The Knife Edge: One Man, So Many Knives©

CRKT's Xolotl

2026-06-02T20:57:29.261-04:00

The Xolotl was waiting for me at my doorstep. This Xolotl (pronounced show-low-tl) wasn't the Aztec god of fire and lightning, but an out-the-front knife designed by Michael "Rod" Rodriguez.

The Look of Eagles
PTS and TBI cause him wears a tinted prosthetic lens

The Xolotl is an American made OTF from Columbia River Knife and Tool in collaboration with former Green Beret Michael Rodriguez. It is part of CRKT's Forged by War program, which allows veterans to utilize their experience and knowledge to design the tools needed by men and women in combat. CRKT donates a portion of the profits to a charity designated by the designer.

Michael Rodriguez's charity is the Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation. That is, in my opinion, pretty darn icy! Find out more at: Https://www.gwotmemorialfoundation.org/

CRKT's Xolotl

I unzipped the knife case and was impressed. "The knife was inspired by classic World War II commando knives." Michael told the press. I can see the sleek, dual-edged deadliness inherent in Fairbairn Sykes daggers reflected in his creation.

The Xolotl is a cooperative effort between CRKT and Hogue knives. The 5.25-inch-long handle has been described as a coffin-style grip, but I see a distinctive shield look. Both ends of the handle are drawn to a point, suggesting an impact tool. The lower half of the handle is gracefully tapered to provide additional grip. Twenty grooves, suggestive of ribs, are cut into the aluminum handle to enhance tactile feedback. The left and right reversible clip straddles several of them and resembles a skeleton's sternum. One of Xolotl's honors is to guide the souls of the dead to Mictlán, the Aztec land of the dead, so they don't get lost. That is an appropriate theme for anyone in military service.

The reverse side of Xolotl

OTF knives typically don't have a safety. The control slide is stiff enough to prevent the knife from opening in your pocket. The Xolotl is no exception, but I found the pressure applied to the control slide to be mild and smooth. Pressing forward on the control slide releases its 3.5-inch double-edged dagger. The blade is 0.13 inches thick at the centerline. The knife opens in a blur and locks securely in place.

The blade is ground from MagnaCut steel, one of the hot, sexy steels available to makers. MagnaCut steel is the brainchild of Dr. Larrin Thomas. Steel properties are a balancing act. Improving one property can result in compromise else where. It is impossible to have a perfect steel. MagnaCut offers a great combination of desired properties. It has become the high-end, desired steel for many knife makers and collectors.

An all season knife

The double-edged dagger is coated with a black titanium nitride finish. TiN is a durable, inert coating with low light reflectance. The polished razor edges reflect light like dual ribbons of lightning. That’s very appropriate for the god of fire and lightning.

The knife weighs 3.2 ounces and sits flat in your pocket. The clip allows for deep carry and is reversible for right or left carry. These are features I like; the deep carry provides security against loss and you can customized the Xolotl for your needs.

Most modern OTFs carry the blade in a carriage or cradle that slides back and forth in the knife handle. This allows the blade to jump free of the carriage if it strikes a hard surface during opening. This is a safety feature. The Xolotl is no exception. If this should happen, it is a simple matter to pull the blade all the way forward and release it. The blade resets, and your OTF functions as it did previously.

OTF daggers are primarily a last-resort fighting knife. But we can still cut stuff with them. I cut open an MRE, a chicken chunks dinner, The Xolotl worked fine. The double-edged razor-sharp blade cuts paracord, paper and cloth without trouble, as you would expect from CRKT knives. I like the way the knife feels in my hand. There is a comfortable coolness to the handle. With the blade extended, the balance was just behind the control slide. I prefer the knife's weight in my hand as it makes the blade lively.

CRKT's Xolotl is a solid knife. You'll enjoy owning it!

Let's be honest, shall we? Most of us will carry this knife just in case. Fortunately, we'll never use it for its intended purpose, but don't discount it. If your path in life takes you in and out of danger, you'd carry this knife without a qualm. I know I would.

I'm not going to carve tinder for a fire with it, but you could. Where I found the Xolotl shining was with gloved hands. Gloves, while providing protection, strip you of needed dexterity. Open any knife other than an OTF, and you must keep your fingers off the blade's spine to allow the knife to open. No matter if it is a stud or an opening hole, it requires a degree of dexterity, freedom of movement to reposition your grip, and proper hand position. Add heavy winter or work gloves, and opening even a button-operated automatic can be problematic. Just wrap your hand around the knife's body, and your thumb controls opening and closing. Perfect, right?

It shines in gloved hands!

Not quite. Closing any OTF knife causes the blade to pull whatever is on the blade into the handle. It might be mustard from the sandwich you made; it might be blood the blade picked up in use. Eventually, gunk will build up and affect the internal mechanism.

CRKT recommends a simple basic care program for OTF knives. It focuses on cleaning the blade so it doesn't trap debris in the mechanism. Keep it dry and use a light coat of thin oil. CRKT recommends KPL Ultralight oil for your Xolotl. Use a can of compressed air (low moisture content) to blow out the knife and remove pocket lint or excess oil. In some cases, disassembling the knife can void your warranty.

Retired Sgt. First Class Michael Rodriguez has the look of eagles. He knows conflict, knows the aftermath, knows what it takes to survive both. The OTF Xolotl is one of his tools for remembering the sacrifices made by the men and women of our military for our freedom. I'm glad to own a Xolotl. You can get your own at CRKT for $325 at https://www.crkt.com/knife/xolotl-automatic-out-the-front-knife.

Bulldog Brand

2026-05-04T11:14:00.001-04:00

I recently bought a Texas Toothpick from Bulldog knives. The handle is brown, gigged bone with a bar shield set in it. The single blade is reversed etched with "Long Horn" and an image of the corresponding steer.

Bulldog Texas Toothpick

The front tang stamp features two fighting bulldogs with "HAND MADE" underneath. The reverse tang has a bit more information. It's stamped "BULLDOG BRAND HAMMER FORGED SOLINGEN-GERMANY."

Reverse Tang

The bolsters are nickel silver, a tricky alloy containing no silver. I grew up calling it German Silver, and it's a blend of 60% copper, 20% nickel, and 20% zinc. Amazing! German silver is valued for its bright, shiny appearance, strong, tough wear resistance, and tarnish resistance.

Front tang - Two fighting dogs with Hand Made under it

It's a pretty cool knife and, as so many folding knives do, has a complex history.

Set the wayback machine for 1980. Charles Dorton introduced Bulldog knives made at the Olbertz factory to the collector market that year. They were a hit from the beginning. Good manufacturing, interesting materials, high-quality blade etching, and the value-added property of being made by German craftsmen.

It appears Dorton caught the knife sales bug a few years earlier when he special ordered a small lot of knives saluting Henry Rifles. The brand was called "Pit Bull." Other companies have picked up the name, muddied the waters, but the original Pit Bull knives should be very collectible. That's not where I'm going today.

S.&D. Enterprises took over the marketing of Bulldog knives when Dorton joined David Scot. S.&D. still exists in Manchester, Ohio. They have three divisions, Allstate Manufacturing, which makes aluminum display cases, Ruddles Mills Products, specializing in chipboard displays, and BlueGrass Cutlery. Blue Grass specializes in Winchester trademark knives and John Primble Knives.

The knife has brass liners and a single spring

S&D began in the early 1970s and claims more than 32 years of experience. I have a nice cherry wood case from them that I need to fill, but let's get back to Bulldog knife.

C. Houston Price in Collector Knives states Bulldog knives were made from 1980 to 1987. "No Bulldog knives were made during the 1988-1990 period." In 1991 and 92 Bulldog knives were assembled from parts made before 1988, and shipped from the German factory to America. The tang stamp has two fighting dogs. More on this later.

Thirty-two patterns were produced, yielding enough variation to produce 469 styles. As a side note, collectors were so wowed that they created a Bulldog Brand Knife Collectors Club in the early 1980’s. They stamped a number on each before shipping to members. This time period, 1980 to 1987, is referred to as Generation One. I believe I have this generation, but only because the seller thought it was from the 1980s.

Jim Parker purchased the Bulldog Brand Knife Company in 1991/1992. This is called the Second Generation.

C H Price states that in 1993, marketing rights for the brand became the property of Billie (Mrs. James) Parker. Collectors call this the Third Generation, which ran from 1993 to 1995. The important thing is that the third-generation knives ended the era of the two “Fighting Dogs” stamp.

The Fourth Generation runs from 1996 to early 2000. The tang stamp was switched to a likeness of Billie's purple ribbon bred American Pit Bull.

The Pit Bull must have died because in 2000, the double dog head stamp was introduced, creating the Fifth Generation. This ran from 2000 to 2003. The death of the dog may be out of line on my part. Jim Parker was an early adopter of marketing uniqueness. A change in the tang stamp makes the previous knives and the new issue more collectible.

Are we done yet? Not yet. 2004 Silver (25-year) Anniversary saw the reintroduction of the “Fighting Dog” Tang Stamp. I was able to examine one advertised as an anniversary knife, but there isn't an indicator signifying it is a special Silver Anniversary Knife. Buyer beware.

Front showing bar shield

In February 2005, Bulldog Brand Knives retired the Double Dog Head Tang Stamp and replaced it with a single Fighting Bulldog Stamp. A trademark has to be used every three years to keep it active, so a few knives with the rare two “Fighting Dogs” stamp are released every few years.

Recently, I've seen tang stamps with the heads of two bulldogs. I've also seen the date stamped at the spine edge of the tang stamp.

But all things change. The Bulldog Brand Knives were 100% Completely Handmade in Solingen, Germany, by masters of the craft. Each carbon steel blade was individually hammer-forged, with over 240 hand operations going into each knife. The main blade is reverse frost etched with an identifier. Mine, as I said earlier, is a Texas Toothpick, and the blade says "Long Horn." Nickel Silver Pins and Shield, and Brass Liners add to the top-quality craftsmanship.

2009 to Present; the Sixth Generation Bulldog Brand USA Knives are manufactured by Great Eastern Cutlery in Titusville, PA, and models are produced by Queen Cutlery in Titusville, PA.

GEC is essentially a collectible manufacturer.

The knives are of high quality but made in limited quantities. Many clubs will purchase a unique combination of blade, etching, style, and handle material.

Notice the generation gap from 2005 to 2009? What was going on? I don't know. GEC has purchased the brand name of other knives, and this may have happened. I saw a Bulldog on Arizona Custom Knives, tang stamped 2007, which falls in this void. I just don't know.

Wicked Steel

2026-03-25T12:54:00.000-04:00

I've had an interest in gravity knives for some time.

I like the pure, simple form in which opening a bale or depressing a button allows the blade to simply fall out of the handle. Usually, releasing the opening mechanism locks the blade out. I'm not a fan, to put it mildly, of those knives that take a powerful wrist snap to flick the blade open. I've seen too many of them skid across the practice floor, followed by an "Oops!"

Wicked Steel The knives seem to come in two sizes

I just got one from Wicked Steel at a knife show. It's a simple design, point the knife downward, slide the top of the grip open, and the blade falls out. Close the grip, and the blade is locked in place.

It's a bit more complicated, but only slightly.

The blade is D2 steel, not quite stainless, but pretty close. D2 is an air-hardening tool steel developed in 1927. We have a solid grasp on its properties and how to maximize its properties, and D2 is undergoing a rediscovery in the knife industry. By 1934, the formula was refined to include about 1.5% Carbon, 12% Chromium, 0.25% Vanadium, and 0.8% Molybdenum.

Closed knife with silver toggle in locked position

My Wicked Steel knife has a D2 blade is 0.1 inches thick and 2.5 inches long, a straight point with a slight false edge, and a saber flat grind. The knife has very good lock-up for its type. The total open length is 7 inches.

Seperate the top of knife from bottom....

The handle is anodized aluminum with black G-10 friction inserts on both sides. Maybe the noticeable thing is the bright silver lever which locks the mechanism both in the open and closed positions. The reverse side sports a low-profile, polished steel clip. As with most folding knives, the handle length controls the blade length.

Let the knife blade fall out...

In use, it's pretty simple.

A: Point the knife downward,

B: Pull the lock switch back,

C: Hold the top half of the handle against your fingers and let the heavier bottom separate,

D: Let the blade drop out.

E: Return the handle to its closed position and push the lock closed.

Close and lock the knife.

Closing the knife is pretty simple, too. Point the knife upward and repeat steps B, C, D, and E.

The steel slides against anodized aluminum, so I'd lube it with a little graphite or dry moly disulfide. You want the slide to stay as clean as possible. This is a shortcoming of all knives that have the blade contained within the handle. The blade sliding closed brings crud in and traps it along the slide path. Keeping it clean keeps the knife working, and a dry lubricant helps that.

I like the fact the knife works without springs or sophisticated mechanism. It is the kind of knife I'd pack in a 'get-out-of-Dodge' pack. I also like the way it opens. It's not flashy, not visible, but a simple, practiced move that opens and locks the knife with very little movement on your part. I like the expression that contact weapons were meant to be felt, not seen.

The clip on the reverse side

As of now, the company doesn't have a social media presence. Their card doesn't have a phone number or address. The owner muttered to me something like, "It's coming up to fishin' season and I ain't puttin' 'em in storage."

If you want one, you'd better buy it as soon as you see it.

Fight'n Rooster

2026-03-13T12:19:00.000-04:00

I recently picked up a Fight'n Rooster pen knife.

Fight'n Rooster Pen Knife

When I search eBay and other sites, I often see these knives advertised as muskrats. Pen knives were an author's solution to sharpening their writing quill. A typical pen knife has two blades, a smaller one and a larger blade. Neither are especial hardy. Muskrats have two blades, about the same size, and are typically a bit more robust.

Fight'n Rooster is an interesting brand. Frank Buster founded the company after a 1977 visit to Friedrich Olbertz's factory in Solingen, Germany. The factory, established in 1872, is noteworthy because it made knives for many companies, and their quality is quite good, considering the financial limitations the buyers imposed on them. A number of other brands, such as Bulldog, Battle Axe, and Eye, have rolled out their door.

https://knifesearch.blogspot.com/2019/04/truck-driver-trapper.html

In 2019, I found a link to them on Facebook, but that link is now empty, and my internet search came up empty. Many of the above brands still exist, as brand names and tang stamps are valuable property and can be sold. I recognize that quality doesn't always transfer with the brand name.

Fight'n Rooser was located in Lebanon, Tennessee, and made knives that are highly regarded for their quality and style. They are nice sp joints.

Front main blade tang stamp

The side of the main blade is stamped Fight'n Rooster with two highly stylized roosters sparing. The Rooster tang stamp is clearer. The main blade has two tang stamps. The reverse side reads "Frank Buster Celebrated Cutlery Germany." The front side reads, "Fight'n Rooster "followed by the two-rooster logo, and hidden by the knife handle, the corners of the word "Solingen" can be seen.

Back main blade tang stamp

The smaller. slender blade is a single tang stamped with "Fight'n Rooster"' with the two-rooster logo underneath.

Secondary blade tang stamp

This allows me to date the knife between 1982 to 1994 production time slot. In 1994, "& Son" was added to Frank Buster. Having the manufacturer date stamp knives, like Case Knives, has both quality and production value, but it provides tremendous sales value. As a collector, you'll never have a complete set of any line of Case knives, because next year, it's a new year code.

Case is not the first to do this. Joseph Opinel (1897) developed 12 different numbered versions of his knives, all of which had a different style number. Not a date stamp, but close. I got to applaud Case marketing for this strategy.

Fight'n Rooster Pen Knife

My pen knife is well-made for a slip joint. The handle sits on two brass liners and a single back spring tensions the blades. The handle is a clear material containing what appears to be unevenly stacked layers of gold and black, producing an attractive, eye-catching handle. The handle sports a silver bomb-style shield set in the clear resin.

I'm unsure of the blade stamp, I don't think it was etched, but the edges are rough

I admit that it was the handle that first drew my attention to it.

Part of Frank's marketing plan was to limit production runs of any knife. This is similar to Spyderco's Sprint runs, limited-edition knives with a special touch. My internet search indicated that of the nearly 2,000 knife variations released, the vast majority were limited production. While some runs were limited to 100-150 knives, most were capped at 200.There are a few that run to 600.

Why? Why not produce thousands of a popular knife? To explain that, I'm going circle around Robin Hood's barn.

Frank was introduced to the Cutlery Hall of Fame in 1987. The reason is Frank pioneered the manufacture of regional club knives. Producing quality knives for these clubs enabled them to prosper and grow. Frank also developed special awards for women collectors, helping to create a new market for the knife industry.

It just caught my eye....

Limited number, special handle material, good quality, special blade markings, and you have the potential for great sales. Frank may not be the first. That was James Parker in 1974,

https://knifesearch.blogspot.com/2023/03/not-huge-fan-of-club-knives.html, but I believe he perfected the art.

Frank Buster passed away in 2007.I don't know if his son has continued with the brand or if it has been sold. I can't find a reference to current production.

In any case, I'm very happy to have a Fight'n Rooster!

Thanks, Betsy!

2026-01-25T19:19:00.002-05:00

I just got a Kershaw Leek with the 1776 Betsy Ross design. I think it's pretty damn icey! Boths side of the smooth handle pays homage to Betsy Ross's original flag.

The story goes, George needed a symbol and Betsy stepped up

Kershaw's Leek, Ross Commemorative

I've always admired Kershaw knives, especially the Leek design line. Kershaw expanded the line to include Scallon and Chive, both employing Ken Onion's SpeedSafe design and sliding safety. I remember a larger version of the Leek called the Ramp. Ramps are stronger garlic-like onions popular in West Virginia. But you know what they say: ramp eaters sit in the back of the bus.

The Kershaw Ramp is discontinued. I liked the bigger, bulkier knife.

I wrote about Kershaw's Launch 13 at https://knifesearch.blogspot.com/2024/02/launch-13.html. So, forgive me if I repeat a bit.

Pete Kershaw formed his own cutlery company based on his designs in 1974. In those days, his manufacturing was done primarily in Japan by Ichiro Hattori in Seki City. His early work caught the eye of the knife industry, and by 1977, Kershaw became a wholly owned subsidiary of the KAI Group. They opened a U.S. production facility, which Kershaw eventually outgrew and moved in 2003 to Tualatin, Oregon. Oregon has knife-friendly laws, and you'll find many companies with facilities there.

Ross Leek, complete with sliding safety on left and clip on the right

During the early stages of growth, Pete Kershaw worked with Ken Onion, Ernest Emerson, Grant and Gavin Hawk, Frank Centofante, Rick Hinderer, and RJ Martin. That's quite a rogue's gallery of famous knife makers.

Kershaw introduced the Leek in 1998. Ken Onion envisioned the Leek as a fusion of form and function. He wanted a combination of elegant aesthetics with uncompromising performance. The Leek, with its smooth handle and dagger-like blade, caught the world's attention. Contributing to this was the introduction of the flipper and the SpeedSafe torsion opener.

Closed M-16 with Carson Flipper

Kit Carson designed a flipper, often referred to as the "Carson Flipper," for CRKT's M-16 in 1999. The combination of flipper and assisted opening was an earthquake across the knife landscape.

When open the M-16 flipper becomes part of the guard

I'm going to skip who invented the flipper discussion and resulting flame war, to say that the Carson Flipper extends outward to form a finger guard when open, while the Leek's flipper, when open, is hidden in the knife's handle. It is a matter of looks and end purpose.

When open the Leek's flipper blends into the handle

The defining feature of the Kershaw Leek is its innovative assisted-opening mechanism. Assisted-opening knives hit the market satisfying a significant part of the growing demand for legal "switchblades." Many states tried to ban it, but they stumbled on the legal definition: an automatic knife has a button or mechanism that releases the blade when pressed. Assisted-opening knives require you to start opening the blade before the assist takes over.

It is widely accepted that the first assisted-opening knife was Meyerco's "Strut N' Cut", designed by Blackie Collins in 1995. It was Kershaw's SpeedSafe mechanism that brought the technology to main street knife buyers.

A simple spring applies tension to the closed blade, securing it in your pocket. When the flipper is depressed, the butt end of the blade slides from a closed position to a shape that utilizes the energy stored in the spring. Cool design, isn't it?

Ross Leek

The Leek has a high shoulder, concave grind, drop point blade. What appear to be opening studs on either side of the blade are actually over-travel stops. They are too short and poorly placed to act as opening studs. Use the flipper; it's much easier. The blade is bead blasted, giving it a matte finish, and ground from Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel. This steel is a high-quality Swedish martensitic stainless steel from Alleima (formerly Sandvik Steel). 14C28N is known for its excellent balance of hardness, corrosion resistance, and edge retention, while remaining easy to sharpen with traditional stones.

The composition? I thought you would never ask.

0.62% Carbon,

14% Chromium,

0.1% Nitrogen,

and a trace of other elements.

It is a well-thought-of steel used by manufacturers like Civivi, Ruike, Boker, Bestech, and Real Steel, among others.

The Leek weighs 3.0 ounces and features a pocket clip, lanyard hole, and sliding lock that prevents the blade from opening. You can adjust the tension on the opening lock if you desire. The knife locks open with a liner lock that secures the blade open.

I wouldn't take this as my only knife if I were spending a month in the Alaskan bush. But if that's all you had, you could make do. This is an everyday carry for work, going about town, a day at the range, and everything in between.

Ready to cut

But I have to say, I suspect I'd make this one a barbecue knife. You know, carry it when I'm out with friends to show off or sitting in the backyard with the grill and a beer. The finish is too nice, in my opinion, to get scratched.

You can find them at many purveyors of sharpened edges, or at https://kershaw.kaiusa.com/leek.html for $100. It's a good deal, no matter how you slice it.

How Sharp an Edge?

2026-01-18T20:38:00.000-05:00

Face it, you could use a knife until it goes dull, then send it back for sharpening, or just use a different knife until it goes dull. Let's ignore those knives with a thin replaceable blade. I've always thought that was a limited-use knife.

There's another option. You could resharpen it. God alone knows how many sharpening philosophies and systems exist. We all have our favorite.

Work Sharp: simple, two surfacves, angle guide, pocket clip

I was surprised by Work Sharp's Folding Field Sharpener. It's a simple but elegant system that resembles a thick carpenter's pencil. There's a pocket clip on the end by the pivot. Open the unit, and you'll find the basics, a 400-grit diamond surface, and a fine-grit ceramic stone. At the end of each sharpening surface is an inclined surface which serves as a guide.

Guides at each edge, folds together, clips in your pocket

Here's the tricky part. The guides at either end of the coarse 400-grit are set at 20 degrees. On the fine ceramic side, the angle changes to 25 degrees. Work Sharp claims the 20-degree angle produces an aggressive functional sharp edge for heavy-duty tasks. The 25-degree (ceramic plate) results in a polished edge, making it incredibly sharp and durable for everyday tasks. I drew a few sketches and convinced myself it produces a compound edge that was the rage in the 1980s.

The directions are simple to follow, you don't need oil or water, and you clean the system with soap and water. It boils down to setting the blade at the angle and lightly pulling it across the surface as if you were trying to slice a thin strip of material. Don't let the knife tip come off the surface; it always gets damaged on the stone's edge, no matter which system you use. Repeat that movement from the other edge, pulling it toward you.

I rest on end on a something to stablize the system. I like enough space so my hand withthe knife doesn't get tangled up

I do it a little differently. I do it in one direction until I feel a wire edge across the entire blade. Then I flip it over and repeat that until I feel a similar wire edge.

A nice little knife from custom maker Skip Begeot on the course side

Then I move to the fine ceramic.

A little work converts the coarse edge to a fine cutting surface

You'll be surprised by how sharp an edge you can get with it. Many people just hold it in their hand, but I like to rest the edge away from me on a solid surface. It gives me more control.

It's an excellent field sharpener. Like many things, having one on you when you need it is better than the best sitting on your workbench. No, you're not going to get a mirror finish or an edge polished with a 0.5-micron chrome oxide finish. But you can cut rope, shave wood to build a fire, prepare dinner with that knife, and keep it sharp as you work.

I sharpened an ordinary folder with it at the Blade Show last June and it worked well. I needed to sharpen a small blade we use in the office. It worked fine. Remember to use a light touch; you're not grinding a crowbar in half. You get a sharp usable edge in the field when you need it.

In both cases, I was working with a small to three-inch blade. You could sharpen longer blades if needed, but it might take practice. Give it a couple of test runs before you go hunting Dali sheep in the Rockies for three weeks.

Side view of Work Sharp's Folding Field Sharpener

If you still have any Christmas money left, consider treating yourself. You can find it under $30 at https://worksharptools.com/products/folding-field-sharpener?srsltid=AfmBOor3tPOLQggSoRGNhxG2ZFL5DFEjwZqykBEFAB0Wk1etVWBkUpaH

But if you shop around, you'll find a better deal.

1984 NKCA

2025-10-24T15:01:00.000-04:00

I recently bought another club knife from the National Knife Collectors Association. It's the 1984 knife made by Hen and Rooster. As some of you may remember, I'm not a big fan of club knives. https://knifesearch.blogspot.com/2023/03/not-huge-fan-of-club-knives.html.

There are exceptions, based on looks and style. The 1984 NKCA is one of them. The knife is very nice and in excellent condition, and I like the non-symmetric bolsters that sandwich the jigged brown bone. The NCKA medallion is very striking. All of which made me want to reach for my wallet.

Hen and Rooster 1984 NKCA knife of the year

According to the 12th edition of 'Collector Knives' by Price, the 1984 NKCA club knife was made by Bertram, USA. The sequentially numbered knives, limited to 7000, came with jigged bone handles and cost $38. In 2025 dollars that’s about $119. In 1998, Price claimed it had a collector value of around $125.

I think the medallion is a classy addition

However, the true value is only what someone will pay for it. eBay shows two sold for an average of $65. Buyer beware. Other similar knives with a different medallion embedded on the handle were also seen. They weren't selling.

The interesting part is the history of the manufacturer.

Sometime in 1845, Carl Bertram started the Hen & Rooster brand. Carl was already an established and well-known owner of a poultry business in Solingen, Germany. Being nobody's fool, Carl capitalized on his reputation by creating the Hen & Rooster logo to mark his brand in about 1865. They were considered well-made, high-quality knives. The firm was handed down within the family and maintained the quality.

The tag line almost falls off the blade

The original firm also manufactured contract knives with Hen & Rooster on one side of the blade tang, and numerous other names on the reverse side. During the late 1960s and early 1970s Bertram made knives for Carter Cutlery, Carter, Jeffrey, Kane, Voss, John-I-Son, Ky-Col, Gutmann Cutlery, Fife Cutlery, Mar-cal, A.G. Russell, L & N Loan Co., and Field & Co.

In 1975, A.G. Russell purchased the firm. A.G.’s company operated the Bertram Hen & Rooster manufacturing facility and brand for five years. During this time, he produced Hen & Rooster knives as well as other knives bearing his own trademark. At some point, A.G. made knives for other companies with one side of the tang stamped with the Hen & Rooster logo and the contract’s firm name on the reverse side.

In 1980, the factory in Solingen, Germany, closed.

The Hen and Rooster Logo with Bertram Cutlery

This is curious. The 1983 NKCA knife bears the Hen & Rooster tang stamp, and the reverse tang stamp reads Rostfrie Solingen Germany. But if the plant was closed….?

Reverse tang reads Rostfrie Solingen Germany

There are several possibilities. My information could be wrong. It has been collected from several internet sources, and errors may occur. The blade could be new old stock, purposed for the NKCA knife. And while the factory was closed, it may have continued to operate to meet legal obligations.

In 1983, the Hen & Rooster trademark and the Bertram name were acquired by three individuals: James Frost of Frost Cutlery, Howard Rabin of Star Sales, and Hugo Schiesen of Robert Klaas, from Solingen, Germany. Robert Klaas may have been the creator of my Hen and Rooster. My original assumption was that the knife was made at the Bertram plant in Solingen, but it could have been made at another plant in the area.

After a short period of time, James Frost bought the sole rights to the trademark and distribution of all Hen & Rooster knives in the United States. In general, the Hen and Roosters manufactured before 1980 are thought to be of the best quality.

My knife is numbered 4092 of the 7000 made. The pivot is a bit tight, I suspect a drop of oil is overdue. The handle is lined with brass, and the lock mechanism is simply known as a back lock, made famous by the Buck 110 Hunter. The interesting thing, like some Italian autos, the spring is composed of two leafs. I suspect they are not replaceable. The bolsters are nickel silver, a cunning alloy which doesn't contain any silver. The brown bone grips are nicely jigged.

Double leaf spring

The blade steel is a little more problematic. It's listed simply as stainless steel. What stainless steels were available in 1980? There were a few, including 440C, the best of the 440 series, which was common, as were AUS-8, 425M, and S60V. I suspect 440C was utilized. It's still a good, inexpensive steel used today. But I suspect the NKCA year knives were never intended for use.

Collectors always want to know, "Did I get a good deal?" Of course, you can't really believe any of us about price. I'm happy with the knife, so, yes, I got a good deal.

After The Fox!

2025-08-21T10:46:00.000-04:00

I blame it all on Mark at Knife Magazine. The Little Valley knife show was terrific, and Mark had a variety of collectible knives he was selling.

What's that Logo?

Mark told me it was Swamp Fox by Tim Ridge

A specific one caught my eye. It had a ten-inch, flat grind blade with a drop point and a sharpened top swage. The spine next to the handle's metal ferrule was nice file work that adds to the look and increases your grip with a friction surface for your thumb. The rosewood handle is round and sports a closed ferrule by the blade and a turned butt cap. The knife is blade heavy, but surprisingly well-balanced for its size.

The knife came with a very nice leather sheath

It had a certain chef's kitchen knife look, if the chef was wanted for murder. I fell in love with it, and it went home with me and a lighter wallet.

The knife was made by Tim Ridge of Swamp Fox Knife. Tim makes historically accurate knives from the 1750-1865 period of American history. He hand forges 1095, 5160, and 1084 carbon steels to the desired shape. After grinding, Tim heat treats and tempers all his knives himself.

The file work adds to the look and gave me a felt index as well as friction surface

"(I'm) just trying to make good quality knives that will last someone a lifetime," Tim told a film crew. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04BopT0fxVQ) Imagine making something that will live long after we've slipped off the plate. That's a form of immortality in itself.

The round rosewood handle has a nice polish, but not slippery

I found out that Tim has stopped making knives due to health issues. But his knives remain in high demand. The Swamp Fox website was purchased by someone who uses the name to link you to other sites.

I found an image of my knife at https://www.bladegallery.com/shopexd.asp?id=88141, where they describe it as a rosewood dirk. I don't like that description. Most, if not all, the dirks (long-bladed stabbing knives) I'm familiar with are more symmetrical to the center line and not wider than the handle. I wanted to get more information about it and the craftsman behind it. It took a little work, but I connected with Tim and asked him a few questions.

The turned butt cap has the right amount of machining marks

Tim tells me he has made over 6000 knives as a bladesmith. I sent him a photo and he identified it as his version of the Scottish 'skein achlais,' or armpit knife. I found a reference to this term.

The term skein achlais is a Scottish Gaelic phrase describing a type of dagger, called an armpit dagger or sleeve dagger. It's a traditional part of Scottish Highland dress, worn concealed in the armpit or sleeve. This style evolved to the more familiar sgian dubh.

The knife is a little blade heavy, but not bad, especial considering the size

The sheath has what appears to be an attached frog with a belt loop and a retention stud. The stud allows you to wear it in the French Canadian Voyageur style.

The Voyageurs by Charles Deas 1846

The man standing up in the back of Charles Deas's "The Voyageurs" can be seen wearing a fixed blade in his sash.

Swamp Fox knives are historically correct and are in demand by collectors, re-creationists, re-enactors, and lovers of the art. My little jaunt about Swamp Fox was started by Mark. Thanks, Mark! I enjoyed the trip.

And thanks, Tim, for making a great knife.

Lost Bean

2025-07-15T21:10:00.001-04:00

I recently picked up an interesting knife, a Serge Panchenko Skull Bean.

Serge Panchenko Skull Bean

I didn't know it at the time; I literally picked it up from the floor near an escalator in a mall. Nobody was around to ask if it was their knife, so it came home with me.

The blade was labeled 'Midtech Nitro-V,' but stamped on the frame was a stylized S P in a circle. Being made with nitro-V was my first tip that this was a good knife.

Nitro-V stainless was first introduced in 2017 and sold by New Jersey Steel Baron. It could be one of the first steels explicitly made for the knife industry. It is known for its edge retention, high hardness, and corrosion resistance (especially in salt environments). It can withstand impacts and stresses without chipping, a property always valuable for knife steel.

Another question was, what is the handle material? Once upon a time, I could run detailed chemical analysis. But now I just knew it wasn't magnetic. It didn't look like aluminum, so I suspected titanium.

But who made the knife?

I tried Google searching and looked through lists of maker's marks, but nothing clicked. I tried a Google image search, which returned as 'looks like a stamp.' Yeah, that was helpful.

The stamp looks a little like E.T. on profile

Thanks to Facebook, I got the name Serge Panchenko. Now my searches revealed it was one of his models called the Skull Bean – Harpoon slip joint.

I usually don't get excited about slip joints, but this one was different. The bottom of the knife, where the slip joint spring is usually located, is open. The tension spring is side-mounted under the clip with a ball detent that holds the blade closed or open. A small screw head mounted near the tang of the blade acts as a travel stop for both the open and closed positions.

The tension/spring bar is built into the side wall of the knife. You can see it under the clip.

Very clever. I don't know why other slip joints don't license or develop a version of this. It would undoubtedly make their knives more interesting.

I wanted to clean it, but not drastically alter the knife's condition. The first step was to cut the paracord weight off. Then I tackled the Torx screws. I wasn't sure what I'd find. Panchenko described his knives as having a ball-bearing race. I could visualize tiny bearings scattering everywhere.

The clip came off first. One suggestion I got from Facebook was confirmed. The clip was an aftermarket replacement from Steel Flame.

A custom Steel Flame clip

Hiding under the clip

Then I removed the butt screw, followed by the pivot screw. I got lucky here—no ball bearings to lose or struggle with. Two very thin circles of white plastic acted as separators and lubrication between the blade and frame. I assumed it was Teflon, which I'd use, but that's a guess on my part. I carefully wiped them off so as not to fold, spindle, or lose them.

Most of the dirt and or corrosion was on the inside. See the plastic washers?

How about now? I wanted to be sure I didn't lose them. The two indents in the blade tang click open or closed. The white area is really a highly polished surface.

The parts went into to my ultrasonic for a mild scrubbing. Ultrasound cleaning uses high-frequency sound waves to create cavitation bubbles. With some solvents, cavitation bubbles can reach temperatures hotter than the sun's surface. I once studied aluminum tire molds cleaned by ultrasonics. Dirty tire molds became junk very quickly in soapy cleaning solutions. Ultrasonics work best with hard particles on hard surfaces.

I didn't want that level of cleaning and used a 50/50 mixture of Clenzoil and WD40. I wanted the protective nature of the solution to penetrate under any surface corrosion and loosen it up.

A couple of minutes in the ultrasonic peeled off a little surface grime and staining. The discoloration under the clip needed a little light-duty persuasion with a Super Eraser. So did the blade. I could have bead blasted the frame and blade, but I like an honest working patina, so I cleaned it enough to make specks a little less noticeable.

I reassembled the knife with a bit of Teflon lube around the washers, and it works fine.

Cleaned and re-assembled

It was the lanyard that gave me trouble. The knife weighs about 62 grams, and the lanyard decoration weighs 35 grams. The lanyard hanging out of your pocket is a great way to assist losing it. Perhaps the non-locking, short-blade knife was set up as a flail. Using the knife as a handle, whipping the heavy, raised surface sphere would make an impression in just about anyone.

I believe the knot is called a king knot.

I picked out a cord I had and turned to YouTube to learn how to tie a decorative King knot. My first one was perfect. But that one wasn't on the knife; it was just practice. The next three were near misses. Finally, I tied the knot correctly, and I'm happy with the outcome, even if it does need a little more work.

Did I sharpen it a bit? Sure. I touched up the blade with my Spyderco Sharpmaker. It needed a little touch up and I'm happy with edge.

Finished. I really like that blade shape and the opening lever is very interesting

But what's the knife worth? Don't know.

I emailed Serge Panchenko with a few questions, but he never answered. The clip is custom, it is a unique knife, and the handle is titanium, and I think it is worth…..?

Only One!

2025-06-26T08:47:00.000-04:00

I inadvertently rubbed that strange brass lamp, and the Genie promised me only one wish, not three. I guess inflation gets everyone. But there is a catch; magic has a price. "The price," the Genie solemnly announced, "is you can only have one automatic knife for the rest of your life."

I can work with that. Here's my choices.

A.O.S. by Les Adams

Les Adams makes an A.O.S.(Always-On-Safety) automatic knife. He makes the carbon fiber handles himself, and since the knives are actually made for LEO and military use, each one has a unique serial number. It's a well-made knife with a 154CM stainless steel blade with 59-60 Rockwell hardness, C scale. He claims the stainless coil spring has twice the spring force of any auto knife. I believe it. The knife opens with a jump, and the blade locks open with a resounding 'clack.' But you must pull the safety back and hold it in the unlock position while pressing the opening stud. Same for closing. It's cumbersome.

Benchmade Mini-Reflex

The Benchmade Mini-Reflex has a lot going for itself. The one I have is a pre-production model from 1998. It hasn't changed much since then. The small 3.25-inch flat grind blade is held in an aluminum handle. I was told this one is epoxy-coated, which is something Benchmade stopped very early in production. The knife has a safety on the spine and a recessed area for the release button. The button does extend above the handle. The spring in mine isn't as strong as the A.O.S.. If the blade is stopped after an arc of 90 degrees, the spring doesn't have enough stored energy to open and lock. A flip of the wrist solves that.

Puma Medici Switchblade

I also have a classic Italian stiletto switchblade made for the German market in the 1970s-1980s. Made by Puma Medici, it has some interesting features. The blade features a classic stiletto shape with a single factory-sharpened edge. It has a nail nick, which may reflect an expectation of a weak spring in the future. Or perhaps it simply means these blades were available from another project and used. The blade is stamped rostfrei and is most likely 440C steel. The spring is a double, side-by-side leaf spring and doesn't appear to be easy to replace. I typically store this knife open to prevent spring fatigue.

Pro-Tech SBR

My Pro-Tech is more of an art knife than a user. It's their SBR pattern with a "…unique micarta top, variety of colors, blade treatments, and inlay buttons." SBR stands for Short Bladed Rockeye, and the designer is Les George. The release button is inlaid with mother-of-pearl. There's no safety, but the button sits in an indent, so the top of the button is flush with the handle.

Microtech's 2021 Blade Show knife

I have a Microtech from the 2021 Blade Show. It's an OTF with a double-edged dagger blade. The 3.3-inch blade is ground from M390. M390 is another great stainless steel, enriched with chromium, vanadium, and a touch of tungsten. Double-edge knives have the advantage of having two edges that can be sharpened. That is also a significant drawback in a working knife. You can't use your other hand to apply additional pressure to the back of the knife. At least not more than once. The other flaw is OTFs are famous for pulling stuff back into the mechanism, creating problems. It's not hard to disassemble the knife, clean it, and carefully lubricate it before reassembling. The lubrication tends to hold on to the crud the blade pulls in. Again, not a major problem, except that you need a small, special socket with a triangular opening to disassemble this Microtech.

Spyderco's Autonomy 2

Last on my list of possibilities is Spyderco's Autonomy 2. It's an auto knife made at the request of the US Navy for their rescue swimmers. Its wide, leaf-shaped blade is made from LC200N. This is an extremely rust-resistant steel. It has good toughness and edge retention. The release button is a large ring for gloved users. The safety is just beneath the release and has well-defined edges to grab gloves. I like the arrangement of safety and release. My thumb can operate the safety and release without having to change my grip. It's a nice knife, and at one time, only the overruns to military contracts were available to the public. Sal has well-defined ideas about how and who should use his knives.

So, which knife did I tell the Genie to bind me to?

Behind the metal cap is Autonomy's spring. Easy to get to. Easy to oil. Easy to clean.

The Spyderco Autonomy 2, of course. It's a well-made knife, and more importantly, if you turn it over, you'll find a metal cap with four holes in it. Under that cap is the knife's coil spring. Water drains from that spring cavity; you can oil the spring from there, and you simply unscrew the cap to replace the spring if needed.

Now, if the Genie's binding was different, that I could only have one knife, I'd…

However, that's a story for another day.

Plethiros by Civivi

2025-05-27T14:55:00.002-04:00

I just got my hands on a Civivi Plethiros. It is a very cool folding knife that has been discontinued, but I was lucky enough to find one.

Civivi Plethiros

Perhaps you have never heard of Civivi. Let's unpack that now.

Civivi is a division of WE Knife company. WE Knife was founded by a middle school English teacher who had a passion for knives. Joe Cheung founded WE Knife Co., Ltd. in 2000 as an OEM manufacturer. The company quickly became one of the largest Chinese manufacturers of quality knives and tools. The key word is quality. WE Knife earned a reputation for always delivering innovative designs made with consistently high quality. They have grown to be the largest Chinese manufacturer of high-end cutlery.

By 2018, WE saw the knife market expand. The need for a line of functional, utilitarian, EDC product lines at affordable prices became obvious. This brought about the formation of CIVIVI Knife.

Civivi contracts knife designers from around the world and produces some amazing knives. The name Civivi is a combination of the Chinese characters for happiness and joy.

I've been a fan of these companies since I first saw them at the Blade Show. They were new, bright, and not afraid to step out into the market with new designs, colors, and materials at affordable prices.

Now back to my Plethiros….

The first thing I noticed was the shape. I don't think there is a right angle in the entire knife. The Plethiros was designed by Elijah Isham. "I always try," Elijah said, "to focus on geometric ratios, proportion, and how raw shape will relate to itself within a design. I like to utilize hyperbolic and elliptical non-Euclidean geometry most of the time."

Civivi Plethiros I like the clean lines the deep inset finger guard behind the blade

Unfortunately, Elijah was shot by police officers on I-75 south of Dayton, Ohio, in May 2022. It seems that he was involved in a car accident and flipped his car. He made the tactical mistake of pointing a handgun at responding officers.

Moraine Police Chief Craig Richardson testified, "Officers attempted to engage the suspect for approximately 5 minutes. They gave him, we counted 41 commands over that 5 minutes to put the gun down, which he ignored.”

At some point, Elijah cocked the gun and was shot nine times.

Elijah Isham's maker mark

I'm sorry to find this out on several levels. I know it will continue to haunt the police officers, I'm sure there are people who loved and miss Elijah, and the world lost an interesting knife designer. As it's been pointed out, nobody wins a gunfight.

Let me transition back to the knife.

The aggressive blade and flat grind makes for easy use

The handle is composed of green G-10 with an encapsulated carbon fiber overlay. The handle sits on two stainless steel, full-length liners. One side is utilized as a liner lock. The blade, 4.45 inches of D2 steel, is a true full flat grind with Rockwell hardness of 59-61. I think that is a sweet spot for D2 steel. It holds an edge well but isn't brittle. I can resharpen it easily with my Spyderco Sharpmaker.

For me, the real knife test is how it handles everyday things

The blade rides on caged ceramic ball bearings. These ball bearings run smoothly with little to no oil, and they are resistant to damage with regular use. The blade, D2, is almost a stainless steel, just shy by a percent of chromium from what many people consider an arbitrary cutoff. The real question about stainless steels is how much chromium is bound to carbides and how much is available to form a passive, transparent film of chromium oxide. This film protects the steel from rust. D2 contains a smidge of both molybdenum and vanadium. Both form amazing carbides, leaving more chromium available for rust resistance.

My chief performance test is making firsticks and shavings to build a fire. I work over my hat to catch all the shavings. The Plethiros worked fine.

The Plethiros' blade measures 4.45 inches in length and 0.12 inch in thickness. The high grind gives it tremendous cutting power. Many people want the closed blade to sit symmetrically between the sides of the knife handle. They see that as a sign of quality. I was at one knife designer's shop where the staff hand-fitted the washers to get the blade symmetric. That's a low priority for me, especially in an everyday carry knife.

The blade sits very even between the handles

The knife has what might appear to be a thumb hole, but it is actually more of a decorative feature. The Plethiros can be opened like any ordinary folder: grab the blade and pull it away from the handle. That's the polite, public way of opening any knife.

The position of the flipping stud lets the knife sit nicely in your pocket since it is in line with the long axis of the knife.

A small protruding finger of steel extends out from the handle's spine. It is gimped for friction, and your index finger can catch it and propel the blade open.

The handle is shaped so your hand does not slide forward onto the blade. The opening flipper is entirely contained by the handle. That’s a nice touch. It gives the knife a finished look.

Lastly, the black skeletonized clip can be moved for either right or left side carry, but regardless of the side, the knife is orientated tip up. That's my preferred method of carry.

When open the opening flipper is completely hid by the handle.

The name? Did you think I wasn't going to tell you about it? Well, in the absence of a ouija board, the best I can find is that plethiros is Welsh for flourish. I think that's an excellent name for this knife.

Spyderco - Part four

2025-03-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

How are products driven to success? What makes products evolve?

Remember Big Auto? Think back to the day when everyone hated those cheap Japanese automobiles. Detroit told the American public, “Don't worry about those small clever Japanese cars. We're Big Auto, and we know what you want.”

That wasn’t the case. Detroit was wrong. More than one classic American auto company has disappeared since the 60’s.

The environment changed, and some knife companies didn't. All that's left of them is their name, now owned by someone else. Spyderco and others have managed to evolve and help change the knife environment.

Let's visit the Native.

C41PBK5 – Native 5

Native 5

The Native has evolved over the years, reaching its current state of the art in 2012 with the release of the Native 5. Spyderco makes the current Native 5 in Golden, Colorado. It features a spear point blade made from a variety of high-end steels like Cru-Wear, CPM S30V, S110V, as well as Spyderco's proprietary steel, SPY27. Spyderco describes the 3-inch blade as a full-flat grind, distal taper, with a textured index-finger choil and thumb ramp. The Boye Dent is gone. My walk through Spyderco catalogs indicates the Dent disappeared in 2014. So is the deep false edge that characterized the original Native. My Native 5 has a very shallow false edge which ends slightly before the blade's point, putting a little more metal behind the point.

Native 5 with hour glass clip

The opening hole is 13 mm wide and slightly closer to the knife's spine than my older 2002 native. That makes it a little easier to open.

FRN Native 5 lightweight features Spyderco’s bi-directional handle pattern and has four positions with threaded stainless steel inserts, allowing you to move the clip where you want it.

Native Classic and Native 5. I like the classic form!

As much as I like the Native 5, it is missing that original, iconic blade. Fortunately, that Native is still available.

C217GP – Caribbean

This is a colorful addition to Spyderco's growing Salt Series. The Caribbean is unique in several ways. It's a full-flat-ground, leaf-shaped blade machined from LC200N. Let's talk chemistry.

Caribbean with LC200N steel

First, the formulation:

0.3% Carbon, 15% Chromium, 1% Manganese, 0.95% Molybdenum, 0.5% Nickel, and 0.5% Nitrogen.

The first thing I noticed in the formulation is the relatively low carbon content. In my limited experience, carbon in steel does two things, it forms iron carbides and chromium carbides (if present) to increase the strength of the steel. The second thing it does is determine the cooled steel's final stage: ferrite, austenite, or martensite.

Caribbean with top compression lock

However, nitrogen could function as a substitute for carbon in forming hard martensite. Nitrogen doesn't form chromium nitride to the same degree as chromium, so more chromium is available for corrosion resistance.

The problem is nitrogen gas isn’t very soluble in molten steel. This problem was eventually solved using high, very high-pressure crucibles. The original steel, called Cronidur 30, was developed for ball bearings.

The high salt /corrosion resistance sounds great for a saltwater environment. While nothing is perfect, LC200N has a great many of the qualities we look for in steel.

The leaf-shaped blade is housed in a bright yellow and black handle, which reminds me of a hornet. The G-10 handle is reinforced with steel liners and carefully machined to create alternating bands of black and yellow radiating out from a center black oval. The yellow bands are caused by a wide groove cut through the alternation layers of the G-10. They are wide enough to provide a friction surface. A little jimping behind the ‘hump ‘formed by the Spyderco hole also adds to the friction surfaces needed to control the knife.

Caribbean tang stamp

The Caribbean has a top compression lock, which I like. Unfortunately, the clip is only left-right reversible. The clip is Spyderco’s hourglass shape in titanium. They describe it as black. I see it as gray.

I don't know when I bought it. The box doesn’t have the date on it as some do, and I neglected to record the date myself.

It's an interesting knife. The friction surfaces work nicely with pull or push, but my thumb tends to slide sideways, following the circular path.

Personally, I like the bright colors, a pleasant departure from black, but my experience tells me tactical black sells.

It’s still in production. If you want one, they’re available.

C64JPBK – Meerkat

The Meerkat was introduced in 2001 and had what Spyderco called the Phantom Lock. Many of us called it "Bet you a beer you can't close this knife." Word of advice. Make sure you spring for a beer after you win a couple. The Internet claims that the Meerkat is a direct descendant of the C61 Pegasus/C62 Navigator. These claims always bother me as they suggest companies don't have enough creativity to develop something new and not, ‘let’s make one like this, but different.”

Meerkat

The Meerkat was made from 2001 to 2003 and released as limited sprint runs. Mine is from 2002 and has the AUS6 drop point blade. The reverse 'S' blade is, in my opinion, icey cool and much more desirable to a collector or user. The reverse blade gives you more cutting power, an essential feature in a small, sub-2-inch blade.

Because of the opening mechanism, the Meerkat clip could only be located over the blade pivot. It can be changed to right or left carry. This positions the knife tip down in your pocket. Perhaps not the optimal carry position, but the knife has limited tactical applications.

Meerkat secret exposed

For many, the Phantom Lock made the Meerkat so interesting.

To unlock: The right bolster can be pushed sideways using the depression in the butt end of the knife. The Meerkat operation is well explained with both the product insert that comes with the knife and the Internet. I’m not rehashing it here.

C119 – Citadel

Sal has always felt that Spyderco knives should be used for good, not evil purposes. It sounds old-fashioned, but over the years of visiting their booths at both the SHOT Show and Blade, it is clear that Spyderco prefers its knives to be used for good.

Citadel

Having said that, Spyderco is a patriotic company, and when the government asked for an automatic knife, Spyderco stepped up. The Citadel is one such knife. It was made originally for the military and law enforcement. When it first came out, not even Spyderco insiders could get one for themselves.

The Citadel has a basic black clip USA can be seen on back side of tang

There’s not a lot of information on the Citadel. The Citadel was made from 2008 to 2011. Spyderco described it as a right-hand automatic blade-opening mechanism, assembled with screws. The knife was made in two sizes, 92- and 83-mm length blades. I have the 83mm blade. Both blades were made from CPM S30V steel. The blade has jimping behind the trademark Spyderco hole and a slight swedge grind to lighten the blade.

The clip gives it a relatively deep pocket carry in the tip-up mode. It's only left-right reversible. The auto comes with a safety next to the opening button. I prefer this arrangement; your thumb pulls back to undo the safety and then moves forward to open the knife. While the Spyderco logo is present, the tang stamp on the left side simply reads USA.

the Citadel comes with warning papers

The interesting thing, and many other companies still follow this practice, if you send your Citadel back to Spyderco for any reason, unless there is a note on a department letterhead, Spyderco isn’t sending it back, nor can you pick it up at the factory in Golden, Co.

While states are changing their laws to legalize automatic or switchblade knives, Spyderco has taken a hard line on them. There is a story behind this. Joyce Laituri told it to me. As I remember it, there was a time when Spyderco needed to import one small screw for a balisong-type knife. These knives could only be sold in the USA, provided they were made in the USA. But the screw was made only overseas. Everyone up and down the Justice Department said, sure, it’s just one screw, no problem. That was everyone but one customs inspector who seized the shipment, including other legal but foreign-made knives. The situation degraded, it took a lot of money, and finally, the Governor and others had to step in before things cooled off. Company officials could have gone to jail. Talk about a screw. Considering the ramifications, I understand why Spyderco toes the line by several inches on the conservative side.

My Spydercos - Part Three

2025-02-21T18:05:00.015-05:00

My Spyderco collection started years ago, driven by the need for my activities. I have always been interested in surviving with a knife, but survival has many definitions, including self-defense. You must ask yourself, which came first, the blade or the trainer?

C10SBK - Endura

Endura - No Boye Dent

The first Endura was released in 1990 with a thin molded plastic clip. This went through a variety of changes that culminated with a switchable metal clip in 1998. This was a milestone. A bent clip could be removed and straightened or replaced. The barrel screw holding the clip could be tightened or removed with a coin and it had a lanyard hole in the middle of clip. I always preferred a dime as the right thickness and curvature.

The plastic clip had a following. They didn't mar object if you brushed into them.

Eventually, threaded metal inserts were molded into Enduras and many other lines so the clip could be moved to tip up or down and right or left. I honestly don't know who was the first to incorporate this design, but in my opinion, it is a major milestone for knife users and a goal for many of the newer knives introduced in the last ten years.

Initially, the Enduras were snapped up by law enforcement and military. What was not to like? The GIN-1 blade was 3.75 inches in length. The open length was 8.5 inches, and the Endura weighed 2.75 ounces.

I got a plastic clip Endura in 1998 with a full serration. It maybe one of the last ones made with the plastic clip. I had come to the decision that if I’m going to carry two knives, one should be a full serration. The cutting power and jagged wound path were the best options for self-defense.

But any examination of knife evolution at Spyderco shows nothing is ever perfect. Steels evolved, and Spyderco tried different colored handles only to discover tactical black was the winner. Later, it was supposed that by using some funky inverted, sideways grip, the user could, maybe, unlock the blade and injure themselves. The solution came in 2002 when the David Boye Dent was placed in the lock bar. This reduces the chances of accidentally unlocking the knife during use. Most Spyderco with a spine lock still have the Boye Dent, there are a few exceptions.

C10TR - The Endura Trainer

Here a Endura trainer, complete with Boye Dent and reversible metal clip

The same year the Dent was introduced, Spyderco released a red handle trainer with an AUS-6 blade. The blade edge is squared off and ground to give the weight of an actual knife. The Endura and Delica trainers continues to be available in the 2025 Catalog. I would suggest, if you are thinking self-defence, a trainer might not be out of line, especially the Endura. At worse you can use it to spread peanut butter.

So, the answer to the question I asked at the beginning is the live edge comes first, followed by the trainer.

The blade was deeply ground out so the edge would remain thick to minimize injury

I bought one for the firearms class I was running and for training purposes. But Spyderco insiders tell me most of their sales went to dealers who used them to show customers how to thumb open a Spyderco without cutting themselves.

C11FPK390 Delica in K390

Spyderco loves steel. They are very much like smaller shops and can pivot nimbly around changes in the steel environment. K390 is one of these steels.

Delica in K390 steel. By now you could move the clip to four positions on the knife. Note Boye Dent

K390 steel is produced by the Böhler Uddeholm steel company. This steel is the result of powdered metallurgy, which results in excellent grain size and uniform composition distribution. The carbides in the K390 mix are fine and uniformly sized and distributed evenly throughout the matrix. This is an important property of high-performance steels.

IMO Knife pictures with out a headstamp loss value. Yeah- I'm talking to you Italian Switchblade posters!

Making steel is somewhat like cooking. You can’t just add the elements to a furnace and expect a great outcome, especially with all these elements:

Carbon 2.47%, Chromium 4.2%, Cobalt 2%, Manganese 0.4%, Molybdenum 3.8%, Tungsten 1%, and a kiss of silicon. The rest is iron.

I suspect most, if not all, the Chromium is tied up with carbon-forming carbides, so this steel isn't stainless. In fact, Spyderco includes a card warning you not to cut citrus fruit and to protect the blade from moisture and acid skin oils.

K390 has excellent wear resistance and high compressive strength but is difficult to grind, finish, and sharpen. Once it is sharp, it will stay sharp for a long, long time.

My Delica has a flat grind, which I wasn’t sure about. Was it just another gimmick? I’m wrong. Today’s flat grinds have proven to make cutting much easier than a saber or hollow grind. I love the blue handle and have been told it's reserved for K390 steel.

C41PBK – Native

I like the deep false edge and how the thumb hole is submersed in the blade Note Boye Dent.

The Native has always been an interesting knife. First is the unique shaped blade.

The Native has a broad blade completely incorporating the Spyderco open hole, with no bump as in the Delica or Endura. It's a drop point a with a deep ground false edge. The blade has always reminded me of an arrowhead. I don't why, it just does. Spyderco designed it with two choils. The first choil is located where the blade and handle meet. This allows you to choke up on the blade for more control but puts you closer to the cutting edge. The second positions the hand farther back on the folder, farther away from the business edge of the knife.

The clip and barrel screw from this Native Word of advice: Loctite.

My Native is from 2002 and has a Boye Dent and the metal clip with a barrel nut. It doesn't have the volcano grip but has a set of lines and curves radiating outward, like a spider web from a central logo.

The steel is 440V, aka: CPMS60V. The tang stamp on one side says Spyderco 440V. But the back side is the cool tang stamp. It reads Golden Colorado USA Earth. Yeah, that’s way cool.

The cool tang stamp. Allen abduction? With this knife they know where to return you.

The Native has undergone many iterations in size, steel, and handle material. It remains another of Spyderco’s top ten best sellers because it was a great design and has kept the features that made it so interesting. You can find a nice, if not slightly outdated, discussion of the Native's history in Knife Magazine, Jun 2017.

The biggest problem IMO: The 12 mm hole is partially obscured when closed.

I have a later Native to show you, but that’s for later.

Vosteed Corgi

2025-02-11T21:05:00.008-05:00

Last year at the Blade Show, I noticed the Corgi Trek at Vosteed Knife. I was struck by the size, shape, and interesting opening mechanism.

Vosteed Corgi

First, a little about Vosteed Knife. Vosteed was started in 2021 by Johnny and Yue Dong. The plant is located in China. They work with several international designers like Geoff Blauvelt and Ray Laconico, to name a few. The mission statement declares, “Honesty is a core business value.” I have always found the best knife companies have simple, understandable statements about fundamental values.

Yue Dong is the in-house designer responsible for the Teck Lock on Corgi knives.

I like Vosteed Knife. I spent more than a bit of money at their booth at 2024 Blade.

This Corgi has a sheepsfoot blade with a high shoulder grind and reverse tanto point. The complex angles where the tanto meets the spine give the blade an eye-candy look.

The sub-three-inch blade is made from 14C28N steel hardened to a RHc of 60. This steel has been a favorite compared to S30V, VG-10, and AEB-L, all quality knife steels. Let's briefly look at the chemistry. 14C28N steel can vary depending on the manufacturer, but it generally contains:

14% Chromium: Provides corrosion resistance and hardness,

0.6% Carbon: Increases hardness and wear resistance,

0.3% Nitrogen: Improves hardness and corrosion resistance,

0.3% Manganese: Improves hardenability and wear resistance,

and trace amounts of Silicon, Phosphorus, and Sulfur. The last three improve machinability.

14C28N steel has excellent edge retention and improved hardness due to the nitrogen content. More than one reviewer thinks it's a great choice for tasks that require a sharp edge, like cutting and slicing.

The levels of chromium provide good resistance to rust resistance and other forms of corrosion. I have a knife that I accidentally ‘patinaed’ by slicing lemons. Don’t laugh, it could happen to you.

the reversible clip

The blade is housed in a reinforced frame with a blue-gray micarta handle. The knife comes with a deep carry clip for right-side, tip-up carry. The clip is reversible. You can't help but notice the depression that takes the clips has a metal plug filling it. It gives the knife a look of completeness. It's something you don't see on many higher-end knives.

Opening flippers

The knife opener is called “front and back flippers." The flippers have a bit of gimping for friction, and you open the knife by pressing down on the ear. The blade glides open on caged ceramic ball bearings. This is high-tech stuff.

A little pressure on the opening tab and the Corgi flies open

Ceramic ball bearings have high hardness and elastic modulus. No, that's not techno-babble; it means the bearings resist deformation under load and have increased wear and corrosion resistance. They can run lubricant-free. If you must rinse the knife out and can't re-oil it, the bearings have your back.

There is a downside. Ceramic bearings are sensitive to thermal shock and have lower load capacities. These aren't really problems for knives.

Time for a true confession. I don't sell knives from my blog, and I don't own this Corgi. I know it feels good in my hand, but I’m not about to use someone else's knife in cutting tests. On the Vosteed website, I noticed that their current stock was low. What will the proposed trade tariffs affect? I don't know.

If you're looking for one, I'd act sooner than later.

My Spyderco - Part 2

2025-01-31T17:18:00.003-05:00

Spyderco Part 2

C179 - Spy-DK

Many European countries and American cities prohibit knives that lock open. As irrational as it is, the view claims a non-locking knife is less dangerous than a locking knife. I don’t know. It is hard to believe a stabbing or slashing wound is less serious if it is from a non-locking or slip joint.

Spyderco Spy-DK

The Spy-DK is based on the UK Penknife, with its blade length reduced to comply with Danish law. The 68 mm flat grind blade is made from Böhler-Uddeholm’s premium N690Co stainless steel. N690Co is similar to 440C but with increased levels of molybdenum and cobalt. It has excellent resistance to corrosion, even in acid media, and high impact strength. The downside seems to be a slightly reduced edge retention.

The Spy-DK has Spyderco's trademark round hole, but the hole is purposely small to prevent one-handed opening methods. Following that theme, a powerful spring holds the blade firmly closed and precludes a one-handed opening. Closing this knife is an adventure in injury as it requires significant force to close it. This difficulty in closing may be why the knife was only manufactured from May 2014 to Nov 2016.

The Spy-DK’s handle is injection-molded fiberglass-reinforced-nylon (FRN) scales with fine square checkering. Interestingly, the bottom of the blade’s choil is jimped to provide a friction surface to keep your index finger from sliding onto the sharp blade. The form of the handle almost forces you to use that grip. I don't like it; it makes me feel like I will slice my finger open.

The front of the tang is stamped Spyderco, N690CO, and the reverse is marked Maniago, Italy. The back of the blade is marked with Sal Glesser’s trademark, a stylized SAL.

The question in my mind is, is the knife a winner? As an American living in a relatively knife-restriction-free community, I would say no. Still, that is not really a question for a collector. Our question to you is, "Do you have one?

C65BLP - Blue Lum

My first Spyderco Lum Chinese folder was green-handled, and I liked it so much I stopped carrying it and made it a safe queen.

What’s a Lum Chinese folder?

You really need to get out more.

Spyderco Lum Chinese Folder You can see Bob's name and chop next to the thumb hole

Bob Lum was 3rd generation Chinese born in Astoria, Oregon, USA, in 1943. As a keen fisherman and hunter, he honed ideas about knife design. In 1976, Bob began making knives and took the world by store. He worked with Spyderco, Benchmade, and Seki-Cut, as well as in the custom field. He is credited with introducing the Tanto-style blade to America. Bob passed in 2007. His Spyderco Chinese folder is perhaps the loveliest knife I own.

The C65 Bob Lum Chinese folder’s blade is tapered like a broad, flat leaf made of VG-10 sporting Bob Lum’s Chop and last name. VG-10 is a Japanese super-steel developed for the horticulture industry by Takefu. It is a favorite of Japanese chefs.

The leaf shape pays homage to Bob’s cultural background. It has been around in China for centuries. It’s a definite winner for general utility and hunting. The lack of a guard limits its tactical value.

While I have a green one, I was fortunate to get a C65BLP. That’s a blue Almite coated Chinese folder made in the early months of 2002. It is reported that only 800 to 1000 were made. Spyderco has a buyer’s club. It’s limited to 999 members. Here’s the inside: You must buy every new knife they produce that year, with no exceptions. The blade comes stamped with your three-digit number. What you do with your knife is your business.

My Lum came stamped with 071V. The V signifies variation. Several variations have been reported, and perhaps the rarest is a cranberry Almite prototype. Does it actually exist? I don’t know.

SC01PS - SpyderCard

Perhaps the most intriguing Spyderco is the SC01, the SpyderCard. Eduard Bradichansky designed only two knives for Spyderco. One is part of their ethnic series, and the other is the SpyderCard. You can read more about the Spydercard and Bradichansky at https://knifesearch.blogspot.com/2016/04/spyderco-spydercard.html.

SpyderCard - Don't leave home without it

The Spydercard first came to my attention at the 2000 Shot Show. The knife is a full-sized folding knife with similar dimensions to a credit card. It is about the thickness of three credit cards, but does fit in your wallet. I’ve always believed it was an attempt to hide a cutting tool in the wallet of potential hostages. Considering Bradichansky death in a terrorist attack on the West Bank, Israel, it is not surprising his design tended in that direction. I also think if he had not been killed, he would have refined and matured his design.

The SpyderCard came with a plane or a partial serration. The blade is crafted from AUS-6. I prefer the cutting power of serrations on a small blade like this.

AUS-6 is stainless steel by Aichi Steel Corp. similar to 440A. You used to see this steel in the introduction of knife market models because it is easy to sharpen and has excellent corrosion resistance.

SpyderCard - Open with 50/50 blade

Mine is from 2002 and has what Spyderco called a 50/50 edge. I think of it as partially serrated. The hole in the handle isn't the Spyderco trademark, it's designed to give you access to the integral lock.

It’s a very cool and perhaps a bit impractical knife. Make sure you don’t have it in your wallet if traveling by plane for two reasons. One, it will literally make the TSA agent’s head explode, and two, you’ll lose an interesting knife.

C11ZFGYBLP - Delica Zome

Delica Zome Blue Gray

The last knife tonight is a sprint run. It’s the C11ZFYBLP or, as I know it, the Delica Zome Blue Gray. Knife Magazine published a delightful article about this knife in the July 2023 issue.

Sprint run knives are a unique manufacturing lot of established knives with different steels, often with hard-to-work steels, handle materials, and colors. In many respects, Spyderco is a small custom shop experimenting with novel steels, constructions, and processes. From a selling point of view, Spyderco is a little like Case knife: you'll never collect a sample of all the variations.

Sprint runs are always in limited quantities and sell out quickly. You usually must buy almost as soon as you see the advertisement. There is quite a following for sprint runs. The Zome has a laminated blade with SuperBlue steel sandwiched between two slabs of SUS410.

If you look careful, you can see the differential polishing line in the blade

A laminated steel blade was the answer the ancient knife makers discovered to an old problem. High-quality steel was never abundant, and while it held an edge, it was brittle. Softer steel (steel is a mixture of iron and carbon) was flexible and stood up to hard use but couldn't hold an edge. But laminate the hard steel in a sandwich of soft, flexible steel, and you have a winner.

The FRN handle is a blue-gray polymer which is hand-dyed to produce color splotches reminiscent of Japanese Ai Zome, a fabric coloration process.

Delicas are one of my favorite knives and the flat grind blades, like this one, have amazing cutting properties.

More to come!

Part three

Swimming With The Dolphin

2025-01-29T15:47:00.001-05:00

Collecting factory knives is the definition of jumping down the rabbit hole.

I recently obtained a 7-inch switchblade with a tang stamp ‘Dolphin D.M.’ I checked the few hard copy resources I have, but they were of little or no help.

My newest auto

Where does one go when you need information?

I used to go to public or university libraries, but in today's world, you try the Internet. It was quickly revealed that the company is called Dolphin D.M. and is in Maniago, Italy. Oh!

Well defined tang stamp, Note the meaning on the pivot

I think of Maniago as a factory city. Orders for cutlery are spread out into the community, and different cutlers make knives to a general specification. Every cutler does it differently, so knives might be slightly different in length or with a different finish. The blades are stamped the same, and Bang! Bob's your uncle!

Speaking of Bob, I want to thank my friend Bob for his insights on Italian switchblades.

Locking tab and blade stud

Dolphin D.M. is the brainchild of two men, Francesco Mariani and Lucio DeBon. Lucio DeBon is the acknowledged expert on natural scales in Maniago, and he is patronized by all the local makers.

The tang stamp has two dolphins, DeBon is the larger of the two. He has hand-selected the scale material used by all the shops making Dolphin D.M. By now you should be guessing that DeBon is the D. in the logo.

Francesco Mariani, I'm told, is the marketing guy at Dolphin D.M. He is the little dolphin on the tank stamp and the M in the logo.

But who actually made the knife? Here's the rub. You must guess based on workmanship. Francesco Mariani Dolphin's website states, "We collaborate with some of the most talented Italian master knife makers, including Renzo Pascotto, Giovanni Beltrame, Lelle Floris and many others."

5-pin back Lovely stag, isn't it?

The locking hole is round and doesn't go through the ricasso. That eliminates some makers. The back of the knife has five brass pins, which I'm told is special. It is a picklock (the slang term 'pickle' sent me in circles for a while), and the ears are solid. The brass frame is continuous and follows the ears, but you can see machine marks and slight overgrind. The foot or J at the end of the back spring shows heavy grind marks.

Grind marks... I can't help wonder if 30 seconds more work would have eliminated the marks and increased the value?

The ones I see on the Internet read Made in Italy Note the open "O" in Maniago

The stag scales are beyond lovely, and they should be as they were hand-selected by Lucio DeBon.

I like the deep color on quality stag

The tang stamp is interesting. All the internet images I could find read, 'Made in Italy,' not 'Maniago Italy' with an open 'O' resembling a backward 'C.' I'm unable to determine when that was changed. I'm told the company started in October 2023, and my knife resembles what was made in the fall of 2024.

The knife has minor pocket wear, and of course, the blade is dull enough to be considered unsharpened, a common feature of many Italian switchblades. I'm delighted with it. It's a nice little knife that fits in my small collection well.

The question everyone wonders about, with good reason, is, "What's it worth?" Did I get a deal or taken to the cleaners? You know the answer if you have been in the collecting market for long. It's worth what the last person paid for it. What you paid for it.

Taking Care of Business

2025-01-14T19:47:00.000-05:00

You come to own a few knives, maybe more than a few, you'll discover you’re a knife collector. Smart knife fanciers know they need to take care of their investments.

Every folder needs a drop of oil in its pivot, spring, or release. The same goes for any metal blade. Maybe your blade is a super stainless, or perhaps it is a nice 1085 carbon steel, but it still needs a drop of oil. Stainless steels are literally called stain-less because they are more resistant to rust, not impervious.

These are all non-food grade

There is a sub-class of collectors that like to corrode their blades. They say they are adding a patina. I've heard collectors claim they like the patina older carbon blades form.

No matter what you call it, it’s corrosion/oxidation. Most corrosion is rust; to prevent it, we need to keep the steel dry and protected. The easiest protection is oil.

But what oil?

As Rhett told Scarlet, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." Almost any oil, 3 in 1, some high-tech silicone or mystic rendered unicorn horn will work. The better question is, which will harm my knife? And which ones are safe for food?

A few years ago, everyone was excited about a mixture of hexane and paraffin wax. The hexane would evaporate, leaving a thin coating of wax behind. This product was often found lubricating bicycle chains. The wax didn’t attract and hold dirt like sticky oils and was thought to be cleaner. But I suggest you consider what hexane could attack on your knife. At the very least, hexane can attack some plastics and finish.

Food-safe oils aren't that difficult to find. Basic mineral oil is considered food-safe in small amounts. If you anticipate your knife will be used to build a fire and prepare your meal, food safety oil is an excellent idea. Giving yourself the Texas-two-step trots is not survival-oriented or conducive to a good time at cabin or camp.

Check your label in advance, if it doesn’t say food safe or safe for consumption, it isn’t.

Sooner or later, you'll need to clean your knives. Maybe there’s a little discoloration of brass from age or storage. Has your blade picked up a smudge of gunk, marks from sharpening a pencil, or a discoloration that needs to be removed?

I've polished a lot of electron microscope parts with this

Try a solvent like Goo-Gone first to remove pine tar, adhesives, and organic gunk. Super Erasers work well, but leave rubber sawdust everywhere.

Paste polish is useful to bring back a shine. I’ve used toothpaste, Simichrome paste, and several others for that purpose. They have advantages and disadvantages. The biggest is leaving a residue behind, especially in checkered areas or other depressions too small for a rag to wipe cleanly away. Simichrome often leaves a reddish discoloration that is hard to wash clean. I found a rinse with 95% isopropyl alcohol (that’s rubbing alcohol to most of us) removes the paste media. I follow up with hot water and a little detergent to wash away the pigment.

More polishing paste

But you need to get rid of that water, right? I hope so. I turn to WD-40. I generously hose the knife out over a trash can, and blow out the residue with compressed air or a hot air hairdryer.

WD-40...Good stuff when used properly

Don't let it get too hot! Then, add a small drop of oil to all the moving parts, including the back springs. WD-40 isn't an oil; it's more of a surface treatment.

My old can of Renaissance Wax next to Wicker Cleaner and Wax. The gray reangle is a Super Eraser.

Recently, I've been using Renaissance Wax to preserve surfaces. It's acid-free, which means it doesn't contain any organic acids that would react with brass, copper, and, to some degree, silver. They have a polishing form that contains very fine powdered chalk.

Chalk is just calcium carbonate. It's very soft, so it doesn't scratch metal, but we can use it to polish away slight oxidation like the green verdigris.

I have used Wicked Wax and Wicked Cleaner successfully. I used the cleaner to polish an old Buck 110, which cleaned up the brass and gave a nice shine to the wood.

I also treated the Buck's leather pouch with Neatsfoot oil. It's a natural product, and I didn't soak the leather; I just wiped it inside and out.

Leather can be damaged by salt, bacteria, and moisture. All of these can occur when you use a knife. I've heard of people removing old, worn, or damaged leather surfaces with very fine sandpaper. There are so many possible variations of how manufacturers make leather washer handles that no simple procedure will fit them all. On working knives with stacked leather handles, I wipe them off with a damp cloth, followed by a dry cloth and ambient air drying. A thin film of a quality leather oil might be needed.

If necessary, I wash my collectible knives with saddle soap, allow the leather to completely dry, and wipe them down with Neetsfoot oil.

Neetsfoot oil is a distillation of the long leg bones in cattle. It is the closest natural plasticizer to leather there is. But I use it sparingly. Nobody likes soggy leather, which can happen from too much oily treatment.

Wrapping your knife in leather can be corrosive too. Leather contains moisture and fatty acid salts that will attack brass and copper.

For working knives, I actually prefer synthetic handles, which I can wash, dry and go.

If you collect, keep your knives where they are cool, dry, and protected so they don't scratch each other. There are soft single knife pouches available that protect and save your knives. Take advantage of them.

Working knives should be sharpened when needed, cleaned and oiled when dirty or wet, and made ready for more use.

I used to go to a flea market where Richard would display metal tools and steel vices. All of them were rusted from being left out in the rain, significantly dropping interest and value. Don’t be like Dick. Protect your investment.

Spyderco

2025-01-08T20:12:00.002-05:00

Spyderco was established in 1978 by Sal Glesser. Surprisingly, his first product wasn’t a knife but the Portable Hand, a device created in 1976. It was a spider-shaped device with ball joints, angles, and alligator clips that helped hobbyists and jewelers work with small parts. Following the success of the Portable Hand, they produced the Sharpmaker in 1978.

Over the years, they have driven other companies to use new steel to stay competitive, and were the innovators of the one-hand opening folder. They have become one of the drivers in the knife community. Undoubtedly, success didn't come overnight but through hard work. I greatly admire them. Spyderco lives up to their motto: "Integrity is being good even if no one is watching."

I have been fortunate enough to acquire a mix of Spyderco folders. In the pre-911 days, I flew with two Spyderco Delicas, and my wife also carried one. I still carry a Spyderco almost daily. Let’s take a shallow dip into my favorite Spyderco knives.

C28 - The Dragonfly

The Dragonfly was originally introduced in 1994. The original steel was GIN1/G2. G2 was Spyderco code (Good Shit 2) for the steel used. Mine came in a little solid black box made in December 1997. By this time, they were using AUS8. AUS8 is a slightly better steel than GIN1. Spyderco was still using plastic clips on FRN handles. The clips worked well but tended to deform if caught in a seatbelt or such. Unlike metal clips, first used on the Worker in 1981, a damaged plastic clip was bent for life.

The Dragonfly

I like the Dragonfly. It was a compact knife you could carry while wearing suit or dress slacks. The small size makes it compatible with the tiny pockets in women's slacks. The weight of 1.2 ounces didn’t tug at the lines and deform your trouser pocket. It is a classy knife.

C11 - Delica

The Delica has always been in the top ten best sellers at Spyderco. You can get it in an amazing variety of steels. Perhaps my first two were a green FRN and a black FRN Delica. At the time, Spyderco serrations were still suspect. We weren't sure about sharpening serrations or what to use them for, and even today, they are a polarizing feature for many knife owners. Sal Glesser designed the Delica in 1990. The early ones did not have the type of steel used stamped on the tang and were tang stamped with the acknowledged knife capital of the world, Seki, Japan. Later ones were stamped Seki-City. At the time, all the FRN (short fiberglass reinforced nylon. Engineers often use it for high strength and low weight.) knife bodies had a molded clip. The clip helped make the knife popular as a tactical knife. You could fix it at a specific location, and it would remain there. No hunting in your pocket trying to determine the knife’s orientation. The clip held the knife tip up, and if you carried on the right side, the blade would nestle against the back seam of your pocket, out of the way until you needed it.

The Green Delica

The green FRN became first available in 1990. Spyderco started stamping their knife steel in 1992. I purchased it sometime between 1990 and 1991.

The plastic clip was always something of a question mark. While it was convenient to anchor the knife in pocket, pouch, or shirt neckline, the clip could be deformed if caught on a seatbelt or forced around thick fabric. Unable to remove the clip, re-bend it and re-install or replace it, Spyderco responded by grinding the clip off and fixing a metal clip with small screws. Over time the screws would deform the FRN plastic and loosen. Most owners who went that route ended up taking the clip off and dropping the knife in a pocket. I would have bought a new one and exiled the bent one to the car glove compartment or tackle box.

Green Delica - Classic Plastic Clip

The black-handled Delica is marked AUS8A. The A means the steel was factory-annealed. AUS8 is very similar to 440C with a slight addition of vanadium, which forms very small and hard carbide particles. These carbides represent an improvement in steel properties. At the time, AUS 8 was one of the best available steels for knife blades.

The Black Delica

The tang stamp reads Spyderco AUS8A Stainless. The reverse is stamped Seki-City Japan.

The Plastic Clip - Everyone loved them until the bent beyond repair

Both knives have the traditional ‘volcano checkering,' a margin defined raised square with a slight spherical depression in its center. The pattern improved your grip with wet, soapy, or bloody hands.

AUS8A tang stamp

C71 - Salsa

Spyderco's Salsa was made in Taipei, Taiwan, and sports a green anodized finish with a pepper engraved. It came with a shallow pocket wire clip and top compression lock. The blade is AUS8.

The Salsa - Still sorry I didn't get other colors too!

It’s not the first Spyderco with a compression lock, that honor goes to Bram Frank and his design, the Grunting. The green Salsa was only made in 2002. The blade is 63mm long with a cutting surface of 53 mm. The thumb hole is 14 mm in diameter. As a point of reference, the thumb holes on the two previous Delicas were 12 mm in diameter. The Salsa thumb hole also has a cobra hood over the hole to promote the blade opening. Then the blade is locked open, the hood becomes a wide, jimped thumb rest.

Salsa top compression lock and Cobra Hood opener

My Salsa is partially serrated. Serration increases the cutting ability of a knife by changing the geometry and increasing the cutting edge. This is especially valuable in a short-bladed knife.

I'm sorry I didn't buy some of the other colors when they were available. That is the life of a knife collector, one regret after another.

C242 - Ikuchi

Ikuchi is one of Spyderco’s ethnic line knives. This line pays tribute to many diverse cultures and their contribution to knives. The Ikuchi is named after a mythical Japanese eel-like sea monster. Paul Alexander designed it with a tapered, curved handle. Skeletonized stainless steel liners and bitchingly cool carbon fiber/G-10 laminate scales.

The Ikuchi

You can find an excellent description of the Ikuchi in the August 2022 issue of Knife Magazine.

The knife was first shown in Spyderco's 2019 product reveal and was still available in the 2024 catalog.

The Ikuchi top compression lock and finger opener.

The blade is full-flat ground 83 mm long graceful curve of CPM S30V and sports a tiny 6 mm Spyderco thumb hole. The thumb hole on Spyderco folders has become a trade make. I remember when Benchmade lost the rights to Spyderco’s thumb hole and had to change to an oval opener. The clever thing is, when closed, the blade thumb hole lines up with two holes set in the handle. That's mega-cool.

The top of the tang is slightly enlarged and becomes the flipper to open the knife. The index finger of either hand works quite well when opening the Ikuchi. The closed knife tang rests on a stop block, protecting the blade from hitting the pin connectors between the handle sides. I like Spyderco's top compression lock, as I don't have to have my fingers in the path of the closing blade.

The wire clip is reversible, but the knife can only be carried tip-up. I don't see it in the same light I see the Delica. The Ikichi is much more of a formal dress knife.

We will see what's next!

Part Two

The Variable Wharncliffe

2024-12-07T14:29:00.002-05:00

This is Kizer’s newest neck knife, the Variable Wharncliffe.

Kizer's Variable Wharncliffe neck knife

It’s an awful name, not at all descript. It’s a fixed blade knife and you have no options on blade or handle length. Be that as it may, it is a cool knife. Let’s look into it.

The knife was designed by Dirk Pinkerton, one of the up-and-coming knife designers who works with several companies.

Dirk always had an interested in knives. Following examples set by his father and brother, Dirk came to realize a knife was essential tool. One can appreciate the work and craftsmanship that goes into a beautiful knife, but it is a tool first and should be used. As his collection and interest grew, Dirk became friends with legendary knife maker and designer, the late Darrel Ralph. If you don’t recognize the name, it sucks to be you. Darrel started making knives in 1987 and his influence over the custom knife market pushed other designers to excel. He had a significant impact on the tactical knife world. He passed following a stroke in 2021.

Made from D2 steel

Dirk was influenced by DR who told him essentially, don’t ask me to modify one of my knives for you, make your own.

That was good advice. Dirk purchased his first professional grinder in 2005. Utilizing his 18 years in the private security working with law enforcement, S.W.A.T., fire and life rescue, and various military units, he drew on this experience to determine the optimal configurations.

The Variable Wharncliffe is a 4.8-inch-long slice of D2 steel shaped into a neck knife with a 3.4-inch blade. The blade is 0.1 inch thick at the spine and tappers down to a razor edge. The handle is black micarta centered behind a 1-inch finger hole. It come with a kydex neck sheath that secures the knife until you need it.

The blade features a reverse tanto that drops the point below the centerline. The Wharncliffe is a high shoulder flat grind. Unlike many wharncliffe blades the straight edge is canted up, creating a powerful driving point with the reverse tanto. Coarse jimping on the blade’s spine gives you extra control over the blade despite the small handle. The handle is a hexagon shape 1.4 inches long and 0.45 inches thick. My social commentary and ring finger naturally lock down on the handle.

The coarse jimping makes for an enhanced grip

D2 steel is seeing a resurgence. Invented in 1927, the properties and heat treatment of this steel have become well understood and is a fine steel for 90% of our use. While not truly a stainless steel, it straddles the border between high carbon and stainless steel. D2 needs more attention and a thin coat of oil. Take care of this steel and you will not be disappointed.

I like it a lot. I’m a big fan of smallish knives that can be concealed, but deliver big performance. I’d carry this as a back up when I’m off the concrete or in non-permissible environments... you know what I mean. You can find yours at the e-link below. Its currently (Dec. 2024) on sale for under $23. You better hurry!

https://www.kizerknives.com/products/variable-wharncliffe-1052a1?srsltid=AfmBOoqR0L-ut0cKvkq7l1BJLCqW4PTreIrum1OrJ2V6U15KKQh6KANz

Just a reminder: Nobody is sending me free knives or paying me for these blogs. I just enjoy knives.

One In The Pocket

2024-11-15T11:22:00.000-05:00

The Mantis Civilianaire coin knife arrived the other day. It’s very icey.

Mantis Civilianaire Knife Was it inspired by OSS tools?

The red-rimmed, black-faced circular knife is striking. Both faces have a geometric pattern pressed into black surfaces, creating highlights and improving friction. The red circumferential surface is also textured to improve grip. On small knives, friction surfaces are critical to enhance your grip.

An edge view of the open Civilianaire

These surfaces form the handle and are constructed of G-100, a micro glass fiber/resin composite. Glass fiber has the advantage that it is dimensionally stable and chemically non-reactive to ordinary solvents. It doesn’t expand by absorbing water and creating internal stresses.

The blade is a wickedly sharp curved slice of steel about an inch long. The curve feeds material into the cutting edge and effectively lengthens the cutting edge. The blade opens with a small spur that sticks out from the coin.

The curved blade makes cutting easier

The blade is a laminated structure of two 420 Damascus steels supported on a 420 core.

The Civilianaire opens easy with the spur. There is sufficient friction so it doesn't accidently open

I spoke to Gary West, the founder of Mantis Knife, and he explained that the Civilianaire coin knife was designed to fit most jeans' watch pockets. My measurements found the closed knife to be 1.3 inches in diameter and about 0.2 inches thick. Compare that to America’s least favorite coin dollar, the Susan B. Anthony, which clocks in with a diameter of 1 inch and a thickness of 0.08 inches.

Slightly bigger than the unloved Anthony dollar

Yeah, the Civilianaire is slightly larger and noticeably thicker. You will not accidentally drop it into a coin slot!

The knife doesn’t lock open, according to Mr. West, because locking knives are prohibited in Europe. I don't see that as a big problem. I instinctively placed my index finger on the opening spur and pulled the knife to cut with it.

It’s not the knife you’d take on a raft trip up the Amazon or trekking across the Rockies. It is a knife you’d carry to cut string, open packages, or in a non-permissible environment.

Mr. West told me the company came into existence in 1999 when his son joined him after graduation. At the time, they were selling night vision and metal detectors, but the son was interested in knives more than anything. They looked around and called it Mantis Knives because Praying Mantises eat spiders, a dig at one of their competitors.

Mantis makes a lot of cool and interesting knives. You can find the Civilianaire at https://www.mantisknives.com/product/mck-1-civilianaire/. The MSRP is $50.00.

Check it out. You will be surprised by the range and quality of Mantis knives.

Spooky!

2024-10-16T19:51:00.000-04:00

I’m not sure why I bought this Texas Toothpick. For some enigmatic and unexplainable reason, I bought it. I’m not a huge fan of slip joints. The blade is… calling it a patina would be kind. The tip is broken off, and the front third of the blade is bent to the left.

Would it have killed someone to put a little oil on the blade occasionally?

I kept it on a shelf in the garage, and one night, I turned off the light, looked around to make sure I had closed the pedestrian side door and noticed something worthy of the Ghost Busters. Something was glowing on my bench. Thinking I had left a tool plugged in, I turned on the light.

What is that glow? Protoplasm? Better call Ghost Busters!

Nope, nothing left on. I turned off the light, and the glow was still there. What?

After playing games with lights, I discovered my Texas Toothpick had glow-in-the-dark scales. I should have guessed, in faint letters hot pressed into the handle were letters that read, SPOOK Knife. The "O’s” were made to look like cartoon eyes.

Oh! It's Spook the knife.

The tang stamp reads Camo – USA. The tang reverse is blank.

Camo was a cheaper line made by Camillus. It's impossible to date accurately since the tang stamp was never changed during its manufacturing history. I understand that in 1980, some Camo Knives were made in Ireland, and currently, the brand is made in China.

You can just barely read the word SPOOK heat stamped into the handle.

Camillus follows a pattern familiar to many knife companies. Following its failure in 1873, the hardware company Bodenheim, Meyer & Company was restructured as Meyer & Kastor. Meyer & Kastor had to close its doors in September 1876. Only a few weeks later, Adolph Kastor started his own company, Adolph Kastor & Bros., on Canal Street in New York City, where he imported and distributed German-made knives.

But times were changing.

Following the Dingley Tariff of 1897, knives became too expensive to import. The only solution Kastor saw was to manufacture knives domestically. That led to the formation of Camillus Knife. Kastor and his partner, Charles Sherwood, bought new machinery, such as steam-driven drop forge hammers and fly presses, and utilized new techniques, like alumina grinding wheels.

They were successful. Eventually, they had to build a dormitory to house its German immigrant workers.

While not shown, the handle material on both sides absorb light and glow.

Camillus had in-house brands like Camo, Sword Brand, and Mumby Peg. They also made blades for brands like Case, Remington, Schrade, Keen Kutter, and Sears and Sons.

Camo was a lower-end introduction to the market brand established in 1948. These knives were sold as souvenir knives and could be hot-stamped and used as promotional giveaways and gifts.

Like many knife companies, Camillus filed for bankruptcy in 2007. It was bought by Acme United Corporation.

I've owned this knife for years and just discovered this glow in the dark property. Some day, I'll sharpen Spook and put it up for sale. Maybe it will find a new owner.

WRCA's Hubertus

2024-09-09T20:15:00.001-04:00

Most of us are familiar with the Hubertus lever lock automatic knife. I own several, and I think they have great quality and style.

Hubertus Lever Lock Total icey!

It’s a company with a complicated history. Why complicated? WWII in Germany threw a lot of companies into the dumpster of history. Some survived and had Nazi associations which still haunts them to this day. Ask Degussa, now Evonik, about that.

On March 1, 1932, Kuno Ritter started a knife company in Solingen, Germany, and concentrated on fixed blades called hiking knives. We might call them camping or bush craft knives.

Due to the Second World War, business operations were discontinued in 1941 but resumed in 1946. I found a report claiming Kino Ritter Co. made Boy Scout knives during the war. I also saw reports that German Boy Scouting was closed and their members had to join the Hitler Youth organizations. Draw your own conclusion.

Following the war, Kuno Ritter Co acquired several trademarks, including Hubertus, a brand registered for cutlery since 1899. For those wondering, Hubertus is the patron saint of hunters.

An unknown Solinger cutler received a utility pattern in 1897 for a folding lever release, making the knife safer to carry in your pocket. We call it a lever lock.

Around 1950, the company was renamed Hubertus Schneidwarenfabrik Kuno Ritter KG and is now run by the third-generation Ritter.

The Hubertus I recently ran across was a Western Reserve Cutlery Association (WRCA) club knife. The date etched into the blade is 1985. This appears to be part of the Golden Era of WRCA club knives when style and uniqueness trumped price.

WRCA's 1985 Club Knife

The bolster has tiny numbers stamped into it, indicating it was 7 of 65 knives ordered. The top edge of the blade has some simple but nice file work, and the blade is etched. WRCA can be seen in the middle of the blade. The knife shows minor wear, but it is almost 40 years old.

I’m told this knife was offered to WRCA club members in three different styles. One was gold-filled, and the other was silver-filled, but my source couldn’t recall the third option. I suspect it was just the plain etched.

The stag looks a little worn and I like the file work on the blade spine

To my surprise, the knife was ordered from Hubertus factory and then etched. The etching was done by Shaw Leibowitz. I dug into the name and found out our master etcher was really a husband-and-wife team composed of Sherill Shaw and Leonard Leibowitz. You can find an interesting article about them by Bill Karsten in the December 1981 issue of Knife World and a better article by Sherrill Shaw in its Sept 2011 issue. Knife World is now known as Knife Magazine, an excellent publication for any knife fancier.

Hubertus from 1985 direct to WRCA

I discussed the price with the owner but decided not to purchase it. I'm not terribly interested in club knives. https://knifesearch.blogspot.com/2023/03/not-huge-fan-of-club-knives.html It has to be really special. Plus, it is my opinion, shared by several dealers, that club knives don't hold their value. That's sad, but it is the way it is.

My Thanks to Ian for lending me the knife for some quick photos!

Gerber Pixie and Sportsman II

2024-08-30T15:44:00.000-04:00

Most of us know the story of Gerber Legendary Blades. Let me add to what I wrote at https://knifesearch.blogspot.com/2021/09/gerber-parabellum.html.

Gerber Legendary Blades is an American maker of knives, multi-tools, and other outdoor and military tools headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Gerber was established in 1939 by Pete Gerber and is owned by the Finnish outdoors products company, Fiskars.

Gerber is claimed to be the largest maker of knives and multi-tools for the United States armed forces. Backing up that claim is a wide variety of combat-style knives, Many of which are highly collectable. Susan J Dorey states in her publication (1) that Gerber switched on December 8, 1941, from making kitchen knives to military knives. That was the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Gerber's Folding Sportsman II - From around 2000

Slightly off topic, but I found it interesting that Gerber and Emerson Knife formed an alliance to produce an automatic knife, AKA switchblade. Interestingly, it was the first automatic knife made by either company. The knife was based on Emerson Knives’ Raven knife design. The auto was an issued item to specific military units. You can look it up if you want to go down that rabbit hole!

NSN (NATO Stock Numbers): 5110-01-516-3243

A couple Folding Sportsman from "100 Legendary Knives" by Pacella

I recently got hold of a Gerber Folding Sportsman II. They were released in 1972. The FS II was later discontinued in about 1995. It’s a nice knife. Many people found it a convenient substitution for the larger, clunkier Buck 110 Hunter.

The blade is just over 3.5 inches long and can be described as a flat grind, straight-back blade. I couldn’t find anything listed but I suspect the steel is 440C, a common, but still used knife steel. The handle is an attractive blend of brass and wood. Of course, the blade locks open.

Gerber Folding Sportsman II

The tang stamp doesn't appear to be anything unique. The tang marking system developed by Case Knife is, without a doubt, genius!

It simply says 'Gerber' on the other side

It's an icey cool knife, and I'm lucky to find one this nice.

The other Gerber under discussion is the Gerber Pixie. The Pixie could be best described as a bird and trout knife or a lightweight kitchen fruit knife.

A Gerber Pixie

There is an elegant simplicity to this knife. It seems too nice to be used for kitchen work or field dressing.

The only identification is stamped into the handle "Gerber-Pixie"

The story here is a little more complicated, and I must find some reference books. I thought I could fall back on my old trick of looking up Gerber's catalogs online, but they don't seem to have any. Damn shame about that!

My limited research shows that the Pixie is a member of a family of Gerber aluminum-handled knives. Some handles were given a coating to increase friction and improve grip. I've found examples of Pixies with leather sheaths, the knife sans sheath, and at least one with a wooden sheath. It is just an ordinary kitchen knife.

I find the smooth flow of the handle and blade attractive. To me, it almost has a futuristic look

Here is what I consider interesting about this knife. My friend Derrick found it at Harbor Freight in 2005. "I don't know," he told me. "They just had a pile of them. Thought you'd be interested." I was, but not enough to rush out, and by the time I did get there, they were gone.

(1) http://www.susandoreydesigns.com/insights/GerberLegendaryBlades.pdf

Benchmade 730 Elishewitz

2024-08-14T11:08:00.001-04:00

I just came across a pristine Benchmade 730BT Ares designed by Allen Elishewitz. It’s an amazing knife, and I'm lucky to have it pass through my hands.

Let’s walk through what we can find out about it.

Benchmade 730BT by Allen Elishewitz

The Benchmade logo has changed over time. This logo says Benchmade across the butterfly and has two antennae. Under the butterfly, you'll find U.S.A. printed. This was the logo Benchmade used from 1999 to 2002. The back side of the blade says Elishewitz next to his logo. Above this, on the false edge, it says 154CM.

The 1999 to 2002 Benchmade Butterfly

Blade Forum claims the original release in 2000 was with ATS34 steel. The following year, 2001, the steel was listed as 154CM. Other variations were released, but the next important marker was in 2003. The knives produced then did not have Elishewitz name or his logo on the blade.

This makes me think the knife was produced sometime during 2001 or 2002. Pretty cool!

You only need to look at one of his knives and you would know Allen Elishewitz was born to design knives. Actually, Allen was born in Texas and spent a good part of his childhood living in Southeast Asia. Allen played a variety of martial arts and later became a Recon Marine. This background gave him well-defined ideas of what makes a good knife for either self-defense or as a utility tool.

The ARES is designed to allow the user to move the pocket clip to left or right carry.

The Benchmade 730BT Ares has an icy purple and black G-10 handle. G-10 is a fiberglass/epoxy resin composite. Fiberglass has the advantage of not absorbing most liquids, like water, beer, or blood. G-10 has excellent dimensional stability and extreme resistance to normal environment hazards.

The blade is black coated 154CM steel. You could describe it as a drop point, saber grind blade. The blade is free of jimping, but the steel liners near the axis lock are jimped. The blade has for all practical purposes a full length false edge. The combination of grind line makes the blade interesting.

154CM steel is an interesting stainless steel. It was developed and manufactured in the United States by Crucible Materials Corporation (now Crucible Industries). 154CM is a modification of 440C stainless. Molybdenum was added to beef up its edge retention, corrosion resistance, and ease of sharpening properties.

In case you’re interested, here is the formulation:

Carbon 1.05% Chromium 14.00% Manganese 0.50% Molybdenum 4.00%

Silicon 0.30% Iron 80.15%.

All this is very interesting, but you know what really matters? It's how it feels in your hand. And Allen’s design feels excellent. The blade opens smoothly and locks in place with a click. I like that. The click tells me the knife is locked open, ready for whatever task I assign it. The G-10 handle has two steel liners, so the weight of the open knife is kept in the hand. The balance point is about an inch behind the axis lock. This makes for a lively, controllable blade.

I like it a lot. As I said earlier, it's just passing through my hands. But then, it may stick around for a while. Who knows?

Village of Knives

2024-07-22T16:23:00.004-04:00

The world has many great knife communities. But in America, one of the more interesting must be the village of Little Valley, NY. It is an area filled with the corpses of dead and still-borne knife companies. The knife companies have been gone for quite awhile, but it is a rich area for historians and enthusiasts.

The Tee-shirt to prove I was there!

Authors have spent untold miles of paper explaining the history and complexity of the knife industry in Little Valley. Collectors have memorized family trees and connections to the families, cousins and in-laws involved. I can only imagine the scene as a bored wife holding up a flashcard with a name or date and the collector rattles off the family tree or the significance of the date late into the night.

Just to mention a few companies, Case Knife has its roots there, as does Ka-Bar and now Cutco. Kinfolks started and died there. Here's a meager and incomplete storyline.

J.B.F. Champlin started Cattaraugus Cutlery in Little Valley in 1882. He hired his brothers-in-law, the Cases. I wonder what he later thought of that because, in 1900, the Case Family started their own knife company. Little did Case realize their future product would be collectible knives.

Some of the Case presence

But not everything was peaceful in Little Valley. Family disagreements resulted in the formation of Standard Knife Co. in 1901. Standard didn't last long; it was gone by 1903.

In 1905, Case moved production from Little Valley, NY, to Bradford, PA. Whenever I think about the move's impact on the area, a scene from 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe' comes to mind. All the dolphins are teleported to a ship as they migrate from Earth to a new and better location. Their last words to humanity were, as I recall them, "So long, and thanks for all the fish!"

In 1920, using blades made by Ka-Bar and Kinfolk, Case Knife reestablished a new Standard Knife Co. This created a low-end introduction product for the knife market. Twenty-eight years later, in 1948, they were gone.

1920 was also the start of the Kinfolks Company, which was connected to Case Knife.

In this rolling pot of knife history, let us remember that construction was chiefly wood, fire suppression wasn't what it is today. Fire companies were slow to respond, bad weather, accidents, fires, and God alone knows what else affected the factories, stores, and the small communities in Little Valley. All of this has created a rich heritage of knife-making.

Kinfolks ran until 1958. Rather than unionize they closed their doors, took their ball home and that was the end. Cattaraugus Company closed down in 1963.

In 1993, Zippo bought Case Knife.

Is that the end of knife-making in Little Valley?

John Burrell grinding, the last Case family member who makes knives

No. John A. Burrell claims to be the last knife-making Case family member in nearby Ellicottville, NY. John told me he closed one company in 2006 and, after a few years, decided he wanted to start making knives again.

Case Family still has people in the area. I ran into a woman looking for a small pearl-handled knife. I showed her a very nice Rough Ryder with mother of pearl and an abalone shell insert. "It's nice, but I'm a Case so…" I understood perfectly.

Case informational displays

Little Valley, rich with its tradition, in the county of Cattaraugus, was the perfect location for a knife show.

We were at the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds and for a first-time effort, it was a qualified success. We occupied two buildings, but not to capacity. If you were in the second building, you may have missed out a bit. The show needed to have signs up indicating there was a second building. The second building had a few knife collectors, John Burrell, and a lot of flea market and high school booster tables.

Some of John Burrell's fixed blades

The show was scheduled for Friday from noon to six and Saturday 9-6:00 and Sunday 9-3:00. Since the admission was free, they started letting people in on set-up Friday morning at 9:00.

Running to six o’clock proved to be a little too long. By three o’clock, we were down to trading between vendors and had run out of customers.

The second room

The organizers worked very hard to make it a success; they even bought radio coverage. I learned about the show from John Burrell, who attended a show sponsored by the Western Reserve Cutlery Association. He walked around and gave a flier to every table at the show.

Radio station mascot

You should understand that Little Valley and the surrounding communities have low population density. It is a beautiful rural area known for ski resorts and golf courses. But low population density makes it hard to draw people out. It's reported that over a thousand people were in attendance, but I doubt it.

First Room

The vendors? We had tables of Randall knives, scores of WWII theater knives, Case knives, and edged collectibles. There was one table of new factory folders.

One wag exclaimed, "It's an old man's knife show!" I don't know about that, but I could see his point.

There were a lot of oddball characters, and I felt at home. An employee of the National Knife Museum told me she was "not into knives" when I told her she was welcome to pick up the knives.

An old man stopped by and asked me, out of the blue, "What’s the history of Kershaw?" I was at a complete loss for words, but I managed a few coherent sounds about who owned Kershaw and how they made very nice knives. Of course, he didn't buy anything. Remember what I said about memorizing family trees? If that's your norm, then you expect that of everyone.

John's Table. John is in the black Tee-shirt.

I struck up a conversation with a vendor who bemoaned his low sales due to the "youngsters who only care for 'black' knives.” It turned out he was referring to modern locking blades, like Spyderco, Benchmade, CobraTec, and so forth. He never noticed that's what I was selling. He specialized in dirty stag and horn-handled friction folders with patinaed blades at high prices. He had a lot of competitors.

We stayed down the road a bit, and over breakfast I got into a conversation about Case Knife and their designs. I was told Ken Steigerwalt has been trying to meet with Case to discuss new knife designs, but Case is a hard company to talk to. I didn't ask him his connection to Ken.

Case Knife was a sponsor but had almost no presence besides a few door prizes and posters. During my setup, I was asked if I minded being next to Case Knife. Case had three tables reserved, including the endcap of my row. Of course I'm fine with anyone set up next to me. Case marketing showed up late Friday night, dropped off a couple boxes of Tee-shirts and departed, never to be seen again.

Mark Zalesky, owner of Knife Magazine was on hand to evaluate older knives

Later, Mark Zalesky, owner and publisher of 'Knife Magazine' occupied one of the tables reserved for Case Knife, and the show promoter took the end cap table away. That was a better result than I could have hoped for!

The best quote I got about Case Knife was, "Case never jumps into anything with two feet." That may explain their stuttering presence.

Perhaps because the show was free, maybe it was the demographic, but I saw two types of folks at my table. Well, actually three. The third type were the ones who cheerfully admitted they had no money, but if they did, they would buy a knife and they’ll start saving to ensure they will have the bucks for the next show. They were amusing and a tiny minority.

The other types consisted of folks who were there just to kick the tires and play with your knives. They are not a problem. After a few moments you tell them it looks like they like that knife and ask “Can I wrap it up for you?” That usually moves them to another table.

You also get the ones who only want to tell you how they just bought the same knife as on your table. A slightly different variation is "I bought this in 1968, and I always carry it," This usually is accompanied by flashing me with an old pocket knife with a third of the blade missing from years of sharpening.

Okay, I’m a little mischievous about the show.

It was a great first effort. The show chairman, Brad Lockwood, worked very hard to promote the Village of Knives Show. There were many activities, tours, and interesting people to talk to. Forged in Fire champion Walter Baranowski foraged three special knives for the celebration and John Burrell handled them. They were amazing.

One of three made by John and Walter

We had customers, there were treasures to find, and everyone had an excellent time. It's lovely country, and Ellicottville Brewing Company has excellent beers and food. I wouldn't eat anywhere else if I was in town.

Put it on your calendar for 2025. You'll have fun.