Author: Tim (page 109 of 113)

Timothy Martinez Jr. is the community director for Knife Depot and the editor of The Cutting Edge. If you have any questions or ideas for The Cutting Edge, you can contact him at Tim@knife-depot.com.

How Not to Get Your Pocket Knife Jacked by TSA

March 5, 2011 / Tim / 12 Comments

It happens to thousands of knife owners every year. You’re headed through security at the airport. You’ve taken your shoes off, removed your belt and diligently placed your laptop in the required bin. Then, as you’re walking through the metal detector, you hear the shrill beeping that signifies that something on your person is not allowed and you remember, suddenly, that you’ve completely forgotten about your pocket knife.

According to a 2009 CNN report, airports confiscate an estimated 13 million items annually. One of the most common are pocket knives. Many Americans carry a pocket knife everyday, either as part of their key chain or as a work tool, and too often they don’t remember to put it in their checked baggage. So, what can you do to avoid getting you knife swiped by TSA? Here are some tips.

Pack your knife in your checked bag

According to TSA guidelines, the only knives you can carry on are ones with plastic or rounded blades (butter knives). However, almost any knife can be transported to your destination, if it’s checked. Want to bring your sushi knife on Christmas vacation? You can check it. Just bought a new samurai sword that you don’t want to part with? Check it and you’re fine.

You can also check meat cleavers, sabers, ice picks, hatchets, axes and saws. What does all this mean? When in doubt, check your bag. Just remember, if you’re checking a sword, saber, dagger or other big blade, it needs to be properly sheathed.

But, what if you forget to check and get nabbed at security with your blade?

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Top 5 Movie Knives (That You Can Also Own)

March 4, 2011 / Tim / 5 Comments

Movies provide us with a variety of long-lasting cultural tidbits, from famous quotes to iconic costumes. However, some movies have knives that transcend the fantasy of the big screen and enter the commercial market because of their overall impressiveness. That’s why I’ve decided to create a top 5 list of most memorable movie knives.

While there are many notable knives that appear on the big screen, I’ve decided to make this list only include knives (swords will get their own list) that have become so iconic that they are now commercially available. If you think other knives deserve to be on the list, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section. Here we go.

James Franco Wants to Film Real Life Street Fight Between L.A. Gangs for His Next Movie

March 2, 2011 / Tim / 1 Comment

The actor and filmmaker James Franco has plans to film a real life knife fight between L.A. gangs for his next movie.

The news, which comes burning hot off the press from Star Pulse via the New York Post, doesn’t name the movie, but says it is a collaboration with Harmony Korine, the gritty filmmaker who produced the 1995 movie Kids and the 1997 movie Gummo (a movie about teen cat killers).

Apparently, the duo wants to go under cover and film unsuspecting gang members in the act of stabbing each other, leading some associated with the film to worry about safety.

The production team is panicked that they’ll end up with blood, injuries and potentially dead bodies on set, said an anonymous source.

Sharpening Your Knife in Survival Situations

March 1, 2011 / Tim / 0 Comments

Recently, we’ve been hearing a lot about knives being used in extraordinary circumstances, like the case of Aron Ralston or my recent post about doctors using a Swiss Army knife to amputate a man’s legs.

These are just two examples of survival situations where a dull knife simply won’t cut it, literally and figuratively. In many survival situations, knives become dull from overuse, and there are no sharpening tools available.

If you ever find yourself stranded in the wilderness, here are some things you can do to sharpen and hone your knife.

Buying Knives on The Thailand-Burma Border

March 1, 2011 / Tim / 2 Comments

When I arrived in Thailand last month, I only received a 30-day tourist visa. It expired this week and in order to renew it, I had two options: either trek 14 hours to Laos and hit up the Thai embassy for a 60-day visa or take a 3-hour jaunt to the Burma border, walk across for 30 minutes and be granted an automatic 15-day extension upon my return.

I chose the latter.

The border connects the Thai village of Mae Sai with the Burmese town of Myawaddy, which has a lively market that is occasionally jolted by bombs set off by Burmese rebel groups.

It’s a good place to buy DVDS, watches, clothes, electronics and pretty much everything under the sun for a fraction of the price it would cost you in the West. While stumbling through the myriad stalls, I came across a woman selling knives.

She had a little selection of tactical knives, most of which seemed outrageously cheap. I ended up buying a Dark Ops Stratofighter Stilleto, which retails for $250 for 500 baht ($15).

How To Get Skilled In The Art of Knife Throwing

February 28, 2011 / Tim / 2 Comments

There are very few sports in which knives are the primary tool, which is why knife throwing is such an alluring sport for knife enthusiasts.

For anyone unfamiliar with the sport of knife throwing, it’s fairly straightforward. The goal is throw a knife at a wooden bullseye at various distances and try to make it stick as accurately as possible. While it sounds easy, it can be extremely difficult.

Those who practice consistently can do some pretty cool things, like the video here demonstrates.

If you’re interested in learning how to throw knives, here are some steps to guide you along in the process of becoming a great knife thrower.

1. Research knife throwing prior to doing anything

Before committing to buy a throwing knife, you should research the sport and be aware of the potential dangers that come with it. Reading up on safety instructions, looking at the different types of knife throwing styles and viewing videos at places like the Knife Throwing site will prepare you for the next steps.

The Tool Logic Pocket Hunter Card

February 27, 2011 / Tim / 0 Comments

Every week, Samantha James reviews a different Knife Depot product. Check out her past product highlights here.

What’s in your pocket?

Do you carry a stainless steel gut hook blade? How about an LED flashlight? What about a combination can/bottle opener? Do you have a tweezer and toothpick? Do you sport a ruler with centimeters and inches?

If you tried to carry all of these things in the front pocket of your pants, you’d likely (a) slice your hands to pieces and (b) walk very clumsily.

Of course, there is another option.

Scope out the Tool Logic Pocket Hunter Card, a sweet new gadget blade that packs all of the above tools in one multi-faceted package.

This credit-card-size all-in-one is about as versatile and rugged as an all-purpose knife tool can be. It features a wide 2-inch fold-out stainless blade that’s sharp enough to skin animals and has a gut hook on the back.

In addition to its myriad accessories, the hunter card weighs in at a svelte 1.3 ounces, with a length and width of 3.375″ and 2.125″ respectively. It’s made of ABS plastic and comes with a satin finish.

A number of similar pocket hunter cards have been developed recently, but in my opinion the Tool Logic Pocket Hunter Card may be the best of the bunch. And, at 36 bucks, it’s a steal.

If you’re looking to pick up an all-in-one outdoor tool, snag one today.

Swiss Army knife used to amputate man’s legs

February 25, 2011 / Tim / 2 Comments

Everyone knows that the Swiss Army knife is a universal and multipurpose tool that can be used for pretty much anything. However, this week it was used for something that even the creators might not have guessed: an amputation.

After the devastating earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, where nearly 100 people have been confirmed dead, hundreds of others were trapped beneath rubble and debris.

One of these trapped people, only identified as Brian, had his legs pinned beneath a collapsed building and needed to have both his legs amputated or he would have died.

According to Dr. Stuart Philip, who oversaw the amputation, a Swiss Army knife was the only tool available:

“There wasn’t really any other option. Essentially the procedure was performed with a Swiss Army knife. I know that sounds terrible, but that’s all we had,” Philip told the Dominion Post newspaper.

Continue reading

Knowing vulnerabilities in blade material key to maintenance

February 23, 2011 / Tim / 0 Comments

Last week, in one of Martha Stewart’s Q&A articles at Cincinnati.com, a reader raised an important aspect in maintaining knives: what material the blade is made out of.

Whereas most modern kitchen knives are created out of stainless steel, the blades of many older models are other materials, such as carbon steel.The problem with carbon steel blades, as the reader had found out, is that they are vulnerable to discoloration.

Stewart’s solution for the brown blade was fairly simple:

You can brighten your knives’ blades by polishing them with fine steel wool and Noxon metal polish. In addition, collecting editor Fritz Karch recommends hand-washing the knives after each use and drying them immediately to prevent rust. Then, with a cloth or paper towel, wipe a thin layer of mineral oil onto the blade to protect the steel from corrosion. Finally, store them in a location with low humidity.

Although the question was aimed at kitchen cutlery, this topic is something all knife owners should consider. As Stewart pointed out, always cleaning carbon steel blades, whether kitchen cutlery or hunting knives, is crucial to keeping its color and durability.

Each blade material has specific tips to remember. For example, stainless steel blades have the potential to rust in certain environments, so drying and occasionally scrubbing them with abrasive cloth will preserve the blades’ integrity.

For ceramic blades, found in some folding knives and kitchen cutlery, they will not rust or suffer discoloration, but they are more susceptible to scratches and breaks.

Whether plastic, titanium, stainless steel or carbon steel, it’s important for knife owners to understand the vulnerabilities of each blade material.

Bear Grylls Gerber Ultimate Survival Knife

February 23, 2011 / Tim / 0 Comments

In the word of survival, it’s hard to best Bear Grylls. The star of Man V. Wild spends most of his TV-time hurdling cliffs, dunking himself in sub-zero ice pools, eating vile animal parts and doing other badass stuff that only a guy whose first name is Bear can do.

At his side is usually a survival knife, which is probably why Gerber decided it was wise to team up with Grylls to pump out a signature collection of Bear Grylls blades.

The latest knife to be unveiled is the Ultimate Knife, a 4.8-inch, stainless steel, serrated, drop-point blade with a range of other features.

One of the most impressive features is the fire starter, which consists of a ferrocerium rod that locks in the sheath and can be rubbed against a striker notch on the back of the knife blade to produce sparks. The knife also has its own diamond sharpener for sharpening on the go.

The knife’s sheath is made of lightweight nylon and contains an emergency whistle and special survival instructions from Bear, in case you get stuck in a sticky situation and need some sage advice.

The knife is available from a number of distributors and retails for around $60 Anyway, if you want to see the blade and get a description from the Bear himself, here’s a short promo video.