Only Knives http://www.onlyknives.com Knives, Swords and Blades Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:14:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Hand Forged Roman Sword, Authentic Replica | Historical Gladius Gladiator Pompeii Reproduction http://www.onlyknives.com/hand-forged-roman-sword-authentic-replica-historical-gladius-gladiator-pompeii-reproduction/ http://www.onlyknives.com/hand-forged-roman-sword-authentic-replica-historical-gladius-gladiator-pompeii-reproduction/#comments Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:14:19 +0000 JT Hats http://www.onlyknives.com/?p=11035 Hand Forged Roman Sword, AuthenticFans of the Gladiator movie starring Russell Crowe will remember and admire this type of sword. Heavy but very efficient, the gladius became one of the main weapons of the Roman Legion's infantry. This Trademark Global Roman Sword recreates the old design in modern hand-forged steel.

This heavy 29-3/4-inch sword wields a wide, double-edged blade 19-1/2 inches long and 3/32 inches thick. A rat-tail tang extends completely through the turned wooden grip and ends in a threaded pommel of cast brass. Brass also plates the front face of the wooden bladeguard. Made from high carbon steel, the blade shows some signs of genuine hand workmanship. Expect some asymmetry and other small imperfections.

The sheath is hardwood with a leather cover and fittings of brass plate. Rings on the sheath hardware allow suspension from a belt or display on the wall. This sword recreates one of the shortest styles of the Roman gladius, called the Pompeii. Original Pompeii swords were about two inches wide with blades about 20 inches long and an overall maximum length of 25-1/2 inches. Some Pompeii swords were a few inches shorter and weighed about 1-1/2 pounds. Over the years, better metal and improved forging techniques allowed smiths to increase the length of the gladius without decreasing blade strength. Longer swords which kept the parallel edges and triangular point of the Pompeii pattern became known as semi-spatha.

See the Valiant Armory Praetorian Sword -- a different but still authentic ancient Roman sword -- for another hand-forged modern version of the gladius.

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]]> http://www.onlyknives.com/hand-forged-roman-sword-authentic-replica-historical-gladius-gladiator-pompeii-reproduction/feed/ 0 Kramer Santoku Knife by Shun Kai USA | Japanese American Kitchen Cutlery, Full Tang http://www.onlyknives.com/kramer-santoku-knife-by-shun-kai-usa-japanese-american-kitchen-cutlery-full-tang/ http://www.onlyknives.com/kramer-santoku-knife-by-shun-kai-usa-japanese-american-kitchen-cutlery-full-tang/#comments Wed, 28 Sep 2011 19:36:28 +0000 JT Hats http://www.onlyknives.com/?p=12277 Made for precise and efficient slicing of meats, vegetables, and fruit, the santoku design developed in Japan but quickly became a Western favorite when introduced to chefs in American and Europe. Master blade smith Bob Kramer improved the classic design, introducing features with American techniques in mind.

Bob Kramer's knives are unique in that the design details come from someone with experience as both a chef and a master knife maker. Kramer's early years in restaurants exposed him to professional chefs with stubborn habits but very little knowledge about knives. American chefs often work on heavy tasks and details with the same knives, while Japanese chefs apply different tools to different tasks and work with a light touch. Kramer's custom knives adapted Japanese concepts to American habits, and the Shun Kramer Pro santoku manufactured by Kai USA brings those improvements to knives more people can afford.

Production knives usually show a squared blade spine, rough on the fingers and hands if like most Americans you use the spine of the knife for better control and applied pressure. Kramer's custom knives receive careful crowning, rounding, and polishing of the blade spine. Kai USA's craftsmen adapted the concept to the Kramer Pro series, giving the santoku a partially crowned spine.

Although the handle slabs of this full tang knife with 7-inch blade look like rose wood, they're actually a durable composite called Pakka-wood. The rippled layers of steel in the blade show the many thin sheets of stainless steel that make up the sides of the blade. The edge itself is harder SG-2 steel, tempered between the usual standards set for European or Japanese blades. The 3mm blade's hardness gives the knife excellent edge-holding but allows sharpening with an ordinary honing steel.

Compare to the Shun Classic Santoku with a cutting edge of harder VG-10 steel.

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]]> http://www.onlyknives.com/kramer-santoku-knife-by-shun-kai-usa-japanese-american-kitchen-cutlery-full-tang/feed/ 0 Electric Scissors & Knife Sharpener by Smith Abrasives | Diamond Edge Pro European Blade http://www.onlyknives.com/electric-scissors-knife-sharpener-by-smith-abrasives-diamond-edge-pro-european-blade/ http://www.onlyknives.com/electric-scissors-knife-sharpener-by-smith-abrasives-diamond-edge-pro-european-blade/#comments Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:36:10 +0000 JT Hats http://www.onlyknives.com/?p=11855 Electric Scissors & Knife Sharpener byThe Diamond Edge Pro knife and scissors sharpener from Smith Abrasives combines electric and manual sharpening systems for quick and accurate refurbishing of knives with standard European-style edge bevels. The machine also includes a manual hone for kitchen shears.

Two converging industrial diamond grinding wheels rapidly grind both sides of the knife edge on one pass through the machine. That quickly converts an acute Asian knife edge to the wider European bevel style, so make sure your knife matches the machine before use. The first few uses of the diamond wheels work much faster than normal, since much of that first cutting comes from bits of diamond set slightly above the average surface of the wheel. As those diamonds wear away, the wheels cut more slowly but do much finer work. The Diamond Edge Pro creates an accurate hollow ground cutting edge designed for the best combination of edge retention and fast accurate slicing. Two speeds allow full control of the sharpening process without overheating the knife steel.

Two manual sharpening slots extend the machine's range. One holds carbide cutting blades used to quickly reshape a badly worn knife edge. The other slot allows final honing of the hollow ground edge with fine ceramic honing stones. Purists will still run the knife over a fine benchstone just to be sure, but used properly, the Diamond Edge Pro does give a good working edge straight from the machine.

The scissors-sharpening feature of the machine is much less impressive. A tab at the end of the sharpener pulls out the scissors hone and locks it in place. Slip both blades of the shears through the slots and close lightly before pulling the shears back out across the honing rods. The spring-mounted ceramic rods should adjust automatically to match the bevel of the scissors blades. After a few uses, the rods wear slightly and lose their original accuracy.

See the Chef's Choice Commercial Knife Sharpener for a professional sharpening system designed only for knives.

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]]> http://www.onlyknives.com/electric-scissors-knife-sharpener-by-smith-abrasives-diamond-edge-pro-european-blade/feed/ 0 Promate Titanium Dive Knife | Plain Blade w/ Cord Cutter, Scuba Diving Sheath http://www.onlyknives.com/promate-titanium-dive-knife-plain-blade-w-cord-cutter-scuba-diving-sheath/ http://www.onlyknives.com/promate-titanium-dive-knife-plain-blade-w-cord-cutter-scuba-diving-sheath/#comments Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:27:13 +0000 JT Hats http://www.onlyknives.com/?p=11850 Promate Titanium Dive Knife Not many knives get as much public product testing as this Promate Titanium Diving Knife. Watch the survival episodes Bear Grylls filmed in Costa Rica and the Pacific Islands, and you'll see this rugged knife put to hard use.

In saltwater conditions, titanium outperforms stainless steel, offering edge retention and blade strength comparable to steel knives but with less weight and much better corrosion resistance. The 4-3/8-inch blade will need regular but ordinary maintenance, dulling at a normal rate during use, but you won't need to worry about the titanium edge rotting in the sheath. Titanium doesn't corrode even if stored in seawater.

The Promate Diving Knife was designed by scuba divers and includes special features professional divers find handy. The sharp tip and plain cutting edge handle stabbing and slicing tasks, and on the blade spine, you'll find a serrated section for tougher cable-cutting chores. The diving knife's spine also holds a deep notch for quickly severing smaller lines. A rubberized grip fully encloses the knife's tang, and bolsters keep your hand on the grip whether you're cutting with the blade or smashing and banging with the titanium hammerhead in the butt of the handle.

The Promate Titanium Diving Knife comes with an adjustable sheath made to strap securely to arm or leg. The knife snaps into place for secure carry in any position. Although designed especially for divers, the knife offers many features equally useful in survival situations on land.

See the Barracuda Sharp Tip from Promate for another good titanium knife in a larger style.

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]]> http://www.onlyknives.com/promate-titanium-dive-knife-plain-blade-w-cord-cutter-scuba-diving-sheath/feed/ 0 Fiskars Scissors Sharpener | Shears & Scissor Blade Restoring Tool http://www.onlyknives.com/fiskars-scissors-sharpener-shears-scissor-blade-restoring-tool/ http://www.onlyknives.com/fiskars-scissors-sharpener-shears-scissor-blade-restoring-tool/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:24:37 +0000 JT Hats http://www.onlyknives.com/?p=11845 Fiskars Scissors Sharpener You've probably accumulated quite a few pairs of inexpensive scissors that are too good to throw away but not sharp enough to work well. You could buy more, or you could get the Fiskars Scissors Sharpener instead. This simple sharpener quickly restores the cutting edges of many standard scissor blades.

The Fiskars works best on Fiskars scissors, but other plain-edged shears ground with a 30-degree edge bevel also fit the machine. The sharpener does not work with very short blades like manicurist's scissors and will not sharpen curved or serrated blades. For high-end barber's scissors and valuable "family heirloom" shears, see a professional sharpening service for maintenance. For that drawer full of bargain scissors that worked well for a while, the Fiskars is a good match.

Two slots accept both blades at once. Light hand pressure closes the blades on honing rods permanently fixed in the sharpener's housing. Drawing the blades back over the rods resets the blade edges to perfect 30-degree angles and puts the scissors quickly back in working order. The Fiskars gives the best results on blades which have been dulled but not badly damaged. The machine hones dulled edges easily, but grinding a new surface on a nicked and worn pair of blades could be more than this sharpener can handle.

The sharpener restores both left- and right-handed scissors blades. Support the lightweight housing with one hand during use and rest the sharpener's base on a sturdy countertop to prevent chattering. A straight pull and a light touch should finish the edges properly with only a few strokes through the machine.

See the Chef's Choice 500 for a more exacting scissors sharpening system.

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]]> http://www.onlyknives.com/fiskars-scissors-sharpener-shears-scissor-blade-restoring-tool/feed/ 0 Kramer Paring Knife | Shun Pro Damascus Forged Steel Blade w/ Pakkawood Handle http://www.onlyknives.com/kramer-paring-knife-shun-pro-damascus-forged-steel-blade-w-pakkawood-handle/ http://www.onlyknives.com/kramer-paring-knife-shun-pro-damascus-forged-steel-blade-w-pakkawood-handle/#comments Sat, 10 Sep 2011 19:56:15 +0000 JT Hats http://www.onlyknives.com/?p=12287 If you're the sort of chef who loves a beautiful knife but also wants a knife to use, you'll find them both in one knife when you buy the Shun Bob Kramer Pro paring knife. Beautiful enough to display, the Kramer Pro was also made for work.

Bob Kramer, a former chef who earned the distinctive title of Master Blade Smith from the American Bladesmith Society, partnered with Kai USA to create a line of kitchen cutlery built to high Japanese standards but with changes important to American chefs. Kramer's experience in the kitchen taught him how most of us use our knives, and he built custom knives to fit those needs. Working with Kai USA, the manufacturer of Shun Cutlery, Kramer engineered a production line which retains many of those custom features.

This full tang paring knife features a comfortable grip shaped from dark Pakka-wood, a durable composite of real wood layers and synthetic resin. The 3 1/4 inch blade is Damascus-type steel, with outer layers of high carbon stainless steel for strength and durability and a center layer of SG-2 steel for better edge quality. The hardness exceeds that of many European and American brands, but lies between those and high-end Japanese knives. That gives you a cutting edge that lasts, stands up to the typical hard use habits of American chefs, and sharpens with standard equipment. You can use a sharpening steel to reset the edge.

What looks like a logo in the handle is an example of Kramer's practical detailing, a handle rivet with extra flair. Etched on the blade, you'll find the Kramer/Shun trademark.

See the Shun Paring Knife for a high-end Japanese style with a harder cutting edge of VG-10.

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]]> http://www.onlyknives.com/kramer-paring-knife-shun-pro-damascus-forged-steel-blade-w-pakkawood-handle/feed/ 0 ScissorPro Scissor Sharpener by Chef’s Choice | Professional Shears Diamond Hone 500 http://www.onlyknives.com/scissorpro-scissor-sharpener-by-chefs-choice-professional-shears-diamond-hone-500/ http://www.onlyknives.com/scissorpro-scissor-sharpener-by-chefs-choice-professional-shears-diamond-hone-500/#comments Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:31:32 +0000 JT Hats http://www.onlyknives.com/?p=11852 ScissorPro Scissor Sharpener by Chef'sSharpening a pair of kitchen shears seems like an easy enough task, but if you've tried to do that by hand, you soon understand why professionals charge around $15 for the service. With the Chef's Choice 500 ScissorPro, you can get professional results at home over and over, restoring even the good scissors that some well-meaning person used for cutting wire.

The Chef's Choice 500 ScissorPro sharpens both regular and knife-edge shears. Simple adjustments shift the guides to sharpen either type. The coarse grinding wheel uses long-lasting industrial diamond grit to quickly shape battered scissor blades, removing nicks and squaring cutting edges perfectly. A fine diamond grit wheel hones the edge razor sharp. The guides accept scissors in either left or right-handed styles, and sharpen either type without disassembly. The blade guides use a combination of magnetic clamps and spring tension to hold the scissors as you draw the blades steadily through the machine. Practice on a cheap pair of scissors before you get out your best, because holding the scissors properly takes a few strokes to get right. Once you've fixed the cheap, paper scissors, you can confidently go on to embroidery scissors, poultry shears, and fly-tying scissors. Keep the blades moving across the wheels and apply only light pressure. Diamond grinding wheels cut quickly without overheating or clogging.

The ScissorPro works only on straight, plain-edged blades, so it won't help with curved manicure scissors or pinking shears. If you own a pair of shears with one serrated edge and one plain edge, you can sharpen the plain edge and greatly improve the cutting performance. The double-beveled edge the ScissorPro creates makes an ordinary pair of scissors outlast a pair with an ordinary grind.

The ScissorPro only sharpens scissors, but Chef's Choice makes many other sharpening systems designed for kitchen knives -- including the Chef's Choice 100W, a sharpener built for the home chef.

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]]> http://www.onlyknives.com/scissorpro-scissor-sharpener-by-chefs-choice-professional-shears-diamond-hone-500/feed/ 1 Norpro Homemade Bread Slicer & Crumb Catcher | Cutting Board Guide 370, 1/2 Inch Slices http://www.onlyknives.com/norpro-homemade-bread-slicer-crumb-catcher-cutting-board-guide-370-12-inch-slices/ http://www.onlyknives.com/norpro-homemade-bread-slicer-crumb-catcher-cutting-board-guide-370-12-inch-slices/#comments Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:13:53 +0000 JT Hats http://www.onlyknives.com/?p=11842 Norpro Homemade Bread Slicer & CrumbThis simple bread slicer guide from Norpro gives home chefs a way to perfectly size bread slices for toast and sandwiches, but you'll need the right knife and a light touch.

The Norpro 370 Bread Slicer and Guide offers a row of parallel slots spaced to match the standard 1/2-inch-thick slice of sandwich bread. Set the home-baked loaf of bread between the guides, and lay the bread knife in the slot. The slot keeps the knife blade running true all the way to the bottom of the crust. Most crumbs fall into the crumb-catcher base. Just turn the Slicer Guide over to empty the crumbs. The slots yield eight slices in one setting, but just slide the remaining section of loaf against the guide's acrylic end stop to keep cutting perfect slices.

Since there's no way to adjust the guide, you'll have to settle for cutting bread loaves that match it. If your loaf rises higher than the guide's top, the first part of the cut depends on your skill alone. Loaves wider than the 6-3/4-inch guide box simply won't fit. Adjusting recipes to create loaves that fit is certainly possible. An eight-inch-long bread knife blade won't provide a lot of guided cutting edge in this slicer, but a ten-inch bread knife blade allows a back-and-forth slicing movement of about two inches without leaving the guides.

The Norpro 370 Bread Slicer and Guide uses small screws to hold the acrylic guides to the wooden base. That's not much support, and a careless move with the knife could cause problems. The soft wood in the crumb catcher also damages easily if you drag a serrated blade across the slats. If you're used to a hardwood cutting board designed to take abuse, you'll need to adjust your technique to use the Norpro 370.

For a bread knife long enough to work well with this guide, see the R.H. Forschner Bread Knife.

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]]> http://www.onlyknives.com/norpro-homemade-bread-slicer-crumb-catcher-cutting-board-guide-370-12-inch-slices/feed/ 0 Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pack | Cody Lundin & Doug Ritter Recommended Professional Survival Gear http://www.onlyknives.com/adventure-medical-kits-pocket-survival-pack-cody-lundin-doug-ritter-recommended-professional-survival-gear/ http://www.onlyknives.com/adventure-medical-kits-pocket-survival-pack-cody-lundin-doug-ritter-recommended-professional-survival-gear/#comments Sun, 04 Sep 2011 19:01:24 +0000 JT Hats http://www.onlyknives.com/?p=11840 Adventure Medical Kits Pocket SurvivalDesigned by Doug Ritter of "Equipped to Survive," the Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak earned positive reviews from survival instructor Cody Lundin and many other back-country professionals. Toss it in the day pack, the backpack, or the pocket to make sure you've always got something useful on hand.

The basic kit includes three approaches to making fire. There's a spark-generating permanent match, actually good for over a thousand high-energy strikes, plus a firestarter to help turn that spark into flame. On sunny days, you can save the permanent match and use the fresnel magnifier instead. Other handy items include a stainless steel signaling mirror and an emergency whistle that actually works. There's an inexpensive liquid-filled bubble compass, a scalpel blade, a six-foot length of stainless steel wire, and ten feet of braided 100-pound test nylon cord.

The kit holds a sewing needle, thread, and a few safety pins for patching clothing. Waterproof paper and pencil allow writing those important signal notes if you have to abandon camp. You won't find a lot of useless stuff in this kit -- it doesn't fill every empty space with Band-aids, sugar cubes, or teabags, and does leave a little room for adding important items of your own choosing. Most people choose a folding water bag and water purification tablets, which are already included in the more expensive Pocket Survival Pack Plus. Although there's only a bare minimum of supplies here, the kit does include a waterproof survival booklet full of tips on how to use the gear. You won't use up the steel wire figuring out snares on your own if you just follow the step-by-step instructions.

The Pocket Survival Kit Plus includes a skeleton-handled knife, a water bag, and a small supply of water purification tablets. For anyone who normally carries better versions of fundamental equipment, the original Pocket Survival Pack still offers the best deal.

See the Bear Grylls Survival Knife for a set of survival tools that's more knife and less kit.

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]]> http://www.onlyknives.com/adventure-medical-kits-pocket-survival-pack-cody-lundin-doug-ritter-recommended-professional-survival-gear/feed/ 0 Buck X-Tract Multi-tool, One Handed | Lockback Combo Edge Knife w/ LED 731 http://www.onlyknives.com/buck-x-tract-multi-tool-one-handed-lockback-combo-edge-knife-w-led-731/ http://www.onlyknives.com/buck-x-tract-multi-tool-one-handed-lockback-combo-edge-knife-w-led-731/#comments Fri, 02 Sep 2011 19:48:06 +0000 JT Hats http://www.onlyknives.com/?p=10779 Buck X-Tract Multi-tool, One Handed Multi-purpose gear for hikers, backpackers, and other outdoorsmen gets better every year. If you make the Buck 731 X-Tract LED Multi-Tool part of your kit, there's at least one extra thing you can leave home, and possibly more. This 6.4-ounce toolkit lightens your load.

This compact multi-tool offers several useful tools in addition to a hollow ground, combo-edged drop point blade of high carbon 420 stainless steel. The one-hand opening lockback knife is still the primary blade of the tool and with three inches of cutting edge, it's enough to get you by. Hunters and fishermen will want more, but for the average backpacker it's a reasonable choice.

Since everyone today carries something high-tech, it's always helpful to have some mechanical tools along -- in case a fitting on the pack or tent or boots breaks and you have to be creative. The X-Tract includes a small pair of pliers, a Phillips and flat-head screwdriver, and wire cutters -- all of which could come in very handy when unexpected things go wrong. There's also a bottle and can opener if you've forgotten the most important part of your mess kit. All tools in the Buck 731 open with one hand and lock in place for use.

Under the rubber-coated thermoplastic handle cover lies another useful feature, an LED light powered by two flat coin-sized batteries. It's not the lamp you'd depend on for the long walk home, but it's a great backup to have around. Power-saving circuitry turns off the LED after three minutes. Access to the battery compartment requires a small Phillips screwdriver, so if you need to install new batteries, do it before you hit the trail.

The 4-1/4-inch Buck 731 doesn't include a pocket clip, but a tough nylon belt pouch is part of the deal. The base of the knife provides a stainless steel lanyard loop big enough to string a wrist lanyard or clip on a carabiner.

For the same multi-tool without the LED option, see this Buck X-Tract Multi-Tool.

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