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A knife that freezes organs then blows them up… yes, it’s real

May 24, 2011 / Tim / 25 Comments

The only thing cooler than a knife that slices is one that blows up organs when it’s stabbed into an animal.

Although this knife isn’t exactly new, it’s been making headlines for its recent appearance on “Law & Order: SVU” as the weapon that killed John Stamos.

The aptly named WASP Injector Knife shoots a compressed basketball-sized ball of gas into the victim where it instantly freezes then explodes the internal organs at 800psi.

You might be wondering why anyone would need this knife besides the criminals on “Law & Order” and those looking to blow up watermelons (see video below). The target consumer of the knife is the diver who frequently encounters gigantic vicious sharks who aren’t deterred by regular stabs from a knife.

Reportedly, if the knife is used correctly on a shark, the compressed gas will freeze its inside, so blood doesn’t begin to pool around the shark thus not attracting more. Once it kills the shark, the ball of gas will cause its carcass to float to the surface.

How to sharpen a knife with a whetstone

May 22, 2011 / Tim / 1 Comment

Got a dull knife, sharpen it with a whetstone

A dull knife is not only ineffective, but it can also be dangerous. If your knife is dull, you’ll have to use more pressure to cut, increasing the risk of slippage and injury.

There are numerous ways to sharpen a knife, including fancy, high-tech sharpeners, but one of the most reliable–and affordable–is the whetstone.

What is a whetstone

Whetstone is a term for a number of natural or artificial stones that have properties making them ideal for sharpening. Artificial whetstones are composed of components such as ceramic, silicon carbide or aluminium oxide. These stones are usually double-sided with coarse grit on one side and a fine grit on the opposite side.

Natural whetstones, which typically have finer grades and are best used with oil, are often made from the material Novaculite, which is a variety of quartz.

Preparing to sharpen a whetstone.

The first step in knife sharpening is to lubricate your whetstone. You’ll want to either use oil or water for this process, depending on what type of whetstone you have.

Start by placing your whetstone on a paper towel that sits on top of a cutting board. then soak your whetstone in the lubricant of your choice for approximately twenty minutes. If your whetstone has both a fine and coarse side, you’ll want to start sharpening on the coarse side.

Finding the correct angle for sharpening a whetstone

Most knife experts agree that the ideal angle for knife sharpening for a whetstone is 20 degrees. You’ll want to sharpen your knife using smooth motions. Make sure you perform equal strokes on each side. A good rule of thumb is to perform five strokes on each side of your knife and then touch it; you should be able to feel the difference. The motion should be slow and smooth–never jerky–and should resemble the way you would slice a thin piece of meat.

Woman pulls out sword to settle argument at Pizza Hut

May 21, 2011 / Tim / 5 Comments

One of my fondest memories of my youth was eating at Pizza Hut after little league baseball games; I’m just glad I never played baseball in Louisville, Kentucky.

A Louisville woman is facing disorderly conduct charges after she pulled out a sword to settle an argument–likely over an inadequate slice to pepperoni ration–at a Local Pizza hut.

According to the cops, Wynika Mason removed her sword from its sheath in the midst of a verbal dispute with employees, menacing them with its large, glimmering blade.

A Guide to the Types of Knife Locking Systems

May 20, 2011 / Tim / 12 Comments

When buying a knife, there are hundreds of features, options and styles to choose from. Specifically, if you’re getting a folding knife, there’s the issue of selecting the type of locking system fits your needs and preferences best. Locking systems are essential for folding knives because they prevent the knife from closing on your hand during use. Instead of having to frantically search around the web to learn about all the different types, here’s a comprehensive list of the locking systems used in most folding knives.

Liner Lock

The liner lock, originally known as a Walker Lock after its inventor Michael Walker, is one of the most popular types of locking systems. When the knife blade is opened, a vertical metal lockbar is angled from the side of the interior toward the center where it butts against the tang of the blade. The pressure of the lockbar, also called a leaf spring, prevents the blade from moving. To fold the blade back into the knife, the lockbar has to be moved away from the tang to its original position.

Lockback

A lockback is sometimes called a spine lock because it has a metal spin that spans the entire back of the knife handle. Within the handle, the top of the spine and the tang of the blade resembles a hook. When the blade is opened, it pushes the spine out until the notch on the spine and blade are hooked into place. The two notches exert pressure on one another to keep the blade opened securely. Replacing the blade into the handle of a lockback knife requires pressing on the bottom of the spine until the two notches clear one another.

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College sword makers create sword for ‘Thor’

May 19, 2011 / Tim / 6 Comments

Yesterday, the Ball State University Daily News ran a great piece profiling two local swordsmith students who were given the opportunity of a lifetime when a props team commissioned them to make a sword for the movie “Thor.”

BSU metal design major Andrew Davis and David DelaGardelle had started their business MAD Dwarf Workshop while they were kids in high school. After developing their sword making skills for fun, they began selling really cool swords online.

Their big break came, however, when a props team working on the film “Thor” contacted them to design and construct the Sword of Heimdall.

The BSU story, written by Devan Filchak, goes into detail about what the process was like in creating the epic sword. They were in regular contact with the props team in California, but had almost complete artistic freedom with the sword.

They had to make two steel and bronze swords along with two aluminum versions for stunts because they weighed a lot less.

The swordmaking duo definitely felt a sense of accomplishment once they saw their work featured in the movie and saw toy replicas in stores.

Knives Save Lives: Farmer Bruce Osiowy

May 18, 2011 / Tim / 0 Comments

On June 5, 2003, Canadian farmer Bruce Osiowy was getting ready for another hot day in the field using his new machine that picks up rocks, which he used to have to do by hand.

To the cash crop farmer, life seemed good.

However, what started out like another day on the farm would soon turn into a harrowing 66-hour ordeal for Osiowy.

After picking up a few loads of rocks with his machine, the transport arm of the rockpicker malfunctioned.

So, he tried to release the transport arm with a wrench, but when he did, the whole thing came crashing down on his hand.

Despite screaming for help and banging a hammer against the machine, no one came to his aid. He was stuck all alone in the middle of the field on a Thursday night.

For the next two and a half days, he went without food and water. At night when it grew cold, his collie dog would curl up on top of him to keep him warm.

Knife group points out irony in WSJ knife article

May 17, 2011 / Tim / 1 Comment

If you’re a regular reader of the Wall Street Journal, a New York-based newspaper, you probably saw this small piece on great pocket knifes to own.

The irony of this article is that all of the knives they recommended would be “falsely deemed an illegal gravity knife by NYC District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.,” according to the group Knife Rights.

The knives featured in this article are the Benchmade Orange Griptillian, Gerber EVO serrated edge, Lone Wolf Knives Swale, Benchmade 470 Emissary, and Victorinox Swiss Army One-Hand Sentinel.

In accordance with the recent crackdowns by the District Attorney in New York City, even knives with liner locks are considered gravity knives in certain cases.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term gravity knife, among collectors it means a knife that locks open and closed within a handle. To law enforcement, it usually means one-handed knives that open easily. NYC is notorious for having some of the strictest and broadest definitions of gravity knife and what makes it illegal.

This controversy is sparking outrage in the knife community with some, including Laird Crawford’s letter to the editor in the May 2011 Blade Magazine, calling it a “scare tactic.”

"Lord of the Rings" replica swords stolen from man’s house, along with AK-47

May 16, 2011 / Tim / 1 Comment

Don’t leave your swords home alone.

Four “Lord of the Rings” replica swords, along with a bunch of other move memorabilia, were jacked from a Chicago-area man’s house. In addition to the swords, thieves stole a Spartan helmet from the movie “Troy” and memorabilia from the movie “Alien.” An AK-47, sniper rifle, $18,000 in watches, and a few grand in cash was also taken.

The thieves used a saw to crack open the safe and apparently broke in through the back door. If you have valuable swords or other knives in your house a safe is really the best way to secure them, but sometimes thieves can be so tenacious that they’ll snag you valuables any way. If you’re going to head out of town, consider leaving your valuable knives with a friend.

Sword-Wielding Robots on Slow March to Take Over World (Video)

May 14, 2011 / Tim / 0 Comments

If there’s anything that movies like “Terminator” and “I, Robot” have taught us, it’s that all robots are evil and will eventually take over the world when the opportunity strikes.

That’s why hearing the news that a PhD student at Georgia Tech taught a robot how to fight with a sword made me a bit wary. But, seeing the images and watching the video on how they’re going to make it work replaced my weariness with respect.

You’re probably wondering why anyone would want to teach a robot how to expertly wield a sword (other than for the obvious reason of creating an army of overzealous ninja robots). The real reasons are actually pretty genius.

First, the robot is only learning to defend itself from a human sword fighter, not to attack. This is so robots can learn how to predict and react to human movements, so if there are service robots interacting with humans, that interaction will be much safer.

As of right now, the only sword fighting the robot is doing is simulated on a computer, but as you can see from the picture above, the robot is more than capable of picking up an actual sword.

Check out the commemorative "Justice is Done" Osama bin Laden knife

May 13, 2011 / Tim / 5 Comments

Osama bin Laden is dead. His body has been dumped into the Arabian Sea, and a treasure trove of information about his murderous intentions, in addition to his massive pornography stash, are being meticulously examined by the CIA.

It has been almost ten years since Sept 11 and for many Americans the death of bin Laden has provided closure to the attacks and a dose of confidence that the American military is closer than ever to wiping out terrorists.

If you’re looking for a memento of this historic occasion, look no further than this badass Boker folding knife.

Made of stainless steel, with a 2 3/4″ blade coated in titanium, this American-made knife multi-purposes for hunting or survival needs. However, its most distinctive feature is the engraving on its blade, which pays tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, with the simple, yet powerful inscription, “Justice is Done.”

Frame it, mount it on your mantle, use it to cut back some bush or gut a hog. Give it to your dad, your mom, your sister, your grandpa or your son. Regardless of what you intend to do with it, it’s a pretty cool knife and a good way to celebrate the death of a really bad dude who did a lot of really bad stuff to the U.S.

Wanna buy the knife? Check it out here.

The Cutting Edge

The official blog of Knife Depot