U.S.A.
(805) 688-3612
or (800) 992-6574 (orders only)
BLADE / 101

2/14/05 12:41:02 PM

whats new
whats new

Blade Steel Choice

Is Stainless Cobalt

Mammoth-Ivory
Grip Anchors Bowie

Hibben Designs A
Hunter For United

he Extrema Ratio Venom sports a 7inch, N690 stainless-cobalt blade and

a thermoplastic elastomer handle.
For more information contact Extrema
Ratio, Dept. BL5, Via Tourcoing 40/P,
59100 Prato (PO), Italy 0574.584639
info@extremaratio.com.

ickie Robinsons 11 1/2-inch bowie

dons a mammoth-ivory handle and
a ladder-pattern-damascus blade.
For more information contact Dickie
Robinson, Dept. BL5, POB 221, Vega, TX
79092 806.267.2629.

Video Shows How

To Make A Sword

Knights Edge Offers

Swept-Hilt Rapier

Thumb Stud Inset

With An Ammonite

homas Haslinger fashions a lockingliner folder with a Damasteel blade,

a mammoth-ivory handle, titanium
bolsters and an ammonite-inset thumb stud.
For more information contact Thomas
Haslinger, Dept. BL5, 164 Fairview Dr.
SE, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2H 1B3
403.253.9628.

ustomFlix debuts The Birth of a

Sword, a video on making a sword
as demonstrated by Richard Kazda.
For more information contact CustomFlix, attn: P. Neumann, Dept. BL5, 140
Dubois St., Ste. A, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
888.304.0043.

102 / BLADE

WhatsNew.indd 2

resh from Knights Edge is a swepthilt rapier featuring a high-carbonsteel blade and a leather-bound grip.
For more information contact Knights
Edge, attn: M. Bastle, Dept. BL5, 5696
N. Northwest Hwy., Chicago, IL 60646
773.775.3888.

esigned by Gil Hibben, Uniteds

Alaskan Pro Guide lockback folders sports a 420 stainless steel
blade and a Micarta handle.
For more information contact United,
attn: J. Hall, Dept. BL5, 1425 United Blvd.,
Sevierville, TN 37876 800.548.0835.

MAY 2005

2/8/05 12:54:20 PM

whats
new
whats new
Micarta Grooved
For Hand Purchase

Moose Engraved
On Knife Bolster

Neck Knife Sports

A Titanium Blade

he Boker Magnum side-lock folder

sports a 3 1/8-inch 440 stainless steel
blade, a pocket clip, lanyard hole
and a black-coated-aluminum handle with
Micarta overlays for extra grip.
For more information contact Boker,
attn: C. Hoffman, Dept. BL5, 1550 Balsam
St., Lakewood, CO 80214 303.462.0662.

ernard Sparks builds a LiquidMetal fixed blade sporting an

African-blackwood handle and a
bolster engraved with a bull moose.
For more information contact Bernard
Sparks, Dept. BL5, POB 73, Dingle, ID
83233 208.847.1883.

Machete Stretches
A Full 23 Inches

Ka-Bar Adds Large

Skinners To Lineup

Trappers Feature
Antique-Ivory Grips

eese Bose builds a pair of twoblade trappers, each measuring

3 1/4 inches closed and sporting
antique-ivory grips inlaid with shields.
For more information contact Reese
Bose, Dept. BL5, POB 61, Shelburn, IN
47879 812.397.5114.

ustin Gray Taylor releases a 23inch bowie featuring a 440C blade

and a corian handle.
For more information contact Austin
Gray Taylor, Dept. BL5, 27785 Kyle Blvd.,
Big Pine Key, FL 33043 305.515.0117.

MAY 2005

WhatsNew.indd 3

a-Bar adds two large skinners,

complete with blaze-orange or black
Kraton handles and 440A blades,
to its Precision Hunters line of knives.
For more information contact Ka-Bar,
attn: D. Hillegas, Dept. BL5, 200 Homer St.,
Olean, NY 14760 800.282.0130.

arry Rameys 001 Neck Knife showcases a titanium blade, a paracordwrapped handle and a Kydex sheath.
For more information contact Larry
Ramey, Dept. BL5, 1315 Porter Morris Rd.,
Chapmansboro, TN 37035 615.307.4233.

BLADE / 103

2/8/05 12:54:42 PM

NEXT ISSUE

where to
get em
where to get em

OPEN FRAMES ARE FAIR GAME

Columbia River Knife & Tool, attn:
R. Bremer, Dept. BL5, 9720 SW Hillman, Suite 805, Wilsonville OR 97070
503.685.5015 www.crkt.com; Gerber, attn:
M. Schindel, Dept. BL5, 14200 SW 72nd,
Portland, OR 97281-3088 503.639.6161
www.gerberblades.com; Grant & Gavin
Hawk, Dept. BL5, Box 401, Idaho City,
ID 83631 208.392.4911; Smith & Wesson
c/o Taylor Cutlery, attn: S. Taylor, Dept.
BL5, POB 1638, Kingsport, TN 37662
423.247.2406; SureFire, attn: S. Ryan,
Dept. BL, 18300 Mt. Baldy Cir., Fountain
Valley, CA 92708 800.828.8809 www.surefire.com; Xikar, Dept. BL5, POB 025757,
Kansas City, MO 64102 816.474.7555
www.xikar.com
ALL DRESSED UP/PLACES TO GO
Benchmade USA, attn: L. de Asis, Dept.
BL5, 300 Beavercreek Rd., Oregon City, OR
97045 503.655.6004 www.benchmade.com;
Pat Crawford, Dept. BL5, 205 N. Center,
West Memphis, AR 72301 870.732.2452
patcrawford1@ear thlink.com; Allen
Elishewitz, Dept. BL5, POB 3059, Canyon
Lake, TX 78133 830.899.5356 elishewitzknives.com; Ken Onion, Dept. BL5,
47-501 Hui Kelu St., Kaneohe, HI 96744
808.239.1300 www.kenonionknives.com;
Brian Tighe, Dept. BL5, RR 1, Ridgeville,
Ontario, Canada L0S 1M0 905.892.2734
www.tigheknives.com
THE MAGIC PRICE FOR HANDMADES?
Todd Begg, Dept. BL5, 420 169 St. S,
Spanaway, WA 98387 253.531.2113 www.
bladegallery.com; Brett Gatlin, Dept.
BL5, 53 Broadmoor Dr., Texarkana, AR
71854 870.779.3801; Jon & Josh Graham
423.715.1125 or 423.715.7391 www.
Grahamknives.com; Jason Howell, Dept.
BL5, 213 Buffalo Trl., Lake Jackson, TX
77566 979.297.9454; Joe Keeslar, Dept.
BL5, 391 Radio Rd., Almo, KY 42020
270.753.7919 sjkees@apex.net; Jason
Knight, Dept. BL5, 110 Paradie Pond Ln.,
Harleyville, SC 29448 843.452.1163; Scot
Matsuoka, Dept. BL5, 94-415 Ukalialii Pl.,
Mililani, HI 96789 808.625.6658
BEST KNIVES FOR THE COLD & WET
Columbia River Knife & Tool, attn:
R. Bremer, Dept. BL5, 9720 SW Hillman, Suite 805, Wilsonville OR 97070
503.685.5015 www.crkt.com; Michael
Irie, Dept. BL5, 1606 Auburn Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80909 719.572.5330
104 / BLADE

getem.indd 2

mikeirie@aol.com; Ka-Bar, attn: D. Hillegas, Dept. BL5, 1125 E. State, Olean, NY

14760 800.282.0130 www.ka-bar.com;
Kershaw, attn: Thomas Welk, Dept. BL5,
18600 SW Teton Ave., Tualatin, OR 97062
800.325.2891 www.kershawknives.com;
Ontario, attn: B. Breton, Dept. BL5, POB
145, Franklinville, NY 14737 716.676.5527
www.ontarioknife.com; SOG Specialty
Knives, attn: C. Cashbaugh, Dept. BL5,
6521 212th St. SW, Lynnwood, WA 98036
425.771.6230 www.sogknives.com; TOPS,
attn: M. Fuller, Dept. BL5, POB 2544,
Idaho Falls, ID 83403 208.542.0113 www.
topsknives.com
FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK
Tim Herman, Dept. BL5, 7721 Foster,
Overland Park, KS 66204 913.649.3860
fax 913.649.0603; Jot Singh Khalsa, Dept.
BL5, 368 Village St., Millis, MA 02054
508.376.8162; T.R. Overeynder, Dept. BL5,
1800 S. Davis Dr., Arlington, TX 76013
817.277.4812 trovereynderknives@ev1.net;
Scott Sawby, Dept. BL5, 480 Snowberry
Ln., Sandpoint, ID 83864 208.263.4171
www.sawbycustomknives.com; Buster
Warenski, Dept. BL5, POB 214, Richfield,
UT 84701 435.896.5319
KITCHEN KNIVES FOR MOTHERS DAY
A.G. Russell Knives, Inc., attn: D. Myers,
Dept. BL5, 1920 N. 26th St., Lowell, AR
72745 800.255.9034 www.agrussell.com;
Benchmade Knife Co., attn: A. Whitaker,
Dept. BL5, 300 Beavercreek Rd., Oregon
City, OR 97045 503.655.6004 www.
benchmade.com; Kelly Carlson, Dept.
BL5, 54 S. Holt Hill, Antrim, NH 0340
603.588.2765 kellycarlson@starband.net;
Fallkniven, attn: P. Hjortberger, Dept. BL5,
Havrevagen 10, S-961 42 Boden, Sweden
+46.921.544.22 info@fallkniven.se; J.A.
Henckels, Inc., attn: K. McDonnell, Dept.
BL5, 171 Saw Mill River Rd., Hawthorne,
NY 10532 914.747.0300 www.jahenckels.
com; Ontario Knife Co., attn: R. Breton,
Dept. BL5, 26 Empire St., Franklinville,
NY 14737 sales@ontarioknife.com;
Spyderco, Inc., attn: J. Laituri, Dept. BL5,
820 Spyderco Way, Golden, CO 80402
800.525.7770 www.spyderco.com
BLADE SHOW 2005 AD
Steve Skiff, Dept. BL5, POB 537, Broadalbin, NY 12025 518.883.4875

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MAY 2005

2/10/05 1:10:28 PM

knife
talk
knife talk
The author said the grain ow of the bladeas shown
hereseemed to indicate that all was well. But, as he later
discovered, looks were deceiving.

Forging steps on
the bottom and sides
of a billet can result in
stress risers in forged
blades, and it did on
one of the authors.
This is about as bad
as it gets, he noted.

By Ed Fowler
BLADE eld editor

his past summer, I decided to explore the forged 52100 blade, seeking to nd the number
of thermal cycles that were necessary to produce the top level of performance. As with
many experiments, one variable explored led to knowledge of others that inuence the
nature of the nished blade.
A good friend ordered a special double-edged blade, hardened on both top and bottom,
with the center soft. At rst, I believed it would be an easy knife to make.
I forged, then ground and hardened the blade, heated the edges to critical, kept the spine
cooler, then quenched the blade tip down in my usual pre-heated (165F) Texaco Type A
quenching oil three times. The blade was beautiful and came out perfectly straight. However,
when I tempered it at the usual 388F, it warped.
I cannot recall ever having a blade warp during the tempering cycles. I called my man
of answers, Rex Walter, and he had no immediate explanation, either. He suggested that I
straighten the blade and temper it again.
Eldon Perkins, a knifemaker from Evanston, Wyoming, visited the Willow Bow Ranch
for some knife time. While he was there, Eldon and I decided to follow Rexs Rx and
straightened the blade. We attempted the tried-and-true method of vise straightening it by
placing three pins against the bladetwo on the inside of the warp and the third on the outside of the bend.

MAY 2005

Fowler.indd 105

BLADE / 105

2/11/05 2:32:32 PM

knife
talk
knife talk

Note the clean lines on this blade forged from the

billet. There are no steps or ledges to promote
stress risers.

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106 / BLADE

Fowler.indd 106

www.knivesplus.com

I applied as much pressure as I could

on the 15-inch lever on the vise screw, but
was unable to deviate the tip of the blade
to any noticeable degree. Using a piece of
14-inch pipe, I applied additional leverage
on the handle and the vise itself started
to bend. A little more pressure and the
blade cracked, emitting a sound like that
of a gunshot. In unison, Eldon and I asked
each other, Are you OK? We were, and
returned our attention to the blade.
Only one side of it had cracked from
spine to edge. The other half was still intact. I placed the blade back in the vise
and tried to break it the rest of the way
with hand pressure. I could not. Placing
the piece of pipe on the tang, I was able
to continue the ex and, after several 50degree bends, the blade broke in two. It
was only a tad over a quarter-inch thick
and 1 inch deep. It was already cracked
from spine to tip but still extremely tough
and strong.
Eldon and I had several questions,
among them:
Why did the blade warp in the rst
place?;
Why was it so strong that it would not
return to straight without breaking?;
Why did it break?; and;
Why was it tough enough to be able to
resist the nal break?
I polished out as much of the blade as
I could and etched it to gain the knowledge to answer our questions. The grain
structure appeared normal; both edges
had hardened and the center appeared
softer. We studied the blade fracture and
had no immediate answers. While it is
common knowledge that stress failures
have their beginning at a specic weak
point, there was no obvious facet of surface or internal irregularity that could
account for this incident.
Soon afterward, Rex visited the Willow Bow. I showed him the blade. He examined the fracture with a microscope
and, after much time and study, offered
the following theory:
The top and bottom of the blade hardened, and the center remained somewhat
softer according to plan. When 52100E
steel is hardened properly after numerous low-temperature forging cycles, the
hardened portion of the blade shrinks in
length. The softer portion in the center
did not shrink as much as the two edges,
leaving the soft center of the blade in a
high state of compression.
As a result, there was an extreme
amount of stress in the blade. The hardened portions were very strong and
could contain the stress produced by the
compressed center. When the blade was
tempered, the sides, being softer and
therefore weaker as a function of tempering, yielded to the stress produced by the
longer center. Consequently, the blade
warped, being pushed out of straight by
MAY 2005

2/11/05 2:33:41 PM

the longer center.

Note: When differentially hardening
the single-edged blade, the reduction in
length of the hardened portion of the cutting edge and lower third of the blade does
not create any problems. This is because
the toughness of the unhardened spine
does not signicantly resist the contraction
in the length of the hardened cutting edge.
The lower third of the blade contracts, and
the softer, tougher spine lengthens. As
a result, they respond to the hardening
cycles in harmony. This does not create a
weakness in the blade and may in fact add
both strength and toughness.
Soul Search
To answer the question of why the blade
broke rather than returning to straight,
we had to do some soul searching. In
theory and lessons learned from previous
experiments, the blade should not have
broken due to the force exerted through
the vise. There had to be another reason
for the failure.
Rex wanted to experiment with some
variables concerning the actual forging
of the blades, so we started forging, all
the while thinking about what we wanted
to know about the blade that had warped
and broken.
I had reduced some 3-inch-square
stock to 1x3-inch billets on my 100-pound
Little Giant power hammer, which has at
dies with fairly acute edges. I was very
excited about our experiments and had
left a shelf or step on one side of the billet
from which we were forging the blades.
(The step was about 3/16-inch high.) The
step was on the side of the billet, a location that would correspond to the side of
the nished blade.
Rex watched as I worked on the blade.
When it was nished, I cut it off from the
billet. The step was still present on the
billet! Rex said, Ed, do you realize that
the step on the billet has been through
over 30 thermal cycles?
With Rexs comment, Eldon and I
understood why the blade had broken.
The source of error in the broken blade
occurred thanks to our not following
one of the most basic rules of forging:
Always keep your billets uniform and
free of sharp irregularities during the
forging process.
The cause of blade failure was created by the step in the billet, which, after
undergoing a number of thermal cycles
while I was forging a blade in front of it,
promoted the development of a stress riser of the nature that very well could have
caused my double-edged blade to fail. The
resulting stress riser probably would not
have caused the blade failure were it not
for the high level of tension and compression that also was inuencing the blade
when we tried to straighten it.
Not all stress risers are the result of
MAY 2005

Fowler.indd 107

mistakes in design; a great many are the

result of forging practices. This is but a
single example of a stress riser that resulted from a seemingly simple irregularity in
the billet from which the blade was forged.
While bladesmiths may be able to get
away with this type of forging error when
using simple steels, the potential for stress
risers exists. If we keep our forging practices as clean as possible and remember
our lessons well, one day we may avoid
sacricing our blades and our time trying
to gure out why such things happen.
Yours Truly,
Ed Fowler

This view of the blade from the tip/edge

shows the stress riser (arrow) on the
top side. The picture was taken several
weeks after the blade was broken, so
some oxidation has occurred.

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BLADE / 107

2/14/05 10:34:10 AM

aala
cut
la cut

By Joe Kertzman
Goldie Russell of A.G. Russell Knives
says she considers the white handles of
the companys Damascus Kitchen Knives
set to be elegant. A variety of models
make up the set, including a 10-inch
bread knife, 6-, 8- and 10-inch chefs
knives, a Santoku knife, six steak knives
and a paring knife. Each sports a VG-10and-stainless-damascus, laminated-steel
blade, forged bolsters and white corian
corian-like handles. The MSRP for the set: $755.
From top are the 8-inch chefs knife, the
Santoku
Sant
oku knife and the 6-inch chefs knife.

108 / BLADE

KitchenKnives.indd 108

MAY 2005

2/9/05 10:53:59 PM

7HETHERINYOURPOCKETORONYOUR
BELT3/'ISALWAYSTURNINGHEADS

7ZLWFK;/7:,

7ZLWFK;/

you suffer with what you have.

Goldie Russell of A.G. Russell Knives
has her own take on why household cutlery makes a tremendous Mothers Day
gift. Women have a tendency, somehow,
to accumulate a mess of assorted kitchen
knives, she suggests. We will use them
and use them, and we wont sharpen
them. Well put up with things like nonfunctioning tools. You can walk into almost any kitchen where the man isnt instrumental in the cooking, and you wont
want to use the knives. It was true of me
before I met A.G.my kitchen knives
were horrendous.
To make food preparation a little easier
for Mom, J.A. Henckels has launched the
Twin Cuisine line of kitchen knives. Each
piece sports a blade forged from high-carbon stainless steel with an integral bolster,
a full, exposed tang, an integral buttcap
and a molded-polypropylene handle. The
manufacturers suggested retail price
(MSRP) for an eight-piece block set is

"LADEv(ANDLEvs!VAILABLEWITHBLACKHANDLEANDBLACK4I.IBLADE

n increasing number of men prepare

meals today, but Mom is still chief
cook and bottle washer. Theres
something about the leading lady, apron
strings tied, stirring soups and slicing our
salad stuffs, that makes us long for the
tastes, smells and comfort of the kitchen.
But why should Mom work her ngers to
the bone? To ease her pains, and our pangs,
there are more quality kitchen knives on
the market than ever, so go aheadgive
her a cutlery set for Mothers Day.
Sure its a good gift for Mothers Day.
A quality Henckels knife is a lifetime investment, says Kathleen McDonnell, marketing director for J.A. Henckels. A knife
is the most used tool in the kitchen, so why
not make Moms life a little easier?
Joyce Laituri of Spyderco says, I think
kitchen knives are things that Mom doesnt
normally buy for herself. When you move
out of the house for the rst time, you dont
buy good knives. You might get a cutlery
set as a wedding gift, but other than that,

4HE8,ISCLASSYIT
MOVESWELLLOOKSRIGHT
WALKSTHEWALKAND
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HIGH TECHSTATEMENTOF
SOPHISTICATIONWITHALLTHE
BELLSANDWHISTLESTHATYOU
EXPECTFROMTHEDESIGNERSAT
3/'4HElNECONSTRUCTIONCOMES
TOGETHERTOMAKETHE8,ONEOFTHEMOSTPRACTICALANDBEAUTIFULKNIVESTHATWEHAVE
EVERSEEN&EATURES3!43/'!SSISTED4ECHNOLOGY 2EVERSIBLEPOCKETCLIP
ANDBLADELOCKINGSAFETY

The all-steel Fallkniven Laminate Powder Steel Advanced Chefs Knives would be a
perfect match for Moms stainless counter tops, sink or kitchen appliances. Each knife
sports an SRS15, three-layer, laminated-steel blade with a powder-metal core and a
stainless steel handle. The various sizes of chefs knives are sold separately, with
MSRPs ranging from $150-$538 apiece.
MAY 2005

KitchenKnives.indd 109

WWWSOGKNIVESCOM\ 3/' "%34

BLADE / 109

2/9/05 10:54:25 PM

aala
cut
la cut
$532, and individual pieces carry MSRPs
ranging from $54-$120.
Without rivets and few parts, there
arent many gaps or spaces on Twin Cuisine knives for food and contagions to accumulate. Plus, the exposed tang of each
knife, along the sides of the handle, not
the bottom, makes for an uncommon design feature.
Does a name like PrestigEdges, chosen by Benchmade Knife Co. for its set of
three kitchen knives, appeal more to men
or women? Do the wood handles and blackMicarta bolsters generate interest from
the gents or ladies? Benchmade is betting
on both. With full-tang 440C blades and
three-rivet handle assembly, the set has an
MSRP of $450, and it includes a paring
knife, utility knife and chefs knife, all in a
presentation case.

An uncommon design
feature of the J.A. Henckels
Twin Cuisine household
cutllery set is for each knifes
cut
exposed tang to show along
the sides
sides of the handle, not the
bottom.. Each piece sports a
bottom
blade forged from high-carbon
stainless steel with an integral
bolster, an integral buttcap and
a molded-polypropylene handle.
The MSRP for an eight-piece
block set is $532, and individual
pieces carry MSRPs ranging
from $54-$120.

Please Pass the Toast Cutter

t works well for chopping and dicing, but it is called a toast cutter,
according to knifemaker Kelly Carlson. He and other knifemakers fashioned toast cutters as part of a contest
sponsored by Gabe Newell through
the KnifeNetwork online forum
(www.knifenetwork.com).
Some very interesting toast cutters have come out of that contest, and
BLADE readers should take a look at

Whether its a new

concept in knives
or a twist on an old
one, Kelly Carlsons
Toastcutter features
a 440C blade, Damasteel scales on the
handle and blade
spine, and ruby, diamond and sapphire
insets. Carlson made
the fancy kitchen
knife as part of a contest sponsored by
Gabe Newell through
the KnifeNetwork
online forum (www.
knifenetwork.com).
(SharpByCoop.com
photo)
110 / BLADE

KitchenKnives.indd 110

the photos on that forum, Carlson

suggests. Mine is 440C steel with
hardened Damasteel scales [on the
handle and blade spine], anodizedtitanium liners, and with a few diamonds, rubies and sapphires added.
Watch BLADE for possible future
photos of toast cutters that resulted
from the contest.

Kitchen Knives . . . or Jewelry?

For a mans take on kitchen knives as Mothers Day gifts, BLADE turned to Peter
Hjortberger of Fallkniven Knives. If she
[Mom] gets a good chefs knife as a gift, I
think shell look happy. However, I think
she might view a knife as a kitchen cutting
tool only and wont care much about the
steel and many other technical matters like
we men do, he opines.
In these days of modern feminism,
Mom would rather receive jewelry than
kitchen gadgets, McDonnell agrees, but
sales are strong in the spring. We do run
special promotions for our kitchen knives
in the spring, and we see spikes in bridal
registry at that time. Its difcult to discern if increased sales are coming from the
bridal registry or Mothers Day gifts.
We also do strong Fathers Day business, McDonnell adds. Henckels feels
that there are more and more men in the
kitchen, and also a lot of couples preparing food together. Women are the primary
cooks, but men are starting to watch gourmet cooking shows on television, and more
people are entertaining in the kitchen.
Laituri says she and her husband cook
and clean together. It doesnt fall to one
person, she notes. I have a theory that,
when friends come over, no matter where
you planned on them gathering, they congregate in the kitchen. We end up watching
the ball game on our small 19-inch television in the kitchen.
So, I think people today want nice
things in their kitchen. They spend a lot of
time there, she reasons.
Spydercos household cutlery offerings
include the K08 Santoku Japanese-style
kitchen knife, the K09 Paring Knife and
two kitchen utility knivesthe K05 Small
Utility and K04 Utility Knife. Each sports
an MBS-26 blade and a Sermollan handle. The utility knives feature Spydercos
MAY 2005

2/9/05 10:54:40 PM

SpyderEdge blade serrations, and MSRPs

range from $24.95-$57.95 each.
Theyre not incredibly high-end, offthe-chart kitchen knives. We have customers who said they bought the same models
from Sal [Glesser, president of Spyderco]
at the Del Mar Fair in San Diego 22 years
ago, Joyce notes. For years, I gave these
knives to family members for Christmas
until I thought I had reached the saturation point, but this year, my mother-in-law
and sister-in-law said they could really use
new kitchen knives.
Laituri credits the MBS-26 blade steel
for the apparent popularity and longevity
of the Spyderco kitchen knives. MBS-26
is a high-carbon blade steel with a tight
grain pattern and consistent grain structure, she says.
All the particles in the steel are close
to the same size, Laituri adds, so blades
sharpen easily and take a high sheen if
you want to buff them up. Its surprising
that a high-carbon steel would have such
great resistance to rust. It has good edge
retention and high exibility, which is also
surprising. Our folding llet knife [the C17
Catcherman] has an MBS-26 blade.
According to Laituri, Spydercos
kitchen knife sales are steady year round.
The K04 Utility Knife is the most popular
because it lends itself to multiple jobs, not
just chopping or dicing, she notes. Ive
cut through chicken bones with the serrated edge and didnt even realize I was
going through them. The Santoku is also
versatile. Ive chopped vegetables and split
a turkey with it.

Spydercos household cutlery offerings include the K08

Santoku Japanesestyle butchers knife
(top), the K09 Paring
Knife (bottom) and
two kitchen utility
knivesthe K04
Utility Knife and K05
Small Utility. Each
sports an MBS-26 blade
and a Sermollan handle.
The utility knives feature
Spydercos SpyderEdge blade
serrations, and MSRPs range
from $24.95-$57.95 each.

Paring Back on the Paring Knife

Though paring knives have traditionally
been the best sellers in most household
cutlery lines, the industry is seeing a shift
in popular patterns. Right now, there is a
Japanese or Asian craze as far as the Santoku knife is concerned, McDonnell says.
The hollow-edge [Granton edge, with
dimples on the sides of the blade to keep
food from sticking to the steel] is number
one and has been for some time now.
The paring knife, utility knife and 8inch chefs knife are popular, and they are
the ones we put into all of the starter sets,
McDonnell adds. Most block sets also
include them. In todays market, the bigger sets are seeing tremendous popularity.
People are interested in cooking and want
the bigger complement of tools, not just the
basic knives anymore.
Russell chalks it up to people being
more kitchen-knife savvy. If you watch
cooking shows, you get tips on how to use
knives and hear talk about which knives
are best for what applications, she says.
People are becoming more tuned in to
having the right knife instead of doing everything with a paring knife.
A variety of models make up the A.G.
Russell Damascus Kitchen Knives set, inMAY 2005

KitchenKnives.indd 111

BLADE / 111

2/10/05 1:05:15 PM

aala
cut
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Each Ontario Old Hickory knife

features a 1095 blade, and a hardwood
handle branded Old Hickory and
secured to a full tang with brass compression rivets. From right is a 7-inch
cleaver, an 8-inch French cooks knife,
a slicing knife, and 8-, 7- and 6-inch
butchers knives. MSRPs range from
$6.74-$14.10 apiece.

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112 / BLADE

KitchenKnives.indd 112

cluding a 10-inch bread knife, 6-, 8- and

10-inch chefs knives, a Santoku knife,
six steak knives and a paring knife. Each
sports a VG-10-and-stainless-damascus,
laminated-steel blade, forged bolsters and
white corian-like handles. The MSRP for
the set: $755.
I like the elegance of the set, Russell remarks. In the knife industry, its
hard to get away from black handles, but
these white-handle knives are elegant. The
handles arent corian, but theyre that type
of materiala hard, non-porous synthetic
that is as easy to clean as kitchen counter
tops. The laminated blades with VG-10
cores and damascus sides are beautiful,
number one, but they function well. The
laminated steel is hard yet exible.
Certainly the damascus kitchen knives
are a lifetime purchase if you take care of
them, Russell adds. Hand wash them and
store them individually in the knife block.
The idea is to protect the blades, especially
the edges.
For honing the edges, Russell recommends a xed-angle, V-style sharpener
with two rods that extend from a base,
forming a V. A few strokes down each
rod and the edge is back to sharp, Russell
suggests. That type of sharpener is easy
to use. Or, you could use a diamond steel.
The key to keeping kitchen knives in
working order is maintenance, and most
experts agree that household cutlery
MAY 2005

2/9/05 10:54:56 PM

With a name like PrestigEdges, Moms Benchmade

kitchen knives will be the talk of the town. The threepiece set includes a paring knife, utility knife and
chefs knife, each with a full-tang 440C blade, a wood
handle and a black-Micarta bolster. The MSRP for the
set is $450, including a presentation case.

should be honed frequently, hand washed

and stored in a knife block, on a magnetic
strip or in individual compartments where
the blades wont bang together. There is
some agreement that the heat and acids in a
dishwasher will break down knife handles,
bolsters and, eventually, blades.
Today, not only the professional, but
the amateur is asking for good, expensive,
high-status chefs knives, Hjortberger says.
Maybe that happened when the man went
into the kitchen and started working there?
Triple-Layer Blades
The Fallkniven Laminate Powder Steel
Advanced Chefs Knives sport SRS15,
three-layer, laminated-steel blades with
powder-metal cores and stainless steel
handles. The various sizes of chefs knives
are sold separately, with MSRPs ranging
from $150-$538 apiece.
They should outlast several generations
of family members, Hjortberger stresses,
but since cutlery fashion will evolve, the
knives will eventually be put aside.
By using laminated steel, we are able
to make a thin blade that cuts well and
keeps an edge 10 or 20 times longer than
standard blade steels, Hjortberger proposes. I believe that many Laminate Powder
Steel Chefs knives are bought as gifts. Not
many people buy them for their own use.
The knives are, too expensive for me, but
OK as a gift for you.
Laituri has a friend who is a gourmet cook and pastry chef. She thinks
nothing of spending $500 on one kitchen
knife, Laituri says. Hard-core kitchen
people will drive 200 miles to get the perfect knife, or wait six weeks for one to be
shipped from Ireland.
A kitchen knife is a gift that lasts a
lifetime. Its the kind of gift that sort of
sneaks up on people, she continues. After youve had a quality piece of cutlery
and used it for awhile, you become a proculinary addict.
To Russell, cooking is becoming less
of a necessity and more of a hobby. We
dont really have to cook anymore, she
proposes. We can go to McDonalds every day. People who are electing to cook,
to some degree, are doing it for the pleasure of it. Were eating better and cooking
well, and a good set of kitchen knives goes
along with that.

PROWLER 2

Marzitelli
Custom Knives

marzitelli@shaw.ca

19929 35A Avenue

Langley, B.C. Canada V3A 2R1
Phone/Fax (604) 532-8899
www.marzknives.com

For the addresses of the knife companies

and knifemaker mentioned in this story,
see Where To Get Em on page 104.

MAY 2005

KitchenKnives.indd 113

BLADE / 113

2/9/05 10:55:11 PM

handle
how-to
handle how-to

Scott Sawbys
button-lock dagger boasts inlays
of Biggs jasper of
the Deschutes type
and a central inlay of turquoise. Blade steel: ATS-34.
Closed length: ~3 1/2 inches.
The engraving is by Scotts wife,
Marian. (Purveyor Neil Ostroff said
Marian is an engraver to watch.)
Scotts list price for the knife, without the engraving, is $1,765.

By Scott Sawby

Scott Sawby grinds a jade inlay ush with the handle frame. Note the
spray bottle used to occasionally wet the green wheel.
114 / BLADE

AboutToRock.indd 114

MAY 2005

2/11/05 10:01:17 PM

he main piece of equipment necessary

for stone work is a lapidary saw. You
need something capable of slabbing
rocks as well as trimming, probably
with a minimum size of 10 inches. You can
buy rocks slabbed but it is hard to nd bookmatched pairsand what do you do in the
fairly likely event that you break a slab?
The saw is really the only piece of equipment I have that is dedicated to stones exclusively. Everything else is done on standard
knifemaking equipment. However, my belt
sanders are variable speed, a feature that I
feel is almost mandatory if you are going to
work stones.
Stones can be cut to shape for interframes
using diamond burrs in the same manner you
would cut other handle material, whether
on a pantograph, milling machine or drill
press. For initial proling and nal contour
shaping once the slabs are installed, I use a
silicon-carbide green wheel. Such wheels are
inexpensive, available at any lapidary shop
or mail-order supply, and last forever. One
source for the wheels and other lapidary supplies is Alpha Supply (360.377.9235 www.
alpha-supply.com).
I have used diamond wheels and, though
amazing when new, they just do not last long
enough to be cost effective. The rst one I
had was around $300. After work on just a
few knives, the wheel was grinding pretty
slow, so I called the company that made it
and asked how to dress it. A company representative told me I could not dress the wheel
because it had only one layer of diamonds!
By contrast, one pass of a diamond point on a

Tim Herman employed lapis-lazuli inlay

on his California knife reproduction.
Overall length: 11 1/2 inches.
(Point Seven photo)

How To Do Opal Inlays

By Tim Herman

etting opal in a size big enough for the

entire inlay is the rst obstacle in fashioning it for an interframe. Because higher
grades of opal are very expensive$1,500
for one piece is not uncommonit is more
economic in the long run to buy rough stone
and slice it yourself. However, if you are going to make one knife only, the extra expense
of having already slabbed the stone may be
worth it.
In my experience, opals are very much
like cheap glass in that they crack and split
and are highly polished in the broken area, or
are like intknapped obsidian in that they exhibit polished fractures and shell-like breaks.
Starting with the slabs, rough cut the inlays close to shape with a diamond trim saw. I
use one with a .006-inch blade. The thin blade
makes for less waste in expensive materials.
Next, I do the nal tting/cutting with diamond burrs made especially for doing interframe inlays via the method Blade Magazine
Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Ron Lake outlines
in the book, How To Make Folding Knives.
Once the inlays are t perfectly into the
frame, I use a water-clear lapidary epoxy
that also is used for making opal triplets
and doublets. The better grades of opal have
MAY 2005

AboutToRock.indd 115

a crystal or clear base color, which allows

light through. The clear base also lets only
the gorgeous colors of the opals re to
show. You can put a dark-colored background
foil behind the inlays to give them a dark blue,
green or black basethat is why opal triplets
resemble the very expensive black opals, such
as those from Lightning Ridge.
After the inlays are in the knife, I wear
the opal down with silicon-carbide belts on
a 6-inch, expandable-drum lapidary sander,
cooling it with a constant water ow over the
wheel. (Heat will crack opal rather easily.) I
start with 100-grit and progress to 220 and
then 600 grit. There are diamond grinding
wheels and belts available but, unless you
are going to do many stone-inlaid knives, the
silicon-carbide belts are just ne. In fact, I use
them for all my stone inlays, including jade.
The exception is that I rough grind the
inlays initially with a Crystalite turbine
diamond-grinding wheel in 100 grit. The
wheel has a grooved face like a le and, with
the diamond, is very aggressive and faster at
taking off a lot of the harder stone material.
Opal is soft enough that the 100-grit silicon
carbide takes it down nicely. There is also a
little give with the rubber drum wheel, un-

like the hard-metal turbine wheel. Moreover,

if the turbine wheel is not running perfectly
true, the bumping might crack the opal.
After getting the opal and knife frame
down to 600 grit, I hand sand it with a block
and 600-grit wet or dry sandpaper to contour
it nicely. With the belted wheels, the opal gets
a small amount of chatter marks where the
belt seam is. I am sure that, with practice, you
could get good enough to completely nish to
3,000 grit on athe wheels. Since I did quite a
few opal interframes, I bought some 3M diamond belts to 8,000 grit for the expandable
drum.
For the nal glass-like polish, I mixed
cerium oxide with water to form a paste and
painted it onto a leather belt. This step is done
without the usual water ow on the sanding
wheel, so be very careful not to let the opal get
too warm or it will crack. This should put a
gorgeous, glass-like polish on the opal. Since
it has the same chemical makeup, synthetic
opal such as Gilson works identical to genuine opal.
For opal and other accessories, contact
the Lapidary Journal (610.293.1112) or visit
its Web site at lapidaryjournal.com.
BLADE / 115

2/11/05 10:01:52 PM

handle
how-to
handle how-to

Russian charolite serves as the inlay in Tom Overeynders dagger interframe. The damascus is by Gary
House. Closed length: ~6 inches. (Point Seven photo)

green wheel and it is like new again.

The green wheel does have to run true,
though. If you are getting a lot of vibration
because of a low spot in the wheel, it will not
cut effectively. This can sometimes require
a good bit of dressing. Alpha Supply sells a
diamond bar dresser (catalog #GO493) that

116 / BLADE

AboutToRock.indd 116

should be pretty effective, though I have not

tried it. The type of wheel dresser sold in
hardware stores for bench grinders that has
the rotating, spur-shaped wheels in a heavy,
cast handle is quite effective.
Stones are worked wet at every stage of
the game. I use a little spray bottle to wet my

green wheel. It soaks up water like a sponge

and stays wet for an extended period of
timeas long as you keep the speed down to
a few hundred rpm. I have found that stones
grind just as fast at slow speeds and there is
no risk of heat build up.
After rough grinding with the stone, I

MAY 2005

2/11/05 10:02:09 PM

go to a 120-grit silicon-carbide belt on my

sander and progressively ner grits to 600.
The belts are also run slowly and, though the
spray bottle will work here as well, a mister
is more convenient. Most of the knifemaking
material suppliers stock silicon-carbide belts
or can order them for you.
Ready to Polish
At this stage you are usually ready to polish, though some of the harder materials
such as agate require additional preparation.
Diamonds are benecial in this case. I use
Crystalbelts (Alpha Supply catalog #G1139)
on an 8-by-3-inch expandable drum (catalog
#GO577), with 120-, 14,000- and 50,000-grit
diamond compounds. The compounds come
in two- or ve-gram syringes. It does not
take much to charge a belt and, once charged,
it lasts a long time. The main hazard is belt
contamination, which can scratch the steel at
the edge of the stone, if not the stone itself.
For the polishing phase, there are as
many techniques as there are makers, and I
have used most of them. Diamonds are fast
and a nal nish with 50,000 grit will give
a high gloss, though not a glass-like nish.
Rapidpolish 61 is popular with a lot of knifemakers; I have used it with mixed results, but
do not recall where I got it.
Some polishes will work on certain
stones and not on others. Jade is particularly
troublesome, often tending to orange peel.
I use chromic oxide on jade and it works
well on nearly everything else. I order chromic oxide from Stewarts Gem Shop
(208.342.1151) in Boise, Idaho.
Chromic oxide comes as a
ne powder and I mix it with
water to the consistency
of yogurt. I use it on a
leather band (catalog
#GO633) that ts
the 8-by-3-inch
rubber expandable drum.

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2/11/05 10:02:29 PM

BL0001034642.qxd

2/11/05

1:39 PM

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leading
edge
leading edge
Batsons Will Decide Cutting
Competition Finalists April 1-3
he Final Five for the 3rd Annual
ABS World Championship Cutting
Competition will be determined
during the 17th Annual Batson Bladesmithing Symposium April 1-3 at the Tannehill
State Park in McCalla, Alabama.
The ABS World Championships will be
held June 3-5 during the BLADE Show at
the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.
At press time, Dan Farr and 2004 ABS

champ Reggie Barker had clinched spots in

The Final Five. Barring some spectacular
performances by those behind him in the
standings, Dickie Robinson appeared to
have the inside track as the third of the final
five qualifiers.
That leaves two spotsincluding a
wild-card pickup for grabs, with Adam
Des Rosiers, Ray Kirk, Dan Winkler, Wes
Byrd, 03 champ Jim Crowell, Jimmy Chin,
Wes Byrd chops the coconut
in one of the more unusual
events in the cutting competition at the 2004 Batson
Bladesmithing Symposium.
Byrd is among several
contestants in excellent
position to secure one of the
final two qualifying spots
for the BLADE Shows 3rd
Annual ABS World Cutting
Championships, spots that
will be determined at the
17th Annual Batson Bladesmithing Symposium April
1-3 at the Tannehill State
Park in McCalla, Alabama.

Butch Winter Memorial

Fund Is Established

eorge Butch Winter, long-time

knife collector and knife writer,
touched many people during his
life and, thanks to a fund established in his
name, will go on touching them after his
death.
According to Mrs. Rita Winter, the
Winter family has set up a scholarship fund
in Butchs memory with the local Rotary
Club in Union City, Tennessee. The club
gives away about $320,000 in scholarships

each year and does wonderful work with

our local graduating and college students,
she noted.
Mrs. Winter said that any gifts should
go to the Union City Scholarship Fund,
Box 75, Union City, TN 39261. Be sure to
designate Butch Winter Memorial Scholarship on the check. For more information
on the fund, go to www.unioncityrotary.org
and click on rotary scholarships.

Blade Trivia
According to Cases John Sullivan, recent research shows that the famed Case long-tail
C logo appears to have originated with which of the following brands:
a. Case Bros. Cutlery
b. C. Platts & Sons Cutlery
c. Crandall
See bottom of page 121 for the answer.
120 / BLADE

leading.indd 2

Ed Caffrey and Patrick Curran among those

appearing to have the best shot.
The cutting competition at Batsons is
among the most competitive and entertaining, with ABS master smiths Jerry Fisk,
Mike Williams and Greg Neely presiding.
Fisk and Williams usually concoct some of
the wildest and most bizarre cutting events,
such as last year when contestants had to
cut a coconut deep enough to reach the juice
inside, take a sip and spit it out.
The cutting competition is but one of
many events at the Batson Bladesmithing
Symposium, which also offers a selection
of the best in bladesmithing and knifemaking seminars and instructors, all under the
direction of Dr. James Batson.
For more information contact Batson at
256.503.0386 e-mail jbbatson@knology.net.

Blade News
Fallkniven For Sale
ue to health problems, Fallknivens
Peter Hjortberger said he is selling
D
Fallkniven, a manufacturer of Swedish
fixed blades, folders, kitchen knives,
sharpeners and carry systems.
According to Hjortberger, there
will be no sale on or discounts of the
companys knives. If we dont get a
serious bid, we will sell the products at
standard quotes till the stock is zero, he
explained. He added that Fallkniven has
enough stock to meet any order for the
balance of the year.
We intend to form a new company
in which we place the knives, sheaths,
boxes, sharpening tools, tools/molds/
dies, catalogs/posters and company
name, Hjortberger noted. This new
company will be for sale and the highest
bid will most likely get the first chance
to fulfill a fast purchase.
For more infor mation contact
Fallkniven, attn: Peter Hjortberger,
Dept. BL5, Havrevagen 10, S-961 42,
Boden, Sweden 46.921.544.22 fax
46.921.544.33 www.fallkniven.com email: info@fallkniven.se.
MAY 2005

2/9/05 11:19:32 PM

A Scandinavian Flair

Greger Forselius captures the Finnish puukko in a handle of stabilized birch root,
African blackwood, fileworked brass spacers and mammoth ivory, and a modified
clip-point of damascus. Overall length: 3 5/8 inches. The leather sheath with turned-up
tip is in the traditional Finnish style. For more information contact Bob Glassman at
303.904.4471. (Custom Knife Gallery of Colorado photo)

Tactical Folders,
Hunters Top
BLADE Web
Site Survey

actical folders and hunting knives

tied for first place in a recent survey
conducted on the official BLADE
Web site (www.blademag.com).
Two hundred forty people responded to
the question, What is your favorite type of
knife? The 10 different styles mentioned
are as follows, with numbers of votes in
parentheses:
No. 1 (tie): Tactical folders and hunting
knives (38 each);
No. 3: Gents folders (34);
No. 4: Bowies (30);
No. 5 (tie): Assisted-openers and automatics (23 each);
No. 7: Sword or specialty blade (21);
No. 8: Fantasy knife (16);
No. 9: Dagger or spear-point fixed
blade (11); and;
No. 10: Butterfly knife (6).

Blade Trivia Answer

Sharp Quote
Its kind of like
when Tiger Woods
came into golf. He
raised the bar so
high that everybody else had to
raise the bar to
compete.
Les Robertson on
the new wave of ABS
smiths who can attend
the two-week ABS
school and take years
off the learning curve

c. Crandall
MAY 2005

leading.indd 3

BLADE / 121

2/10/05 1:04:27 PM

hot
handmade
hot handmade

Richard Rogers debuted his

repro of an old English lobster
multi-blade at Dan Delavans
Plaza Cutlery Custom Knife Show.
Starting with the pipe cleaner at
12 oclock and going clockwise,
the implements are: a manicure
blade and nail
le
le (also inset at
upper left); small pen blade; the
mystery blade; coping blade;
scissors; clip-point blade; pen
blade; saw; master spear-point
blade; toothpick; corkscrew;
bore; and tweezers. (SharpByCoop.com photo)

By BLADE staff

Spec Check
Knife Lobster
Maker Richard Rogers
Blade Steel ATS-34
Handle Mother-of-pearl
Miscellaneous 12 folding and two
slide-out implements; ve backsprings
Closed Length 3
Makers List Price to Make a Similar Piece $5,000

122 / BLADE

HotHandmade.indd 122

Richard Rogers intricate antique repro includes

a mystery blade among its 14 implements

nifemaker Richard Rogers recently

bought an old English lobster multiblade on eBay and reproduced the
vintage pieceright down to the 12 folding and two slide-out implements, and
the minute thicknesses of the ve backsprings.
Among the 12 folding tools is, for lack
of a better name, a mystery blade.
I dont know what the name of that
blade is, Richard said. Ive seen it before
on other old knives but have never been
able to nd out what its called. We asked
if the pattern might be what is known as
a esh blade, but he said the shape and

grind of the mystery blade preclude it

from satisfying a esh blades specs. If you
know what the mystery blade is, please
write and enlighten us.
The ve backsprings come in 1/16-,
3/32- and 100 thousandths-inch thicknesses. Richard said he had to keep the
backsprings thin to prevent the knife from
getting huge and boxy.
For
more
information
contact
Richard Rogers, Dept. BL5, POB 769,
Magdalena, NM 87825 505.854.2567
rsrogers1@yahoo.com.

MAY 2005

2/9/05 11:19:59 PM

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