Knife magazines?

I read Blade and Tacticle magazines available at select Borders and Barnes & Noble
I am looking for more to read, too = )
 
Keep in mind that blade magazines, like gun magazines, probably are creatures of the manufacturers. Steer clear of any magazines that never say anything really bad about knives or which hide faults in weasel language. One reason I quit reading gun mags is because I would see them review guns that were junk; I knew it and everyone else that had anything to do with them knew it, too. You also probably won't see an honest review if a magazine accepts full page glossy ads from manufacturers.

Having said that, many computer magazines somehow managed to maintain their integrity despite manufacturer ads. I don't know how they do it, but you'd see a full page ad on one page and then a review almost trashing the product a few pages fore or aft. But that never happened in gun mags, where individual writers got ringers from the factory and then were allowed to keep them at a very modest price afterwards. Payola! The same thing may be true in the knife world.

Comments?
 
The only magazine I've read is Tactical Knives. I notice that they say good stuff about pretty much every product in there. But I dont really read the magazines for the review aspect, but more just to see what new and different products are out there. I've never read Blade magazine, but I would like to go pick up a copy sometime.
 
One of the complaints made by Lynn Thompson is that Blade never showcases their products. There used to be an expensive gun magazine called Handgun Tests back in the 80s. They wouldn't take advertising from manufacturers and would take great delight in showing photos of guns that jammed or otherwise wouldn't work. The grammar and spelling were atrocious and the copy sounded like it was dictated; but people liked the politically incorrect angle of the mag.

I imagine such a magazine about knives would be very well received. I'd like to find out how strong some of these knife locks are, for example. Does the CRKT LAWKS really work? At what point do various knives fail? How brittle are steels like VG-10? How much more cutting can they do over other steels and how difficult are they to sharpen? Also, how rust resistant are the various steels? Those are the things I'd be interested in.

The downside of most glossy mags is that they show you a full color spread, then they spend 16 paragraphs describing the bloody things! Also, the copy is boring. Anyway, I've had enough of paid hacks.
 
I have been reading Blade for years. I also like Tactical Knives as well.
 
I read Blade cover to cover every issue, IMO the best out right now. You can complain all you want about how the magazines run things, there isn't a better one right now. My complaints about the magazine is it seems to focus a little more on the ABS, and there is rarely anything negative in any of the reviews, though this is slowly changing (very slowly).
 
I take all 4 of the major knife magazines. But Tactical Knives is by far my favorite. I tend to like most tactical designs as it is and TK is just a great read. They have sections in each magazine that are great like the "Steel Bin", THE KEEN EDGE and they do something on hunting and survival knives in every issue. BLADE is probably a distant second. When BLADE does do something good they do a good job of it.

It's true that you got to separate the hype from the facts in a lot of these magazines but most knife enthusiasts can do that easily enough. I've never heard of the fineredge.com >>> I'll have to check into that.
 
If you were to have the ideal magazine, what would it contain? What is it about knives would you like to know more about?

As I mentioned earlier, I'm really kind of hazy on the various steels out there. I know what most of the numbers mean, but how should knives really be tested? Different blades using similar steels can queer an entire test, so ideally it would be great to have two identical knives with two types of steel and test that way. Some people complain about AUS 8A knives saying they don't hold an edge very well (something I haven't found to be the case); others swear their Buck 110s have outstanding edge retention, which is interesting because most have 420HC stainless blades.

So how much of this is in our minds?

Knife sharpening also is something most people are interested in. Grip materials, too. Do many knife magazines hit all these?
 
From an article by James Keating in The Martialist:

A while ago one of the editors of a national knife magazine called me and asked for a bit of friendly advice. It was in regards to a book review. Of course I was ready to assist and was curious as to the nature of his dilemma. He said, "Jim, I am confused as to how I should write up this book on knife fighting." My response was, "How so?"

"Well Jim, it's a moral dilemma," he told me. "The knife fighting book of Master XXYZ is full of pictures and references about using a knife against an unarmed person." He went on: "Master XXYZ is an advertiser. I want to write this book up good, but I am having trouble with this. Can you shed some light on this for me a little bit?"

Just a wee example of the power of advertising. A publisher sweating over how to tell the truth. Advertising bucks at work!

http://www.themartialist.com/0503/darkside.htm

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I have read Blade, Tactical Knives, Knife World, Knives Illustrated.

I had a sub to Blade, I enjoy reading Blade, but think about it. If Blade writes a bad review about a knife, then that knife company or maker will probably not want to advertise with them. Simple economics. If someone decided to send me a free sub to any of the mags listed above, I would pounce on it immediately. I have nothing against any of the magazines, and actually enjoy reading the articles to gain some history on knives, knife steels and to see what's out there. The only reviews I take any stock in are reviews in Blade by Kim Breed, and reviews in Tactical Knives by Dan Schectman. They tell you everything about the knife they are reviewing, and if its a POS, they tell you. To me, they are enjoyable reads, but I've learned so much here in the past year and a half, much more than I could learn reading any of the above magazines. I do have to say that Knife World is unbiased in its reviews to an extent, although I've only read two issues.

For good knife reviews, I read a magazine called Backwoodsman. It's a back to the land, simpler life, off the grid magazine, devoted to hunting, fishing, camping etc. Dan Schectman also writes for this magazine, among others, and the reviews either praise products, or, if they are not up to par, tell you exactly why they aren't.

I really like the layout of Blade, the pictures are great, the writing is upbeat. I just think the reviews aren't always in depth enough.


To add, this is only in reference to knife reviews. These magazines cover steels, different makers etc. I have learned a lot reading these magazines, but I feel I have learned more being a member here.
 
Just came from viewing the July issue of The Fine Edge.
This is just my opinion,however, it just reminds me of Blade magazine where most of the displayed knives were way above the "working" knife catagory and more in the investment catagory. I for one could not afford about 90% of the knives shown.

For those who like Blade Magazine I am sure they will love The Fine Edge.

FWIW
Ciao
:eek:
 
The "Unsheathed" article in the October Blade - page 10 which is basically an open letter from the editor does a very good job explaining how stories are chosen and why advertisers are sometimes in the stories. Something not mentioned in that is the fact that Blade usually don't bother covering poorly performing knives in the reviews-- if it doesn't cut it why give it the space?
 
One of the things I've been very careful to do with The Martialist (not strictly a knife publication, but in the same vein) is be as honest as possible, knowing that if I soft-pedal anything there are plenty of critics who'll be only too happy to point that out. At the same time, I try to be as diplomatic and constructive as possible; only rarely will I go after someone, though I'm not afraid to ridicule the ridiculous.

I've had manufacturers and instructors tell me, point blank, "Don't you dare refuse to say something if there's a problem. I want to know about it." I've also had one or two people approve a review only to decide after the fact that it wasn't positive enough -- one of whom didn't seem to understand that I don't do a review to do a positive review, but rather an objective one.

I do extend common courtesy to anyone who submits a product to me. If there's a problem, I'll contact the person or company and ask them either to respond so I can incorporate their response in the review, or pull it altogether. To date the only reviews I've pulled are reviews that I refused to do outright because the offered product had so many flaws I could find nothing constructive to say about it.

This is not a courtesy that has always been extended to me in reviews of my own books, but it's how I operate. I believe a useful publication is not a collection of puff pieces and advertising fluff, but neither is it a relentlessly negative hit-job that substitutes negativity for real insight.
 
Confederate said:
There used to be an expensive gun magazine called Handgun Tests back in the 80s.
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Click to expand...


I believe it is now called Gun Test. It's still expensive and they buy guns off the shelf to test and do not take any advertising. That's probably why it is expensive. The writing is still pretty bad and sometimes I don't think they are fair, but it is the only gun magazine that gives you what the testers really think.

As much as some folks do not like Cliff Stamp, I believe that he calls 'em as he sees 'em even if people do not agree with his methods. There are very few who do real world testing of knives.
 
I read Blade, Tactical, and Knives Illustrated. Only Blade every month.
 
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