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To the Point

On your newsstands now in the current issue of Knives Illustrated

The Superbowl of the knife industry is the SHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show), even though cutlery at this event is a sideshow of the big Show, with firearms dominating the theme. At KI, we approach this show as if we’re going into the knife Superbowl, with two writers and a freelancer or two covering the Show for all four days.

The result of this effort is comprised of 9,000 words, more than 50 photos, and more pages devoted to the Show than any other story we will cover. Actually, it is not a single story, but three-dozen smaller individual stories, all brought together under the SHOT Show umbrella. While our coverage is not absolutely complete, it is the most complete there is. Having read this article, the reader will have a good glimpse of the cutlery world as we know it for the coming year. There are ancillary events to the SHOT Show, and we cover a couple of those, too.

The AKTI (American Knife & Tool Institute) drawing for a fundraising knife is one of these side events. One AKTI note: It is hard to say you were wrong about something, but once when AKTI proposed changing a state law definition, I wrote a terse email to Director David Kolwolski, telling him that AKTI should be opposing laws—not writing them. I was wrong. With the attempt by U.S. Customs to ban assisted-opening knives, it was just such a law that passed in Texas with the assistance of AKTI, that the cutlery industry was able to save assisted-opening knives. Thanks to that law already being in place, and under the astute guidance of Goldie Russell as head of AKTI, our knife rights were saved. Had Goldie not been in charge or that Texas law not already passed and on the books, I fear the fight to save assisted-opening knives may have had a different outcome.

Also at the SHOT Show, Buck Knives announced a series of knives designed by Jim Shockey of Outdoor TV fame, sold via Cabela’s stores. Three strong names combine to promote a single line of knives, and we bring you the details within this issue.

Clint Thompson, who is now a police chief in Oklahoma, delved into auto knives for law enforcement, along with the reason why such knives should be available for all peace officers. Unknown to a lot of collectors is the fact that there was a special Randall knife made for ATF agents, and Mickey Veich follows that legend—with the proof. Mike Black ventures for a new theory on sharp knife steels—that of aging the steel, changing its cutting ability. This all new research opens up a can of worms that we begin exploring with this issue. With several knife companies now offering knife lanyards to extend the handle length of small knives, Justin Forrester takes it one step further and shows you how to weave your own!

We say goodbye to a couple of old friends, with Paul Bos retiring and J.W. Denton passing away.

More is coming in the next issue—don’t miss it!

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