Author: Tim (page 22 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.

Our Most Anticipated 2019 CRKT Knives

November 29, 2018 / Tim / 2 Comments

The year is coming to a close in a month, and that means companies are going to start announcing their offerings for the new year.

CRKT is one of the first to announce its 2019 knives. By my count, there are more than 15 new or updated models coming in the new year. While I’m sure the designers put a lot of thought and time into their creations, some knives from the lineup stand out more than others.

Instead of just listing all of them, I’ll pick the ones that intrigue me the most.

CRKT Seismic

First up is the Seismic, which is designed by Flavio Ikoma of No Time Off and Fossil fame. The knife is a fairly good looking with a massive 3.9-inch blade that uses 1.4116 stainless steel (not a premium steel by any means but a welcome change from the typical CRKT steels).

What makes this knife stand out to me is the use of a Ikoma’s new Deadbolt lock. Here’s how it works:

Steel bolts interlock with the blade when it’s deployed to yield outrageous strength. A prominent button sits at the pivot point for simple, intuitive disengagement without fingers crossing the path of the blade.

It sounds really interesting, although I admit I was a little disappointed after I realized it had nothing to do with the Hawks’ Deadbolt Over Grabstep lock found on the old CRKT DOG. They really should bring that back.

CRKT Provoke

If you follow knives at all, you’ve likely seen the Provoke, but maybe not with that name or from CRKT. How about the Caswell Morphing Karambit? Yup, the knife first seen in the highly successful Kickstarter campaign was picked up by CRKT for the masses.

James Dean wielding a switchblade in "Rebel Without a Cause."

Knife Myths: The Switchblade Act Bans Owning & Carrying Automatics

November 27, 2018 / Tim / 17 Comments

Since the 1950s, switchblades — sometimes known as automatic knives — have been demonized as the preferred weapon of criminals. All these years later, most people have the ability to understand that switchblades are no bigger threat than any other tool.

Unfortunately, there remains a common misconception about the legality of switchblades. Most people think that owning and carrying a switchblade is illegal. We’re here to bust the myth.

What the Switchblade Act Actually Says

The Federal Switchblade Act was passed in 1958 after films like Rebel Without a Cause and Crime in the Streets glorified switchblade use among gangs. I dove much deeper into the early switchblades and why they were banned in my article Why Switchblades Should Be Legal, but it boils down to unnecessary panic.

Congress used its power to regulate commerce through the Commerce Clause of the Constitution to limit the sales of switchblades.

Kershaw Launch 6 Automatic Folder

Here are the two pertinent sections:

§ 1242. Introduction, manufacture for introduction, transportation or distribution in interstate commerce; penalty

Whoever knowingly introduces, or manufactures for introduction, into interstate commerce, or transports or distributes in interstate commerce, any switchblade knife, shall be fined not more than $2,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

and

§ 1243. Manufacture, sale, or possession within specific jurisdictions; penalty

Whoever, within any Territory or possession of the United States, within Indian country (as defined in section 1151 of title 18), or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States (as defined in section 7 of title 18), manufactures, sells, or possesses any switchblade knife, shall be fined not more than $2,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

Knife Rights does an excellent job going through the whole act with notes, but here’s a basic breakdown.

Boker Plus Rold – Badass Knife of the Week

November 26, 2018 / Tim / 1 Comment

Jesper Voxnaes is one of the hottest knife designers around. He’s best known for his intuitive folders and small fixed blades that are simple and functional. In our latest Badass Knife of the Week, Voxnaes focused on putting his signature design elements on a large fixed blade.

Voxnaes’ attempt at making a functional outdoor knife culminated in the popular Boker Plus Rold fixed blade. Coming in at an overall length of 11 inches, the large camp knife has so much going in its favor.

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The 6.2-inch blade is thoroughly considered for maximum usage. The blade boasts a flat grind that cuts like no one’s business while the drop point profile offers superb versatility. Despite its large blade, Voxnaes gives more control to the user with a finger choil that allows you to choke up on the blade for finer tasks.

How to Stop Losing Your Swiss Army Knife

November 23, 2018 / Tim / 8 Comments

The other day, I wrote about the welcomed news that Victorinox is adding a clip to a new folding knife called the Hunter Pro M. It doesn’t mean the iconic maker of Swiss Army Knives will add them to their multitools, but it could be a sign of the future.

Unfortunately, we’re still stuck in a world where losing a Swiss Army Knife is all too common for many people. I always find them on the seat of my car or in couch cushions.

Here are some solutions for keeping a Swiss Army Knife from getting lost.

Get a Suspension Clip

The best and most inexpensive remedy to the problem of Swiss Army Knives slipping out of pockets while sitting down is a suspension clip. Not only are these types of clips cheap but they’re also nonpermanent solutions that won’t mess up your knife.

My recommendation is the KeySmart Pocket Clip.

Kershaw Amplitude 2.5 – Badass Knife of the Week

November 19, 2018 / Tim / 0 Comments

The EDC knife these days has ballooned in size and price. Some knives touted as everyday carry tools boast 3.5-inch blades and shocking pricetags. Well, our latest Badass Knife of the Week shows a small EDC folder at a reasonable price is still an excellent option.

The Kershaw Amplitude 2.5 is a small pocket knife designed by Todd Rexford, a knifemaker known for his clean lines and understated looks.

Featuring a 2.5-inch blade, the Amplitude 2.5 comes in at an overall length of 6 inches when fully open. Despite the smaller size and low profile, the knife is designed to slice. The blade bursts open every time using the SpeedSafe assisted-opening mechanism. The steel is 8Cr13MoV, a working steel that’s easy to maintain.

Watch YouTuber Make a Knife From a Stone

November 16, 2018 / Tim / 2 Comments

Kiwami Japan is one of the my favorite YouTubers out there. Not only do his videos show the process of turning some extraordinary material into a knife but they typically follow some sort of entertaining or bizarre story structure.

For example, his latest video saw his toy dog die and he had to make an unbreakable and unscratchable knife to hold its picture. I’ll just stick that here for your enjoyment:

But one of my favorite of his recent videos is a pretty straightforward video on making a primitive knife out of stone. Continue reading

Ontario OKC-3S Bayonet – Badass Knife of the Week

November 12, 2018 / Tim / 1 Comment

Yesterday was Veterans Day. We thought it would make sense for the Badass Knife of the Week be an actual knife that has been used and still gets used by the military.

Enter the OKC-3S Bayonet.

The Ontario Knife Company OKC-3S Bayonet is a multipurpose fixed blade designed by the United States Marine Corps to be used as a bayonet for M16 rifles.

In the grand scheme of things, the OKC-3S is a relatively recent design that outperformed nearly three dozen other knives submitted for evaluation to the Marine Corps. This multipurpose bayonet was the best in just about every category, which is why it was issued to Marines starting in the early 2000s.

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If the design looks familiar, it makes sense. This knife is essentially an amalgamation of all the tried-and-true designs that came before — from the iconic KA-BAR to the M-7 Bayonet.

Knife Rights Appeals NYC Gravity Knife Case to Supreme Court

November 8, 2018 / Tim / 2 Comments

Knife Rights has announced it is appealing a case related to the abusive enforcement of New York’s gravity knife ban to the Supreme Court.

Earlier this year, a panel on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled in favor of New York City and District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr in the suit brought by Knife Rights. Knife Rights alleges that the city’s policy of treating pretty much any locking folder as an illegal gravity is unjust.

We’ve written about this case for a few years now (read my 2011 article on the initial lawsuit) and have covered all the twists and turns of the story — including efforts by the state legislators to remedy the issue only to be twice thwarted by the governor.

With the appeals court ruling in favor of the city, Knife Rights only has one more option: the Supreme Court. The lobbying organization is submitting a petition for a writ of certiorari, which asks the highest court in the land to hear the appeal.

The Supreme Court is asked to hear roughly 7,000 to 8,000 cases each year but only picks a small handful. So, the odds of the court accepting the case is slim.

Cold Steel Finn Wolf – Badass Knife of the Week

November 5, 2018 / Tim / 0 Comments

The puukko is an old and basic fixed blade design that’s been used in the Nordic countries as an everyday knife for hunting and gardening. Cold Steel decided to put its own twist on the classic design with the Finn Wolf.

The Cold Steel Finn Wolf is a folding version of the Finnish puukko knife with a true Scandi grind and modern flourishes, like the Tri-Ad lock and Griv-Ex handle scales.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmbwMhFgVMp/

The blade itself is 3.5 inches long and is made of Japanese AUS 8A stainless steel, an alloy that’s resistant to rust and easy to sharpen. Without any microbevel, the edge is a true Scandi grind. This makes the blade excellent at woodworking and other outdoor tasks.

Will Victorinox Add Clips to Swiss Army Knives?

November 1, 2018 / Tim / 1 Comment

I’m a huge fan of Victorinox. The almost ancient company has evolved over its decades in existence and always works to improve.

In 2013, the company offered its very first lockback knife aimed at hunters aptly called the Hunter Pro. It wasn’t the first locking Swiss Army Knife because there were a few liner locking folders in the lineup as well, such as the Sentinel. And the Hunter Pro isn’t really a Swiss Army Knife because it only has one blade but it offered an interesting new direction for the company.

Just recently, Victorinox released a new version of the knife called the Hunter Pro M, which could give yet another hint at a new area the company is exploring.

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The Hunter Pro M exchanges the walnut wood or polyamide scales for Alox. Aluminum scales were first added to Swiss Army Knives in the 1950s and have remained popular among knife nuts thanks to the material’s durability, looks, and light weight. If I’m not mistaken, this is the largest knife to have Alox scales.

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