KNIVES INTERNATIONAL REVIEW # 2015 02

N°2/67-A 2015

INTERNATIONAL KNIVES REVIEW

INTERNATIONAL KNIVES REVIEW

THE MAGAZINE OF EXCELLENCE IN KNIVES AND BLADES

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COVER STORY Roberto Ottonello,

A Ligurian Knifemaker

EVENTS CUSTOM Show ‘r blades Roberto Bernini Hunting Dario Quartini Relic Style Serge Panchenko

14th edition of the National art knives show in Roccagiovine

OUR TESTS A perfect Butt Cap 904 Mini-Axis Stryker - Benchmade Qubec One - Pohl Force Jungle King I and II - Aitor Fixed HB - Fantoni

Top story

The integral

by Tonelli Knifemaker and Master of the Italian Knifemakers Corporation since 2010 has created this 300 mm long knife, called Integral Kandjar. The blade is RWL34 steel, whereas the handle is made of antique horn.

For information: Cesare Tonelli, tel. +39 0332-400 265 www.cesaretonelli.it (photo by Francesco PachĂŹ)

Table of Contents

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Cover: Hunter by Ottonello

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A pe Stryke rfect But t Cap r - Ben Qube ch c On Jung e - Po made le Ki hl Fo ng I rce an Fixed d II - Aito r HB Fanton i Axis

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We've got mail

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Roberto Ottonello

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Roberto Bernini

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The Relic style by

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Serge Panchenko

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A tailor made knife

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The knife is always a piece of art

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A sturdy one

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The immortal

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The HB won't close

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Yo soy Rambo!

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A piece of Veneto in your pocket

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Editor's letter KIR wants you!

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e are at our third issue of Knives International Review, and the answer received from you readers has been great. We have received many mails containing thanks, ideas and requests. In the following months, we shall fulfill them all.

In this issue you’ll find a number of reviews on industrial knives, we’ll make you meet some great Italian and foreign knifemakers, and the section dedicated to the arts and crafts we’ll show you how to build a butt cap. The idea is to offer you a global vision of the knife world, without extremism and preclusions.

Since its beginning, Knives International Review made a bet: to be distributed free of charge to reach the greatest number possible of readers in order to help create a better culture on knives and blades. Each month, our magazine reaches a considerable number of producers, dealers and end users, offering new ideas and making known new trends by dealing with technical and non-technical issues.

Recently, to our newsletter, we added a Facebook page. It is the place to find the latest news, and where companies and knifemakers can freely share and post their creations.

We are making every effort possible to give you the best, but now we really need your help! In fact, it is you, the reader, that plays a fundamental role in our adventure. Share this magazine by liking it or sharing the link with enthusiasts and professionals as you! Help us make it Viral!

Too often, around the globe, we have seen measures taken to limit our passion, aiming in making illegal certain kind of blades, as well as its carry. Many times these initiatives just derive from ignorance and the ensuing fear of those who do not know much about knives. ‘ L e t u s m a k e K I R r e a ch the highest number of Y TOR NTS ER S EVE COV people possible, so that more people will start to understand how complex, TOM TS CUS TES OUR faceted and fascinating our world is.

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Tommaso Rumici

Editor's letter

KNIVES INTERNATIONAL REVIEW N. 2/67a - 2015

Editorial Director Roberto Canali Managing Director Filippo Camperio Chief Administrative Officer Silvia Cei Editorial Staff Massimiliano Duca (redazione2@caffeditrice.it), Gianluigi Guiotto (coltelli@caffeditrice.it) Graphic Designers Jessica Licata, M-House Ed. di Luca Morselli Studio grafico Stefano Oriani English Version IT-wire srl (info@it-wire.com) Tommaso Rumici (zatodesign@gmail.com) Contributors Gianni Daffara, Alfredo Doricchi, Fabio Ferrari, Vincenzo Goffredo, Tommaso Rumici, Vincenzo Tumbiolo, Luigi “Sator” Tumolo, Giuseppe Vernocchi, Marco Dell’Acqua, Marta Cammilletti, Giorgio Alessandri, Francesco Pascoli, Francesco Pachì, Roberto Allara, Mauro Maggi International Advertising Luca Gallina +39 347 26 86 288 vendite3@caffeditrice.it Italian Advertising Paolo Maggiorelli +39 349 4 33 69 33 vendite1@caffeditrice.it Published by C.A.F.F. Editrice via Sabatelli, 1 - 20154 Milano tel. +39 02 34537504 fax +39 02 34537513 knives@caffeditrice.com www.caffeditrice.com

Milan Court Registration Number n. 521 issued on 10/09/2001.

Copyright by C.A.F.F. srl All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, write to the publisher at the address above.

We've got mail Knives opens its pages to all the reader in order to let them contribute to the growth of the magazine with their ideas, suggestions, advises, critics and requests. Everyone interested in asking us questions can send their letters to the Editorial Staff (C.A.F.F. Editrice - Knives, via Sabatelli 1, 20154 Milano) or send an email to: knives@caffeditrice.com

A very peculiar knife Dear Knives, my name is Michael and I am one of your most eager readers. Recently, I have received this strange knife and honestly I cannot understand its use. I thought that no one is more qualified than you to help understand what I am dealing with.

Micheal e-mail Dear Michael, first of all thank you for the passion you show for our magazine. Certainly the knife you've received is very interesting and actually has more than one name. This kind of knife with a chopper blade has its origins and different but similar forms in different parts of the world. The natives in Alaska and in the North of Canada used to calling it "Ulu" (literally a "woman's knife") and it was used in every situation but mainly to clean and skin animals. Another similar knife (with a longer and a smoother curvature) is the Chaveta Cubana that it is still used today by cigar artisan producers to cut and work the tobacco leaves.

Back to the knife in your possession, it's certainly a contemporary object used by the artisans to cut the leather and

to reduce its thickness where needed.

Unfortunately, from the pictures we cannot gather sufficient elements to evaluate its quality. On Youtube.com you can find a video that shows its use (www. youtube.com/watch?v=cnrOGbpKJQ4).

P.S.

Dalla collaborazione tra lo scrittore Nicolai Lilin e Coltellerie Maserin è nato il 987 Siberian knife.

Pugnale dalle forme tipicamente siberiane, ha lama e fodero con disegni che riprendono temi e simbologie della tradizione siberiana presenti anche nelle opere figurative e nei tatuaggi realizzati dall’autore del libro best seller Educazione Siberiana.

Coltellerie Maserin snc via dei Fabbri, 19 - 33085 Maniago (PN) Tel. +39 0427 71335 - Fax +39 0427 700690 www.maserin.com - info@maserin.com

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SHOW YOUR BLADES...

Roberto

Ottonello

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We have met with the Ligurian knifemaker to discuss four of his knives that we saw displayed at the last CIC Show and that properly represent his production

by Gianluigi Guiotto

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s for almost every k n i f e m a ke r I h av e m e t , Roberto Ottonello's passion for knives has its origins in his childhood. His first creation dates back when he was 14 years old: "I

have created my first blade by "reinterpreting" the chopper we had in our kitchen, and my mom wasn't very appreciative of it.

This led me to look outside for o t h e r s c r ap - i r o n , s u ch a s o l d 2

sickles, saw blades, washers from building materials and so on".

Since then, Roberto never stopped creating knives.

Today he is a Master of the Italian Knifemakers Corporation, with a very varied production (hunting and kitchen knives, collectible and miniature knives, reproductions of antique weapons and working tools) and the four knives in these pages are just a little portion.

He uses for the blades MA5M, AISI 440 B or 440 C, ATS 34 and, stainless steel damascus. For the handles he prefers to use wood and mainly snakewood, heather, Amboyna, olive tree briar, but also micarta, which lasts longer after several cycles in the dishwasher.

The constant factor is the mirror finishing of the blades. Because Ottonello's knives are destined to be used: "Some of my knives may end in a display cabinet.

But I've created them to be used a n d i t m ay s o u n d s t u p i d , bu t the greatest satisfaction for us knifemakers, or at least for me, is to know that one of our knives is actually used by who received as a gift or bought it.

When a hunter, with a damascus knife, comes back to me to sharpen it again and he is satisfied with it, well, what can I say, this one of the most fulfilling moments of my work". Here is Rober to's description of his blades.

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1. Roberto Ottonello's works staring from the left: Hunter, Integrale, Gravity and Masunin 2. The detail of the guard, a damascus point which is not glued, is Ottonello's pride 3. The beautiful engraving by Carlo Cavedon on Gravity 4.At the back of the handle of Integrale, Ottonello has created a loop to secure a lanyard. His knives are made to be used

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SHOW YOUR BLADES...

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WHAT'S CITES Its the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. It was founded to answer the need to control the trade of animals and plants (alive, dead or parts of it and derived from). In Italy, CITES - which is part of the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) - was enforced in 1980 and today is enforced in 175 states. Duty of each state is to monitor and properly rule on the national and international trade of species of wild fauna and flora and its derived to avoid their extinction. It was Panama that asked the members of CITES to control the cocobolo trade.

Hunter with a damascus blade Stainless steel damasteel damascus blade, treated and colored poplar, guard made of Aisi316 and stainless steel damascus. Total length: 285 mm.

"At home I had a damasteel bar of 4 mm with a superdense twist pattern - which is probably my favorite for its orderliness and the stars that come out when working it. I decided for the blade I was going to show at the CIC, to leave 10

the cutting edge quite ample. The choice of the handle was a though one.

Among natural materials, I was thorned between using something like deer antlers, and a block of a forking red poplar that had a wonderful pattern - and this is what I decide to use! But seriously, what the heck!

So it came to life this showy knife, but I have to admit that the part in which I had to work more is the one you notice less, the guard.

I don't know if you can see it from the photo, but the guard is

extremely precise and that little piece of damascus is not glued in!

Eventually, the details are those that give more satisfaction".

Integrale RWL34 blade, snakewood handle, overall length 260 mm I have been asked to create a RWL 34 Integral for a collector, thing that I did with the customer's and mine satisfaction.

Before handing it off, a hunter friend of mine saw it and asked me to create one for him too, with the same handle of desert ironwood briar.

Therefore, I stocked with 14 mm RWL 34 and started working it. The two predecessors were sub-hilt and the third one carried a aloha handle.

The one in the photo shows a classic design with a fine wood snakewood to be precise since I had a splendid piece of it".

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5. A detail of the Gravity opening pin 6.The cocobolo handle of the Masunin and the damasteel damascus blade 7. Detail of the guard of the integral with a double processing of the blade spine

interframes of different materials.

Th e b e s t o n e s we r e t h o s e i n carbon fiber and abalone. And the one with the abalone inserts is the one I have asked the great Carlo Cavedon to engrave, leaving him the choice of the design - as I normally do, since he has engraved many of my knives with great satisfaction on my side. And, again he was up to my expectations!!"

Masunin

N690 BĂśhler blade, Aisi316 stainless steel handle, abalone inserts, burin engravings by Carlo Cavedon. Total length: 175 mm

"This model is quite known and fortunately it's liked thanks to its simple and clean line.

I wa n t e d t o g ive i t a m o re personalized touch, and on some models I have added some 7

Damasteel stainless steel damascus, cocobolo wood handle, stainless steel Aisi316 band, overall length: 205 mm “This is a traditional folder model that usually I produce with N690 and laburnum. What I really like about it is the damascus blade which gives it a kind of antique flair. The handle, instead is made of cocobolo of which I appreciate the pattern and stability. Unfortunately I am allergic to cocobolo. But at that time I was creating some steak knives for which the cocobolo was a must. I was already taking some antihistaminics for this work and that is when I decided to take advantage of this situation and producing some more blades, handles for some hunting knives and for some masunin - both with damascus blade and N690.

Recently I have learned that also the cocobolo is under the Cites (see box) from December 22, 2011.

â—†

For information: Roberto Ottonello +39 010 926.91.51, www.ottonello-knives.com 11

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Gravity

SHOW YOUR BLADES...

Roberto Bernini is Tuscan from Livorno and loves boar hunting and creates knives to be used on field, still they won't cut a poor figure in a display cabinet

by Gianluigi Guiotto

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oberto started his activity as a knifemaker in 1998 as soon he ceased - due to his age - his work as a football referee.

In this new situation he gained all the time needed to cultivate his passion: hunting to which many of his knives are inspired from.

His point of reference are Randall and Loveless, namely knifemakers that created knives to be used and not rich and researched objects to be displayed or kept in a drawer.

Randall knives, still today are a cult among those who really use them, are so loved by Bernini that for a long period of time he actually reproduced them, letting him gain the nickname "the Italian Randall".

Yet, the major ity of Ber nini's

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knives are of his own design and under continuous transformations since he works only when he is inspired (he works on a single knife at the time). The point is that we are not, as is the case of Loveless, in front of a knifemaker that also hunts, but in front a hunter that also creates knives.

Hunting knives, with dimensions suitable for boars, hoofed as well as for the sophisticated Bird ‘n Trout, maybe with mammoth fossil ivory handle. He designs them as a hunter, keeping always in mind the practicality of its use. It's not by chance that when you hold one of Bernini's knives you want to start cutting something. Another trait of Bernini is the fact that he does not

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scrimp on the materials. But then again, who really uses a knife will never economize on the quality, even if a different choice would be even more appreciated from those who keep the knife in a drawer. It would be easy, for example, create blades in ATS34 - a steel used by the majority of most renown custom knifemakers. Bernini, instead, often uses AISI 440C because he gets the best results, as the case of the Bowie (on the left of the ensemble picture) and the Hunter (the knife with the black micarta handle). To be sure of the quality, Bernini buys the 440C from the United States. It costs a little bit more already from its origin compared to the ATS34 since it undergoes to the process of electro-slag remelting - an heavy metal processing which consists in obtaining special characteristics as an extremely fine grain. In Bernini's point of view, a thing that a knife always must have is the guard, because the hand cannot ever slide towards the edge. As it's an object designed to carry out a task, it must be safe and the blade has to stretch out from the hand in a very natural way, as natural extension of the hand itself.

For information: Roberto Bernini +39 339 367.20.39, www.robertobernini.it

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â—†

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In the previous page: 1. Details of the Bowie: the Aisi416 guard, the reindeer antlers handle with red, white and blue spacers, 305 mm long with a 440C steel blade 2. A detail f the Hunter with black micarta handle. The 440C steel comes from the States and has been gone through the process of electro-slag remelting - an heavy metal processing which consists in obtaining special characteristics as an extremely fine grain 3. As every tool that has to be used on field, the Semiskinner has lanyard attached to the end of the handle. It's 260 mm long and carries a Sambar deer antler handle and a CPM30V steel blade 4.The Pocket Knife has a RWL34 steel blade, a mother pearl handle and mosaic pins. It's long 125 cm.

Four knives by Roberto Bernini: from the bottom and clock-wise the small Pocket Knife, the Semiskinner, the Hunter and the Bowie

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PERSONALITIES

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The Relic style by

SERGE PANCHENKO

n e o f t h e Serge Panchenko, Ukrainian knifemaker, grew up reading a lot of folk advantages of tales, and was drawn to the presents a fascinating outlook of his works by the Inter net era stories of ancient people and explaining us how his unmistakable is the chance to have a their lifestyles. I was always “relic style�was born wider and global vision interested in mythology, and on any matter, and this greatly enjoyed reading about is applicable to world of the Vikings. I have always been text by Tommaso Rumici, pictures by Serge Panchenko knives as well. Were there drawn to old things, and enjoy not be social networks visiting antique stores. and the web, we would have never the idea of an interview that, once Old tools, and especially weapons met (almost by chance) a ver y again thanks to the IT, has been are f ascinating to me, I tr y to talented Ukrainian maker that possible by overcoming the long imagine how they were used, by now lives in the States. And why distance. whom and when. I currently work this artisan? Because Panchenkos' full time in the Nuclear Security knives not only are well crafted, but A must: who is Serge Panchenko? field, and use all of my spare time to have a unique and original style I was bor n December 12, 1983 make knives. When I am not in my which makes them immediately i n U k r a i n e . M y f a m i l y a n d I lab, I love fishing and traveling with recognizable - tough thing in such immigrated to the United States my wife Julie. I hope to become a a global environment. And here in 1992, when I was 8 years old. I full time knifemaker in the future.

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1. Relic Tork, 1095 steel and brass handle and copper pins, everything antiqued 2. Relic Stinger: a very pointed 1080 steel blade, brass and copper handle, everything antiqued and textured 3. Relic Dagger: 1095 steel dagger, copper bands and plates on the handle a brass pins 4. Imprisoned Friction Folder: the blade of this folder is clay tempered 1080 steel.The handle is made of steel, brass and copper

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When did you star t making knives?

I have always liked knives and have always enjoyed working with my hands. In 2007 I visited my first knife show and became aware of the world of handmade knives. I then joined several knife forums, where I lear ned how to make knives.

How would you describe the philosophy behind your craft?

The most impor tant par t of knifemaking for me is to constantly develop my style and skills. For this reason all of my Relic art knives are one of a kind pieces that will never be duplicated. I found that I do my best work when I challenge myself with something I have not tried before while working on a knife. I also started making folding knives recently, and greatly enjoy the challenge that goes into making a perfect folder.

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What should we expect from a Panchenko knife that can't be found elsewhere?

I g r e at ly e n j oy u s i n g t ex t u r e and patina to give my knives an appearance of being old. I also strive to design my knives to be different from most knives out there. I pay close attention to the overall flow of my knives, and use materials, shapes color and texture to complement each other even when they are contrasting each other.

What are your main tools and instruments?

My main belt grinder is a 2"x72" Coote, I also use several smaller belt grinders for fine work. Two 15

PERSONALITIES 5

drill presses, a lathe, surface grinder, blasting cabinet, compressor, heat treating oven, variable speed disk grinder, a 147 pound Hay Budden anvil, and a variety of hand tools complete my workshop.

I believe I see some Steampunk in your designs, but without u n n e c e s s a r y c o m p l e x i t y. . .

I like Steampunk, but that is not exactly what I do. I have been developing a style which I call “Relic�, this style is inspired from Mythology and ancient history.

M y R e l i c k n ive s a r e m a d e t o appear as if they came from a lost civilization, a forgotten city somewhere deep in the jungle. I like to use metals and handle m at e r i a l s t h at are not used much on modern knives such as copper, brass, bronze ronze and silver.

All of my knives are made using carbon steels for the blade, and are heavily antiqued. d. In addition to the Relic styled blades, des, I create also tactical blades, other her with Asian influences and hunting nting blades too.

Yo u d o n ' t l i m i t y o u r s e l f t o knives, but you also are into tritium lanter ns, pens and jewels...

I have started making ing other items

besides knives recently. I use the on these same finishing techniques t items as I do on my Relic knives. My jewels are also pens, lanterns and a made to appear to be remnants of a lost civilization. civilizatio The materials I are bronze, copper, use for these a brass, steel and meteorites.

What is the hardest step t when you build a knife? y I think the hardest part of building any knife b for me is the last 10%, when wh all small details have to be looked h over and carefully o adjusted to fit with the overall look of the knife. A Relic knife has to have Relic details, such as apparent signs of use like polished surfaces where they would appear after many years of use and discolorations/scratches as if from heavy use

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Do you exhibit during any knife show in or outside USA? I have attended the Blade Show in Atlanta, Georgia several times, and I hope to be at this show every year.

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Who is your favorite knifemaker?

There are several knifemakers who I greatly admire including Virgil England and Stefan Steigerwald for

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5. Crow's Head Ring Knife, 1080 steel, copper plate and brass pins 6. Relic Claw: antiqued 1080 steel blade, handle is textured brass plates with copper pins 7. Relic Worm: 1095 steel blade, copper handle. Tang is textured steel held on with a brass pin 8. Relic Grasshopper: Clay tempered 1080 steel, handle is copper and mammoth ivory 9. Darter Dagger: Based on the profile of an "African Darter" bird skull has a 1080 steel blade, brass plates with copper pins.The handle is Wenge wood with brass pins

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10. These little lanterns are made of brass, and have inside colored vials of tritium that will light in the dark 11. Serge Panchenko in his lab

How many pieces do you build yearly?

I build about 50 knives per year, not including jewelry, lanterns and other gears.

How can I buy a Panchenko

ATTENTION

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The Steampunk is a movement that derives from the homonym Sci-Fi literature, based on technology - real or derived - of the Victorian era: steampowered machineries, mechanical or clockwork gadgets. It advocates the triumph of mechanics over electronics - which is typical of cyberpunk.

knife? Do you alr eady have customers here in Italy?

I d o n o t t a ke c u s t o m o r d e r s anymore, but anyone interested in buying one of my knives can either visit the “Available” page of my website or send me an e-mail with a request to be added to my e-mail update list. I notify everyone on the list whenever I post a new knife for sale on my website. I do have several customers in Italy.

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For information: Serge Panchenko http://www.sergeknives.com serge@sergeknives.com worth a look is his Facebook profile full of photos 17

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their one of a kind, beautiful and extremely well designed knives

HUNTING CUSTOM

A tailor made knife

A custom, in the definition by Bob Loveless, it's not simply hand crafted but is made based on specifics given by the customer, even if the overall design is a variation or a perfect copy of a already known model.

Here we see one of Dario Quartini's custom

by Roberto Allara

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ince this is a hunting knife, we'd better start from the hunter. A hunter, especially if he is a hunter of hoofed mammals, always carries a knife. It must be of good quality, otherwise you'll regret it while carrying out the tasks. Usually a knife, if it's industrial and of good quality, costs no less than 200-250 Euro. The steel must be of good quality, able to keep its sharpness and has to be ergonomic, so much so it becomes the natural extension of the fingers and able to facilitate a task.Yes it's true, you

can do everything with less money, but it is difficult to find a good tool able to keep the sharpness. Ideally, it should carry a flat-convex edge, a characteristic that you cannot find on industrial knives. The single exception, the Spyderco Serrata, costs a little bit more than what we have just said. In the industrial production you won't find a damascus knife for a lesser amount of money, except maybe if the damascus comes from Pakistan, of which the quality is uncertain to such an extent that a good steel is

surely more desirable.

Nonetheless, a real custom knife, carrying damascus steel, created on precise specifics and on a design with little variations exists, and you are looking at it. The damascus consists of sixty layers, a mix of Boehler K720 and Boehler K600, the latter is a steel used for nickel-chromium-molybdenum tools which is air or oil tempered and reaches a harness of 57 HR, whereas the first one - a steel used for chromium-vanadium tools - is oil tempered and reaches an extremely

ď ą Dario Quartini's damascus knife is made of 60 layers, a mix between Boehler K720 and Boehler K600.The bevel, as you can see, is flat-convex

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ď ´ The damascus layers can be seen also on the spine of the blade

 The signature is on the handle, in a very unobtrusive position

 The knife in its sheath

 Not just simple mosaics: at the Ome forge, Quartini creates these extremely intricate mosaics

dark, just the way I like it when I first saw the object, or brushed to obtain the color of the metal. The difference is exquisitely aesthetic and not functional, therefore it's up to the customer decide what he likes best. The damascus knife is not stainless, therefore it need some maintenance. In other words, each time the owner will get back home, he shall thoroughly clean it and apply a light layer of oil. Nothing too different, except for the layer of oil, from what happens with a normal stainless hunting knife which needs to be cleaned properly after its use. The maintenance is not a very difficult task. It is known that the knife, any knife, has to be kept outside its sheath and has to be put in it only when you get out to hunt.

Obviously if you wish to own a knife made from a single stainless steel you can have it, but it would be a

pity. As a matter of fact, due to the damascus, there will never be two identical knives. Probably similar, if with same number of layers, but never exactly identical.This is due to the fact that this damascus has been created at the forge Averoldi located in Ome (Brescia) which operates thanks to the water.This is the oldest working forge existing worldwide.

Dario Quartini, the author of this knife, can be found on Sundays in Ome. If you decide to go and meet him, ask him to show you his mosaic damascus knives. It's unbelievable how it is possible to give life to such creations with so poor tools. Can you believe that for a knife like the one I have described here he asks 250 Euro, even less if the number of layers of the damascus are less?

For information: Dario Quartini +39 338 808.78.72

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high hardness (up until 62 HRc).The ability to remain sharp is, therefore, not a problem and, unlike what happens when we turn white the damascus on pure nickel, if some K600 ends up on the edge, the cutting abilities won't suffer from it.

The cutting edge is flat-convex, as it is expected on a robust knife that has to properly and longly cut.The blade length is chosen by the customer, as well as the specifics of the handle, which is always aesthetically similar since it's monolithic, but tailor made on his hand.To that end, the position of the fingers will be taken on a mock wooden knife which carries on the side a layer of plasticine. In this way the finger print will be of the hand that will hold the knife.

The finishing of the blade is shiny, whereas the traces of the forge and of the hammer work , obviously, are not. They actually can be very

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EVENTS

A

The knife is always a piece of art

fter a year of inactivity, in 2014 came back one of the most important Italian knives show. This time the organization "Mostra del coltello d'arte" chose as a location, instead of the usual Castello Orsini, the Regional Natural Park of Monti Lucretilli. The number of people visiting as public and as collectors was very high, and the show highlighted some interesting works and knives. The President of the A.I.S.C.A. (Italian Association fro the safeguard of art knives) Mr. Paolo Docimascolo, together with a jury including collectors, decided to award the works of Luciano Ferraudo, Vincenzo Balistreri and Giuseppe Galante. Three were the awards

The 14th edition of the National art knives show in Roccagiovine, in the province of Roma collected a great unexpected success, both for the number of people attending the show and the quality of the works displayed

by Knives Staff

bestowed: Best fixed blade, Best folder and Best thunderbolt.The best fixed blade was awarded to Luciano

Ferrraudo, the best folder to Giuseppe Galante and the best thunderbolt to Vincenzo Balistreri.

Luciano Ferraudo, Chiudibile integrale, lock with balancing oblique lever, AISI416 shell, blade and details in stainless steel damascus Devin Thomas; mammoth ivory handle.

Total length 180 mm.The sheath has a zipper and is made of alligator skin.The knife was obtained from a single bar

P Pierluigi Gulli, Persian, f fo folder with pump lock, carbon damascus b Larr y Donnelly by b blade (demountable), m mammoth fossil ivory h handle, locked with to screws. The spine torx a and the scales have b been fileworked. Total le length: 190 mm

Simone Raimondi, Brown Wood, san mai damascus blade with sides of hand-forged explosion pattern by R a i m o n d i , t re a t e d ashen and desert ironwood brier-root handle; sterling silver details. Total length: 245 mm. Hand sewed leather sheath.

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V nc Vi ncen enz zo Balistreri, z Bal alis istre er Ronin, eri Ro in liner-lock Roni line n r-lo r-lo ock folder, fol olde derr Vincenzo MA5M blade, stainless steel 416 handle, burin engravings by Carlo Cavedon. Leather sheath with magnet.Total length: 170 mm

Vito Aquila, Balestra, "a scrocco" lock, 440C blade, buffalo horn handle, silver details.Total length: 300 mm

Riccardo Mainolfi, Claw, CPM154 Integral, brass details.Total length: 169 mm

Giuseppe Tencati, Piemontese Moderno, liner-lock modified

by Tencati, MA5M blade, ivory fossil handle, Aisi 416 steel details.Total length: 330 mm Giovanni Cristalli, Romano, folder with "Roman spring" with three clicks, C70 steel blade, buffalo horn handle.Total length: 350 mm Denis Mura, E Ecate, W2 blade, S Sambar handle, b brass guard and base, sheath b

by Kiara. Total llength: 330 mm

Francesco Suraci, Bowie n° 218, random damascus blade and details, Sanbar deer and mother pearl coral handle, hand sewed leather sheath.

Total length: 340 mm Carlo Cavedon, Lonfo, liner-lock with Stavax 59 Hrc blade, Aisi 316 bolster, antique ivory handle, titanium scales, Stavax steel spacer.

Total length: 180 mm

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EVENTS

Alfredo Sinibaldi, Slaughterer, CPM3V blade with gun cote coating, black micarta handle, steel screws, leather sheath.Total length: 40 mm Claudio Nucci, Flint prehistoric knife, flint blade, wood handle, hemp details.Total length: 300 mm

Gi Giuseppe G Galante l t S Su F Fusteri, t i P Pattaddese, dd d ffriction i ti folder lock, ivory fossil handle, own produced mokumè collar.Total length: 230 mm

Enzo Zuccheri, Persian, damascus steel blade, 925 silver guard, filework on the spine, handle obtained from a eighteenth century Chinese inkstand made of embossed bone; 925 silver guard and pommel collet, pommel made of Arizona turquoise hand cut, silver and turquoise rivets. Engravings on the handle and fuller.Total length: 300 mm

Jean Marc Arnaud, Carbon Fiber Lock, carbon fiber split joint (the knife weighs only 38 grams), D2 steel blade, carbon fiber handle, total length 175 mm

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Fabio Tossici, Coltello alla romana tre scrocchi (around year 1826), folder with spring, MA5M steel blade, African buffalo inlaid handle, engravings on the blade with etching technique. It's a replica of a Roman knife, displayed in the Rome's Criminology Museum, that was confiscated from a prisoner during a rebellion in the Civitavecchia prison Mario Mammozzetti, Coltello da caccia integrale, 440C blade, buffalo horn and camel bone handle, resin spacers.

Leather sheath with a brown leather lining. A unique piece completely created with a file Roberto De Marinis, Sfilato Frosolone, simple spring split joint, RWL34 blade, Indian bovine horn handle, stone filework.Total length: 187 mm

Gi G Gigii Sechi, S h hi Pattadese, P d friction f i ti folder, f ld damascus d blade bl d bl with two bars, horse hoof scales, collar and pins made of gold-like brass.Total length: 227 mm

Nino Nista, Pescatore, folder with external spring, 420 stainless steel blade, buffalo horn handle.

Different dimensions available

Sam e Samuele Samu elle Pi Pian Piano, ano o Pa Patt Pattada, t ad da fr fric friction icti ic tion on ffolder, olderr S olde Santino an ntiino n P Pudda udda ud d da damascus steel blade, mouflon horn handle, brass details.Total length: 230 mm

For information: Coltelleria Dolcimascolo www.dolcimascolo.com

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LM

Stefano Gherardi, Trikangolo, K720 blade, walrus tooth handle, brass details (the guard is obtain by lost-wax casting). Hand sewed leather sheath. Total length: 350 mm

TECHNIQUE

Tips for a perfect butt cap Here is how to secure a butt cap. The butt cap is the ending part of the handle, which in some cases, is positioned to close the back of the handle. How can we secure it? Some simply glue it, but its ability to stay in place it's not great. Therefore here are some tips for you

by Denis Mura (www.denismura.com)

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First of all I need to put down on paper all the dimensions of the butt cap which I will copy on the material (in this case a piece of brass). I suggest to keep the measurement a little bit generous

One the piece is cut, I create a hole of the dimensions of the head of the screw that I will secure.

I will then secure the screw with some notches so to keep it firm in its position, then I will braze it with a 45% silver alloy ba bar A stronger bra brazing shall be

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In the preceding g steps steps, while whi I was fastening the handle, I left the last few centimeters of the tang free from the glue, and you'll see why

done at higher temperatures - around 680 C°

At this point, I fasten the cap on a piece of wood (as holding it directly with the hand burns a lot!)

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I will start with less finer grains and a soft belt, so to give some roundness to the butt cap.

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At this point, I'll keep working ti till ll I have h lowered the thickness on the sides and I have reached the center.

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Now, I will start using finer grains until I reach n. 240 where then I will proceed by hand

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It's time to glue the spacer: it's not compulsory, but I like it

13 It's now time to fill with a bi-component glue the hole of the horn where I will place the butt cap so that the screw gets submerged with the glue.

Once the glue sticks, it will block the butt cap definitively and safely. Once the glue has dried, it's time to work on the cap. I will use small files and some sandpaper in order to follow the natural contour of the horn

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LM

Last touch, a nice polish up, and that's it!

ON DISPLAY

A sturdy one “It’s not a knife, it’s a Benchmade”

The above sentence summarizes the philosophy behind the American company which offers high quality, simple and effective products. All qualities perfectly corroborated by the small 904 Mini-Axis Stryker

by Roberto Allara

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he American Benchmade categorizes its products in three classes: Gold Class, intended for collectors; Blue Class, for a daily and general use, and Black Class, intended for professionals. For the Gold Class, the company resorts to custom knifemakers, as Jody Samson, employed by Les De Asis of what at that time was the Pacific Cutlery (today Benchmade) as knife designer. All custom Balisong knives produced by Benchmade, Pacific Custom or Bali-Song, come from his designs.

While still working for Benchmade, Samson designed the sword that Schwarzenegger used in the movie Conan the Barbarian. And this is 26

just one of the many examples I can offer. As a matter of fact, Les De Asis is primarily an knife enthusiast and the company mirrors perfectly his ideas and personality. Even 2 in this 904 MiniAxis Stryker, which fol l ow s t h e o ld Stryker liner-lock, you can see that.

Wi t h t h i s k n i fe, the choice of the locking system has fallen upon the ver y strong Axis system, which sees a tempered steel cylinder sliding

on two symmetrical slots within the liner. Two springs of strange shape help the cylinder to stay in the upper portion of the slots, putting

 

the opening of the knife behind a flat area obtained in the back of the blade, avoiding the closing of the blade.This system is extremely sturdy as the cylinder automatically gets into position and can be applied to automatic and assisted-opening knives. Since the cylinder carries a dual thumb-stud at each end, makes the knife ambidextrous. Left-handed shall only put the clip on the other side of the handle, just to carry it in the right pocket. The scales are G10, a polymer reinforced with fiber glass and extremely resistant, and sufficiently rough to grant a strong grip.They've been made slimmer by two oblique grooves on both sides.

The opening on the liners, on which the locking cylinder slides, is clearly visible. An indent for the index finger avoids the forward slipping

of the hand on the knife. The back of the handle is completely open.

The reversible clip is positioned for the right-handed in the tip-up position, with tip pointing upwards, clipped to the right pocket of the trousers. The blade is 154CM by Crucible, a steel alloy of chromiummolybdenum and 1.05% carbon.

It's been tempered to 58-60 HRc, an hardness that ensures sharpness durability and quite easy sharpening process. The blade thickness is of 2.6 mm and it is flat up until the chisel shaped point and has been refined with a false unsharpened swedge which doesn't extend to the entire flat area, giving the point of the blade a better sturdiness. As per Benchmade best tradition, the knife is very sharp, a sentence on the box invites you to keep it in mind.

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Producer: Benchmade, Usa Distributor: Prezioso, www. coltellerieprezioso.com Model: 904 Mini-Axis Stryker Type: professional knife Blade length: 73 mm Blade thickness: 2.6 mm Length when open: 173 mm Length when closed: 99 mm Blade material: 154CM 58-60 HRc Handle material: G10 Handle thickness: 11 mm without clip Maximum thickness: 15.3 mm Weight: 86 grams Suggested consumer price: 150 Euro

1. 904 Mini-Axis Stryker by Benchmade has a strong locking Axis patented system, consisting in a tempered steel cylinder that slides in two symmetrical slots within the liner 2 . T h e d o u bl e o p e n i n g i n w h i c h the Axis blocking cylinder slides 3. The knurling for the thumb support runs on the liners 4 . T h e c l i p i s r ev e r s i b l e t o t h e advantage of the left-handed: the knife is ambidextrous

The finishing is satin, probably by bead blasting whereas on the flat area there are light indications of some grinding. The fact that blade has been ground instead of having been sheered from plate and then ground, says a lot about the quality the company has in mind. It's there to be seen, but you have to know where to look at. Due to its pocket size dimensions, the knurling for the thumb not only is on the back of the blade, but it extends on the liners.

There is no chance the knife slips through, even when working with the point. In conclusion, we have a sturdy knife which is really pocket size, and as every good product, when held in the hand feels bigger than it's real dimensions. ◆

LM

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The blade lock is one of the most sturdy you can find on the market The thumb support is not properly addressed

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FIXED BLADE

ith Quebec One, Pohl Fo r c e a d d s t o i t s production a classic military knife, which, as the company states, for twenty years has been always on the top of the wish list of the founder, Dietmar Pohl.

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The immortal

Illustrious ancestors

Pohl Force offers a magnificent revisiting of the classic vintage military knife with a highly technological characteristics. Let's find out the new impressive Quebec One in the Outdoor or Survival versions

Before opening the white carton b oxe s wh i ch i n cl u d e o u r t wo knives, we need to take a step back of nearly half a century, to reach those outlines that inspired their shapes. Even if the so called “Ground Forces Combat & General Purpose Weapon ”, proposed by Randall for the US Marine Corps at the beginning of the 50s, didn't come to life, during the Vietnam war many knives of the same historical brand were used.

The majority of those were model 1 “All Purpose Fighting Knife”, 14 “Attack”, and 15 “Airman”. And the Pohl has its roots specifically in these iconic knives, while making its own the progress made in the last decades on materials and production processes.

text and pictures by Tommaso Rumici

A very well thought handle The hidden or semi-hidden tang has given way to a full tang with applied scales. As a consequence, the two branches of the guard are clearly slimmer than a classical oval guard, but they carry no sharp edges and offer a comfortable area where the hand can rest. The edges of the two branches have some grooves, that apparently have no function, except

from a aesthetic one. The outline of the tang is completely smooth, only after the guard - where the hands are off limits - the steel edges are clearly more defined and edgy. The scales are black G10, secured with burnished and oversized malefemale screws with through-hole.

These are not intended for the lanyard, which has its own hole, but for an elastic lanyard that you'll find in the packaging, which offer a

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1. Already at first glance, it's clear which models influenced the Quebec One design. The reproposal of an immortal classic is convincing and well done from a technical point of view as well as from a functional one.

2. Each knife has its own serial number, which is also found on the certificate of warranty contained in the packaging, there are also the details of those in charge of the quality check.

3. The sheath is well designed, it's functional a most of all light, the ideal for a military knife which will not be treated with much care and that cannot weight too much when carried around.

4. Even this Pohl Force is made in Italy.

On the back of the tang, the name of the producer is laser engraved: Lionsteel

better grip to the hand if using the knife in water or similar situations.

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Moreover you can use them to temporarily hoist the knife without taking apart the handle, even if we do not encourage such practice.

A very important characteristic, typical of the Randall, are the 3

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extremely comfortable grooves, perfectly spaced and dimensioned so to offer a comfortable grip to any user. Thanks to those grooves, the hand can keep its position, and does not rub on the G10 milled surface. On other kind of knives we would have defined too aggressive this kind of texture, but with such a handle the grip can only get better, without being of annoyance. The bottom of the handle is flat, ready to be used as a surface where to hit on, and it sufficiently protrude to be function as a skull crasher.

The screws head have wide flat cuts and can be turned with a five cents coin. The holes hosting the screws are so precise that the first time we disassembled them - even after having removed the male - we had to slip a razor blade between the G10 and the tang to make some lever to slip them off. Having taken a part the handle, we see that the steel has been reduced so to make the knife weight less.We discourage using the empty slot to store things, since accessing it would not be so immediate when on field. There are also some hole that have no c o r re s p o n d e n t i n t h e h a n d l e.

Probably these are the one meant to hoist the blade after having taken apart the handle. A laser engraving, on the back of the handle reminds us that this Pohl Force has been produced in Maniago by LionSteel.

A simple and sturdy blade On the Quebec blade we really don't need to spend much words.

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FIXED BLADE

5. The Survival version differs only for the matte black coating as per militar y specs, which completely eliminates reflections and furthers the resistance to oxidation 6. The tang is lighter to perfect the balance and to decrease t h e ov e r a l l w e i g h t . U n d e r t h e s c a l e s , we f i n d s o m e a d d i t i o n a l holes, designed to hoist the blade 7. The sheath has a indent that helps the pointing of the thumb to better extract the knife. Even if present only on one side, it's perfect for both right and left handed

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8 . Q u e b e c O n e h a s a Te k l o c k b y B l a d e t e c h l o o p. I n t h e b ox we f i n d a n u m b e r o f s m a l l i t e m s t o b e t t e r c a rr y t h e k n i fe 9. The branches of the guard are smooth to offer a better support and have some blind groves. The screws have an abundant indent, perfect for 5 cents coins. The steel is Sleipner: a better D2. The groves on the handle are perfectly spaced and dimensioned so to offer a comfortable grip to any user. The G10 surface is quite rough, but since the hand is locked i n t o t h e p o s i t i o n , d o e s n o t r u b.

A glance it's enough to understand how solid and at the same functional it is, ready to cut, but also to front all the typical abuses of the military experience. The main bevel is flat, straight and on two thirds of the total hight. It's easy to sharpen, the swedge starts at half of the back and ends up straight to the point, and as per Italian laws, it's not sharp. The thickness is abundant, but enough not to create a too wide angle when the bevels meet and making the cutting ability of the blade less performing. The steel used, Sleipner, can be defined as a modified D2, with a superior strength and a good resistance to usage and chipping: it's the ideal on field tool. The only personal touch available to the end user is the satin finishing and not the stonewashed, as per other models of the same brand, or the MILSPEC coating - matte black. If the coating 30

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Sturdy and comfortable Forced grip

Producer: Pohl Force, www.pohlforce. de, www.pohlforceitalia.it Model: Quebec One Designer: Dietmar Pohl Blade material: Sleipner Handle material: G10 Total length: 315 mm Blade length: 193 mm Blade thickness: 5.8 mm Weight: 400 g Sheath: Kydex Sheath weight: 116 g without fastenings Approximate price: N/A

A blade you can count on As seen up till now, the Quebec One is a well manufactured knife, comfortable and extremely solid.

Due to the inspiring models and their designs, versatility is the one thing you should not expect from this knife. The four groves on the handle offer only two ways to hold the knife: normal and reverse grip.

In fact, its priority is to reduce at the minimum the risk of losing the knife, avoiding the trapping of the

hand in a D-guard. Quebec One perfectly embodies the essence of a fighter-utility, a knife meant for non refined close quarter fights, which gives up the double edge to became useful also in surviving situations and, generally speaking, on field tasks. It's obvious this is the result of a compromise, and a perfect one taking into consideration the concept behind the project.

A modern and light sheath When you think of carrying for a long time a knife, it's necessary to think about its weight, especially if it is part of an equipment. The Quebec One with its more than 31 cm, certainly it's not a feather.

Fortunately, the sheath comes in to rescue and stops the scales to a sensible value, adding only an 9

hectogram. It's made of Kydex, practical and in line with the present trends, extremely well done and sturdy, maybe a bit too much at the beginning, as some extractions are required to reach a smooth action, as the retention is pretty strong. As always, many are the fastenings points where we can attach the Teklock loop by Bladetech offered with the knife. The producer surely show great care in offering a number of small items for the knife. To mount the fastening we have three short and three long male screws, as well as the corresponding female ones together with three rubber washers. other details are worth mention, such as the hole for the water drainage and the thumb support, which facilitates the extraction of the knife. The inside of the sheath is protected by a velvet coating, which avoids that the Kydex scratches the blade, granted that you insert a clean knife as the case adheres perfectly.

Sand or soil would be immediately captured and pressed against the blade. Each knife has its own serial number, has a certificate of warranty which carries the serial number and the details of who took care of the ◆ quality control.

LM

is present, then you are in front of a Quebec One Survival, if not and a little cheaper, you have in your hands the Quebec One Outdoor.

Our favorite is the satin finishing one, which is perfect and matches exactly the vintage look of the knife and moreover it resists better to the signs of usage.

We'd like to thank Collini knives shop www.coltelleriacollini.it Pohl Force distributor for the Italian market, for their kind support 31

SPORTING KNIVES

Available for many years only in the folding version, Fantoni HB now has an unparalleled fixed version. We managed to put our hands on the first two samples as soon we came back from the Blade Show text and pictures by Giorgio Alessandri

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he Fantoni HB is a very much liked folder by customers of the Italian brand, and still continues to be sold nicely. It did sound strange that a design like

this didn't have a fixed version, and eventually it arrived.

Considering the number of years that passed between the original and its new incarnation, it does

not astound to see changes that improve and make the most of the new technologies without betraying the original idea.

The handle is quite similar to the

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original one, except for the back where now there's a protrusion that hosts a lanyard hole. The guards area is still faithful to the original, with a knurled rail on the upper area and a ver y nicely pronounced branch in the lower part. The blade, instead, has changed a lot: the two-third bevel with the straight counter-bevel -which resembles the militar y Randall bowie - gives way to an higher, slimmer and modern one.

The point is higher, giving the HB a more hunting style, still remaining in a range that allows the use for general purposes.

During our meeting at the Blade Show, where the new model made its debut, Fantoni told us how the idea of creating this version was actually coming from Bill Harsey himself. It appears that the American tastes are changing, with an ever growing number of uses that abandon very long a n d h e av y bl a d e s f o r m o r e

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A compact jack of all trades The Kydex sheath will come in the future

Producer: Fantoni, www.fantoni.it Model: HB fixed Blade material: CPM S35VN Handle material: G-10 Length when open: 203 mm Blade length: 90 mm Blade thickness: 4 mm Weight: 122 g Sheath: leather

compact and lighter knives that are capable to achieve the same results. For Harsey and Fantoni this is the ideal length, especially when hunting. The producer is known for his awareness on metallurgy and cutting abilities of the material he uses.

O n t h i s n e w f i xe d , h e o n c e again proved right, using CPM S35VN tempered to 61-62 Hrc that went through an extremely delicate thermal processing to obtain the best possible cutting performances.

Once you hold in your hand, you'll be amazed to feel how light and compact is this HB fixed.

And, unless you are thinking to cut logs with it, we have to admit t h at p r o d u c e r a n d d e s i g n e r were right: it's big enough to to everything, with hindrances that allow us to carry it around easily. the grip is really good, especially for the possibility to point the thumb on the knurling, when using the point, or positioning it a little further up to better control the blade.

At the time of this writing, the HB fixed comes with a black or brown leather sheath, in which the knife almost completely gets covered, making useless any other mean of retention. The little protrusion coming out from the handle offers the hole for the lanyard which will facilitate the extraction of the knife. The fastening system is the typical belt one, which keeps the knife in the lower part of the hip, avoiding a n n o ya n c e s w h e n b e n d i n g laterally.

1.The new member of the HB family proposed by Fantoni, is eventually a Ficed. The compact dimensions are designed to meet the requests of the American public. The handle design reminds the one of the folders, except for the final part - which on the fixed has a protrusion with a lanyard hole 2. A grittier version - all-black - is also available with black G-10 and completely PVD coated blade 3. Taking apart the scales, we find a niche in the tang that the survivalists will certainly find useful. Let's hope they'll remember the Torx 4. The knife comes with a Nordic inspired sheath, which covers the largest part of the knife, therefore ensuring a perfect retention of the knife. In the future there will be a Kydex version of the sheath

Fantoni told us that he is studying a Kydex sheath, but we don't k n ow wh e n i t w i l l b e re a dy.

Certainly, it will make a lot happy the share of users that enjoy the new tactical look of the Fantoni.

For the beginning there will be four ver sions available: who prefers a ever visible handle can choose a orange G-10, whereas wh o go e s fo r a m o re s u b t l e profile can choose the black one.

The same works for the steel finishing: for those who don't want to see scratches due to the use will be satisfied with the stone-washed version.

I f, i n s t e a d , yo u wo r r y ab o u t p ro t e c t i o n f ro m ox i d at i o n and reflexes, the black PVD is available too. â—†

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FIXED BLADE

Yo soy Rambo!

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he first hollow handle was on the Randall 18 Attack-survival, bor n in 1963 following up the suggestions made by Captain Georges W. Ingraham, 98th Medical D e t a ch m e n t o f t h e A m e r i c a n Army. Based on the 14, the doctor proposed to create a saw-back so to facilitate the extraction from shoot down aircrafts by cutting through the metal walls or the Plexiglass panels. Moreover, he suggested to create a watertight hollow to dryly store few small objects, though thing to do in the ever difficult Vietnamese environment where he was serving. Walter Doane Randall in a very short time created the first sample, with a cylindric handle, closed with an o-ring, able to store a kit of items not small at all. The 34

Born on the success of the Rambo movies, the Spanish Aitor Jungle King I and II were among the protagonists of the hollow handle phenomenon.

After three decades, these are the few survivors of the survival. text and pictures by Giorgio Alessandri

back of the blade was serrated and in the small pocket of the sheath you could find a sharpening stone.

The mass distribution of the hollow handle arrived some time later, when Stallone became Rambo and give immortality to the knife created by Jimmy Lile for the movie.

From that point the survival knives - custom and industrial - boomed.

Today, milestones as Buck 184 Buckmaster and Gerber B.M.F are no longer in catalogs, and with the

halt in production of the mythical Chris Reeve monolithic knives, not much remains of this current.

Exceptions are the recent Boker Apparo, the replicas of Rambo's

by United and some Aitor models: Commando, Jungle King I and II. In this article we present the Jungle King I and II and tr y to explain why they managed to survive up until today and see if they are still current.We have decided to exclude the small Jungle King III because its

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1- The Jungle King I is the model that resembles the most the one used in the movie Rambo, thanks to its dimensions - clearly showy, as well as the Bowie profile of the blade 2- The Jungle King II is smaller and has a spear point.The main change are the concave bevels that take the place of the flat ones, a mod that gives a more hunting characteristic compared to the on field one 3- The sheath is an extremely boxed Polyamide reinforced with fiber glass.

Knife aside, it has to contain a number of bits and pieces for survival

10.5 cm blade it's way to far from the forefather of the kind create by Lile.

The birth of Jungle King In 1981, French DĂŠrick Lacroix created a prototype of a survival knife with a water tight hollow h a n d l e, s a w - b a ck , w i t h h o i s t capabilities, and able to have fishing harpoon mounted on. In 1983, he contacted Pedro Maria Izaguire, Aitor President.What happened next is written the history of the industrial knives.

Blades The biggest difference between the Jungle King I and II, aside their dimensions, is the blade they carry.

The bigger one, has a huge Bowie profile, with one third of height flat bevels. On the smaller one, we find clearly concave bevels, that extend up to half of the height of the blade

and a spear point, aligned with the handle axis. Both have an abundant serration on the back, made by crossing the inclined striations, which is very aggressive and able to get rid quickly of the material cut. The steel is stainless CrMoVa 440C. Today this material is unfairly underestimated, but at the time was used by the best knifemakers when in search of stainless capabilities.

As per tradition, a circle highlights the point where the hardness test as been taken, and certifies the hardness of 55/58 Hrc. This is a slightly lower value to what we are used to, but it make sense for to the need of sharpening the blade with ease and for the fact that in survival situations it's better to have a bent blade rather than a broken one. The Jungle King II metal is satin finish with little pretenses, whereas the one of Jungle King I appears to be

4- The two skinners are made from a single piece of steel. Even if small in dimension, they have different destinations of use. Clearly the bigger one is the most functional

bead blasted.With little more money, you can have a choice of a black version, just for the JKII, an unlikely urban camouflage.

Handles Both handle designs are identical.

A metal cylinder that alternates flat and milled surfaces, closed on the butt with a o-ringed top.

The difference in weight is very strong. The Jungle King I handle is stainless steel, obtained by lost-wax casting process, whereas the other is Peralumal - an aluminum alloy with high density of magnesium. Both held in hand feel very comfortable, thanks to the knurling and the two large branches of the guard, they 35

FIXED BLADE

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have a very low tendency to rotation - less than what expected.The largest in diameter fills better the hand and allows to exert more power.The tang of the blade is inserted in a 5- At the bottom of the sheaths we find two folding metallic braces, where we can fix the elastic band contained in the little drawer, therefore creating a slingshot, perfect for hunting little animals.

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bulgy and protruding area, and the junction with the handle, which is the weak point of the greater part of the hollow handles, relies on an extremely strong pin which is able to absorb the vibrations and makes the Jungle King truly usable. Let's not forget that these knives were used also by some armies. The declared internal capacity of JKI is 50 cm 3, and for the little one is 33 cm3.

The watertight capsule 6- The extractable capsule which equips the Jungle King I hosts a number of useful items. The JKII, instead, holds only an elastic band - as shown in the picture 7- With its 50 cm3 of internal capacity, the Jungle King I is able to accommodate an incredible number of items.Thank to the o-ring, the hollow is watertight 8- Take a look at the circle, on the left of the handles, that highlights the durometer, which certifies the end hardness. During the thermal process, it has been taken into account the need of easily sharpening the knife, even on field 9- Under the lanyard wrapped around the sheath, there is a useful sharpening stone, that allows to gain a better cutting edge even under the worst situations 10- The back-saw is made of crossed striations. The end result is a very aggressive serration, able to perfectly release the residues of the cut material

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In the handles we find a surprising number of objects. The screwon butt-cap has a compass safely ensconced inside, that works and is clearly readable. Unscrewing it, we reach a watertight capsule which is easy to extract thank to a spring that, while carrying the knife avoids its slamming, pushes it out.

Unfortunately, the spring is free and 7

easy to loose, better fasten it with some glue. The capsule offers two inserts, the smaller is empty, ready to carry water purifying pills and medicines.The bigger one contains, properly compressed, two band-aids, two big sewing needles, two safety pins, lanyard, thread, the always useful tweezers, a scalpel blade and a fishing kit with line, three plumbs and two hooks. The Jungle King II contains all the same objects, but the lanyard which is replaced by a fire starter.. Putting back the items, since the smaller dimensions, requires a bit of training, but it's not impossible.

The sheath For both knives, the sheath is a green rectangular boxed Polyamide and fiber glass casing.Very solid, can be carried on the belt with a synthetic tissue strap equipped with a very

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Truly usable Heavy

Producer: Aitor, www.pielcu.com Model: Jungle King I e II Distributor: Laika coltellerie, tel. +39 02 353.94.24, www.laikacoltellerie.com Blade material: 440C Handle material: steel (I); aluminum (II) Handle capacity: 50 cm3 Total length: 363 mm (I); 272 mm (II) Blade length (up to the guard): 224 mm (I); 151 mm (II) Blade thickness: 5 mm (I); 4 mm (II) Weight: 596 g (I); 230 g (II) Sheath: Polyamide and fiber glass Sheath weight: 410 g (I); 230 g (II)

shackle key, bolt key, gut-hook, bottleopener, screwdriver and can opener.

The kit

The Skinners From the sheath opening sticks out a little skinner.Take a moment to see how the one bundled with the JKI keeps the original design, whereas the one with the JKII has evolved from the original, which was not a multipurpose, but an harpoon. Even they differ in sizes, they both are small multitools that can become 10

Our choice Since the market is already full of outdoor knives, even if it's extreme outdoors, our interest in these Aitor is mainly linked to their history and the references to the knife used by Rambo. That is why our preferred one is the bigger one. It's massive and, moreover, has a Bowie profile.

There are other minor reasons we chose the Jungle King I, among them: the steel handle feels more sturdy and has a definitely larger hollow. The same can be said for the sheath, which contains a much broader selection of items. Last, but not least, the flat bevels offer a superior strength for on field tasks.

â—†

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handy unhooking system, the same used for the retention lanyard. In the lower part, we find two folding metallic braces, which are used to transform the sheath in a slingshot, a hole for water drainage and another for the leg lanyard. Around the body of the sheath, we find a synthetic lanyard, which hides the sharpening stone.

Beside containing blade and skinner, the sheath stores an extractable plastic drawer, that in the case of the bigger knife, holds a magnesium fire starter, the rubber band for the slingshot that can become an hemostat, a vial to contain oil or other liquids, a signaling mirror and a short glossary of the international aid symbols. The little brother can only hold the mirror, the glossary and the rubber band for the slingshot.

TEST

A PIECE OF VENETO IN YOUR POCKET Among all the activities concerning the preservation of the Venetian "britola", the most important is certainly the production of new ones. We have tested some built in the Britola lab in Valdobbiadene text and pictures by Tommaso Rumici

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ften you have read about the "Via dei Magli", which is a journey that takes you around different events in the Treviso area and has it's peak with the giant reproduction of the traditional knife of this area - an EDC - that you can find displayed in the Villa dei Cedr i park in Valdobbiadene. One important activity proposed dur ing this journey, as a didactic instrument, is the faithful reproduction of the traditional steps of the production of "britola".

The "britola" is a pocket folder knife, with no lock, similar to the Valtellina "ronchetto". But the analogy pertains only the most known type, the one destined to work in the Prosecco vineyards and caries a more pronounced curved blade. As a matter of fact, there are two variations thought for other uses typical to the rural life. One has a less pronounced curve, used to cleanse mushrooms and chicor y, the other, with a straight edge, used to graft fruit trees. Clearly these usages are just

a suggestion, since been carried in the pocket, they are asked to perform ever y day tasks, thing they do perfectly even today. It's self-evident that being without a lock, these knives are destined to expert and safe hands.

To f o l l o w t h e t r a d i t i o n , t h e replicas use three kind of woods of the area. The darker one is walnut tree, the less darker is durmast wood and the lighter, almost white, one is maple tree wood. Each handle has grapes elegantly engraved with fire.

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Th e h a n d l e i s abu n d a n t a n d roundish, suitable for long hours of work and to held in the most advantageous way, moreover there is enough space to personalize it and it won't fear wear.

The blades are C70 carbon steel, one of the most used in working tools for the mechanical 1. The "britola" could carry different blades, depending on the use. The more pronounced curved blade was destined to work in the Prosecco vineyards, the less pronounced on the cleansing of mushrooms and chicory, and the one with a straight edge for grafting fruit trees

capabilities, easy to be tempered in the ancestors' ways, in other words basing the estimate of the temperature on the color of the metal.

Rust, in those times, was not a problem. The knife you car r y was one and used continuously, thus keeping it clean and shiny.

Hardness is not excessive, so to allow a easy sharpening p ro c e s s w i t h t h e s a m e s t o n e used to sharpen other rural tools.

The edges sides have been left unfinished, and as already said, there is no lock. That's because its production would have been more complicated and not

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2. From left to right, the different steps to create the handle. The piece of wood is rough-hewed, the collar is applied and then there is the perforation and the shaping. Lastly, the blade is mounted, the pin is hammered and, if necessary, it's now time for the finishings 3. A typical way of using the "britola" is by holding it backwards, resting the hands against the chest. As you inflate the chest, the hands will get apart and will cut with little muscular effort

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cheap and also because it's been created to work not with the point, but with the full blade as those times in the field requested. And the absence of scales or springs, limits the overall weight, allowing an easy every day carry.

With time, the sliding of the blade becomes less resisting, but the solution is easy. As soon the knife opens too quickly, a few strokes of

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4. The blade with the pronounced curve is perfect to cut ropes, since it makes it possible to exert a lot of power, without loosing the contact with what we are cutting.

5. The straight blade "britola" is perfect for precision works, where it's possible to precisely guide it while positioning the index on the back of the blade. Here we are cutting some leather

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6. The cur ved blade "britola" is thought for works in the vineyards.

With time the "britola" became the symbol of the Altamarca Trevigiana - the Veneto area that produces P ro s e c c o a n d s t i l l h o l d s o n t o centuries of traditions.The replicas of the Britola di Valdobbiadene lab offer a unchanged immortal charm 7 . W h e n eve r m o re s t re n g t h i s needed, the "britola" shall be held straight, so to make the most of the muscular power. Especially when the curve blade is used, since the grip is impossible to be lost, thus avoiding incidents

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The quintessence of tradition Can be found only during shows

Producer: laboratorio La Britola Valdobbiadene, www.leperine.it Model: britola Blade material: C70 Handle material: walnut, durmast, maple woods Blade shape: 3 kinds Length when open: 183 mm Blade length: 80 mm Blade thickness: 2 mm Weight: 58 g

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Alta Marca Trevigiana and the knife “La via dei Magli” is the route organized by the Britola di Valdobbiadene lab, and touches places like Asolo, Valdobbiadene, Follina and Vittorio Veneto, with the idea of give more value to the traditional blacksmith and knifemaking art of the Veneto area. Within this project, on November, 9th, the XV century Pagnano d’Asolo forge opened its doors to knifemakers, blacksmiths and curious people sharing the same passion for blades.

During the show, even the old forge has been used, operated buy the tireless waters of Muson river that moved fascinating and complex mechanism, especially when put in to the respective era.

The volunteers of the “Magnar e lavorar de ‘na volta” (Eating and working like in the old days) organization, offered a jump in the past, wearing traditional dresses of the time while offering traditional food and Prosecco di Valdobbiadene.

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hammer to the pin will reset the right resistance.

Using today one of these "britola" takes us back in time and let us look with different eyes the modern knives.

We can better appreciate the technological improvements and better recognize the unnecessary characteristics that our ancestors clearly haven't missed even using the knife each and every day to bring home their food.

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An exterior of the antique XV century Pagnano d’Asolo forge. The building is kept in mint conditions and the water powered forge is still functioning and periodically used for didactic and cultural events

Dalla collaborazione tra lo scrittore Nicolai Lilin e Coltellerie Maserin è nato il 987 Siberian knife.

Pugnale dalle forme tipicamente siberiane, ha lama e fodero con disegni che riprendono temi e simbologie della tradizione siberiana presenti anche nelle opere figurative e nei tatuaggi realizzati dall’autore del libro best seller Educazione Siberiana.

Coltellerie Maserin snc via dei Fabbri, 19 - 33085 Maniago (PN) Tel. +39 0427 71335 - Fax +39 0427 700690 www.maserin.com - info@maserin.com

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