Blade - February 2021 USA

-------------FEBRUARY 2021
CONTENTS
58Casey-Pushkarev
Dragon Fighter.
(SharpByCoop
image)
40
Tony Bose.
(Kerry Hampton
image)
FEATURES ------------
12 FEVER PITCH 50 TRULY OUTSTANDING SHEATHS
Check out the hottest custom makers’ hottest knives! Beautiful custom models bring elegance to the show table.
By Steve Shackleford By BLADE ® staff
24 SQUARE HOUSES PART X 52 RIGHT NECKS TO YOU

Communication with your knife handle is a two-way conversation. Slick neck knives cover a range of uses, carries and designs.
By Ed Fowler By Pat Covert
28 TOTE ’EM IF YA’ GOT ’EM 58 KNIVES OF A FEATHER

EDCs have a genuine claim to being “America’s knife.” Casey and Pushkarev expand the boundaries of cooperation.
By James Morgan Ayres By Kyle Elmquist
34 HALLMARK OF EDC 72 CHAIN OF TOOLS

For top EDC folder security, the linerlock is hard to beat. Four keychain knives are affordable, compact and functional.
By Dexter Ewing By Mike Haskew
40 KNIFEMAKING LOSES ITS BEST FRIEND 76 WACHT OUT FOR WACHTMAN!

Slip-joint master cutler Tony “Old Dog” Bose passes at 75. The Fixed-blade EDC takes the Mr. and Mrs. Breed camp test.
By BLADE ® staff By MSG Kim Breed
44 EMERGENCY EDC! 82 THE RUPLE 1

Few knives make more sense in everyday carry than rescue types. Bill Ruple, Old School Knife Works and Moki collaborate well.
By Abe Elias By BLADE ® staff
[4 ] B L A D E --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
SPOTLIGHT
6 | READERS RESPOND
7 | COVER STORY
10 | UNSHEATHED
22 | THE KNIFE I CARRY
35 | HOW LINERLOCKS
SHOULD LOCK
41 | WHAT THEY SAID
ABOUT TONY
63 | SHORT CUTS
64 | SHOW CALENDAR
66 | BLADE SHOW 2021
68 | NEXT IN BLADE ®
68 | WHERE TO GET ’EM
69 | BLADE SHOPPE
70 | WHERE TO NET ’EM
71 | AD INDEX
Salt® Series
79 | WHAT’S NEW The Tasman Salt 2 combines the aggressive cutting features of a
TM
hawkbill blade with the ultra-corrosion-resistant qualities of H-1® steel.

Available in either PlainEdgeTM or fully-serrated SpyderEdgeTM.
spyderco.com 800 525 7770
50
James White
bowie. (Sharp-
ByCoop image) Order at chrisreeve.com
Chris
Reeve •
Knives
IMPINDA
A MODERN SLIP JOINT
82
Ruple 1
trappers.
(Old School
Knife Works
image)
FEBRUARY 2021 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [5 ]

[ READERS RESPOND ]
The Herron Ideal ------------------------- Editor’s note: A veteran law enforcement opinion of the tarted-up KA-BAR, de-
In my humble opinion, the hunting officer, David was indeed a most valuable cided to pull our leg?
knives of BLADE Magazine Cutlery contributor to any number of knife and Your curious readers want to know.
Hall-Of-Fame® member George Her- other publications, including BLADE. His
ron are ideal in design (“How To Col- BLADE stories date back to the 1970s, and Kenneth Hooker,
lect Custom Hunters,” part two, Octo- his observations on combat, tactical, boot Hartford, Connecticut
ber BLADE®). I like his blades, handle and other knives were always most learned
shapes/designs and their overall size. His and entertaining. Editor’s note: Regarding the “introduc-
knives are not too heavy and feel good in tory reference” of “To The Point” (page 7)
the hand. Elf Shelved? ---------------------------------- concerning the BLADE Complete Knife
I’ve hunted all my life and I don’t like a I read your BLADE Complete Knife Guide Guide Spring 2021, the new format is for
hunting knife with a blade longer than 4 Spring 2021 issue. I hope your introduc- the Guide only and not for our 12 other
inches. Personally, 3.5 inches is ideal for tory reference to the “new format” refers standard issues of BLADE®. Hence, you
me. This is just an opinion and not in- only to the annual Complete Knife Guide will be happy to know that “The Knife I
tended to knock anyone else. issue. If not, I am aggressively against it. Carry” appears on page 22 of this issue. As
It seems to me that the two prongs of for the writers having to provide but two in-
Zane Blackwell, knifemaker, the new format are a slight typographic troductory paragraphs and a few cutlines:
Eden, Texas alteration in the way you summarize Yes, they did that, and they also provided
knife specs, about which I don’t care, the material for the spec boxes. Moreover,
David Steele Remembered ------ and also the near total dismissal of your they helped in obtaining the high-quality
I was absolutely delighted to read BLADE® writers, who had but to write two vacu- images of the knives and knife-related
field editor Kim Breed’s comments about ous introductory paragraphs and a few items from the companies in question for
his Fer-De-Lance knife and the late David cutlines. However, I did admire the way use in the story. The definition of half stop
Steele in a past issue of BLADE. Pat Covert “discussed” the Rough Ryder on page 90 is courtesy of the A.G. Russell
David was a good friend, mentor and knife on page 90, which is to say by sim- Knives web site (https://agrussell.com).
prolific writer who left us all much too ply defining the term half stop. Enough Concerning the cover of the Guide: it is the
early. I still enjoy seeing and periodically said. only cover we sell (we’ve sold it for many
responding to people interested in his Also, in the event you contemplate the years now; the covers of the other 12 stan-
book, Secrets of Modern Knife Fighting; his new format as a regular thing, as a read- dard issues are not for sale, of course, nor
association with Paladin Press and Robert er I lament the omission of “The Knife have they ever been). As for the playful elf
K. Brown; and his many articles. In fact, I Carry” feature, which I read regularly, you mention, we know of no such Santa’s
I just responded to a young man in the putting faces behind knives I love—and helper on our staff. However, rumor has it
Philippines who was trying to contact Da- also those I abhor. that we have installed hidden cameras in
vid and now has learned of David’s death. Finally, I noted in your “Ad Index” that case any elves decide to appear on our of-
I passed along a copy of your article to KA-BAR is credited with both page one fice shelves.
David’s daughter, Minnie, and know that and the back cover. Pray, what is your ad
she will be delighted to see it. rate for page one? Do you charge differ- For the latest knives, knife news, trends
Thank you, and my thanks to Mr. ent rates depending on whether a knife and more visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s
Breed for the article, the memories and is truly new and interesting, or just a popular Instagram page @blade_maga-
his service to this nation. painted-up recycle of a knife more than zine, and on Facebook and Twitter.
75 years old? Or is this just the work of a
Henry Gill, Los Angeles, California playful elf on your staff who, compelled
to produce the Ad Index and sharing my
HOW TO REACH US!

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[6 ] B L A D E --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ COVER STORY ]
A
bevy of EDC knives graces the
cover of our special EDC issue:
the CRKT CEO, V Nives Kill-
abite, Hogue Knives First Response
Trauma Tool, TOPS Knives Mini
Tanimboca Puukko and Outdoor Edge
MiniBlaze.
CRKT’s CEO (page 34) is a slender
Richard Rogers design with the go-to
lock of many EDC folders: a linerlock.
For a small EDC in damascus blade steel
with a miniature tactical feel, the V Nives
Killabite (page 28) fills the bill. The Mini
Tanimboca Puukko (page 52) is a neck
knife that doubles as a small bushcraft
model thanks in part to its flat-back Scan-
di-ground blade. The Hogue Knives First
Response Trauma Tool (page 44) is per-
haps the most utilitarian in terms of EDC:
a rescue knife. And finally, the Outdoor
Edge MiniBlaze (page 72) is a keychain
knife—the type of EDC you don’t usu-
ally need to worry about remembering
to take along with you because it’s with
your keys.
For the contact information of the cov-
er knives, see the applicable listings for
each in “Where To Get ’Em” on page 68.
The images of all of the cover knives are
courtesy of the participating companies.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B L A D E [7 ]
THE WORLD’S #1 KNIFE PUBLICATION
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[8 ] B L A D E --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
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[ UNSHEATHED ] BY STEVE SHACKLEFORD
Edmund, Fuzzie
and Covid
A
n irrepressible soul from her, I would have died because
the small burgh (popu- she is the one that insisted I go
lation 368) of Goshen, to the hospital and get help.”
Virginia, Edmund Davidson As of December 7, Pearl Har-
is known for his offbeat per- bor Day, Edmund and Fuzzie
sonality and fixed blades in an were slowly but surely improv-
integral construction that are ing.
as solid as the Rock of Gibral- “I am now a guinea pig for
tar. Many call him “Fuzzie,” the University of Virginia since
aka Fuzzie D, which is also the I am back at home. They are go-
name he has given his pony- ing to send a package with me-
tail and that he uses as a kind ters, blood pressure cuff, scales
of third person reference to and IPad so we can tell them of
himself. Ergo, if you talk to Ed- my progress,” he wrote. “This
mund, you also talk to Fuzzie— Covid thing is so new that ol’
and vice versa. I know, kind of Edmund just happens to now
dubious, but it’s about the only be one of their ‘chosen projects.’
way I know to put it. After looking the Grim Reaper
Anyhow, when word got in the face and almost dying,
out Edmund had contracted this little chore is all OK.
Covid-19, the reaction on so- “This will be a slow and grad-
cial media was one of deep ual recovery and my knifemak-
concern, and understandably ing will take a slam dunking.”
so—especially when it turned Of course, those who know
out Edmund’s case was so se- Edmund know he won’t be
rious they had to move him to down for long. He recently had
the UVA University Hospital the distinction of being voted
at the University of Virginia in into the Art Knife Invitational,
Charlottesville, Virginia. It was a collection of the world’s top
November 23 and the Edmund makers, with this year’s edi-
Davidson social media vigil had begun! Edmund Davidson looked death in the tion slated for October 24 in Las Vegas
The next day, Edmund’s Facebook eye and lived to tell the tale. (https://aki.show/).
friends learned, he was put on eight liters “I must get well to be with 24 of the
of oxygen. At one point he was conscious best in the world in October. I hope to see
and posted on knifemaker John Wilson’s on his own, he still required oxygen. By you sooner, though,” he concluded. “I’m
Facebook page, “I have double pneumo- November 30 he was down to requiring still very weak now, but my comeback is
nia Covid. This is deadly but curable. one liter of oxygen, and, on December 5, fully under way.”
Will be in the hospital for the next 10 he was discharged. Thanks to Edmund and Fuzzie for pro-
days recovering with lots of oxygen and All his friends in the knife community viding a feel good story when feel good
heavy antibiotics. Thanks to everyone for on social media and others who knew stories are few and far between.
caring. The knife community is by far the breathed a collective sigh of relief. As
best.” for Edmund—and Fuzzie—he/they was/ For more information on Edmund David-
On November 25, Edmund was put on were understandably shaken, a fact that son visit him on Instagram at https://www.
a ventilator for 16 hours and 50 liters of came through loud and clear in Edmund’s instagram.com/davidsonedmund/.
oxygen. Later that day his kidneys started recollection of events.
to shut down. However, the next day his “Fuzzie was on death’s door with Co- For the latest knives, knife news trends and
lungs responded and he was able to com- vid in both lungs. After 10 days in ICU more visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s pop-
municate by nodding his head. As he put and another four days in recovery, I was ular Instagram page @blade_magazine,
it, he was starting to come out of a “near paroled out Saturday afternoon. I’m at and on Facebook and Twitter.
death ordeal.” By November 27 he came home where my sweet girlfriend Tucker
off the ventilator and, though breathing is helping me get better. If it were not for
[ 10 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ WHAT'S HOTTEST ] BY STEVE SHACKLEFORD
W
hile human temperatures ebb and flow thanks to the worldwide plague, the
THE hottest custom makers’ hottest knives always remain at a fever pitch, including
HOTTEST at press time in such genres as EDC, tactical, slippies, chef ’s knives and more.
“This past year, there was a big trend in the custom knife market toward knives that
MAKERS’ are designed for daily carry and use,” custom knife purveyor Daniel O’Malley of Blade-
Gallery.com noted. “While many of us were stuck at home, others took the opportunity
HOTTEST KNIVES to go out into the wild for a solitary hike—even if this meant hiking through a local park.
As a result, camp knives and hunters were a highlight.”
ARE CONTAGIOUS Not only were they a highlight in 2020, they remain hot. O’Malley said the San Mai
Viper in desert ironwood by CAS/the Sobral Brothers (Claudio, Ariel and Marcelo), and
IN A GOOD WAY a damascus fighter with a contoured sheath in carbon fiber by Stuart Smith are elegant
fixed blades tailored for hard use. “Their functional designs and tremendous sense of
[ 12 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
balance and presence continue to show a ing a one-off damascus fighter with a gor- knife. “Steve has become an elite maker,”
move toward knives that can be carried geous grip. “His knives are well thought Robertson wrote. “The value for the dollar
and used,” O’Malley wrote. out and executed,” Ellis opined. you get from one of his knives should en-
Custom knife purveyor Dave Ellis of Similar styles by such hot bladesmiths courage you to get on his extended wait-
Exquisiteknives.com is another high on as Wess Barnhill, Steve Randall and Josh ing list. It isn’t going to get any shorter!”
CAS/the Sobral Brothers, especially their Fisher in assorted damascus patterns, Fisher’s camp knife has a mosaic da-
Winchester Fighter in a hot-blued, com- some of which are more complicated mascus blade, an ironwood handle and a
plex damascus blade and an outstanding and difficult to forge, populate the list of custom-made leather sheath. “From the
sheath by Marcelo. “They are all nice fel- purveyor Les Robertson of Robertson’s tip of the blade to the end of the handle,
lows and their work sells briskly,” the pur- Custom Cutlery. He termed Randall’s this knife exudes balance,” Robertson as-
veyor observed. He is also taken with the san-mai damascus and stag fixed blade sessed. “The ergonomics of the handle
work of Sam Lurquin of Belgium, includ- an “exceptional execution” of a hunting form fits to your hand.” Barnhill’s Turk-
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 13 ]
[ WHAT'S HOTTEST ]
ish-twist damascus bowie, meanwhile,

is of the difficult-to-build frame-handle
construction. Moreover, the knife fea-
tures a trait called “Museum Fit.” “Wess
saw [the trait] on a Jim Schmidt knife,”
Robertson noted. “The handle material
is just slightly above the tang. It’s difficult
to do because of the precision required
to keep the handle material an equal dis-
tance above the tang around the entire
handle. I am consistently impressed with
Wess’s work. His knives are impressive
and a true value for the money.”
TACTICAL
The evolution of tactical folders and the
hottest makers of same continues.
“Tactical folders have moved from
thick slabs of titanium into refined, high-
ly machined, nimble knives,” O’Malley
observed. “This hybrid of collector-grade
and tactical knives has culminated in tre-
mendously elegant flippers.” His hottest
makers of the genre are Andre Thorburn
(L36M); Riaan Manser (T3 maple and
black G-10); Trevor Burger (EXK SFL
framelock); Arno Bernard Sr. (Orca fra-
melock with mammoth molar inlay); JD
van Deventer (Gold Midi with fluted car-
bon fiber); and Kosie Steenkamp (Sam-
son with Westinghouse Micarta and car-
bon fiber).
Hot on the list of custom knife pur-
veyor Dave Stark of Steel Addiction Cus-
tom Knives are Tashi Bharucha, Lee Wil-
liams and Oleksii Nesterenko of Ukraine.
“Tashi’s latest and hottest custom knife
is the Predator,” Stark began, “a strong,
muscular design featuring a hand rubbed
RWL-34 blade riding on bearings, and
the frames are full titanium with laser
etching.”
“Lee’s latest and hottest design is the
Cheeka, which debuted at the Friday
Night Blade Affair of the 2020 California
Custom Knife Show. It features a hand
rubbed CPM 154 blade that pivots on Wess Barnhill’s
bearings. The frames are Alpha Knife bowie has a guard,
frame and 9-inch
Supply, four-alloy, fully contoured and blade of Turkish
heat-colored black Timascus™, topped off twist damascus
with copper pivot rings and a full zirco- and a mammoth
nium back spacer with a titanium clip.” ivory handle. Overall
length: 14.25 inches.
Oleksii is relatively new to the U.S.
Barnhill’s list price:
knifemaking scene. “His fit and finish and $1,950 (includes a
attention to detail are some of the very custom made leather
best in the industry using a non-CNC sheath). (Impress By
approach,” Stark noted. The Ukrainian Design image)
has been a professional maker since 2015
and won best knife design in 2019 at the
[ 14 ] B L A D E ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2021
[ WHAT'S HOTTEST ]
SICAC Paris Knife Show for his Stingray

model. “His hottest design is called the
CONSTRUCTION
Morph with a hand rubbed M390 blade
and a mirror-polished swedge,” Stark
wrote. The bolsters are zirconium with
anodized titanium pivot rings, and the
TOUGH.
scales are carbon fiber with a screwless
zirconium clip.
John and Andrew Demko of Pennsyl-
vania and Poland’s Kamil Dlugosz under
the brand name KD Knives top the hottest
makers of tactical flipper folders for pur-
veyor Neil Ostroff of True North Knives.
“The Demko brothers, recently re-
leased AD20 model with their patented
Shark Lock has taken the tactical and col-
lector market by storm,” Ostroff wrote.
“It’s remarkably easy to release and pro-
vides rock-solid lock up. The Shark Lock
flippers are my hottest selling knives.”
The Arsen flipper folder is the most
popular of the knives by Dlugosz, Ostroff
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opined. “His hand rubbed blades are on
par with the best I’ve seen,” the purveyor
AND TOOLS CAN TAKE ON ANY JOB.
stated. “His ceramic bearings provide ef-
fortless flipping and a strong, dependable
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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 15 ]
“A sign for me that his knives are so hot
is when somebody buys one for the first
time, within days I get an inquiry for a
second piece.”
SLIPPIES and CHEF’S

“At the same time that much of the folder The Morph by Ukraine’s
Oleksii Nesterenko offers
market has moved to high-tech custom up a 4-inch blade of hand-
flippers, another segment has looked to- rubbed M390 stainless
ward slip joints,” O’Malley observed. His steel, carbon fiber scales
hottest makers and their hottest slippies with a screwless zirconium
are Willem Steenkamp (Dino with an- clip, and zirconium bolsters
with anodized titanium pivot
tique Westinghouse Micarta and Timas- rings. Weight: 4.3 ounces.
cus) and Franck Souville (Superbad with Closed length: 4 5/8 inches.
warthog tusk). Steel Addiction Custom
“Finally,” O’Malley continued, “kitchen Knives price: $2,400. (Steel
Addiction Custom Knives
knives are becoming an increasingly large image)
part of the custom knife world. Whether
at world class knife shows such as the
BLADE Show or on knife sites such as my
EpicEdge.com, custom kitchen knives are
everywhere. Every month there is an in- Samuel Lurquin’s fighter
creasingly large number of custom mak- exhibits a 15-inch damascus
ers that are making the crossover into blade, blued fittings and
an ancient ivory handle.
building chef ’s knives, and the results Overall length: 22 inches.
are truly spectacular.” O’Malley’s hottest Lurquin’s list price: $7,000.
makers and their chef ’s knives include (Exquisiteknives.com image)
up-and-comer Dan Bidinger (green Mi-
carta and carbon fiber), Luis Pina (inte-
gral mosaic damascus and curly koa) and
[ 16 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ WHAT'S HOTTEST ]
[ 18 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ 20 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ THE KNIFE I CARRY ]
I won’t leave home without my Combat

Fighter by Forged in Fire champion
Tyler Hackbarth. The 100-layer go-mai
damascus is 1095/15N20 layered in
nickel with a 416 stainless steel outer jacket. The
handle consists of black G-10 liners with a 7,500-year-
old ancient bog oak bolster and carbon fiber
separated by turquoise truestone and nickel silver
spacers. Tyler has this beast honed to a razor sharp
edge. If I get into a situation that this knife won’t
handle, then I’m in very deep trouble.”
Ray Garbe,
Menasha, Wisconsin
I carry a Bad Monkey from My EDC is the Shikra flipper folder

Southern Grind. It has the by Ontario Knife Co. I like the
Emerson Wave Feature for non-glare blade finish, and the
one-hand opening. The twill- linen Micarta® scales feel and look
weave carbon fiber handle fits my hand like good.”
a glove. It’s a neat knife.”
John Massari,
Lee Roy Simmons, a letter via e-mail
a letter via e-mail

!
Tell us what knife you carry. Add a little history or an anecdote.

Try to include a photograph—if digital, at least 600 KB but no
larger than 2 MB—of you with your knife. We will publish your
comments in an upcoming “The Knife I Carry.” Your name will
then be entered in a drawing to win a free, high-quality, name-
brand knife. The drawing will be May 15. Mail to: BLADE , 5600 ®
W. Grande Market Dr., Ste. 100, Appleton, WI 54913, or e-mail

steve@blademag.com. If you send your entry by e-mail, please
include your physical mailing address in case you win the knife.
[ 22 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ KNIFE TALK ] BY ED FOWLER BLADE ® FIELD EDITOR
>> IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
COMMUNICATION
WITH YOUR KNIFE
HANDLE IS A
TWO-WAY STREET
Spacers serve the function of

adapting some handle shapes
to the blade that would be
difficult or impractical to use
without them. BLADE Magazine
Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member
Bill Scagel used spacers to
maximum effect, here between
the handle material and guard
of his Mermaid of the Great
Lakes. (image courtesy of
Stephanie Lucie)
[ 24 ] BLADE FEBRUARY 2021

A
Editor’s note: Last time, the author covered t first I did a lot of experimenting As you work with the clay handle,
the intricacies of the human hand, symmetry with a rasp and sandpaper. Trying rotate the knife and try it in all
positions. Soon you will have some
and how it applies to knife handles, materi- to develop a knife handle out of ideas you want to try on a real
als, handle function and performance, and scrap wood blocks and tree limbs was knife. Surprisingly, you may find
more. This time he covers making handles slow going. As knife enthusiasts, we all that your right-handed handle also
using modeling clay, the role of spacers, test- know that a knife handle needs to be fits your left hand very well in spite
ing, indexing and other key aspects. symmetrical so that we can use it with of the handle’s lack of symmetry.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 25 ]
[ KNIFE TALK ]
The handle of the

vintage World War
II Fairbairn-Sykes
knife is almost
perfectly round
and symmetrical,
which makes it very
hard to know how
the blade edges
are oriented when
you’re holding the
knife but can’t see
it for whatever the
reason.
The author applied clay to the handle of the

Fairbairn-Sykes knife to show how he would
prefer it to be shaped. The reshape of the
handle results in flat and rounded sides so
you know exactly where the edge is without
looking at it. “Don’t get me wrong, I feel
the dagger is an absolute monstrosity,” the
author wrote, “but if I had designed it, this is
kind of what it would have looked like.”
either hand. This is a rule in the world of my knives do. Spacers serve the func- TEST YOUR RESULTS
of knives that some teach and others tion of adapting some handle shapes to Once you have achieved the handle shape
use to judge quality. Initially, I tried to the blade that would be difficult or im- you seek, you don’t need a bunch of
achieve perfectly symmetrical handles, practical to use without them. To me, beeves to test it. Instead, visit your local
then realized I have never known anyone spacers can have a beauty all their own lumberyard and pick up as large a piece of
who switched hands when using a knife. that waits for us to notice. Spacers also al- scrap wood as you can get. I used an old
However, it was a rule and rules must be low the maker the freedom to adapt the railroad tie but that was what I had.
followed. Woe be unto those who dare geometry of the handle from one size of Start cutting the wood in half. Take
ask why! blade to a much different handle mate- your time and sharpen your knife as need-
Then the idea hit me: Why not simply rial. BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of- ed. Your object is not to cut wood in half
make a handle out of modeling clay and Fame® member Bill Scagel used leather in record time but to test the functional
work with it until it fit my hand? At first spacers for this transition to great benefit. qualities of the handle. You may also find
my clay handle was a poor cross between Note: When choosing spacer material, that the nice, sharp square-shaped handle
a broomstick and a chicken leg. Slowly it it is best to use a material that reacts to spine is a little tough on your hand. Cut in
evolved into a pretty decent handle. Clay temperature and moisture in the same many directions. Change your grip, mov-
is cheap, simple to work with and you can manner as other materials used for the ing all around the handle. If you find one
easily modify it as you work. The five- knife. More on this in future articles. aspect you don’t like, change it. Do not
and-dime store set me up with a lifetime The more you can exploit the natural be bashful about trying different handle
supply of clay for a quarter. Fifty years lat- complex geometry of the hand that will shapes. Modify the spine and the ricasso
er I am still using it. I also made a crude hold and use the knife, the more pleasur- if they are not comfortable.
blade out of a piece of scrap wood, and, able and greater your control of her will This can be a continuous learning ex-
after several days of fooling with it, I was be. As you work with the clay handle, ro- perience if you wish it to be. I felt that
ready to try my ideas on a real knife. tate the knife and try her in all positions. when I could hold my knife in any po-
For this series of articles I developed Soon you will have some ideas you want sition and I did not feel anything that
five knife blades. On the one for this sto- to try on a real knife. Surprisingly, you was uncomfortable, I was there. This is a
ry I rough fit and silver soldered a brass may find that your right-handed handle quality I still seek through every handle I
guard and started working with the clay. also fits your left hand very well despite make. I continue to learn.
While this example has no spacers, most the handle’s lack of symmetry. One of the most significant aspects of
[ 26 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ KNIFE TALK ]
the handle is that it should communicate by the handle’s shape. Then World War quest for something a little better.
to you the exact location of the cutting II started and the Allies needed knives— These thoughts are not meant to de-
edge of your knife at all times—working and lots of them. There were not enough tract from those who desire to make their
in the dark, cold or heat, or when times cutlers to shape all the handles for the vision of an art knife; you are welcome to
get exciting—also known as indexing. A now-mass-produced blades. It was de- your world. If you find some interesting
perfectly round handle can easily leave cided that they had to shorten the time thoughts in the world of knives, you are
you trying to cut with the side or spine invested in making F-S knives, and the welcome to help yourself. What’s more,
of the blade. Still, some collectors love lathes went to work producing the easier naturally I will feel free to use some of
the round-handled Fairbairn-Sykes (F-S) to make, and thus less expensive, round your thoughts. I will, however, always
knife of World War II fame. I guess the handles for the knife. Ever since, the credit you with your contribution.
English designers were more interested in round-handled dagger has been consid- I thank all who have taken the time to
economy and their fantasies of the knife- ered a special combat knife. Meanwhile, read my thoughts. You are welcome to
maker’s art. some knew the shortcoming of the design write BLADE® (see bottom of page 6 for
I once read a book about the testing through personal experience. the address and e-mail) and let us know
and development of the F-S knife. It was No matter how much you read or seek what you think.
an expensive book but I felt the writers there is always information you should
knew a lot that I did not. I was very dis- have known before: Yours truly,
appointed in the material presented. It Ed Fowler
failed to document performance testing. My friend about lost his life eafwb@wyoming.com or
There were no stabs or cuts mentioned, The night he tried to cut that edfowlerhighperformanceknives.com
just official declarations of what Major X VC’s throat
or General Y thought about the knife. with the side of his Fairbairn knife. For the latest knives, knife news, trends and
I recently talked with knifemaker and more visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s popu-
knife designer Bill Harsey. He shared If you want the best working knife you lar Instagram page @blade_magazine, and
some information I did not have. As de- can make, you must be willing and able on Facebook and Twitter.
signed, the original F-S knife had an oval to resist the quick sands of tradition that
handle, and it was easy to index the knife have hampered man’s thinking in his
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 27 ]
[ EDC ] BY JAMES MORGAN AYRES
Tote ’em if
>> IMAGES BY ML AYRES
ya’ got ’em

EDC FOLDERS HAVE A LEGITIMATE CLAIM TO BEING “AMERICA’S KNIFE”
Something in
the geometry
that eluded the
author made the
Pro-Tech Malibu
Wharncliffe
very efficient at
all cutting and
slicing tasks. He
uses it here to
collect pine sap
to help start a
fire.
[ 28 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
O
nce upon a time a long time ago, Four of the
latest in EDC
my idea of the perfect everyday knives, coun-
carry knife was a Randall Model 1. terclockwise
Most of the guys I worked with back then from right:
carried 16- to 18-inch pangas every day. V Nives
Times change. People change. I no Killabite,
Pro-Tech
longer carry a Randall in an inside waist- Knives Malibu
band clip sheath every day, or at all, re- Wharncliffe,
ally. No doubt there are many folks today Medford Knife
who strap on a 10-inch bowie or a USMC & Tool Gentle-
man Jack
fighting/utility knife every morning be- and Smith’s
fore breakfast. To that you can add the Edgework-Site
legions who EDC a tactical folder. Wharncliffe
There are, however, many folks who Knife.
prefer to carry simple pocketknives. Al-
most every cowboy I know carries an old
school Schrade or Case stockman in the
watchpocket of his Wranglers. Many oth-
er folks, some constrained by knife laws,
EDC more contemporary versions of the
traditional pocketknife, the knife that at
one time was in every schoolboy’s and
every man’s pocket—for some, a gentle-
man’s folder.
My team and I recently did a field re-
view of four very different contemporary
versions of the EDC folder. If we were
cowboys I reckon we could have trimmed
hoofs, done minor surgery on cows and
other cowboy things. But we’re not cow-
boys. So, we used them for the stuff we
tend to do. We opened boxes and cut up The Smith’s
cardboard. We did cut rope, which felt Edgework-Site
kind of cowboyish. We went for a hike Wharncliffe
press cut a
and picked and sliced fresh rose hips for pine limb. It
tea, peeled and sliced oranges for a trail- was the team’s
side picnic, cut pine limbs and whittled preferred
fuzz sticks to start a lunchtime fire. Not blade for
exactly gentleman stuff either, but hey, getting up
wood for a fire.
everyone has his own EDC needs.
SPEC CHECK
Smith's Edgework-Site
Wharncliffe Knife
BLADE LENGTH: 2.95”

BLADE STEEL: 400 series stainless
BLADE PATTERN: Wharncliffe
BLADE OPENER: Thumb stud
HANDLE: Glass-filled textured synthetic w/
The V Nives Killabite peeled and sectioned pocket clip
an orange with aplomb. The handle has
a nice curved profile and is comfortable LOCK: Framelock
as such a small handle can be, comfort- CLOSED LENGTH: 4”
able enough for the kind of work that you MSRP: $24.99
would do with the knife.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 29 ]
[ EDC ]
SPEC CHECK
Medford Knife & Tool
Gentleman Jack

BLADE STEEL: CPM S35V stainless
BLADE WIDTH: ¾”
BLADE THICKNESS: .125”
HANDLE MATERIAL: Anodized titanium
ACTION: Slip joint
CLOSED LENGTH: 4”
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA With little effort, the slim
MSRP: $375 blade of the Medford Knife
& Tool Gentleman Jack
excelled at cutting nylon
kernmantle rope.
SLIM JACK
Sleek, slim and lightweight, with a blade
long enough to slice a watermelon with-
out getting your hand wet, the Medford
Knife & Tool Gentleman Jack is a gentle-
man’s folder in appearance, in feel and in
fact. With little effort, its slim blade ex-
celled at cutting nylon kernmantle rope,
and at food preparation and slicing thin
peels of bark for tinder. The slender han-
dle looks as if it would be uncomfortable,
but the edge was so sharp and the grind
so slim that little force was required to
cut stuff. Hence, the thin handle was not
uncomfortable. The slenderness made it
easy to carry—we all hardly knew we had
a knife in our pocket when carrying it.
Most folders in this size range tend to
be tactical, with black blades and other
features the uninformed consider fear-
some. This folder, however, is so nice
looking, so polished a piece of pocket SPEC
jewelry, that it’s unlikely to alarm the CHECK
clueless, which means you could use it
in mixed company without getting weird V Nives Killabite
looks.
WORKADAY FOLDER BLADE STEEL: Stainless damascus
The Smith’s Edgework-Site Wharncliffe BLADE THICKNESS: .097”
Knife is a workaday folder that equals BLADE STYLE: Trailing Point
many high-priced limited-production BLADE OPENER: Flipper
knives in durability and function. Ro- BLADE GRIND: Flat
bust, with a very comfortable handle and HANDLE MATERIAL: Carbon fiber
a good edge grind, it was our preferred HANDLE THICKNESS: .35”
blade for getting up some wood for a POCKET CLIP: Tip-up
fire. Press cuts with modest effort cut LOCK: Framelock
deep into, and through, wrist-thick pine
WEIGHT: 1 oz.
branches. In fact, it was the most effective
of all the review knives at cutting wood CLOSED LENGTH: 2.25”
for the fire. Shaving bark and curls for COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN: USA and offshore The V Nives Killabite vanquished pine
MSRP: $95.95 pieces for firewood. It bit deep into wrist-
tinder was a piece of cake.
thick pine with no trouble.
I am not a fan of wharncliffe blades,
[ 30 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ EDC ]
The Pro-Tech Malibu handled

the fine cuts needed to dis-
patch the rose hips for a spot
of tea.
but the long straight edge and overall cut- www.blacksmithsdepot.com

ting efficiency might make me a convert.
The edge was very welcome when cut- Kayne and Son
ting nylon rope laid across a tree stump, 100 Daniel Ridge Rd Candler NC 28715 USA
and cutting cardboard boxes into strips. PHONE: 828-667-8868
Did I mention the handle? Clearly it is
designed by someone who understands International Shipping available • Inquiries Welcome
hard work, and for someone who must do
a day’s work. This is a very good tool and,
for the price, a great value.
ROCKETKNIFE
The Pro-Tech Knives Malibu Wharncliffe
is handsome, modern in appearance and
detail, and resembles a 21st-century knife
designed to be carried by an astronaut. In
fact, the knife looks a little like a rocket—
and has a high-tech lock to boot.
It also performs well. The overall
blade design with its flat grind, fine edge
and up-tipped point was terrifically ef-
ficient at all slicing tasks. At first glance
I thought the point design might inhibit
penetration, and it did. But something in
the geometry that eludes me made it very
efficient at all cutting and slicing tasks.
It easily and cleanly crunched through
nylon rope, kept its edge cutting card-
board, and was just the thing for slicing
rose hips for tea. It did very delicate cuts
cleanly and with precision. With its mod-
estly sized blade, brilliant blue handle and
overall polished appearance, it qualifies
as a large gentleman’s folder, albeit one
with more function than the usual run of
that type of knife.
MUST-WORK MINI
Can we say the V Nives Killabite is cute?
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 31 ]
[ EDC ]
I don’t usually use that word when dis- though—they are useful. I’ve been beat- covered in the Alps who had a complete
cussing knives, but, truth be told, this ing the drum for tiny blades for years ever tool kit with him, including his flint knife
little puppy is cute. High-tech, too. The since I learned a little bit about flintknap- with a 1.5-inch blade.) I’ve taught surviv-
damascus blade, carbon fiber handle and ping and worked with some experimental al classes during which I use a folder with
framelock all say dress tactical folder. archaeologists. (One of the latter was the a 2-inch blade to make a tool kit consist-
Miniature, yeah, but still pretty tactical. lithic expert who consulted on Otzi the ing of a spear, bow and arrows, haft for a
Don’t let little knives fool you, Iceman, the 5,000-year-old mummy dis- stone axe, and more. I wouldn’t hesitate to
The edge of
the Smith’s
Wharncliffe was
very welcome
when cutting
nylon rope
laid across a
tree stump,
and cutting
cardboard boxes
into strips.
The trailing point design and smooth edge

with no ricasso or other fripperies makes
the most of the Killabite’s short blade.
The Pro-Tech Malibu

Wharncliffe easily and
cleanly crunched through
nylon rope and kept its
edge cutting cardboard.
SPEC CHECK
Pro-Tech Knives
Malibu Wharncliffe

BLADE STEEL: CPM 20CV stainless
BLADE STYLE: Modified wharncliffe
BLADE FINISH: Stonewash
BLADE GRIND: Flat
BLADE OPENER: Flipper
LOCK: Plunge lock
CLOSED LENGTH: 4.25”
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
MSRP: $270
[ 32 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ EDC ]
True craftsmanship takes time.
Your steel shipments shouldn’t.
Accurate, on-time delivery you can rely on, for any size order.
Our commitment to service and value is as strong as our products.You can count on
us for the widest selection of blade stock, internationally renowned quality, and accurate
on-time delivery of any size order. Bar sizes and full sheets or plates from 1/32” to 1/2”
in stock. Small quantities are always welcome.
• Stainless • Alloy • Nickel
• High Carbon • Tool Steels • Titanium
According to the author, • Low Carbon • Precision Ground • Damascus
the Smith’s Wharncliffe Stainless
is a workaday folder that
equals many high-priced Visit our website and order online at www.admiralsteel.com,
limited production call 800-323-7055, or email us at sales@admiralsteel.com
knives in durability and
function.
™
do the same with the Killabite. Admiralsteel.com

The trailing point design and smooth ISO 9001 REGISTERED
edge with no ricasso or other fripperies 4152 West 123rd Street Alsip, Illinois 60803-1869
makes the most of the short blade. The Admiral is a registered trademark of Admiral Steel LLC. Alsip, Illinois. Reg. No. 2430959. All rights reserved.
edge is just a tad thicker than I prefer,
which makes it strong at the cost of a little
Tim Britton
slicing ability, but allowed it to bite deep
into wrist-thick pine with no trouble.
For long term use I might reprofile the
edge—or maybe not. I like the notion of
such a small blade being so strong.
The handle has a nice curved profile
and is comfortable as such a small handle
can be, comfortable enough for the kind
Knifemaker
of work that you would do with the knife.
“Cigar Jack”
Keep in mind, too, a surgeon’s scalpel is Fiji Fire Pearl $775
only 1.5 inches long. Must work gets done Engraving Jim Small
with small blades. A keeper this one is.
ONLY YOU KNOW

Which would be the best EDC? There’s
no such thing, really. The right question
is, which is the best EDC for you?
Only you will know the answer.
For the contact information for the knives

in the story, see “Where To Get ’Em” on
page 68.
For the latest knives, knife news, trends

and more visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s
popular Instagram page @blade_maga-
zine, and on Facebook and Twitter.
5645 Murray Road, Winston Salem, NC 27106 / tim@timbritton.com / 336-923-2072
PLEASE STOP BY AND VISIT ME AT WWW.TIMBRITTON.COM
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 33 ]
[ LINERLOCKS ] BY DEXTER EWING BLADE® FIELD EDITOR
>> IMAGES BY MART Y STANFIELD, MART Y STANFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY
HALLMARK
OF EDC
F
ew folding knife locks perform as well for everyday carry (EDC) as the linerlock.
WHEN IT COMES TO Constructed properly, the linerlock is easy to open and, especially on a knife that
includes a blade opener and a pocket clip, is a snap to carry, deploy, open and
EDC FOLDER LOCKS, close, all with one hand—an EDC hallmark.
THE LINERLOCK IS Designed by award-winning knifemaker Richard Rogers, the CEO Bamboo linerlock
folder is one of the more slender knives from CRKT. It’s an unobtrusive folder that won’t
HARD TO BEAT weigh you down and is ideal for dress suit carry. In fact, it can carry attached to a shirt
pocket a la a ballpoint pen. It blends well with the office crowd, as it is a low profile de-
[ 34 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
HOW LINERLOCKS SHOULD LOCK
Many knife nuts in-the-know have certain preferences to where a brand new
linerlock knife’s lock spring should hit on the tang when the blade is locked
open. Some prefer it to hit in the lower third of the tang, from the linerlock
side. Some prefer it to hit in the middle.
One thing to remember about linerlocks is there is a break-in period for
the lock. In other words, as the metal on the end of the lock spring wears
to conform with the tang, it is likely that the spring will travel more toward
the center of the tang—not a whole lot, just a little. Hence, it is probably best
to select a linerlock knife where the spring hits on the lower third so it can
compensate some following the break-in period.
— by Dexter Ewing
The test linerlocks

exhibit how they
wedge the blades open
at the tangs, from left:
Steel Will Nutcracker,
Puma SGB Mach I,
Citadel Kampot and
CRT CEO Bamboo. On
the tang of the blade
where the linerlock
spring directly hits,
the face is machined
at an angle so that
when the spring moves
into place, there is a
wedging effect that
stops the spring from
moving any farther.
Titanium is an ideal
material for the spring
as titanium tends to
gall, or stick, to steel,
and, of course, the
tang is steel.
A quartet of plucky linerlocks, from left:

Puma SGB Mach 1, CRKT CEO Bamboo,
Citadel Kampot and Steel Will Knives
Nutcracker.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 35 ]
[ LINERLOCKS ]
how it blends in and does its thing with
no unnecessary fanfare. The only nega-
tive about the CEO is also a positive—the
deep carry clip. The fold-over design cre-
ates a hot spot when you grip the handle
but carries the closed folder deep in the
pocket, which is nice. Given that the knife
isn’t made for prolonged, heavy duty use,
I find the clip to be a good thing. Made
in China, the CEO has a manufacturer’s
suggested retail price (MSRP) of $54.99.
It is a great value.
EXCELLENT SLICER
The Citadel Kampot linerlock folder
sports a 3-inch drop point blade of Bohler
N690 stainless steel. N690 is a mid-grade
stainless with great edge holding proper-
ties but also is rather easy to resharpen.
It is a fine alternative to today’s “super
steels.” The ergonomic handle has double
stainless steel liners and stabilized blue
beech scales. Red liners add a subtle pop
of color. The scales are nicely rounded
and contoured so the folder rests in your
The Puma SGB Mach 1 matches 1.4116 and close the blade, especially for such a grip comfortably with no hot spots. An
stainless steel with a sturdy handle slender folder. Many such folders do not integrated guard prevents your hand
sporting carbon fiber scales and stainless
manipulate easily due to their size. from sliding onto the blade edge and, to-
steel liners. The blade rides on ceramic
bearings for smooth opening and closing. And for a slender folder, the CEO has gether with a bird’s beak butt, keeps your
plenty of bite. The slim blade slits open hand on the handle.
envelopes and packages effortlessly. I like The linerlock secures tightly with zero
sign that will not raise eyebrows.
Just over 3 inches long, the blade is
8Cr13MoV stainless steel for a good
balance of edge holding and resharpen-
ing ease. The trailing-point blade opens
quickly and efficiently via a thumb stud.
The pivot’s Ikoma Korth Bearing System
(IKBS) enhances smooth blade action. A
saber-style primary grind combined with
a full-length swedge grind gives the blade
a bit of attitude.
The handle consists of two stainless
steel liners and glass-reinforced nylon
scales. The scales are molded in a color
and shape/texture to mimic bamboo. The
handle’s squared off butt resembles the
classic doctor’s knife/pillbuster pocket-
knife pattern. A deep carry, fold-over clip
allows the knife to ride low in a pants or
shirt pocket, or inside a sport coat breast
pocket.
The linerlock engages firmly and se-
cures the blade open with no play. Simply
hit the thumb stud and the blade pops
open fast to the locked position thanks to
the IKBS. Firmly push the edge of the ex-
posed portion of the lock spring, and the
blade unlocks and rotates closed as easily With its sturdy sheepsfoot blade and ergonomic handle, Steel Will’s F24-33 Nutcracker is
as it opens. I like how simple it is to open built for hard use.
[ 36 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ LINERLOCKS ]
reminds me of how brass and copper pa-
tina when exposed to the elements over
time and get a blueish green hue. The
Kampot is a great alternative if you’re not
into the all black and edgy tactical folder
look. The blade pivot is not exposed, so
the pivot tension is not adjustable. This
cleans up the look, though I know some
knife guys like to adjust the pivot tension
to their own liking.
A negative is the knife’s size, though for
some that is a good thing. The lack of a
clip is compounded by the lack of a belt
sheath. The Kampot needs one. For me,
the knife is too big to carry in the pocket,
so belt carry would be the best option. On
the other hand, ready-made belt sheaths
are rather easy to find (a good source is
Smoky Mountain Knife Works at smkw.
com/knife-accessories/sheaths). Made in
Cambodia, the Kampot has an MSRP of
$205.
CHECKS ’EM ALL

The Mach 1, along with the Sonic, are
linerlock flipper folders Puma SGB intro-
duced in 2020. They are identical, shar-
ing the same handle materials/design and
Opening mail is one of the many tasks

the slender blade of the CRKT CEO
Bamboo does well.
blade play. Five large notches in the end

of the liner aid thumb traction in unlock-
ing the blade. The Kampot has a nail nick
opener instead of a thumb stud, hole, disc
or flipper, so it is the only knife of the test
bunch that requires two hands to open,
though it does close with one hand like
the others. Neither does it have a clip.
At 4.5 inches closed the Kampot is
rather large, which might make it a bit
uncomfortable for pocket carry. A braid-
ed leather lanyard attached to the handle
permits you to fish the folder easily from
a pocket. The knife is good looking, with
the blade, liners and handle screws exhib-
iting a high polish.
The flat-ground blade is an excellent
slicer. However, out of the box it was not
as sharp as I prefer. I gave it a few light
strokes on a ceramic rod followed by
stropping and that enhanced its bite. The
grip is very comfortable and a great alter-
native to folders with flat handle profiles.
It is really nice looking. The beech scales
differ slightly in color. The test model has
streaks of tan and blue-green as well. It
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 37 ]
[ LINERLOCKS ]
The Citadel Kampot (left) easily rivals
most any working folder with its drop
point blade. The high polish of the steel
makes it easy to clean as well.
The hollow grind of the Puma SGB Mach

1’s drop point blade (middle left) helps
provide plenty of bite for tough tasks such
as cutting thick rubber hose.
The sheepsfoot blade of the Steel Will

F24-33 Nutcracker (bottom left) is a
sporty utility pattern. The flat grind makes
it slice with precision. Bohler N690Co
stainless steel gives a good blend of edge
holding power and ease of maintenance.
blade material. The only difference is the

Sonic features a clip point blade and the
Mach 1 has a modified drop point. With
its hollow ground main bevel and gener-
ous, sweeping belly, the 3.6-inch blade
in the latter pattern accomplishes a wide
variety of cutting tasks. It is a large folder
ideal for the ample knife jobs you have,
indoors or out.
The German 1.4116 stainless steel holds
an edge well and is fairly easy to resharpen.
It is a steel found mainly in kitchen knives
and is highly stain resistant. It isn’t com-
monly used in the knife industry, and ex-
pect performance to be equivalent to 440A
or even 420HC stainless. Its lower overall
production costs are passed on to you in
the form of a great value.
A flipper tab offers quick and effortless
one-hand deployment. The swift, smooth
action is aided by a pair of ceramic caged
ball bearings in the pivot. The handle
features nice carbon fiber scales, giving
the Mach 1 a modern, futuristic appear-
ance—it is eye catching the way the light
reflects off the strands in the weave pat-
tern. The chamfered edges of the carbon
fiber are textured to aid grip retention. A
deep carry, fold-over pocket clip totes the
closed folder blade tip down in the pock-
et, deep enough to conceal the knife yet
hold it within easy reach.
The Mach 1 checks all the boxes: great
fit and finish, silky smooth blade action,
and super sharp and ready to work right
out of the box. The drop point blade
adapts to most any task. The edge has a
nice bite and easily sinks into the mate-
rial being cut. As wide as the handle is,
you can get a really good grip that in-
stills confidence. The open-frame handle
promotes ease of cleaning. Country of
origin: China. MSRP: $149.99. For the
[ 38 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ LINERLOCKS ]
money, it’s a solid value in features and

performance.
NEW LEVEL of CHIC

Taking EDC folders to a new level of chic,
the F24 Nutcracker from Steel Will Knives
features bold styling with a sheepsfoot
blade and an ergonomic handle. The 3.4-
inch blade is Bohler N690 stainless steel.
The flat grind is tailored for both stout
utility applications and lateral strength. A
flipper is integrated for fast opening and
is assisted by ceramic bearings, which
promote super-smooth action and rapid
deployment.
A large finger recess at the pivot al-
lows you to index the G-10 grip, while
the “bird’s beak” butt captures your hand.
The G-10 has a light 3-D machining pat-
tern that aids purchase. Traction notches
at the thumb rest on the spine supply
grip to bear down for power cuts. Dual Award-winning knifemaker Richard Rogers designed the CEO Bamboo from CRKT to be
nested stainless steel liners provide a rigid the quintessential office carry folder. It is tailored for such daily uses as trimming stray
threads from clothing.
backbone and the nesting feature reduc-
es overall handle thickness. Two large
standoffs add style. A smaller standoff at
the rear acts as a tie-off point for a lanyard
(not included).
Even the pocket clip is nicely done. It’s
sculpted, styled titanium that carries the
closed folder blade tip up and is secured
via one large screw. The clip’s shape mim-
ics the handle’s curvature, and the overlay
adds to aesthetics. It’s great to see a com-
pany put extra effort and thought into the
clip, which looks better than standard
stamped clips. It definitely holds the knife
securely in the pocket.
The F24-33 Nutcracker has a black
stonewashed blade, black liners, standoffs
and clip, and a green G-10 handle. At 4.5
inches closed, the knife is sized just right
to handle just about any cutting task. The
linerlock secures quite tightly at the low-
er third of the tang with no blade play. A
series of traction notches at the exposed
portion of the liner permits the thumb to
easily seat and secure itself to unlock the
blade.

page 68.

zine, and on Facebook and Twitter. Citadel’s Kampot folder is a bit rough around the edges but remains a very efficient cut-
ting tool. The flat-ground blade slices through a variety of materials with gusto.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 39 ]
[ MILESTONE ] BY BLADE® STAFF
Knifemaking Loses
Its Best Friend
SLIP-JOINT MASTER
TONY “OLD DOG” BOSE
PASSES AWAY
Tony Bose, 1946-2020
T
(Kerry Hampton image)
ony Bose, the in steering his career in the direction of
man perhaps self-employment and self-discovery,”
most responsible Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame member Ken On-
for the rebirth of the slip ion said in his speech inducting Tony into
joint/pocketknife genre in the Cutlery Hall Of Fame in 2019. Tony’s
today’s custom knives, BLADE father also was disabled, so Tony sought
Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame® work to help his family make ends meet.
member, loving husband and His disability made finding employment
father, and friend to scores in difficult, especially at a time when em-
the knife industry, passed away ployers were reluctant to hire the dis-
November 22. He was 75. abled.
Slip joints like the saddlehorn One of the things that helped Bose per-
trapper, Lanny’s Clip, Zulu Spear, severe was his affection for slip joints.
The saddlehorn
trapper by Tony
the Arkansas Hunter and more al- He had a deep love for traditional
Bose is the knife ways will be associated with Tony, all pocketknives for as long as he could re-
that, in his own made in his Wilfred Works knife shop in member. “He always had one, mostly
words, made Shelburn, Indiana. He shared more pat- something worn out or someone gave
him famous. terns with more makers than perhaps any him,” Onion observed. In high school
(SharpByCoop
image) knifemaker who ever lived. He remains a Bose made money sharpening blades
mentor to the world’s leading makers and until he saved up enough to buy a brand
others who simply called him friend (see new Case knife.
sidebar). Eventually he started making fixed
Things didn’t come easy from the get blades in his spare time. “His focus was to
go for the man who referred to himself acquire the necessary equipment to build
as “Old Dog.” Born in 1946, he lost his folding knives, and that he did,” Onion
right eye at 6. “Most of his life has been continued. In 1989 Bose became a full-
affected one way or another by that loss, time maker. “His goal was to make tradi-
but perhaps it was the defining moment tional folding knives and improve upon
[ 40 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
them using the best materials he could
find, and to perfect the craft,” Onion said.
Bose was self-taught and, due to the diffi- WHAT THEY SAID
culty he encountered in finding informa-
tion on making knives, he vowed to share ABOUT TONY
his knowledge with other makers to keep
“
approached Tony’s table at the BLADE Show. “
the interest alive.
Gradually, Tony began to establish It was probably 15 years ago I I had the pleasure of sitting next to
himself, making slip joints and selling Tony at the 2019 ICCE Show, handling a
them at local knife shows. In 1989, he Our conversation went like this: ‘Hi Tony, couple of knives he brought and having him
went full time. He began winning honors I just wanted to let you know that that look at several of mine. One of mine was
for his knives at various events, including saddlehorn trapper of yours is my favorite awarded ‘Best Art Knife’ by the Guild and
Best Folder awards at the 1994 East Coast knife ever.’ Tony replied, ‘That’s the knife Tony looked it over and told me it was well
Custom Knife Show and, in 1995, at the that made me famous!’ We talked a while deserved. A finer gentleman and better
world’s largest and most prestigious knife about his knives and I left to go back to my maker you will be hard pressed to find.
table. After the show I received a package He will be sorely missed and leaves some
”
event: the BLADE Show in Atlanta.
from Tony. Inside were two different-size mighty big shoes to fill.
TURNING POINT saddlehorn trapper patterns. He had hand —knifemaker Stan Buzek
The turning point in Bose’s career came ground them! That’s the kind of guy Tony
was. He was a kind, generous gentleman,
“
in 1999 when, at the request of Mark Za- I first met Tony at a show in New
always willing to share his vast knowledge
”
lesky, now editor of Knife Magazine, Ed York City when he first started attending
Jessup of Case called to see if Bose was of knives.
—knifemaker Bill Ruple shows. He was always willing to help me
interested in working with Case. Tony with anything about slip joint folders. He
agreed and their collaborations went on was always willing to share patterns. If I
“
to transform an industry. I guess I’m not different than most called Tony needing a pattern, he would
Tony and Case did not limit their people. I had Tony on a pedestal until we send me one he had made out of steel with
working agreement to knife collabora- became friends. The first time I met him he the holes drilled; in other words, he sent me
tions only. Tony became a crowd favorite approached my table at the BLADE Show, a pattern that would work with hardly any
”
at Case consumer events and swap meets looked at an ivory Zulu Spear, looked at adjustments.
nationwide, conducting knifemaking me and smiled. We hit it off after that. I’ve
seminars, meet and greets, and otherwise —ABS master smith Harvey Dean
never met anyone so giving and unselfish of
”
serving as an ambassador for all things his time, talent or resources.
Case. It was a relationship beneficial to
both parties and the entire industry in
more ways than one. In the case of Case,
—knifemaker Tom Ploppert “ About all I can tell you about Tony Bose
is that he was a great knifemaker and a fine
human being. I talked to Tony many times
not only did it swell company coffers, it
also improved Case knives—no small feat
for one of the world’s leading names in
“ Over the years there have been four
gentlemen that stood out to me as real
over the years about problems I was having
with slip-joint folders. He always offered
gentlemen: James Lile, Arthur Marks of sound advice and took the time to listen. He
cutlery. Stoddard’s\Cutiecut, Tony Bose and C. Gray sent me many patterns over the years and
In the process of combining on some Taylor. Of course, there have been many never charged me a penny. Tony will go down
of the world’s best slip-joint collabora- other special people, but these guys are in the books as the best slip-joint maker
tions, Tony and Case refocused attention
on slip joints in general. Add the impec-
cable custom slip joints that Tony contin-
what I consider ‘gentlemen.’ The rest of us
are just OK!
”
ever.
” —ABS master smith Steve Dunn
—BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame®
ued to make, and custom knife aficiona-
member Dan Delavan
dos bought more of them. That influence
included other custom makers as well, “ Back in the late ’90s when Tony was
really ‘getting hot,’ we were in Vegas
and more of them switched from making
other knife genres to building slip joints. “ I was sad to hear of Tony’s passing.
A lot will be said about the wonderful
sitting next to each other. A large crowd
of collectors gathered in front of Tony’s
Almost as legendary as his knives is knives he created and passion he put into table and literally shut down the aisle. The
Tony’s legacy of teaching anyone who each one. I will also remember him for other makers started raising hell and the
wanted to know how to make knives. his service to the knife community, his promoter had to get on the P.A. and try to
“Tony takes the time to be sure students selfless encouragement to makers, invites disperse them. I told Tony, ‘You got some
understand what he’s trying to teach,” to his shop, tutorials and many answered great knives there.’ He said, ‘You ought to
Onion said in 2019. “He’s improved the questions over the phone. To my friend, I see my boy Reese’s work—he’s better than
level of quality in a big way at Case and
has taught them to do the impossible. He
say a heartfelt thank you!
—knifemaker Mike Zscherny
” me.’ We laughed about that again at the
2019 ICCE Show in Fort Worth. That was the
consistently strives for perfection. He’s
very inspirational and has been a muse to
last time I saw him.
”
—knifemaker Roger Green
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 41 ]
[ MILESTONE ]
A man named Lanny Shell

asked Tony to make a
knife for him with a clip
blade in 1989. Tony didn’t
know what to call it so he
called it Lanny’s Clip—and a
legend was born. Joe Mason
engraved this edition of the
knife. (Joe Mason image)
Tony became a crowd favorite at Case

consumer events and swap meets nation-
wide, conducting knifemaking seminars,
meet and greets, and otherwise serving
as an ambassador for all things Case. and then the market took off. His
work is still the best and the most
the company. He’s respected and loved by sought after.”
everyone.” For more on Tony Bose, visit
One of the most accomplished of all http://boseknives.com.
of Tony’s students is his son, Reese. The
younger Bose has become so adept at For the latest knives, knife news,
making slip joints that he is considered trends and more visit blademag.
among the world’s best. com, BLADE®’s popular Instagram
Tony’s many years of mentoring other page @blade_magazine, and on
makers was recognized when he was Facebook and Twitter.
presented with the Aldo and Edda Lo-
renzi Award at the 2018 BLADE Show.
In addition to teaching others, Tony also Tony and Case
supported such worthy cutlery causes as collaborated on
the old National Knife Museum (NKM), their first knife
making special slip joints sold at silent in 1999 and one
every year after
auctions during the BLADE Show, with
that—including
proceeds going toward benefiting the this swing-guard
NKM. lock in 2007.
Concluded Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer
Dan Delavan, “Tony Bose is another Tony made this
maker who made what he liked, slip daddy barlow
joints, when there was not much demand, lockback fish knife
sporting his Wilfred
Works logo in 2015.
(Kerry Hampton
image)
When it came
to making
multi-blades,
nobody did it
quite like Tony.
(SharpByCoop
image)
Tony was happy as a clam after Ken Onion
(right) inducted him into the BLADE Maga-
zine Cutlery Hall Of Fame® in 2019.
[ 42 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ RESCUE KNIVES ] BY ABE ELIAS BLADE® FIELD EDITOR
>> IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR
Three of the latest rescue knives, from

left with manufacturer’s suggested retail
prices in parentheses: Hogue Knives First
Response Trauma Tool Model 34760
($180), Spyderco Assist Salt FRN Yellow
($170) and Utica Honor Rescue Blade
($29.50).
[ 44 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
FEW KNIVES MAKE MORE SENSE FOR EVERYDAY CARRY THAN TODAY’S RESCUE MODELS
T
here are many knives with features
geared toward a specific use. At The Spyderco
their very core, though, they are Assist cuts
still knives. Rescue knives have added through a safety
features that gear them toward the task harness belt
with very little
of extracting someone from a car, or effort. A safety
untangling him or her. Can you still use harness like
such knives for everyday carry (EDC)? this is over two
I don’t see why not. As noted, at their times thicker
than a standard
core they are knives. In professions like
seat belt.
emergency response personnel, firefighter
and law officer I can see rescue knives
covering all the bases. So, at assorted
times this past month, I toted one or more
of three rescue knives: the Utica Honor
Rescue Blade, Spyderco Assist Salt FRN
Yellow, and Hogue Knives First Response
Trauma Tool Model 34760.
BANG for the BUCK

Right off the bat I was impressed with the
fit and finish of the Utica Honor Rescue.
It has a manufacturer’s suggested retail
price of $29.50 though I found it online
for around $26. Country of origin: China. people—at times a job better suited for more work out of it than the 20-some-
I know, knives made in China take a lot of blades with safety tips. My second knock thing guys I work with at my job.
criticism, but my job isn’t to judge where against the knife is that it is bulky. It The scales are constructed from two-
a knife is made but how well. If I wanted definitely takes up some real estate in a toned aluminum and are good and thick.
to judge things based on where they are pocket. To secure the blade in place Utica uses
made, I would run a bunch of hit articles I don’t do destruction testing because, a linerlock. The detent to help hold the
attacking what many people consider just like I don’t hammer something with a blade closed is nothing less than solid—
breakfast syrups, as nothing compares to wrench, I don’t use a knife beyond its in- you can hear it engage. The knife flips
Canadian maple syrup—but that is a dif- tended purpose. In the case of the Honor, open, which is one of my favorite op-
ferent topic. I did put it through its paces. The serra- erating methods, and, since it uses ball
The blade pattern is a recurve tanto tion pattern was very effective. I ran it bearings in the pivot, it opens smooth
with a hollow grind. The choice of blade through safety belt material, rope and zip and fast. The blade steel is listed as high
pattern is my first knock against the knife ties. I just happen to have a good supply carbon and has a coating on the ground
as a rescue model. I don’t like blades with of cardboard around from flooring pack- section only. It comes with a pocket clip
aggressive tips on rescue knives as they aging, so I sat and cut away for a bit. The for right-handed carry, blade tip down.
are meant to slip between materials and knife did very well; I was impressed. I got As expected, it has a glass breaker in the
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 45 ]
[ RESCUE KNIVES ]
NC
Knifemaker 21
- 3 Burner
- Firebox
4” x 4 ½”
x 21”
- Solid Door
- Cast iron
port on
one end
NC Knifemaker
- 2 Burner
- Firebox
4” x 4 ½” x
13 ½”
- Door with
2” x 3” port on
one end
- Solid door
on one end
Both forges offer:

- Safe valve train design delivering
fuel to heat chamber
- High temperature cast iron burners
- Two inch insulation for long liner life
Call for Free Catalog The Utica Honor cuts packing binding. handle butt. It also has a strap cutter that
800-446-6498 Lumberyards use the packing binding does not consist of the primary blade, but
on materials they don’t want harmed is instead a dedicated blade built into the
by metal bindings. The strap is rigid
NC Tool Co. Inc.
and about three times thicker than back of the handle butt. A point to make
6133 Hunt Road
Pleasant Garden, NC 27313 safety belt material. The Honor ripped with the strap cutter is that, starting out, it
336/674-5654 • 800/446-6498 through it. sliced through the belts like a razor. After
Web site: www.nctoolco.com
about 10 slices, the strap cutter stopped
cutting. That leaves me with a tricky call
on this one. If you’re using the strap cut-
ter as a rescue tool only, you shouldn’t
be cutting seat belts often. Therefore, it
should work when you need it. You will
have to make that call for yourself if you
are expecting it to cut through seat belts
often. For $29.50 you get a good knife
that works like a knife of higher value.
LAND or WATER
The Spyderco Assist Salt FRN Yellow has
a sheepsfoot blade the same as other As-
sist models, with the exception of the
steel being H1 for corrosion resistance.
Adding the corrosion-resistant steel
makes the knife a good candidate for a
sea kayaking and canoe rescue knife.
Spyderco uses a hollow grind with
three quarters of the blade serrated. The
handle material is bright yellow fiber-
glass-reinforced-nylon (FRN), so the
knife is easy to spot if dropped on land or
in water. The yellow color shows dirt but
the FRN is easy to clean.
In the handle butt is a retractable car-
bide-tip glass breaker. I found the way
Spyderco does it very clever. Instead of
having a fixed tip that you may inadver-
tently bang your hand against, the tip
retracts. To deploy it, squeeze the closed
knife. Squeezing the blade and handle
[ 46 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ RESCUE KNIVES ]
FREE KNIFE CATALOG
A complete catalog of knives, including
Damascus, collectors knives, tactical and
work knives, and much more!
To request a free catalog of

knives, visit our website at
together forces the glass breaker tip to Having a dedicated hook as on the Hogue
protrude from the handle butt. Since you Trauma is not only a good safety feature, www.bokerusa.com or call
have to hold the knife tight to hit a win- the hook is smaller and more agile in tight 1-800-835-6433
places. Remember: When using a strap
dow to break it in the first place, it is a cutter, the material being cut must be held
natural action. The butt also includes a under tension.
whistle. I imagine it would be handy in
an emergency when you need to signal
for help, though the feature is not a big
up-sell point for me.
Spyderco uses a lockback design with
a David Boye indent to secure the blade
open. The knife carries via a wire pocket AMERICAN BLADESMITH SOCIETY
clip, the Spyderco versions of which grab
the lip of most any pocket. I really enjoy Haywood College
them and I feel they set the bar for the
industry. I must say, however, I have had 185 Freedlander Drive
a few of the wire ones bend just by getting
caught up while sitting down. The inno- Clyde, North Carolina
vative way Spyderco attaches it is great
but I would still prefer a solid clip.
As for performance, the Assist has the
right blend of serrations and blade length
to make cutting through webbing in one CLASS DATE
shot a breeze. The other test knives took
two cuts to clear a seat belt because of Intro to Bladesmithing March 15-26
its width. With the Assist I was through
in one cut and barely felt any resistance. Hammer-In March 19-21
At 4.87 inches closed, the Assist is not a
petite prom queen. However you decide Handles & Guards June 7-11
to carry it, you surrender real estate. All I
can say is it is a great knife.
Intro to Bladesmithing July 26-Aug. 6
Intro to Bladesmithing Sept. 26-Oct. 8
VERSATLE PERFORMER
The Hogue First Response Trauma Tool
comes in two blade patterns: one with a )RUPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQRUWRUHJLVWHUFDOO--
safety tip and the other with a tip-down
profile. The former has an opposing bevel )RUTXHVWLRQVDERXWFODVVHVFRQWDFW.HQ+DOODW--
grind and the latter a sabre grind. Even RUHPDLONKDOO#KDOOHHUJ\FRQVXOWLQJFRP
though you can pierce material with the
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 47 ]
[ RESCUE KNIVES ]
STORAGE and SAFETY

If your job requires the features of a rescue
knife, it is a no brainer to get one. If you
would like those features for EDC, that is
up to you. I keep a rescue knife accessible
to my driver’s seat in case of an accident.
I also keep one on my personal flotation
device canoeing. I favor the main blade
for emergency cutting. As a result, I tend
to stick with safety tips.
For the contact information for the knives in

the story, see “Where To Get ’Em” on page 68.
For the latest knives, knife news, trends and

more visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s popu-
lar Instagram page @blade_magazine, and
on Facebook and Twitter.
Squeezing the knife tight is a natural

reaction when using the glass breaker.
It also gets the Assist’s carbide tip to
protrude. NOTE: No matter what you
use to break a window, always aim
for a corner because there is less
give there.
safety tip by using the corner where

the tip and edge meet, you might
want to get the tip-down version for
EDC. As mentioned, I prefer a safety tip
for a rescue knife. The blades sport a Cer-
akote® finish. Since the back edge tapers,
having an opposing grind makes it easier
to slip the blade between a seat belt and
a person. The locking system is an ambi-
dextrous ABLE lock.
The knife comes with a pouch sheath
that has a large fabric-fastener closure.
There also is the option of an inter-
changeable/ambidextrous carry pocket particular as to the angle of
clip. I prefer the blade-tip-up carry be- the cut. A carbide glass break-
cause of the style of locking mechanism, er is in the handle butt. The
and due to an oxygen tank wrench on one knife reminds me very much The Hogue has an extended strap cutter
side near the pivot point. of a Benchmade rescue model. and the Utica cutter is built in. While
Built into the handle spine is a strap I used the Trauma for a variety of jobs the Hogue out cut the Utica, it was a
bit trickier to get a cut started, which
cutter that opens via a thumb stud. My and didn’t miss not having a specific blade could be a hindrance in an emergency.
concern on the strap cutter is that it does tip. Often, serrations can be too aggres- The Utica sliced like a razor but stopped
not lock open, and in a hurried situation sive or not aggressive enough—this was cutting altogether after 10 passes. There
coupled with a tight environment you not the case with the Trauma. The serra- is a noticeable dull spot on one of the
might accidentally close it by bumping it tions functioned well. Overall, the knife blades and, as of press time, the author
had not figured out a way to sharpen it.
during use. I found the strap cutter very worked efficiently and is a quality piece.
[ 48 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ RESCUE KNIVES ]
The Spyderco Assist and the Hogue

Trauma (top left) have safety tips. The tips
eliminate the chance of stabbing accident
victims while trying to cut them free with
the main blade.
While the author stated Spyderco pocket

clips (top right) are among the best in
terms of shape, he indicated the wire ver-
sions are more prone to bending and he
can never seem to get the original shape
back.
Cutting rope shouldn’t be especially hard

with a serrated edge. However, if the ser-
rations are executed incorrectly, the cord
can get hung up on the teeth. The Hogue
Trauma cut through 10-millimeter cord like
a hot knife through butter (left).
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 49 ]
[ HANDMADE GALLERY ] BY BLADE ® STAFF
>> IMAGES BY SHARPBYCOOP.COM
TRULY OUTSTANDING
SHEATHS
1
3
7
[ 50 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
K
nives without sheaths seem to be a real sticking point with
some collectors, so when you come across knives with
truly outstanding sheaths, it’s always a welcome sight. A
few of those welcome sights appear on this and the facing page.
1
Black and white ebony serve as the materials for the
sheath and handle of Tom Buckner’s chef’s knife. The
8-inch blade has an SG2 stainless core in between 15
layers of a nickel/stainless damascus.
2
Pictavia leather from Perth, Scotland, comprises
the sheath for Lord Scott S. Dickison’s fixed blade.
Blade steel is by HHH Damascus and the handle is
6
5,000-year-old Irish bog oak.
3
A cross-tie sheath by Francesca Wilburn comple-
ments James Fleming’s Permafrost bowie. The 7.75-
inch blade is a mosaic damascus of 1084 carbon and
15N20 nickel alloy steels. The handle is ancient mammoth tusk
ivory. Overall length: 12.75 inches.
4
A matching sheath and handle of bog oak helps high-
light a chef’s knife by Jordan LaMothe. The 9.5-inch
blade is mosaic damascus, and the handle also in-
cludes mammoth tooth ivory, silver and meteorite. Overall
length: 13.8 inches.
5
Francesca Wilburn does the sheath honors again here
on Joshua Prince’s Laniakea. Joshua forged the da-
mascus blade from 1084 and 1095 carbon and 15N20
nickel alloy steels. The handle is stabilized spalted white oak.
Overall length: 14.5 inches.
6
Jay Redfeather of Williams, Arizona, constructed the
leather sheath with studs and strap for Michael Tyre’s
Western Cowboy Bowie made from materials from the
collection of the late, great ABS master smith Tim Hancock. In
fact, Michael made the knife-and-sheath combo for one of Tim’s
old mule-riding partners.
2 7
Kenny Rowe fashioned the finely tooled leather
sheath for a bowie in dyed giraffe bone and 5160 car-
bon steel by James White. Blade and overall lengths:
11 and 16.6 inches. The handle spacer is mokume and brass.
For the contact information for the pictured knives, see “Where To
Get ’Em” on page 68.
For the latest knives, knife news, trends and more visit blademag.
com, BLADE®’s popular Instagram page @blade_magazine,
and on Facebook and Twitter.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 51 ]
[ NECK KNIVES ] BY PAT COVERT
RIGHT NECKS TO YOU

>> IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR
SLICK NECK KNIVES

COVER A RANGE OF SPEC CHECK
USES, CARRIES AND TOPS Knives
DESIGNS Mini Tanimboca Puukko

BLADE MATERIAL: 1095 high carbon steel
BLADE PATTERN: Drop point
HANDLE MATERIAL: Black Micarta®
SPECIAL FEATURES: Sheath also has loop
for belt carry
WEIGHT: 1.28 ozs.
OVERALL LENGTH: 4”
SHEATH: Brown leather
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
MSRP: $110
The TOPS Knives Mini

Tanimboca Puukko
neck knife is a field
tool all the way. It
has a top-loading
leather sheath with a
length of paracord for
hanging around the
neck. It also wears on
a belt.
[ 52 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
N
eck knives are an oft-overlooked
segment of the EDC market, due
in most part to folders dominating
the genre. Some users, however, prefer
a neck knife over the more complicated
mechanics of folders because it is less
likely to break down, offers quick access,
and has that strong tactile feel a fixed
blade offers. Meanwhile, neck knives
today are more diverse than ever, offering
a multitude of options.
RESCUE NECKER
The Boker Plus Rescue Kiridashi gets
the “rescue” label by offering a large gut-
hook-style web cutter. (For more on the
latest rescue knives, see page 44). The
blade has the flat edge of a kiridashi but is
hollow ground on both sides to enhance
slicing capabilities. The handle—the
blade and handle length overlap—has a
large index finger hole for a sure grip. A Neckers have more fun (from left): Boker Plus Rescue Kiridashi, Bradford G-Necker, Con-
dor Tool & Knife Kickback and TOPS Knives Mini Tanimboca Puukko.
black Kydex sheath, black ball chain and
bolt-on Kydex belt loop are included.
With its large wharncliffe blade, the
knife proved to be a beast. I tested it on the handle but tapering it on the blade for blade, the Kickback wasn’t quite as good
leather and 3/8-inch synthetic rappel- better slicing. at cutting 3/8-inch rope as at least one
ling rope and it whipped through both The Elmax steel cut like a house afire, other of the test knives, but it gets the job
with ease. The ring in the short handle taking off super crisp cuts on harness done. The cord-wrapped handle is very
enhances grip, making the index finger leather and whipping through 3/8-inch comfortable. I found the ring at the base a
your main purchase point. Watch out for rope with ease. The handle rests in the bit tight for my pinkie finger but it works
that gut hook webbing cutter, however, as palm nicely and the notched gimping on well for hanging the knife on a lanyard.
it’s awfully close to the thumb rest. I tried the thumb rest enhances grip. Handles
the hook on seat belt webbing as well. In with no scales or padding don’t bode well FIRE IT UP
my experience, though gut-hook-style for long term use as those that have them, The Mini Tanimboca Puukko by TOPS
webbing cutters don’t perform as well as but if you’re using the Bradford G-Necker Knives makes no bones about its mis-
serrated blades, the Rescue Kiridashi will for quick chores, you’ll have no worries. sion: It’s basically a small bushcraft knife.
do the job in the heat of the moment. It is a full-tang design with a flat-back
CITY or COUNTRY Scandi-ground blade. The little necker’s
CRISPY CUTTER Condor Tool & Knife designed the Kick- handle features comfortably plump black
Bradford Knives’ G-Necker eschews radi- back for both urban and field duty. The linen Micarta® scales with a large tube
cal curves for more classic lines that give it straight-back blade has a swedge grind lanyard hole in the butt. At 1.28 ounces
the look of a standard small fixed blade. It for enhanced penetration, giving it a tac- it’s the lightest of the test group and devi-
departs from the norm, however, by flex- tical feel, while its deep belly makes it at ates from the rest in its uncommon top-
ing its muscle with top-shelf Elmax stain- home in the field. The steel has a black loading brown leather neck sheath, which
less steel in a graceful, flat ground drop traction coat stem to stern and there’s wears on a belt, too. The knife is also the
point blade. The handle, thick enough to a large finger hole in the base. A nicely smallest of the review neckers and, in-
forgo a cord wrap or scales, has two trian- done tan paracord wrap with a knotted deed, the most distinctive.
gulate holes to lighten the load. We tested pull completes the handle. Condor pro- As noted, the Mini Tanimboca is a field
the blackwash version—other finishes vides a black Kydex sheath with ball chain knife. While it will cut leather strips and
are available. Bradford provides a black for neck carry. can saw its way through 3/8-inch rope, it
Kydex sheath and ball chain necklace. The blade did an excellent job of slic- really excels at fire prep. I tested it for tak-
The quarter-inch-plus-thick handle is ing through harness leather, which bodes ing fine shavings from a boxwood block
unusual among neck knives. However, if well for the knife’s potential use as a skin- and stick of pine, and it dug in with gusto
you think it might be a bit clumsy, that’s ner. I also found the swedge ground point and precision. I then tested the blade
not the case. Bradford has struck a bal- adept at penetrating and boring into spine on a small ferro rod and it threw
ance by keeping the steel’s thickness on leather. Due to its light weight and short sparks like a champ. The blade tip bores
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 53 ]
[ NECK KNIVES ]
SPEC CHECK
The Boker Plus Rescue Kiridashi is the
total package. In addition to the neck
knife and black Kydex sheath, Boker
includes a ball chain necklace and Boker Plus
optional bolt-on Kydex belt loop.
Rescue Kiridashi
holes in leather with accuracy. The tiny DESIGNER: Simon Frömel

knife makes an excellent companion to BLADE LENGTH: 2”
its larger sibling, the TOPS Tanimboca BLADE STEEL: 440C stainless
Puukko. BLADE PATTERN: Wharncliffe
SOMETHING for ALL HANDLE MATERIAL: Stainless steel
This is a diverse group of neckers. Three SPECIAL FEATURES: Seat belt cutter,
qualify as concealed carry knives and
optional belt loop
have Kydex pull-down sheaths. One is
WEIGHT: 1.73 ozs.
purely for field work and, appropriately,
has a leather top-loading sheath. The OVERALL LENGTH: 5”
key disadvantage to neck knives is when SHEATH: Black Kydex
they’re worn under a garment, it can COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: China
make their access a little tricky—though MSRP: $44.95
The Bradford G-Necker offers upscale Elmax stainless steel with a Rockwell hardness
of 60-61 HRC. The blade made quick work of slicing off short lengths of tough harness
leather.
[ 54 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ NECK KNIVES ]
Three of the test neck knives offer black
Kydex pull-down sheaths. One is the
Condor Kickback, ready to jump into ac- HOW TO AVOID
tion with its comfortable paracord handle
wrap. RED NECKS
An area of concern with neck knives is
the mode of carry around your neck; in
SPEC CHECK other words, if the necklace does not
give way if it catches on somethings, it
Condor Tool & Knife can wring your neck—or worse.
Kickback Ball chains are designed to break
easily in such instances and thus are
BLADE LENGTH: 2.75” considered safe. They’re also cheap and
BLADE MATERIAL: 1075 high carbon steel easy to replace. A nylon, leather or other
BLADE STYLE: Straight back cord, on the other hand, won’t snap in
two easily. The solution? A friction or
HANDLE MATERIAL: Paracord wrap
other knot that will release from around
SPECIAL FEATURES: Ring base your neck with sufficient tension.
WEIGHT: 1.75 ozs. “Almost any knot around a loop will do
OVERALL LENGTH: 6.125” the trick, though some knots may work
SHEATH: Black Kydex better than others,” noted BLADE® reader
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: El Salvador Bob Seymour. In the accompanying
MSRP: $34.98 image are two friction knots: one tied
loosely with two different colors of cord
for clarity, and below it the same knot
tightened up more neatly on a leather
they make up for it in speed of deploy- lanyard. Note that the loop prevents the
ment once the knife is in hand. knobby end of the cord from catching
With its belt loop option, the Boker during release.
Plus Rescue is the complete package. The Experiment with different materials
Bradford G-Necker is an upscale brute of and knots and test them to see if they
a knife. The Condor Kickback offers self- will release with sufficient tension. The
defense and field capabilities. The TOPS key is to arrive at a knot that does not
Mini Tanimboca Puukko is a great little release too easily and one that won’t
release at all. If in doubt, trash the
cord and use a ball chain. For a related
approach visit https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=864FSx_cTYQ.
— by BLADE® Staff
Two friction knots for neck knife

“necklaces”: one tied loosely with two
different colors of cord for clarity, and
below it the same knot tightened up
The TOPS Mini Tanimboca Puukko is an excellent little necker for fire prep. It cut fine more neatly on a leather lanyard. (Bob
wood slivers and curlicues for tinder, and the blade spine threw righteous sparks off a Seymour image)
ferro rod.
[ 56 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ NECK KNIVES ]
The G-Necker’s thick quarter-inch-plus

steel is unusual on a neck knife but
Bradford puts it to good use. Note how the
blade tapers while the handle retains the
full thickness for a comfortable grip.
SPEC CHECK
Bradford Knives
G-Necker

BLADE STEEL: Elmax stainless
ROCKWELL HARDNESS: 60-61 HRC
BLADE PATTERN: Drop point The Boker Plus Rescue Kiridashi offers
WEIGHT: 2.69 ozs. a firm grip with its circular hole for the
OVERALL LENGTH: 6.125” index finger, but watch out for the gut-
hook-style webbing cutter. Here the thumb
SHEATH: Black Kydex rests on the gimped spine just a little too
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA close to the hook for comfort
MSRP: $99
outdoors tasker. With such choices there’s

a necker for most everyone in today’s
market.
Happy necking!

page 68.

zine, and on Facebook and Twitter. The Condor Tool & Knife Kickback provides
a hint of tactical with its swedge-ground
spine, while the blade offers a deep belly
for outdoor chores such as skinning.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 57 ]
[ USA-RUSSIA ] BY KYLE ELMQUIST
>> IMAGES BY FRANCESCO PACHI
KNIVES OF
A FEATHER
CASEY AND
PUSHKAREV PUSH
THE BOUNDARIES
OF INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION
The Dragon
Fighter sports
a 10.5-inch
blade of
Kevin Casey’s
feather-pattern
damascus
and inlay art
of mother-of-
pearl, silver
wire and opals
in the African
blackwood
handle by
Konstantin
Pushkarev.
Overall length:
15.5 inches.
[ 58 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
A
good knife testifies to the old his skills matured, so did the popularity The Elk Hunter features Pushkarev’s inlaid
elk of silver and mother-of-pearl and
saying that the whole is greater of feather-pattern damascus, a parallel Casey’s feather-pattern damascus. The
than the sum of its parts. After trajectory that has rewarded Casey with spacer is damascus and anodized titanium
all, a blade is abandoned without its hilt a full and exciting career. Eventually, he with G-10 liners. The pommel is
and a handle is pointless without whetted and his wife Marydale returned to the damascus with emerald inlay.
steel. It’s the combination of parts that small town in Wyoming where they first Blade and overall lengths: 8
and 13 inches.
makes the knife. met. Surrounded by horse pastures and
When it comes to the sharp end of the Wind River Mountains, Casey
craftsmanship, two artisans who exem- continues to forge some of the fin-
plify it oh so well via collaboration are est feather-pattern damascus ex-
bladesmith Kevin Casey and Russian in- tant.
lay artist Konstantin Pushkarev. Despite Pushkarev was introduced the region has used wire inlay to
vast differences in language, culture and to the art of wire inlay in decorate various items, ranging
distance—5,000 miles of it—Pushkarev 1996. Originally from from guns and knives to hair clips and
and the Wyoming-based Casey have the town of Tula, Rus- combs. It is a traditional art handed down
joined to create some most striking and sia, he was raised with from master to student, requiring years
exquisite knives. an innate ap- of practice and unwavering patience. His
Holding a Casey-Pushkarev knife feels preciation for college education in the fine arts offered
like art met purpose with steel and wood. the craft. For a solid foundation for growth. After five
Oscillating strokes of silver, slate and over 300 years years of working on women’s jewelry
midnight black fan down a 9-inch blade
of feather-pattern damascus steel into a
finely etched bolster, seamlessly bound to
a handle of marbled ironwood decorated
with layers of silver, copper and mother-
of-pearl inlay—all painting a picture of a
roaming bison. Clearly, the knife is one of
a kind. The aesthetics are so complemen-
tary it seems to have been created by kin,
when in fact it’s quite the opposite.
Casey and Pushkarev grew up on ei-
ther side of the Cold War, taught to op-
pose the other country and its ideology.
Each went on to college, got married,
raised families and inevitably discovered
their chosen crafts. Decades rolled by,
global politics shifted, and each art-
ist refined his skills, unaware that his
greatest colleague was waiting on the
other side of the globe. It wasn’t un-
til seven years ago, when they were
already seasoned craftsmen, that
their paths crossed and their col-
laboration began.
PARALLEL
TRAJECTORY
A 5-inch blade of
Casey discovered bladesmithing in 1995, feather-pattern
while raising a family on the outskirts of damascus and a
Boston, Massachusetts. He was captivat- macauba wood
ed by the craft and naturally inclined to handle with inlay
of spider, moth
the nuances of a forge and anvil. Within and spider web in
a handful of years he progressed dramati- blue moonstone,
cally, and by the early 2000s was already silver wire and
learning new techniques to forge steel. mother-of-pearl
By 2005, he was a full-time professional distinguish the
Spider Dagger.
knifemaker. His taste for feather-pattern Overall length: 10
damascus was rare at the time, which inches.
marked his style highly reputable. As
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 59 ]
[ USA-RUSSIA ]
A stunning mother-of-
pearl eagle inlaid into
and billiard cues, Pushkarev graduated laughter and head scratching. Once the
silver wire inlay in the to knife work. By 2001, he was a well- blade style was decided and the inlay im-
handle helps highlight respected inlay professional. His ability to age refined, each craftsman retired to his
the Eagle Head use hardwoods such as Asian ebony and workshop for the long and meticulous
Fighter. The 10.5-inch African blackwood distinguish his work process of his craft. Weeks later, Casey re-
blade is feather-
pattern damascus as elite, standing out from a crowd where ceived a package containing Pushkarev’s
and the spacer is softer grains like maple are typically the ornate silver inlay on a rich ebony hilt. He
damascus, bronze norm. Recognized as one of Moscow’s assembled the handle and blade in awe,
and mother-of-pearl. premier inlay masters, he continues to and realized that the knife they made to-
Overall length: 15.5
inches.
create intricate and extraordinary im- gether was indeed greater than the sum
pressions on the world’s most beautiful of its parts.
and challenging hardwoods. Since then, Casey and Pushkarev have
In 2013, Casey and Pushkarev were in- only galvanized as a team in their quest
troduced by a mutual friend. They con- to create the finest artisan knives in the
nected through Facebook, shared photos, world. Together they decide on an artis-
and quickly realized that their talents tic image, like a buffalo, eagle or feather,
and styles were complementary. Through and use that theme to organize their cre-
emails strained by rickety translations, ativity. When the two craftsmen share a
they began to cobble together the idea clear vision of the knife, they turn to their
for a collaborative knife. The process workshops and begin the many hours of
proved to be more difficult than expected, focused labor.
though far more rewarding as well. The In the Wyoming foothills, Casey heats
two craftsmen became good friends while up the forge for the assiduous task of
trading sketches and drawings, stumbling welding feather-pattern damascus, a long
over the language barrier with bouts of and technical process that he enjoys very
A 9-inch blade of
feather-pattern
damascus leads
off the Buffalo
Spirit Hunter, The First Nations
followed by Fighter (right)
mother-of-pearl is based on the
and silver wire indigenous peoples
inlay in the African and Native American
blackwood handle. communities of
The fileworked Western Canada
guard is 416 and the USA. The
stainless steel ironwood handle is
and the spacer inlaid with “spirit
is damascus and heads” in a darker
turquoise. Overall version of ironwood,
length: 15 inches. silver wire, copper
inserts and an
abalone eye. Blade
and overall lengths:
9.5 and 14.5 inches.
[ 60 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ USA-RUSSIA ]
Turquoise, mother-of-
pearl and silver wire
comprise the inlay of
the Shaman Buffalo’s HAWKINS KNIFE MAKING SUPPLIES
African blackwood
handle. The 10.25-inch 110 BUCKEYE RD., FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
PHONE 770-964-1023
blade is feather-pattern
damascus, the guard is
damascus, the spacer is
damascus/bronze, and the Contact us for your
damascus pommel is inlaid
with a turquoise cabochon. Knifemaking Supplies and Equipment!
Overall length: 15.25 inches.
www.HawkinsKnifeMakingSupplies.com
Send $2.00 for Complete Listing • ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
much. Over a blazing forge he
welds layers of steel together,
then takes the glowing red bil-
let and hammers it into cohe-
sion on the anvil. After the billet
becomes one, he splits it down
the center, fanning out buried lay-
ers of steel, and then forge welds
the billet once more. Satisfied with
the intricate pattern, he begins to
grind away, sculpting it into a blade,
and then polishes the edge to perfec-
tion.
Meanwhile, tucked away in a work-
shop on the outskirts of Moscow, Push-
karev carves a piece of exotic hardwood
into an ergonomic handle and sands it
smooth. After the wood is shaped, he
draws out the chosen image with a mi-
nuscule etching tool, then patiently uses a
chisel and hammer to cut tiny grooves in
the wood, creating a skeleton for his art-
TEXAN KNIVES
work. Inlays of silver, copper and colored 24022 Loop 494 Suite B, Porter, Texas 77365
DIRECT: 281-235-9516
mother-of-pearl are carefully inserted
and glued into the indentations, bringing
the empty space to life with a treasured OFFICE: 281-354-6620
EMAIL: Texanknives@hotmail.com
image. Pleased by the final inlay, he sands
the hilt to its finest grain, seals the wood,
and mails it across the Atlantic to his col- WEB: Texanknives.com
league in America. Casey assembles the
handle and blade, making the master-
piece whole, and then sends the custom
knife on to its future owner.
FOR DEALERS, CONTACT US
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 61 ]
[ USA-RUSSIA ]
The African
blackwood handle
(far left) is inlaid
with eight opals,
mother-of-pearl
and silver wire on
the Persian Feather.
The 7-inch blade
is feather-pattern
damascus and the
engraved guard is
416 stainless steel.
inches.
Based on classical
Russian baroque
scrolls, Scrolled
Feather has a
10.5-inch blade of
feather-pattern
damascus and an
African blackwood
handle inlaid with
mother-of-pearl,
silver wire and
coral. The spacer
is damascus with
bronze and the
damascus pommel
is inlaid with a ruby.
inches
M
MUTUAL GREATNESS
M · BADER · BALDOR · BURR KING · DEERFOS · DAMASTEEL · DYNABRADE · ELECTRO CHE E It is rare to find a collaboration of two
·3
TCH · EVENHEAT · HARDCORE PRODUCTS
©
craftsmen that brings out the best in each
HERMES · KALAMAZOO · KLINGSPOR ·
other, to forge a relationship that encour-

ages mutual greatness. Their contribution
represents something pure in the artistic
process, a cohesion that is ambivalent to
distance, language or culture, but rather
bound by the integrity of craftsmanship.
760 East Francis Street, Unit N (909) 923-4116 After six years of making knives together,
Ontario, California 91761 trugritinc@gmail.com
ABRASIVE BELTS, BLOCKS, DISCS, PADS, ROLLS, STONES & WHEELS ∙ ADHESIVES ∙ BLADE BLANKS ∙ the two finally met in person at the 2019
BUFFERS ∙ BUFFING WHEELS ∙ CARBON FIBER ∙ COMPOUNDS ∙ DAMASCUS ∙ ETCHING SUPPLIES ∙ KILNS ∙ FICX Knife Show in Paris, France. They
GRINDERS ∙ HANDLE MATERIALS ∙ HARDWARE ∙ HEAT TREATING PRODUCTS & SERVICES ∙ KNIFE CASES ∙ talked and laughed like old friends, as if
KYDEX ∙ LINERS ∙ MACHINES & ACCESSORIES ∙ MOSAIC PINS ∙ PARTS ∙ SAFETY PRODUCTS ∙
SCOTCH-BRITE ∙ SHARPENING SUPPLIES ∙ SHEETS ∙ STEELS ∙ TITANIUM & MUCH MORE they had known each other since child-
M TM ·
E RIT · NORTON · PEARL · STANDARD ABRASIVES · SURGI-SHARP · VSM · WALTER · WILTON hood. In different accents of English, they
both proclaim, “our greatest knife is still
to come.”
CHAD NICHOLS DAMASCUS All Casey-Pushkarev artisan knives are

custom made and sold directly from art-
ist to buyer. The team offers folding knives
High carbon, high contrast Damascus and fixed blades that range from $1,500 to
Stainless Damascus $10,000. For more information visit kev-
Mosaic Damascus incaseycustomknives.com.
Mokume For the latest knives, knife news, trends
Large quantities and wholesale and more visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s
pricing available popular Instagram page @blade_maga-
662.538.5966 662.255.0524 www.chadnicholsdamascus.com
[ 62 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ SHORT CUTS ] BY BLADE ® STAFF
Cold Steel is Sold ------------------------ to get it going because something always ing methods was equally proficient. He
Cold Steel, among the leading specialty seemed to get in the way. Now that’s no was awarded the Nate Posner Award by
knife companies over the past 40 years, longer the case. the Knifemakers’ Guild in 2002 for his
has been purchased by GSM Outdoors. “Why did I start it? Honestly I have a many contributions to the Guild over the
According to its website (gsmoutdoors. few reasons,” he wrote on his Facebook years. The big, friendly Frenchman suc-
com), GSM specializes in innovative out- page. For one, he indicated he long has cumbed to a heart attack on September 3.
door products such as Stealth Cam, Wild- received requests for affordable using
view, Epic Action Cameras, Walker’s, knives not made in China. “Much of what
Cyclops Lighting, Maestro Game Calls I make custom is quite expensive,” he
and more. It is based in Irving, Texas, a continued. “I wanted to provide a knife of
suburb of Dallas. custom quality but at an affordable price.
Founded by Lynn Thompson in 1980, I wanted it all American made. And I
Cold Steel was among the first, if not the wanted to build a company my kids can
first, company to reproduce the Ameri- help in and maybe one day run. I want
can tanto blade pattern made famous by to run a company that Frenchtown and
custom knifemaker Bob Lum. Based in Montanans are proud of.”
Ventura, California, the company spe- Josh launched the company this past
cialized in Asian-style blades early on and summer, “and it’s been incredible,” he
expanded into other areas of fixed blades noted. “In the beginning I was hiring
and folders. It is known for its San Mai marketing help but in the end brought
III® steel and the Tri-Ad™ locking mecha- Brandon Horoho on as a partner. Our ex-
nism, among others. Custom knifemak- perience and expertise couldn’t be more
ers Andrew Demko, Lloyd Pendleton, different, which makes it perfect.”
the late Steve Likarich and others have The knives are “100 percent made in
designed knives for the company over the USA” and include several fixed blades
the years. The company also has been employing 52100 carbon blade steel,
known for its many videos testing its cord wrap handles and more, and Kydex Joe was killed
knives, swords, tomahawks, spears and sheaths. Manufacturer’s suggested retail in a motorcycle
more—often by Thompson himself—in prices are in the $225 range. For more in- crash on Sept. 18,
any number of ways. formation visit www.montanaknifecom- 2017, but BLADE
Joe Olson
“Cold Steel is an iconic, best-in-class pany.com. had just learned of (inset) made
brand that Lynn Thompson has built over it at press time. A the cover of the
the last 40 years by pushing the needle on Anglade and Olson ---------------------- maker of “theme- January 2011
innovation and new testing standards,” BLADE® has learned of the loss of two based art knives,” BLADE® with
noted Eddie Castro, CEO of GSM Out- friends of the knife community with the the resident of one of his self-
styled “guitar
doors. “His users are some of the most passing of knife scribe Francis Anglade Great Falls, Mon- knives” called
loyal followers I’ve ever seen, and a testa- and knifemaker Joe Olson. tana, will be re- “It’s Only Rock
ment to what he has built. The team and A veteran writer from Toulouse, membered by And Roll.”
I are highly enthusiastic about bringing France, Francis was one of BLADE’s best long-time BLADE
this legendary brand into the GSM family connections with the French, European, readers for his
and broadening our current line of cut- Russian and other custom knife scenes, “guitar knives,” including his It’s Only
lery offerings.” including profiles of award-winning Rock and Roll folder on the cover of the
According to thefirearmblog.com, French knife- January 2011 issue. The knife was notable
Thompson and Demko will continue to maker Pierre for its mosaic damascus blade forged with
help design Cold Steel knives. In a taped Reverdy and images of guitars throughout, and an
interview, Thompson said one of the rea- others. Francis enamel handle with likenesses of a guitar,
sons he chose GSM is that it promised was bi-lingual guitarist and a concert ticket exhibiting
to continue his legacy and maintain the and understood the words “Admit One.” He learned how
high performance and quality of Cold and wrote Eng- to forge mosaic damascus steel from Rick
Steel knives. He said GSM has the finan- lish very well, Dunkerley, Wade Colter, Shane Taylor,
cial resources to take Cold Steel to a level and his knowl- Ed Schempp and Barry Gallagher, among
it would take him a lifetime to achieve. edge of knives, others.
knifemakers
Josh’s New Knife Company ------ and knifemak- For the latest knives, knife news, trends
ABS master Josh Smith of Frenchtown, and more visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s
Montana, has started a new knife outfit popular Instagram page @blade_
called Montana Knife Co. Francis Anglade (left) reacts after receiv- magazine, and on Facebook and Twitter.
ing the plaque for the Nate Posner Award
The enterprise had been a dream of from Frank Centofante (right) at the 2002
Josh’s for years but he had not been able Knifemakers’ Guild Show.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 63 ]
[ SHOW CALENDAR ] BY BLADE ® STAFF
Note: Events with an asterisk (*) have knives and knife accessories as the main/sole focus. Events with two asterisks (**) are knifemaking
seminars or symposiums, cutting competitions, auctions or other knife-related events.
JANUARY -------------------------- (page 92). Contact BLADE®, c/o Alicia RESCHEDULED! APRIL 17-18
JAN. 23-24 LAS VEGAS, NV Tactical Newton blade@bladeshow.com.* ** EASTON, PA The Lehigh Valley Knife
Knife Invitational and Las Vegas Custom Show, Charles Chrin Community Center
CANCELED! MARCH 26-28 of Palmer Township. Call Fred Eisen
Knife Show. For more information visit
JANESVILLE, WI Badger Knife Show, 215-262-9447 or visit paknifeshows.com.*
https://r1promotions.com/.*
Holiday Inn Express and Janesville
JAN. 29-31 LAKELAND, FL The 43rd Conference Center. Contact Bob Schrap, MAY -------------------------------------------
Annual Gator Cutlery Club Show, RP Dept. BL2, POB 511, Elm Grove, WI MAY 1-2 MYSTIC, CT The 39th Annual
Funding Center (formerly the Lakeland 53122 414-479-9765 badgerknifeclub@ NCCA Extravaganza Knife Show, Mystic
Center). Contact Dan Piergallini 813- aol.com.* Marriott. Contact Larry Clifford 401-
754-3908 or 813-967-1471, or visit 742-6779 lcliff1@verizon.net.*
MARCH 27-28 GODFREY, IL Bunker
gatorcutlery.com. *
Hill Knife Club Show. Contact Tim MAY 28 NASHVILLE, TN Tactical
JAN. 30-31 ST. LOUIS, MO Gateway Bryant 618-531-0011 tbryant@yahoo. Knife Invitational and Nashville Custom
Area Knife Club Cutlery Fair, Sheet com or Gene Winston 618-288-6974 for Knife Show. For more information visit
Metal Workers Hall. Contact Steve more information.* https://r1promotions.com/.*
Markus 314-795-4262 smarkus@gakc. JUNE -----------------------------------------
CANCELED! MARCH 27-28
org, gakc.org, Facebook: gakc.st.louis.* JUNE 4-6 ATLANTA, GA The 40th
DALTON, GA Dalton Georgia Knife
FEBRUARY --------------------- Roadshow, Northwest Georgia Trade Annual BLADE Show, Cobb Galleria
FEB. 26-27 LITTLE ROCK, AR and Convention Center. Contact J Bruce Centre, I-285 & US 41, one exit off
I-75 across from the Cumberland
Arkansas Custom Knife Show, Voyles Auctioneers and Appraisers,
Mall, adjacent to the Renaissance
Statehouse Convention Center. Visit attn.: Bruce Voyles 423-238-6753
Waverly Hotel. World’s largest show
artknife.com for more information.* knifeauctions@gmail.com, jbrucevoyles.
of handmade, factory and antique
com.*
FEB. 27-28 LEWISBURG, PA The 32nd knives. A combined total of nearly
1,000 exhibitor tables and booths.
Annual Keystone Blade Association APRIL ------------------------------------
Knife Show, Country Cupboard Inn. Join the world’s greatest national and
APRIL 8-11 MCCALLA, AL The 32nd
Contact Skip Fryling 570-204-1544 international knifemakers, cutlery
Batson Bladesmithing Symposium & manufacturers, collectors, collections
knifeguy248@yahoo.com.* Knife Show, Tannehill Iron Works. and knife lovers. Site of the BLADE
MARCH -------------------------------- Contact James Batson james.l.batson@ Magazine 2021 Knife Of-The-Year®
MARCH 5-6 TROY, OH Spirit gmail.com.* ** Awards for factory knives, the BLADE
of the Blade Custom Knife Show, Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame©
APRIL 10-11 TULSA, OK
Miami County Fairgrounds, Duke- inductions and much more. Host to
Wanenmacher’s Tulsa Arms Show,
Lundgard Building. Contact Misty BLADE University, the annual ABS
Tulsa Fairgrounds. Contact mail@
and Joel Worley 937-638-9518 meeting and more. Seminars include
tulsaarmsshow.com, 918-492- the BLADE Show World Championship
maplewoodforge@gmail.com facebook.
0401 mail@tulsaarmsshow.com, Cutting Competitions, how to use,
com/sotbcustomknifeshow/.
tulsaarmsshow.com, gunshowtrader. how to make, youth clubs, etc. Contact
MARCH 12-15 NURNBERG, com/gun-shows/wanenmachers-tulsa- BLADE®, c/o Alicia Newton blade@
GERMANY The IWA Show, for the arms-show/. bladeshow.com.* **
trade only. For more information visit
APRIL 10-11 EUGENE, OR The SEPTEMBER ----------------
iwa.info.
46th Annual Oregon Knife Collectors SEPT. 2-4 LAS VEGAS, NV The
MARCH 26-27 FORT WORTH, Association Show, Exhibit Hall, Lane 12th Annual Gathering of the Usual
TX International Custom Cutlery Events Center and Fairgrounds. Contact Suspect Network, Trader’s Cove, Planet
Exposition, Fort Worth Stockyards, Dennis Ellingsen 541-484-5564 okca@ Hollywood Resort & Casino. Visit
under new BLADE Show management oregonknifeclub.org.* usngathering.com.*
[ 64 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
OCTOBER -------------------------
OCT. 30 LAS VEGAS, NV Art Knife
Invitational, M Hotel Casino Resort 4857 South Orange Blossom Trail
and Spa in Las Vegas. Visit https://aki. Orlando, Florida 32839 407-855-8075
show/.*
NEW 80TH ANNIVERSARY CATALOG – PRICE $2.00
NOVEMBER ------------------- INTL. MAILING – CATALOG US $6.00 http://www.randallknives.com
NOV. 13-14 TULSA, OK Wanenmacher’s
Tulsa Arms Show, Tulsa Fairgrounds.
Contact mail@tulsaarmsshow.com, 918-
492-0401 mail@tulsaarmsshow.com,
tulsaarmsshow.com, gunshowtrader.com/
WANT A RAZOR EDGE?
gun-shows/wanenmachers-tulsa-arms- • No experience needed • Quick & fast
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NOV. 19-20 JERSEY CITY, NJ New • Handmade right here • Tells you when you’re
York Custom Knife Show, Westin at Knives Plus finished
Jersey City Newport. For more visit
fiftyfiftyproductions.net/new-york- KNIVES PLUS STROP BLOCK
custom-knife-show.* 800-687-6202 OR WWW.KNIVESPLUS.COM
We are a stocking dealer of most major knife brands since 1987.
------2022 ------
MAY -------------------------------------------
MAY 14 BOISE, ID Nordic Knives
Invitational Knife Show. For more
information visit nordicknives.com.*
Editor’s note: Due to possible last-minute

cancellations, if you plan to attend any of the
shows listed, please contact them for more
information.
To ensure timely publication of your knife

show in the “Show Calendar,” BLADE®
requests that you email all pertinent
information concerning your show in written
form—dates, locations, etc.—at least three
months before the show takes place to
BLADE c/o Lori McDaniel at lori@gundigest.
com and/or Steve Shackleford at steve@
blademag.com. BLADE depends on the
shows themselves for prompt and accurate
information.

popular Instagram page @blade_
magazine, and on Facebook and Twitter.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 65 ]
[ WHERE TO GET ’EM ]
FEVER PITCH p. 12 877-969-0909 info@smgoutdoor.com, steelwillknives.
Wess Barnhill 5846 Meadows Run, Spotsylvania, VA com
22551 Contact: 540-582-8758, wess.barnhill@gmail.
com, wessbarnhillknives.com; Tashi Bharucha, https:// EMERGENCY EDC p. 44
www.instagram.com/tashibharucha/; BladeGallery. Hogue Knives, attn: Bill Crook, Dept. BL2, POB 91360,
com, attn: D. O’Malley, Dept. BL2, 107 Central Way, Henderson, NV 89009 805-239-1440 800-438-4747
Kirkland, WA 98033 425-889-5980 www.bladegal- office@hogueinc.com, hogueknives.com; Spyderco,
lery.com; CAS/Sobral Brothers, casknives.com; attn: J. Laituri, Dept. BL2, 820 Spyderco Way, Golden,
Andrew and John Demko, info@andrewdemko.com, CO 80403 800-525-7770 spyderco.com, sfo@
demkoknives.com; Kamil Dlugosz, info@polishcus- spyderco.com; Utica, Dept. BL2, 820 Noyes, Utica, NY
tomknives.com, polishcustomknives.com; Exquisite 13503 315-733-4663 www.kutmaster.com
Knives, attn: Dave Ellis, Dept. BL2, 770 Sycamore Ave.,
Ste. 122, Box 451, Vista, CA 92083 760-945-7177 HANDMADE GALLERY p. 50
NEXT IN exquisiteknives@gmail.com; www.exquisiteknives.

com; Knifepurveyor.com; Sam Lurquin Hameau Du
Bois, Hoyaux 10, 7133 Buvrinnes Belgique, Binches,
Tom Buckner, 360-970-1668, tbuckner1967@gmail.
com, bucknerknives.com, Instagram: tom_buck-
ner_knives; Richard Dawes, 573-308-3101, dawesr@
BLADE ®
BELGIUM Contact: 0032-478-349-051, knifespirit@
hotmail.com, samuel-lurquin.com; Oleksii Nesterenko,
mst.edu; Lord Scott S. Dickison, 603-728-9428,
squared22@gmail.com, SquareDKnives.com,
contact@toolsforgents.com, toolsforgents.com; Luis Instagram/Facebook: LordDickison/Scott Dickison;
Mails in Pina, https://www.instagram.com/c.luispinaknives/; James Fleming, 903-815-3001, mingojmf@gmail.
Early January Steve Randall 3438 Oak Ridge Cir., Lincolnton, NC com, Instagram/Facebook: American_wastelander/
28092 Contact: 704-472-4957, steve@ ksrblades. James Fleming; Jordan LaMothe, 518-368-5147,
com, ksrblades.com; Robertson Custom Cutlery, cus- jordanlamotheblades@gmail.com, jordanlamothe.com,
tomknives@comcast.net, www.robertsoncustomcut- Instagram/Facebook: jordanlamotheblades/Jordan La-
lery.com; Scott Sawby 480 Snowberry Ln, Sandpoint, Mothe Blades; Joshua Prince, 401-419-6750, jprince@
ID 83864 Contact: 208-263-4253, scotmar3@gmail. fedex.com, princeworksforge.com, Instagram: prince-
com, sawbycustomknives.com; Steel Addiction worksforge; Michael Tyre, 602-377-8432, azbiker88@
Custom Knives, Dept. BL2, attn: Dave Stark, 2058 N. hotmail.com, MikeTyreCustomKnives.com, Instagram/
Mills Ave. #449, Claremont, CA 91711 909-731-3903 Facebook: miketyreknives/Michael A Tyre; James
www.SteelAddictionKnives.com, steeladdiction1@ White, 972-880-2865, jaw1057@gmail.com
gmail.com; Willem Steenkamp, wfsteenkamp@
vodamail.co.za, steenkampcustomknives.com; Andre RIGHT NECKS to YOU p. 52
Thorburn P.O. Box 1748, Bela Bela, Warmbaths, LP, Boker USA, attn: N. Nevins, Dept. BL2, 1550 Balsam
•TEXAS SHARP: SOUTH AFRICA 0480 Contact: 27-82-650- 1441, (fax) St., Lakewood, CO 80214 800-835-6433 fax 303-
27-86-750-2765, andrethorburn@gmail.com, thor- 586-6022 sales@bokerusa.com, www.bokerusa.
ICCE PREVIEW burnknives.co.za; True North Knives, attn: N. Ostroff, com; Bradford Knives, attn.: Brad Larkin, Dept. BL2,
Dept. BL2, 2455 Hollywood Blvd., Ste. 201, Hollywood, 5810 S 194th Street, KENT, WA 98032 206-819-1516
FL 33020 954-453-1104 866-748-9985 fax 954-453- brad@bradfordknives.com; Condor Tool & Knife, attn:
•COLLECTOR GUIDE 1105 TNKUSA.com R. Jones, Dept. BL2, 9924 Universal Blvd. #224-106,
TO DAMASCUS Orlando, FL 32819 407-458-9396 fax 407-458-9397
TOTE ’EM IF YA’ GOT ’EM p. 28 rtj@att.net, condortk.com; TOPS Knives, attn: Craig
Medford Knife & Tool, attn.: Greg Medford, 17464 N. Powell, Dept. BL2, 3415 E. 109 N., Idaho Falls, ID
•FOUND: SANTA ANNA 25th Ave., Dept. BL2, Phoenix, AZ 85027 623-249- 83401 208-542-0113 info@topsknives.com, www.
4506 medfordknife.com, medfordcustomerservice@ topsknives.com
ARMY SWORD? medfordknife.com; Pro-Tech Knives, attn: D. Wat-
tenberg, Dept. BL2, 17115 Alburtis Ave., Artesia, CHAIN OF TOOLS p. 72
CA 90701-2616 562-860-0678 protechknives.com, Al Mar Knives, attn: J. Anthon, Dept. BL2, 315 Hawkins
•SPRING FLING: BIRD & service@protechknives.com; Smith’s Consumer Rd., Travelers Rests, SC 29690 almarknives.com,
TROUT KNIVES Products Inc., attn: C. Shaw or R. Dukes, Dept. BL2, info@almarknives.com; Bear & Son Cutlery, attn: M.
747 Mid-America Blvd., Hot Springs, AR 71913-8414 Griffey, Dept. BL2, 1111 Bear Blvd. SW, Jacksonville,
501-321-2244 or 800-221-4156 sales@smithsprod- AL 36265 256-435-2227 800-844-3034 info@bear-
•CPM S45VN: ucts.com, smithsproducts.com; V Nives, attn.: M. andson.com, www.bearandsoncutlery.com; Gerber,
Vellekamp, Dept. BL2, 9918 162nd St., Ct. E., Ste. 4, attn: A. Gritzbaugh, Dept. BL2, 14200 SW 72nd, Port-
SUPER STEEL OR NO? Puyallup, WA 98375 303-263-2468 https://vnives.com, land, OR 97223 800-950-6161 www.gerbergear.com;
info@vnives.com mvellekamp@gmail.com Outdoor Edge, attn: D. Bloch, Dept. BL2, 5000 Osage
St. #800, , Denver, CO 80221 800-447-3343 303-530-
•FRESH-CATCH FILLET HALLMARK of EDC p. 34 7667 moreinfo@outdooredge.com, outdooredge.com
KNIVES Citadel, c/o CAS Iberia, attn: B. Pogue, Dept. BL2,
650 Industrial Blvd., Sale Creek, TN 37373-9797 For the latest knives, knife news, trends and
423.332.4700 bpogue@casiberia.com, www.casi- more visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s popular
•THE CLASS OF COPPER beria.com; CRKT, attn: M. May, Dept. BL2, 18348 SW Instagram page @blade_magazine, and on
126th Place, Tualatin, OR 97062 800-891-3100 info@ Facebook and Twitter.
AND BRASS crkt.com, www.crkt.com; Puma SGB, attn: T. Guthrie,
Dept. BL2, 13934 West 108th St., Lenexa, KS 66215
913-888-5524 www.pumaknifecompanyusa.com,
customerservice@pumaknifecompanyusa.com; Steel
Will, c/o Sport Manufacturing Group, Dept. BL2, 1840
County Line Rd., Ste. 111, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006
[ 68 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
MARKETPLACE
For Advertising Information contact: Lori McDaniel, Advertising Sales
lori@gundigest.com | 715.498.3768
Advertising Deadlines: !PRIL issue – *ANUARY 2
>Q@@Q6
SCAGEL 6MW<IK\QKIT
Knives, Carving <PM1V\MOZIT
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TM
*We are not affiliated with the “R.W. Loveless Knives” logos and products being made after Bob’s death or any late period knives.
Largest Selection In The World Of Vintage Knives by Buy-Sell-Trade
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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 69 ]
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www.agrussell.com www.bladeops.com www.jerzeedevil.com
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Automatic & Customized Knife www.jimhammondknives.com
Specialists Buckeye Engraving jim@jimhammondknives.com
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terry@admiralsteel.com Dies and Brands info@knifecenter.com
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Alaska - Northern Knives www.crkt.com www.knifekits.com
www.northernknives.com info@crkt.com We Ship Worldwide
A Real Store & Working Knife Shop!
Culpepper & Co., Inc. Knives Plus
American Edge www.knifehandles.com www.knivesplus.com
www.americanedgeknives.com www.oldschoolknifeworks.com knivesplus@knivesplus.com
info@americanedgeknives.com www.stingrayproducts.com
320-393-2792 info@culpepperco.com L.T. Wright Handcrafted Knives
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Cutlery Specialties info@ltwrightknives.com
Artknives.com www.restorationproduct.com
www.artknives.com dennis13@aol.com LATAMA Cutlery
fred@fredeisenleather.com Renaissance Micro-Crystalline www.latama.com
Wax/Polish, Dennis Blaine pick@latama.com
Andre de Villiers Spring Steel-Oil-Newsletter
www.advtactical.co.za Emerson Knives
Facebook - Andre de Villiers www.emersonknives.com Lee's Cutlery
adv44sales@gmail.com info@emersonknives.com www.leescutlery.com
Butcher SOB folders. beeneJL43@earthlink.net
Hawkins Knife Making Supplies
Arizona Custom Knives www.hawkinsknifemakingsupplies.com Martin Butler Engraver
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sharptalk@arizonacustomknives.com One-Of-A-Kind Engraver
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Dozier Knives and Arkansas Made notification list. mlds@tm.net
Dozier, Inc. Purveyor of Custom Knives
www.dozierknives.com Jantz Supply
info@dozierknives.com www.knifemaking.com New Graham Knives
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BladeGallery.com Quality knifemaking supplies for over mdye@newgraham.com
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[ WHERE TO NET'EM ]
Off-Grid Knives RECON 1 Smoky Mountain Knife Works

offgridknives.com www.Recon1.com www.smokymountainknifeworks.com
offgrid@offgridknives.com sales@Recon1.com webmaster@smkw.com
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Over-Engineered & Underpriced Knives, Shirogorov Knives, and Sooner State Knives
Hard-Use Knives WingManEDC Knives. www.soonerstateknives.com
ssknives@swbell.net
Plaza Cutlery Red Hill Cutlery
www.plazacutlery.com www.redhillcutlery.com Stcroixblades.com
dan@plazacutlery.com jrbasham@redhillcutlery.com info@stcroixblades.com
Randall, Reeve, Medford & others Large Collection Buyer, & Retailer
Rob Wright Knives Knives, & Japanese Swords
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www.pvk.com robwright57@yahoo.com True North Knives
2020@pvk.com High quality custom knives www.truenorthknives.com
Largest selection of Microtech & info@truenorthknives.com
Marfione in the world Santa Fe Stoneworks
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Rat Worx, Inc. knives@RT66.com www.riversidemachine.net
www.ratworxusa.com Unique one of a kind gemstone uncleal@riversidemachine.net
guns@ratworxusa.com handled cutlery
TO LIST YOUR WEBSITE PLEASE CONTACT:

LORI MCDANIEL:715-498-3768 • lori@gundigest.com
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
A E M T
Admiral Steel/Terry Summers ........ 33 Evenheat Kiln, Inc........................... 65 Masecraft Supply Co ...................... 23 Texan Knives .................................. 61
American Bladesmith Master Cutlery ................................ 20 TFS Knives ..................................... 69
Society, Inc ................................... 47 F MGE Wholesale................................ 9 TOPS Knives .................................... 2
Arizona Ironwood............................ 20 Fallkniven ........................................ 15 Tormach, LLC ................................. 43
Fenixlight Limited .............................. 3 N Tru-Grit ............................................ 62
B NC Tool Company .......................... 46 True North Knives........................... 31
BladeGallery ................................... 19 G Niagara Specialty Metals.................. 8
Blue Ridge Knives .......................... 69 GTC Knives .................................... 20 Nichols Damascus Inc .................... 62 V
Boker USA ................................ 18, 47 Nordic Knives.................................... 8 VZ Grips .......................................... 14
Bradford Knives .............................. 54 H
Britton, Tim...................................... 33 Halfbreed Blades Australia Pty Ltd. 83 R W
Buckeye Engraving-Steel Stamps . 65 Hawkins Knifemaking Supplies...... 61 Randall Made Knives ..................... 65 White, Gordon................................. 69
Recon 1........................................... 57
C J
CAS Iberia....................................... 61 Jantz Supply ............................. 17, 21 S
Chris Reeve Knives .......................... 5 John Denton ................................... 69 Smith’s Consumer Products .......... 15
Smoky Mountain Knife Works.......... 7
D K Spartan Blades ............................... 61
Dave Ellis/Exquisiteknives.com ..... 27 Kayne Custom Hardware dba Spyderco, Inc .................................... 5
Davidson, Edmund ......................... 69 Blacksmith’s Depot ....................... 31
Dozier Knives.................................. 46 Knife & Gun Finishing Supplies ..... 37
Knives Plus ..................................... 65
Krudo Knives .................................. 69
Don’t Miss The Next 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.
Lori McDaniel
Advertising Sales Issue Date Ad Deadline
Magazine 715-498-3768 November 2020 August 12, 2020
ORDER YOUR ADVERTISING TODAY! lori@gundigest.com December 2020 September 02, 2020
[ KEYCHAIN CUTTERS ] BY MIKE HASKEW BLADE® FIELD EDITOR
>> IMAGES BY PARTICIPATING COMPANIES
CHAIN OF TOOLS
Few knives capture the

spirit of EDC better than
keychain models. The
Gerber Key Note—here in
the open position and in its
element—is one.
4 COOL
F
rom a conversation piece to the practical small knife that can be easily at-
handiest blade available, nothing tached to a keychain or carried in one’s
adds to the everyday carry KEYCHAIN pocket.
equation better than the right keychain
knife. With little notice until needed, a
KNIVES ARE “We opted to make three colors to ac-
commodate a larger audience,” William
keychain cutter is ready for action but AFFORDABLE, continued. “Obviously, the orange is great
doesn’t weigh down the pocket or take up for high visibility, reducing the chance of
too much space in a purse.
COMPACT AND losing the knife, while the black is a little
At Outdoor Edge, the MiniGrip, Mini- FUNCTIONAL more inconspicuous, and the pink seems
Blaze, and MiniBabe are the same knife to be a hit with the female audience.”
differentiated only by color in black, Designed in Colorado and sporting
blaze—an orange shade—and pink, re- director William Morgan. “We designed a low manufacturer’s suggested retail
spectively. “They’re designed to meet these knives in three colors to cater to all price (MSRP) of $20.95, each knife in the
the needs of anyone who needs a small knife enthusiasts. When we developed Outdoor Edge series includes a 2.2-inch
lightweight blade that is always within this series of knives, we noticed a gap in 8Cr13MoV stainless steel blade, rubber
reach,” related Outdoor Edge marketing the market for an affordable and mostly TPR handle, 1.4-ounce weight and 2.9-
[ 72 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
The Outdoor Edge
MiniGrip, MiniBlaze, and
MiniBabe are the same
keychain knife differentiated
only by color in black, blaze—an
orange shade—and pink, respectively.
“They’re designed to meet the needs of
anyone who needs a small lightweight
blade that is always within reach,” re-
lated Outdoor Edge marketing director
William Morgan.
inch closed length. Each model comes blade of 440 stainless steel, stainless signed for anyone looking for a durable
complete with a lanyard that makes at- handle, weight of 2.3 ounces, and closed blade they can keep concealed and on
taching to a keychain a snap. Each has an length of 2.875 inches. According to Ea- hand, with or without pockets,” explained
ambidextrous thumb stud for easy one- ton, the blade length is ideal for typical AMK representative Justin Rabon. “Our
hand opening as well. cutting tasks encountered on a daily ba- users find creative ways to incorporate
“The razor sharp blade is up to any sis. “Cutting boxes open, adjusting cord- these on their bags, gear and keys. We
task, from opening the latest round of age length and other similar chores are feel this versatility can help reach a wide
Amazon Prime boxes to cutting rope or easy with the sturdy framelock design,” range of users across many different life-
even performing field dressing tasks,” he noted, “and one can cut confidently.” styles. We want our keychain knives to be
Morgan concluded. “The rubberized TPR Another utilitarian feature is the built-in practical for the majority of our users. We
handle serves a few functions. First, this bottle opener. want to find the needs in the industry and
is a small knife, and we were concerned The company chose the stainless com- have our knives be the solution to those
about creating a secure, non-slip grip ponents for durability, and the knife is needs.”
to avoid accidents. Second, the handle sized for maximum versatility. “Stainless The fixed-blade Stinger comes com-
does not jingle against the keys on your steel is a timeless design element and plete with a snug-fitting sheath and de-
keychain, making it a perfect silent addi- proven to stand against wear and tear,” ploys with a push of a button. It features
tion to anyone’s keys.” Eaton observed. “The finish looks natu- a 1.3-inch D-2 tool steel blade in a flat
ral on a keychain and doesn’t call atten- grind, a PP+TPR rubber handle, and du-
UNIVERSAL APPEAL tion. The frame pattern was developed to al-injected sheath of the same material. It
The Bear Edge 71523 from Bear & Son fit comfortably into both large and small weighs just .7 of an ounce. Overall length:
Cutlery complements a substantial line hands. The blade is a drop point shape, al- 3.1 inches. MSRP: $28.
of knives, and company spokesperson lowing it to complete most tasks, and the “This knife is designed to be great at
Jacob Eaton says it’s a hit. “It’s affordable, 71523 attaches with a standard split key slicing and fast cuts,” Rabon related. “It
compact and a functional tool,” he noted. ring.” can be used for anything where a short,
“Customers really like it because it’s light- sharp knife is needed. To accomplish
weight, sharp and just the right size. Plus, VERSATILE CARRY these tasks easily and repeatedly, we gave
you will always know where a knife is The Al Mar Knives (AMK) approach to the knife a D-2 blade. D-2 is known for
when it’s attached to your keys. We find keychain knives involves easy access and retaining a sharp edge after repeated use.
both genders purchasing the Bear Edge long-term performance, and the Stinger We also designed the Stinger to have Al
71523, and it fits everyone’s lifestyle.” was developed to deliver classic AMK de- Mar’s Wedge-style blade. This provides a
With a sweet MSRP of $17.99, the im- sign and function. superior dagger point where needed.”
ported 71523 is complete with a 2-inch “Our Stinger keychain knife is de- The Stinger’s finer points add flair and
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 73 ]
[ KEYCHAIN CUTTERS ]
good looks as well. “The four colors that pabilities for additional functionality,” he
were chosen for the four Stinger knives— observed. “Gender wasn’t a big consider-
red, blue, black and green—were picked As Bear & Son ation. We just wanted to make a tool that
spokesperson
to provide variety while staying true to Jacob Eaton was worthy of a place in your pocket or
the traditional red and black of Al Mar noted, you’ll purse.”
Knives. The plastics in the handle were always know Features inherent in the Key Note de-
chosen to add extra grip and durability.” where your sign brought that idea from the draw-
knife is when
Integral to the Stinger design is an eye- it’s attached
ing board to reality. “We added the wide
let built into the sheath, and sturdy con- to your keys. clip so that you can also hang keys on
struction prevents failures. “This makes The Bear Edge your belt,” Headley added. “The knife
sure the sheath doesn’t detach from the 71523 is such was designed to not draw too much at-
eyelet,” Rabon said, “and also allows you a knife—and tention when worn on the clip, but still
it includes a
to replace the smaller key loop with a bottle opener have a pleasing and almost symmetrical
smaller diameter cord if desired. The Al on the handle shape. We took a lot of inspiration from
Mar Wedge provides a superior point if for added con- the history of Gerber. The overall profile
needed, and the finger groove at the base venience. is inspired by the shield logo, as well as
of the blade allows the Stinger to sit com- Gerber’s past logos and heraldic-naming
fortably in most hands. This improves the conventions with a modern twist.”
fit, feel and functionality of the knife.” So, the Key Note combines function
with a tip of the cap to Gerber tradition.
ADDED FUNCTIONS With a 1-inch blade of satin-finished 5Cr
Gerber spokesperson Josh Headley says stainless steel, the knife weighs just 3.98
the focus on the company’s Key Note ounces, and its aluminum handle scales
keychain knife is compactness. “We also are built to last. MSRP: $23.
wanted to add some chisel/scraping ca- “The primary function of the Key Note
is to open packages,” Josh explained. “The
thought was you get home, grab a pack-
age off your porch and open your door.
You have the tool set to open your door
and open your package in hand.”
Available colors add to the Key Note’s
appeal for those who look for discretion
or want a bit of flash. “We set out to have
a modern option and an old-school op-
“The primary function tion for the EDC community,” Headley
of the Key Note (right) commented. “The matte-black anodize
is to open packages,” with the bright contrast from the orange
Gerber’s Josh Headley is meant to look at home next to your
explained. “The thought
was you get home, grab key fob. The coyote and sage is designed
a package off your to camouflage among a set of brass keys.
porch and open your We made the scales out of aluminum to
door. You have the tool
set to open your door
and open your package
in hand.”
The Stinger fixed-blade keychain knife

from Al Mar Knives features a 1.3-inch
D-2 tool steel blade in a flat grind, a
synthetic PP+TPR rubber handle, and
dual-injected sheath of the same
material. It weighs just .7 of an ounce.
Overall length: 3.1 inches. MSRP: $28.
[ 74 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ KEYCHAIN CUTTERS ]
“This knife is designed

to be great at slicing
and fast cuts.”
— Justin Rabon
The Bear
Edge 71523
is a fra-
melock-folding
keychain knife
with a 2-inch blade
of 440 stainless
steel and a stainless
handle. Weight: 2.3
ounces. Closed length:
2.875 inches. The im-
ported knife has an MSRP
of $17.99.
The AMK Stinger comes complete with a

snug-fitting sheath and deploys with an
easy push of a button. It comes in red,
increase the strength of the lockup, and blue, black and green—and the green really
so that the weight of the keys won’t knock stands out in a crowd.
the blade off balance. To improve longev-
ity, the blade runs on brass washers and
operates on a classic linerlock.”
The blade is in a compact tanto style
to provide two flat edges that are easy to
sharpen. A flat key ring gives an appropri-
ate amount of flexibility between the ring
and scales. Several different diameters of
rings were tested to determine the best
component. A kick-out tab is incorpo-
rated to assist in deploying the blade and
allow easier opening rather than solely
depending on the nail nick.
“The Key Note should be suited to light
and medium opening and cutting tasks,”
Josh related. “The flat edge on the front
can be used to scrape everything from a
label to that last bit of errant head gas-
ket. In addition, the front of the scale can
be leveraged so that the midpoint of the
blade will puncture tape without damag-
ing the contents of a box.”
For the contact information for the knives in

the story, see “Where To Get ’Em” on page 68.
For the latest knives, knife news trends and Also available in black as shown, the Gerber
more visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s popu- Key Note linerlock keychain knife has a 1-inch
blade of satin-finished 5Cr stainless steel
lar Instagram page @blade_magazine, and that is designed to scrape as well as cut.
on Facebook and Twitter. Handle: aluminum. Weight: 3.98 ounces.
Closed length: 2 inches. MSRP: $23.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 75 ]
[ SPEC SHEET ] BY MSG KIM BREED 5 TH SPECIALFORCES (RETIRED)
>> IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
ECK
SPEC CH The clip-point EDC by
Wachtman Knife &
t E DC
MODEL: Clip -poin Tool includes a flat-
E R : W a c h tm a n Knife & Tool ground, fullered blade
MAK 2 carbon steel of 80CrV2 carbon
A T E R IA L : 8 0 C rV
BL A DE M steel, an integral
lat guard and a highly-
BL ADE GRIND: F
Wachtman!
textured G-10 handle
d G -10
HANDLE: Tex ture with copper pins.
PINS: Copper
SHE ATH: Kydex
RICE: $2 7 5
MAKER’S L IST P
WACHT OUT FOR
FIXED-BLADE EDC GETS

THE ONCE OR TWICE OVER
FROM MR. AND MRS. BREED
[ 76 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
I really like the mid-sized EDC
knives because of the wide range of
uses. Both light and heavy chores
are easily completed without carrying
multiples of knives. The clip-point EDC
on edge sharpness, the EDC smoothly
sliced its way into the medium and did so
loudly. I used a push motion and just let
the edge cut. There was one tear but that
was my fault for catching the paper in the
giving them a crinkled look.
Plastic board slicing followed. It’s much
harder to keep your cuts aligned in plastic
board, but the EDC had no issues—clean,
smooth cuts, and very controllable. The
by Wachtman Knife & Tool is such a tool. sharpening notch. exposed tang area was sharp on the palm
The 80CrV2 carbon steel is one of my Next up: single-walled cardboard. The of my hand. The area needs softening
favorite materials for blades. knife was very aggressive in slicing the with a nail file for an easy fix.
For this evaluation we started light material—no hang ups, just clean, deep I got a jump on fire starting by making
and worked up to hard media. Slicing cuts. The blade grabbed some of the card- a firestick. The clip point was very con-
20-pound bond paper for a quick check board “fingers” as the next cut was made, trollable on the depth of the whittling. I
made two firesticks for each side of the
fire. The handle was a tad aggressive on
my hand as I adjusted my grip for depth
of cut.
MARSHMALLOW MUST
Since Melissa and I were camping, it was
a perfect time to get some firewood ready
for the fire. (I must have roasted marsh-
More kindling was needed, so Melissa jumped at the chance to baton

the smaller pieces.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B L A D E [ 77 ]
[ SPEC SHEET ]
mallows with every fire.) I started split-
ting the larger pieces of seasoned oak by
batoning the EDC into them. It split the
wood well, usually within five smacks. I
continued splitting til I had a pile of kin-
dling large enough to get a good fire
going.
Melissa wanted to join in on the
action. She gave the EDC a workout
chopping into an oak branch. The
handle texture was too aggressive
for her hands during hard chop-
ping. (The tough work of a field
editor can be hard on your paws—
wink, wink.) However, she stuck
with it. More kindling was needed,
so she jumped at the chance to ba-
ton the smaller pieces. She made
short work of the bigger wood, too.
When we got back home, I had
one more cutting test to do: the half-
inch sisal rope. The EDC crunched
its way to 195 clean cuts. I wore a
glove for that many hard cuts. The
edge still felt sharp, an indication of The EDC crunched its way to 195 clean
good heat treatment. The blade tapers cuts of the half-inch sisal rope. The author
toward the point, wore a glove for that many hard cuts. The
GRADE there are ridges edge still felt sharp, an indication of good
on the spine for heat treatment.
This EDC was very effective at all traction and
the cutting while still retaining the handle
sharpness. It is a great all-around is slightly
knife. contoured
toward the
butt.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The steel areas that touch your
hand need to be softened so no
hot spots occur. The choil and
skull crusher areas can be soft-
ened quickly. The texturing of
the handle for an enhanced grip
is OK as long as there are no un-
necessary sharp points. Some
quick sanding with 400 grit pa-
per will remove such areas.
The EDC comes with a common-

sense warranty as long as the knife
has not been abused. For more
information contact Wachtman
Knife & Tool @wachtmanknifean-
dtool on Instagram, or email wacht-
manknifeandtool@gmail.com.

The handsome, form-fitting Kydex sheath
includes seven grommet holes for secur-
ing purposes, and three drain holes where The handle texture was too aggressive for
the tip of the blade hits bottom. Melissa’s hands during hard chopping.
[ 78 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ WHAT’S NEW ]
SPEC CHART SPEC CHART
KNIFE NAME: Micrathena Nessmuk KNIFE NAME: Sambar stag bowie
BLADE LENGTH: 3.25” BLADE LENGTH: 10”
BLADE STEEL: CPM 154 stainless BLADE MATERIAL: 5160 carbon steel
HANDLE: Tiger maple ROCKWELL HARDNESS: 56 HRC
HANDLE PINS: Black Micarta® BLADE THICKNESS: .25”
LINERS: Grey G-10 BLADE FINISH: Satin
OVERALL LENGTH: 7” HANDLE: Sambar stag w/bone,
MAKER’S PRICE: $400 nickel silver and fiber spacers
MAKER: Tony Cetani 409-616-9620 GUARD: Stainless steel
Instagram/Facebook: @hourglassknives/ POMMEL & PINS: Nickel silver
Hourglass Knives CONSTRUCTION: Hidden tang
MAKER’S LIST PRICE: $550
MAKER: David R. Davis,
drdavis@3@scrtc.com
270-299-6584 Ins-
tagram: drdavis03,
trammellcreek.
com (Caleb Royer
image)
SPEC CHART
MODEL NAME: Kukrax Pak Axe
EDGE LENGTH: 6”
BLADE MATERIAL: 1075 carbon steel
BLADE FINISH: Black traction powder coating
HANDLE: Walnut
CONSTRUCTION: Full-tang integral
WEIGHT: 25.8 ozs.
SPEC CHART
SHEATH: Handcrafted leather KNIFE NAME: Vulcano
OVERALL LENGTH: 15.75” BLADE LENGTH: 4.7”
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: El Salvador BLADE MATERIAL: Powder-metallurgical damascus forged by
KNIFE TO KNOW: The Kukrax is a combination of a kukri and Damasteel
an axe ROCKWELL HARDNESS: 62 HRC
MSRP: $239.95 HANDLE: Hybridwood w/mosaic pins
COMPANY: Pearson Industries, attn: F. Pearson, Dept. BL2, OVERALL LENGTH: 8.6”
5007 Sawyer Rd., Signal Mountain, TN 37377 423-653-1157 KNIFE TO KNOW: Gerhard F. Zeilinger is a metallurgist and
fredtpearson@gmail.com, kukrax.com bladesmith
MAKER: Messerschmiede Zeilinger, attn: Gerhard F. Zeilinger,
Dept. BL2, Krugerstraße 4, 1010 Vienna, Austria www.messer-
schmiedezeilinger.at, office@messerschmiedezeilinger.at +43
664-445-77 16
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 79 ]
[ WHAT’S NEW ]
SPEC CHART
KNIFE TYPE: Chopper/fighter
BLADE LENGTH: 10”
BLADE MATERIAL: W2 tool steel
BLADE PATTERN: Recurve w/clip
point
HANDLE MATERIAL: G-10 w/copper
fittings
KNIFE TO KNOW: The knife
sports a Parkerized finish
throughout SPEC CHART
MAKER’S LIST PRICE: $500 ($600 KNIFE NAME: Pronghorn
w/sheath) KNIFE TYPE: Lockback folder
MAKER: Julian Sacco, saccoknives@ BLADE LENGTH: 3.5”
gmail.com 647-267-0744 (Caleb BLADE STEEL: BG-42 stainless
Royer image) BLADE GRIND: Flat
BLADE OPENER: Nail nick
HANDLE MATERIAL: Mammoth tooth
MAKER: Tim Britton, Dept. BL2, 5645 Murray Rd., Winston-Salem,
NC 27106 tim@timbritton.com 336-923-2072 timbritton.com
(SharpByCoop image)
SPEC CHART
KNIFE PATTERN: Chef’s knife
BLADE STEEL: N690 stainless
BLADE GRIND: Full flat SPEC CHART
HANDLE MATERIAL: Kirinite® True Blood
WEIGHT: 7.5 ozs. (including sheath) MODEL NAME: CK01
OVERALL LENGTH: 11.8” PATTERN: Chef’s knife
SHEATH: Kirinite True Blood BLADE LENGTH: 7.9”
KNIFE TO KNOW: Steel options include BLADE STEEL: Drop-forged X50CrMoV15
Vanadis 4 Extra, K390 and CPM 15V; contact stainless
makers for other handle and sheath material ROCKWELL HARDNESS: 58 HRC
options CONSTRUCTION: Integral
MAKERS’ LIST PRICE: $425 WEIGHT: 7 ozs.
MAKERS: Sabol Brothers, attn: Andy and OVERALL LENGTH: 12.6”
Michael Sabol, Dept. BL2, Slovakia, andy@ COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Germany
sabolbrothers.com MSRP: $175
COMPANY: VEARK, attn: Christian Lorent-
zen +45 26 23 72 38 https://veark.com
[ 80 ] B L A D E ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
[ WHAT’S NEW ]
SPEC CHART
SPEC CHART
KNIFE NAME: Drifter
KNIFE NAME: Modus F25-15 BLADE LENGTH: 3 5/8”
KNIFE TYPE: Flipper folder BLADE MATERIAL: 1095 carbon steel
BLADE LENGTH: 3.27” ROCKWELL HARDNESS: 56-58 HRC
BLADE MATERIAL: D2 tool steel BLADE GRIND: Flat
ROCKWELL HARDNESS: 58-60 HRC BLADE THICKNESS: .15”
BLADE FINISH: Satin BLADE FINISH: Black oxide
BLADE THICKNESS: .125” HANDLE: “Conditioned” purpleheart w/black G-10
HANDLE MATERIAL: FRN (Fiberglass-Re- liner, stainless-steel-flared-tube fasteners, and a
inforced Nylon) w/ambidextrous pocket hole for a lanyard
clip, green aluminum backspacer and WEIGHT: 5.3 ozs.
a hole for a lanyard OVERALL LENGTH: 8”
PIVOT: Bronze washers SHEATH: Hand-crafted welted leather
LOCK: Linerlock KNIFE TO KNOW: Comes in a crafted sycamore box
WEIGHT: 3.35 ozs. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
CLOSED LENGTH: 4.4” MSRP: $279.75
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: China COMPANY: Flexcut, attn.: M. Bain, Dept. BL2, 8105
MSRP: $47.99 Hawthorne Dr., Erie, PA 16509 800-524-9077
COMPANY: Steel Will, c/o Sport Manufac- mbain@flexcut.com, flexcut.com
turing Group, Dept. BL2, 1840 County Line
Rd., Ste. 111, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006
877-969-0909 info@smgoutdoor.com,
steelwillknives.com
SPEC
CHART
SPEC CHART
KNIFE NAME: Wayfarer 247
KNIFE TYPE: Flipper folder
BLADE MATERIAL: M390 stain-
less steel
BLADE GRIND: Flat w/false edge
FRAME & POCKET CLIP: Titanium
LOCK: Framelock
KNIFE FINISH: Entropic
CLOSED LENGTH: 4.75”
COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN: USA and Italy
MAKER: Olamic Cutlery, attn: E. Soleminick,
Dept. BL2, 650 S. Bridge St., Ste. B, Visalia, CA
93277 eugene@olamiccutlery.com, olamic-
cutlery.com, Instagram/Facebook: @Olamic/
Olamic (SharpByCoop image)
For the latest knives, knife news, trends and more visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s popular
Instagram page @blade_magazine, and on Facebook and Twitter.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [ 81 ]
[ COLLABORATION ] BY BLADE ® STAFF
Designed by Bill
Ruple (inset), the
Ruple I Trapper
comes in a choice
of four handle
materials—two of
which are shown
here in prototype
form—all from
Culpepper &
Co.: amber stag,
natural stag,
mahogany bone
(left) and bourbon
bone (right). At
right are all four
O
models with their
accompanying
leather slip cases. ld School Knife Works, Bill Ruple
and Moki have combined forces
to produce the Ruple I Trapper
limited edition, a one-blade pocketknife
designed by Ruple available in a selection
of natural handle materials.
SPEC CHECK Sold exclusively through Old School
Knife Works, the Ruple I has all the ear-
MODEL NAME: Ruple I Trapper marks of the award-winning knife-design
DESIGNER: Bill Ruple wizardry of its namesake. It includes a
PATTERN: One-blade trapper recurved clip-point blade, classic bomb
BLADE STEEL: VG-10 stainless shield, a half stop for operator safety,
BLADE FINISH: Satin spun pins, and the seamless fit and finish
MANUFACTURER: Moki between blade and backspring for which
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Japan Ruple is so well known. Topping it off are
KNIFE TO KNOW: Each knife comes w/a the specially selected handle materials
leather slip case and a certificate of from Culpepper & Co.: a choice of am-
authenticity ber stag, natural stag, mahogany bone
MSRPs: $425 (amber stag); $395 (natural or bourbon bone limited to 125 in each
stag); $300 (mahogany bone); $300 material.
(bourbon bone)
For more information contact Old School
Knife Works, Dept. BL2, Otto, NC 828-524-
THE
6842 oldschoolknifeworks.com.
For the latest knives, knife news, trends and

more visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s popu-
RUPLE I
lar Instagram page @blade_magazine, and
on Facebook and Twitter.
FACTORY/CUSTOM
COLLABORATION
TRIAD INCLUDES
BILL RUPLE, OLD
SCHOOL KNIFE
WORKS AND MOKI
[ 82 ] B L A D E --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1

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-------------FEBRUARY 2021

24 SQUARE HOUSES PART X 52 RIGHT NECKS TO YOU

28 TOTE ’EM IF YA’ GOT ’EM 58 KNIVES OF A FEATHER

34 HALLMARK OF EDC 72 CHAIN OF TOOLS

40 KNIFEMAKING LOSES ITS BEST FRIEND 76 WACHT OUT FOR WACHTMAN!

44 EMERGENCY EDC! 82 THE RUPLE 1

hawkbill blade with the ultra-corrosion-resistant qualities of H-1® steel.

spyderco.com 800 525 7770

FEBRUARY 2021 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B L A D E [5 ]

HOW TO REACH US!

Featuring the ﬁnest in Group Publisher

BLADE ® Magazine, (ISSN 1064-5853) is published monthly plus

WE SPECIALIZE IN SERVING YOU

MGE WHOLESALE OFFERS:

ish-twist damascus bowie, meanwhile,

SICAC Paris Knife Show for his Stingray

lock. yours, visit our website.

Knives that cut

Visit www.fallkniven.com for more information.

SLIPPIES and CHEF’S

I won’t leave home without my Combat

I carry a Bad Monkey from My EDC is the Shikra flipper folder

Tell us what knife you carry. Add a little history or an anecdote.

W. Grande Market Dr., Ste. 100, Appleton, WI 54913, or e-mail

>> IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

Spacers serve the function of

[ 24 ] BLADE FEBRUARY 2021

The handle of the

The author applied clay to the handle of the

ya’ got ’em

BLADE LENGTH: 2.95”

BLADE LENGTH: 3.1”

The Pro-Tech Malibu handled

but the long straight edge and overall cut- www.blacksmithsdepot.com

The trailing point design and smooth edge

The Pro-Tech Malibu

BLADE LENGTH: 3.25”

do the same with the Killabite. Admiralsteel.com

ONLY YOU KNOW

For the contact information for the knives

For the latest knives, knife news, trends

>> IMAGES BY MART Y STANFIELD, MART Y STANFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY

The test linerlocks

A quartet of plucky linerlocks, from left:

CHECKS ’EM ALL

Opening mail is one of the many tasks

blade play. Five large notches in the end

The hollow grind of the Puma SGB Mach

The sheepsfoot blade of the Steel Will

blade material. The only difference is the

money, it’s a solid value in features and

NEW LEVEL of CHIC

For the contact information for the knives

For the latest knives, knife news, trends

Tony Bose, 1946-2020

A man named Lanny Shell

Tony became a crowd favorite at Case

>> IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR

Three of the latest rescue knives, from

BANG for the BUCK

Both forges offer:

To request a free catalog of

STORAGE and SAFETY

For the contact information for the knives in