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Case Knives Goes Electric

August 25, 2018 / Tim / 5 Comments

At the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, musician Bob Dylan shocked a crowd of concertgoers with a raucous performance of three songs. His almost unprecedented use of electricity (i.e. electric guitars, a Hammond organ, and loud amps) elicited a mixture of boos and cheers. After his set, he was awkwardly ushered back on stage to perform two of his classic folk songs on an acoustic guitar.

That was the moment Dylan went electric.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, Dylan going electric was the point at which the classic folk hero joined the modern times and embraced a new and louder style of music that he would follow in the ensuing years. W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company — a decidedly classic American knife institution known for old slip joints — has had its own moment of going electric this year.

Here’s how.

Case’s Kickstart Assisted Openers

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Although Case has never actually been stuck in the past and would often embrace the use of modern materials in its handles (see the synthetic Case knives, for example), it recently introduced an innovation that would help propel the brand into the 21st century: an assisted-opening mechanism.

Knife YouTubers You Must Subscribe To

August 22, 2018 / Tim / 7 Comments

YouTube is a strange and frightening place.

You have YouTubers I will never understand in a million years like Logan Paul and PewDiePie and then there are endlessly entertaining channels like CinemaSins and Bad Lip Reading. Alongside videos of makeup tutorials you have hypnotic 10-hour videos of the iconic “dental plan Lisa needs braces” gag from the Simpsons (I admit I watched two and a half hours of that video).

But for all the bizarrities and nonsense plaguing YouTube, there is a lively segment of gear reviews and channels devoted to knives and tangential topics.

So I did the unenviable task of choosing some of the best knife YouTubers every knife enthusiast should subscribe to.

Nick Shabazz

The faceless wonder, the man with the voice of an angel, the Z-Hunter fanboy (which may or may not be ironic anymore). It’s Nick Shabazz.

Nick Shabazz is one of my favorite knife YouTubers. His main focus is gear reviews — specifically knives but he’s branched out into other EDC items — but he also does immensely helpful disassembly videos and occasional live unboxings of awful knives. He looks at the good, the bad, and the ugly of all the items he gets for an unbiased view. On top of his fair take on the knives, he’s the master of puns.

For evidence, check out his review of the CRKT Wrinkle:

CutleryLover

While this post mostly features underdog and hidden talents, there are some people you just can’t ignore. One of those is cutleylover. Jeff has been on YouTube since 2008 and has amassed quite a following in the ensuing years. He has nearly 500,000 subscribers and more than 200 million views. Chances are you’ve seen one of his videos.

Smith & Wesson Tanto Boot Knife – Badass Knife of the Week

August 20, 2018 / Tim / 0 Comments

You could do much worse than keeping a Smith & Wesson in your boot. Luckily for you, the knives and accessories of the legendary personal safety brand have been the constant companions of law enforcement officers, military servicemen and women, emergency workers, and other brave souls for centuries.

This fixed blade boot knife is no exception.

Standing for Hostage Rescue Team, the H.R.T. Tanto Boot Knife is designed for the toughest tasks. The 4.75-inch tanto blade is 7Cr17MoV high carbon stainless steel, which is easy to sharpen and resist corrosion. Black coating on the blade not only reduces the reflection of the steel but also adds extra protection.

Watch YouTuber Make Knife from Underwear

August 16, 2018 / Tim / 1 Comment

Do I post far too many videos from YouTuber kiwami japan? Probably. Am I going to stop? Probably not.

Kiwami japan is one of the most ingenious YouTubers out there, making knives from all types of bizarre materials. He doesn’t use regular materials like steel. Instead, he uses everything from Jell-O to aluminum foil.

In one of his most recent videos, he turns underwear into a knife. Yes, underwear.

Knifemaker Interview: James Wahls of Indy Hammered Knives

August 14, 2018 / Tim / 0 Comments

Making it as a knifemaker is no easy task and there are countless knifemakers out there worthy of some time and attention. It’s been a while since we’ve profiled a knifemaker on the blog (the last time was probably 2012’s chat with Stewart J. Light). So when knifemaker James Wahls of Indy Hammered Knives reached out to us, I was intrigued.

I did some research and stumbled upon this video:

His story seemed really interesting, so I agreed to interview him about his journey as a knifemaker.

You can find James and Indy Hammered Knives (IHK) at ihknives.com or on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

First, could you tell us a little about yourself, such as where you’re from and your background growing up?

Good Question, I’m from and grew up in LaGrange, IN, which is a small town in northern Indiana. When I say small, I mean I had Amish neighbors growing up and is still the place where I get all my sweet vintage blacksmithing tools! My folks and sister still live up there. I love to go back and visit this special place as much as I can because it will always be home to me.

Spyderco Endura – Badass Knife of the Week

August 13, 2018 / Tim / 0 Comments

We’ve been doing the Badass Knife of the Week for four and a half years. We are currently up to 235 different knives being given the honor. So how did something so iconic and essential as the Spyderco Endura get passed up for so long? We beg for your forgiveness because this badass knife is an all-time classic.

The Spyderco Endura helped usher in a new era of affordable, tactical knives made right here in the United States of America. Released in 1990 as the larger brother of the Delica (which we did feature as the 11th Badass Knife ever), the Endura is in its fourth generation and nearly a perfect knife.

‘Everyday Blade’ Utility EDC Knife Launches on Kickstarter

August 8, 2018 / Tim / 5 Comments

Utility knives — those knives with replaceable blades — are nothing new. Workplace utility knives have been around for decades and are often found on job sites. But, more designers are starting to focus on making everyday carry versions of the utility knife.

A few weeks back I covered the Maker Knife utility knife launched on Kickstarter and this week it’s the Everyday Blade by Korcraft.

Shane Korthuis, founder and designer of Korcraft, contacted me when the project first launched on Kickstarter on June 24 with a press release.

He touts the Everyday Blade as the “world’s smallest folding utility knife that fits 12 types of blades.” While that qualifier may be true, this is hardly the first EDC utility knife. But does it hold its own against some of the others? Let’s take a look.

Everyday Blade Specs

The Everyday Blade is seriously tiny. It weighs less than an ounce and is about two inches long when closed. The whole thing is about the size of a house key but is decidedly thicker at 0.82 inches.

Victorinox Tinker – Badass Knife of the Week

August 6, 2018 / Tim / 0 Comments

There is a Swiss Army Knife for everyone. If you’re that person who people turn to for a quick gadget repair or to help open a package, the Tinker is for you.

With the Tinker, you can be a jack of all trades and a master of everything. This small Swiss Army Knife is a mainstay of the Victorinox collection and remains one of the most popular models the storied company puts out.

The Tinker is a two-layer tool that features all the tools needed to tackle the basic tasks of everyday life.

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This classic red version of the Tinker is only 3.5 inches when closed and holds 12 different tools: a large blade, small blade, can opener, three screwdrivers, bottle opener, wire stripper, reamer, toothpick, tweezers, and key ring.

"Kershaw Cryo" by Luke Detwiler is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Why Do People Hate Assisted-Openers?

July 31, 2018 / Tim / 52 Comments

If you were to peruse some popular knife forums, you’d think the invention of the assisted-opening mechanism was the worst thing to happen to the knife world.

The truth is that the average user could not care less whether the knife is spring-assisted. As long as it opens reliably and is relatively cheap, most people barley notice.

So, why do most knife nuts seem to hate assisted-opening knives with a passion? These are the most common arguments against assisted blades.

(Note: I’m being the devil’s advocate and citing some common arguments. I honestly don’t have a preference between assisted-openers and manual folders.)

1. Assisted-openers are dangerous

One of the biggest complaints about assisted-openers is that they’re dangerous. There are stories from people across the internet who say an assisted opener engaged while in the pocket. Those with flipper tabs are likely more dangerous because they can open up pretty easily when some pressure is applied to the edge of the closed knife. (This is a problem that can be mostly prevented with right-handed tip-down carry where the pocket would help keep it closed.)

I’ve carried assisted-openers before and never had one open. However, I have had an unassisted knife open slightly in my pocket. I don’t remember the circumstances that caused it, but any type of knife can be dangerous. Take a look at what could happen with an auto:

A first for me. Boker Kalashnikov opened in my pocket. from knives

Some have even complained that the strength of the assisted open is so powerful that the knife feels like it’s going to jump out of the hand.

2. Safety lock negates any advantages

To combat the first complaint, many knives come with safety mechanisms that keep the blade closed. For example, many Kershaw SpeedSafe models have a little peg that slides behind the blade to keep it from opening up accidentally. While it does increase the safety of the knife, it also counteracts the quickness and accessibility of the knife.

Old Timer 158OT Guthook – Badass Knife of the Week

July 30, 2018 / Tim / 0 Comments

Legend says that the Baer brothers of Imperial Schrade wanted to offer a knife that their grand-dad would carry. So, in 1959, the first line of Old Timer knives was officially put into production.

Despite its long history with highs and lows, the Old Timer brand continues to exist today by encompassing the spirit and dependability of the knives of old.

The latest Badass Knife of the Week is the perfect example.

The Old Timer 158OT Guthook Hunting Knife features a 3.5-inch guthook blade you can use to effortlessly process hide and body cavities on-the-spot, keeping meat clean and hairless and impressing a mark of craft on your work. Made from stainless steel, the blade is easy to sharpen and resists all types of stains and corrosion when used in wet situations.

The Cutting Edge

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