Author: Tim (page 83 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.

Serrated Blade Sharpening Guide

January 1, 2013 / Tim / 5 Comments

Gerber Hinderer Rescue

We’ve talked a lot on this blog about sharpening straight-edged knives, but we haven’t focused much on serrated blades. While we always encourage those with serrated knives to get them sharpened professionally or by the manufacturer, it is possible to sharpen one yourself. You just have to know what you’re doing.

For a straight-edged blade, you would take a sharpening stone and simply run the knife across it, but doing that with a serrated knife will only grind off the serrations. This might give the blade a specious and temporary feeling of sharpness, but it’s very bad for the blade and you should avoid it at all cost.

Instead, you will need a sharpening rod—either made from steel or ceramic. The size you get is really important, but it also depends on the size of the serrations. If you’re using a large cooking knife with wide serrations, opt for something like the DMT Ceramic Steel. For most pocket knives with small serrations, go for the DMT Diafold Serrated Sharpener. This works with made types of small serrations because the rod tapers down at the end, so it fits various sizes.

Two Knives to Look Forward to in 2013

December 23, 2012 / Tim / 1 Comment

C156GBN_L
Despite all the grand fears and grumblings about the end of the world, it’s two days after the prophetic end of the Mayan calendar and we are all still here.

Whether you were hoping for the apocalypse or looking for things to follow the status quo, we still have a lot to look forward to.

In the short-term, the start of the new year in a few weeks means the arrival of a whole host of brand new knives. One new knife you can set your sights on is the CRKT Otanashi Noh Ken.

The first I heard of this knife was in a review over at The Edge Observer. Available after the 2013 SHOT Show, the Otanashi Noh Ken is a thin, combat folder designed by James Williams. The name of the knife translates to silent sword because it takes cues from Japanese-styled swords. I’m not putting it as eloquently as The Edge Observer, but it looks like a truly badass knife. You can see the video review embedded below.

Calif. Court Strikes Down Extensive Anti-Knife Ruling

December 18, 2012 / Tim / 0 Comments

The proverbial ship was righted a few weeks ago after the California Court of Appeals reversed an overreaching ruling from a lower court that deemed any knife that could be flicked open with a wrist a switchblade.

According to Knife Rights, “the lower court made the faulty ruling despite an explicit provision in California law that distinguishes and protects one-hand opening and assisted-opening knives with a bias towards closure and despite prior Appellate Court rulings upholding that exception.”

What that lower court in California was saying was that the 80 percent of the knives sold in the United States are illegal.

Fortunately for knife carriers throughout California, the judges in the higher court reversed that expansive ruling and brought things back to the status quo. Here’s an excerpt from the judge’s opinion:

“Switchblade knife” does not include a knife that opens with one hand utilizing thumb pressure applied solely to the blade of the knife or a thumb stud attached to the blade, provided that the knife has a detent or other mechanism that provides resistance that must be overcome in opening the blade, or that biases the blade back toward its closed position.

Top 5 Pocket Knife Gift Ideas

December 11, 2012 / Tim / 0 Comments

Everyone has been there. You must buy a close relative or distant friend something for the holidays, but you have absolutely no clue what to get. The best gift of them all is the pocket knife. Its versatility, long-lasting construction and feeling of tradition is unmatched by other items. Unfortunate (or fortunately, depending on how you think), there are tens of thousands of pocket knives available.

To simplify things for you, we’ve assembled this list of the five diverse pocket knives that make perfect gifts.

My Tighe by CRKT

If the person you’re giving a knife to is a sucker for sleek designs and the latest technology, nothing tops the new My Tighe. This knife is the creation of knifemaker Brian Tighe, who uses his knives for pretty much any hard-core thing you could think of. The quality of construction on this knife will blow any knife enthusiast or amateur away. It also boasts the latest technology, such as Torx fasteners, OutBurst assisted opening mechanism, Triple-Point serrated edges and more.

Even if none of these specs mean anything to you, you’ll fall in love with the My Tighe the minute you hold it. You might need to buy two, so you could keep one for yourself.

Continue reading

Knife Depot’s Gift-Buying Guide

December 10, 2012 / Tim / 0 Comments

Top 5 Survival Knives to Give as Gifts

December 9, 2012 / Tim / 0 Comments

The holidays are known for a lot of things. We spend time with family, and we give each other gifts. We enjoy the cold weather, and we sense the magic. And of course we sometimes find ourselves in hard-core survival situations.

If you’re worried about a loved one who often finds himself alone in the wilderness, you can rest assured and make him happy when he opens his gift by giving him a rugged survival knife. If you don’t know which one to get, you’re in luck. These are the five best survival knives you can give as a gift.

KA-BAR USMC Tactical Knife

When you talk about a strong reputation in the world of survival knives, it’s impossible not to mention KA-BAR. This iconic all-around knife has been widely tested and used by the military since its early production during World War II. The fact that this knife was used in battle and for general use during wars underlines the durability. With its 7-inch razor-sharp blade, the KA-BAR USMC Tactical Knife will instill pride in anyone who receives this as a gift.

Continue reading

5 Best Throwing Knives for Holiday Gift-Giving

December 7, 2012 / Tim / 0 Comments

This holiday season, give the gift of a brand spanking new throwing knife set, which will warm the soul of even the most seasoned thrower. You could also take this as an opportunity to introduce a friend or family member to the glories of knife throwing, especially if they’re huge Hunger Games, Expendables or Naruto fanatics.

Here are five throwing knives and knife sets that’ll really make a memorable impact this coming Christmas / Kwanzaa / Chanukah / Solstice!

Magnum by Boker Bailey 3-Piece Throwing Knife Set

Your giftee might already have a few sets in their collection, but the Magnum knives by Boker Bailey are in a class of their own. In fact, they’re so badass that the school administration had to isolate the Magnums in their own separate building. These minimalist knives are perfectly balanced and just look brutal as they fly through the air. An avid knife thrower will love their versatility, as they are equally capable of hitting their targets with or without spin. With all of these features and more, these knives can make an addict out of anyone.

Continue reading

Top 5 Kitchen Knife Stocking Stuffers

December 5, 2012 / Tim / 0 Comments

Every family has at least one culinary expert—they might peruse Epicurious during lunch breaks, concoct mind-blowing cocktails with homemade bacon vodka or have a frightening altar to Guy Fieri stashed away in a closet. No matter what flavor of foodie they may be, one thing they’ll always need is another kitchen knife to add to their collection. That, or a convenient accessory for storing or carrying their collection.

Ginsu Chikara 7″ Cleaver

Every chef aspires to own a BFC—that is to say, a “big freaking cleaver.” For anyone who grew up watching Yan Can Cook, the Asian-style cleaver represents the height of technical prowess, strength and style. Ginsu’s well-balanced take on the cleaver is easier to handle than the BFCs you’ve seen in your local Chinese kitchen, though it’s well-matched in terms of precision and pure power. This knife is so much fun to chop with; no animal, vegetable or mineral will be safe from its edge. Just make sure that you have plenty of food in your fridge, because the person who receives this knife is going to want to test it out immediately.

Top Chef 5-Piece Knife Set including Nylon Carrying Case

If thoughts of Padma Lakshmi set your giftee’s soul aflame, this 5-piece knife set by Top Chef will make the perfect present. The set, which comes with two santoku knives, a paring knife, a sharpening steel and black nylon knife roll, is a jazzed-up version of the basic knife kits that many culinary students receive during their schooling.

These knives are distinguished by the official Top Chef logo etched onto the knife blades as well as the nylon roll. These knives by Master Cutlery are made for more than looks: the X30Cr13 stainless steel blades are ice-tempered and cut with hollow grounds to inhibit sticking. This is a level of utility that any chef needs to reach the top of their game.

Continue reading

Top 5 Multi-Tool Stocking Stuffers

December 3, 2012 / Tim / 0 Comments

We’ve all been in that situation. You wake up early Christmas morning, run to the presents resting under the tree or in the stocking above the fireplace, rip off the wrapping paper and get… socks.

Don’t be the person who receives a forced smile and tempered thanks. Instead, give the gift that will make that special person jump for joy during the holidays—a brand spanking new knife.

Since we know there are thousands of knives out there, we’ve made the process easier. Over the next week or so, we’ll be dishing out these guides of top knives in different categories that make great stocking stuffers, including throwing knives, kitchen knives and more.

Today, we’re starting with the five best multi-tools to give as stocking stuffers.

Continue reading

TaskOne Turns iPhone Into a Real Multi-Tool

November 30, 2012 / Tim / 3 Comments

Many people claim that the smartphone is the new Swiss Army knife for the younger generation because it does everything you could ever need in today’s tech-driven world. While it might be able to find out who invented the toilet (it was John Harington, by the way), you couldn’t do anything physically useful with an iPhone.

Enter TaskOne.

The TaskOne case for iPhones takes your phone and turns it into a really useful multi-tool that can do anything. The iPhone case includes 16 high-quality tools, including a knife, screwdrivers, bottle opener, Allen wrenches, pliers and more.

Let’s focus on just the knife for a moment—since we are a knife blog, of course. The 2.5-inch serrated drop-point blade is on par with most pocket knives and retracts into the case’s body when you’re not using it. It can be engaged halfway for smaller jobs, but although it says there’s a steel lock, details about what sort of locking system it uses aren’t available.

Here’s a better visual representation of all the tools this lightweight and thin case features: