Christmas Knife Connections

 Is it too late to brag about Christmas presents?

My wife got me a Microtech Zombietech 85 OTF for Christmas and backed it up with a vintage Zombietech tee-shirt.  It is way too cool and I’ve wanted one for years!

I’ve always liked Microtech.  They make a high-end knife with tight precision.  That drives the price up, but makes for an amazing knife.  Knife designer Greg Lightfoot has remarked that these tolerances are what makes Microtech factory knives so close to custom-designed knives: "It has the same quality as a handmade custom."

You might not be familiar with Microtech Knives.  You should be ashamed of yourself.

Beginning in 1994, Susan and Anthony Marfione created Microtech with a simple idea: Create the best knives possible.  Like many entrepreneurs they started in their apartment and later moved to a storage bay in Vero Beach, Florida.

Now headquartered in Western North Carolina Microtech Knives operates with the same mission statement:  Make the best knives possible.  This concept has grown the company to over 150 employees.

Quality stands out and there is a market for it.  Microtech along with Benchmade is credited with the responsibility for the resurgence in the popularity of tactical automatic knives in the 1990s.  These knives are seen as precision-made tools utilizing powerful springs and high-grade components.  They aren’t toys, as many auto knives are perceived.  

I have a few other Microtech knives from the Blade Shows, but nothing this fancy.  I’m really happy to have it.

On Christmas Eve Karen and I cooked pheasant paprikas so I had to dissemble the pheasant.  I used my CRKT Taco Viper and it worked great.

Pheasant and CRKT's Taco Viper

Since it was a new knife, I pulled out the poultry shears, just in case.  My wife got the shears from her mother, so they have to be at least 60 years old.  I know my mom had one, but I believe it is with one of my sisters.  At least I hope so.  It’s been a while since I needed poultry shears so I took a few moments to check them out.

Guess what?  They are made by Boker in the USA.  Boker is an underappreciated knife line. 

Boker and Chromium

Böker traces its origin to the 17th century as a tool maker in Germany.  By the 1860s the company had fractured with a branch of the family emigrating to North America and setting up plants in Canada, New York, and Mexico. The German and North American factories produced similar knives and used the "Tree Brand" trademark. 

Boker Poultry Shears

WWII rolls up and we can’t have a German company operating in America.  The outcome, Boker America, no umlaut, is established.  During the war the Solingen factory was destroyed and "Boker USA" took control of the trademark until the German factory was rebuilt in the 1950s.  It’s difficult for me to understand, but even during war, business law rules.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the company changed hands several times, with the New York facility (Hermann Boker & Co) shutting down in 1983.  In 1986, Boker reacquired the rights to the American brand and Boker USA was started in Denver, Colorado for US production.  They also make knives in Germany, China and Argentina.

 

All three companies, Microtech, CRKT, and Boker make nice knives.  You owe it to yourself to check them out.

Christmas Presents

We had a water meter replacement, part of a sweeping urban trend to have transducers outside the house so meter readers can get data without entering the premises. I suspect there are safety issues involved.

My water meter is tucked away in a corner of the basement in a small hutch built by the original owners. The bottom part is enclosed and the upper has shelves on which I place knives and small flashlights. One side of the shelves, almost as an afterthought, has a small square of wood to cover the plumbing that feeds an outdoor faucet at the front side of the house. 

I had to move things around for the technician and afterward, before returning the clutter to its places, I decided to clean a little. Guess what I found? Are you fascinated by those stories on Facebook about people who find bags of money or valuable property hidden in their house? Secret rooms, hidden safes, tunnels that lead off into the darkness, so mysterious. Me, too! But I don’t believe them. If I discovered confederate gold in my basement, or piles of currency from the 50’s the last thing I would do is put it on the internet. 

What I did find was a folding ceramic blade knife with a plastic handle tucked behind a cold-water pipe on the 1X1 frame.

I remember buying this, but how did it end up hidden away?

 One shelf down I found a Stanley folding utility knife in a similar position.

A utility knife from my father-in-law, but no reason to keep it secret

What dark purpose were these knives used for and then hidden out of the light? 

 Beats me. I own both of them and have been wondering where the two of them have gotten. All I can figure is they got shoved behind the flimsy wood partition and ended up hidden. I did check a few other areas, just in case Jimmy Hoffa left some money, but no luck. 

The corner is so tight I couldn’t even photograph the knives in place. Drilling and running a small screw to secure the wood was difficult and I had to resort to using a mirror to get a semi-decent photo of the new screw. Still, I wonder. I have my suspicions on how the knives got back there, but I’ll never know for sure. 

Wait!  What's that shadow in the mirror?  Could it be......

Maybe this is more of a Halloween story, than Christmas.

Three Way

 You might be thinking about stocking stuffers and what cook can’t use a new utility knife?  Even if you’re not cooking from fresh products, you still have to open boxes, pouches and nothing works better than a knife.  Even that pizza you sent out for often needs a little cutting from a sharp knife to free it from the pie or, in polite company, cut it into fork-able sizes.

Three of my favorite kitchen paring knives

These knives are called utility or paring knives, and they are always a welcome gift.

My wife has several and I recently had a chance to work with a few.  Let me tell you what I found.

Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Master Parer

That's a mouthful.  Don't be confused by Henckels high-end semi-custom kitchen knives.  This is a little plastic handle kitchen worker.  The blade is 4 inches long and has a 4.25-inch plastic (polypropylene, I suspect) handle.  The blade is FRIODUR steel.  No, it is not the mystical steel seen in Lord of the Rings.  It is cryogenically treated 440C steel, which maximizes the blade's properties.  Now, 440C is the best of the 440 series and is a very economical steel with good properties. 

 Master Parer

The knife has a Wharncliffe blade anchored in a nice microtextured handle.  The blue polymer handle is shaped to provide a slight guard that flows into a reverse "S" shape, helping to lock the knife in your hand.  The blade's spine is slightly offset to the handle’s top or spine.  This little step makes a nice marker to determine where the blade stops and starts. 

After using the knife for a couple of weeks, I found the blade is holding its edge and remained sharp.  I like the way it feels in my hand.  The steel blade is the most flexible of these three, most likely due to its thinness.  Mine has the blade slightly bent from the handle.  I'm not concerned about that, yet.  All three of these knives are work tools; I expect they take a beating during normal use.  After three months of use, I'll have to see what it looks like.

You can find Twin Master Parer for under $14 without trouble.

It's no secret that I have a genuine affection for Spyderco.  There, it’s out in the open.  They have made kitchen knives on and off for years with different levels of success. 

We have their Counter Puppy.  It’s a 7-inch-long knife with a 3.5-inch blade.  The blade steel is 7CR17, a Chinese stainless steel with good hardness, edge retention, and even better corrosion resistance.  The blade is a flat grind drop point with Spyder’s trademark hole.  Study the drop point blade and you will notice the blade’s spine has a gentle curve that softens the working appearance of the knife.

Counter Puppy

The blade edge has a slight curve that allows for a longer, flowing cut.  Since we’ve owned this knife the longest, I’ve sharpened it with my go-to sharpener, Spydie’s Sharpmaker. 

What is most noticeable are the ‘feet.’  The almost purple polymer handle has four feet arranged so you can put the knife down and the feet will hold it above the counter.  It’s a slick idea.  I’ve seen it before on pocket knives, but never in a kitchen knife.

The feet near the blade act as a terrific guard to protect your fingers.  The rear feet get in your way.  Look, I wear an X-large glove, and the knife handle is too short.  I've tried placing the rear feet between my little and ring finger, but it just doesn't work for my hand.  Spyderco could have achieved the unique look and kept the blade edge off the counter surface by eliminating the rear feet.

You can find your Counter Puppy for around $28 to $29.

The last up is the Dexter.

The manufacturer describes Dexter knives as a basic paring knives.  The blade is a thin, flat grind slice of a 400 series high carbon steel.  I suspect they mean 440C.  The drop point-shaped blade is 3.25 inches long with an almost 4-inch-long polymer handle.  The blade is relatively stiff.

 Dexter

The black handle (more polypropylene) has a finger indentation and a relatively deep and well-defined groove in the handle.  Both of which increase your grip.

It is by far the most basic kitchen knife of this group.  This is not a slam against the knife.  Function and form are related, and if form interferes with function, like the Counter Puppy's feet, you begin to move away from the utility nature of a paring knife.  A Dexter Basic Parer can be yours for $4.55.

Both the Spyderco Counter Puppy and Dexter Basic Parer are made in China.  The Twin Master Parer is made in Spain.  Nobody makes affordable, economical kitchen knives in America, so get over it.

My favorite?  Based on price and performance, it’s the Dexter.

But the one I grab is the Twin Master Parer.  It's newer, and sharper, and I like the feel and look and I'm willing to pay more for it.

What's up Watu?

 Spyderco Watu

Where does one start with Spyderco’s Watu?  It is one of many knives in Spyderco’s ethnic series.

Let’s start with the knife.  The original pattern of the Chokwe people was a fixed blade with a wedge-shaped handle to keep the knife from slipping out of your hand.  The handle sports two holes that appear to go all the way through.

The original Spyderco was the Chokwe folder released in 2009.  It was very much in keeping with the historic fixed-blade pattern.  It was a large knife and was eventually discontinued and replaced in 2020 by the Watu, a smaller version.

Since the blade is the heart of any knife, let’s dive in there.  The 3.25-inch long, Watu blade has a distinctive triangular shape.  It is a flat-ground blade carved from a chunk of CPM® 20CV.  This is a martensitic stainless steel with excellent wear and corrosion resistance.  Chemically the blade is just iron with 1.9% carbon, 20% chromium, 4% vanadium, 1% molybdenum, and 0.6% tungsten.  The heat treatment and powder metal technology promote the formation of this powerful combination of chromium and vanadium carbides.

The blade is edge tough but not as resistant to breakage or chipping as other premium steels.  In this size blade you will not see any problems.  Where it shines is edge retention.  CATRA test, which measures a blade's sharpness and edge life (referenced to 440C), rates CPM 20CV 180% better.  The downside is that 20CV can be extremely challenging to properly sharpen. 

The good news, Spyderco offers a sharpening service.  Contact them at customerservice@spyderco.com for more information.

The Watu utilizes a compression top lock which I really like.  The knife is set up for tip-up carry, but the wire clip can be reversed for left or right carry.  The handle is a unique composite of carbon fiber laminated to G-10 and then applied to steel liners.  The handle has the two holes characteristic of the traditional native pattern.

It’s a sweet knife.  Despite the 3-ounce weight, I see it as a dress knife.  It has an elegant look and the clip is designed for deep pocket carry.  The carbon fiber has a cool, silky feel and I love that initial snap when the blade slips off the detent ball.  I can see the Watu in the board room, at church or carried for a night out at the movies.

As I said, I like the knife.  But equally important to me, Spyderco is supporting Keep a Child Alive.  KCA is an organization that provides life-saving anti-retroviral treatment, care, and support services to HIV/AIDS-afflicted children and their families in Africa.

Yeah, that's important too!

But let’s not forget the source of the inspiration, the Chokwe people.

Who are the Chokwe people of Central and Southern Africa?  They are found primarily in Angola, southwestern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa to Lualaba), and northwestern parts of Zambia.

The Chokwe was once one of the twelve clans of the great Lunda Empire of 17^th and 18^th century Angola.  They were initially employed by Lunda nobles and eventually became independent when they refused to continue paying tribute to the Lunda emperor.  The Chokwe were prosperous traders and their abundant resources caused them to be one of the wealthiest groups in Angola.  But eventually, they fell to the industrial nations of Europe, who carved the African continent into domains. 

The Watu’s suggested retail price is just under $300.  You can find your connection to strong and proud people at https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details/C251CF/1841.

 

Spyderco Ayoob

 “Captain, she’s phasing.  I can’t stop the dilithium drive occultations.  We’re entering intercostal space!”

Don’t worry, the brilliant chief engineer and intrepid captain, with the help of a beautiful alien female scientist, will solve the problem. 

Let’s be real.  Intercostal space is the distance between ribs.  Around 2001 Massad Ayoob designed a folding knife to fit between the ribs and lacerate the heart.  The design locked the blade open at an angle of less than 180 degrees.  This allows you to utilize the knife with the wrist very close to the strong, neutral position.  More on that later.  Spyderco has re-issued it as a sprint run.

Stolen from University of Nottingham - Note the heart and intercostal space.

 The original was produced as both a fully serrated and plain edge with a black Almite handle and a blade made from VG-10.  Almite is a surface coating used on aluminum for decorative and protective reasons.  It is available from “super hard” to “soft” with differing Vickers hardness.

The Ayoob sprint run. The handle is a lighter gray.

VG-10 was initially produced for Japanese chefs.  Its properties soon caught the attention of other knife companies.  Spyderco was not the only one to utilize this steel.  Kizer, SOG and Fällkniven are among VG-10 users. 

By the way - - if you aren’t reading this at “The Knife Edge: One Man, So Many Knives,” it has been stolen and used without my permission.  Please let me know at Frank1karl@yahoo.com.

Years ago, Joyce Laituri told me Spyderco didn’t like making knives whose sole purpose was to harm people.  But they would if agencies requested those designs.  The Ayoob was in the 2001 and 2002 catalogs but disappeared in 2003.

Note the angle between the blade and handle.

Despite the short run, the Ayoob knife picked up a vocal following and Spyderco has brought it back as a sprint run.  I really like mine. 

The current Ayoob C60GPGY has a G-10 handle over steel liners.  The scales are set up so you can move the pocket clip to facilitate your favorite carry method.  The clip holds the knife slightly visible in your pocket, an important consideration for anyone concerned about concealed weapons.  The visible portion of the knife eliminates the concealed aspect.  A David Boye release lever is incorporated to reduce the possibility of your grip accidentally unlocking the knife.  I don’t believe there are any actual documented cases other than those few that were engineered to demonstrate the potential.

The steel used on the sub-four-inch blade is CPM CRU-WEAR.  It is an interesting steel, but you should know its limitations.  The elemental composition gives it better wear properties than D2 tool steel, better toughness than M2 steel, and more compression strength than either.  The properties of any metal are essentially a teeter-totter.  Raise one property and another property sinks. 

CRU-WEAR has only 7.24% chromium.  The steel’s carbides are primarily produced by 2.4% vanadium and 1.6% molybdenum.  These tiny carbides are more of a ceramic particle, very hard, and they pin grain boundaries preventing movement.  

With less chromium bound up as carbides, more chromium is available for corrosion resistance.  Unfortunately, CRU-WEAR is not a stainless steel.  The chromium levels are too low, and Spyderco warns you about that.  I’d avoid cutting acid fruit and vegetables, as the acid content will attack and stain the blade.  This could be good news to the ketchup patina fans out there. 

The choice of steel utilized by any manufacturer can be a rabbit hole exercise in futility.  Sometimes it’s market pressure to keep up with the other guys.  Sometimes the steel you prefer is no longer available for various reasons.  Sometimes it is just a way to keep your staff engaged.  Joyce once commented that Spyderco sometimes acts like a small independent maker and tries new steels to stay fresh.  It makes it hard on Spyderco collectors, but I like it. 

So what makes this fighting knife special? 

There are several things.  The first was already mentioned.  The blade is designed to fit between the ribs and penetrate deep into the chest cavity, lacerating lungs, heart and other vital structures. 

Deep penetrating injury.

Perhaps the most notable feature and innovation is the angle between the blade and handle.  I’ll let Massad Ayoob explain it.  "With a typical knife, thrusting lifts the blade's point above the line of the forearm, like a boat prow going through water. The faster, harder or more resistance encountered, the higher the prow rises deviating the blade off course from its original target which can mitigate the depth of the cut.” 

What Ayoob doesn’t explain, Jim Davis does:  “Regarding wounds, stab wounds are far more prone to kill a person than slash wounds.  Stabs tend to penetrate and hit arteries and organs, causing internal bleeding.”  http://tactical-talk.blogspot.com/2021/01/jim-davis-on-knives.html

 

When you are fighting for your life, severe measures are called for.

The blade/handle angle allows your wrist to lock into its strongest position, which we call the neutral position.  The medical terms for the positions associated with a bent wrist are adduction, extension, and flexion.  The joint loses strength when your wrist is in these positions, even if not at the extremes.  The Ayoob Clipit lets you cut and stab with your wrist in the neutral position.

Spyderco's Endura with the wrist in neutral position. The blade tip points upward.

 

Spyderco's Endura with tip canted to engage target.  Note bent wrist, compromising grip.

Spyderco amplifies these ideas, stating:  “The C60's radical angle brings the blade into line with the long bones of the forearm, channeling the body's force directly behind the line of the cut resulting in minimized blade deviation and maximized accuracy.”

 

Spyderco's Ayoob on target neutral and strong grip position.

Any knife will open your mail and packages, cut cordage, and slice pizza.  Many of these knives will end up as Safe Queens, only seeing the outside on special occasions, holidays and barbeques when you want to show off the knife.  

That’s okay.  This is a special-purpose knife.  I remember listening to a British WWII commando explain how to properly use an F-S fighting knife.  You couldn’t use the Ayoob C60GPGY for that.  You wouldn’t want to use it to split kindling to build a fire or to saw through a can top when you lost your opener in the back forty acres of nowhere. 

Lastly, who is Massad Ayoob, and why should his ideas be put into production?  Google his name, will you?  Anything I write would sound like hero worship.  I admit, he’s a pretty cool guy and someone you want on your side when you’re getting into trouble or trying to survive the aftermath. 

The Spyderco Ayoob is a limited sprint run.  I find the Ayoob C60GPGY an attractive knife.  You’ve been warned.  They’ll run out fast.

Might be the right backup weapon.

Color me Anodized

I like anodized titanium.

Titanium anodizing is an electrolytic finishing process that creates varying thicknesses of a titanium oxide layer on the metal surface.  The titanium item forms the anode (positive electrode) of an electrolytic cell, hence the name “anodize.”

Spyderco's Shaman in anodized titanium

Anodizing titanium has been around for almost a century.  It was first used in 1923 to protect British seaplane parts from salt-water corrosion.  Aerospace companies continue to use anodizing processes today to protect metals from the effects of aging, wear and corrosion.

There are three types of anodizing.  The first is a high-temperature process.  I used to etch titanium wire with molten sodium nitride into amazingly sharp points.  I would find little splotches of concentric color on portions of the metal.

The second is called type 2.  Type 2 is used chiefly to protect the metal surface against the effects of wear.  When untreated titanium parts rub against each other, they produce titanium dust.  Titanium dust is not a major health problem, unless it builds up in joints utilizing orthopedic implants.  Type 2 anodizing provides a wear-resistant surface and helps prevent seizing or friction between sliding titanium surfaces.  AMS 2488E has the engineering specs if you’re interested.

Shaman tear down - remove the clip

Type 3 is the color.  You’ll find colorful titanium used in the orthopedic field to help surgeons ensure the correct plate, screws, and what-nots are used.  You’ll also find colorful titanium in jewelry.

The color is not produced by dyes, but by manipulating the oxide layer to create an “illusion of color.”  This is similar to the rainbow colors an oil film forms on water.  These layers are very thin.  The entire range of colors is produced over a 30 to 55-nanometer range, very small stuff indeed!

The process isn’t complicated.  The titanium part is immersed in a trisodium phosphate (TSP) solution and a direct electrical current is applied.  Most people use a specialized rectifier to convert AC to DC and control voltage and amperage.  Since it is just a thin, durable coating, color mistakes can be stripped off with the right detergent, and you can try again.

Guts!

The prep for industrial products can be a bit daunting.

Sean Krizan at Meton Boss (https://www.metonboss.com/) produced anodized titanium scales for Spyderco’s Shaman.  The scales were engraved to resemble an interlocking jigsaw puzzle, with the ‘pieces’ having different anodizing colors.

It was amazing, and I threw money at him to make it mine.  I didn’t have a Shaman yet, but that shouldn’t be a problem, right?

It was the beginning of the Covid age of supply shortages.  I placed an order for one from a knife seller.  A year later, I was still waiting.  I called Spyderco and was told the knife was still in production, but supply shortages ..yadda…yadda…yadda.

What if they were discontinued?

What if I couldn’t find one?

Was I FUBARed?

Yes, Igor threw the switch - Is it alive?

I purchased a fully serrated Shaman, despite wanting a plain blade, just in case.  Now that I had one, even if it was a plan B option, I could relax.  Eventually, I finally found a plain edge at a knife show and bought it.

I had to dissemble the knife to remove the original scales, voiding Spyderco’s warranty.  I took lots of snapshots of the process, just in case I ended up with an extra washer or screw when I was finished re-assembling my Shaman.  I worked on a pile of newspaper for the cushion and used painter’s tape for surface protection.  I also discovered I was all thumbs.  Still, it all worked out.

I get nothing for showing his card.  Still. there are some amazing products there!

It's alive!!

The Shaman is spectacular!

 

Bury the Hatchet

Have you seen the announcement?  I saw it on Facebook first and haven’t seen it anywhere else.  But I’ve seen its effect.

TOPS Cockpit Commander

It appears TOPS and Fred Perrin have had a disagreement.  A disagreement that has lasted 20 years.  Not being a deep insider, I can only wonder.  I’ll let you make up your own mind. 

TOPS has announced that this disagreement has lasted 20 years and they have decided to put an end to it.  TOPS Cockpit Commander is retired, effective immediately.

As of my typing, you can still find it on Amazon, but the major retailers, Smoky Mountain, Blade HQ, Knife Center and others, no longer have the Cockpit Commander for sale.  I found two sold on ebay as recently as July 15, prior to the announcement.  Many internet commandos have declared it an instant collectible.  It is a rhetorical question, but can any mass-produced factory knife be an instant collectible?

Fred Perrin is an interesting fellow.  Fred has been a world-vetted Tae Kwon Do and stick-fighting champion, a French Army Commando, professional writer, martial arts instructor and one of France’s most recognized professional knifemakers.  I have two of his knives, a LaGriffe neck knife from Emerson and a Fred Perrin PPT from Spyderco.  Both are excellent knives.

Fred posted on Facebook, and I take that as a small window into the ‘misunderstanding.’

“I want to say how much I appreciated this move, it is very rare that a brand recognizes its mistake…   I will gladly design something for TOPS that is really my idea and not an "interpretation" of my work, as it’s often put to work around this design.” 

I carefully edited Fred’s statement with replacement of what I assume were accidental capitalizations and missing punctuation.

I like TOPS Knives and I hope this problem is truly resolved. 

Speaking of TOP knives, I saw signs at the Blade Show asking people to essentially ask about their custom shop.  The story I got was Leo Espinoza, TOPS’ President/Owner, while a great businessman, is more interested in the creative process of making knives than running a business.  After several years of talk and consideration, he walked in one morning and decided to pull the trigger.  A nearby structure, a pole barn, was bought, a floor poured, electrical and HVAC run, and equipment moved in.  Different steels were ordered, as were other materials and Leo started making unique, yes, let’s say it, custom TOPS Knives.  Eventually, maybe if things work right, a customer could order special steel or handle material, specify the finish or perhaps the sheath.  

Experience tells me it isn’t going to be cheap.

Right now, I was told, a limited number of unique steels, or handle material or grind lines might become available.  TOPS website has a tab marked Specials (https://www.topsknives.com/), but I don’t see anything like custom knives.

Instead, go to https://www.topscustomshop.com/shop.  I found four knives, all sold.

Keep your eye on the custom website and your credit card fully charged; you might be able to get a true collectible, a one-of-a-kind knife if you’re sharp.