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July 27, 3:12 p.m.
Are you ready Generation Next? Buck Knives recently sponsored the first-ever Generation Next Awards Banquet, during which the Boone & Crockett (B&C) Club recognized youth hunters who took record animals during hunting seasons in 2007 through 2009.
The Club hosts an awards banquet every three years honoring trophy and fair-chase hunters, followed by the release of its latest records book. This year young sportsmen and women were recognized at an awards event, and C.J. Buck, President of Buck Knives, was the Master of Ceremonies for the event.
"I am pleased to see that a good number of youth hunters took trophy animals and are being taught the principals of fair chase," said Buck. Buck had the honor of introducing each hunter and telling a bit of their story that led them to becoming record holders. Over the past three years, 73 young men and women, ages 16 and under, have taken B&C-qualifying trophies. One youth took the largest non-typical mule deer recorded in 36 years. Another included a masssive Alaska brown bear.
Are you in the mood for some anti-knife propaganda? Because we've got a doozy of a video for you. It's of undercover agents from Manhatten District Attorney Cyrus Vance's office "investigating" a knife shop. It looks and sounds like many knife shops across the country. The only difference is the DA takes a very broad view of what constitutes an illegal knife.
For example, it's stated illegal gravity knives open with centrifugal force. This is correct. But it's implied that the clerk in the video opening a knife with a flick of his wrist is operating a gravity knife. I haven't seen the knife, so I can't tell you if that's true. But I can say that any folding knife could potentially open with the flick of a wrist. It's common practice for people to flick their wrist when demonstrating a knife's action. This is true regardless of design, whether it be a legal assisted, a legal flipper or any folder with a loose joint.
The DA, however, is not erring on the side of knife owners. The Blade Blog post from June 22 details that clearly.
The video also mentions how it's possible for a police officer to "bust your chops" for carrying a knife. This implies carrying the knife in question is illegal. But here's the thing. Police officers can "bust your chops" about anything. That doesn't mean they're always right. In New York or any place else, it's possible an officer will stop you if they see a knife clip in your pocket. They might just arrest you for possessing a knife, regardless of its legality. The pages of BLADE have chronicled this scenario many times. It happens. That doesn't mean the knife shop in the video is doing anything wrong.
And let's not forget the video's question of, "Are they dangerous?" The clerk in the video says he almost took his fingers off with one of the knives. I have to break out a list to address this muckraking:
1) Yes, knives can be dangerous. Anything sharp has the potential to cause injury. Knives are important tools for the same reason. The difference is in how you use them.
2) How many times have you overheard a knife enthusiast say the phrase, "It almost took my fingers off?" It's a common expression in the knife world. It's meant to say that the edge is sharp. Why this is even included in the video is beyond me. Weren't they going after gravity knives? Of course knives are sharp. This isn't groundbreaking news.
3) The end of the video ties these "dangerous" knives to being at the root of Manhattan's murders. One-third of homocides in Manhattan were committed with a knife. While this is tragic, it's hardly an appropriate conclusion. In Manhattan, gravity knives and switchblades are illegal. If they are so dangerous to society they need to be outlawed, shouldn't that statistic read zero murders were committed with a knife? Apparently, prohibition isn't working. Or is the conclusion supposed to be all knives should be outlawed? Because knife crimes are committed with whatever blade is readily available, legal and illegal.
But that's really beside the point, isn't it? Murder is already illegal. That doesn't seem to be deterring murderers. Going after knives is kind of like outlawing hooves because the horse keeps kicking you when you stand behind it.
If you didn't receive enough propaganda from this video, click here to read the press release from the DA about the anti-knife push.
Nothing irks anti-knifers like a well-educated knife owner. Read about knife rights struggles and legislation of the past 10 years in this collection of BLADE Magazine.
June 22, 4:56 p.m.
Breaking news: on June 18th, the New York Post reported that two national chain stores, including The Home Depot, and five Manhattan retailers, one of which is Paragon Sports, agreed to stop selling hunting and utility knives that "snap open with the push of a button or flick of a wrist, and which, therefore, are illegal," or at least according to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.
According to the DA, the retailers also agreed to turn over all of their "illegal knife inventory" and their profits from the past four years of selling such knives. Vance gave a value of $1.9 million so far "to stave off prosecution."
This after a Manhattan investigation into the sales of switchblades, gravity knives, daggers and stilletos. Vance held a press conference announcing a "knives off the street" initiative, and screened hidden video of some of the investigators' negotiations with knife vendors at 41 stores, from big chains to mom-and-pop businesses.
"What makes these knives so dangerous is the ease with which they can both be concealed and brandished," Vance said at the press conference.
Knife Rights and KnifeRights.org, a national organization representing Americans who own and use knives in everyday life, contests the DA's claims, actions, legal conclusions and his tactics on clearing illegal knives from the shelves of city stores.
Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter calls the press conference "political grandstanding," and takes issue with the facts presented by Vance, characterizing them as either deliberate misrepresentations or half-truths.
"Grandstanding may play well with his constituency," Ritter says, "but millions of Americans understand these are the same common pocketknives they carry and use legally every day all over America."
"Some 40 million Americans carry a pocketknife, according to industry figures, and 80 percent of knives sold in America are one-hand openers with locking blades. The increased practicality and safety of these commonly used tools over more traditional pocketknives accounts for their widespread popularity."
June 14, 3:43 p.m.
The American Knife & Tool Institute (www.AKTI.org) has increased the size of its Board Of Regents as part of a new initiative to expand its impact as a knife advocate, and to ensure that Americans will always be able to own, carry and use knives and edged tools.
The new members are Rod Bremer, co-founder and president of Columbia River Knife & Tool. Rod has been involved in the knife industry for 23 years and associated with the AKTI for a decade; Mike Manrose, vice president of Meyerco. Mike is an active outdoorsman with a passion for fishing and hunting. He discribes his industry as a "small, tight-knit group, and quite a few are now my extended family;" and Clint Kadel, president/CEO of The Edge Enterprises, a successful, multi-divisional company that includes BudK and United Brands.
May 27, 11:53 a.m.
People call it "U.K. Insanity," and there's no arguing with that. But sometimes even insanity can be insatiably appetizing, amusing to a fault, and downright hilarious. Such is the case with the U.K.'s own "Bibles For Knives," a program that includes the use of a church knife bin to encourage deposits of blades in return for Bibles. But wait! The U.K. fears the bin might become a "white elephant." Do you think?
Conservationists say installing a 200 kilogram reinforced steel knife bin outside Muswell Hill Baptist Church in Dukes Avenue will backfire.
It is planned under the "Word for Weapons" scheme that promises anyone who deposits a knife will receive a pack containing a Bible and a magazine on street violence.
But John Crompton, of the Muswell Hill Conservation Area Advisory Committee, said in planning papers: "Such amnesties only tend to be productive for short periods when they are supported by a media campaign.
"There is the danger that when there is no such campaign the receptacle will not be used and over time will become an eyesore and white elephant."
May 21, 2:45 p.m.
It's official. It's the law. Thanks largely to the efforts of Senate Representative Jenn Coffey, it is now legal to carry stilettos, switchblades, daggers or dirks in New Hampshire.
As the American Knife & Tool Institute, a major supporter of the Bill that made the knives legal, stated in a press release: "Another victory for the entire knife community - as New Hampshire Governor John Lynch today signed HB 1665 introduced by pro-knife (and daily knife user) Representative Jenn Coffey. Congratulations to Rep. Coffey - and thank you for all your efforts, as well as thank you Senator Bob Letourneau who cosponsored the bill.
As Doug Ritter of Knife Rights, an equally major supporter of the Bill, said, "Governor John Lynch has signed Rep. Jenn Coffey's Knife Rights Bill into law, removing restrictions on switchblades, dirks, daggers and stilettos in Hew Hampshire and essentially removing all restrictions on knives in New Hampshire state law. New Hampshire now has no state knife laws which stop law abiding citizens from buying, selling, owning, carrying, possessing, transporting, collecting, or lawfully using any type of knife. This is the first complete repeal of a state's knife restrictions ever.
"It is worth noting the bipartisan appeal of this legislation; a bill introduced by a minority member of the legislature passed with unanimous consent in both Democratic controlled houses and signed by a Democratic Governor. Proof of what can be accomplished when you have a well-conceived plan and combine a passionate and effective legislator; a professional lobbying effort supported by Knife Rights and organized, hard-working and involved citizen support."
May 18, 10:47 a.m.
Many of you know the name Dan Costa, CEO of 5.11 Tactical, a company that creates products meant to enhance the safety, accuracy, speed and performance of law enforcement, military and firefighting professionals. Among the offerings are anything from boots and tactical vests to uniforms and undergear. http://www.511tactical.com/Shop.
Fox Knives USA plans to offer a limited-edition 5.11 Dan Costa signature knife, with only 511 pieces made, all individually serial numbered, and selling for, of course, $511 each. They are available immediately from GALLS: http://www.galls.com/. Release date (you guessed it), 5/11/10. The knives feature flame-colored damascus blades, differentially anodized titanium handle scales, blue-anodized-titanium liners, and 18k-gold-plated hardware. The 511 Dan Costa signature knife is a Mike Vellekamp design. http://www.foxknivesusa.com.
May 4, 3:23 p.m.
Another IWA Knife Award winner to announce: the decision in the Collector Knives category was in favor of the Gil Hibben Old West Bowie entered by Swords & more GmbH for Bud K Worldwide, Inc. It’s the famous names that make this knife so fascinating. Gil Hibben is also known to laymen as the creator of the “Rambo” film knife, and the Old West Bowie is a modern interpretation of the original knife Col. James Bowie carried at the Sandbar Fight. The jury added, “A lot of knife for the money!"
, co-founder and president of Columbia River Knife & Tool. Rod has been involved in the knife industry for 23 years and associated with the AKTI for a decade; Mike Manrose
, vice president of Meyerco. Mike is an active outdoorsman with a passion for fishing and hunting. He discribes his industry as a "small, tight-knit group, and quite a few are now my extended family;" and Clint Kadel
, president/CEO of The Edge Enterprises, a successful, multi-divisional company that includes BudK and United Brands.
