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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.

New Swiss Army knife made from old nails

May 12, 2011 / Tim / 3 Comments

In collaboration with fashion designer Christopher Raeburn, Victorinox has launched a new collection called “Remade in Switzerland” that designed clothes and accessories completely out of vintage Swiss Army materials.

For example, they have a jacket made from old parachutes and another one made from army sleeping bags, according to Mariska Alexandra.

What’s interesting about this line is that it shows the possibilities of sustainable and eco-friendly clothing.

Since you probably don’t care much about fashion, the notable news from this collection is the release of a very limited edition Swiss Army knife made entirely from old horseshoe nails.

The Horseshoe Nail Knife, as it’s called, was crafted from a surplus of old horseshoe nails. The nails were melted down and recast as knife scales. According to the “Remade in Switzerland” site, the knives are being packaged in the “original coated paper box that held the nails.”

Five Unusual Uses for a Leatherman

May 11, 2011 / Tim / 1 Comment

There are few things more satisfying in life than using a Leatherman or other multi-tool. Whether you’re cracking open a beer, cutting wire, pulling the hook out of a freshly-caught bass or opening a can, a multi-tool is always there for you: it makes life beautiful.

Yet, the Leatherman has hundreds of uses besides those I’ve listed above. In fact, the true beauty of owning one of these tools is that you constantly find new and creative uses for it. With that said, here are five unusual uses for a Leatherman.

Removing a tick from a dog

If you’re out camping with your mutt, there’s a good chance he or she will be crashing through the underbrush, sending birds and squirrels fleeing for cover. Of course, one organism that isn’t trying to get out of the way is the tick. If you notice these blood-sucking bugs have infested your pooch’s fur, it’s wise to remove them ASAP. Grab your multi-tool, pull out the tweezers and yank those ticks away.

Trimming Your Nose Hair

There are two ways to guarantee that you won’t sleep with a woman. One is to spill an entire pitcher of Busch Light on her and then laugh hysterically, the second is to space out and forget to trim your nose hair.

Nose hair is grosser than gross. Sure, you can buy a professional nose hair trimmer, but what about when you’re in a pinch and need to be nose hair free immediately. No worries. Pull out your friendly multi-tool, unfold the scissors and clip away.

Sawing Off Your Arm

I know it might sound nuts, but the reality is that you may have to saw off your arm some day. Don’t believe me? Just scope out this post about Sampson Parker, a farmer who cut his hand off with his pocket knife after it was trapped in a mechanical grain picker that was about to burst into flames.

If your arm is stuck under a rock or in a machine and death is closing in, it might be time to make a serious sacrifice. If you have your multi-tool in tow, just unfold the saw and go to work. It’s going to be gruesome, but so will death.

The Return of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Sword

May 11, 2011 / Tim / 15 Comments

The famous sword of Gen. Robert E. Lee is making news this week because its finally returning to Lee’s place of surrender more than 146 years after the Civil War.

Anyone who’s not a history buff might wonder what the big deal is, but for decades, there’s been a myth surrounding Lee’s sword.

Legend has it that upon surrender to Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant after the Battle of Appomattox Court House, Lee gave up his sword to Grant as a traditional gesture, but Grant refused the sword.

History has a funny way of making a big circle, as the sword is moving from its longtime resting place at the Museum of the Confederacy in downtown Richmond to a new museum in Appomattox, Va.

Even if you don’t care too much about history, Lee’s sword is a notable and unique French-made sword.

A Look at the Legendary Sub-Hilt Fighter

May 10, 2011 / Tim / 0 Comments

There aren’t many knives that can be easily recognized by simply looking at its handle, but the sub-hilt fighter is one of those knives, known for its secondary hilt that juts out to form a trigger on the handle.

Recently, I’ve read some articles on sub-hilt fighters, so I decided to bring the readers of The Cutting Edge some additional information on the legendary sub-hilt fighter.

Although he did not create it, the late Bob Loveless pioneered the sub-hilt knife in a way that it’s now the blueprint for all modern sub-hilts.

The sub-hilt has that extra trigger coming out on front of the handle to place your index finger for a maximum grip. For anyone who’s never used a sub-hilt knife, there are upsides and downsides to this handle.

The first advantage of the sub-hilt fighter is blade control. When your index finger is pressed against the sub-hilt trigger, it gives you a lot of control over how you wield the blade. Likewise, if you go in for a heavy thrust during combat or hunting, you can pull the sub-hilt trigger to get the knife out rather than having to apply a significant amount of pressure.

Knives Save Lives: Terror at 35,000 Feet

May 7, 2011 / Tim / 1 Comment

Swiss Army Knife In the latest installment of our series detailing how knives save lives, we take to the skies.

On May 28, 1990, passengers of a routine flight to San Antonio were going about their typical business as the plane they were on entered the cruising altitude of 35,000 feet.

Everything seemed to be going normally until a woman frantically told a flight attendant that her 89-year-old husband didn’t appear to be breathing. According to the attendant, the man looked darkish gray and wasn’t responding. His immediate diagnosis was total airway obstruction.

So, the attendant did what everyone has learned to do for someone who can’t breathe. He administered the Heimlich Maneuver and CPR, but to no avail. The man was in deep trouble.

Luckily, there were two doctors a few sets behind who sprung into action. They knew his airway was completely obstructed, and there was only one device that could save this man: a knife.

Rugged knife sharpener profiled in Florida Times-Union

May 5, 2011 / Tim / 0 Comments

Every now and then, we bring you a profile of an interesting figure in the knife community, such as this 76-year-old knifemaker and this lifelong knife sharpener.

Today, the Florida-Times Union ran a great piece about an experienced and weathered knife sharpener who runs a transient business along the highway.

Phil Vanderhoof is a 59-year-old free spirit that pedals his business across state lines. That’s right pedals. His business (and really, his life) is a small trailer with a sign advertising “Phil’s Knife Sharpening” that he attaches to his bicycle.

In the trailer is a hand-turned grinding wheel he estimates is about 75 years old. He also carries a variety of oil stones to do some of the finer work.

Despite having done this for more than 20 years, he didn’t have any professional training sharpening knives, but learned a few tricks and techniques in the Boy Scouts and the Marines. He was good enough that people kept stopping him on the side of the road on his bike to sharpen their knives. So, he decided to simply attach a sign and set up shop wherever he wanted.

The great thing about his business is that he runs a great bargain. Most knives cost between $2 and $5 while a handful of swords might run you about $30.

The Cutting Edge

The official blog of Knife Depot