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Republic Of Knives

Republic Of Knives Republic Of Knives, what is it about? Republic Of Knives is first and foremost, about knives! We are not, at the moment at least, attempting to found a new republic known as “Knives”, although we think that would be an awesome republic, and we may have to give that idea some serious thought in the future! Republic Of Knives Is about the state of Knifedom! Once again, we are not concerning ourselves with a state called “Knifedom”, but the state, that is, the condition of knife “culture” and knives in today’s world. Not all is well. There would appear to be a decline in the stability of commercial handmade or mostly handmade knife companies in their respective home countries with the movement of much of the manufacturing to countries where labor is less expensive, and in some cases, where quality may be questionable. This has some mixed results. On the other hand, there seems to be a resurgence of custom knife making and hundreds of talented custom k...
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From War to Wilderness: The Fascinating Evolution of K Bar Knives

 From War to Wilderness: The Fascinating Evolution of K Bar Knives As a long-time admirer of knives, I have always been fascinated by their history, uses, and evolution. One brand that stands out for me is K Bar, a name that carries a rich legacy in the world of knives. In this article, I will take you on a journey from the origins of K Bar knives to their evolution over time, their use in World War II, their place in popular culture, their modern-day making, and the latest news and updates on this iconic brand. Introduction to K Bar Knives K Bar is an American knife-making company that has been around for over a century. The company was founded in 1898 by Wallace R. Brown in Tidioute, Pennsylvania. The name K Bar is a combination of the first letter of Brown's last name and the word "bar," which was a term used by cowboys to describe a saloon. The company started by producing hunting knives and pocket knives, but it was not until the outbreak of World War II that K Bar k...
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Assault Knife: The Bowie Knife

Assault Knife: The Bowie Knife There have been many colorful characters in the history of Knifedom, but few, if any, have reached the vibrancy of Jim Bowie! Jim Bowie’s Assault Knife, the Bowie Knife had a legendary status and history all it’s own even beyond its famous, and perhaps even infamous inventor! There were of course the tales of the man himself who famously told his fellow Congressmen: “You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas!” and whose legendary skills as a knife fighter were probably more than just legends. A man who fought and died at the Alamo with a cast of other larger than life men, but left behind a legacy which was named for him, an assault knife, the Bowie knife. How the Bowie knife came to be There were possibly two early versions of the Bowie knife developed before the “final” version was made. The first was a knife forged from a file by a smith named Jesse Cleft in Avoyelles Parish in Louisiana for James Bowie...
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Blade Style: Wharncliffe | One Folding Knife One Blade: Your Choice?

Blade Style: Wharncliffe | One Folding Knife One Blade: Your Choice? If You Could Only Have One Folding Knife With One Blade, What Would That Blade Be? Blade style: Wharncliffe blades are an overlooked style which deserves a better place in knifedom! No matter how much we like something, most of us are still looking for ways to improve it. Little things, to just make something that tiny little bit more usable, more beautiful, more practical, it is just human nature to do so. It is also human nature to seek things that will work better, faster or easier. That is one of the ways we make progress as human beings. Tool Specialization Sometimes we want a tool that will make a specific task or type of task easier. Often we invent things that will only do one job, and sometimes that is the very best thing, like human specialization. I don’t want my brain surgeon to also be a part-time plumber. There is, however, a rational for having a very “generalist” approach to many...
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The Buck 110 Folding Hunter

The Buck 110 Folding Hunter This knife and its locking system may be the most significant event in the history of knives since the invention of carbon steel! In 2014 Buck Knives celebrated the 50th anniversary of the most significant event in the history of folding knives since carbon steel! They also celebrated because this innovation may well have been the salvation of the company, and possibly even the salvation of the industry! The Buck 110 Folding Hunter Back Lock What was this monumental innovation? It was a locking system which upon opening the knife to the fully open system, locked it down tight and rigid like a fixed blade knife. This invention, when used with a large sharp knife could keep you from chopping off some fingers with an accidental closure, and made it possible for a knife of the type and size needed for hunting and defense to be placed inside a pocket, or in a small scabbard on a belt without getting all that unwanted attention one might get when carrying a fi...
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Buck Chinese Made Knives Are they Any Good?

Buck Chinese Made Knives Are they Any Good? You might be surprised at our conclusions! In the end, I reached a conclusion that even I didn’t expect. I do not dislike foreign made knives. In fact, I love those great German and Brittish and French and Swiss and Japanese knives, but I always prefer them to be made in their respective countries! The problem is that there are few knifemakers throughout the world who make all of their knives in their home country. There are a number of different variations on this theme. For instance, French knife maker Opinel does not use French steel but rather relies on Sandvick from Sweden, which is great steel. Honestly, I don’t see a problem with that. Some companies make all of their own components and then have them assembled elsewhere. Some of the old Solingen German knife makers do it this way around I understand. There are even variations in the variations, but that is getting a little far down the rabbit hole for this article. ...
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Buck Stockman Knives

Buck Stockman Knives Buck Knives Buck stockman knives have been around for about a hundred years. I have owned one and been a fan for about 50 of those years. It has been a good relationship! My first was a simple buck stockman 301 which I recall being a very nice knife, but can not recall where it might have ended up. A couple of years later I bought one of those new-fangled Buck 110 folding hunters and carried it in my pocket for many years. I never made my way back to a 301 stockman during that time. There were always a lot of Schrade Walden knives for cheap, and Case knives, and I bought several of all of them over the years. Case yellow handle knives in either the Trapper or the Stockman became my standby and I used them till they were used up! Case yellow handle knives in either the Trapper or the Stockman became my standby and I used them till they were used up! However recent Case purchases and subsequent events sent me back to look at the Buck Stockman 301. First, I bough...
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Case Copperlock

Case Copperlock Case Copperlocks are great little thin Lockback knives. This short video will tell you a little about them plus show you a variation from the normal Copperlock blade type. Please note the video is upside down.
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