A knife/blade magazine question.

M

Metal-Demon

Joined
Oct 15, 2000
Messages
176
Which of the commercially available knife/blade magazines offer the most information geared towards novice enthusiasts like myself?

I own and have read a few copies of both "Blade" and "Knives Illustrated" ..... but are there others out there that would be better suited to my needs? I find that most of the articles contained in these publications, although very interesting, are WAY too advanced for me .... can anyone suggest an alternative or a particular issue that would help??

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“Belül szívem hibád az örökkévaló erõs vastartalmú sok vasaló és orvosság."


Crushing the weak since 1970 .... the Demon has spoken.
 
"Tactical Knives" magazine is a very good source of information on both production folders and fixed blades.

--The Raptor--
 
Thanks Raptor .... I don't recall seeing that magazine on the locals newsstands, but I'll try to track a copy down .....
 
Tactical Knives - well...
I find it a chargeable commercial.

Everything seems to be "perfect", "suitable" and "reasonably priced".
If there is a poor design - TC writes that in fact it's not so poor and there's a reason for it. Or at least it doesn't bother at all.

Okay...
...I was only saying loud my opinions once again...
Shouldn't I talk so much and listen more?
confused.gif
 
For raw information, I don't think the newstand knife magazines are really useful, aside from the rare article here and there.

Try some of the knife books instead. I learnt the most about knives and knifemaking from books like:
- How to Make Knives by Bob Loveless
- The Tactical Folder by Bob Terzuola
- The Wonder of Knifemaking by Wayne Goddard
- Knife Talk by Ed Fowler
- The Craft of the Japanese sword by Yoshindo Yoshihara & Leon Knapp

Most of these books don't assume the reader is a knife knut and are easy to read (light on knife jargon), especially the books by Loveless and Fowler. If you like folders, you will enjoy the Terzuola book. Goddard's book has the only version of the physics behind heat-treating that I've ever understood. If you like Japanese blades, buy Yoshindo's book - its superbly written and packed with detailed information including related crafts seldom seen in English like blade polishing and scabbard carving.

Red



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"Praise not the day until evening has come;a sword until it is tried; ice until it has been crossed; beer until it has been drunk" - Viking proverb

[This message has been edited by redvenom (edited 10-17-2000).]
 
Great advice RedVenom .... I'll no doubt be hunting for those tomes in the next few weeks! Thanks!

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“Belül szívem hibád az örökkévaló erõs vastartalmú sok vasaló és orvosság."


Crushing the weak since 1970 .... the Demon has spoken.
 
I agree with tuhkis. I'm still waiting to see a bad review. I like the pictures, and the fact that they showcase knives that I might have never seen otherwise. They do have some good information, but I don't trust their reviews (since I never see a bad one).
Backpacker magazine is the only magazine that I have seen that gives what I believe are totally honest reviews. Too bad they're a bunch of tree-hugging liberals and don't do knives. Great magazine though.

I have found this website a far greater source of information than any magazine.
 
I agree with Red, Metal... Get yourself some good books on knives. There are plenty out there!
smile.gif


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us_marine_corps_md_clr.gif
BC... For those who fought for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know... Semper Fi
 
Anyone truely interested in knives gets KnifeWorld. The only publication that isn't controlled by the advertisers and provides solid information.
Bob
 
Call me crazy, but anything with pictures of knives and articles about knives is OK with me. I like and buy them all. I subscribe to both Blade and Knives Illustrated. I also buy all the Knives Annuals. The Knives 2001 is awesome! Especially the section on damascus bowies.

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Danbo, soul brother of Rambo
 
Tukhis,
Come to think of it, you may be right.
I haven't seen a bad review in Tactical Knives yet.
confused.gif


They must be easy to please over there?!?!?!
wink.gif


Anyway, I still enjoy this mag and will continue to buy it.

--The Raptor--
 
I think if you look at magazines, whether they are gun mags or knife mags, one finds that they tend to be like extended commercials. Attempts to go the other way and provide large amounts of usefull information just don't seem to last. Take for example "Fighting Knives" and "Fighting Firearms". Both had a large percentage of actual information content and neither lasted.
Magazines are becoming obsolete as a means of gaining honest information. Stick to the forums, you'll get more up to date and relevant info and it's free. Buy some of the books mentioned above- they will teach you something. Finally, save the money you would have spent on magazines for buying knives.
 
Yes stick to the forums and you will learn alot. Check out the archives and you will have plenty to read.Also try to get catologs of differnt knife makers and find out what is out there and read about it on the forums.
 
Raptor,

Though I think about Tactical Knives what I said, the fact I buy it constantly can't be ignored.

How I otherwise could have such strong opinions about it
wink.gif
 
What Strider said.
Knife world does not have the glitz, but it has more accurate and honest information on a variety of knife areas than the other three which I also read.

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" The real art of living is too keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post.
In memory of James Mattis
 
I currently subscribe to Blade and have subscribed to Knives Illustrated in the past. Tactical Knives doesn't really fit my style of collecting. Strangely, I just learned about Knife World the other day. Is it a publication like Gun Tests (i.e. no advertising revenues that might tend to skew reviews, lots of side-by-side comparisons, etc.)? I agree that's it's nearly impossible to find anything negative in Blade or KI -- that's a problem with any news source (forums included, though less so) that derives revenues from advertising dollars. Does anyone know of any other subscription-supported publications in the hunting/fishing/outdoors/knife world set up this way?
 
Have not had much luck in finding edged tool-related mags either. Everything said about "Tactical Knives" so far has been accurate. It seems to me that they're about a year behind on what's actually "new." Also, it kills me that a "professional" publication would have so many spelling/grammatical errors in it, and I'm not just talking about spelling "colour" without the "u"
tongue.gif


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Sometimes I get the idea that everything is ulterior ...
 
Kirch-Is Knife World available at newstands?
If not,can you post their phone number?
I like Gun Tests & i wish they had a knife
magazine that is similiar.
Thanks,
Sky

[This message has been edited by sky masterson (edited 10-18-2000).]
 
Sky,
Knife World offers a three month trial subscription for free! That's not a bad price! They have a website at:http://store.yahoo.com/knifeworld/index.html

There phone number is 1-800-828-7751.

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John Foresman
Lifetime member Buck collectors club
Member NKCA
Member AKTI
 
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