2 KNIves 1 5 BLaDes oF “the other guys” J JohN CoNNor ust leaf through our pages and you’ll find ads by the big names in blades. They make outstanding knives, and their array of new models for 2013 is impressive. But this time I wanted to showcase some of The Other Guys in the knife world; some start-ups, some lesser known, and at least a few I’ll bet you’re going to see a lot more of in the future. Enjoy! No, Hallmark Cutlery is not a teensy division of the 1 greeting-card giant, but since they teamed up with custom knifemaker Sean Kendrick, 4 sales of production models of his “Bad Blood” designs are reaching giant proportions. The Harbinger is one; a heftyhand-fillerwitha4" bead-blastedbladeof8cr14steelinaprettyandpracticalprofile.Thick, texturedG10scalesandthesolidstainlessliners,hardwareandpocket clipadduptoaheckofabargainforabout$50! SCAR Blades is a small family and friends operation in 2 the Rockies; an outfit that grinds, tempers and finisheseveryknifebyhand.OneofthosefriendsisJohn Luthy, a former Marine, Iraq veteran and dedicated outdoorsmanwhoputallhisexperienceintothebeefy, highly versatile Papa Bear. It can bushwhack, skin, dress,chop,dig,sliceandmore.You’llhavetogoto the website and watch his video to appreciate the thoughtthatwentintoeveryangleandfeature,the differential heat-treating and multiple grip options —it’llmakeyouabeliever! 3 6 fighter, and the Zero Dark 30 i s afineexampleofthebreed.The 6"bladeof3/16"1095highcarbon steelisgroundandbalancedtobequickandmaneuverable,andthedeeplygroovedblacklinenMicartahandlescales assureasolidgrip.It’saknifewithmanyuses,butitslinesclearlyshowits heritageanddeadlyintent. Everybody knows Maxpedition Gear, right? But did you know the 6 honcho, Tim Tang, was a knife-knut long before he stitched his first pack?He’salwayswantedtodesignhisowneverydaycarryutilityfolder; 3 Springing from a background of biomechanics, art and precision machining,JasonBrousdrewearlypraisefromseriouscustomerswith astealthy,1-piecelittleneckknifecalledtheSilentSoldier.NowrapidlygrowingBrousBladesoffersseveraldesignsincluding,bypopulardemand, afoldingframelockversionofhisoriginalcalledtheSilentSoldierFlipper. Carbonfiberscalesandtitaniumlinerscomplementa2.7"double-ground, double-swedgedbladeofD2toolsteelyouopenbypushingtheflipperlike abutton—afast,fiercelittlefolder. andanewknifecompany:QuartermasterKnives.TheQTR-4Hannibalis thebiggestof‘em,andit’samonster!Elevenincheslongopened,ithasa 5",5mmthickmodifiedtantobladeof154CM,anextremelystronglockup, and an unbelievably agile action. Pull this one out and it will either sparkinstantconversation—orscreamingpanic! TheTOPSKnivesnameisbecomingbetterknownbutinmyopinion is still “under-appreciated” for the brute strength and quality of their work. Now, every knife nut ought to own at least one purebred WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM AboutayearagoJaredWest,themadwizardofMantisKnives,put 4 Mantisonautopilotanddroppedofftheradar.Hejustpoppedback up,havinginventedtheall-newsuper-strongandsmoothORBpivotsystem atough,all-aroundperformerpricedsoeveryMaxpeditioncustomercould haveone—ortwo.HisnewFEROXfolderhasa3.25"drop-pointblade of5Cr13steel,ergonomicfiber-reinforcednylonhandlescales,andaslick liner-lock action initiated by either using the ambi-thumbstuds or flippin’ theflipper.Youcanhaveitinserratedorplain-edge,inblack, greenorkhaki,for…getthis:$29.99!ConnorOUT. * 5 For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex and click on the company name. See more bad blades at www.americanhandgunner.com and click on Web Blast! 65 65
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