What’s your life game? I discovered long ago my life plan involves knives. Folding knives, fixed blades, pocket knives, survival knives, tactical knives, it doesn’t matter to me. As long as it has an edge, I’m interested. Join me as I write about life, knives and the things seen from the knife edge.
Monday, December 12, 2022
Christmas Presents
Monday, December 5, 2022
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.
Thursday, November 10, 2022
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 17th and 18th
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.
Saturday, August 20, 2022
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 FƤllkniven 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. |
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. |
Monday, August 1, 2022
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!
Thursday, July 21, 2022
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.
Saturday, June 25, 2022
Opening Knives
Videos make instruction so much easier. Instead of line drawings or pictures that take 10K words to explain, or pages of text carefully written and rewritten by a technical writer, a couple of short videos show you how to repair a leaky faucet, change an oil filter, and perform open-heart surgery. Well, maybe not the last one.
Let me show you two short videos on
opening knives.
The first is Rick Hinderer’s XM-18,
his and Ohio’s first legally manufactured auto.
If I was to annotate the video, I’d say, “Press.”
The second is a unique design
called the Warlock Sorcerer Supreme from Paragon Ashville Steel. Here I would annotate this video with, “Squeeze!”
Now you know!
Press!
Friday, June 24, 2022
Artistic Interactions
One of the thing not described in most descriptions of the Blade Show are the interactions with artists. Yes, artists.
I was so busy looking at knives I
didn’t recognize Sandra Brady selecting beautiful warthog ivory-handled knives
from Arno Bernard. https://arnobernard.com/
Arno Bernard lives in South
Africa and makes amazing knives. These will
become Sandra’s canvas. Sandra Brady is
a fantastic scrimshaw artist. I have, or
rather my wife has, one of her pieces and it is stunning. https://sandrabradyart.com.
I asked her if the Bernard knives
were part of a project, and she said no, she wanted them for future
commissions. Her display held a wide
subject range of scrimshaw art.
“What’s your favorite subject to
work on?”
After a moment, she told me, “I
like doing eagles and hawks, but I love a challenge.”
The Green Man |
To demonstrate she showed me a Dozier knife with a Green Man on it. Drawn only in black on white the intricate man was made of plant leaves. The Green Man is a legendary being belonging to many cultures worldwide and across time. He has his roots, in the symbolic rebirth of every spring. I vaguely remember him associated with the Arthurian legend from college studies.
I asked the price and Sandra told
me $1350. You might think it’s a lot of
money for a knife, but I think it’s reasonable for art.
Sunday, June 5, 2022
Blade Show 2022 Day Three
Everyone is a zombie this morning, myself included. The Blade Show closes at 2pm, and will be long empty by the time you read this. Many of the vendors from overseas have left to make connecting flights. Some of the American vendors have packed up and are about to hit the road. Pro-Tech and several others have completely sold out. Several, like Benchmade, have made the decision not to bring stock, but to sell on the internet. Their tear-down is easy.
Smoky Mountain Knife Works has spread out their remaining
knives to suggest they still have plenty, but you can find the empty spots on
their, and just about everyone’s, display.
Some custom knife makers sell out in hours on the first day. Others go home with most of what they made. The Blade Show is a crap shoot. Roll the dice and take your best shot, but I
suspect the odds are in your favor.
There will always be someone who likes your work and style.
I’m pretty tired and I wish I could unscrew my feet and
stick them in the freezer for a couple of hours. But despite that, I’m sorry to be heading
home. Walk around the show and you will
see some of the best new and collectible knives in the world. Say what you want about only buying American
products, but the world produces amazing knives. I stopped by Condor Knife. They are in El Salvador and their products have
taken a major step up. I’ll be buying
some of their products. I went by
Artisan Cutlery, QSP, and so many others and marveled at their knives. It was exciting.
But in a day or so I’ll return to that provincial mindset of
people who look only at the country of origin and when told the price of knives
made in Japan, China, and other places, grunt, “I think these foreign knives are
cheap.” The Blade Show is like overseas
travel. It opens your eyes and challenges
your concepts.
We left around noon and saw two young men buying a day pass
for the remaining two hours of the show.
I’m not sure what they paid, but considering the stripped tables and
shelves, they paid too much!
Here are a couple of pictures, but frankly, nobody was doing
anything interesting.
The engraving art |
Medford Knife and Tool's Marauder full size with S35VN steel $1160 |
Saturday, June 4, 2022
Blade Show Day Two 2022
Saturday is the busy day at the Blade Show. Everyone who couldn’t get Friday free comes today. The lines to purchase passes and will call seem to stretch to the horizon.
Knife enthusiasts lining up |
I start my day with a class on decorative file work by Kyle Daily. Kyle is teaching how to do his 5 five favorite patterns. There is a lot of interest.
Kyle's Bubbles |
Nice file work can kick your crafted knife up a notch or two in price. The class doesn’t go the way I expect: I’m looking for more of an introduction to handling the file. Still, there was a lot to learn. Line layout of everything in detail is a must, as is using sharp files and dumping them when they go dull. He uses a black epoxy to make his file work pop and it does. The other ‘students’ wrote down every name, file description, and website Kyle gives them. Some are hoping the magic is in the tools and not the user. Others want to avoid reinventing the wheel. He gave out some scrap samples of steel for those who what to practice. I have a couple. You never know….
Then it’s out to the show floor. There are some amazing knives and others that are works of art. Gravity knives are hot. Reate Knives has perhaps the coolest gravity knife on the market.
Open... |
Opening or closing |
Balisong flipping knives remain hot for the younger set. Companies have come into existence dedicated solely to flipping, offering tune-up services and customization. It is not uncommon to see someone just standing in a corner spinning and flipping a high-tech balisong knife.
Adjusting the butterfly knife so it is goldilocks right for the owner |
One more day to go and then I’ll be forced back to the
normal world.
My
Apologies. It seems
the software is channeling e.e. cummings