This evening as I was scanning through a couple hundred e-mails (only a couple addressed to me), I deleted a majority on the knife-list, the list I referred to in a recent editorial. Until last week, I was totally unaware this forum even existed. Excuse me for my ignorance. Then Spark introduced me to the BladeForum and suggested I might enjoy participating. I have a few times. This evening as I was going down the knife-list, one kind soul noted he had seen a couple of my postings on the BladeForum list, and even provided me a link that he thought I might like to review....this one, and suggested I click on. I did.
It certainly appears that most of this flack is directed at me, perhaps because I am not afraid to speak out. First of all, since most of you do not really know me personally, do take much of what I have to say with a grain of salt. I just want to clarify a few things first. For starters, regardless of what fields we tend to think of ourselves as experts in, remember someone else is always better. Thus, no maker out there is the worlds's best at anything, and I've never stated any maker makes the best folders, best fighters, best anything. Most of the makers we feature, even those I produce shop tours on by traversing the world, do NOT advertise with us. So much for ad tie-ups and whoring ourselves. We don't have to suck up to anyone. KI is probably the only cutlery magazine that publishes book reviews printed by another publisher (Blade). We do so because our readers deserve to know about what is available. Whereas Consumer Union very likely sells 500,000 copies per month, or more, KI, with the largest circulation of all the cutlery magazines, and it is growing, sells around 30,000 copies. We have to have ads, or we'll die. One lister stated we review only good knives. If a knife is bad, we don't feature it. To do so would be wasting costly space. After all, consumers have to use their brains, too. One guy mentioned most of our readers are knife makers. Beg to differ here. Most of our readers are consumers. KI is the only cutlery magazine that has run two or three articles on the internet, and we regularly publish e-mail and web site addresses. Our company publishes 10 magazines, and we are presently building 10 separate sites. Yes, we are not afraid of the internet. Think about this. If the three knife magazines and Knife World did not exist, how would collectors find the knife makers? Back up a few decades ago to when a dozen makers formed the Knifemakers Guild. These guys showed their knives at gun shows. The knife collectors of today were probably collecting guns or coins then. One lister claimed reviews are worthless, and many more agreed. And that I am afraid of losing revenues. Well, let me offer this bit. All of you makers who would like to see one of your knives used in an all/out test, send it in right now and I'll personally test it. And I'll write my findings, and return it to you. No obligation on your part. Last year one of our writers tested about a dozen custom camp knives. He reported on how much wood they did or did not cut, etc. A few of the makers received $700-$900 knives back that were dull, chipped, and all. Some weren't very happy. I tested a so-called survival knife about 12 years ago, and reported its teeth wouldn't cut through a small, green tree branch. The maker was mad. I told another survival knife maker (very prominent) that the teeth in his knife were facing the wrong way. He knew it, said that's what the people want. Most of these guys don't advertise with us. SEAL knives? I've been on major magazine staffs for more than 40 years. About 14-15 years ago when I was editing S.W.A.T. mag, I contacted a SEAL team PIO officer at Coronado, and asked him which firearms were G.I. issue. He told me. Then he stated they buy whatever they want, from a silenced .22 rifle to a sawed-off shotgun, whatever will get the job done. So, the Navy may choose one knife as its G.I. issue, but the individual members probably buy what they want. I made my first fixed blade knife back in 1970, before Blade magazine even existed. I made my latest fixed blade knife just last week, and bought an etching machine yesterday. I've only made one folder, so far. I've only forged one fixed blade knife. Does this make me a knife maker? Not by a long shot. But I hope it makes me understand what knife makers go through. In closing, we have published 58 editions of K.I. so far, and I am positive not more than 10 of the maybe 75 knives that were featured on our covers were made by advertisers. I'm not a knife maker, I'm not the smartest editor, but I take pride in what I do, and I don't suck up to anyone. Just recently one of our biggest advertisers got mad at me because I had the balls to tell him a knife he wanted me to run on the cover was a rip-off of another companies knives. He still advertises, and one day I'll produce a cover with a knife I feel is worthy of that cover. Finally, I don't permit our writers to accept knives for evaluations with the idea they can keep them. Makers and factories don't buy editorial space. I've talked too long, so must do. Bud
