M.N. Projects got a lot of questions about how he etches his initials onto his metalworking projects, so he did a quick HOWTO for those who want to try it themselves. Read the rest

Yes, a PR video and yes, the music is kind of terrible. But man, I learned so much watching this video churned out by the folks at Victorinox. Given the ubiquitous nature of the Swiss Army knife, I'm surprised by how much of the tool's production is still done with human intervention. Being as the video was only produced two years ago, I have to assume that they're still making their knives in the same manner. If anyone knows different, I'd love to hear about it.

If you've ever owned a Swiss Army Knife or want to understand more about how an iconic piece of hardware is created, taking in this 13-minute film is time well-spent. Read the rest

I keep an Opinel No. 8 pocket knife in most of my jackets. This one has been with me for years.

I buy Opinel No. 8 pocket knives for a lot of reasons. They are elegant in their simplicity. The carbon steel blade is excellent, stays sharp and develops a lovely patina. The handle is a simple piece of wood that fits well in your hand. The locking neck ring is pretty ingenious, and down right fool-proof if you use it.

Best of all, they are cheap and I don't mind losing them when I've forgotten to remove one on its way to the airport. The "No.8" 3.35in blade, perfect for most of my camping needs, is not allowed to board a plane on my person. Frequently, like last weekend, the heroic defenders of democracy that are the TSA just let me pass thru, but on occasion they will confiscate it.

I've had this blade since 2012. The patina started out by stabbing a lemon, but over the years has taken on a life of its own. While the ink on the side of the handle has slightly worn off, this knife just keeps getting better.

I hope I don't lose this one, it has ranged from Baja to Canada.

You can decorate, carve or otherwise modify the handle to your liking.

Opinel Carbon Steel Folding Everyday Carry Locking Pocket Knife via Amazon Read the rest

Kiwami Japan tried modding a cheap kitchen knife with serrations so it can cut through rock-hard foods like China Marble hard candies, macadamia nuts, and katsuobushi. Read the rest

So, there's this skeleton that archaeologists discovered in Italy during the mid-1990s. They reckon the man, who became the skeleton, was alive somewhere between the sixth and eighth century. Those were hard times. Life was short and seldom sweet. In the case of our man the skeleton, somewhere along the line, he lost his hand. Archaeologists say that it was taken off with a single blow. Maybe it was because he was involved in a war or being punished for a crime. It could have been removed for medical reasons. Anyway, BOOM, gone. It's amazing, in an era where antibiotics didn't exist, that someone would survive an amputation. Sure, it happened but it was rare. The recovery process must have been terrible. But did our pal from so long ago allow the lose of a hand and acquisition of a new stump get him down? Hell no. He did what I'd like to believe anyone of you reading this would do: HE REPLACED HIS LOST HAND WITH A FRIGGING KNIFE BLADE.

According to a paper published in the Journal of Antrological Sciences by Ileana Micarelli, Robert Paine, Caterina Giostra, Mary Anne Tafuri, Antonio Profico, Marco Boggioni, Fabio Di Vincenzo, Danilo Massani, Andrea Papini and Giorgio Manzi (something something Too Many Cooks.) Once the Middle Ages bad ass healed up, he found a way to lash a knife blade to his stump using a leather mount that he tied in place with his teeth. The paper makes for pretty dense reading, but Gizmodo's George Dvorsky does a great job of digging into it:

Further analysis of the man’s bones points to the use of a prosthesis.

I can't speak as to how good/sharp/functional these knives are** but they sure do look cool. This is the Cosmos Series by Chef's Vision and each knife in the set is printed with a "stunning color image of the unfolding universe." Incidentally, they're the number one "Amazon's Choice" for the search "knives for men."

**A set of six of these knives costs $49.95, which I think tells you everything you need to know about their quality.

(Geekologie) Read the rest

kiwami japan (previously at Boing Boing) shows us how to turn a pack of kitchen foil into a ready-to-chop kitchen knife. See also the pasta kitchen knife and the chocolate kitchen knife. Read the rest

What does this DeWalt knife, posted to the "midly interesting" subreddit by turltlecam_son, look like?

a) a chicken b) a unicorn c) a fish d) a knife Read the rest

I was told that chopping vegetables and fruits would be easier with a Santoku knife. For $25 I gave it a shot. Read the rest

This $7 paring knife feels good in my hand, and unlike my other paring knives it is not lost.

In my home, paring knives disappear almost as frequently as socks and Apple Lightning cables. I was buying really cheap replacements at the dollar store, but they'd pretty much come apart in my dishwasher after a few cycles. This Victorinox will be lost long before it breaks.

Victorinox 3.25 Inch Paring Knife with Straight Edge, Spear Point, Black via Amazon Read the rest

Christopher Berry won the Overall prize at the 2017 Middle Tennessee Bladesports Competition with this impressive sequence of knife slices. Read the rest

I wanted to try whittling. This knife is my tool.

I dreamed of carving my own cute wood trinkets in all the spare time I have, so I asked a pal what knife he uses when he whittles. He suggested I start with a "sloyd" knife, a traditional Swedish carving blade.

This video may help:

I also ordered the recommended starter wood: basswood chunks, and after cutting myself I'm awaiting a THUMB GUARD.

Get a thumb guard first.

BeaverCraft, The Best Wood Carving Sloyd Knife for Whittling via Amazon

Read the rest

Using Japanese sharpening stones of various grits and considerable prices, Junskitchen set out to try and make an edge of a $1 kitchen knife. The results are impressive—but how long will they last?

[1,000 and 6,000] grits would be enough for a normal household knife. I used grits 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 8,000, and 12,000 in this video. The higher the number, the finer the sanding and the sharper the knife will be.

"Of course, you're aware of the balisong," intones the deep-voiced narrator, "... or butterfly knife."

Awesome, terrifying, paranoid and goofy, Surviving Edged Weapons is a relic of another era, an age of fishhook earrings and razor blade-impregnated ballcaps, where reality itself stars Charles Bronson. Which, of course, it did. Read the rest

In the latest episode of Scam School's Modern Rogue, Brian Brushwood and Jason Murphy show you how to open a butterfly knife without losing your fingers. Amazon sells trainer butterfly knives with dull blades, which is a good way to practice. Read the rest

Benjamin Stark explains how to make a Bowie knife. You'll need some AEB-L stainless steel, a bandsaw with metal cutting blades, a grinder with lots of rough belts, a drill, material for the handle, epoxy, clamps and finishing compounds.

A little background on myself: I'm 17 and have been making knives for about a year and a half. I learned how to make them simply by watching a lot of youtube videos and finding tutorials online. I started with under $300 worth of tools and made and sold a few knives to be able to afford the more expensive equipment. The knives don't turn out quite as nicely with such minimal tools but you would be able to make a fully functional knife if you are resourceful.

When a customer told me he wanted a bowie knife, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to show the process behind making one.

My santoku was dull, and my chef's knife was a disappointment! Dull knives can be dangerous to work with, don't ask how I know. This $20 set of diamond whetstones, and the video above, really helped me out!

Set of 3 diamond whetstones (Coarse, Fine and Extra-Fine,) by DMT via Amazon Read the rest