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New Tiger-Stripe Blur knife introduced by Kershaw

June 1, 2012 / Tim / 1 Comment

Kershaw Knives just announced the introduction of a new and exclusive knife hitting the market: the Tiger-Stripe Blur.

The Blur models are not new but are actually among the most popular knives at Kershaw. Nevertheless, the Tiger-Stripe Blur is something different.

The new knife features a drop point blade that’s 3 3/8 inches long with a SpeedSafe assisted opening function for one-handed engagement. The namesake comes from the black and gray coating in diamond-like carbon (DLC). If you’re not familiar with DLC, it’s a highly resistant film that reduces the amount of wear on the blade. Here’s more from a press release from Kershaw about DLC:

The DLC coating is applied in a process called Physical Vapor Disposition (PVD). During PVD, metals are instantly evaporated and ionized via a high-current, low-voltage arc. The metal ions are then accelerated into a vacuum chamber. A negative voltage is introduced, which permanently deposits a thin metal coating on the blades. This makes the new Blur’s tiger-striped coating highly scratch resistant.

Without getting a feel for the knife, it’s hard to determine just how great this $119.95 knife is. The past Blur models with Trac-Tec inserts, which run at $79.99, do not disappoint, so it’s easy to assume this will be another top-quality knife.

SOG’s new Blade Light is not a stab in the dark

May 29, 2012 / Tim / 1 Comment

In the world of knives, finding something truly innovative and new is near impossible due to the fact that knives have been around for about two million years. However, SOG dared to try something unique: light up the blade of the knife with LEDs.

Sure, we’ve seen lights on knives before, such as the great Wenger Spotlight Swiss Army Knife and low-quality Core Lite, but the new SOG Blade Light turns the phrase “taking a stab in the dark” on its head.

The purpose of the light isn’t just to help you find the keyhole of your home at night; it’s meant to illuminate the blade to allow you to accurately slice in the dark without annoying shadows.

Image courtesy of My Gun Culture

It does this by taking six LEDs and molding them into the glass-reinforced nylon (GRN) handle, which means the lights and the push button are waterproof—even when fully immersed in water. Both sides of the blade are lit up by three LEDs to give you light on each side.

The Blade Light comes in two different versions: a fixed-blade or folding knife. The fixed variation comes with an overall length of 11.3 inches and is powered by a single AA battery while the folder is 9 inches long with a 3.9-inch blade. It’s powered by two AAA batteries. The fixed-blade Blade Light also comes with a molded hard sheath that features a quiet carry tensioner and a slot for two spare batteries.

Knife Rights gets more support in civil rights suit against NYC

May 25, 2012 / Tim / 1 Comment

What is the definition of “gravity knife?”

That (and the definition of “switchblade”) is the fundamental question at the center of a slow but ongoing lawsuit against the city of New York. The organization Knife Rights is embroiled in a lawsuit against New York County D.A. Cyrus Vance Jr. and the city itself for using unconstitutionally vague terms to target merchants and citizens who sell or use one-hand opening knives.

Although updates about the lawsuit have been few and far between, Knife Rights just announced that its suit has been bolstered by two new plaintiffs: Native Leather, Ltd. and Knife Rights Foundation, Inc.

Native Leather is another retailer accused by Vance of selling illegal knives. The company was forced to stop selling knives deemed “gravity knives” and “switchblades,” had to pay fines and gave up most of its inventory, according to Knife Rights. The kicker is that Native Leather is still unsure of what constitutes an illegal knife. That’s one of the many reasons they joined the lawsuit.

Here’s more from Chairman Doug Ritter:

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Knife chainsaw: Does it top the machete slingshot?

May 23, 2012 / Tim / 2 Comments

From the man who brought you the pleasantly absurd machete slingshot comes his latest masterpiece of destruction: the chainsaw made of steak knives.

On his YouTube channel The Slingshot Channel, Jörg Sprave creates a variety of innovative devices, mostly slingshot-related, for fun. Like all of his creations, the steak knife saw is surprisingly simple. He took a power drill purchased through Amazon, attached it to a wheel, which is connected to yet another wheel, and affixed a slew of razor-sharp steak knives around the smaller wheel.

He got the idea for his homemade steak saw after someone suggested he find different ways to weaponize household products. So, he went through his cabinet, saw a steak knife and decided to make this unbelievable device.

Here’s some clever posturing from Gizmodo:

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Interview with a Knifemaker: Stewart J. Light on the joys and challenges of knifemaking

May 18, 2012 / Tim / 0 Comments

Stewart Light and his 3-year-old son, Adam.

Any knife enthusiast knows some of the most amazing and unique designs come from custom knifemakers. That’s why when I stumbled upon the awesome knives of Stewart J. Light, I knew I had to talk to him. I interviewed Stewart through e-mail to get his perspective and thoughts on knifemaking. Here’s the full interview. (Editor’s note: There are some British variations in spelling.)

After you’re done reading, I recommend checking out his blog for more images and interesting posts.

For start off by telling us a little about yourself.

I’m originally from Grimsby in the North East of England. Twelve years ago I went to the University of Hertfordshire to study Sports & Exercise Science and have stayed down south ever since.

After university I got a temporary job working as a porter in a hotel/conference centre. I have been working there pretty much ever since and am now the Conference Manager so spend my day in a shirt and tie – quite different to being in my messy workshop!

At university I met my future wife and we have just celebrated the birthday of our 3-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter.

When and how did you first become interested in making knives?

I fell into it, but it now feels like a perfect fit. There are a number of factors that lead me here, I think.

As a young kid I would often be out in the back garden watching my Dad doing bits of woodwork, which slowly turned into doing some bits myself.

It was primarily woodturning on the lathe but was odd bits of carpentry as well. I always felt there was a fairly relaxed attitude about what I was allowed to do. I was left to experiment as I wanted to. Encouraged a bit here, cajoled a bit there. The things I produced weren’t amazing, and I’m glad it wasn’t suggested that they should be. I was learning to use my hands and my head.

I would often tinker about with things, and the first knife I made was either a snapped off hacksaw blade that I sharpened on one edge using my Dad’s grinder then attached to a stick of walnut with some twine or it was a six inch nail I heated on the gas hob and hammered the end flat using the back door step as an anvil (I don’t know if my parents knew I did this!) and then quenched in water, thinking that I knew what I was doing. Both were awful things that wouldn’t be much use for anything but I enjoyed myself.

Guycep necker cord wrap handle replaced with Carbon Fibre & Blue G10 and Stainless Steel pins

Another big factor is that I was in the Scout movement all the way through every section, so the best part of twelve years. Looking back, I think it’s one of the biggest things in shaping who I am today, but what it also did was give me a real love for the outdoors. That combined with Ray Mears on the TV introduced me to the idea of ‘Bushcraft’ which then lead to choosing a knife to use. I started to see knives that other people were producing and I wanted to try myself. That was seven years ago and now it is my main hobby.

What is your favorite part of knifemaking?

Musher suing Kershaw over nearly severed finger

May 15, 2012 / Tim / 4 Comments

Former Iditarod champion Mitch Seavey is suing Kershaw Knives for making a knife that nearly severed his finger and forced him to quit the famed dog sled race last year, according to Anchorage Daily News (h/t BladeForums.com).

Seavey was using a Kershaw folding knife, which featured a gut hook, a common tool used by mushers to slice plastic ties, when it accidentally closed on his finger. The damage was severe enough for officials to make him bow out of the race.

Seavey accuses the knife company of being negligent because of what his attorney claims to be a serious design flaw. A lever that releases the blade from locking position is in the middle of the handle and can be accidentally depressed when using the gut hook.

As a result of his injury, he was forced to quit the Iditarod when he was in fourth place. Even worse, his finger was reattached at an awkward angle, so now it gets in the way. He wants at least $100,000 in damages and lost wages.

While this is a serious injury and debilitating injury, a lot of the burden falls on Seavey to prove that it’s Kershaw’s fault and that he would have won the race.

Here’s more from Greenwich Time:

The lawsuit centers on the most essential of tools in a dog musher’s sled. A knife offers security, said Two Rivers musher Aliy Zirkle, who carries at least three blades on the trail, including one clipped to her parka.

If a dog’s leg becomes wrapped in a line or the team tangles itself around a tree, the musher must quickly cut the animals loose, she said. At checkpoints, racers use blades to slash open food bags or pry ice from frozen sled runners.

Even though knives are common in sledding, severe knife injuries are not. Of the few that happen, four-time champion Lance Mackey attributes the slices to carelessness.

Great knives to give moms for Mother’s Day

May 11, 2012 / Tim / 0 Comments

If you think all a mother wants for Mother’s Day is an apron or a mop, you’re completely wrong.

A lot of mothers out there want something that’s practical, special and has a little bit of you in it. That’s why there’s nothing better than getting your mom a knife (for reasons why mothers would want a knife, check out this column from Tracy Morrow). Here are some great knife models to get that knife-loving mother in your family (be it a mom, sister, aunt or grandmother).

Leatherman Pink Style CS

Show your mom you care about her and mothers all over the world by giving her a pink Breast Cancer Awareness Leatherman. Not only does a portion of the sale go toward the National Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation, but your mother can proudly display this pink tool. Leathermans are a really good gift for mothers because they are multifunctional. These are all-around tools that will help her make her day easier.

CKRT Shrimp – Designed by Gerry McGinnis

The Shrimp by CKRT is a charming little knife, which comes in a variety of bright colors. It makes such a great gift for a number of reasons. First, it’s small enough to fit on a keychain, so she doesn’t have to worry about lugging it around. Second, it’s a very simple knife, which makes it good for a wide range of uses.

RAT Pink Izula

While the two previous ones are more general purpose knives any mom could use, the Izula is best for an adventurous and spry mom. This is a great survival knife that’s smaller than some of the other survival knives, but it can also be used for daily tasks, including opening packages, cutting twine and more.

Chef’s knife

Although it’s probably not what you had in mind when thinking about knives, a chef’s knife is a great way to show the moms in your life you care. A chef’s knife is something most people use every day. A personalized knife, such as the one from Ergo Chef above, could be that thoughtful gift your mother loves and cherishes.

Georgia passes ‘most important knife bill of the year’

May 8, 2012 / Tim / 1 Comment

In what Knife Rights is describing as “the single most important bill for knife owners and the knife industry to pass this year,” SB432 was signed into law by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, taking effect July 1.

According to Knife Rights, the new knife preemption law effectively repeals a host of draconian knife ordinances that vary from county to county. What makes this so important is that it gets rid of knife restrictions on knife ownership, sales and manufacturing in places like Atlanta, which hosts the annual BLADE Show.

Here’s part of why it’s so important:

These local ordinances banned the possession of all sorts of knives readily available and often carried at the BLADE Show including a prohibition against carry of any automatic or any knife with a blade longer than three-inches “readily available for use.” An attendee or exhibitor could easily have run afoul of these ordinances and faced fines and jail time. The potential existed to create terrible publicity that could have jeopardized the knife world’s most important annual show! With the signing of Knife Rights drafted Knife Law Preemption bill, those threats are now eliminated.

While many knife organizations view this as a step in the right direction, it’s important to note that the law doesn’t go into effect until July 1. This means BLADE Show attendees are still susceptible to these strict laws during the show in June.

Anatomy of a Knife: 10 Key terms every knife enthusiast should know

May 4, 2012 / Tim / 1 Comment

When describing the basic parts of a knife, the terms seem pretty simple. You have the blade and the handle. It’s when you start talking to knife experts that terms like quillon and choil made you feel completely uneducated. So, whether you’re interested in talking to some of the big boys in the knife industry or simply want to learn more about knives, these are some key terms every knife lover should know.

Tip or Point: We’ll start at the, well… tip. This is the very top of the blade, which is also known as the point. The tip is a part of the knife that has various styles and designs. For example, some points are Tanto points, clip points, spear points and many more. If you want more details on the full range of blade shapes and variations at the tip, I encourage you check out Jay Fisher’s educational post.

Spine: The spine is the widest part of the actual blade and is also known as the back.

Edge: This is the thinnest part of the knife and, therefore, the sharpest. The edge is also sometimes designated the cutting edge to distinguish it from false edges, which are unsharpened. Generally, when someone mentions the edge, they mean the cutting edge.

Grind: The part of the knife between the spine and the cutting edge is known as the grind.

Ricasso: When your blade thickens before going into the handle, it’s called the ricasso. It’s that unsharpened part of your edge between the grind and the handle.

Bolster: Knives with bolsters sometimes have two: a front bolster and a rear bolster. These reinforce the knife in critical areas. It’s the thick part of the knife blade that transitions into the handle. It’s usually smooth and found typically on forged knives.

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2012 BLADE Show returning to Atlanta next month

May 2, 2012 / Tim / 2 Comments

The 2012 BLADE Show, dubbed the world’s largest knife show, is returning to Atlanta next month from June 8 to June 10.

The 31st annual event features BLADE Magazine’s Knife of the Year Awards, inductions into the Cutlery Hall of Fame, demos, workshops and the 10th BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competition. Along with these events, there are booths and tables from hundreds of well-known companies and custom knife makers. All of this action is packed into three days.

If you’ve never been to a BLADE Show, you’re missing out. Take a look at some of the highlights from the first day of last year’s BLADE Show to get an idea of some of the things you can see.

You get to rub elbows with some of the world’s premier knife makers and see prototypes of new knives and designs. One of the things I’m looking forward to the most is the announcement of the Knife of the Year Awards because it gives respect to the finest knives. If you need proof, just look back at the 2011 Overall Knife of the Year Award recipient. The Zero Tolerance 0777 is definitely something to marvel at.