The Cutting Edge

Watch ‘The KA-BAR Story’ Series

April 26, 2018 / Tim / 1 Comment

KA-BAR the company is celebrating its 120th anniversary on April 29th. In honor of its amazing longevity, KA-BAR dove deep into the history of the brand — from inception in the late 1800s all the way to today.

This deep dive culminated in a four-part documentary series released over the past few weeks on the KA-BAR YouTube channel.

These four videos are exceptionally well-made and track the company through the decades as it responds to major events in U.S. history. KA-BAR got some actors to play historical figures in the company that really help you visualize the company.

I wrote my own brief history of the KA-BAR brand and a closer look into what makes the company so great a few years back. But even I learned a few new things about the brand from the video. For example, I’m glad the company didn’t keep the name Tidioute Cutlery.

I would have liked this documentary better had it been released as one video (since you get a minute intro at the beginning and about four minutes of credits at the end of each video).

See Quiet Carry’s Kickstarter Campaign for the Chase Folder

April 24, 2018 / Tim / 1 Comment

Every so often I take a gander through Kickstarter to see what sort of intriguing designs or contraptions people are asking the masses to back.

One active campaign that really captured my eye is the Chase by Quiet Carry.

The Chase is an everyday carry pocket knife with an emphasis on utility and convenience. The creator says that the inspiration for the knife was a fixed blade, though I don’t necessarily get that impression upon first glance. It does look like a clean and refined EDC folder, however.

Victorinox Farmer – Badass Knife of the Week

April 23, 2018 / Tim / 0 Comments

Trying to find the perfect everyday carry is almost impossible, but if you had to pick just one knife to carry wherever you go, it might as well be the Victorinox Farmer.

This Swiss Army Knife has all the essentials you need — nothing more and nothing less.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by #Mostlyknives (@mostlyknives)

The knife features nine functions. The main tool is the large blade, which opens up with the help of a nail nick and snaps into place with a slipjoint spring. A bottle opener and can opener sit on opposite ends and boast additional uses, including a wire stripper and two screwdrivers.

Knife Rights Launches 2018 ‘Ultimate Steel’ Fundraising Giveaway

April 17, 2018 / Tim / 1 Comment

It’s back!

The Knife Rights Ultimate Steel Spectacular has returned in glorious fashion.

Each year, the knife rights organization launches an amazing fundraising campaign to raise money for the cause. For 2018, they have gathered more than $175,000 in prizes (so far) to give away to those who donate. Because all the knives and guns are donated to Knife Rights, 100 percent of the proceeds to go to help funding the organization.

Here is a quick breakdown of the entry process.

$20 gets 1 entry
$40 gets 2 entries
$60 gets 4 entries
$80 gets 6 entries

Along with a Knife Rights membership at $60 or above, higher donations also get cool gear branded with Knife Rights while supplies last.

$100 gets 9 entries + Kizer Kesmec
$200 gets 22 entries + SOG Ultra C-Ti
$300 gets 37 entries + Spyderco Native 5 Lightweight
$400 gets 60 entries + Colonial Nemesis
$500 gets 90 entries + Cold Steel Swift II
$1,000 gets 150 entries + Hogue Damascus/CF A01 Microswitch

Those who donate before May 16 are also eligible for an early bird bonus drawing with more than $35,000 in prizes. To be eligible for the main drawing, you have to donate by August 1. Drawings will be done within two weeks of the closing dates.

Benchmade Nimravus – Badass Knife of the Week

April 16, 2018 / Tim / 0 Comments

Benchmade isn’t best-known for making fixed-blade knives, but when it does make them, Benchmade does it right.

The Benchmade Nimravus takes its name from a relative of the saber-toothed cat, which boasted enlarged forward canines that made it a particularly ferocious predator. The naming of the knife was no coincidence.

The 140BK iteration of the Nimravus features a long 4.5-inch fixed blade made from 154CM high carbon stainless steel. The alloy holds an edge well and exhibits solid toughness. What improves the performance of the steel is black coating to increase wear resistance and hardness.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brendon Mowry (@omertaguns7.62)

With a drop point design and a swedge, the plain-edged blade is versatile in all types of applications — whether outdoor or tactical.

UK Faces Serious Questions About Knives and Its Future

April 12, 2018 / Tim / 2 Comments

By now, I’m sure you’ve seen this:

No excuses: there is never a reason to carry a knife. Anyone who does will be caught, and they will feel the full force of the law. https://t.co/XILUvIFLOW

— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) April 8, 2018

This has caused an uproar from those who are alarmed about the future of knives and life in general in the United Kingdom.l

I too am alarmed about the moves London and the UK are making related to knife regulations. But the truth is that these latest knife regulations have been a long time coming and are way more complicated than it seems.

Strict UK Knife Laws Get Stricter

The United Kingdom already has some of the strictest knife laws in the world. No one is allowed to carry a knife without good reason unless it has a blade three inches or less and doesn’t lock. (Though try persuading a bobby that you’re carrying a three-inch nonlocking folder with good reason and see where that gets you.)

Police have also been targeting knives over the past few years as the country has seen a drastic uptick in knife crimes.

A few years ago we wrote about and mocked how the UK was thinking about banning zombie knives. Sure, zombie knives are a bizarre conceit that companies seized upon during the zombie craze, but it seemed crazy to think that would stop things.

The latest measures announced by the mayor of London tackle the rise of knife crime in different ways. Knives and acid will no longer be delivered to homes. Met police are also now emboldened to conduct stop-and-frisk searches. (We already know the effect that had in New York City.)

Joel McHale Gives Celebrities Knives Instead of Tote Bags

April 10, 2018 / Tim / 1 Comment

I’ve never been on a talk show for obvious reasons, but I know most will give some sort of free swag as a thank you.

It’s typical to give a tote bag with the name of the show on it containing some cheeses or a coffee mug. But that’s not what actor and comedian Joel McHale does.

He gives people massive Cold Steel folding knives.

Watch this clip featuring Allison Janney, an actress who has had a long illustrious film and television career, on “The Late Late Show with James Corbin.”

To be honest, I’m a little disappointed he didn’t explain the merits of carrying and using knives or at least pointing to my article 101 uses for a pocket knife to better educate the silent audience. Of course, McHale went for the jokes instead. That’s why he’s a handsome comedian and I’m just some dude writing about knives.

This isn’t the first time McHale, who is a well-known fan of Cold Steel and knives in general, gave someone a knife as a gift. Apparently he gave writer-director Scott Derrickson a $2,000 Cold Steel knife for Christmas a few years back.

Gerber Prodigy – Badass Knife of the Week

April 9, 2018 / Tim / 0 Comments

A prodigy is a child or young person who is exceptionally good at something, a savant if you will. With that definition in mind, Prodigy perfectly fits as the name of our latest Badass Knife of the Week.

The Gerber Prodigy is based on the award-winning (and previous Badass Knife of the Week) LMF II but somehow manages to pack the same punch in a smaller package. The Prodigy features a very similar design and purpose as the LMF II, only thinned out to create a more versatile tool.

At a length of 4.75 inches, the blade of the Prodigy is only a few tenths of an inch shorter than the beefier LMF II. Where it cuts down on weight and size is the depth of the 420HC stainless steel blade. It is still durable enough to handle any task you throw at it but won’t keep you bogged down.

Discontinued Benchmade 707 Sequel

15 Discontinued Knife Models That Should Make a Comeback

April 5, 2018 / Tim / 6 Comments

Nothing lasts forever.

Every single year, dozens of knife models get discontinued for one reason or another. But just because a knife is discontinued due to low sales or a lack of space in the lineup doesn’t mean it wasn’t good.

In fact, many discontinued knives were well made and beloved by many. Some gems have gone the way of the dodo and we wanted to take a look back at a few of our favorite or most-missed production knives.

I understand most of these are available on the second market for sometimes exorbitant prices, but I’d love to see these knives back in production for more reasonable prices.

Benchmade AFCK

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sergii Kachanov (@kachanov_sergii)

If I had to guess, I’d venture the Benchmade AFCK is the knife people want to bring back the most.

The AFCK (Advanced Folding Combat Knife) was designed by former Navy SEAL Chris Caracci for Benchmade. It featured a visually appealing blade that was optimized for self-defense but worked well for everyday carry. The blade had a Spyderco Round Hole and it used a liner lock. Caracci didn’t care much for the AXIS.

Man Who Returned Stolen Medford Knife Gets Cool Surprise

April 3, 2018 / Tim / 2 Comments

Knife sales from customer to customer happen all the time.

Someone puts up a knife for sale in a Facebook group or on a forum and another buys the knife used for a reasonable cost. The seller gets money and more room for other knives while the buyer gets a cool new knife.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t always go that way.

Aaron, who goes by the name of hkwinger on YouTube, Instagram, and other social media outlets, sold one of his Medford Titanium Praetorian knives to another person via Facebook. The knife was delivered to the person but the person said it was not on his doorstep when he got home and that it was stolen off his porch.