Archive for December, 2009
Uncle Henry’s Golden Spike
One of Schrade’s most popular knives, this skinning knife is a beauty. It features a razor sharp skinning blade, solid brass guard and butt piece. This is a must have for the hunter that appreciates quality and value.
The Schrade Uncle Henry Golden Spike bowie knife features a 4 7/16 inch clip blade constructed from stainless steel with a multi colored wood handle. Includes leather sheath with a pocket to hold a sharpening stone. Overall length is 9 7/16 inches.
After the Schrade company closed its doors in 2005, Taylor Cutlery, famous for its Smith & Wesson knives, acquired the brand name and began supplying a complete import line of the Schrade Knives. You’ll be impressed with the fit, finish and value of the new Schrade product line. Today Schrade Knives are made with the same quality and care that goes into making world’s finest pocket knives, lock backs, fixed blades, cutlery for the outdoor and hunting markets and multi-tools.
Fallkniven Folding Workhorse
These are elegant, modern folding knives…
The folding knives in the Tre Kronor series are lightweight, safe and beautiful. The new edge steel, 3G, is a revolutionary laminated anticorrosive steel, with a core comprising the well-proven powder steel Super Gold Powder Steel (SGPS) and sides of VG2.
The size of the folding knives is adapted for active everyday use; and if a larger or stronger knife is needed, we recommend either of their sheath knives TK1 or TK2.
The TK4 is a workhorse with clean lines that combines lightness with strength. The slim handle in rigid composite material is both lightweight and strong, and completely resistant to corrosion and solvents. With nail nicks in both sides of the blade, the knife is completely symmetrical and as easy to handle for both left-handed and right-handed users. The well-proven locking mechanism fixes the blade securely in its open position.
…And it’s great for Women
The Fallkniven WM1 hunting knife may be small in size, but it is very handy. The total length is 6.9 inches. The blade is made of VG10 steel, 0.12 inches thick and 2.8 inches long. The handle is made of Thermorun and is 4.1 inches long. This knife comes with a special Kydex sheath that can be carried in many different ways.
The WM1 is very popular among mountaineers, canoeists, mountain bikers and hikers. It is also one of the few knives that were especially developed to fit in the smaller hands of women.
For more technical specs on this and all Fallkniven Knives
Gerber Knives
For almost 70 years now, Gerber has been known to produce the best outdoor tools and knives. Gerber knives are noted for their oxidized carbon tough stainless steel blades that retain their sharpness longer compared to their top competitors. Every outdoorsman can attest to the credibility of Gerber knives. These cutting tools have gone through and passed countless field tests for over 50 years and topped them every time.
Joseph Gerber started making knives with an unlikely and unintentional beginning. An accomplished advertising man, Mr. Gerber hired a knife craftsman to make him 25 sets of kitchen cutlery as Christmas gifts for his clients. The knives were so popular; he left his ad agency and started the legendary Gerber blades in 1939.
SOG Seal Pup Elite
S.O.G. manufactures the SEAL Pup Elite and it is a great military survival knife. It has a little thicker steel than some of S.O.G.’s other models.
This knife comes with a blade that has a beautiful satin finish or the tiger striped blade. It also has a little longer cutting edge. The new longer handle has deeper more comfortable finger grooves which you may prefer. Some people may a little heavier knife, this knife is actually fairly light but it has good balance.
These blades are used quite a bit by the military as combat knives and they are exactly what you would want if what was stalking you for two days wasn’t a bear but an insurgent! But even if you’re a knife hunter you’ll love this knife.
This SOG Seal Pup Elite knife comes with or without the black TiNi blade (or with the tiger stripe as pictured above) and as a serrated knife or a straight fixed blade knife. These knives are made in Lynnwood, USA.
You can find more detailed information such as technical specs and styles on other SOG Knives here.
SOG Seal Pup Knives
This is a great picture of how to cut rope or paracord without having to take your knife out of its sheath. The Seal Pup is about 2-3 inches shorter than the Seal Team Elite. The Seal Pup is, in my opinion, the most popular of all the SOG Knives.
The SOG M37-K Seal Pup comes with a Kydex Sheath. The blade is 4.75 in. long and made from powder coated AUS6 or AUS8 blade depending on if you get the regular SOG Seal Pup or the Seal Pup Elite knife. It has a Zytel glass reinforced handle and is 9″ in overall length.
Spyderco Ladybug
The Ladybug is natures little protector. A force to be reckoned with, this little creature keeps the gardens of the world safe from harmful pests.This cute little beetle has a real place in this world. Even people freakishly afraid of insects don’t mind when one of these little wonders lands on them for a little rest.
Like ladybugs, the Spyderco LadyBug performs unexpectedly. The LadyBug, not much larger than its namesake, is one of Spyderco Knives latest addition. Last year Spyderco started offering SLIPITS which are non-locking slip-joint knives. They have no locking mechanism holding the blade open, relying instead on resistant pressure at the pivot area when the blade is extended and being used. Bugs are part of the SLIPIT group. The flat ground blade is 3Cr13MoV stainless steel available with a PlainEdge.
The LadyBug’s handle offers a flat surface for a small amount of engraving or embellishment and can be customized for use as jewelry or a gift item. Positioned on the end of the handle is a lanyard hole large enough to thread with a chain and be worn around the neck or slipped onto a key chain. The LadyBug is the smallest folder in the Spyderco lineup.
I keep my LadyBug on my keychain. A beautiful gift from my husband! 
Taking Care of Your Buck Knife
BUCK KNIVES ARE DESIGNED FOR CUTTING
Please don’t throw, pound, pry or chop with a Buck knife. It’s not safe and if you damage the knife using it that way, it may void the warranty. Strong impact or twisting can also damage your knife or worse, cause an injury. If you have a lockback blade, always check that the locking mechanism is in working order before you use it.
A SHARP KNIFE IS SAFER THAN A DULL ONE
Buck knives are built to last. Take good care of your Buck and it will serve you well.
Keep your knife dry; that means the entire knife, not just the blade.
Keep your knife clean, particularly moving parts and locking device.
Keep your knife oiled; especially pivot points and the blade.
Keep your knife sharp; a sharp blade is safer than a dull one.
Don’t try to repair a damaged knife yourself. Send it to Buck and they’ll do their best to make it good as new.
KNIFE CARE INSTRUCTIONS
Store your knife in a dry place, out of the sheath. Lightly wipe the blade with clean oil two to three times a year to keep rust from starting. You may need to oil more often if you live near water.
At Buck, they use stainless steel for the blade. They use other components that minimize the weathering effects of liquids and oxidation, because they want your knife to last. Cleaning and caring for your knife will maintain performance and enhance the life your knife.
CLEAN THE ENTIRE KNIFE REGULARLY
That includes the blade, pivot points and locking mechanism. It’s best not to immerse the knife in liquid. But if you do, be sure to dry your knife thoroughly. Spray cleaners are a good alternative. Clean and oil your knife regularly to avoid sticky residues, light surface oxidation and the beginnings of rust.
DISCOLORATION IS A SIGN OF OXIDATION
If you find the metal has a blue, grey or black color, it is a sign of oxidation and a precursor of rust.
Stainless steel, which is what Buck uses, does not discolor easily. If you do notice a change in the color of the metal, clean it immediately. It’s a sign of rust waiting to happen.
Discoloration is common to non-stainless steel. But regular cleaning will keep the metal from rusting.
NIP RUST IN THE BUTT
Rust is reddish-brown in color and will eat pits into your blade and contaminate what you cut. Light rust can be cleaned and removed with oil. Heavier rust requires more abrasive action.
Remember: Proper knife care is important to maintain the quality of your knife.
The SOG Bowie Knives
The SOG Bowie knife is the pride of the company. This model is based on the original Special Operations Group combat knife, used during secret operations of the 5th Special Forces and other elite troops. It is part of the standard equipment for specialiazed reconnaissance and infiltration usnits. SOG uses special SK-5 carbon steel for the blade that is blued just as with firearms. The 6.25 inch long blade is ground hollow and has a reinforced upward slanting point. The guard and pommel are made of blued steel as well. The handle is 4.5 inches long and is made of artificial resin impregnated leather discs. The knife comes with a leather sheath and sharpening stone. The total lenght of the knife is 10.75 inches and it weighes 12.2 ounces. SOG brought this knife to the market as a commemorative model with the Vietnam Special Forces emblem.
The second knife is the Recon Bowie that was used during the war in Vietnam as well, and looks very similar to the original Bowie. This knife got its name from the Reconnaissance Units of the American military. This knife is 12 inches long with a 7 inch blade. The Recon Bowie has a brass guard and pommel. There are only a few copies left of the original military series.
The third knife is rather hard to find. Originally, there were only 39 Scuba/Demo-Bowies made. They were issued to the OPLAN 37 ALPHA unit in 1964. Of the 38 knives, 36 got lost during operation activities. The other two have not been seen since.
U.S. Marine Fighting Knives
The United States Marines have had the reputation of being the stepchild of the Navy and have certainly been known to receive hand-me-downs from the other branches of the military. They have made do with outdated equipment and never had much they could call their own. By the time WWII was over, however, there were a number of knives that the Marines had clearly made their own. Because of stubborn pride, unyielding determination, sacrifices made and battles won, the USMC has acquired a reputation and a mystique. By association, Marine Corps knives have a character that makes them particularly attractive to collectors.
The knife most closely associated with the USMC and certainly the most widespread in use is the fighting/utility knife commonly called the Ka-Bar. Ka-Bar knives began to show up early in 1943 along with other fighting knives. But only Ka-Bar has developed a reputation as THE marine corp knife of choice and is used not only as a fighting knife but as a major part of the survival gear for marines now in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The USMC Fighting knife by Ka-Bar comes with or without serration and with blade lengths of 7 or 5.25 inches. The total length of the newest model is 11.89 inches or 9.25 inches for the smaller models.