When you reach for your knife, you want to have "the right tool for the job." Consider the tasks that'd go better if you had the right knife, and be as specific as you can.

2. Decide between a folding knife and a fixed blade.

When it comes to folding or fixed, you probably already have an idea of what you want. Before you limit your choices to traditional pocketknives and folders, though, you should know that many small fixed-blade knives are just as comfortable in a pocket (in a proper sheath, of course). Unless your goal is a large, heavy-use blade, keep your options open.

3. Figure out how you'll carry your knife.

You know your habits and your routine, what you're comfortable with and the stuff that really bugs you. That'll shape your decision to carry your knife in a pocket or a purse, on your belt or in a briefcase.

4. Consider where you'll go when carrying your knife.

Notice where your travels take you -- not just places, but people.

Sadly, some folks just don't love knives as much as we do. They may even see blades not as tools but as weapons. They'll lose their minds the first time you deploy a spring-assisted folder to make lunch. Maybe you don't care about their reactions, but we suggest you consider it anyway when picking out your knife. It just might save you a hassle and some tedious paperwork.

5. Know the state and local laws governing knives.

Yet another troubling aspect of today's culture is the web of laws, some of which ban fixed-blade knives altogether and limit folding knives to two inches. You should be aware of your local and state laws before walking out the door with a new knife.

6. Consider how convenient you want your knife to be.

If you expect to have both hands available when you open your knife, then most any type of knife will do. But if you regularly have just one hand free, think about a fixed blade knife, a one-hand-opening folder or a folder with spring assist.

7. Decide how much time you want to spend maintaining your knife.

Some people obsess about their knives, while other folks just use theirs. If you prefer a no-drama knife that's easy to touch-up, you probably want a carbon-steel blade -- it may not hold its sharpness as long, but restoring it is a snap. And if you're likely not to wipe your knife clean of residue and moisture before putting it away, you should strongly consider a stainless-steel blade.

8. Choose your knife -- and then use it.

By now you should be ready to choose your knife, so do it. But you won't know if you picked the right knife until you've put it to work -- actually use it.

You may not have your answer for weeks or months, and that's fine. Just remember, not every knife will be the right one for you. You'll learn something new every time you set out to find the perfect knife, and you'll get to enjoy these eight steps all over again.

Although the debate will rage on, we'll do our best to explain the benefits of multi-blade slipjoints.

We like carrying a small, two-blade pocketknife, such as a Northwoods Norfolk or Willamette Whittler. Having a pair of different blades allows us to select the right tool for a given job.

Often we'll pocket a knife with more than two blades, for the same reason -- to have choices, that is -- or when we're playing Kephart (camping, fishing, hunting or hiking).

Especially when we're afield, we appreciate the added security and flexibility of a knife like a Great Eastern Cutlery #82 stockman, a #61 Congress or a smallish slipjoint like the Northwoods Norfolk Whittler.

So versatility and convenience are the primary advantages of carrying a knife with multiple unique blades tucked into a pocket-friendly frame -- but a multi-blade slipjoint has one more benefit worth thinking about.

You can sharpen each blade differently.

Let's say you have a typical three-blade stockman. Consider sharpening one blade to a "toothy" utility edge for cutting twine and strapping, putting a chisel grind on another for shaving leather and wood, and convexing the third for general use. With more than one blade, you get to customize each for a different purpose.

Here are the Knives

• Bark River Knives: Huntsman
• Bark River Knives: Little Carver
• Cross Knives
• Benchmade Foray

Thanks for viewing!

Here are the links for the knives:

• Bark River Knives Fox River LT in Elmax
• Northwoods Knives Hiawatha
• Bark River Knives Trakker
• Bark River Knives Trakker Companion
• New Chris Reeve Knives

Subscribe to our Newsletter Here

Buy Hess Knives

Buy Lon Humphrey Whitetails

Buy Bark River Mini-Bush Seax

Buy Benchmade Limited Edition Volli

There are some great deals here.  Note:  All deals end on Christmas Eve.

I made a video to explain them all.

Here they are:

Free Firesteel if you purchase a  PSK Elmax  -- Just put Free Firesteel in your order comments.

Free Schrade Knife -- This one you have to use a coupon for -- Spend $100 on other stuff and add the Schrade to your order and the coupon code SCHMAS will make it completely free

Free Bark River Sharpening Kit -- Just buy an  Elmax ProScalpel II and put Sharpening Kit in the notes and we will include a free sharpening kit.

$40 off  DMT MagnaGuide Sharpening kit with the purchase of a Benchmade Stryker in M4.  Just add both to your cart and use the coupon code DMTMAS

These deals are so good, we can't stack them up, so only one offer per order.  You can order as many times as you like, but each order has to meet the requirements.  Not valid with any other offer.

Thursday 11/19

A lot of stuff coming up. From a couple of weeks ago we have the 1909

Michigan Bowies. They are a recreation of Marble’s Trailmaker

The Michigan Bowie is a recreation of a Marble’s Trail Maker. They are made of A2 and are really really fantastic. Bark River is really excited to bring them to market.

Also coming up is the Bravo Necker II made of CPM 154. And, they will no longer have removable handles. They will have permanent handles this time.

In time for Christmas the Petty z. They are made of S35vn. They make great kitchen knives.

This week will finish with the Bravo 1.5. It is one of Jim Stewart’s favorite knives It is 5 3/4” length. The extra edge length and cutting curve are amazing. The spine is the normal thickness at 2.17. These are made of 3v.

A new shipent of woods for the handles came in this week. Bark River is well stocked with a huge variety them of choices from Red and Gold Elder Burl, Black and Red Burl, hybrid burls, and Pine Cones of all sorts of colors, naturals in all sorts of colors as well. In additon to those are all sorts of plastics allowing for your favorite color choice.

There is a new Orange C-tek. It is almost translucent. It is more similar to the Red and Blue translucence. It is called Broken Tail Light Orange.

The Bravo EDC has been a very popular knife for Bark River, but now it is coming in CPM 3V.  Jim shows us how the knives are actually put together and you can see footage of how they are made.

Also, in this video, fresh footage of the new Barong.  It is going to be one big knife!

Check out the great selection of Aurora LT in CPM3V

Thursday, November 22 Bark River knives is doing a run of Black Jack 125s. Every single knife gets a stack of laser cut spacers in the front and back. However, the aluminum spacers are water jet. All spacers are to the same specs.The spacers are pre-stacked and glued so can then just be slid onto the knife.

Nick is putting together a knife with South African marino sheep horn that just came in. The sheep are farm grown so it is very scarce. It is the only horn Bark River uses. When there are back orders for it they sit in the back order log until more sheep horn comes in. At that time all of the preorders with sheep horn are made. Today about 30 of knives will be done with the horn. All of the sheep horn is flattened individually by hand and then drilling can be started.

This week a run of 3v Lt Auroras is being finished. The stock is .170 on the spine. These are .150 on the spine enabling them to slice a little bit better. Of course, they are made of 3v.

Here we are acid etching the logo on the knives. We could laser it, but acid etching takes 2 seconds as opposed to two minutes.  

3 Great Things About Hand-Forged Knives

Heat, hammer, hands... is there anything as old-school as a hand-forged knife?

Here at KnivesShipFree, we absolutely love blades born of the forge. Here are our three favorite things about hand-forged knives.

1. They're strong. When a bladesmith forges a knife into its rough form, whether with hammer and anvil or by using a power hammer, the labor-intensive process creates a very strong result.

As steel is hammered, its internal "grain" changes to follow the shape of the blade. The grain essentially becomes continuous, which is why forged blades are so wonderfully strong.

2. They're unique. The process of hand-forging is the opposite of mass-production -- it's virtually impossible for a bladesmith to craft two knives that are exactly alike. The 'smith creates pieces that are consistent, matching up to general specifications, and refinements can be made during grinding.

Still, each knife has its own unique character. And the benefit for you, the knife lover, is that when you own a blade that's hand-forged, you can be certain that it's the only one like it in all the world.

3. They're truly handmade. The archetype of the village blacksmith all but vanished along with the horse and buggy. While the craft may no longer be essential to modern life, a few artisans carry on the tradition. We're fortunate that some of them are making knives.

With all due respect to knifemakers who produce spectacular handcrafted blades via stock-removal or other methods, the bladesmith's art deserves special admiration. Forged knives are, from beginning to end, handmade.

It's the way it used to be done -- old-school. We like that.

We spent time recently visiting the shop of one of our favorite bladesmiths -- check out "Knifemaker profile: A visit with Lon Humphrey."

3 Wintertime Knife Tips

As we settle into our new Escanaba digs after the move from Oregon, we're watching the leaves turn and feeling a bit of a chill in the air. Both are reminders that the transplanted members of the KnivesShipFree team are about to experience our first real UP winter.

We can hardly wait -- bring it on.

For those of us who use our knives outdoors in these climes, winter changes the game. Here are a few things to remember when the wind blows frigid and the ground is white.

1. Mind your edges. When temperatures drop, stuff freezes. That includes wood, of course, which can become as hard as a rock.

Processing frozen wood for a fire or other bushcraft purposes can take a real toll on your edges. Even basic notching or whittling an icy stick will tax an edge more than you might expect. And with all of winter's other distractions -- like cold hands -- you may be less likely to feel an edge going away.

Be extra-vigilant, then, of your knives' edges in sub-freezing weather. Avoid using your blades on frozen wood unless you have no other options (and you may not). Carry your sharpening kit if you plan to be afield for any length of time, and get accustomed to using it in less-than-ideal wintertime conditions.

2. Fire is your friend. Although some would argue that this isn't strictly a knife thing, we believe that knives and firemaking go hand-in-hand. And the ability to quickly build a warm fire can be an especially valuable skill in the winter months.

Truth is, it might just save your life.

Naturally, you should carry a firesteel and tinder at the very least, or better yet a complete fire kit. Don't forget, though, that building a fire with numb fingers in a snowy landscape is much more challenging than it was the last time you did it, on a dry summer day. You should practice your firemaking skills in all conditions, and winter is an excellent time to do that.

3. Watch out for moisture. Remember the last time you were surprised to find a spot of rust on a blade, or when you tried to deploy your favorite slipjoint but the pivot wouldn't budge, and you wondered, "How'd that happen?"

Moisture, unless it's dealt with, will lead to corrosion, and wintertime is moisture's favorite season. Whether it comes from snow, ice or condensation, be sure to dry and oil your blades after a cold-weather outing.

Condensation can be particularly insidious. It's the same stuff that forms on your eyeglasses when you go from the wintry woods into a warm cabin, and there's an easy way to prevent it. Simply slip your knife into a plastic bag before bringing it indoors, and leave it there until it reaches room temperature.

Bonus tip: If your knife's leather sheath gets wet, don't dry it by leaning it against a radiator or propping it up next to a campfire -- you'll ruin it. Simply let it air-dry.

Enjoying the "3 from KnivesShipFree" series? Maybe learning a thing or two?

Great -- that's exactly what we have in mind. And remember, you can check out all the articles in the series anytime just by clicking on that snazzy "3 from KnivesShipFree" graphic.

3 Kitchen Cutlery Tips

Well, you've made it this far -- you've realized that real knife people use real kitchen knives, and you're tackling your food-prep tasks with fine kitchen cutlery.

Good for you. Now here are a few simple suggestions to make the experience even better.

1. Store your knives properly. Tossing your kitchen knives into a drawer is a no-no -- they can chip or dull, and you risk cutting yourself when you reach for them.

We recommend storing your fine kitchen cutlery in a wood block. It's organized, safe and protects the blades. Just remember to always hand-wash and dry the blades before putting them away.

2. Know how to use your sharpening steel -- and how often. Properly using a "sharpening steel" (sometimes called a "honing steel") realigns the micro-edge of a kitchen knife. You gently pull the blade across the rod at a shallow angle, realigning this very fine edge.

How often you "steel" your knives depends on how often you use them, of course. In addition, relatively soft German knife steels can benefit from honing after each use, while harder steels used in Japanese knives may need attention only about once a week.

3. Use the right cutting surface. Doing your cutting (or your chopping, or your slicing) on the wrong surface is the fastest way to dull a kitchen knife.

You should never cut on glass, ceramic tile or plates, marble, granite countertops or acrylics -- those hard surfaces will quickly dull (or even chip) your blades. Always do your cutting on surfaces that "give" under the edge.

We recommend choosing a cutting board made of polypropylene or wood. If you have any doubt about a surface you're using, check to see if the knife leaves a cut-line in the material -- if it does, you have a proper cutting surface.

October 13, 2015 -- [RUSH TRANSCRIPT. COPY MAY NOT BE FINAL AND MAY BE UPDATED.&91;

JIM STEWART, BARK RIVER KNIVES: Hello, everybody. I am Jim Stewart from Bark River Knives, and we're going to do another walkthrough for the week of the October Thirteenth.

This is our version of the competition knife. Most people are calling it a battle cleaver now. And it's very solid in the hand. It's very -- it's actually, for its weight, it's very quick, very deft, and of course, this is razor, razor sharp. Check out that spine. Look how thick that thing is. I think that's two-seventy, on the spine? Or maybe it's two-fifty, I don't know. I haven't measured it just yet. Because every single one of these is absolutely hand-convex-ground, from straight bar stock. This isn't -- doesn't really go through our normal pipeline, so every single one of these has a perfect convex all the way down, by hand from straight bar stock.

There are only seventy of these, but in that seventy is a large variety of different handle materials. Of course, we have Micartas -- green canvas, black canvas -- but we also have double-dyes.

You have Skittles expertly hand-grinding one of these beautiful knives. Hasn't sharpened it yet, still making the shape. But look at that level of precision. He's going back and forth. Like a boss.

And back to the variety that we have. This is black linen, and then again, with mesquite burl. And every single one of these handles is hand-ground from just two solid blocks. But they all have ergonomic shapes. And this is our double palm swell. Done completely by hand.

For the battle cleavers, we are making our own sheaths from, from scratch by these, so these are all hand-cut. Again there's only seventy of these so it's not an incredibly difficult run, but check out the work that goes into some of these.

Thanks for the follow-through. See you next week.

[END TRANSCRIPT.&91;

Jim confides that this limited-edition knife has been dubbed, whimsically, "the battle cleaver." He shows us that it's both solid and quick for a knife of this size. And it's thick -- a quarter-inch, give or take.

In this very short run of just 70 knives, everything is being done by hand -- the convex-grinding of the blade (masterfully demonstrated in the video by "Skittles"), the shaping of the handles, even the crafting of the leather sheath. This is, for all intents and purposes, a handmade knife.

Now, would you like to see the "battle cleaver" beast actually chop? Then you definitely want to watch today's video. Enjoy -- and we'll see you next week!

3 Tips for Breaking-In a New Folding Knife

The pivot on your brand-new knife, whether it's a modern folder or a traditional slipjoint pocketknife, may feel gritty or stiff. That's not uncommon, and it's nothing to worry about -- usually it's a sign that the knife simply needs some break-in time.

How long that takes varies from knife to knife. Here are three tricks to get you (and your knife) through the break-in period.

1. Just use it. As a mechanical device, a folding knife's contact surfaces take time to "mate" -- the regular action of opening and closing a blade will "polish" those surfaces. It doesn't take long, generally speaking, and you can expedite the process by repeatedly opening and closing the blade (or blades).

On the other hand, use your knife and it'll happen naturally.

2. Hold the lube. When the 'maker assembled your folding knife, the pivots were lubricated with graphite powder, oil or light grease -- probably only a tiny amount, to avoid interfering with the break-in process.

When you detect a stiff or sticky pivot on a new knife, you might be tempted to lube it right away -- don't do that. It might smooth the action of the joint, but it'll postpone (or even prevent) natural break-in.

3. Be patient. We know that this can be the hardest part of living with a new folding knife, but you need to give the pivot surfaces time to mate naturally. Trust us, you'll eventually reach a point when your knife becomes noticeably smoother -- we can't say when, exactly, but you'll definitely feel it.

That's when you can add a drop or two of light oil. (We recommend Benchmade BlueLube.)

Bonus break-in tip: Don't adjust the pivot.

If your new knife is a modern folder, chances are it has an adjustable pivot. This feature allows you to tighten or loosen the pivot screw (usually using a Torx driver) to adjust the action of the knife to your liking.

During break-in, however, you may want to avoid making any adjustments. You don't want to loosen the pivot screw to "fix" a problem that isn't a problem, in the process delaying normal break-in.

Like waiting a while before applying lubricant, we suggest giving your new knife time to break-in naturally before messing with the tension of the pivot.

(Once you're past the break-in period, feel free to check out our how-to on "Adjusting the pivot on a folding knife.")

We get some tantalizing looks at the soon-to-be-delivered Essentials, both with bolsters and -- here's a new word for you -- bolsterless. Some of the handle materials (including a few new combinations) are truly spectacular, and Bark River's new carbon fiber is stunning.

Stay tuned to KnivesShipFree's "Knife Knowledge" blog for another episode next week!

3 Knife-Safety Rules for Kids

Kids and knives are a great combination, bringing as much enjoyment to the adults in their lives as to the kids themselves. To help make the experience safer, however, we suggest three basic rules.

1. No silliness. Kids will be kids, and kids are all about fun. But while having (and using) a knife definitely can be fun, you should make it crystal-clear that a knife is a tool, not a toy.

Truth is, a knife may be a kid's first personal possession that isn't a toy. This means that you, as parent or mentor, might be teaching a brand-new concept called respect.

No horseplay. Don't throw your knife. Don't dig in the dirt with your knife. Don't play mumblety-peg, for cryin' out loud. And don't loan your knife to anyone, even to a friend. (They may not have been taught the right way.)

It can be a challenge, for sure, this balancing of fun and respect. Most kids, however, given time and patient instruction, will grasp it just fine.

2. Treat every folding knife as if it doesn't have a lock. If your kid's knife has a locking mechanism, obviously you should teach how to make sure that the lock is engaged -- and then remind them that no lock is foolproof.

(We've noticed that some adults forget this rule, often resulting in a trip to the emergency room for stitches.)

As you're schooling the kid how not to use a knife, you may want to demonstrate (while wearing sturdy gloves) what can happen when a knife closes on your fingers -- don't draw blood, but the more dramatic the demonstration, the more memorable the lesson.

3. Cut away from yourself. A certain KnivesShipFree staffer often tells the story of his first pocketknife, and how he learned the hard way that cutting toward yourself is a bad idea.

To illustrate, he shows off a 50-year-old scar on a knuckle of his left hand -- the hand that was holding the stick he was whittling when his Cub Scout knife slipped.

You may have a similar story to tell. Lots of us do. And that's the thing about this rule -- we can preach and cajole all we want, but sooner or later the kid will get so engrossed in a cutting task that they'll turn the blade around.

It's inevitable.

There are only two things you can do about that, really. First, watch the kid closely, especially when they're using their first knife, and issue a stern rebuke when you see them violate this rule. And second, naturally, you should keep a first-aid kit handy.

(For more kid stuff, be sure to visit our "Knives for Kids" page.)

3 Kitchen Knives Everyone Should Own

Like most experts in kitchen cutlery, we believe that everyone needs three basic kitchen knives.

1. Chef's knife. This is the most important knife in your kitchen. A European-style chef's knife (or, if you like Japanese cutlery, a Santoku) with an eight- or ten-inch blade will become your go-to blade for most all food-prep tasks -- slice and dice, fruits and vegetables, meat and fish.

2. Paring knife. Reach for this blade when slicing or mincing berries, garlic, or any other food too small for a chef's knife. The typical parer has a blade between three and four inches long. (As an alternative, consider a kitchen knife called a "petty.")

3. Boning knife. More precise than a chef's knife, it's longer and stouter than a parer. Use it for boning and cutting meat, fish and poultry. The blade flexes a bit, which is useful in a variety of tasks.

So that's our top three kitchen knives. We'd also like to give an honorable mention to another piece of cutlery we'd never be without in the kitchen -- a bread knife.

Anyone who buys un-sliced bread or bagels from a local bakery needs a great bread knife. And the best bread knives we know of, by far, come from Shun. Before long you'll be using it on a lot more than bread -- flank steak, tomatoes and other food that cuts better with a bread knife's serrated edge.

You can expect to spend more on professional-grade kitchen cutlery than you'd pay for the kitchen knives at your local wubba-mart -- but if you love knives, you know that you get what you pay for.

If you can't afford your dream set of kitchen cutlery right away, start with a parer, petty or utility knife first, then move up to a boning knife, a carver or a chef's knife.

Wondering why we're preaching about kitchen cutlery? Because "Real Knife People Use Real Kitchen Knives."

Tying the Chris Reeve 'Coil Knot'

The iconic  fob attached to Chris Reeve knives, known as a "coil knot," can be handy on other knives as well. It's easy to tie, too -- here are step-by-step instructions provided by Chris Reeve Knives.

3 Things You Need to Know About Batoning

Batoning -- a technique used to process wood for fire and other bushcraft purposes -- involves splitting relatively small-diameter pieces of wood by resting the edge of a knife on the end-grain and tapping the spine of the knife with a solid stick. It's discussed a lot these days -- surprisingly often, in our view -- so we thought we'd share a few things you should know about batoning.

1. Batoning is a skill, not something that your knife comes equipped to do. You've heard us say it over and over, and we'll say it again: Skills matter more than tools.

Batoning (with a knife) can be a useful skill, one that everyone who travels in the out-of-doors should learn. Honestly, though, the technique is only a very small part of the bushcrafting skillset. It's worth taking the time to get familiar with it -- so do that, and then move on to learning other skills.

2. Batoning (with a knife) is rarely the best method for splitting wood. Judged by the popularity of batoning on YouTube and some Internet forums, you might be persuaded that it's the sine qua non of wilderness travel.

It's not. Batoning -- or saying that you do, or posting a video of yourself doing it -- is a bit of a fad. (In contemporary parlance, that means it's "a thing.")

Most of the time there are better ways to split kindling for a cooking fire or make staves for a shelter, and there are better tools (like an axe) for doing it. And here's a tip: Learn how to carve (and use) small wooden wedges to help split the wood, regardless of the tool you're using.

3. Batoning is an excellent way to break your knife. In our experience, batoning ranks second only to chopping for unnecessary abuse of a knife.

Anyone who tells you that they've batoned and hasn't had their knife get depressingly bound-up in the wood probably isn't telling you the truth. What's more, anyone who's tried to free their stuck blade by wrenching the handle side-to-side probably owns a bent or broken knife.

In theory, you can baton with almost any knife (even a folder or a slipjoint). Some are more capable (and more durable) than others, but every tool has its limits.

That's not the fault of the tool, of course. You're responsible for knowing your knife's limits and working within them.

Cleaning a really dirty pocketknife

Maybe it got left out in the rain overnight. Or perhaps you took it along on a hunt and forgot to clean it up afterward. However it happened, your pocketknife is all gummed-up.

The good news is that it's relatively easy to put it right, and here's how.

1. Fill a large plastic bowl with hot water (out of the tap, not boiling) and mild dishwashing soap.
2. Open your knife (all of the blades) and immerse it in the soapy water. Swish the knife around and carefully move the blades back and forth, open and closed. You want to work the soap solution into the pivots and the contact surfaces between the backsprings.
3. After about a minute, remove the knife from the soapy water and hold it under hot running water. Carefully open and close the blades while you're doing this, making sure to rinse away all of the soap residue.
4. Right away (and we mean right away), dry the knife thoroughly (and we mean thoroughly). Use canned compressed air and a soft cloth (not paper towels or tissues). Be sure to work the blades back and forth to force moisture out of the pivots and backsprings.
5. After you're sure that your knife is completely dry, apply your preferred lubricant to the pivots. (Almost any light machine oil will do, but we recommend Benchmade BlueLube.) It's also a good idea to apply a small amount of lube to the backsprings and liners, inside the knife.
6. Open and close the blades a few times to work the lube into the pivots, making sure that it gets between the backsprings and liners as well. The lubricant will help displace remaining moisture.
7. Pay attention to your knife over the following few days to confirm that the blades continue to move freely. Reapply your favorite lube as necessary, but resist the urge to over-lubricate. (Excess lube will just attract more dirt.)

Here are a few other tips that may help.

• If your pocketknife was dirty enough to require a thorough cleaning, there's a good chance that it was dull as well. After the cleanup is finished, take the time to perform a proper sharpening job on all of the blades.
• Don't let your knife soak in the soapy water for any length of time. (The same goes for any other cleaning solution.) It may darken the scales (handle materials) or, if they're wood, cause them to swell.
• A wooden toothpick is one of the best tools we've found for cleaning tight spots and crevices. You can turn it into a tool for drying the knife, too, by wrapping the tip in a piece of soft cloth. (A cotton swab will work as well, but be careful not to snag the fibers in joints and sharp edges.)
• If you're tempted to use WD-40 on your knife, be careful. It may do a great job of displacing moisture that's trapped in the pivots, but petroleum distillates like WD-40 can stain or permanently damage some handle materials (like celluloid). If you do use WD-40, be sure to use the little plastic nozzle and aim it precisely at the pivots. And whatever you do. never soak your slipjoint in petroleum distillates.

3 Ways to Bring an Old Pocketknife Back to Life

Sometimes we love a pocketknife so much that we neglect it -- seriously, a knife can become such a natural part of our day-to-day life that we forget to take proper care of it.

Hey, it happens to all of us. The good news is that there a few easy ways to breathe new life into a tired pocketknife.

1. Clean and lubricate it. Strange as it may seem, a gummy pivot on a pocketknife can be more annoying than a dull blade. Whether the condition is the result of poor maintenance or just an accumulation of pocket lint, a balky knife is fairly easy to put right.

Start by wiping the knife's interior and the pivots' exposed surfaces with the corner of a folded cloth. Use compressed (canned) air to blow stubborn crud out of the crannies.

If the pivots and backsprings are truly gummy (or even corroded), it's time to break out the soap and water. For detailed instructions, check out our primer on cleaning a really dirty pocketknife.

Once the knife is clean and dry, you'll want to apply a little light oil to the pivots and other contact surfaces. (Almost any light machine oil will do, but we prefer Benchmade BlueLube.)

2. Polish it. Lots of us consider patina, stains and tarnish to be marks of a pocketknife's character (and our own as well). Other knife lovers aren't happy unless their blades sparkle -- it's a matter of pride, after all, just the way we were raised.

If you fall into the second group, use fine metal polish (like Flitz) or a jeweler's cloth to buff your steel back to its original gleam. While you're at it, remember to shine those nickel-silver bolsters, too.

3. Sharpen it. A knife isn't much of a knife unless it's sharp. And you should sharpen your knives yourself, of course.

Maintaining your edges ought to be a regular ritual -- and if it is, you probably won't have much work to do when completing the kind of of mild restoration we're talking about in this article. Should you find yourself with one or more deadly dull blades, however, roll up your sleeves, set aside some time and do the job right.

(If you're new to KnivesShipFree, you should know that we're pretty serious about knife sharpening around here. We offer a wide range of sharpening supplies, as well as a page devoted to knife sharpening and a series of instructional videos.)

Improvising sharpening tools

Whenever you have an edge in need of attention and your preferred sharpening tools are back home in your workshop, all you have to do is look around -- you'll usually find something to serve the purpose in a pinch.

Here, for example, are some surprisingly effective stand-ins for a sharpening stone:

• Ceramic coffee mug (use the unglazed ring on the bottom)
• Ceramic dinner plate (use the unglazed ring on the bottom)
• Toilet-tank lid (use the unglazed part on the underside)
• Flowerpot (terra cotta)
• Car window (roll it down and use the edge)
• Emery board
• Sandpaper
• Smooth fire brick (not masonry brick)
• Flat stones (gathered from a river or lake)

Stropping is our preferred sharpening method. We've used these items as substitutes for a hone:

• Leather belt (use the unfinished "flesh side," on the back side)
• Nylon webbing (like a backpack strap)
• Newspaper
• Corrugated cardboard (the dirtier the better)

To make stropping compound, try these:

• Mud (fine silt works best)
• Toothpaste
• Automotive metal polish (use the gritty stuff, not wax)

Our suggestions may prompt a few ideas of your own. The best idea of all, of course, is to remember to bring your sharpening kit next time out.

(To learn more, check out "When Good Edges Go Bad." And be sure to visit our Knife Sharpening page.)

Modifying a coated knife to strike a firesteel

A firesteel requires a sharp striker. It's possible to use your knife’s blade to make sparks fly, of course, but that can create a dull spot you’ll have to touch up later.

A better solution is to strike the firesteel with the spine of your knife. Many knives (like Bark River) are able to do that right out of the box. On a knife with a "coated" blade, you'll need to remove a small amount of the coating.

Using a small file (a triangular needle file works well), carefully remove the coating from the section of the knife’s spine closest to the handle (circled in the photo). Try to keep the squared profile of the spine -- the idea is to create a bare-metal section with well-defined corners that gets a good "bite" into the firesteel.

Choosing & caring for leather sheaths

With all of the sheath options available today, there's still nothing quite like leather. Natural hide remains a popular choice of knife owners, from life-long hunters to hard-core tactical types.

But what makes a good leather sheath? And once you've fitted your prized knife with high-quality "pants," what's the best way to take care of the hide?

Sharpshooter Sheath Systems' Reid Hyken has produced high-quality sheaths for the likes of Bark River Knives and Benchmade, and he knows a thing or two about leather. We decided to pick his brain for the answers to some common questions.

Choosing a leather sheath

A good way to learn how to recognize high-quality leather work is to understand how the best sheaths are made -- and no one, in our opinion, does it any better than Reid and Sharpshooter.

First, not all leather is the same. "Cows have complexions, just like people have complexions," Hyken says. "That's where it starts -- with the hide."

Hyken buys his leather from just two tanneries, each of which employs a vegetable tanning process. He chooses material for its character as much as for its "grade," looking for uniform thickness and an even (not smooth) "flesh side" (the rougher inside surface of the leather).

Borrowing a culinary term, Hyken says that he looks for leather with a specific texture. "It should be al dente like good pasta, not stiff like cardboard."

Once the hides are in the Sharpshooter shop, Hyken's crew carefully examines each one, selecting certain sections for various sheath components. Leather judged to be substandard is rejected.

When it comes to construction, beyond the leather itself, there are several key factors.

"A knife is always trying to cut its way out of its sheath," Hyken says. "That's why the welt" -- a strip of leather sandwiched between the front and back panels of the sheath, where the knife's edge makes contact -- "is critical. It should be thick and heavy, to keep the knife from doing what it wants to do."

The next important consideration is stitching. Hyken uses US-made, rot-resistant polyester thread at five stitches per inch -- no compensating row of rivets or staples. But as obvious (and attractive) as the stitching is, that's not the only thing holding a sheath together.

"It's obvious when a sheath is put together with cheap glue," according to Hyken. "Look at the exposed places at the ends of the seams -- is the glue holding? If it's starting to gap, even when it's new, it won't last."

As for hardware, Hyken uses only US-made, nickel-plated brass fasteners. On the interior of some of his sheaths, a nylon "snap cover" protects the knife's blade from scratches -- a nice touch.

The final gauge of a sheath's quality is the finish, especially edges. When asked how he achieves such a smooth finish and rounded edges on Sharpshooter sheaths, Hyken shares a trade secret.

"It's all done by elves," he says with a wink. "But seriously, I have a background in making furniture, and I learned from a guy who varnished the sides of drawers. It's the same attention to details."

Caring for a leather sheath

Judging by the number of potions and goops and pastes on the market, it'd be natural to assume that caring for leather is complicated -- but according to Hyken, it's really very simple.

The "cardinal sin" of leather care is applying petroleum products, including compounds that use petroleum bases or carriers.

"Leather is skin, just like yours," Hyken says. "Look at it this way -- if you wouldn't put it on [a particularly sensitive area of human skin&91;, why would you treat your leather with it?"

He notes that all Sharpshooter sheaths are treated with neatsfoot oil compound at four different stages of the manufacturing process, with the intent of creating nearly maintenance-free finished products. For regular care, if desired, he recommends Obenauf's, a beeswax/propolis formula available through KnivesShipFree.com.

Hyken also is the developer of the EEP leather treatment -- Extreme Environmental Protection, applied to the leather during production and available through KnivesShipFree.com. More than just surface waterproofing, EEP fills the voids among the leather's fibers, making it resistant to water, mold and mildew. EEP can withstand high temperatures and, unlike other treatments, it won't dry out.

Cleaning a leather sheath

At the end of a hunt or a camping trip, a leather sheath is bound to be in need of cleaning. Hyken advises against making two common mistakes: trying to get the leather too clean and trying to dry it too fast.

"Wash it out with plain, lukewarm water -- don't use hot water and don't scrub it," he says. "Wrap it in a dry towel and put it in a warm (not hot) place to dry naturally. You might want to change the towel every so often. And don't re-sheath your knife while the leather's wet."

Hyken offers one more tip to those tempted to dry a sheath by propping it up next to a campfire or leaning it against a radiator: "Once leather is stiff and dry, its natural oils are gone for good -- it's cooked, it's poached and there's no restoring it."

3 Things You Should Never Do With Your Knife

Knife people are smart folks, but hey, we all do stupid stuff every now and then. Here are three dumb things you should avoid doing with your knives.

1. Don't pry. This one should be pretty obvious, but every day countless people mistake their knife for a crowbar. And this lesson here isn't limited to prying -- quite simply, you shouldn't use your knife for anything but what it's designed to do.

Need to pry something? Use a prybar. Have a can of beans that needs opening? Use a can opener. Cut wire with wire cutters and drive screws with a screwdriver. You get the idea.

We all tempt fate, of course, at least for a while, even when we know we shouldn't. If we persist in such foolish abuse of our knives, we're begging for a broken tip or a chipped edge -- it's inevitable.

2. Don't chop -- cut. Most knives aren't designed for chopping, and yet some people insist that their knife is an exception.

It's probably not, so it ends up on YouTube with half-moon-shaped chunks missing from the edge. Most often it's the result of chopping -- even something as flimsy as, say, a thin twig or branch -- and putting uneven stress on the edge. That can cause even a great knife to fail.

Our advice? Use your knife to do what it was meant to do (cut, that is) and either buy an axe (or another type of purpose-built chopper) or just stop chopping. It's a stupid thing to do with a good knife.

3. Keep your knives out of your dishwasher. We're talking about all knives here -- kitchen knives, hunting knives, pocketknives, everything.

Dishwashers use heat and aggressive chemicals to get food off of dishes, and that's horrible for your knife. Pressure-washing your blade with abrasive food and gunk is a sure way to ruin it.

Despite our advice, we know that nobody's perfect. So when your dumbness trumps your common sense and you end up with a damaged knife, don't throw it on the scrap heap -- many knifemakers will happily fix it for you. The service may or may not be free, depending on the warranty, but we've seen some pretty messed-up knives come back as good as new. It's worth a shot.

Changing the position of a pocket clip

Many modern folders produced by Benchmade, Zero Tolerance, Kershaw and others provide multiple positions for the pocket clip, allowing either left- or right-handed carry, and occasionally a choice between tip-up and tip-down carry.

Take a look at the current position of the clip on your knife, along with the way it attaches, and then examine the handle for vacant holes or grooves in a similar pattern on the opposite side (and at the other end).

You'll need the proper tool, usually a Torx driver, to remove and re-insert the screws securing the clip to the knife. (Benchmade's Blue Box Toolkit is perfect for this.) Simply remove the screws holding the clip in its place, move it to another position, then replace the screws.

It's a good idea to apply a small amount of mild thread-locking compound (like blue Loctite) to the threads of each screw. Of course, don't over-tighten the screws.

You also may decide to get rid of the clip entirely -- that's fine, its absence generally doesn't affect the knife's function. Put all the parts you remove in a zip-closure plastic bag, in case you change your mind and want to re-install the clip. However, don't put the screws back in their places in your knife's handle -- without the clip in place, the screws will seat farther into the handle, which can scratch the blade or interfere with its movement.

Adjusting the pivot on a folding knife

On many modern folding knives (like those produced by Benchmade, Zero Tolerance, Kershaw and others) you'll find an adjustable pivot. You can loosen or tighten the pivot screw, setting the knife's action to your liking.

The goal is to find the "sweet spot." Exactly where that is will depend on your personal preferences, and there's a trick to getting it just right.

Using the proper tool (usually a Torx driver, like those supplied with Benchmade's BlueBox Tool Kit), make a slight adjustment in the direction you think you want to go (looser or tighter) and live with it like that for a little while. Then, if you need to, fine-tune the tension of the pivot until it suits your fancy.

Of course, you don't want the pivot so loose that the blade flops open in your pocket. Then again, over-tightening the pivot can make the knife essentially unusable and cause premature wear.

Adjusting the pivot of a new folding knife

A folding knife, like most mechanical devices, has a natural break-in period. Its contact surfaces take time to "mate" -- regular opening and closing of the blade will "polish" the surfaces. During break-in, you may want to resist the urge to adjust the pivot.

A brand-new folder might seem tighter than you'd like, but it probably just needs some use to operate smoothly. You shouldn't try loosening the pivot screw to "fix" a problem that doesn't exist, and besides, you'd only be postponing normal break-in.

Give your new folding knife time to break-in naturally before fussing with the pivot. It'll be worth the wait in the long run.

Wet-fitting a sheath to your knife

The problem with getting a leather sheath to form to a knife is the waiting -- break-in can take a while. But c'mon, who has the patience to wait for leather to stretch to a perfect fit?

The solution? "Wet fitting" the sheath.

Unlike some methods we've seen for wet-fitting -- wait 'til a lunar eclipse, soak the sheath for exactly four minutes, wrap the knife in waxed paper and electrical tape, bake 'til the little turkey button pops out -- we have a better way. It doesn't take long, it doesn't damage your knife, and it's easy.

First, gather your supplies:

• Your knife
• Your sheath
• Mineral oil (or whatever you use to oil your knives)
• A clean, wet sponge

Right off the bat, take a moment to oil your knife -- simply a precaution to guard against corrosion. It won't be a big deal anyway with this method of wet-fitting, but as the saying goes, it's "an ounce of prevention."

Wet the sponge, wring out the excess water and wipe the front of the sheath. We suggest wiping the entire front of the sheath to avoid leaving any water stains on the leather, but you should wipe the part that will be stretched the most a couple of times.

Take note -- you're thoroughly wetting only the surface of the leather. Don't try to wet the leather all the way through.

Lay your knife on top of the sheath to confirm knife-to-sheath fit. You're essentially checking to see how deep the knife will eventually sit in the sheath.

Insert your knife into the sheath. If the sheath is tight, use a finger (or a wooden dowel) to open the mouth of the sheath a little. Then just insert the knife and push it into the sheath as far as you want it to go.

Using your fingers, form the leather around the knife.

Once you're satisfied with the fit, set the sheath down (with the knife still inserted) and let it air-dry.

Don't use a hair-dryer, an oven or any other heat source.

We suggest leaving it to air-dry overnight. This wet-fitting method has been known to produce excellent results in as little as an hour, but you want to make sure that the leather is completely dry.

Notice the difference between the flat sheath before wet-fitting (left) compared to the formed sheath after wet-fitting (right).

Although our method doesn't achieve dramatic wet-fitting or "boning," it's much simpler, and there's almost no risk of messing up either your knife or your sheath.

3 Things We Wish Non-Knife People Knew

Much as we hate to admit it, we really do separate the people in this world into two groups: Those who "get" knives, and those who don't. Here are a few things we wish that the latter group understood.

1. Knives are tools. For knife people, modern life can be a challenge. See, there's this public perception that a knife -- any knife -- is a weapon.

It's an attitude that's spawned unfounded fear among the uninformed, as well as all manner of spurious laws. (Just ask our friends in the U.K.)

We know better. We know that knives are tools .

Knives are both useful and necessary. They prepare our food, perform countless tasks throughout our workdays and leisure time, and even save lives. Knives are the indispensable companions of tradesmen, first responders and everyday folk.

Like any tool, a knife is simply an object. It deserves respect, but certainly not fear.

2. Knife people aren't all woodsmen. Lots of knife people celebrate The Great Outdoors. Many of us enjoy spending time (and using our knives) hiking and camping, hunting and fishing and more.

We're not all hairy lumberjacks, though, and we're not always on the prowl for something to whittle or chop down. Some of us use our knives only at the office or around the house, never getting so much as a whiff of campfire smoke. Others among us are collectors, fond of our knives simply because, well, they're knives.

In short, knife people look pretty much like the rest of society. It takes all kinds.

(For the record, we actually do know a few knife-loving lumberjacks -- and they're okay.)

3. People who are enthusiastic about knives are some of the smartest, most practical folks you'll ever meet. We know a lot of knife people, and we can testify that this is absolutely true.

Knives are hand tools, so as knife people we truly enjoy working with our hands. Whether it's using our knives or taking care of them (sharpening them, that is), we have a keen interest in honing our skills.

We're just down-to-earth that way.

And because knives carry a long, rich tradition, we also tend to be history buffs. Not only can we recite all the geeky stuff about our blades -- patterns, steels, locking mechanisms and the like -- many of us probably could teach a master class on their lineage.

Yes, we know that there will always be those who'll never understand knives and knife people. Still, we think these are points worth making -- for them, and for us.

A lot of folks have been asking about the upcoming Bark River version of Marble's venerable Trailmaker. Called the 1909 Michigan Bowie, today we get another look at this massive knife -- still a ways off yet, but tantalizing all the same.

Speaking of big knives, Jim hoists a raw blank for the much-anticipated Barong. (Let the puns begin.) We also get glimpses of a run of the Fox River and another of the Bravo 1.25, as well as a warranty re-handling being performed by a member of the Escanaba crew.

Of special interest to Barkaholics will be our first-ever look inside the Bark River inventory room, with its dizzying array of handle materials and blades.

Oh, Jim did mention something about a competition chopper... but you'll have to watch the video to see what we mean. See you next week!

3 Ways to Customize Your Modern Folding Knife

The way we look at it, you own a knife the moment you buy it -- but it doesn't become your own until you've lived with it for a while.

Over time, as we get to know a knife, many of us feel the itch to tweak it some, and modern folders are among the easiest knives to customize. Here are a few ways to make that happen.

1. Adjust the pivot. This may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised to learn just how many folks don't take advantage of this opportunity to easily tailor a folder to their liking.

Here's the deal -- each of us has a preference for how we want a knife to feel. Some people like a blade to swing smooth and easy, while others favor a tad more resistance. Either way, it's a simple matter of adjusting the tension (tightness) of the pivot screw.

The goal is to find the "sweet spot," and exactly where that is will depend on your personal preference. Make a slight adjustment, live with it for a while and then (if need be) fine-tune the tension 'til it suits you.

Naturally, you don't want the pivot so loose that the blade flops open in your pocket. Over-tightening the pivot, on the other hand, can make the knife downright unusable and cause premature wear.

2. Change the position of the pocket clip. This is another easy (and often overlooked) way to make a folding knife your own.

Some (but not all) modern folding knives equipped with a pocket clip -- like those from Benchmade, Zero Tolerance, Kershaw and others -- allow more than one position for the clip, accommodating either left- or right-handed carry, or even tip-up or tip-down carry. Look at the current position of the clip on your knife, as well as how it attaches, and then examine the handle scales for vacant holes or grooves in a similar pattern at the other end (and on the opposite side).

Simply remove the screws holding the clip in place, move it to the new position and replace the screws. (Applying a tiny amount of blue Loctite to the threads of each screw is a good idea.)

3. Install custom handle scales. Okay, we admit it -- this is a plug for something we sell. It also happens to be one of the coolest things we sell, perhaps the ultimate custom upgrade for certain models of Benchmade folding knives.

So if you love your Benchmade Griptilian or Barrage but find yourself wishing for something a bit, well, sexier, this is for you.

Our custom G-10 handle scales are machined specifically to fit the full-size Griptilian (550, 551, 553), the Mini-Griptilian (555, 556, 557, 55X) and the full-size Barrage (580). Available exclusively from KnivesShipFree, they completely change the way these knives look and feel.

All the hardware you'll need is included. And to help you make the swap, for Griptilian models we created illustrated instructions and a step-by-step video.

(Need a Torx driver to help you work on your favorite folder? We recommend the Benchmade BlueBox tool kit.)

3 Things That Cut Better with a Serrated Edge

Serrated edges, physically speaking, have a couple of advantages over plain edges. On blades of similar size, the scalloped profile essentially increases the length of the cutting edge, and those sharpened scallops attack the work (the material being cut) from multiple angles.

Because a serrated edge "bites" more aggressively than a plain edge, it tends to perform better on hard, tough or fibrous work.

Whenever we think about the best uses of a serrated knife, three materials come to mind.

1. Rope. A work knife with a serrated edge is ideal when the job calls for cutting rope, twine or cordage. If you've proven this to yourself, you know that less effort is required for a given cut -- the edge does the work. And even though a very sharp plain edge can produce similar results, serrations make the task far less fatiguing (especially when making repeated cuts over an extended period).

2. Bread. When you're slicing bread, rolls, bagels or pastries, serrations perform a different function. A push-pull motion allows the scalloped edge to cut without exerting much downward pressure, thus avoiding smooshed food. That "sawing" stroke slices effectively but preserve the integrity of baked goods.

3. Steak. We can't help noticing that the word "steak" often is preceded by the word "juicy" -- the point being that the juices belong in the meat, not on the plate or the cutting board. A serrated steak knife, like a proper bread knife, does the cutting without requiring much downward pressure, so the juices stay in the meat.

(We'll give Tomatoes an honorable mention here as yet another food that cuts better with a serrated knife, and for the same reasons as bread and steak.)

By the way, if your daily routine calls for both plain and serrated edges, makers like Benchmade, Kershaw and Zero Tolerance offer EDC-worthy knives with "combination" edges. They're the best of both worlds.

Sharp eyes will notice the carefully skeletonized tang of the Compact, and real knife aficionados will appreciate Jim's explanation of the Corby bolts used by Bark River.

See you next week!

3 Ways to Open a Folding Knife*

(*that your granddad might not recognize)

Depending on how old you are, you may never have lived in a world without folders designed to be opened with just one hand. But once upon a time, believe it or not, deploying a folding knife required two hands -- which usually meant digging a thumbnail into a machined "nick" near the spine of the blade and pulling the blade out of the handle.

Knives like that are still with us, of course, in the form of traditional slipjoint pocketknives like those carried for many generations. For the last 30 years or so, however, one-handers have become wildly popular. Here are a few things that might have our elders scratching their heads.

1. The thumb stud. Arguably the most common one-hand-opening feature, the thumb stud is employed by Benchmade, Chris Reeve, Kershaw, Spartan Blades and other knife manufacturers.

A thumb stud essentially replaces the nail nick found on more traditional knives. The principle is pretty straightforward -- grasp the folded knife, place the tip of your flexed thumb on the stud and extend your thumb to swing the blade through its arc until the blade is fully open.

Knives with a thumb stud usually incorporate a locking mechanism of some sort. If the stud extends through the blade (protruding on both sides), the knife can be opened with either hand.

2. The thumb hole. Since the 1980s, the familiar round hole has most often been associated with folding knives from Spyderco. Over the years, numerous other knifemakers have adopted or adapted the feature -- Benchmade and Brous Blades, to name two.

There's good reason for this industrial mimickry -- the thumb hole works.

Opening a folder equipped with a thumb hole (or a similar opening, like a slot) is just like using a thumb stud. By its very design, it's ambidextrous. And many knife lovers favor a hole because, unlike a stud, it doesn't protrude from the blade.

3. The flipper. If you judge this to be a relative newcomer on the one-hand-opening scene, you'd be right -- at least in terms of its popularity. Benchmade has made a flipper or two, but it's most often associated with Brous Blades and, of course, Zero Tolerance and Kershaw.

While studs and holes enlist a thumb to open the knife, a flipper employs an index finger, and the feature is naturally ambidextrous. Some folks report that deploying a flipper reliably takes a bit of practice, and we're inclined to agree.

An essential element of a great flipper is a high-quality pivot mechanism. Two manufacturers, in particular, do their pivots extraordinarily well -- namely, the Brous Blades proprietary bearing system and Zero Tolerance's smooth-as-glass KVT ball-bearing system.

One more thing before we leave this topic (and this'll really confuse grandpa) -- some folding knives combine more than one of the features we just covered.

A number of models produced by Brous Blades, for example, include both a flipper and a variation on the thumb hole. This gives the user two options, tailoring one-hand opening to task, aptitude or comfort.

Some knives also incorporate a spring assist. Zero Tolerance and Kershaw are known for their SpeedSafe feature, usually in combination with a flipper, and several of Benchmade's thumb-stud models are spring-assisted as well.

3 Bad Things About Giving a Kid a Knife

By now you know how we feel about kids and knives -- they belong together. We firmly believe that it's our responsibility as adults to introduce the young people in our lives to the wonderful world of edged tools. That's why we started "Knives for Kids," a program that's exceeded even our wildest expectations.

It's not all a bed of roses, though. There's definitely a darker side to giving a kid a knife.

If you've ever tried to mentor a bambino with a blade, you know what we're talking about. And if you haven't, here are three of the gloomier prospects.

1. The kid becomes even nerdier than you are about knives. You're a certifiable knife knut. You've spent long hours studying knives, both their history and their technical aspects. You pride yourself in knowing more than the typical hobbyist.

And then it happens -- your little darling, the child who's had a knife of their own for just a few weeks, tells you something you didn't know.

It could be anything, really. Maybe the kid describes, suddenly and with uncharacteristic eloquence, the influence of the Dadley on modern tactical knives. Perhaps they quiz you about the relative toughness of powder-metallurgy steels -- and it's obvious, despite their feigned innocence, that they already know the answers.

That's when you realize that you'd better get used to standing on your toes, 'cause that's right where the kid wants you.

2. The kid starts calling dibs on your knives. As long as your personal Mini-Me has been around, they've watched you handle and use your knives. You have more than one blade, of course -- many more -- and you've taken the time to patiently explain to the young'un what makes each one special.

The kid seemed to enjoy that. You did, too.

At some point, however, childlike admiration turned to lust. One night, after tucking them into bed, you spy a scrap of paper on their nightstand -- a hand-scrawled list of your knives, ranked and meticulously rated according to which ones they want when you're no longer around.

And that's not even the worst that could happen. If you have more than one kid in the house, it's entirely possible that behind your back they're actually negotiating about who gets what -- trading toys, video games or household chores for the rights to your collection of blades.

Maybe it's time you started eating healthier. It wouldn't hurt to get some exercise, too.

3. When you give a kid their first knife, you get to do it only once. We may be in the knife business, but we still remember our very first knife. More than that, we remember the exact moment it was placed in our grimy little hands.

We'll bet you do, too. Pretty much everyone does -- it's a rite of passage, one of those special flashes of time that sticks with a person forever.

As adults, we're on the other side of moments like that. And when we hand a kid their first knife, it can be just as special for us.

It happens so very quickly. We don't get a re-do. We don't have another shot at being totally present in that moment.

In the days that follow, more "firsts" happen right in front of us. They're simple things -- the first pointy stick, the first peeled potato, the first successful sharpening job.

Pay attention. Don't let those moments get by you -- you'll regret it if you do.

(Besides, you'll want to have your eyes wide open the day you come home to find the kid batoning the patio furniture.)

Jim Stewart, Bark River's production manager, begins by giving us the ultimate sneak-peek -- a 3D-printed model of the upcoming Kalahari Mini-Sportsman. From there we walk through the new leather shop, where about half of Bark River's sheaths are now produced, and we get quick glimpses of knives in various stages of production, including the Fox River LT in 3V and the Essential in 20CV.

Jim also teases us with a couple of stunning handle materials, showing off some "pine cone" slabs as well as a new "hybrid burl." We end this tour in a vitally important area of the shop: Quality Control.

So check out this week's video visit, and be sure to watch KnivesShipFree.com for next week's edition...

3 Great Knives for a Boy Scout

The Boy Scouts of America offers almost three dozen Scout knives, so there's no shortage of "official" options. Still, perhaps you want your Scout to have something of higher quality. Or maybe you simply want the boy to have a made-in-USA knife (and most BSA-licensed knives, if not all, are imported).

First, check with the adult Scout leader to see if the troop has any rules about blade length or other features. Thus informed, you'll want to consider three basic types of knives for your Scout.

1. A two-blade slipjoint pocketknife. This type of traditional knife is ideal for young Scouts. The main blade need not be longer than three inches, and the secondary blade should be of a different profile and shorter. That setup gives the boy two knives in one -- a large blade for general tasks and a small one for finer work (like whittling).

The Great Eastern Cutlery #72 Cody Scout, with a large drop-point blade and smaller pen, would be a good choice. Other options could include the two-blade Queen Cutlery #69 Barlow, the Canal Street Cutlery English Barlow and the Great Eastern #15 Huckleberry Boy's Knife.

(By the way, if your Scout's troop requires that all folding knives have locking blades, go ahead and pick up a single-blade folder like a Benchmade 556 Mini-Griptilian or a Buck 110 Folding Hunter.)

2. A medium-sized fixed-blade knife. Provided your Scout has earned the privilege of carrying a fixed-blade knife -- back in our day, we called that a "Totin' Chip" -- we recommend one with a blade between three and four inches long. The blade should be fairly thin (1/8 inch or so), too, and we advise a guard of some sort.

Bark River's Featherweight Hunter, albeit relatively expensive, is a perfect example of such a knife. Other alternatives would be the L.T. Wright Genesis and Bushcrafter (both slightly longer than our recommended four inches), along with the Hess Hunter and Whitetail, as well as the Fiddleback Forge production Hiking Buddy and Bushfinger.

There are lots more -- we offer these only as suggestions.

As for handles, choose a material that you won't have to worry about. Micarta, G-10 and other tough synthetics are best. In addition, consider blade steel -- stainless requires less attention, suiting a rough-and-tumble Scout, but carbon steels can be easier to sharpen (which can be an advantage when a Scout is learning).

3. A traditional multi-tool Scout knife. If you were a Scout once yourself, you probably remember your own "official" knife -- an old-school multi-tool made by Camillus, Ulster or another now-defunct American cutlery company.

It's still possible to present your Scout with a pocketknife like that, in the form of the Queen #99 Scout.

If you're the nostalgic type, the made-in-USA #99 is sure to bring back memories. It's equipped with a spear-point blade, a can opener, an awl and a combination cap lifter/screwdriver blade. The steel is Queen's famous high-carbon D2, which resists corrosion well for a carbon tool steel and holds an admirable edge.

Ultimately, you're choosing a knife that will serve your Boy Scout well and, with care, lasts a lifetime. As a matter of fact, we still have ours.

3 Reasons to Give a Knife to a Kid

As knife people, it can be immensely satisfying to share our passion with the young people in our lives. Here are three good reasons why you should give a kid a knife.

1. It's an opportunity to teach skills. As we get older and look back on our experiences, we notice that the best moments were when we first learned how to do something -- catch a fish, build a fire, ride a bicycle, rebuild a carburetor. In the process we found out that tools come and go, but skills stick and stay.

Acquiring a skill as simple as whittling can spark enthusiasm that lasts a lifetime. Heck, with a knife and the right kid you can even combine lessons -- distinguishing between green and dry sticks, shaving a green stick to a point and, for the payoff, roasting the perfect marshmallow.

2. Knives have history. If a child shows interest in the how and why of knives, seize the chance to share the history of edged tools. Tell romantic tales of natives and settlers, adventures of woodsmen and knifemakers, and you'll connect a 21st Century kid to something called tradition.

Who knows? You might just tilt their imagination toward constructive play in the woods (and away from hypnosis in front of a video game).

3. Having a knife teaches personal responsibility. The way we see it, this is the best reason to give a kid a knife.

You're entrusting a child with a tool that can harm as surely as it can help, so with a knife, responsibility is the most important concept you'll teach. They'll actually want to be responsible, too, because every kid alive sees possessing a knife as a rite of passage.

The secret? Start the process without a knife. Create an atmosphere of responsibility. Set a good example. Go gently, and watch for the child to follow your lead. Then, when the time is right, introduce a knife.

Children, taught with patience, can remind us that we don't know everything after all. They often show us what we've forgotten. And if we're paying attention, they'll teach us as much as we teach them.

For more information -- including an opportunity to present your favorite kid with a special knife -- check out our Knives for Kids page.

3 Good Reasons to Always Carry a Knife

With a nod to Gibbs' Rule #9 -- "Never go anywhere without a knife" -- we humbly present three good reasons to always carry a knife.

1. Emergencies happen. We don't mean to cause alarm here, but imagine that you've been in an auto accident. Your seat-belt latch is jammed and you need to get out in a hurry before (shall we say) something really bad happens. If you have a knife, you can cut the belt and escape.

Or picture this: you're stranded, alone and miles from home. That knife in your pocket, however humble as it is, immediately becomes your survival knife. It's still a difficult situation, for sure, but at least you have an indispensable tool which (along with your skills and the proper mindset) might just save your life.

Be prepared, for cryin' out loud -- carry a knife.

2. Something always needs cutting. Does a day go by that you don't come across a task that'd go better with a knife?

Something long should be shorter. A wire needs stripping, a shrub needs pruning. Annoying clothing tags must be snipped from collar seams, and right now. Tape and rope, envelopes and cardboard boxes.

School projects.

And that's not counting how handy a knife can be for making unexpected repairs -- like, say, effecting a temporary fix on a cracked radiator hose.

3. Face it, you gotta eat. Obviously, many everyday-carry knives see what we call "picnic duty" -- quartering an apple, slicing salami and cheese, spreading mayo and the like. But how often would a person take out a pocketknife in a fancy restaurant to cut their steak?

Quite often, actually. We do it all the time.

Nothing frustrates a real knife person as much as an insufferably useless steak knife. The good news is that as long as you carry your own knife, you'll never go hungry.

Looking for knife-shopping guidance? Check out "How to choose a knife to carry every day."

(After all, since we're now right around the corner from the Bark River shop, we couldn't pass up an opportunity to share with you what we can see every day.)

This week, Bark River production boss Jim Stewart shows off the next knife that'll come off the Escanaba line -- the Snowy River, last built in 2005, produced this time in Elmax. We also get a quick peek at a blank for the upcoming Trailmaker, as well as the last of the Mini-Kalaharis being shipped out to distributors.

Stay tuned for next week's installment, which likely will include scenes from this weekend's Bark River Grind-In.

3 Good Reasons to Sharpen Your Own Knives

A sharp knife is more effective, more efficient and safer. No edge lasts forever, of course, and we find no joy in using a knife that's about as sharp as a billiard ball.

Many knifemakers -- Bark River, Benchmade, Zero Tolerance and others -- offer sharpening services at little or no cost to you, and sometimes that's a good option. We believe, however, that you should sharpen your own knives. Here are three good reasons why.

1. Sharpening is a skill. We're only as good as our skills. We can have all kinds of fancy, expensive and way-cool knives, but they're just tools. What matters is what we can do with them.

In our opinion, skills define us.

Sharpening is a skill which must be learned. Sharpening a knife is a manual task which takes time to accomplish. While those two truths may not fly high in our automated world, they're essential to owning a knife. So if you own the tool, you should make the commitment to acquiring the skills required to maintain it.

2. You'll learn about your knife. When you sharpen a knife by hand, you learn about its steel, its grind and its edge. By getting a feel for angle and motion, time and effort, you'll find out how hard and wear-resistant the material is.

Listen carefully -- you'll hear the steel talking.

The lessons you take, by the way, apply not only to sharpening a knife, but also to using it. Taking the time to sharpen your own knives will pay big dividends when you put them to work.

3. You're taking responsibility for your knife. We're often amazed at folks who bemoan the disturbing trend toward "outsourcing," and yet they farm-out ordinary tasks that they're perfectly capable of doing themselves.

Like sharpening a knife, for example.

It's your knife. You will be the first person to sense that its edge is getting dull -- not a sharpening service, not your buddy, you. It's just common sense for you to take personal responsibility for maintaining it. Make the commitment to keeping your knife effective, efficient and safe.

Want to learn more? Visit our Knife Sharpening page.

3 Myths About Custom Knives

There's truly nothing like a custom knife -- if you don't have yours (yet), then put it on your "bucket list." In our opinion, anyone who appreciates fine craftsmanship should own at least one handmade custom.

There are a few persistent myths about custom knives, though, so let's debunk them now.

1. Custom knives are just for show. High-quality custom knives are made by people who know knives. Not only do the 'makers build a knife the right way, they know what makes a great knife -- design, steel, heat treating, balance, ergonomics and more. There's also an attention to detail that's hard to find in our cookie-cutter world.

No matter how beautiful, ornate or rare they may be, however, none of the custom knives we sell carry a "For Display Only" label. All of them are designed to be used -- that's the knifemakers' intent, and that's what we encourage.

2. Custom knives are fragile. The same qualities that make custom knives usable qualify them for serious use.

They're not at all fragile -- quite the opposite, in fact. And when you think about how a top-notch custom is made, it's easy to see why.

Each knife, for all intents and purposes, is individually handmade. The 'maker has the chance to lay eyes and hands on every aspect of every knife. Pride and reputation are on the line each time he puts his name on the blade, so buy your custom (and use it) with confidence.

3. The selection of great custom knives is limited -- there's just not much variety. This might be the silliest myth of all, and one look at our own selection of customs quickly dispels it.

The root of this misconception may be that "custom knife" is perceived to be synonymous with traditional Bowies, ornate daggers and objets d'art. And while knives fitting those descriptions certainly are available, the custom-knife universe is far more diverse.

As younger knifemakers have taken up the craft, they've brought along their own cultural and artistic influences. Today we see everything from the traditional to the tactical, from intricate to downright minimalist. Honestly, measured by variety and quality, this might just be the "golden age" of custom knives.

Finally, remember that one of the best thing about customs is that each is unique -- when you own a custom knife, you know that no one else has one quite like it. That's especially true of the hand-forged product of the bladesmith's art.

KnivesShipFree stocks a wide selection of custom knives from 'makers like Murray Carter, Fiddleback Forge, Jesse Hemphill, Lon Humphrey, Dan Koster, Mike Malosh, Jeff Murison, Oaks Bottom Forge, Alan Warren and more.

by Tom Lindsay

There seems to be quite a demand for fixed-blade knives that mimic the one depicted by George Washington Sears (a.k.a. "Nessmuk") in his landmark book, Woodcraft. Even his double-bitted hatchet has drawn a fair bit of attention.

It's surprising, then, at least to us, that Nessmuk's simple folding knife appears to have gotten lost in the historical shuffle. Maybe that's because the old woodsman devoted scarcely half-a-sentence to it in Woodcraft:

"The strong double-bladed pocket knife is the best model I have yet found, and, in connection with the sheath knife, is all sufficient for camp use."

Though stingy with his words, Nessmuk did include an illustration. It shows a relatively large slipjoint, fitted with a clip blade on one end and a spear-point blade on the other. In pocketknife parlance, there's a name for that pattern.

It's called a "moose."

Saying that slipjoints have fallen completely out of favor with modern-day woodsmen might be a bit of a stretch, but there's no denying that they've been squeezed by single-blade folders and multi-tools. An initial push from the Buck 110 on one side and the Leatherman PST on the other, followed by countless descendants and imitators, has almost relegated the venerable pocketknife to "quaint" status -- in some folks' minds, anyway.

Respectfully, we differ.

Maybe that's because we grew up with pocketknives, learning to do all manner of things with only a small blade or two (or three). Call us old-fashioned, but we still believe that the classic slipjoint is an essential tool to have in the woods, always keeping in mind that it's best deployed as part of a "system" of tools (Nessmuk's "trio," for example).

So we're not yet ready to retire our love of pocketknives. Bring on the moose.

Surveying today's slipjoint marketplace, we found a number of knives that could fill Nessmuk's bill, from beefy trappers to slender muskrats. Ultimately we paid a visit to KnivesShipFree, a great source for Great Eastern Cutlery, and settled on the #54 pattern -- specifically, a Tidioute "Big Moose" (MSRP $160, KnivesShipFree $95).

We chose the #54 Big Moose because it's true to the iconic woodsman's intent, if not necessarily absolutely identical to the knife he used. Also, from the range of handle materials available we opted for maroon linen Micarta -- after all, this will be a bushcrafter's knife, a tool that'll be used hard and treated roughly, and Micarta is pretty much bulletproof.

Great Eastern's #54 is a substantial knife -- a real hand-filler, measuring four inches closed and weighing just shy of four ounces. Each of the 1095 carbon-steel blades (a conventional clip and a spear, like Nessmuk's) is three inches long, rides on its own (stiff) backspring and features a half-stop. The blades arrived in our hands with acceptably sharp working edges.

The pins and three full liners are brass; the bolsters and bar-style shield are nickel-silver. Fit and finish on this knife is old-school perfect -- everything walks, talks, shines and aligns just as it should. No play and no wiggles.

Aesthetically, the #54 Big Moose's simplicity and clean lines make it a very handsome knife. We found that it carried easily in a front pants pocket, despite its size and weight. It became even more comfortable when paired with a pocket slip.

In use, this Moose quickly proved its worth. Its clip blade excelled at fine carving, "backwoods surgery" and camp-kitchen duty, while we deployed the spear blade for general woodswork. In fact, although we always carry a medium-sized fixed-blade into the woods, for most tasks we left the larger knife sheathed on our belt and relied on the Big Moose.

The flat-ground blades performed exceptionally well for their size. They took a respectable edge and touched up easily with a couple of passes on a field strop. And although we never forgot that our Big Moose is still a slipjoint, its firm backsprings gave us a measure of confidence. We like that.

It'd be easy to make a case for the Great Eastern #54 Tidioute Big Moose as a "go-to" knife -- seriously, it's that versatile and capable. We're not suggesting that it could replace the other tools in a bushcraft set, not by a long shot, but we believe this knife will surprise a lot of people.

Come to think of it, the next time we head afield for a weekend maybe we'll take just the Big Moose, leaving our other tools behind, and explore its limits a little more. That could be fun.

We suspect the old woodsman would like it, too.

Sources

• KnivesShipFree http://www.knivesshipfree.com/
• Great Eastern Cutlery http://www.greateasterncutlery.com/

3 Things To Love About Zero Tolerance Folders

We've watched the Zero Tolerance product line mature (for lack of a better term) over the last several years, and we really like what we see. These days there's a lot to love about ZT knives, but if we had to pick just three things...

1. The look. When you see a Zero Tolerance folder, you know it -- ZTs have a distinctive appearance that says "modern" without being contrived or silly. We're especially fond of the latest generation of ZT folders.

These aren't mere styling exercises, though. Sure, they're sexy -- but they can cook, too, which is why a number of us here at KnivesShipFree have at least one Zero Tolerance folder in our EDC rotations.

2. The materials. This is a knife company committed to using top-quality, hell-for-stout materials in its frames and handles -- titanium, carbon fiber and G-10, to name just a few.

Beyond skin-deep, Zero Tolerance isn't shy about using "super steels" -- the current lineup of folders includes blades crafted from Elmax, M390 and even Crucible CPM M4 tool steel.

We admire ZT's choice of materials not because it's hip or different, but because they (along with the knives' sound design) just plain work.

3. The Zero Tolerance Limited Lifetime Warranty. We're big fans of the way ZT backs its products -- not just the warranty itself, but the service that stands behind it.

If your Zero Tolerance folder gets dull, the company will sharpen it for free. Accidentally break the blade doing something really stupid? They'll replace it for $30, no matter how it got that way.

Thirty bucks. How cool is that?

KnivesShipFree stocks a great selection of Zero Tolerance knives, both folders and fixed-blades.

3 Great Things About Benchmade's AXIS Mechanism

The patented AXIS lock from Benchmade is definitely one of our favorite mechanisms. Once engaged, the tang wedges surely between a a big stop pin and the AXIS bar. Solid.

Here, in our opinion, are the three best things about the Benchmade AXIS.

1. It's strong. The AXIS mechanism is a sound and proven design. If you doubt its ultimate strength, you should watch this Benchmade lab video (below) of the 275 Adamas folder.

Prepare to be impressed.

2. It's durable. The AXIS has been around for quite a while now. We've sold thousands of AXIS-equipped Benchmade folders, and several KnivesShipFree staffers regularly EDC an AXIS knife.

In our experience, the Benchmade AXIS not only works -- it just plain holds up. And although no man-made gizmo is perfect, this one has a long-term record of durability that takes a back seat to no one.

3. It's flickable. An AXIS-equipped folder can be opened using the ambidextrous thumb stud, but it also can be "flicked." Simply pull back on the AXIS lever (both sides, using thumb and forefinger) and snap it open with a quick flick of your wrist.

Ok, that's just cool. And with practice, you'll be able to flick it closed, too.

One more thing -- as much as we love the Benchmade AXIS mechanism, we never put a locking folder to work without first acknowledging that it's still a folding knife -- or, as fixed-blade fans say, "a knife that's already broken in the middle." A folder, even an AXIS folder, will never match the strength of a fixed blade.

Perhaps you're asking because you want your Scout to have something of higher quality than the official knives. Or maybe you simply want the boy to have a made-in-USA knife (and few, if any, of the BSA-licensed knives are).

Your first step should be to have a conversation with the adult Scout leader, to see if the troop imposes any specific rules (blade length, etc.). Once you're equipped with that information, our thoughts on the subject will be more useful.

For boys who are fortunate enough to be involved in Scouting, we suggest starting out with a traditional slipjoint pocketknife fitted with two blades. The main blade need not be longer than three inches, and the secondary blade should be shorter and of a different profile. The combination essentially gives the boy two knives in one, with a large blade for general tasks and a smaller one for fine work.

The #72 Cody Scout from Great Eastern Cutlery is a good example of what we're talking about. Other options include the two-blade Queen Cutlery #69 Barlow, the Canal Street Cutlery English Barlow and the Great Eastern #15 Huckleberry Boy's Knife.

An alternative to a slipjoint would be a single-blade locking folder such as a Benchmade 556 Mini-Griptilian or a Buck 110 Folding Hunter. Consider knives like these if the troop requires that Scouts' folders have locking blades.

If your Scout has earned the privilege of carrying a fixed-blade knife, we recommend choosing one with a blade between three and four inches long, and it should be relatively thin (around 1/8 inch). A guard of some sort would be a good idea.

Bark River's Featherweight Hunter, although pricey, perfectly illustrates this type of knife. Other candidates would be the Genesis and Bushcrafter from L.T. Wright (albeit both slightly longer than four inches), along with the Hess Hunter and Whitetail, and the Fiddleback Forge production Hiking Buddy and Bushfinger.

There are many more, of course -- we present these only as examples.

As for handles, don't worry about it -- in other words, choose handle materials that you won't have to worry about. Micarta, G-10 and other durable synthetics are best for the rigors of Scouting. Also, give some thought to blade steel -- stainless will require less attention, which suits a rough-and-tumble Scout, but most carbon steels will be easier to sharpen (especially when learning).

Now let's say that you're the nostalgic type. You were a Scout once yourself, and you remember fondly your own "official" knife -- an old-school multi-tool made by Ulster, Camillus or some other now-defunct American cutlery company.

You can actually present your Scout with a pocketknife just like that -- the Queen #99, a pattern aptly named the "Scout."

The made-in-USA #99 is guaranteed to bring back memories. It features a stout spear-point blade, a can opener, an awl and a cap lifter/screwdriver combination blade. The steel is high-carbon D2, which does a good job of resisting corrosion (for a carbon tool steel) and holds an edge very well.

In the end, you're choosing a knife that will serve your Scout well and, with care, will last a lifetime. It may even be his first knife.

During our days in Scouting, that's how it was for us -- and yes, we still have ours.

For more of our thoughts on entrusting young people with knives, visit our "Knives for Kids" page.

3 Things Every Knife Lover Should Do

We love knives. You love knives. We use our knives, we talk about them, photograph them, buy and sell and trade our knives.

Whether knives are simply a hobby for you, or an obsession, or something resembling a lifestyle, there are a few things we believe every knife lover should do.

1. Own a custom knife. The way we see it, you're not doing the whole knife thing right 'til you own a handmade custom knife.

Yes, that can involve a serious financial commitment. But really, there's nothing quite like a custom knife, and anyone who truly appreciates fine craftsmanship should own at least one custom.

You needn't make the jump right away, of course -- take your time and survey the myriad options available. But once you have your very own custom, trust us, you'll be one happy knife lover.

2. Visit a knifemaker's shop. There are small knifemakers all over the U.S. and beyond, and a few of them welcome the occasional visitor. If the opportunity presents itself, try to arrange a brief visit to a 'maker's shop.

Naturally, you should be respectful of their time. (It's their business, after all, so their time is money.) Try to stay out from underfoot, too, during your visit -- then again, you also shouldn't be too surprised if you get put to work.

Getting an up-close-and-personal look at what goes into making a fine knife by hand can be a real eye-opener. You'll leave with a new and greater appreciation of craftsmanship.

3. Attend a Bark River Knives "Grind-In." A few times each year, Mike Stewart and his crew in Escanaba, Michigan hold what's become known as a "Grind-In." Knife lovers -- mostly "Barkaholics" -- from all over the world come to the Bark River Knives facility for great fun, great food and unmatched camaraderie with like-minded knife lovers.

Oh, there's one other perk of going to a Grind-In -- under the watchful eyes of the patient Bark River staff, you get to make your own knife to take home.

There's a modest fee for attending, and space is limited, but a Bark River Grind-In just might be the best time you'll ever have as a knife lover. For more information about upcoming events, keep an eye on the Bark River Knives Group on Facebook.