Tabla de contenidos para February 2024 en Blade

Tan-toe or Tawn-toe? What many knife enthusiasts think of when they see the word tanto (page 28) largely depends on their location and upbringing. For many American knife fans, the tantoe is a knife with a chisel-ground blade and an armor-piercing-type tip. For many martial arts enthusiasts or in the case of the traditional Japanese version of the knife, the tawn-toe is a bit smaller than a wakizashi with a curved bevel all the way to the tip. Arguing which is the correct pronunciation is about like puhcon or pee-can for the tasty nut that goes well in a pie. Most knife enthusiasts will be convinced they’re correct because they’ve heard it their way for so long. In fact, all will be correct. While some may argue that the tan-toe…

The APOC Atrim Survival Tanto and Bradford USA Guardian 3.5 Tanto may share the tanto name but are otherwise two distinct and diverse knives with Japanese roots (page 6). You might say testing them together is like comparing Fuji apples to Florida tangerines. Designed by Angus Trim, the Atrim is a combination of traditional Japanese lines and modern manufacturing. The 10-inch upswept blade flows beautifully from the tapered handle. Incorporating an integral guard and G-10 scales secured with bolts, the look is contemporary even though the lines are traditional. CAS Iberia’s Patrick Shipley said, “The whole point of the APOC line is ‘no frills.’ We don’t do fancy handle wraps or Japanese-style guards, but we make the essence of the traditional design, no more and no less.” The sheath is…

The consumer market remains vigorous in the buying and selling of the butterfly knife, and it stays strong despite periodic challenges to its marketability and possession. One of the most recent court proceedings involved the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and its ruling that a ban on balisongs by the state of Hawaii was a violation of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That ruling occurred on Aug. 7, 2023, and stood out at press time as a victory for knife rights advocates (November BLADE®, page 8 and December BLADE, page 10). It’s a safe bet that more discussion, legislation, suits and countersuits will materialize. However, at this time the reputation of the balisong survives, perhaps stronger than ever, as a tool and implement that…

Ever since I started writing for BLADE® in 1990, I generally stick to similar cutting media to check the performance of the knives I test in “Spec Sheet.” That way it gives me a baseline as to how the different blades and their steels should perform. However, as a writer, I find it sometimes gets old doing the same testing. So why not beat the heck out of one of the test knives? Well, first off, the knives are owned by someone else. They might be scheduled to be sold. You can see why I only push Spec Sheet test knives to a certain point. Unfortunately, the craving to give a test knife a brutal workout keeps coming, only to be done during my own testing using my knives. Here’s…

“Most of the knives I carry on rotation, including my Offgrid tactical pen, and they are the Offgrid Fatboy and pen; Benchmade SOCP dagger; Spyderco Manix 2; Medford Knife & Tool Eris; Kizer Roach; CRKT RSK MK5; and Spyderco Lil Matriarch. Thank you and have a safe New Year.”Jennifer Jennwood, a letter via e-mail For the latest knives, knife news, trends, and more, visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s popular Instagram page @blade_magazine, and on Facebook and Twitter. WIN A KNIFE! 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…

Adams Intl Knifeworks - AIK www.adamsknifeworks.com adamsknifeworks.com@gmail.com Automatic & Customized Knife Specialists American Edge www.americanedgeknives.com info@americanedgeknives.com 320-393-2792 We have “A Knife For Every Life” Arizona Custom Knives www.arizonacustomknives.com sharptalk@arizonacustomknives.com Largest selection in the world of new and consigned knives on the internet. Let us help you find the perfect knife. Artknives.com www.artknives.com fred@fredeisenleather.com BladeGallery.com www.bladegallery.com www.bladeconnection.com www.epicedge.com Buckeye Engraving www.BuckeyeEngraving.com Make Your Mark Manufacturer of Custom Hand Stamps, Dies and Brands Culpepper & Co., Inc. www.knifehandles.com www.oldschoolknifeworks.com www.stingrayproducts.com info@culpepperco.com Farina Fine Arts www.farinafinearts.com studio@farinafinearts.com One of a kind, fine art, collectible knives Knife Center www.knifecenter.com info@knifecenter.com Knives Plus www.knivesplus.com knivesplus@knivesplus.com L.T. Wright Handcrafted Knives www.ltwrightknives.com info@ltwrightknives.com Lee’s Cutlery www.leescutlery.com beeneJL43@earthlink.net New Graham Knives www.newgraham.com mdye@newgraham.com Alaska - Northern Knives www.northernknives.com A Real Store & Working Knife Shop! Great Northern Knives…

The Harbinger by Poland’s Piotr Gosciniak features an impeccably dagger-ground blade of Elmax stainless steel and a green canvas Micarta® handle with an integral cross guard. Check out Piotr’s stunning custom tactical fixed blade on page 37. A serrated recurve blade of M390MK stainless steel made exclusively for Microtech by Bohler and a curvaceous handle to match highlight Microtech’s Amphibian. Read all about it and its version of the crosslock—the Ram Lok—on page 14. Mil-anodized black, the Zelos auto from Spartan Blades USA has the classic dark look of a vintage tactical folder. Operated by a two-stage push button, the blade is CPM S45VN stainless, though it’s in the process of being converted to MagnaCut. For more, see page 49. The images of the Harbinger, Zelos and the inset…

SPEC CHART PATTERN: Fighter BLADE LENGTH: 7.5” BLADE MATERIAL: Old W2 tool steel w/hamon HANDLE MATERIAL: Vintage Micarta® w/a fileworked frame BOLSTER: Textured mild steel OVERALL LENGTH: 12” KNIFE TO KNOW: Erik McCright is an ABS journeyman smith MAKER: Erik McCright, Weatherford, Texas 432-967-0558 erikmccright@yahoo.com, mccrighthandmade.com (Jocelyn Frasier image) SPEC CHART KNIFE: Recurve bowie BLADE LENGTH: 7”  BLADE STEEL: CPM 154 stainless ROCKWELL HARDNESS: 61 HRC BLADE GRIND: The top false edge and primary bevels are hollow ground on a 10” contact wheel and satin polished; the flats are hand finished to 800 grit BLADE @ THICKEST: 3⁄16” HANDLE MATERIAL: California buckeye burl LANYARD MATERIAL: Desert camo 550 paracord DOUBLE GUARD: 7075-T6 aluminum OVERALL LENGTH: 12” MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $750 MAKER: Paul LeBatard, Vancleave, Missouri 228-238-7461 lebatard-knives@aol.com…

SPARTAN BLADES USA ZELOS BLADE LENGTH: 3.25” BLADE STEEL: CPM S45VN stainless BLADE GRIND: Flat HANDLE MATERIAL: Black mil-anodized 6061 aluminum OPENER: Two-stage push button WEIGHT: 4.576 ozs. CLOSED LENGTH: 5.25” KNIFE TO KNOW: Blade steel will be transitioned soon to CPM MagnaCut stainless COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA MSRP: $325 The automatic is an icon, easy to deploy and always ready when needed. Variations on the familiar theme are continual among knife companies and loads of the knives make their way into the inventories of discerning purchasers. While the following knives are but a sampling of the finest autos on the market, there are many more and the choices continue to expand. Each of the featured automatics was born of an effort to improve on an already validated theme. Meanwhile,…

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 JAN. 23-26 LAS VEGAS The Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum. For the trade only. Visit shotshow.org. JAN. 26-27 LAS VEGAS Las Vegas Antique Arms Show and Brian Lebel’s Old West Events, Westgate Resort & Casino. Visit antiquearmsshow.com. JAN. 26-28 LAKELAND, FL The 45th Annual Gator Cutlery Club Show, RP Funding Center (formerly Lakeland Center). Contact Dan Piergallini 813-754-3908 or 967-1471 gatorcutlery.com.* FEBRUARY FEB. 3-4 FREMANTLE, WESTERN AUS-TRALIA Perth Knife Show, Esplanade Hotel. Visit www.perthknifeshow.com.au.* FEB. 3-11 HARRISBURG, PA The 2024 Great American Outdoor Show, Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. Visit greatamericanoutdoorshow.org. FEB.…

The Prospector by Ray Rybar is a push dagger/bolo combo that not only bespeaks his talent as an ABS master smith but also the array of beautiful, valuable ore in and around his home in Camp Verde, Arizona. Ray lives in the middle of an Apache reservation where he owns three or four gold mine claims. Camp Verde was the headquarters of U.S. Army Gen. George Crook during the Army’s pursuit and eventual defeat of Geronimo and his Chiricahua Apache band in 1886. Navajos live in the area as well. Ray teaches various forging and other classes. On occasion he takes his students out to forage for blade and other materials in and around his claims. There they find not only gold every so often but also iron/nickel meteorite, samples…

In part one last issue, BLADE® recapped BLADE Show West 2023 held this past October at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, including half of the knife judging awards. This time we present the other half of those awards. It’s a well-rounded mix of custom and factory knives, a mix that offers some of the latest in designs, materials and more, all by both seasoned and fast-rising knifemakers alike. The winners were feted in a special awards ceremony the Saturday night of the show. BLADE Show West ’24 will return to the Salt Palace Convention Center on October 4-5. Plan now to attend what is becoming a shining star of knife shows in the Great American West. Meanwhile, enjoy these judges’ choices from last year’s event.…

“SUCH A DESIGN GIVES YOU THE CUTTING POWER OF A HEAVIER METAL WHILE REDUCING WEIGHT.” 1. CONDOR CDNDDR TOOL TDDL & KNIFE TACTICAL P.A.S.S. BLADE LENGTH: 3.97" BLADE STEEL: 440C stainless OVERALL LENGTH: 5.54" HANDLE MATERIAL: Natural Micarta® SHEATH: Leather KNIFE WEIGHT: 7.06 ozs. MSRP: $119.00 2. TOPS KNIVES I STICK BLADE LENGTH: 3.5" BLADE MATERIAL: 1075 carbon steel OVERALL LENGTH: 5.63" HANDLE MATERIAL: Black and green canvas Micarta® SHEATH: Molded Kydex KNIFE WEIGHT: 12.06 ozs. MSRP: $210.00 3. HERETIC KNIVES SLEIGHT BLADE LENGTH: 3" BLADE MATERIALS: CPM 20CV stainless steel & aluminum OVERALL LENGTH: 5.37" HANDLE MATERIAL: CNC textured aluminum SHEATH: Molded-plastic Blade-Tech belt clip KNIFE WEIGHT: 3.3 ozs. MSRP: $196.00 The push dagger has been around for centuries. Its primary use is self-defense, though in the end it…