The Cutting Edge

The official blog of Knife Depot

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Musher suing Kershaw over nearly severed finger

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.

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Great knives to give moms for Mother’s Day

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’

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.

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

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

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.

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Five best-selling SOG knives and tools

SOG Specialty Knives has the reputation of being a company associated with quality and innovation (If you’ve ever owned an SOG knife, you undoubtedly agree). They even received #2 on Steve Shackleford’s Top 11 knife promoters list from Blade Mag for their use of R. Lee “The Gunny” Ermey as a representative.

However, reading a profile of SOG and its founder, Spencer Frazer, at the Herald Net website made me feel stronger about the direction of the company and its storied history.

So, in honor of SOG, we’re looking at the top five best-selling products of SOG, according to the article.

SEAL Pup

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The SEAL Pup is an awesome fixed-blade knife with an overall length of 9.5 inches and a Zytel handle.

Tactical Tomahawk

Tactical Tomahawk

Without question, the Tactical Tomahawk is one of the best tomahawks on the market today. It can do pretty much any task you need from basic camping tasks to excavation.

Flash II

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Ex-TSA head: Passengers should be able to carry knives on planes

Former Transportation Security Administration head Kip Hawley is on a media tour criticizing the inefficiency and misplaced logic of searching for insignificant tools like knives and scissors. According to ABC News, Hawley says passengers should be able to carry knives on planes because they don’t pose a significant risk.

His thinking stems around the fact that no matter how many knives someone carries on board, they’ll never be able to get into the fortified cockpit or cause major damage. Instead, he argues, TSA agents should focus on finding things like explosives or toxins, which can kill far more people and actually take down a plane.

Here’s more of Hawley’s logic explained to Charlie Rose:

“You can’t take over a plane with a knife,” he told Charlie Rose, because the cockpit doors are now secure. “It’s a risk management issue. You could say, ‘Yes, somebody could bring a knife and stab the guy next to him,’ that’s a risk. When I tried to get small scissors taken off the prohibited items list, there was a scream of, ‘There’ll be blood running in the aisles!’

“I think what risk management would dictate is you’ve got to find the bombs, because a bomb will take down a plane. And if you’re so busy fishing around looking for Swiss Army knives, it diverts your focus. So my theory is, let’s not have the officers look for knives and small things. Focus on bombs, toxins, things that could destroy the plane.”

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New Michigan legislation would remove ban on switchblades

Frank FosterThe American Knife & Tool Institute (AKTI) is encouraging residents of Michigan to contact their state representatives about pending legislation that would remove the switchblade ban and reduce a ban on fixed-blade knives in the state, according to a press release from AKTI.

If this legislation passes, it would make Michigan one of many states to reverse the switchblade ban and properly clarify the definition of a gravity knife, something which has caused confusion and inconsistencies in enforcement (see NYC).

“HB 5544 provides clarity and simplicity for citizens of this State, visitors, especially those involved in the outdoor pursuits, as well as law enforcement, with respect to knives,” said Michigan state Rep. Frank Foster in the press release (pictured right). “It eliminates archaic terms, such as dirk and stiletto, and makes clear that a violation of the law occurs if a person with criminal intent carries any knife.”

Along with repealing the ban on switchblades, the legislation would also lessen the ban on fixed-blade knives. It would make the law more amenable to hunters, fishermen, hikers and those who use fixed blades for work.

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Knife legend Bob Loveless has documentary premiering April 26

Before his death in 2012, Bob Loveless spent decades making a big impact on the knife making community by creating some of the most innovative knives around the world.

Now, his legacy is being honored in a documentary premiering on April 26 at the Beverly Hills Film Festival called “Robert Loveless, An American Legend.”

According to the film festival site, the documentary explores the legend of the man and how he became a superstar in the custom knife world. It also looks at his personality, gentle and fearless, but not without its flaws.

For those of you in the Los Angeles area, I recommend checking it out. Here’s the information about where/when/how to see the film from Joe Kertzman’s blog at Blade Magazine:

The screening will take place as follows:

Clarity Theater
100 North Crescent Drive
Beverly Hills

Red Carpet at 5:30 p.m.
Film Runs from 6:00 – 7:20 p.m.

This will be followed immediately by a cocktail reception. For those who will join Wormser, Lucarelli and Ellis, they are also hosting a pre-theatre get-together at 4:00 p.m. at Mel’s Diner, 8585 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood.

Please RSVP to Ed Wormser at edw11@aol.com.

Although there’s no information on whether the film is currently slated for a wider release, it’ll be interesting to see if it comes out on DVD for knife enthusiasts to buy.

Knife in a jar of mayo and other TSA screening stories

One of the most despised organizations in the United States is the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). It’s hard to find anyone who says anything good about the TSA because it’s inefficient, intrusive and many times ineffective. Nevertheless, I’m here to say that the TSA runs one of the most interesting blogs on the net.

If you haven’t had the chance to visit the site, I highly recommend it. It has some pretty helpful tips for traveling with hunting gear, latest news from the TSA and a “week in review” segment.

So, what does this have to do with knives?

Well, in nearly every weekly review, the TSA reveals some inventive or clever way people try to smuggle knives, guns, drugs, fire crackers, stun grenades and much more through security.

For example, this week the media seized on one case where a man tried to smuggle a knife on board by hiding it in a full jar of mayonnaise. Of course, the jar of mayonnaise was also a restricted item, so both objects were confiscated.

Hiding knives (and other confiscated items) in other items is nothing new if you’re a reader of the TSA blog. For the week ending on March 30, the TSA found a pocket knife in a deodorant cap, a knife inside a tissue box (yeah, like tissue would hide it from X-ray machines) and a gun inside a gutted book. In previous weeks, a knife was found inside a laptop and many many more were in people’s carry-on luggage.

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