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Miss Manners Gives the Low Down on Knife Etiquette During the Holiday Season

November 21, 2011 / / 0 Comments

This Thanksgiving millions of Americans will sit down at the dinner table with their friends, loved-ones, and on some occasions, people they barely know or only pretend to like.  They will eat, drink and sporadically run to the living room to get updates on the score of the Packers-Lions game.

And, if the world’s most eminent scholar of dining decorum, Miss Manners, gets her way, they will conform to the basic rules of table etiquette and remember to always set the table with the knife facing in.  Rather than poorly paraphrase her witty comment, which provides information on everything from eating etiquette to historical stabbings, I’ve included it with the question below.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: In setting the table for the Thanksgiving repast, there is some debate about which way the knife should face. One of the family recalled that in time of war, the blade faces outward; in time of peace, it faces inward. Another opinion suggested that it always is toward the plate. Your guidance please, sage lady?

GENTLE READER: It is always good to be prepared, and in case of attack you wouldn’t want to have to take the time to turn your knife around.

However, at the Thanksgiving table, any attack is likely to come from one of your relatives. And we want to discourage patricide (even of fathers whose carving destroys the turkey and who keep the drumsticks for themselves), infanticide (even of babies who have been crying steadily for half an hour), and aunticide (even for those whose idea of conversation is, “Isn’t it about time you got married?” and, “I see you’ve put on some weight”).Mealtime stabbings are considered bad form, even at Thanksgiving. In 1669, Louis XIV of France decreed that knives must be rounded at top, not threateningly pointed. (Oh, wait, that was to stop people from using their knives to pick their teeth.)

The rule is that regardless of what else is going on in the world, the table is set with knife blades facing in.

One of the last samurai sword makers holds to tradition

November 19, 2011 / / 0 Comments

With the amazing advances in technology, it’s hard not to lament the skill and craftsmanship required of people long ago. Few of us still know how to build fires from nature, develop film, memorize telephone numbers or do thousands of basic tasks we might have had to do just a decade ago. Fortunately, there are those that keep traditions alive by preserving its most fundamental purpose.

It could probably be put more elegantly, but mass production ain’t got nothing on Korehira Watanabe. Watanabe is one of the remaining few Japanese sword makers in the world who creates koto swords through traditional methods. The most amazing part is that there are no longer blueprints or how-tos on what Watanabe is accomplishing. When the samurai died, most of their secrets of swordmaking died with them. However, Watanabe claims that he has come to the closest to replicating the truly mythical samurai sword.

He has been working on swords for the past 40 years, quietly and consistently practicing his craft in order to create the best possible weapon. He trains a disciple in hopes that his passion and method of traditional swordmaking is not lost. He also feels that people often update methods to conform to newer technology, but it loses so much of the enthusiasm and rituals of the past.

This guy deserves a Check out this remarkable video of a master at work.

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NYC District Attorney tries to dismiss case against him but Knife Rights fires back

November 15, 2011 / / 0 Comments

After posting a question to our Facebook page about whether it’s ever a good idea to have restrictions on knives, there were a variety of responses with some people arguing there should never be restrictions and others arguing there should be a few, like no knives at school and no knives longer than 6 inches for everyday carry. All of these are valid statement and a point of contention within the knife community.

However, one thing nearly all knife aficionados can agree on is that current knife laws should not be skewed or interpreted to crackdown on perfectly legal knives. Fortunately, Knife Rights is constantly running campaigns to defend knife owners’ civil rights and encourage safe use of knives. Knife Rights’ current lawsuit against New York City is the most important case the organization is working on, but the city is not going down without a fight.

In case you haven’t heard about the lawsuit, there’s been a crackdown on knives in New York City at the bequest of District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. A number of people have been arrested for carrying knives that should not be considered gravity knives, which are illegal in New York City.

DA Vance recently filed a suit to dismiss the lawsuit on the basis that there is lack of standing and failure to make a claim. Although these motions are simple formalities, Knife Rights came back with a scathing response. Here’s part of what it said:

It is literally possible for one knife to be simultaneous legal and illegal, and a person has no means of conforming his or her conduct to the law’s expectations. While the DA’s motion necessarily fails because it relies on selectively construing the facts in the DA’s favor, rather than in the Plaintiffs’ favor (as Rule 12(b)(6) mandates), a consideration of the merits shows how far off the mark the DA’s self-serving characterizations are.

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Guess what Nicolas Cage plans to do with his custom-made $2,000 knife

November 13, 2011 / / 4 Comments

If you’ve ever seen the movies Ghost Rider, Vampire’s Kiss or the truly bizarre remake of Bad Lieutenant, you know actor Nicolas Cage is absolutely out of his mind.

He is known for his wild behavior, questionable antics, unbridled spending and now may even be a vampire as demonstrated by a picture found of him from the 1870s. (As a somewhat related aside, I was an extra in a movie starring Cage and I can honestly say the man is frighteningly insane.) So, what do knives and Nicolas Cage have in common?

According to the entertainment site TMZ, Cage was spotted at a custom knife store in Alaska called Northern Knives. The store sells some pretty awesome knives with handles made out of interesting materials. Check out the amazing blade with a stellar sea cow handle made by Bob Merry below. With these types of knives, it’s not surprising Cage would find himself in the shop.

However, he ended up spending about $2,000 on a great knife there. Here’s what TMZ wrote:

We’re told Cage fell in love with a Don Dezarn original — which featured MAMMOTH IVORY in the handle and a patriotic bald eagle engraved onto the 4-inch blade.

Although it’s not crazy for anyone to spend that much money on a great decorative knife (even though Cage owes millions to the government in taxes), he said he was going to use the knife to cut steak. It’s one thing to buy a great knife to put on display or even use for outdoor activities, but to take this great knife and use it to cut steak seems unnecessary and a disgrace to the knifemaker who put so much care into it.

I guess it’s not that surprising considering we’re talking about the man in these clips below.

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Talking pocket knives with diehard enthusiast Scott Rauber

November 10, 2011 / / 0 Comments

We love talking to regular people about knives, so this week we reached out to fellow knife enthusiast Scott Rauber who runs a truly fantastic blog simply called the Pocket Knives Blog where he posts reviews on any knife he can get a hold of. Scott is from Upstate Western New York and sells custom-printed promotional items among other things. Here’s our interview:

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

About 10 years ago I scored an SOG Multi-Tool and I fell in love with it. I bought a small sheath for it and carried it on my hip for years. Then, about four years ago I purchased a Kershaw Ken Onion Leek. Good lord have mercy!

You currently buy and sell knives on eBay. How did you get involved in that? Do you also collect knives to keep?

I’ve been an active buyer and seller on eBay for eight or so years. Around this time last year, I wondered if any moolah could be made buying and selling knives, so I bought a lot on eBay and resold them. I was slain in the steel spirit. Even though I consider myself to be a “knife realtor” and practice reselling just about all knives, every now and then one seems to end up in my drawer.

At your site, you review a lot of knives and judge them by what you call “steel sahlutes.” Has any knife ever received 10 out of 10?

Canal Street Cutlery Full Moon Trapper from Scott Rauber

The Canal Street Cutlery Sunset Bone Full Moon (Moon Pie) Trapper came oh so close with a 9.8.

I have a mental fight with myself on that subject with just about every knife I purchase. I scored a Camillus all metal frame EDC in one of my first purchases and she’s slick. I just can’t seem to part with it.

Are there particular knives whether types, styles or brands that you find people are more interested in than others?

Well, 80% of knife sales are tactical knives. Since I sell mostly used vintage knives steeped in steel experience, I’ve found the Schrade Old Timer’s are still very popular. I’m carrying the 194OT Gunstock right now and I’m wild for it!

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Knives Save Lives: Gerber Knife vs. Burning Truck

November 7, 2011 / / 2 Comments

McHenry County SheriffThe term “hero” is usually tossed around with careless abandon these days. You might call someone who gets you a shopping cart or someone who finds your favorite pair of pants a hero.

There are certainly a variety of uses for the term, but a true hero is someone who risks their life to save another. That’s why it’s no surprise that the two men in the next post in our series documenting how knives save lives are aptly deemed heroes.

According to the American Knife and Tool Institute, the whole story begins July 2011 on a highway in Illinois where David Kieffer was driving his Chevy S-10 pickup. As these stories always go, disaster was swift and unexpected. Out of nowhere Kieffer’s truck was rear-ended by a massive semi-truck and the power of that thing was tremendous. His truck burst into flames and he was trapped inside the crumpled vehicle.

This is always the pivotal point of a story. There could be so many possibilities. Nobody might stop to help or someone without a knife might stop and end up being ineffective regardless of intentions. Fortunately, unlike many other stories that end in disaster, two heroic men with the right tools were not far away.

Professional stuntman Daniel Narciso and National Guard vet James Halterman were nearby and instantly went to help Kieffer without worrying about getting burned or injured themselves. Since Kieffer was trapped in the burning vehicle by his seat belt, the only thing that could save him was a knife. Luckily, Halterman had his reliable Gerber Covert 154CM knife on him.

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5 Badass knife trick videos

November 1, 2011 / / 0 Comments

I don’t have to tell you that knives can be dangerous if used incorrectly, but sometimes when people use knives in a not-so-smart way, you get some pretty cool tricks. If you’re reading this, you’re probably old enough to know that you should not try this at home. These are crazy people doing crazy things that are potentially harmful and have probably cut themselves countless times.

1. Double Butterfly Knives

This guy may not be the smoothest, especially when his friends butt into his video, but he sure knows how to yield butterfly knives.

2. The Home-Made Switchblade

This is less of a trick than it is an awesome creation. Since switchblades are illegal, this guy created his own device that opens a knife quickly.

3. The Old-Fashioned Knife Trick

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Spyderco collector dishes on future trends and new prototypes (part 2)

October 30, 2011 / / 2 Comments

Friday, we posted the first part of our interview with Wouter, who runs a site called Spydercollector that is devoted to all things Spyderco. In the second part, Wouter discusses possible trends we might expect from past and future Spyderco knives.

UKPK courtesy of Spydercollector

In your opinion, what defines a good knife?

It may seem obvious, but first and foremost it has to cut well. In my book, that means a thin edge with a full flat grind, and no bolted-on thumbstuds or -discs. It also has to be easy to sharpen; as most thin edges are. After that it has to have good ergonomics and be lefty-friendly. I want to be able to work with a knife for more than ten minutes and not have any hotspots on my hand. Furthermore, a knife has to be easy to carry. That problem is usually solved by a well placed pocketclip. The basic pattern for a good knife –for me- is the Spyderco Calypso jr./Caly 3/UKPK pattern. It combines all the aforementioned features.

You’ve been lucky enough to have access to many new models. What trends have you noticed in Spyderco prototypes over the years?

It’s worth noting that everyone who is able to attend the Amsterdam Meets, or a major knifeshow with a Spyderco Booth, has access to these prototypes. After the first few Amsterdam Meets I’ve been asked to photograph and publish the knives for the online knifeknuts. The deal is that I can publish the production prototypes but not the concept models, which are further away from production.

Back to your question, I’ve seen a couple of trends. Generally, I’ve seen faster development times, more experiments with new materials, more use of ethnic designs and more knives that are adapted to changing knife laws. More importantly, I’ve noticed that the Spydercrew incorporates more user feedback every year. Even when a knife is trashed in a review and most people think that the knife was abused beyond reasonable use. Well, cooler heads prevail I guess and Spyderco comes up with an improved version of the knife in question. Spyderco wants to make a knife you can use and trust in any environment. The world is changing, both in terms of legislation and technology, and Spyderco is using both to keep making using knives.

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Talking Spyderco with avid knife collector Wouter (part 1)

October 28, 2011 / / 2 Comments

Here at the Cutting Edge, we like to get perspectives on different brands of knives, so for Spyderco, we decided to talk to Wouter, a communications worker in the Netherlands, who runs the great site Spydercollector. At the site, he gives reviews, posts pictures of prototypes and talks all things Spyderco, so check it out.

If you’re not familiar with Spyderco, it’s a knife brand founded in 1978 and based in Colorado. Spyderco knives are known for their simplicity and reliability. Here’s the first part of our interview with Wouter.

Spyderco Kopa Series

What made you interested in collecting Spyderco knives?

The interwebs. Over ten years ago I had a few high-priced and extremely well-made knives, like the Chris Reeve Sebenza and the Microtech SOCOM. Up until then, my experience was that more expensive knives meant you got better knives. The Spyderco forum on BladeForums.com was pretty popular at the time and these guys just wouldn’t stop raving about the then newly revamped Military folder and the Moran fixed blade. I basically figured let’s see what the fuss is all about. I was blown away.

The Spyderco knives cut just as well, if not better, than my expensive Sebenza and SOCOM. Furthermore, the ergonomics of the Spyderco knives were way better, and for the same amount of money I could get more knives. Moreover, the Spyderco tri-angle sharpmaker taught me how to properly sharpen knives – I started using the knives much harder.

What do you like most about Spyderco?

The knives have a unique look but they were actually designed in the dark. Every design begins with a specific task or use in mind. Everything else is designed to reach that goal: blade shape and grind, ergonomics, locking system, opening action, construction etc… They end up with a pretty unusual looking knife, but they work really well. I think the Kopa series was Sal’s first and only attempt to deliberately make a ‘pretty knife’. Furthermore, the wide range of models Spyderco makes, means I can carry and use a knife for any occasion; whether it’s in a suit at the office or in the woods.

How big is your collection?

They come and they go. I never counted them, but let’s just say I can rotate my EDC (everyday carry) often.

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Always Use Knife Safety When Carving a Pumpkin

October 25, 2011 / / 0 Comments

There are few things more symbolic of fall than bright orange pumpkins sitting on doorsteps and the toothy grins they begin to wear around Halloween. Carving those jack-o-lanterns is a fun part of Halloween and an activity greatly enjoyed by the kids.

Without knife safety, pumpkin carving can turn into a nightmare. Research shows that Halloween is a top holiday for ER visits – and it’s all due to hand and finger injuries.

The outside of the pumpkin is uneven, hard and slippery. This is a horrible combination for making smooth, safe cuts. Additionally, when you start pulling the pulp out of the pumpkin, your hands, the knife and the outside of the pumpkin can become slimy.

When said like this, it almost seems safer to avoid pumpkin carving altogether. But, of course, there’s a safe way to go about it. The first step is to use the right knives.

A serrated knife works best for cutting through the hard pumpkin skin and soft flesh. Many injuries come when the knife unexpectedly breaks through the skin and slices your hand on the opposite side. For this reason, choose a small blade, like a serrated steak knife. Also, avoid holding your other hand directly opposite of where the blade could come through.

Like in any other situation involving knives, you want to have complete control of the blade. When you’re carving, this means you need to keep the pumpkin clean and dry. Scoop seeds and pulp into a bag to keep it away from the pumpkin. When you finish removing the pulp, wash and dry your hands and the knife; slimy hands or a wet knife handle can lead to an accidental slip of the blade.

Most Halloween hand injuries occur in children between the ages of 10 to 14. For this reason, doctors recommend that children don’t do the actual carving. While this may be disappointing to the kids, you can still keep them involved in the activity. Let your child pick out the pumpkin, draw the entire design and help clean out the inside of the pumpkin. They’ll get to participate in everything except the actual handling of the knife, and you’ll have the reassurance that only a responsible, knowledgeable adult has the blade.

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