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Ax-Throwing Gaining Popularity with New Indoor Venues

June 19, 2018 / Tim / 0 Comments

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The art of knife throwing (and ax throwing) has always felt on the cusp of mainstream.

A slew of soon-to-be-opening indoor ax-throwing venues might just help provide that boost the pastime needs to be as common and prevalent as mini golf, bowling, or billiards.

Patt Johnson of the Des Moines Register wrote a great feature (filled with some solid puns) on three new businesses opening up in the Des Moines area over the summer dedicated to ax throwing.

Here’s more about the business called Lumber Axe soon to open in downtown Des Moines by Aaron Coy:

Ax-throwing centers allow participants to pick out a two-handed ax or hatchet and launch it about 12 feet at a bulls-eye.

…

Throwing lanes are generally divided with chain-link fencing to protect throwers in nearby alleys.

Ax-throwing costs vary, but generally, an hour of casual throwing starts around $20 for a group of eight. League fees can be about $135 for a season. Ax prices range greatly but start around $20.

Coy is opening a center with four single-throwing lanes and six double lanes. The business will also include laser tag, virtual reality stations and two bars.

These centers are meant to rival pool halls or bowling alleys with concessions and even alcoholic drinks.

Fox Slim Dragotac Friction Folder – Badass Knife of the Week

June 18, 2018 / Tim / 0 Comments

The Dragotac series from Bastinelli Creations has been popular over the years — both custom and factory versions. One of the most common requests submitted to Bastinelli Creations is for the Dragotac to be available in a non-locking version.

With the help of Fox Knives, Bastinelli Creations accomplished that feat in the Dragotac Slim Friction Folder called the Piemontes.

The friction folding version of the Dragotac is every bit as functional and sexy as its locking counterpart. The 3.1-inch blade features a modified Wharncliffe blade profile. Unlike the traditional Wharncliffe blade, the edge is slightly curved to provide better cutting ability; however, the blade retains the piercing power of the Wharncliffe.

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The satin-finished blade is made with N690Co stainless steel, an alloy that holds a better edge and provides better stain resistance than comparable steels. Jimping along the spine gives a more reliable grip for finer tasks.

The ‘Maker Knife’ Launches on Kickstarter

June 14, 2018 / Tim / 10 Comments

There is a time and place for utility knives — those knives that use replaceable box cutter blades.

They’re cheap, easy to use, replaceable, and work well on simple tasks like cutting open boxes. The only problem is that the containers for most utility knives are pretty bad.

Enter the Maker Knife.

The Maker Knife is an everyday carry tool made for utility knives that’s designed to be carried and used almost like any ordinary pocket knife. The design was launched on crowdfunding site Kickstarter on June 9 with a goal of about $11,000 (translated from euros). Not only did it reach its goal on the first day, but it is currently funded at more than $105,000 by more than 1,400 backers.

That’s impressive.

The Maker Knife started brewing about two years ago when Giacomo Di Muro — known for his awesome YouTube channel Giaco Whatever — got a utility knife. He used it every day, but its design was bulky and not meant for EDC. One day he was visiting with designer David Windestål. After talking about the lack of good utility knives, the two decided to make their own.

Spring-Assist Knives Might Now Be Illegal in New York State

June 12, 2018 / Tim / 12 Comments

I lived in New York for a few years — first upstate and then down in the city. During this time, I resigned myself to the fact that I should never carry a knife outside a slipjoint concealed deep in my pocket. This is why:

On a ruling of 6-1, the state’s highest court upheld the conviction of a man who had an assisted-opening knife under the theory that it was an illegal switchblade.

How did not just one but several courts agree that a spring-assisted knife was a switchblade? Let’s try to follow the logic.

Facts About the Case

Let’s start with some details about the case.

Defendant Steven Berrezueta was on his way to work at the mailroom of an investment company when he was stopped and arrested in the subway after an officer noticed a knife protruding from his rear pants’ pocket.

It doesn’t say the type of knife except that it was a “United States Army-themed knife” that he bought off the internet for use in his job in the mailroom. I imagine it was a dirt cheap knife like this one. There is talk of a button, but I think they might mean flipper tab. Not too sure about that one.

So, Berrezueta was charged with carrying a switchblade among other things.

KA-BAR MULE – Badass Knife of the Week

June 11, 2018 / Tim / 0 Comments

Some companies make knives that should be kept in a safe, only brought out under dimmed lighting and handled with gloves. Other companies, like KA-BAR, make knives that are meant to be worked and beaten mercilessly.

The perfect example of this kind of knife is the KA-BAR MULE.

Standing for Military, Utility and Law Enforcement, the MULE is the very definition of a workhorse knife. It features a sturdy 3.875-inch black-coated blade made from functional AUS 8A stainless steel, a reliable lockback mechanism, and a nearly indestructible black Zytel handle.

But we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves. KA-BAR describes this heavy-duty tool as the folding knife’s answer to the traditional KA-BAR fixed blade. While no folder can ever compare to a fixed blade as storied as the KA-BAR, the MULE has proven time and again that it can take pretty much anything you throw at it.

Knives Save Lives: The Rabid Coyote

June 7, 2018 / Tim / 6 Comments

My thoughts on knives as poor defensive weapons is well documented. That being said I often carry a knife for self-defense.

I live in a neighborhood where packs of large dogs are often roaming around unleashed. On top of that, I frequently take my young kids out for walks. Carrying a large stick is impractical most of the time, so I carry a knife just in case.

Fortunately, I’ve never had to use the knife for such a purpose (though I came alarmingly close one time). A Georgian hiker named Nate Edmund wasn’t so lucky.

On the last Saturday of May, Edmund had gone to a demonstration forest in Jones County for a hike. However, he noticed a creature ahead of him.

“I saw something moving through the woods,” Edmund told Georgia Outdoor News. “I saw what looked like a dog, but by the time it finally got out into the trail, I could clearly see it was a coyote.”

2018 BLADE Show ‘Knife of the Year’ Awards

June 5, 2018 / Tim / 1 Comment

Another BLADE Show has come and gone.

While I wasn’t able to attend this year, I’m not going to ignore one of my favorite events of the knife-filled weekend: the awards.

The Knife of the Year awards are designed to recognize the highest achievements in the factory-made and custom knife industries. Some experts in the field have argued that the winners of the awards have not reflected the consensus of the wider knife community. However, it is interesting to see which ones take home the top prize.

Overall Knife of the Year: Fox Knives SURU

Image from Blade Magazine

First up is the biggie: the Overall Knife of the Year. Fox Knives took home the top prize with the SURU. Designed by Jesper Voxnaes (as you can plainly see), the SURU is the first frame mechanism made from 90 percent carbon fiber and 10 percent TPI stainless steel. I imagine the carbon fiber makes it extremely lightweight.

It is a darn sexy knife with flourishes like titanium screws, Vegas Forge Herringbone Damascus steel, and a titanium clip with a zirconium oxide ball.

American Made Knife of the Year: Chris Reeve Impinda

Next up is the American Made Knife of the Year. The Impinda is the first slip joint from Chris Reeve Knives and looks as though it captures the same quality and finish you can expect from other CRK models like the Sebenza. It has a 3.123-inch S35VN blade with a titanium handle.

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Imported Knife of the Year: Spyderco Paysan

The Paysan was just released in the Spyderco 2018 Mid-Year Guide a few days ago and was one of the knives we were most excited for. It’s not hard to see why.

CRKT Heiho – Badass Knife of the Week

June 4, 2018 / Tim / 2 Comments

The CRKT Heiho was born out of a challenge to knife designer and martial arts instructor James Williams.

Williams had designed the CRKT Hissatsu — based on an old Japanese fixed blade — for use by tactical law enforcement and military forces. However, some special operations and government security professionals are not allowed to carry a large fixed blade, so he set out to create a low-profile folder that could be used in hostile environments.

The result is the Heiho.

10 Droolworthy 2018 Mid-Year Spyderco Knives

May 31, 2018 / Tim / 3 Comments

It’s nearly June and that means Spyderco has released its mid-year catalog with some droolworthy models we saw at SHOT Show earlier this year.

The 15-page catalog features an array of new models or updates like the Autonomy 2 and Techno 2. Here are 10 models that really jumped out to see.

You can see the whole 2018 mid-year catalog here.

Spyderco Smock

We’ll start off with one of the more radical designs. The Smock is based on Kevin Smock’s SK23 custom folder, which has a button version of the Compression Lock. Spyderco worked with Smock to bring his creation to the masses. The knife also has a fantastic top flipper tab that doesn’t stick out. The blade is 3.45 inches.

MSRP: $249.95

Spyderco Mantra 3

The common feature of many of the knives in this mid-year release is the flipper/Compression Lock combo. The Mantra 3 takes the general design of the Mantra 1 and adds carbon fiber/G-10 laminate scales and a Compression Lock.

Louisiana Switchblade Ban Repealed

May 29, 2018 / Tim / 2 Comments

If you live in Louisiana — the same great state Knife Depot is based in — then we have good news for you.

Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a bill that repeals the state’s antiquated ban on switchblade knives. Although the bill was signed by the governor on May 25, it doesn’t officially take effect until August 1.

The repeal was another victory for the knife community spearheaded by Knife Rights. The knife advocacy organization lobbied to get members of the state’s congress to draft and pass the bill.

The bill — titled HB892 — legalized the buying and carrying of switchblades as long as there is no “intentional concealment on one’s person.” The wording is a bit vague, but Knife Rights said it was necessary to add so sheriffs and state police wouldn’t oppose the bill.

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