Knives Illustrated

knives illustrated

EDITORIAL Amber Hargrove Editor-at-Large Margaret Kavanagh Print and Digital Editor Kelly Nomura Executive Managing Editor DESIGN Eric Knagg Art Director CONTRIBUTORS Armando Basulto, Bobby Bushcraft, Jim Cobb, Quinton Darnell, Kevin Estela, Michael Janich, Jonathan Kilburn, Tim Stetzer, Joshua Swanagon, SharpByCoop ADVERTISING Gabe Frimmel Ad Sales Director (714) 200-1930 gfrimmel@engagedmediainc.com Andrew Demiar Account Executive (714) 200-1903 Eric Gomez Advertising Traffic Coordinator Sebastian Tirkey Advertising Traffic Coordinator OPERATIONS Manish Kumar Mishra Operations Specialist Surajpal Singh Bisht Prepress Manager Shailesh Khandelwal Subscriptions Manager Chandan Pandey Production & Newsstand Circulation Analyst Alex Mendoza Administrative Assistant Victoria Van Vlear Intern Program Manager ENGAGED MEDIA, LLC Scott Hall CEO Pinaki Bhattacharya Managing Director & COO William Ammerman Executive Vice President, Digital Erin Masercola Content Director Carrie Rubalcaba HR and Office Management John Goodpasture Vice President, Sales…

gift giving

We hope you’re enjoying the new path we’re on with Knives Illustrated. We certainly appreciate hearing from all of you and meeting so many of you in the knife community. We plan to continue doing what we’re doing — and we hope to hear from even more of you! We love to know what you’re thinking, what you’d like to see, what you’d like to read. So be sure to reach out to us at knivesillustrated@engagedmediainc.com. Speaking of getting together, that time is coming again — the holiday season. The gift-giving season. The I-need-to-figure-out-what-to-get-for-peoplebut-I-have-no-idea season. The I-know-they’re-goingto-ask-me-what-I-want-but-what-the-heck-do-I-say season. The … well, you get the idea. Luckily, we have plenty of ways to help you handle it this year, especially if you want to share the gift of a knife for the first time.…

gear to gift (or receive)

Yep, it’s that time again. With the holidays coming you probably have lots of folks to shop for, or friends and family asking for things on your wishlist. Here are our suggestions for some stocking stuffers or small gifts for the outdoorsy person or gear junkie in your life, with some great budget-friendly finds. 1. ASP Lights I don’t know about you, but I can never seem to have enough flashlights. I use them professionally at work, have them in my EDC loadout, keep them stashed in my car and bugout kits, and use them while camping. When I need a light though, I need it to work, so I try and stick with brands I trust, and ASP has been one of those brands I’ve come to rely on. In my…

update: america

Despite Knife Rights’ extraordinary efforts resulting in 31 bills enacted repealing knife bans in 22 states and over a hundred cities and towns, there are still plenty of places where the ownership and carry of certain types of knives are restricted. We asked Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter, “Can you point out the most ridiculous knife laws still in the United States?” He had little difficulty in coming up with answers, noting, “I don’t think we have to worry about running out of work anytime soon.” Completely Barred Topping Ritter’s list of ridiculous knife laws is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with its complete ban on the carry of any knife, except when used in a trade or profession while actually on the job. To raise the ridiculousness ante, you cannot legally carry a knife to…

tradition updated

If you are a fan of the British SAS Survival Guide and the work of John “Lofty” Wiseman, or bushcraft instructor Ray Mears and his Woodlore School, you have likely seen a uniquely shaped tool featured in their hands while traveling in the jungle. That tool is none other than the parang. Originally from Malaysia, the parang was designed to handle heavy cutting tasks found in the hardwoods of that region. While it has the heft to chop much like a hatchet, one can wield the parang with the speed of a small machete. It fits somewhere between the two and works exceptionally well as a “do-all” large blade. To this day, parangs are still forged in Malaysia from truck leaf springs, and handles are shaped from horn or hardwood. The parang’s…

cold-weather knife carry

If you carry a knife for personal defense, you need to think about the effects of clothing, especially if you live in, or travel to, cold climates. They aren’t kidding when they say, “Dress like you are going to meet your worst enemy today.” Many traditional knife systems originated in tropical climates where light clothing was the norm. That meant there was typically only a single layer of clothing between you and your knife draw, and your attacker’s clothing rarely offered much protection against your knife’s edge. Collectively, that kept things pretty simple. When you transplant those knife systems to cooler climates, however, t-shirts and shorts give way to long pants, heavy jackets, and multiple layers, all of which can have a profound impact on your ability to use a knife…