Your long search for the perfect everyday carry knife is finally over. Meet the Benchmade 940.
Our latest Badass Knife of the Week is billed as one of the most quintessential EDC knives ever created, and with universal acclaim coming from all corners of the knife world, it’s hard to argue.
Brandon Johnson with the bear he killed.
In a split second, the hunter can quickly become the hunted.
That’s what happened a few weeks ago when a Minnesotan hunter named Brandon Johnson was out tracking a black bear that one of his friends had shot earlier.
Johnson was out around midnight on a warm fall day near Sand Stone, Minn. The moonlight was low and there was a dense fog in the forest. Suddenly, the very bear Johnson was tracking charged at him and knocked him down, snapping his left arm in half and causing him to go unconscious for a moment.
When he came to, the 525-pound bear was biting at his hand and he was unable to get away. That’s where our life-saving tool enters the story.
We’re continuing our quest to bust some of the most prominent knife myths. To read out previous entries, see our Knife Myths category.
“Is giving a knife as a present bad luck?”
Yes, that’s something we’ve been asked before, and though it might seem crazy, there’s actually a pretty old superstition that giving a knife as a gift is bad luck.
I’m here to tell you with the utmost conviction that it’s nothing more than an old wives tale that holds absolutely no truth.
So where did this old myth come from? Let’s take a look.
The true origins of the myth seem to be lost to time, but the meaning of the superstition makes perfect sense. The logic is that a knife can symbolize the severing of a relationship, so you shouldn’t give it as a gift for events, especially weddings. A knife, they say, will cut the ties that bind a friendship together.
With a long list of missions and successes that date back to WWII, the Navy SEALs are among the most badass special units ever to exist. Since the members of the force constantly put their lives at risk, it only makes sense to use nothing but the best equipment. SOG has built a knife worthy of the Navy SEALs themselves: the SEAL Pup Elite.
The Badass Knife of the Week is impressive in every way. Its laser focus on high performance in the toughest situations separates the SOG SEAL Pup Elite from other knives.
Even though the knife market is continually dominated by huge brands like Kershaw, Buck, and Spyderco, smaller companies also make fantastic knives and offer personal touches that those larger companies simply can’t. That’s where the Parker River Knife Company comes in.
Parker River Knife Company’s story began nearly 100 years ago along the banks of Parker River in Newbury, Mass. A restaurant and gift shop opened right on the water, but after many years it was converted into a marina. Once the owners decided to retire, Jim Bowes and his wife decided to take over the family business and write a new chapter in the family story.
Here’s more about the start of the company from the Parker River site:
Drawing on years of experience working along the Parker River, we’ve designed a line of knives that are as beautiful as they are functional. The river has taught us to respect and love nature. Our products are designed to last a lifetime and to be cherished as much as we love this little river.
What really sets Parker River knives apart from some of the other knives you see on the market is just how much these knives look and feel like the same ones your granddad might have carried. This ensures the knife not only features a handsome design but also boasts a look you know will never go out of style.
With all the critical acclaim that the RAT Model 1 received, it seemed impossible for Ontario Knife Company to improve on perfection. However, the latest Badass Knife of the Week manages to recapture all the magic of the Model 1 while simultaneously being 20% smaller. That makes the Ontario RAT Model 2 a flawless EDC.
A picture of the crash provided by Maine State Police.
“They come in handy, I guess. Monday night really proved it,” Moody said.
That’s a quote from a 44-year-old logger from Maine named Leo Moody describing pocket knives.
Not long ago, Moody was driving home from work when he saw an SUV flipped upside down in the water. He called 911 and rushed to the vehicle where one of the passengers said there was a baby trapped in the back seat.
As only a special type of person would do, Moody immediately swam through the cold water to the vehicle where he saw the 3-month-old stuck in the child seat.
At this point, the average person would be helpless and incapable of ripping a jammed seat belt with bare hands. Fortunately, Moody is not your average person. He pulled out a pocket knife and began cutting away.
With its vast amounts of salt and water, the ocean has destroyed countless knives with rust and ruin. But no knife can brave the elements of the sea like the latest Badass Knife of the Week: the Spyderco Pacific Salt.
The Spyderco Pacific Salt is not only the ultimate diving knife but it is also perfectly designed for everyday carry.
Since its inception in late 2006, Knife Rights has worked hard to lobby against those with an anti-knife agenda. The organization has done a ton of advocacy for knife rights and has made a huge impact with knife legislation. We covered just a little of what they’ve done in an older blog post.
At the NASC Annual Sportsman-Legislator Summit in Oregon, Knife Rights released their first annual review of the worst and best knife laws in America.
Here’s more from Knife Rights on the ranking:
The ten worst anti-knife cities stand out for their outright persecution of honest knife owners and extraordinarily restrictive anti-knife ordinances, far more severe than even the state laws in those areas.
You can see the rankings over at Knife Rights but we thought we’d share it here as well. Some of the information about the laws in the cities are taken from Knife Rights.
Here are the 10 worst cities for knife owners.
10. Aspen, Colorado
In Aspen, it’s illegal to carry a concealed knife of any type in a car, unless you have a concealed weapons permit. It’s perfectly legal to buy marijuana in Aspen, but don’t even think about driving with your pocketknife hidden somewhere.
9. Corpus Christi, Texas (Update: removed from list in 2015 with the passage of Texas’ knife preemption law)
For 40 years, Kershaw Knives has been at the top of its game, putting out some of the most respected knives on the market. The Leek, Blur, Clash, Amphibian, Cryo, Shuffle, Blackout, and Knockout have garnered cult followings over the years.
Kershaw is a perennial winner at the annual BLADE Show and remains one of the most respected brands out there. So it’s not surprising that Kershaw pulled no stops with its 40 year anniversary model: the Ruby model 4040.
The limited edition knife was produced to commemorate the four-decade anniversary and integrated many of Kershaw’s patented designs and features.
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