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Blade Blog: Blade Show 2008

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Jan. 30, 12 p.m.

"The Australian Fighter"—a knife made by Australia's own David Brodziak—is the piece chosen to be entered by Damasteel AB in the yearly awards competition held at the IWA International Show in Nurnberg, Germany, March 13-16, 2009. Brodziak had sent the knife, which features a Damasteel blade in a never-seen-before pattern, to Damasteel to be displayed in the company's Global Showcase.

"As you can imagine, I am thrilled and honored [that Damasteel chose to enter the knife in the IWA competition]," Brodziak said.

Congratulatory good wishes have been coming to David from prominent knifemakers, including D'Alton Holder, who was the recipient of "Best American Knife" award at the IWA show six years ago. David and his wife, Gail, reside in Albany, Western Australia. His associate, well-known artist Carol Ann O'Connor, collaborates with David on many of his knives. David's email is brodziak@omninet.net.au.

 

Jan. 29, 1:54 p.m.

NEWS ALERT!

Michael O'Machearley is appearing on the CBS "Early Show" tomorrow. Here is the press release from O'Machearley himself:

Michael O'Machearley will appear on the CBS Early Show which airs on Friday, January 30th from 7:00 - 9:00 a.m. EST. At press time CBS wasn't sure how much time would be devoted to the segment. The Early Show is a followup to the CBS 60 Minutes program which featured Michael amoung other Wilmington residents.
 
Michael wishes to thank all of his friends, family, colleagues and customers who have given their prayers and support to his family and to the Wilmington community. As always Michael says...
 
Thank you and God Bless

I don't usually watch morning programs (I go to work instead, my boss likes that). But for those of you at home or with TiVos, let us know what you think.

Jan. 27, 2 p.m.

Joe Kertzman here, managing editor, BLADE Magazine. More on Ben's newsworthy blog below, and the outpouring of generosity from people across the nation after knifemaker Michael O'Machearley appeared on 60 Minutes Sunday, January 24th. As Ben mentions, 60 Minutes visited Michael's knife shop after he was layed off, along with thousands of coworkers, from a DHL plant. Michael had no choice but to make his part-time knifemaking hobby a full-time career. Some of you may remember a story that appeared in BLADE Magazine a couple years ago after Michael's son was killed in action in Iraq. Please watch the flash video Ben provided below.

Since the airing of 60 Minutes, Michael has gotten hundreds of knife orders, an Italian film crew and a German film crew have been to his house, and today and tomorrow the CBS Early Show is filming at his shop. Michael had one knife collector buy a knife and want to know how much Michael's mortgage was because he wants to pay his mortgage for a month.

Another guy emailed Michael, bought a $500 knife and said he's never heard of custom knives, but was blown away by Michael's website and artistry. Another lady emailed and said she's never responded to anything via email before and that she's surprised she's responding to this one since she and Michael were so different. She went on to explain that she's an atheist, anti-gun, anti-knife, pacifist liberal, but that Michael's art is so beautiful, she wanted to tell him good luck and that his story touched her.

Another email came from a guy that told Michael, because of his son giving his life in Iraq, his own kids were sleeping safely that night in their beds.

Michael has gotten knife orders from California, Hawaii, Canada, Texas ... BLADE will be covering Michael's story in a future issue, and will expound on the generous outpouring of Michaels fellow Americans.

 

Jan. 26, 8:09 a.m.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Ben Sobieck here, your friendly online editor. An early morning e-mail alerted me to this story from "60 Minutes." It aired last night, Jan. 25, but you can watch it by clicking the flash video above. The piece focused on economic hardships at a DHL plant. By hardships, I mean dang near the entire town tragically lost its stock of employed workers.

One of those caught in the layoffs was knifemaker Mike O'Machearley. To make ends meet, he turned his part-time knifemaking hobby into a full-time career. In true knifemaker fashion, O'Machearley is keeping his chin up and an eye out for the silver lining.

"With his job as a DHL bus driver ending, Mike O'Machearley is relying on himself. He's turning a hobby into a business, making engraved hunting knives for collectors. 'I'm an old-school kind of guy. And I'm looking at, maybe like on Tuesday nights we're gonna have no electricity Tuesday nights. We're gonna light the oil lamps and play checkers and read books by the candlelight. And just talk to each other. And maybe we'll become a tighter family through it.'"

Sad, yes, but it shows the resilience of the knifemaking spirit. The Blade Blog wishes the best for O'Machearley.

BREAKING NEWS   BREAKING NEWS   BREAKING NEWS  

After the "60 Minutes" piece aired, O'Machearley e-mailed BLADE editor Steve Shackleford and managing editor Joe Kertzman. O'Machearley was swamped with knife orders. That's terrific! Here's what he had to say:

"Hope you got to see the 60 Minutes piece. I am being flooded with orders! Over 70 and its not even 2 hours after the show! Hope a lot of makers get orders from it. Thanks and GOD BLESS!    Michael O'Machearley"

I think I speak for everyone here at BLADE magazine in saying that is absolutely wonderful news. Best wishes, Mr. O'Machearley!

 

Jan. 23, 9:30 a.m.

One of the benefits of the web is that information can be exchanged easily, and with just a few clicks a knife enthusiast has the opportunity to help further the cause of, and provide factual information for, the knife collector industry. That is one of the goals of Scott King from Cutlery News Journal. 

Scott is currently conducting a survey of knife collectors in an effort to better understand their needs, the market in general and how knifemakers, journals like his, manufacturers, dealers, purveyors and online entities can better service the collectors and capitalize on their passion for knives.

If you're a collector, I encourage you to take the survey, and if you know someone who might be interested, send them to Culery News Journal. Here's a link to Scott's site where the survey is:  http://cutlerynewsjournal.com/2009/01/15/the-2009-knife-community-survey/ .

Jan. 19, 2:30 p.m.

The following is excerpted from a letter sent to Mike Fuller of TOPS Knives from a customer based in Kodiak, Alaska:

Hi Mike,

I bought one of your Kodiak Jac knives about 8 months ago for one of my buddies here at work.  Well he got to use it for what you designed it for.  Here is a picture of a Kodiak Jac knife skinning a real Kodiak Island brown bear.

This is a 9-foot brown bear killed in Kodiak this year (2008).  Feel free to use this picture for what ever you want.  He was real happy with his knife.  He said it stayed sharp the whole time and was able to skin the entire bear without sharpening it.  Hope to see you guys at the SHOT Show.

Take Care,

Aaron Reed

What a great industry—providing useful tools to people who  use and enjoy them, collect them, appreciate the utility and artistry, the craftsmanship, tradition and value. There aren't many consumer-driven market left like the knife industry. This is what it's all about.

 

 

Jan. 14, 11:25 a.m.

I just received my Winter 2008 edition of American Bladesmith, the official newsletter, or Journal, of the American Bladesmith Society. One of the many worthwhile programs the ABS has created is the Youth Program, an attempt to reach kids across the country and educate them on the usefulness, utility, necessity, artistry and beauty of knives, as well as teaching them not only how to use knives safely, but legally (you can't take them to school) and even how to make knives (wearing safety glasses). One objective of the Youth Program is to publish a teacher's guide for working with kids that will include the techniques some of the master smiths have developed over the last two years.

Within the pages of the Winter 2008 American Bladesmith is a section titled "Youth News," complete with a dozen photos of forging demonstrations, cutting demonstrations and blacksmith demonstrations given by members of the ABS to Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and schools across the country. The Caddo Council Boy Scouts, for instance, enjoyed an ABS forging and cutting demonstration by Jerry Fisk and Mike Ruth at the Scout-a-rama in Texarkana's Spring Lake Park.

Dean Mitchell plans to demonstrate and work with Cub Scouts at Camp Urland near Beaumont, Texas, on a project in November. And Tim Neely and his son, Connor, forged a blade for Pack 505, Den 9, Cub Scouts in Houston. Connor is seven years old and has been an ABS member since the day he was born!

Kuddos go out to ABS members and all knifemakers who have spent time and money teaching youth about knives, giving demonstrations and volunteering to educate kids about the usefulness of knives, the handcraft and art, and how to use and even make them safely. Bravo!

 

Jan. 9, 3:00 p.m.

Joe Kertzman here, new managing editor of BLADE Magazine. Some of you may remember me from when I worked at BLADE two years ago and for a decade prior to that. After a two year hiatus, I'm back. Don't worry, Steve Shackleford remains the editor and resident guru, and I'm happy to be working with him again. Ben Sobieck is concentrating on the BLADE website, and editorial thereon, as well as adding features to our outdoor sites, like www.deeranddeerhunting.com and www.turkeyandturkeyhunting.com.

As I was searching the Internet for knife news, I was fascinated to discover that W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company has its own instructional video posted on YouTube showing how the factory makes its knives. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_mLv9D_UU8. That is a fantastic marketing strategy and an ingenious way to bring knives before a fresh, new and gigantic audience, many of whom are potential knife buyers, enthusiasts, users, future knifemakers, collectors and dealers, and even just those who are curious. And the YouTube crowd is a young, vibrant and fast-growing segment of all industries, let alone the knife industry.

YouTube also provides an outlet for knife reviews from many companies, and videos on how to repair knives, sharpen them, and store and care for your edged collection. Like an online entity, visitors to the sites must be aware that anyone can post on the Web, and much of the information is incorrect or just not valid, but Case's YouTube video is a step in the right direction. All knife companies and custom knifemakers should post on YouTube if the opportunity exists for them, and further the knife cause to an untapped market.

I'll get off my soapbox now, but I'm thrilled to be back and excited that certain segments of the knife industry have entered the 21st century and are capitalizing on modern ways of bringing knives to a larger audience.

Jan. 8, 3:55 p.m.

One of the more unusual videos I have ever seen happens to be from the Blademag.com Forum. As mentioned in the e-newsletter that went out earlier this week, user Indian George made a documentary about making a knife. What makes it unusual? The cremated remains of a deceased wife was poured into the billet, which was later forged into an EDC knife.

Understandably, some were likely repulsed by this act. I don't blame them. On paper it sounds horrific: "I am going to take the ashes of my deceased loved one and forge them into a knife." And the response of the shocked society looking in from the outside: "Have you no respect for the dead?"

But that's on paper.

As corny as it sounds, love is rarely logical or follows any sort of common sense. It's all a matter of perspective, and only correct in the eyes of those participating in the relationship. If you're not in the relationship, don't judge what is correct.

I would never make a loved into an inanimate object. I would also never want someone to tell me how to remember someone I loved.



Jan. 5, 9:45 a.m.

It's a new year, so let's get some perspective on the future by looking at the past. Insert "Back to the Future" reference here.

In 2008, the British government pushed hard on the rights of knife owners. Did it work? This article from the UK Times Online seems to suggest "no." Maybe if you gave peaceful people the means to defend themselves, they would not be harmed by criminals.

My prediction for 2009: each citizen is to receive a personal police bodyguard. Yep, that ought to do it. All problems solved.

"Fatal stabbings have reached a record level in England and Wales this year, with five people a week being killed with a knife or sharp instrument, according to figures published today.

"The surge in fatalities comes despite a drive by the Government and police to reduce attacks involving knives, particularly in large urban areas."

Discuss this article in the forum.




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