Blade Show - June 6, 7, 8
- Thread starter hso
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50 Shooter
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Where at?
OP
OP
Cobb Galleria, Atlanta
50 Shooter
member
I'll have to wait until it comes to L.A. to see ya HSO.
OP
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Blade has only been in Atlanta since 1996 (for several years before that it was in Knoxville). Blade Show West has been done in Oregon as an experiment for a few years. LA, not "Lower Alabama", doesn't have a knife show that is listed.
Stainz
Member
I made it there the last two BLADE shows on Fridays - should be able to do it again this Friday. The best entertainment is the feeding frenzy at the Busse tables! If you see it, just remind yourself, they are grown men...
I hate driving to Atlanta!
Stainz
I hate driving to Atlanta!
Stainz
KingTiger
Member
I'll stop by the booth Friday afternoon.
OP
OP
Look for either of us when you do!
Stainz
Member
I guess I'll miss this one after all... sigh!
ugaarguy
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I'm back from Blade. hso will be along some time later in the week (I assume) to tell you more. I saw several cool things in the small amount of time I was out of the Knife Rights booth, but I wanted to stay in the booth as much as possible to help KR with fundraising, increasing awareness, and gaining new members.
However, the force is strong with hso, and he uses his Jedi mind control abilities to get manufacturers and custom makers to donate knives to KR for fundraising. So he walks around and gets to see all the cool stuff.
But I'm worn out. Y'all have a good night, and check out the Knife Rights Ultimate Steel if you haven't already.
However, the force is strong with hso, and he uses his Jedi mind control abilities to get manufacturers and custom makers to donate knives to KR for fundraising. So he walks around and gets to see all the cool stuff.
But I'm worn out. Y'all have a good night, and check out the Knife Rights Ultimate Steel if you haven't already.
OP
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The most impressive thing I've seen in years was the Lionsteel TiDust folder.
Lionsteel refers to it as produced by "additive technology", but we'd refer to it as 3D powder metal printing with laser sintering. They literally "print" the entire single piece handle using Ti powder in a carrier and then particle weld it with a laser as it is laid down. This allowed them to lay up the open basketwork body of the knife without machining! Amazing!
Even more amazing was that Lionsteel isn't completely satisfied with the result and knows they can do better for a more detailed and refined surface.
This is truly space age manufacturing technology applied to the production of cutlery and the most exciting thing I've seen in years in production knives (or much of any sort of knife). The implications are obvious.
Lionsteel refers to it as produced by "additive technology", but we'd refer to it as 3D powder metal printing with laser sintering. They literally "print" the entire single piece handle using Ti powder in a carrier and then particle weld it with a laser as it is laid down. This allowed them to lay up the open basketwork body of the knife without machining! Amazing!
Even more amazing was that Lionsteel isn't completely satisfied with the result and knows they can do better for a more detailed and refined surface.
This is truly space age manufacturing technology applied to the production of cutlery and the most exciting thing I've seen in years in production knives (or much of any sort of knife). The implications are obvious.
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The second cool knife was the Timberline 1911 bushing wrench neck knife.
I haven't had a chance to put it to the test, but it looks like it has what we need. I'll try to get a picture up.
Third was the Rat Worx "chain drive" auto. No surprise it won an award as well (I think the crazy action testing machine won it for them having cycled a single knife over 40,000 times before the end of Saturday). They use their own ring bearings in them, machine the blades and handles and actions. Nice folks also (and that means a lot to me).
I haven't had a chance to put it to the test, but it looks like it has what we need. I'll try to get a picture up.
Third was the Rat Worx "chain drive" auto. No surprise it won an award as well (I think the crazy action testing machine won it for them having cycled a single knife over 40,000 times before the end of Saturday). They use their own ring bearings in them, machine the blades and handles and actions. Nice folks also (and that means a lot to me).
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Some of the bad -
Cammenga, the official supplier of the Tritium Lensatic Compass to the U.S. Military, has come out with a folder and a fixed blade that have one thing going for them (hint - it isn't blade materials, design, comfort, construction, or price). They have tritium inserts in the handles (and the NRC licensing to do it).
Hoffner Knives are a much better product at a better (too low) price, but the lock and construction need improvement. To Mr. Hoffner's credit he actively listened to the points I made about his folders and appreciated the advice to improve upon the liner lock, but he was uncomfortable with the advice to increase the MSRP for his knives by 20% to give people the confidence they were getting something of value. He's been training knife techniques for a long time and wanted what he'd like to see in fixed and folding knives for defensive use and went out and had them made. The ergonomics are excellent and the actions are fast. The blade shape and materials (440C and D2) are darn good. Locks are just too thin and he doesn't need 2 liners with G10.
Cammenga, the official supplier of the Tritium Lensatic Compass to the U.S. Military, has come out with a folder and a fixed blade that have one thing going for them (hint - it isn't blade materials, design, comfort, construction, or price). They have tritium inserts in the handles (and the NRC licensing to do it).
Hoffner Knives are a much better product at a better (too low) price, but the lock and construction need improvement. To Mr. Hoffner's credit he actively listened to the points I made about his folders and appreciated the advice to improve upon the liner lock, but he was uncomfortable with the advice to increase the MSRP for his knives by 20% to give people the confidence they were getting something of value. He's been training knife techniques for a long time and wanted what he'd like to see in fixed and folding knives for defensive use and went out and had them made. The ergonomics are excellent and the actions are fast. The blade shape and materials (440C and D2) are darn good. Locks are just too thin and he doesn't need 2 liners with G10.
Sam Cade
Member
OP
OP
Sorry Sam, but they're not even close to the first to do it and their knife was inadequate (Microtech). We'll see if they revamp the knives to make a usable product at a reasonable price point.
Sam Cade
Member
I was just voicing my enthusiasm for the the idea of illuminated cutlery.
OP
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Ontario had some stuff you'll love...wooden handled machetes with removable fasteners! Nice too.
I suggested they offer "kits" in their heavier stock with uncoated blades and rough handle slabs so hackers like you could make whatever machete you liked without having to start from scratch.
I suggested they offer "kits" in their heavier stock with uncoated blades and rough handle slabs so hackers like you could make whatever machete you liked without having to start from scratch.
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ugaarguy saw the Kai/ZT offerings and will have a few enthusiastic thoughts to offer.
We were both impressed with Klecker's production knife offering. He picked one up and I was very impressed.
Saw SamO/JShirley knife at Spyderco and chatted with Eric about it. He's enthusiastic about it and I gotta say it fits the soapy hand well and would get some shower stalker off (of you) if ambushed.
Ontario's bushcraft knife was pretty darn nice.
Other comments later.
We were both impressed with Klecker's production knife offering. He picked one up and I was very impressed.
Saw SamO/JShirley knife at Spyderco and chatted with Eric about it. He's enthusiastic about it and I gotta say it fits the soapy hand well and would get some shower stalker off (of you) if ambushed.
Ontario's bushcraft knife was pretty darn nice.
Other comments later.
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OP
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Yeah, that's what stopped me in my tracks as I was rushing by. Sad their knife was so poorly done. Microtech was the first "production" company to mount trit capsules. They used shotgun sight tubes in buttons of some LUDTs and HALOs. Great knives with trit. After that another boutique manufacturer out of California tried it again. I don't think either one had the NRC licenses to do it though. Either before ore around the same time MT did it Spyderco considered trying it, but the license and the spill decon concerns put them off the idea.
If these guys go to a single capsule and improve their knives it would be cool, but I think their best course is to sell them as inserts that they put in place for better knife makers.
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ugaarguy
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Klecker Knives
In pocket knives Mr. Klecker also released the TG-14 Slice with a recurve tanto blade that matches the blade profile of his Trigger children's plastic knife kit that was released last year.
All three of these new production knives have Sandvik 12C27 blades, and 2cr13 steel handles.
The coolest production item Klecker Knives had was the KLAX series of hatchet heads, which won them the "Most Innovative Imported Product of the Year" award for the Ti version. These are hatchet heads that have an integral flip out clamp system which allows them to be securely hafted to any sturdy branch while in the field.
Now, just add a branch:
The KLAX(es) can be pre-ordered online from retailers at a small discount off of MSRP. However, if you really want to help out a small upstart buy one from them at full price through their Kickstarter funding effort - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1826434149/klax-its-more-than-an-ax.
Indeed we were, and I did indeed pick one up. The knife we're referring to is the Klecker Knives Cordovan. Until I looked at it very closely I thought it was a handmade or mid-tech, not a full out mass production. I picked up the 3&5/8" blade full size NT-03. SRP is $115, and I've seen online dealers offering pre-orders in the $90 range. The 2&7/8" NT-03A Cordovan Lite can be pre-ordered online for about $75. Here's my personal NT-03:
In pocket knives Mr. Klecker also released the TG-14 Slice with a recurve tanto blade that matches the blade profile of his Trigger children's plastic knife kit that was released last year.
All three of these new production knives have Sandvik 12C27 blades, and 2cr13 steel handles.
The coolest production item Klecker Knives had was the KLAX series of hatchet heads, which won them the "Most Innovative Imported Product of the Year" award for the Ti version. These are hatchet heads that have an integral flip out clamp system which allows them to be securely hafted to any sturdy branch while in the field.
Now, just add a branch:
The KLAX(es) can be pre-ordered online from retailers at a small discount off of MSRP. However, if you really want to help out a small upstart buy one from them at full price through their Kickstarter funding effort - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1826434149/klax-its-more-than-an-ax.
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I asked "Why isn't anyone making a ceramic necker?" and look what I found from the folks at Stone River!
This is the smallest and in white (I pulled about 4ft of paracord off to lighten it). It weighs close enough to nothing that you don't notice it is there. There's a similar sized "tanto" and another about half again as much blade. Both are black.
Very nice litte cutter, but I wouldn't want to pry staples with it.
This is the smallest and in white (I pulled about 4ft of paracord off to lighten it). It weighs close enough to nothing that you don't notice it is there. There's a similar sized "tanto" and another about half again as much blade. Both are black.
Very nice litte cutter, but I wouldn't want to pry staples with it.
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