Blade

readers respond

Pretty Picky Girl Impressed I decided to renew my subscription online so I don’t get a subscription notice in the mail. Why I subscribe in the first place is the magazine focuses on forged knives, not just pretty stock-removal, chrome-looking knives. At least that is my take. I even attended my first BLADE Show recently. Wow. What an awesome event. There just wasn’t enough time to visit every table/booth. I took my wife with me just so she could see what it is. She was impressed—especially The Pit parties. She does not impress easily. She’s a pretty picky girl. Now I am just an engineer, retired. My wife is also an engineer. We worked for Super Steel Treating in Warren, Michigan, at one time. I know steel. What I would like to see more…

how to reach us!

Visit us online at www.blademag.com to: • Sign up for our free newsletter. • Renew your magazine subscription. There’s a subscription link in the nav bar. • Comment on our site stories written by BLADE® staff members and others. LOOK FOR BLADE MAGAZINE ON: SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES: Visit us on the Web at www.blademag.com or call 877-485-6426. Outside USA: 386-246-3419. BOOK SALES: Visit us at www.gundigeststore.comor call 920-471-4522. BACK ISSUES FOR SALE: Subject to Availability. Call 920-471-4522. ADVERTISING: Contact Lori McDaniel at 715-498-3768 or lori@gundigest.com, or request a media kit by writing to: BLADE, 5600 W. Grande Market Dr., Appleton, WI 54913. LETTERS OR ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS: Steve Shackleford, Editor BLADE Magazine PO Box 789, Ooltewah, TN 37363-0789 or email steve@blademag.com.…

cover story

Designed by Ryan Johnson of RMJ Tactical (page 44), the CRKT/Ruger Black Powder hatchet boasts a 3.161-inch blade of hot-forged 1055 carbon steel that is black powder coated for corrosion resistance, and a polypropylene and glass-reinforced-nylon handle with lanyard. The durable, wear-resistant hatchet head is .9 inch thick and boasts a hammer poll base for powering through firewood via batoning or for hammering. It is also designed for making kindling, building shelters and more. Weight: 26.8 ounces. Overall length: 13.188 inches. MSRP: $54.99 (includes a nylon sheath). For more information contact CRKT/ Ruger, attn: M. May, Dept. BL11, 18348 SW 126th Place, Tualatin, OR 97062 800-891-3100 info@crkt.com, www.crkt.com,and/or see the story on page 58. The image of the cover piece is courtesy of CRKT/Ruger. The inset image of Rick Marchand’s Persian bowie is…

go west—blade show west!

Allow the BLADE Show West staff to help you decide why you should attend the 2nd Annual BLADE Show West (page 12) Nov. 1-3 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. In fact, staff members have been studying ways to inject some Vitamin C—as in C for Cut—into the proceedings, and I think they have hit on at least three new attractions that will make your decision for you. •First is the chef ’s knife cutting competition. Instead of holding it during show hours, we’re going to do it after show hours on Saturday at a venue that will be announced o on our website of bladeshowwest.com. Ethan Becker, who knows chef ’s knives quite well from his four decades of writing and editing the world-famous cookbook, Joy of Cooking, and…

blade fest out west

WHAT: BLADE Show West 2019 WHERE: Oregon Convention Center, Portland WHEN: Nov. 1-3 DAYS AND TIMES: Friday, 10 A.M.-6 P.M. Saturday, 10 A.M.-6 P.M. Sunday, 10 A.M.-3 P.M. A chef’s knife cutting competition that will include both custom and factory knives and a first-ever panel of leading knifemakers to critique the knives of all comers are but two of the new attractions to augment the 2nd Annual BLADE Show West. Set for Nov. 1-3 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon, the show will feature over 200 exhibitors from over 30 states and such countries as Argentina, Canada, China, Japan, Russia, Sweden and Taiwan, and, of course, their knives, knife accessories, knifemaking supplies and most everything that addresses the topic of cut. Also new for 2019 are expanded categories in the custom and factory knife judging competitions. In…

blade show west seminars

FRIDAY, NOV. 1 3-4 p.m.: BACK FROM THE EDGE OF DULL Maintaining a keen edge on your knife requires sharpening on a regular basis. However, that isn’t always done and the edge may go almost completely dull as a result. According to Clay Allison of Wicked Edge, his company has the tools to bring your knife back from the edge of dull. Let him show you how. 4:30-5:30 p.m.: RETAKING U.S. WILDLANDS FROM DRUG CARTELS Lt. John Nores (retired), team leader for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Marijuana Enforcement Team, describes his team’s fight to stop drug cartels from destroying U.S. wildlands. Emphasizing the cartels’ use of highly toxic EPA-banned poisons, stolen firearms and homemade anti-personnel and anti-K9 blades, Nores outlines their widespread use throughout black market trespass grow operations…