Category: Knife Stuff (Page 25 of 27)

A knife, formerly a horse shoe, created by Miller Knives

We’re drowning in trash and junk. Look in your neighbor’s garage or head down to the scrap yard and you’ll see so much refuse and detritus that it’s not even funny.

But what if you could take those pieces of scrap metal and make them into something practical and rewarding? Well, you can.

If you put enough work and skill into it, you could turn nearly any piece of scrap metal into a functional knife. Will all pieces of scrap metal make great knives? Heck no! But with the right piece of metal, you can create something useful and even beautiful.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at these knives made from old junk you can find in your garage or the scrap yard.

1. A knife made from a file

Many knifemakers start by constructing a knife from a file. It’s not exactly making a knife from scratch, but it gives you a place to start. Files are made from different steels, such as W-1 and W-1, but a Nicholson file is 1095 carbon steel. That’s a great steel to work with. Way back in 2011, I wrote about how to make a knife from a file.

Here’s a great tutorial of a file knife made with common tools.

2. A knife made from a shovel

There’s a classic video that shows how to make a knife from a shovel and some concrete, but I appreciate how this video from Rusty shows what you can make at home without many tools.

3. A knife made from a railroad spike

The railroad spike is another fairly common starting point for knives. You can often find these lying near old railroad tracks (though be aware that it may be considered stealing to take one), but you can also grab some at a local scrap yard. You can also get some railroad spikes from McMaster-Carr for pretty cheap too.

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Burmese Boy Playing with a Knife | Photographed by Wagner T. Cassimiro via Flickr

Most kids these days are not self-reliant or self-starters.

This isn’t just some old man yelling about how the new generation is a bunch of pansies because they didn’t walk 10 miles to school in the snow either. (I’m not very old and no one walks anywhere where I live.) No, tangible evidence continues to come out about how kids are more dependent and feeble nowadays. For anecdotal evidence, find a 10-year-old and try to pry him away from his smartphone, tablet, or computer screen and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Kids in many other societies (specifically preindustrial societies) are much more independent, interested in learning, and helpful around the house without being asked.

What’s the reason for such a huge discrepancy across cultures? The answer is complicated but part of the reason is that adults in other places allow their kids to play with knives.

In a recent article called “Playing With Knives: The Socialization of Self-Initiated Learners,” anthropologist David Lancy took a look at how children develop and learn across different cultures. He analyzed observations about parent and child interactions in more than 100 preindustrial societies.

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Jesse Jarosz is a name you’re going to be hearing more and more often. The young knife maker is relatively new to the business (he made his first knife in 2009), but he’s already made his mark on the knife community. He won the “Best New Maker” award at the USN G4 in 2012 and has since earned a reputation as one of the best young makers on the scene.

Now, KA-BAR is releasing his first production folder simply known as the Jarosz Folder.

The Jarosz folder is getting two iterations: the Drop Point 7505 and the Tanto 7506. Both knives feature 3-inch blades made from AUS-8A stainless steel and glass-filled nylon handles.

These knives are based on the Jarosz custom design Model M75 Tetrad. That custom, which uses AEB-L steel and contoured handles with 6AL4V Aircraft Titanium Liners, received rave reviews from anyone who got their hands on a model. One of the most effusive reviews comes from Everyday Commentary.

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Karina Vetrano was brutally raped and murdered last week while jogging through a park in Queens.

The gruesome details of the case, as well as a recent spate of women being attacked while jogging, have led to women feeling vulnerable and unsafe when out on a run.

So what’s the solution? A knife-equipped bra.

A company cleverly called Booby Trap Bras invented a bra with a hidden sheath sewn into the lining to offer women a means of self-defense when all else fails.

This knife bra has been around for a few months now, but the Vetrano murder has sparked major interest in the product. According to the New York Post, sales of the bra are surging, particularly in New York.

Here is a look at how it works:

The origin of the Booby Trap Bra is actually pretty scary. Check out this excerpt from the creator of the bra:

I walked around thinking life was all rainbows and butterflies until I was jumped out at on a local running trail.  I was in active wear and had no form of protection on me.  The little pocket knives I had collected over the years were all at home in the drawer with my pepper spray. I needed something I could pull in less than a second.

We came up with the idea to sew a knife sheath inside my sports bra and used that home-made prototype to file a patent.  From there, we received a whirl-wind of support from family, friends, retail stores and manufacturers…

The “Just in Case” bras come in two designs: one with a concealed knife sheath and another with a concealed pepper spray slot. If you want a bra with a gun, you’ll have to look at the non-athletic Flashbang Bra.

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Image from Abomb520

We’re in the age of mods (or modifications for you older folk). Whether we’re talking about modding video games to defy gravity or modding cars with chrome, people want to put a stamp on what they own.

This sentiment also extends to knives.

If you’re interested in adding a personal touch to your knife via some easy modification, we’re here to help.

These five knife modifications are projects most people can do. Just be aware that things can go wrong and these mods may void your warranties. But in the end, you’ll have a knife that’s not only unique but reflects you in a personal way.

Zip Tie “Emerson Wave” Knife Mod

Ernest Emerson is one of the most influential knife makers ever. Known for helping popularize tactical folders, Emerson has made some darn good knives. One of his many innovations is known as the Emerson Wave Feature. This is a little protrusion at the base of the spine that facilitates a fast and seamless opening of the blade when it’s pulled from the pocket. Check it out on the Kershaw Emerson CQC-6K or the Endura 4 with Emerson Wave.

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Here’s a shocking fact for you youngins: The pocket clip is a relatively new invention in the history of knives.

Depending on how you define it, the pocket knife was invented more than 2,000 years ago. By comparison, the pocket clip on knives was introduced in the early 1980s. Sal Glesser of Spyderco created the “Clip-it” Worker, which was essentially the first tactical folder ever and the first to use a pocket clip. That knife went into production in 1981.

Although pocket clips are on pretty much every single folding knife these days, people went without clips for thousands of years. Here are five reasons you may want to ditch your pocket clip.

1. Some clips create hot spots

One of the most common complaints people levy against pocket clips is the fact that they create “hot spots.” No, that doesn’t mean you’ll get better WiFi. A hot spot on a pocket clip is when there’s unwanted tension or discomfort in a specific area of the grip.

For example, a pocket clip may put some pressure right in your palm, causing pain during regular use. Some complain about the clip on the Chris Reeve Sebenza 25 because the tip bends up right where the middle finger grips the choil. Take a look at this complaint thread over at bladeforums with an image.

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If you have a few conversations with some of the most ardent knife fans, you’ll usually come to the conclusion that all knives from China are pieces of junk. Some people won’t even look at China-made knives because nothing can beat a quality American-made blade.

Strap yourself in because I’m here to bust the myth that all knives from China are cheap and inferior to knives made in the United States.

Let me start with a disclaimer: If you only buy knives from the United States because you believe in supporting the local economy and encouraging American businesses that employ Americans, that’s fine and commendable. I can’t argue with that moral approach to things. But if you refuse to buy any knives from China because you think they’re junk, you’re simply wrong.

Why Everything is Made in China

Unless you’re diligent, nearly everything you own comes from China. Most parts on the computer or phone you’re looking at were made in China, most clothes you’re wearing were made in China.

So when did China become so engrained in our manufacturing? Let’s take a look.

The Korean War in the early 1950s (yes, we’re going back far) was essentially a proxy war between the United States and Soviet communist-supported allies like China. During the Korean War, all trade between China and the United States was frozen. This embargo would go on until 1970, when the Nixon administration began laying the groundwork to lift the ban on US-China trade.

Richard Nixon with Mao Zedong

In 1972, President Richard Nixon made a historic visit to China to improve relations between the US and China. In the following years, the two countries signed agreements to improve trade.

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By all accounts, Special Warfare Operator First Class (SEAL) Matthew J. Leathers was an amazing human being. Not only was he a highly decorated SEAL but he was also someone his friends and family describe as a nice guy who would give others the shirt off his back.

When Leathers was lost at sea during training exercises off the coast of Hawaii in 2013, the military suffered a huge loss.

But thanks to a recent agreement with Buck Knives and Leathers’ father, his legacy will live on in a knife designed by Leathers himself called the 245 Matt Would Go.

During his nine years with the Navy SEALs, Leathers designed a knife that met his high standards and caught the eye of some of his fellow SEALs.

The original knife was made by using steel from a coil spring scrounged out of a scrapped Humvee and tempered using an old mailbox. Still, despite the makeshift nature of its creation, the knife was reliable and undeniably badass.

The new one from Buck is not made of scrapped Humvee but instead uses 5160 steel and custom multi-colored Micarta handles. It also comes with a textured Kydex sheath with a TEK-LOK belt clip.

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It doesn’t matter how much you’ve practiced or how skilled you are, there is absolutely no way in hell I’d ever let you throw a knife in the vicinity of my head.

There could be an earthquake at the last second, the knife thrower could get a sudden bout of the hiccups, the knife could slip out of the hand, or, as was the case on a Lithuanian reality show, the person could simply be awful at throwing knives.

Lithuania’s Got Talent featured one of the worst knife-throwing acts around and an assistant nearly met his end. Throwing knives is a fun and respectable hobby, which we love, but that doesn’t mean you should have people near your targets.

You can watch the full, terrifying video below, but let’s break down a few of the highlights (or lowlights, really) in gif form.

The act started off fine as the thrower haphazardly launched some knives at objects close to an assistant, but it wasn’t until the assistant was tasked with holding up a target for the thrower that things started to get dicey.

You see the assistant getting sliced by the knife and sort of nonchalantly playing it off. He moves on to a card on the other side.

The thrower fails to get the knife to stick and the assistant looks to see if he still has a hand, likely petrified. Yet the show goes on.

Here again we have a narrow miss, although it’s possible he was actually nicked. At this point, the assistant is likely rethinking his life choices and would probably run for his life if he wasn’t on TV.

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A motorcycle taxi driver in Brazil was at a party in a local bar drinking a bit and chilling. As one occasionally does, the man happened to get in a fight with someone. One thing led to another and he ended up getting stabbed with a knife four times.

You probably don’t need a reminder, but don’t misuse knives. Not only does it give the tool a bad name but it also has the potential to do harm.

Because one of the stab wounds perforated one of his lungs, Juacelo Nunes de Oliveira went to a hospital for treatment. But there was a slightly bigger problem he needed to worry about: a large kitchen knife was jammed in his head and only the handle was sticking out.

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