KNIFE Magazine Knife News: December 2023 Edition

For the second month in a row I have managed to get this out on time. It could almost be considered a Christmas Miracle.

At any rate, Knife Magazine print subscribers have seen this already, Premium Online Members have access to it if they wished, and now it is your turn.

Knife News is the regular “Quick Hit” news column in our monthly print magazine.

Not always the timeliest when it gets published here, but we try to pick items of significance that will stand up to the delay.

Enjoy…


Ben Petersen’s Knafs Co. releases first USA-Made design

What started as a side hustle during the time Ben Petersen held down a job outside the knife industry, his company Knafs has evolved considerably in a few short years. They have grown from producing accessories and posters, to the successful launch of the Lander folder, to moving out of the family garage and into a dedicated brick and mortar storefront.

His latest knife has been an evolution as well. Ben had set out to design a fixed blade version of the Lander, but soon found himself with an entirely new pattern and tackling a number of other firsts. According to Petersen, “I had huge doubts about this knife. New vendor. First fixed blade. First knife made in the USA. A lot of hard firsts for me on this one. Yet, hard firsts are how we humans learn…This was a hard project that made me grow”. The project started with CAD and 3D printing prototypes, and ended with Ben testing the knife in the Colombian rainforest with Joe Flowers and Dogwood Dan Eastland.

The Lulu is made in Michigan by White River Knives. It has a 2.95” scandi-ground MagnaCut blade, micarta scales with G10 liners, and an included Kydex sheath. Like the Knafs Lander, Ben has opened sourced the CAD file for the Lulu’s scales, which will let anyone design a limitless array of aftermarket scales for personal or commercial use. Retail price for the Lulu is $229

Ben wrote an extensive blog post about the Lulu and its design process at the knafs.com website where you can find out more.

 


Works Sharp introduces Rolling Knife Sharpener

Ashland, Oregon’s Work Sharp is a 4th Generation family-owned company. They are back with a new and intuitive manual sharpening system, the appropriately named Rolling Knife Sharpener. It consists of a stationary magnetic block which holds a knife at one of 4 angles (15, 17, 20, and 25 degrees), and wheeled carriage with interchangeable abrasive discs. The user simply slides the carriage along a work surface along the edge of the knife, progressing through the 320, 600, and fine ceramic discs. Ones fingers are safely tucked out of the the way throughout the process.

The unit can accommodate most knives from common pocketknives through large chefs knives. Its compact storage box fits easily in most kitchen drawers.

The Rolling Knife Sharpener by Wok Sharp retails for $149.95, and is designed and assembled in the USA, wherever possible utilizing North American-sourced components. It comes with Work Sharp’s 3 year warranty.

For more information on Work Sharp and their extensive lineup of manual and powered sharpening systems, visit www.worksharptools.com, or email info@worksharptools.com.

 


Spyderco Reveal Book 14 features new Sal Glesser design

It is always exciting when Spyderco releases one of their periodic Reveal Books. Reveal Book 14 is chock full of the expected steel upgrades, Sprint Runs, and Mule Team releases, but not every edition contains a new design from Spyderco Founder Sal Glesser.

The new Spyderco Bodacious is named for a legendary rodeo bull, once regarded as “The World’s Most Dangerous”. Its gently arching profile is reflective of a bucking bull, an image reinforced in Spyderco’s advertising copy for the knife.

The Bodacious’s leaf point blade is 3.66” flat ground S30V steel, with stonewashed finish (MSRP $350) or with black “Diamond-like Carbon” (DLC) coating ($372), and one’s choice of plain or SpyderEdge™. The knife features Spyderco’s Compression Lock®, a back-mounted variation of a liner lock, which lists among safety improvements that it keeps one’s fingers out of the way of the closing blade. The Bodacious’s skeletonized liners are nested within the knife’s black G10 scales, and the pocket clip is reversible for tip up carry.

The Spyderco Bodacious is made in Golden, Colorado, U.S.A., EARTH, as Spyderco proudly states on their domestically produced blades. For more information visit www.spyderco.com or call 800-525-7770.

 


CRKT unveils new Darriel Caston patterns at Blade Show West

Oregon based Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) added Darriel Caston to their stable of designers earlier this year, unveiling his first three designs at Blade Show West. All three knives reflect the clean lines and modern aesthetic one would expect of a man whose background is as an electrical engineer. His company is called D Rocket Design, which is fitting since 2 of his CRKT designs (Mbombo and MinimalX) are evolutions of knives he originally made on commission for SpaceX.

The Mbombo is the largest of the trio with a 3.23” Damascus steel blade. It has a tanto profile, and a pronounced fuller on both sides. This sleek titanium framelock would look equally good sliding into a gentleman’s pocket, or a space suit for that matter. (MSRP $225).

Joining the Mbombo, the Katana X is a manual out-the-front design, not too dissimilar in function to the classic Christy Knife. The D2 blade measures 2.01” at maximum extension, and rides within a black Grivory® handle. ($40)

The third knife, the MinimalX is the other knife inspired by one of Caston’s SpaceX commissions. This diminutive stainless frame lock’s blade has a similar profile to the Mbombo, including the fuller, but it is smaller at 2.19” and is made from 12C27 with an IKBS pivot. One can use the included pocket clip, but at just 3.12” closed, the knife is just as easily carried in a watch pocket (or ladies’ jeans). ($60)

You can see more of Darriel’s work at www.drdgear.com. CRKT can be reached through their website, www.CRKT.com