Author: Tim (page 59 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.

What’s the Deal with Cancer Warnings on Knives?

December 13, 2015 / Tim / 58 Comments

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If you bought a knife in the past, you probably noticed the inclusion of a sticker or piece of paper that says something along the lines of “WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.”

Don’t be alarmed. You’re not going to get cancer or cause birth defects if you use and carry the knife regularly.

This warning, which can be found on knives from companies like Buck and Schrade, is the result of California’s Proposition 65. Way back in 1986, California voters passed an initiative aimed at reducing the presence of cancer-causing chemicals in drinking water. For the most part, the proposition was successful, but there were some downsides.

Part of Prop 65 prohibits businesses from knowingly exposing individuals to select substances without providing a clear and reasonable warning. That’s fine in theory—who wouldn’t want to know if there are cancer-causing chemicals in things. The only problem is that the substances on the list are pretty much present in everything.

Byrd Cara Cara 2 – Badass Knife of the Week

December 7, 2015 / Tim / 0 Comments

Whether you’re a collector or a casual knife user, it’s not always necessary to spend massive amounts of cash on a reliable pocket knife. That’s never been more evident than in our latest Badass Knife of the Week.

The Byrd Cara Cara 2 was named Best Buy of the Year at the 2015 Blade Show for its functional design and high-quality construction compared to the price.

This knife features a 3.75-inch blade made from very capable 8Cr13MoV stainless steel with an updated full-flat grind.

SOG Arcitech Damascus – Badass Knife of the Week

November 30, 2015 / Tim / 3 Comments

Somewhere at the intersection of inimitable craftsmanship and premium collectibility lies the SOG Arcitech.

Although SOG is best known for making inexpensive tactical knives that excel at what they do, the company has ventured into the world of high-end collectible knives made with a precision and attention to detail typically reserved only for custom knives.

That’s what makes this week’s Badass Knife of the Week so special.

The limited production SOG Arcitech, which ushered in the company’s Platinum line, is a technical masterpiece with flourishes and premium materials that make this knife a must-have for any collector.

Best-Selling Assisted-Opening Knives at Knife Depot

November 27, 2015 / Tim / 7 Comments

Every few weeks, we like to reflect on the most popular knives here at Knife Depot. This information is fluid, meaning in a few weeks these may not be the same knives topping our best-sellers lists.

However, it does give a good indication as to what kinds of knives people are interested in the most these days. We’ve gone through a number of categories, including best-selling kukris, best-selling Spyderco Knives, and best-selling CRKT Knives, so we decided to take a look at assisted-opening knives.

Here are some of the best-selling assisted openers.

5. Kershaw Blur

First up on the list is a veteran of the assisted opening world: the Kershaw Blur. The Blur and its cousin the Leek (spoiler alert: it’s next on the list!) really set the standard for assisted-opening knives. Ken Onion was one of the first designers to use an assisted-opening mechanism on his knives (using a device he calls the SpeedSafe mechanism).

The Blur is a hefty knife with a 3.38-inch drop point blade made from Sandvik 14C28N. It has a black aluminum handle and a tungsten DLC coating on the blade.

It makes this list because this includes the various types of Kershaw Blur variations, including the S30V version and the tanto with black-green handle version.

4. Kershaw Leek

The Kershaw Blur and Kershaw Leek are always lumped together as two of the most influential modern knives around. What makes these great knives is the fact that they complement each other. Whereas the Blur is dark and stout, the Leek is bright and sleek.

The Leek uses the same patented SpeedSafe technology to make this EDC lightning quick. It has a 3-inch blade made from Sandvik 14C28N with a bead-blasted finish and a pure stainless steel handle. The knife is light and thin, making it an ideal EDC knife.

Epic Spiked Bowie Knife – Badass Knife of the Week

November 23, 2015 / Tim / 2 Comments

When we rack our brains trying to decide which of the thousands of knife models out there deserves to be the latest Badass Knife of the Week, we take a ton of things into consideration. We usually try to make the knife something you could reasonably use and carry in most situations.

But sometimes a knife is simply so epic and badass that it takes the honor on looks and design alone.

The Epic Spiked Bowie Knife is a beastly blade to behold.

Knives Save Lives: Emergency Roadside Birth

November 19, 2015 / Tim / 1 Comment

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Sure, people have been giving birth since the dawn of man, but bringing a tiny person into this world without a gaggle of doctors and nurses nearby has to be terrifying.

At a remote highway rest stop in northeastern British Columbia, that’s the situation Caitlin Vince found herself in last month. En route to the hospital with her partner Tyler Olsen, the woman knew they weren’t going to make it to the hospital in time to give birth.

As you can imagine, British Columbia is desolate in spots with hospitals more than 55 miles away (or 90 kilometers for those Canadians). In places like this, it’s probably not that unusual to give birth on a gravel roadside.

Cold Steel Rajah III – Badass Knife of the Week

November 16, 2015 / Tim / 3 Comments

With its curved blade, deep belly, and thick point, the kukri machete is one of the most versatile tools around. So what’s the only way to make the kukri even more useful? Make it small enough to fit in your pocket.

Our latest Badass Knife of the Week from Cold Steel takes the unique characteristics of the Nepalese kukri and scales them down into a convenient folding knife.

The Cold Steel Rajah III features a 3.5-inch blade in the shape of a Nepalese kukri. The curve in the blade gives it exceptional chopping power and the point makes it optimal for finer tasks.

Top 5 Best-Selling Kukri Machetes at Knife Depot

November 12, 2015 / Tim / 1 Comment

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Machetes are among the most versatile and widely used tools in the world. In some regions, the machete is used as a household tool—chopping vegetables, cutting hair, doing yard work, etc.

As you can imagine, the widespread use of the machete has resulted in tons of variations. If you take a look at our Ultimate Machete Guide, you’ll notice at least 11 common types of machetes.

One of the most popular types of machetes is the kukri machete. Hailing from Nepal and neighboring countries, the kukri features a unique design with a high curved blade that’s mainly designed for chopping. However, it has a pretty sharp and strong point that also makes it useful for piercing. This is a tool that was historically used by the Nepalese military, but it’s now most commonly used as an everyday utility tool.

Because of its versatility and interesting look, the kukri machete has quickly become one of the go-to machetes in the United States. If you’re thinking about picking up one of these bad boys, here’s a list of the five best-selling kukri machetes at Knife Depot to help get your juices flowing.

5. Condor Tool & Knife Kukri Machete

In our machete guide, I pointed out that Condor Tool & Knife is not only a company with roots that date back to 1787 but it also specializes in outdoor tools like machetes. Condor TK really displays its talents with its iteration of the kukri. The Condor Tool & Knife Kukri Machete features a 13-inch 1075 carbon steel blade with a full tang that extends into the hardwood handle.

The butt of the handle is reminiscent of a parang, which helps keep your kukri from flying out of your hand during rigorous use. It comes with a black leather sheath.

4. Cold Steel Kukri Machete

Here’s what Cold Steel has to say about the kukri: “There’s no single edged tool that we can think of that can out-chop or out-cut a good Kukri.” Their version of the kukri is also 13 inches but uses 1055 carbon steel a polypropylene for its handle.

S&W SWFR2S Extreme Ops – Badass Knife of the Week

November 9, 2015 / Tim / 2 Comments

Ever since we founded this great company of ours more than a decade ago, one knife has found its way into people’s pockets more than any other: the Smith & Wesson SWFR2S Extreme Ops Tanto.

So what does that tell us about this folder from Smith & Wesson? That it’s one badass knife.

When a knife feels good in your hands, you never want to let go, and that’s the sensation you get whenever you hold this knife.

The rubberized aluminum handle is easy on the hands and extremely comfortable, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Watch Cold Steel Go Head-to-Head with Competitors

November 6, 2015 / Tim / 4 Comments

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Cold Steel has taken some hits over the years from hard-core knife enthusiasts.

First, some people were turned off by president Lynn Thompson’s proclamations of the best knives around. Then, others complained about issues with quality control. Many are not on board with the fact that the knives come from places like Taiwan and China. Finally, Cold Steel’s recent lawsuit against CRKT for making unfounded marketing claims riled up people even more.

Say what you will about Cold Steel, but the company does put out some durable knives. Cold Steel just has to put their heads down and let their knives speak for themselves (something I said in the article about the lawsuit).

Well, it looks like Cold Steel is taking my advice and letting their knives speak for themselves instead of going after other company’s marketing tactics.

The Cutting Edge

The official blog of Knife Depot