The Greatest Knife Books of All Time Knives 2010 is the latest in a series of annual books heralded as the greatest of their kind. Click here to order Knives 2010 at a great discount.
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W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company was recently approved by Elvis Presley Enterprises to manufacture and market Elvis-branded knives, commemoratives and collectibles in the U.S. That oughta get the knife industry "all shook up, uh huh." The King's year-long 75th birthday celebration will be the theme for some of the Elvis-branded Case commemoratives and collectibles. Additionally, Case will introduce a multi-patterned family of Elvis-themed pocketknives by fall.
April 22, 4:46 p.m.
Who knew the Ministry Of Defense In Maylasia used knife maintenance products? I guess it makes sense. The good Ministry recently chose the Sentry Solutions TUF-CLOTH™ and TUF-GLIDE products for a three-year contract in the care of its Army's small arms.
According to Sentry Solutions, Maylasia's Ministry of Defense chose the products after having been exposed to their use by U.S. Special Operations teams in Afghanistan, where the TUF-CLOTH and TUF-GLIDE were used in place of the military issue Small Arms CLP, by more than 70,000 troops in the War On Terror.
Yesterday, April 19, SB1153 passed the Arizona House of Representatives 36-10. The bill, also known as the Arizona Knife Law Preemption Bill, will go to the Senate for approval. This should be a cakewalk, since the Senate already voted in favor of the bill. Now the two houses just need to agree on the language.
After that, it's on to the governor's desk.
What's SB1153? Glad you asked. Here's a rundown from Knife Rights:
At the request of Knife Rights, Arizona Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Gray, has introduced SB1153, reference titled, "State Preemption: Knives," which will protect knife owners, knife collectors and those in the knife industry from a confusing patchwork of local knife ordinances and rules in Arizona.
SB1153 represents the groundbreaking initiation of a key component of Knife Rights’ national legislative agenda to protect knife owners’ rights. Knife Rights anticipates that the Arizona knife preemption law will serve as a model for preemption efforts in other states whose citizens are subject to a similar patchwork of local knife laws with attendant civil rights issues.
"Currently a person traveling from Nogales to Flagstaff, Arizona, will be subject to numerous different knife ordinances and rules along the way, never knowing if they are in compliance with local laws, and quite possibly unintentionally breaking the law," said Doug Ritter, Chairman and Executive Director of Knife Rights. "This is a confusing and unfair situation which can subject citizens to abuse of their civil rights and it needs to be remedied" Ritter added. "Knife Rights is proud to sponsor the first legislation of its kind in the U.S.," said Ritter
SB1153, is a "knife preemption law" that would keep all existing state laws regarding knives in place, but would make the State Legislature the sole authority on knife laws. This will insure consistency and fairness with regards to knife laws throughout the state.
Let's say you're particularly adventurous or particularly forgetful. You're in the great outdoors and don't have a knife sharpener. A situation comes up that demands a sharp knife. What do you do?
Hopefully, you've watched this video before heading into the bush. If not, well, I hope you spent your time watching MacGuyver re-runs instead.
The American Knife & Tool Institute (AKTI) continues to work state-by-state to effectively change restrictive knife laws. Kansas recently adopted new knife law language based on the wording AKTI successfully introduced in Texas (and to clarify the Federal Switchblade Act). Gov. Mark Parkinson signed KS S497 into law on March 31st, assuring that one-hand opening and assisted-opening knives are not considered switchblades in Kansas. This is another win in in the effort to assure that Americans continue to have the right to own, carry and use knives.
Below is the statute language with the additional wording in italics.
21-4201. (a) Criminal use of weapons is knowingly:
(1) Selling, manufacturing, purchasing, possessing or carrying any bludgeon, sandclub, metal knuckles or throwing star, or any knife, commonly referred to as a switch-blade, which has a blade that opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in the handle of the knife, or any knife having a blade that opens or falls or is ejected into position by the force of gravity or by an outward, downward or centrifugal thrust or movement. This subsection shall not prohibit an ordinary pocketknife which has a spring, detent or other device which creates a bias towards closure of the blade and which requires hand pressure applied to such spring, detent or device through the blade of the knife to overcome the bias towards closure to assist in the opening of the knife.
April 7, 9:18 a.m.
The Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT) "Centofante Tribute," a knife that pays homage to the late, great knifemaker Frank Centofante, and incorporates a design by Frank, won the Special Design Award at IWA, a leading international knife, gun and outdoors exhibition held each year in Nuremburg, Germany. IWA has always been closely involved with the best products in the knife and tool industry over the last decade. Each year, the jury bestows the IWA International Knife Award in a number of categories at a ceremony for the winners during the opening of the show. This year the jury stated, “In a world of many products with identical function and quality, design has assumed even more importance. Aesthetic qualities become a decisive criterion, and a knife should be beautiful as well as just useful.”
The CRKT Centofante Tribute lockback folder is definitely elegant, light and well made. “We would like to see more pocketknives like this,” said the jury. Centofante, one of the pioneers in custom knifemaking, passed away in September of 2009 before he could see this lockback design go into CRKT production.
"After a few moments of reflection, we decided to name the series the Centofante Tribute," said CRKT President Rod Bremer. “We only wish that Frank were here to receive this honor with us. He was not only highly successful, winning countless knife awards internationally, serving as President of the Knifemakers’ Guild, and being inducted into the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame™, but he was a genuinely nice person who will be greatly missed by all who knew him. We are doubly honored that the jury felt strongly enough about Frank’s design to give it a special award outside the established categories.”
Frank was perhaps best known for his sleek and simple lockbacks.
The pro-knife New Hampshire bill passed the N.H. House of Representatives (yes, that pro-knife bill, the one BLADE hasn't shut up about for months). Since it already passed the Senate, it only needs a signature from the governor to become a reality.
Here's the gist from the mastermind behind the bill, Rep. Jenn Coffey:
The New Hampshire Senate joined the New Hampshire House of Representatives today and voted UNANIMOUSLY to support HB1665, the New Hampshire Knife Rights Bill!
Pictured above with Prime Sponsor Representative Jenn Coffey, immediately following the bills passage in the Senate today, is Senator Bob Letourneau who co-sponsored the bill and championed it though the legislative process in the New Hampshire Senate. Senator Letourneau eloquently spoke on the Senate floor today supporting the rights of knife owners and encouraging the Senate to agree with the committee in recommending the bill become law in New Hampshire.
The bill will now go onto the Governor's office for final approval. We expect to know if the Governor will join the unanimous consent of the House and the Senate within the next couple of weeks. Should Governor Lynch agree, HB1665, is expected to become law by the end of April.
It has been a long journey that began in September of 2009, and many are owed a debt of thanks for their hard work and dedication to the cause. Most especially the Co-Sponsors of the Bill: Senator Bob Letourneau, Representatives Shawn Jasper, Dan Eaton, Joel Winters, and David Welch.
None of this would have been possible without the support of: Knife Rights, Inc., Evan Nappen, SAS, Bob Clegg, Abe Foote of Abe's Armaments, BLADE Magazine, American Knife and Tool Institute, Benchmade Knives, Ralph Demicco of Riley's Sport Shop, Ed Fowler, Suzanna Hupp, Sandra Froman, Citizens Committee for the Right To Keep and Bear Arms, Jews for the Preservation Of Firearms Ownership, Pro-Gun NH, New Hampshire Wildlife Federation, Sword Forum, Firearms Coalition, Cam and Company, Bloomfield Press, Americans for Tax Reform, NH Liberty Alliance, NH Arms Collectors Association, NH Firearms Dealers Association, The New Gun Week, Guns Magazine, American Handgunner Magazine, Blade Blog, Women & Guns Magazine, Knife World, Cutlery News, Hannah Dustin League, US Military Knives.com, Al Kulas, Smith & Wesson, Ethan Becker of Becker Knife and Tool Company, Classic Cutlery, Capital Copy, House Republican Alliance, NH Chiefs of Police Association, Dr. Katherine Albrecht, Brian "Bulldog" Tilton, Alisha Lekas, NH 912, and Survival Topics.com.
The bill has also received supported by countless numbers of Citizens of New Hampshire and our Country who value the Second Amendment and the rights of knife owners.
We now wait for the final executive decision from Governor Lynch.
And here at BLADE, we're waiting with fingers crossed. Hey, Gov. Lynch: Sign. That. Bill!
All this fun could be happening in your state. And why shouldn't it? Be sure to catch Rep. Coffey at the Blade Show. She'll be hosting a seminar, "How to Repeal Your State's Anti-Knife Laws," at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, June 5, in Room 108.
April 5, 1:15 p.m.
Another video from BladeSports is up from the latest cutting competition. This time the action took place March 28, 2010, as part of the Round Rock Texas Knife Cutting Competition. Might want to strap on some eye protection before you click play.
