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    How to turn your ESEE knife into a firesteel striker(Post)

    A firesteel requires a sharp striker. It's possible to use your knife’s sharpened edge to get sparks flying, of course, but doing that even a few times creates a dull spot you’ll have to touch up late

    FAQ: What's a "working edge"?(Post)

    If you sharpen your own knives, you're a step ahead of most people. If you don't, it's time you learned -- there's plenty of information right here on KnivesShipFree, like our Knife Sharpening page

    In praise of the 'gentleman's knife'(Post)

    Once upon a time, every gentleman carried a pocketknife -- everywhere he went, every single day. He didn't have one knife for the office, another for household chores and another for Sunday

    ​Lessons from George and Horace: The Woodcraft Trio(Post)

    We love hearing from our friends and customers, of course. Some days, though, it feels to us like  everyone is looking for The Knife, that one do-it-all blade that can take on everything from kit

    ​Lessons from George and Horace: The Sheath Knife(Post)

    As we said in our last post, we can learn much from the "trio" of woodcraft tools carried by George Washington Sears (a.k.a. "Nessmuk") and Horace Kephart. Most of us, however, are more familiar wi

    FAQ: What are the advantages and disadvantages of a hollow grind?(Post)

    What it is: A hollow grind features symmetric, concave surfaces ending in a thin, extremely sharp edge. A hollow grind doesn't produce a very strong edge, and therefore generally isn't suitable

    Canal Street Cannitler(Post)

    If you're anything like us, you cringe when you hear the word "hybrid." Merging two or more perfectly good concepts into a new product rarely works well.Canal Street's three-blade "Cannitler" is a wel

    How-To: Knife tips & tricks(Post)

    Knife tips & tricks Remove rust the write way: If you're having trouble getting rust out of the nooks and crannies of your knife, you can "scribble" it away with the point of a lead (graphite) p

    When Good Edges Go Bad(Post)

    When good edges go bad For the true knife lover, there's an almost indescribable thrill that comes with using a sharp blade. A keen edge glides effortlessly through the work, responding as muc

    FAQ: When should I give my kids their first expensive knife?(Post)

    You'll have to judge that by your kid. One of my girls got a Bark River as her first knife, for instance, while another started with a $20 knife until I saw that she was responsible enough for a bette

    FAQ: What are the advantages and disadvantages of different handle materials?(Post)

    When you're considering a particular knife, you look for quality. And while the blade is by far the most important component, the handle deserves attention as well. If the handle is defective, ch

    ​Lessons from George and Horace: The Woodsman's Slipjoint(Post)

    George Washington Sears (a.k.a. "Nessmuk") called it a "pocket knife." Horace Kephart's term was "jackknife." Both men appreciated having a nimble cutting tool for finer tasks, but with so much att

    3 Wintertime Knife Tips(Post)

    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 tra

    ​Special delivery: The Bark River Springbok(Post)

    The best reason to own a particular knife, as far as we're concerned, is because it works. It doesn't need to be pretty, and it doesn't need to be rare or collectible -- it simply needs to perform.Onc

    FAQ: Is it ok to clean my hunting knife in a dishwasher?(Post)

    NO. Knifemakers cringe when someone asks this question. Think about it -- your home dishwasher uses heat, pressure and semi-caustic chemicals to take the food off of your dishes -- none of that

    FAQ: What's this 'FRN' handle material?(Post)

    "FRN" (fiberglass-reinforced nylon), sometimes called "GFN" (glass-filled nylon), is a high-strength plastic especially well-suited to the handles of folding knives.Specifically, FRN is a nylon pol

    FAQ: What knife would you recommend for the Zombie Apocalypse?(Post)

    Exactly how you prepare to meet The Undead is entirely your business. A knife, however, will be essential to your survival. We recommend that you buy the largest knife you possibly can. And t

    This week at Bark River: October 8, 2015(Post)

    In this week's visit to Bark River Knives, production honcho Jim Stewart focuses on one particular knife -- the Essential. This run is being done in CPM 20CV, one of Jim's favorite steels.We get so

    FAQ: What knife-safety rules do you recommend for kids?(Post)

    This is one of those things that you will have to figure out. To give you some food for thought, however, I did this video covering the basic rules that I put on my own kids. No silliness.Treat every

    FAQ: What are the advantages of a 'recurve' edge?(Post)

    The cutting edge of a conventional knife blade (unless it's a simple straight-edge) has a single curve that begins at the point and ends where it merges into a straight section of the edge. A