Knife magazines

A

ASBOB

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Feb 8, 2008
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Any knife mags worth a damn? I'm particularly interested in folders and tactical knives, but Tactical Knives doesn't impress me. I know this has been discussed before, but I didn't save the thread.
 
I think Blade is still the best. All are limited by the need to avoid offending advertisers, but like any source of info, you have to apply a filter.

It's easy to criticize them but try starting your own mag and see if you can do better!
 
I don't know, I like Blade, but they show the "Classy" side of cutlery that I don't like. The knives with mirror polish and silver wire in a stag bone handle for like 3k. Tactical Knife has always been my fav, just dont come out as much as Blade.
 
This month's Blade (January 2009) has a so called head to head between the CRKT Lake Sentinel, SOG Aegis, Boker RBB, Kershaw R.A.M., Emerson CQC15 and Spyderco Stretch. It was fun to read of course but after reading the article I had that unfulfilled feeling of needing more. They gave the Boker the "Best Value" based on MSRP but that doesn't really tell the story to me.

That said, I like Blade the most but I do get bored with all the $2000 to $3000 "camp knives" emphasis for sure. I need a rag that focuses more on $50 - $600 production and custom knives to be most interested . . .
 
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Another vote for BLADE. It's the one I buy & keep for archive purposes. I also by TACTICAL KNIVES, but not every issue. TK was what got me into knife mags in the first place.

Reeek said:
This month's Blade (January 2009) has a so called head to head between the...
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I agree on that point - these comparison articles are fun to read, but I form my opinions on knife products from the forums here, more than from any magazine. Those comparison articles leave me with that "repeat of the obvious" that the gun mags used to do with the 9mm vs. .45 comparison articles.

thx - cpr
 
I used to like Blade alot better when it came out every two months years ago. I just don't find much in it that interests me.It seems now it leans so much more toward higher end art knives in general. I usually flip through Blade and Knives Illustrated and buy Tactical Knives.
 
JTC said:
I used to like Blade alot better when it came out every two months years ago. I just don't find much in it that interests me.It seems now it leans so much more toward higher end art knives in general. I usually flip through Blade and Knives Illustrated and buy Tactical Knives.
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Tactical Knives gets my vote - More practical information - More EDC blades covered - Like JTC I tend to leaf through the others, but read most articles in TK - It is not perfect, but I can overlook its' shortcomings.
 
I like blade the best, because of the wide variety of knives, granted they need to pay more attention to the more affordable production knives, and their writing style. I also occasionally buy knives illustrated, normally before a campout, but their writing style bores me.
 
Another vote here for Blade. Knives Illustrated seems to focus more on the expensive custom handmade knives that I can't afford and frankly wouldn't use and Tactical is also too one dimensional. Blade provides the best variety and is pretty good at getting new information out quickly. I remember reading about the development of S30V and how it would be the latest, greatest thing quite a while before I saw it on any production knives.
 
Like a majority of magazines in any genre, they are advert. driven.

Of note, though, is Tactical Knives, which (at least in my experience) has the worst subscription service. In '08, I've had half of my issues go missing, and they always come with rips, tears, etc. Of all the magazines I subscribe to, only TK comes damaged, and I mean every issue I receive.

--dan
 
My complaint is uneven coverage. For example I read almost every issue of all 3 major mags and have never seen Yuna knives even mentioned, and I would consider him one of the top 5 folder makers on the planet.

Good articles on blade steels are few and far between. One year I went to the Blade show and attended the steel seminar put on by Crucible, and learned more in an hour than I had in years of reading mags.

Obviously I enjoy the mags or would not buy and read them so much, of course.
 
At one point in time, I thought Blade magazine was the best, but nowadays, I usually look through the latest issue of Blade, but usually don't buy it. However, I find myself usually buying Tactical Knives & Knife Illustrated. Personally, I prefer KI, but it's harder to find for some reason than TK &, of course Blade.

I'll admit magazines have it tough to be unbiased because they do make most of their $ from ads, but TK & KI come across as less of a cheer-leading mag, like Blade. However, Blade does have incredible pics & coverage of some phenomenal knives, even if they are ones way too expensive for me to even consider.

BTW, I read the multi-knife comparison in the latest issue of Blade & I thought it was horrible. All it really did was showcase the knives. They all scored VERY high (I think the lowest one got 48 out of 50 points) & it really wasn't a face off/comparison, IMHO.
 
Very few of the rags will ever pan a product , even one in much need of such attention .

Chris
 
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