"edge" - wallace edged tools

Hand Crafted, Fixed Blade Knives

Wal lace Edged ToolsEDGE

A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Mike WallaceCEO and Founder of Wallace Edged [email protected]

Bob [email protected]

Phil [email protected]

Jana RadeCreative [email protected]

Wallace Edged Tools Magazine is copyrighted by The Poole Consulting

Group LLC and may not be reproduced by any means, electronic or other-

wise, without the express, written permission of Bob Poole, The Poole

Consulting Group. The magazine is a quarterly publication offered in both

print and digital form.

mailto:[email protected]



22

108

34

12

42

4 | EDGE: WALLACE EDGED TOOLS

3 From the Editor Phil Elmore

8 About Mike

10 A Note From Mike at Wallace Edged Tools

12 About My Knives

14 Outdoor Series

22 Field Series

34 SPEAR I and II

42 Maker Spotlight

44 You Get What You Pay For

44

14

CONTENTS

APRIL 2015 | 5

Welcome to our first issue. It’s my honor

and privilege to be able to share with you

the work of the makers we’re profiling in

these pages, not to mention the types of

informative articles we look forward to bringing you.

I’m especially excited to be able to introduce to you,

in the form of some review articles and profiles, the

work of Mike Wallace and his associates. I can tell you

from first-hand experience that Mike makes beautiful,

aesthetically appealing knives that feature fantastic

ergonomics. Putting his blades through their paces

for this first issue was a real pleasure.

A little about me: I’m fortunate enough to act as your

editor as of this writing. I’ve been writing in the knife

industry for what must be fifteen years now, and I’ve

been a professional technical writer and editor for

two decades. There’s a good chance you’ve seen my

byline in Tactical Knives magazine, Harris Publica-

tions’ Personal and Home Defense, and Concealed

Carry Magazine. Over the years I’ve also contributed

to the Midnight Sun News, Special Weapons maga-

zine, and Survivor’s Edge. I’ve been a columnist at

WND News for several years, too, and the publisher of

my own Internet magazine devoted to self-defense.

I have been interested in knives since I was a child,

when I first “borrowed” a Swiss Army Knife from my

father’s dresser (and then promptly cut myself with it

while whittling at the park, forcing me to explain to

my parents what I had done). When my father gave

me my first shell-bolster jack knife with a book on

whittling and the terse instructions, “Cut away from

yourself,” I could not have been happier. Decades later,

I still carry a knife every day... and yes, one of them is

my own Swiss Army Knife.

From the Editor Phil Elmore


A knife is an essential tool. It is with a heavy heart that

I look at the trend toward vilifying and marginalizing

knife owners and knives. As our society becomes

increasingly more urban, as old ways of life and

self-reliance slip away in favor of the convenience and

dependence so integral to modern urban life, the love

for knives (and an appreciation for their functionality)

is disappearing. Honest knife owners, collectors, users,

and makers, people with a real passion for blades, are

slowly becoming an endangered species. It’s our hope

that publications like these can help stem that tide, at

least a little. If we can bring even one person to a better

understanding and appreciation of well-made knives,

then we’ve done our job.

Also in this issue, we take a look at the “budget knife”

solution. Can a knife that retails for ten or twenty

bucks actually do everything that a custom knife can

do? It’s true that a quality production knife is capable

of everything a custom knife is built to accomplish, but

just how cheap can you go? Well, when the “prepper”

craze went mainstream, a variety of products started

appearing in dodgy-looking infomercials intended to

cash in on this trend, and the “Rocky Mountain Knife”

is no different. This issue I took a look at just what this

blade – purchased for 10 bucks on sale at a drug store

– can realistically do.

Thank you so much for reading this. We appreciate

your support, your time, and your attention. We also

hope you’ll share this with others. If we all make an

effort, we can successfully promote the hobby, voca-

tion, and avocation of knives and knife collecting.

Kind Regards,

Phil Elmore

APRIL 2015 | 7

Mike Wallace, a 39-year-old resi-

dent of New Castle, Pennsylvania,

has been making knives since he

was just fourteen years old. A full-

time prototype maker for one of

the industry’s leading knife firms,

Mike is also a family man whose

daughter sketches knives with

him and whose wife Chrissy has

long supported his custom knife

making. “When I finish a knife,” he

explains, “it’s Chrissy who gives it

the once over (along with Lacey,

my daughter) to make sure it passes

inspection.”

As a child, Mike’s interest in knives

was spurred by the three-blade

stockman and jackknife patterns

that he carried -- knives that were

once common pocket gear among

young boys but which have since

become a vanishing breed among

young people. “Mostly,” Mike says, “it

was the challenge to make my own,

and the lack of money to simply buy

a quality knife, that pushed me into

knife making. I was always fasci-

nated with making things and with

figuring out how things worked,

how they were made. It was far

cheaper to make a knife out of an

old saw blade than it was to buy one.”

In seventh grade, Mike and his

boyhood friend, fellow knifemaker

Andrew Demko, saved up the $75

each they needed to purchase a

Craftsman bench grinder. Now,

25 years later, Mike remembers

those days with nostalgia. “I can’t

imagine going back to a 6-inch

bench grinder and a handheld

drill,” he says. “Having a properly

equipped knife shop really helps.”

Mike offers a line of finely crafted

fixed blades in CPM154 steel (other

steels can be had at the custom-

About Mike


er’s request) with a wide array of

G10 handles. Options include

the contouring and texturing of

the handle material. While Mike

has plenty of new designs on the

drawing board, his flagship models

are the Outdoor Series (OS) and

Field Series (FS), which he offers

with beautifully tooled leather belt

sheaths. A Japanese-inspired Kiri-

dashi model, featuring a wooden

scabbard, is also available.

Customers may specify standard

color or multicolor G10, with brass

or copper logo and tubing. Mike

also offers right- and left-handed

sheaths. Jimping is available as

an upgrade. Blade finish is a fine

Scotch Brite, but bead/sand blasted

is available if the customer desires.

All knives are heat treated at Peters

Heat Treat in Meadville, PA.

“My design philosophy is fairly

simple,” Mike says. “I want to have

the customer feel like he got more

knife than he paid for. I strive to

build a good ‘user’” knife that does

what is designed to do -- cut

things; it’s not a prybar -- while

paying strict attention to ergo-

nomics. A knife that looks good

but doesn’t feel good in the hand

is kind of useless. If you are field

dressing an animal and your hands

are in worse shape than the animal

is when you are done, then I didn’t

do a good job in the design phase.“

Mike explains that his goal, as a

knifemaker, is constant improve-

ment. “I want to continue to

come up with solid designs that

are excellent cutting tools. There’s

always more equipment for my

knife shop that I’d like to acquire. I

want my knives to be used all over

the world, and certainly, if anyone

in the military wants to use them, I

would consider that a great honor.”

As for what he gets out of his

chosen profession, Mike minces

no words. “Making something to

the best of my current ability is

everything to me,” he explains. “I

truly put my heart and soul into

the knives I make. Having the

customer be satisfied with his

knife, and for it to give him many

years of service... that’s what I care

about more than anything.”

APRIL 2015 | 9

Hello everyone,

I felt compelled to write a few words of thanks to all that have helped

to make Wallace Edged Tools come to fruition.

First and foremost, I want to thank God for giving me the ability to

make tools by hand that people may actually like and use.

I’d also like to thank my beautiful family, my wife Christina and

daughter Lacey, for all their support. Thank you for understanding

when I just can’t seem to turn the grinder off. I love you both!

I would also like to thank...

• My father for instilling in me a good set of morals and a good

work ethic.

• Andrew Demko for his friendship and all his help and knowl-

edge.

• Bob Poole, the man with the plan! Your kindness and gener-

osity are without equal. Your belief in me and my knives was

vital in getting me up and running. Thanks for all the time

you have put into making all this possible. The website and

e-magazine would not have happened without you.

• Phil Elmore. Thanks for taking the time to review my knives,

Phil, but also, thank you for being the editor of this e-maga-

zine. I appreciate all your time spent to make this become a

reality.

To my customers, I want to thank you most of all. You are crucial

to the success of Wallace Edged Tools. It is an honor to have some-

thing I made carried and used by you. You are part of the Wallace

Edged Tools family. Thank you so much!

Sincerely,

Mike Wallace

A Note from Mike at Wallace Edged Tools

APRIL 2015 | 11

They weren’t exactly collec-

tors’ items, but they worked

for my friends and me.

Along the way, I feel in love

with the art of knife making. Now,

I work full-time for a company

making prototypes.

I guess I can’t get enough of knives

at work, so when I come home, I

make my own knives – a special-

ized line of knives for people who

like tough knives that hold a good

edge, are ergonomic, easy to use

and have clean, simple lines. They

look good, feel good, and work

well. These are serious knives

made for people who appreciate a

fine piece of steel and a razor sharp

edge that lasts.

For those interested in the primary

steel, it is CPM154. If that doesn’t

mean anything to you check out

this link to learn more.

Near the middle of that chart is a

blade steel com-paragraph. That

means the chart compares it to

some other popular steels like D2,

154CM, and CMPS30V.

If you have a preference for a

different kind of steel, I do offer

other steel choices. They are ‘Price

upon Request’ dependent upon

the steel you want.

The blade finish on all these knives is

a fine Scotch Brite finish unless you

request a bead/sand blasted finish.

All knives are heat treated at Peters

Heat Treating in Meadville, PA.

The handles on my knives is a

product called G-10. It makes an

easy-to-clean, easy-to-grip handle.

You can have your choice of color.

You can also request other handle

materials as well. I can craft handles

out of Micarta, carbon fiber, or

stabilized wood. These will also be

Price Upon Request.

The logo coin and tubing on all the

knives is either brass or copper and

may be ordered in either a bright or

subdued bead/sand blasted finish.

About My KnivesI’ve been making knives since I was about 14

years old. Those early knives were made from

whatever metal I could find.

APRIL 2015 | 13

http://www.trugrit.com/CPM154HeatTreatSpecs.pdf

http://petersheattreat.com/cutlery.html

http://petersheattreat.com/cutlery.html

MIKE WALLACE OUTDOOR SERIES I (OSI) A Review by Phi l E lmore


The search for the ideal daily

carry knife obsesses many

a knife owner and blade

enthusiast. No knife can

be all things to all people, and most

knives that try to do many things

end up doing most of them less

well than a more dedicated design.

It is a daunting task, therefore, to

create a small-to-medium sized

fixed blade whose mission is to do

anything an outdoorsman might

need it to do—within reason, and

APRIL 2015 | 15

within the scope of a knife with a

3-3/8 inch blade.

The little Outdoor Series I is just

such a knife. Supplied with an

absolutely gorgeous, handmade

leather sheath, the OS1 is the

do-everything chore-blade to

satisfy just about any outdoorsman.

It is neither too big nor too small,

neither too light nor too heavy,

and exemplifies the notion of “just

right” in every application that is

appropriate to its scale.

The sample OS1 shown here is

7-7/8 inches overall with handle

scales of OD green G10. A classic

drop-point field knife, this little

work blade is ideally suited to

medium game in the field -- or a

nice, thick sirloin in the kitchen.

Its CMP154 blade is thick enough

for field dressing and quartering,

but slender enough for finer

work. Mike makes his tubes and

logo coins of brass or copper,

and the attention to fit and finish


means this functional knife is also

incredibly attractive... with clean,

traditional lines.

Simply put, this is an excellent

all-purpose utility knife. Ergo-

nomics are superb, from the shape

of the handle to the contour of the

integral guard. This means there are

no “hot spots” on the handle when

using the knife for outdoor work,

even over an extended period of

time. Traction afforded by the G10

is adequate to most needs, even

when wet.

The traditionally styled leather

sheath has no retaining strap.

The knife sits deeply within the

belt sheath and is retrieved with

the help of the attached lanyard.

In the hand, it moves ably, and it

has excellent belly for cutting and

slicing. The overall feel of the knife

is incredibly solid, too, and it shows

great attention to detail in even its

smallest facets.

In testing, the OS1 tackled a variety

of farm chores, from digging out

and processing vegetables, to

cutting small limbs and preparing

kindling, It cut length after length

of rope and still remained sharp

enough to cleanly slice even soft

tomatoes, much less tougher work.

This is exactly the performance

you look for in a general-purpose

utility knife: It accomplishes a

broad variety of chores and, while it

isn’t big enough to tackle extremely

heavy work, it is just the right size

for the majority of the labor you’ll

ask for it on the farm or in the

field. The fact that it exhibits Mike

Wallace’s usual sense of quality in

execution is simply a bonus.

APRIL 2015 | 17

The Outdoor Series One is a classic

drop-point field knife. Excellently

suited to medium game in the

field—or a nice, thick sirloin in the

kitchen—the OS1 is 7-7/8 inches

overall with a 3-3/8 inch blade.

Thick enough for field dressing

and quartering, but slender enough

for finer work, this is also an excel-

lent all-purpose utility knife with

clean lines and a subtle, classy

aesthetic. The OS1 is supplied with

a top-quality, handmade leather

sheath.

Outdoor Series One

APRIL 2015 | 19

The larger sibling to the Outdoor

Series One, our Outdoor Series

Two features the same top-quality

leather sheath and the same atten-

tion to fit, finish, and detail. Its

superbly ergonomic handle makes

for ease of handling and reduces

the chances of fatigue and blisters

while working in the field. Featuring

a modified drop point with a bit

more belly compared to the OS1,

this is a knife for medium to large

game whose profile makes it great

for skinning, field-dressing, quar-

tering, and camp-cooking. The

OS2 is 8-7/8 inches overall with a

4-3/8 inch blade.

Outdoor Series Two

APRIL 2015 | 21

The topic of a truly large

field knife is one that

does not lack contro-

versy. There are those

who argue a medium-sized knife

(whatever that is supposed to mean

in the aggregate) is more func-

tional than a massive, Rambo-style

short sword. There are others who

point to the leverage and strength

intrinsic to a larger blade. The

latter camp can and does make

MIKE WALLACE FIELD SERIES II (FSII) A Review by Phi l E lmore


a convincing argument when it

claims a smaller knife cannot do

everything a larger knife can do,

but a larger knife can be made to

“work small” if you choke up on it

and the design is not completely

without subtlety.

The truth may be somewhere in

between, and in the case of the Field

Series II by Mike Wallace, that is just

what this knife is designed to be.

This is a clip-point general-pur-

pose hunting and field knife that is

9-1/8 inches overall with a substan-

tial 4-1/2 inch blade. An excellent

choice for medium to heavy chores

such as field-dressing large game,

camping, and a wide range of

woodland and urban survival tasks,

this knife makes a good companion

when your focus is on survival and

your tool of choice is your knife.

Mike Wallace offers a variety

of different G10 materials for

APRIL 2015 | 23

handles. The sample shown has

an absolutely captivating pattern

that is almost southwestern in

aesthetics. It has a nice, deep

integral guard and the slotted

texture of the handle adds up

to a firm, secure grip with little

danger of injury while working.

The supplied lanyard is used to

facilitate removing the knife from

its beautiful leather sheath, which

encloses most of the knife and

requires no other retention straps.

The clip-point blade gives the

knife a nice, sharp, fine point that

allows the user to “work small.” It

has enough belly for cutting and

slicing, enough length for large

tasks, and is not overly broad in

proportion to its length (making

it relatively nimble in the hand).

The knife is big enough that its

point of balance is relevant. This

one balances nicely just behind

the contour that sweeps up to

form the guard.


Blade steel is CPM154, although

Mike offers other steels depending

on customer preference. Heat treat

is done by Peters’ heat Treating to

RC 58-60. Tubes and logo coins

are brass/copper, depending on

the sample.

This is an excellent large knife with

clean aesthetics and strong execu-

tion. It held up well in testing,

whether the chore tackled was

cutting limbs, cutting vegetables,

hacking slowly through 4x4s, or

cutting strips for kindling. The

pointed butt could also be used for

striking should the knife be pressed

into a more dramatic application.

(While not a “tactical knife” as such,

this pattern is well suited to a variety

of aggressive applications.) Hunters

who favor a clip point for gutting and

dressing will be particularly pleased

by both the knife’s geometry and the

leverage afforded by its length.

Edge-holding was quite good

and the knife’s ergonomics make

it easy to do a lot of work without

becoming fatigued. As field knives

go, it is hard to beat this combi-

nation of features... and harder

still to find a handmade knife with

this kind of fit and finish that begs

the user to work with it. The only

addition that might be welcome

could be jimping for the thumb,

but that’s a fairly subjective prefer-

ence and would also interfere with

the overall cleanliness of the knife’s

appearance.

As bigger knives go, this one

doesn’t feel unwieldy. It also does

everything that a medium-to-

large field knife ought to be able to

do, and does it well. You can’t ask

much more beyond that other than

pride of execution, which the FSII

also offers. This makes the knife

hard to beat, even against larger,

more expensive competitors.

APRIL 2015 | 25

Neither too small nor too large, the

Field Series 1 makes an excellent

every-day carry knife. Its clip-

point blade and slim profile make

it great for small game. As a camp

knife, it is light and agile, making it

a good choice for a wide range of

utility tasks and bushcraft chores.

Supplied with its own top-quality

leather sheath, the FS1 is 7-3/8

inches overall with a 3-1/4 inch

blade.

Field Series One

APRIL 2015 | 27

The larger version of the Field Series

One, the Field Series Two is an

impressive 9-1/8 inch overall with a

substantial 4-1/2 inch blade. This is

an excellent choice for medium to

heavy chores, field-dressing large

game, camping, and a wide range

of woodland and urban survival

tasks. Featuring the same great

ergonomics and clean aesthetics

of the FS1, the FS2 ships with a

top-quality leather belt sheath.

Field Series Two

APRIL 2015 | 29

In the spirit of that old movie, the

Field Series 3 is one of those knives

that makes people say, “THAT’S not

a knife... THIS is a knife.” A massive

6-3/4 inch blade coupled to a

generous G10 handle makes this

knife almost a foot overall (11-5/8

inches). Featuring a top-grain

leather sheath, this is the knife for

all your biggest field and survival

chores, capable of taking on almost

anything you can dish out. A reli-

able edged tool on which you can

stake your life.

Field Series Three

APRIL 2015 | 31

The Japanese kiridashi is an ancient

knife design. It’s a small utility knife

that features a wedge-shaped blade

and a rigid scabbard, traditionally

made of wood. Our Mike Wallace

Kiridashi has a locking scabbard of

G10 and a generous handle that is

textured for a sure grip. An excel-

lent everyday-carry utility cutter.

Kiridashi

APRIL 2015 | 33

Mike Wallace SPEAR IBy Phi l E lmore


An all-purpose field knife

is the foundation of any

outdoorsman’s gear. A

cutting edge is among

humanity’s earliest manufactured

tools, and for good reason. With

the ability to cut, scrape, score,

and gouge, a human being can

manipulate the world around

him, facilitating both his short-

term survival and his long-term

prosperity. The knife, therefore, is

fundamental to survival, both in

emergencies and in an ongoing

sense. It was with this in mind that

Mike Wallace designed the SPEAR

series, the acronym for which

stands for Self-Preserve, Evolve,

Adapt, Rescue.

“The design philosophy behind

[the SPEAR series] is... That is tough

for me,” admits Mike. “I designed

them to look good, at least to me,

and to be ergonomic and useful,

with the hopes they would be well

received.” Mike goes on to explain

that the design originated with

Jason Shepherd, who approached

him with the concept after buying

one of Mike’s FS II knives. “From

[the concept drawing] I modified it

and came up with the [prototype]

design,” Mike told us. “The current

one is made from A2 steel and will

also be offered in 3V. Handles are

G-10 and tubes, logo, and pyro-

plug are brass or copper.”

“I designed them to look good, at least to me,

and to be ergonomic and useful, with the

hopes they would be well received.”

~Mike Wallace

APRIL 2015 | 35

The SPEAR 1 is 11-1/8 inches overall

with a 5-1/2 inch blade (set at an

ergonomic and functional angle).

The A2 steel in the prototype is 3/16-

inch think, which means the knife

weighs in at 12 ounces. It features

an extended steel pommel that can

serve as a small prybar and scraper.

“I’m not a fan of that part,” Mike

admits, “and will omit it from my

personal knife, as it digs into my

love handles. The knife will have the

pommel as an option. The blades

are water-jet cut with the pommel

included, and if the customer

doesn’t want that option, it can be

ground off.”

The prototype also includes a .38

and .357 Magnum caliber bullet-

puller hole. Mike’s original concept

was to offer different calibers of

bullet pullers at customer request,

the idea being to pull the bullet

from a round you were carrying so

the gunpowder inside the cartridge

could be used for fire-starting.

“The bullet puller will probably be

omitted,” Mike told us of future

“production” versions of the knife.

Another feature that Mike will

continue to include on the SPEAR

1 is the concave copper disc in

the handle. This is his “pyro-plug,”

which serves as the top bearing of a

fire-bow drill. For those who want a

slightly easier way to get their tinder

going, the sheath of our proto-

type included a slot for a 3/8-inch

ferrocerium fire-starting rod. While

one wasn’t included, I had several

on hand, and found that the loop

retains the rod securely.

“I’m gearing this toward the bush-

craft and tactical crowds as sort

of a hybrid bush-tac blade,” Mike

explains. The customer can pick

their desired blade shape, clip

point or Nessmuk. The Nessmuk

blade shape is named for George

Washington “Nessmuk” Sears, an

outdoorsman in the late 1800s who

wrote a book called “Woodcraft.”

He was a proponent of carrying a

folding knife, a hatchet, and a fixed

blade with a sine-wave shaped

curve to the blade, efficient and light

for cutting but substantial enough

for woodcraft. Mike’s interpretation

of the Nessmuk shape is more subtle

than earlier examples but retains the

functionality of the concept. (The

SPEAR 1 prototype used for our

testing was the clip-point variant.)

The SPEAR 1 began life as a sketch

depicting a fixed blade with a

squared spine, thumb jimping, and

forward cant to the blade to aid in

chopping. That’s precisely what the

SPEAR 1 became. The nice, deep,

and well-finished jimping forward

and behind the guard provides great

purchase for the thumb, while the

remainder of the handle is smooth

to prevent fatigue (by creating


maximum comfort) during frequent

chopping. The point of balance is

in the rear half of the index finger

scallop, right where it should be. I

find the handle extremely comfort-

able. While I have large hands, I think

those with smaller hands would find

it comfortable as well. The knife is

a great chopper and I hacked my

way through brush, small limbs, and

even chopped some divots out of

larger pieces of wood, all with rela-

tive ease.

While Mike himself doesn’t prefer

the extended pommel, I found it

useful for hammering (if your goal

is simply to do damage, not drive

a nail), prying, and scraping. The

nice big blade never feels too big,

but it certainly isn’t too small, which

means the SPEAR 1 handled plenty

of big jobs around my brother’s

rural farm property without diffi-

culty. I used it to cut broad sections

of canvas, to slice up heavy (and

empty) chemical barrels, and to cut

kindling and cordage. Edge holding

was good. When it finally started to

get dull, I touched it up on a diamond

rod and it went right back to work.

If I had anything I might wish for

where the SPEAR 1 is concerned,

I might wish an additional sheath

option. The factory sheath is abso-

lutely beautiful, holds the knife

securely, and exhibits good crafts-

manship. If someone were to give

me the opportunity, though, I would

love to have a second sheath, or an

add-on strap of some kind, that

would allow me to carry the knife

horizontally. As it stands, you can

rig up something fairly substantial

with paracord if you choose.

I absolutely love the SPEAR 1. The

canted blade and the contour of the

handle makes it a very comfortable,

functional cutter and chopper,

while the attention to detail and

the consistently fine workmanship

exhibited by Mike Wallace Edged

Tools means this knife will give

years of faithful service. When you

are looking for a bushcraft blade in

either Nessmuk or clip point blade

patterns, Mike Wallace’s SPEAR

series is an excellent choice. The

fact the knives are attractive to look

at and pleasing to heft and use is

just an additional bonus

APRIL 2015 | 37

Mike Wallace SPEAR IIBy Phi l E lmore


As a boy, I first learned

about the concept of

the “survival knife” from

the “Rambo” movies,

as did so many children of the

1980s. Fourteen-year-old me was

very concerned about the threat

presented by ninja stars, too. As you

can imagine, my assessment of the

utility of a survival knife, hollow-

handle or otherwise, was not terribly

accurate. Nonetheless, indelibly

printed on my mind from my

preteens was the notion that a large,

sturdy knife is very useful when in

the field. Whether your needs are

for hunting, bushcraft, survivalism

and prepping, or even self-defense,

a large blade is de rigueur. But what

makes a good field knife? What

qualities should it have?

The SPEAR series from Mike Wallace

is a line of field knives that, individ-

ually and as a product line, tackle

this question. In this case, SPEAR

stands for Self-Preserve, Evolve,

Adapt, Rescue. The SPEAR 2 proto-

type featured here is eleven inches

overall and weighs 14 ounces. My

version shipped with a gorgeous

hand-tooled leather sheath, as do all

of Mike’s knives, this one with a loop

for a 3/8-inch ferro rod. I bought a

couple of suitable rods recently, so it

was a moment’s effort to slip one of

the rods into its waiting sheath loop,

APRIL 2015 | 39

where it is firmly secured and ready

for any fire-starting needs that arise.

This seems like a small thing, but it’s

actually very noteworthy, because

so many of the “survival” blades you

buy today come with ferrocerium

rods but have no place to put them.

If the sheath doesn’t have a carrying

spot for the rod, it’s just going to get

lost, and therefore won’t be there

when you need it.

Ferrocerium, if you’re not aware, is

a synthetic material that produces

sparks when metal, such as a knife

blade, is scraped across it. It is

therefore very useful for starting

fires when sparking tinder. While

you’re much better off carrying a

Bic lighter as part of your survival

gear, a ferro rod will never run

out of fluid, rust shut, or other-

wise stop working. Following the

“two is one and one is none” rule

of survival gear, the rod is a great

backup to a more convenient fire-

starting method like a lighter.

This is a substantial field blade with

G10 handle scales, brass or copper

tubes (the customer may specify

his or her preference) and a lanyard.

Blade steel is 0.190-inch thick CPM

3V. The blade measures out to 5-5/8

inches long with a five-inch cutting

edge. My prototype was razor sharp

out of the box—Mike sharpened it

himself, so I wouldn’t expect any

different—and has a wide drop-

point blade with a pronounced choil

and a considerable integral guard.

Grooves along the full tang, together

with the texture of the G10, ensure

an excellent grip, while my thumb

and index finger naturally fall into

the ergonomic contours below the

guard. The choil has a scallop oppo-

site it on the blade spine that allows

the user to brace his thumb and

choke up for fine work.

“This design is a scaled down

version of a knife I made that had

a ten-inch blade and was sixteen

inches overall,” Mike explains. “I


wanted to make what I thought

would be the ultimate wilderness/

survival knife that was under twelve

inches overall. Plus I just really like

the design.”

Mike further explains that the

prototype featured here is slightly

different from the “production”

version that he now hand-makes in

his shop. The differences lie “mainly

in the butt of the handle,” he says.

“The new version has better place-

ment for a lanyard and better overall

appearance. I designed [the SPEAR

series] to look good and to be useful.”

The broad drop-point blade is a

good choice for field chores. While

a bit thick and heavy for dressing

game, the knife can still perform

this task, and shines when it comes

time to chop (whether you’re butch-

ering or building an improvised

shelter). The point of balance is

right where the Mike Wallace shield

in the handle meets the ergonomic

scallops below the guard -- in other

words, right where it should be to

make the knife a well-balanced field

blade that is also a natural chopper.

Against a blighted Upstate New York

landscape whose residents are still

recovering from one of the most

brutal winters in recent memory,

the SPEAR 2 easily tackled all of the

field chores I threw at it, including

making kindling, chopping small

tree limbs, and even some digging

and prying (which always consti-

tutes abuse of a knife, but which

may be necessary in a true survival

or wilderness emergency scenario).

It displays good edge holding and

could be used for food prep (after a

good cleaning) as easily as for more

“rough” tasks.

One of the more unique features of

the SPEAR 2, shared by its sibling

the SPEAR 1, is a concave copper

disc set in the handle. This is a

“pyro-plug,” which serves as the top

bearing for a fire bow. You’ve seen

this in use before: A piece of wood

is rotated at high speed using a bow

to create fiction and ignite tinder.

The process requires a means of

bracing the rotating wood while

allowing it to move. Mike’s pyro-

plug makes this easy and elimi-

nates a step in the process (the step

in which a wood block would need

to be prepared for this purpose).

The SPEAR 2 would make an excel-

lent choice as the foundation for an

all-purpose field or survival kit. It is

also a great belt knife for any hunter

or outdoorsman. It is large enough

to handle big jobs while not being

so large as to become unwieldy

when dealing with finer work.

Overall fit and finish is, as with all

Mike Wallace Edged Tools, abso-

lutely beautiful. The knife exhibits

good attention to detail, excellent

craftsmanship, and understated,

attractive aesthetics. If you know

you want an outdoor task knife but

you’re not entirely certain what you

will be using it for, the SPEAR 2 is a

great way to hedge your bets.

Spear 1 and 2 are $325

APRIL 2015 | 41

Knifemakers Mike Wallace

and Andrew Demoko

have been friends since

they were children. “

Andrew moved into my neigh-

borhood in 7th grade,” Mike tells

us. “We became good friends and

started making knives soon after.

They were CRUDE, but we had

fun making them. We bought tool

steel from a local vendor and made

anything from bowies to tantos

and samurai swords. He went full

force into making custom knives

and went on to invent the Tri-ad

lock and the thumb disk opener. “

Today, Andrew’s thumb disk and

Tri-ad lock are very familiar to

customers of Cold Steel Knives.

Andrew first discovered an interest

in knives when he was three years

old and found his first pocket

knife. “It was so dull I was allowed

to play with it,” he admits. “Two of

the three blades could not even be

opened, but from then on, I was

hooked.”

Andrew was also happy to elab-

orate on his experience making

knives with Mike Wallace. “In 7th

grade,” he says, “we were fortu-

nate enough to have wood shop

and metal shop. In metal shop we

forged chisels out of O-1 hexagon

bars. We even heat-treated them.

To get a passing grade, the chisel

had to be both hardened and

tempered properly, as proved by

the instructor cutting into a mild

steel bar. Our teacher explained

the process of forging, grinding,

and heat treating, and how it was

used in many areas.”

Andrew explains that after learning

about forging, heat treating, and

grinding, he learned to make

knives through the “stock removal”

method. “I spent the rest of my

junior high and high school years

trying to forge knives, but mostly

making knives through stock

removal. We had a great source

of saw blades to grind into knives.

In 1993 I built my first 2 by 72 belt

grinder, then the following year

I met R.W. Wilson while I was

attending the Art Institute in Pitts-

burgh.

It was while Andrew studied indus-

trial design at the Art Institute that

R.W. Wilson taught him how to be a

‘custom’ knifemaker. “He probably

had already been making knives

for 25 or more years by then,”

says Andrew, so I had a wealth of

experience to draw from. He still

Maker Spotlight: Andrew Demko


teaches people to make knives, and

he builds knife making equipment.”

Of his design philosophy, Andrew

is pragmatic. “The general rule is,

‘form follows function’ in design,”

he explains. “However, if that were

totally true in knife making and

knife design, we wouldn’t need

too many knives. Personally, my

design rule is, ‘performance first.’”

Today, Andrew’s flagship model is

the AD-10 folder. The knife has a

wide, drop-point blade, textured

G10 handle scales, and liners

of .050” titanium. Blade steel is

CPM 154 and the overall weight

is just under 7 ounces. Interested

customers may contact Andrew

through his website, www.demko-

customknives.com, or by e-mail at

[email protected] .

“I want to thank all my customers

for their support and patience,”

he is quick to add. “Somebody

wanting to pay me for my hobby...

that is the most rewarding thing

about what I do.”

“Somebody wanting to pay me for my hobby... that is

the most rewarding thing about what I do.”

~Andrew Demko

APRIL 2015 | 43

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

By Phi l E lmore

“BE PREPARED FOR ANY DISASTER,” reads the

brightly printed card that ships with the Rocky

Mountain Knife. “AS SEEN ON TV.”


The card further promises

“durable construction” and

a “superb sharp survival

blade & serrated spine.” It

also boasts a “strong Nylon sheath.”

The whole affair is made in China,

of course, and comes with a packet

of survival gear (a needle, safety pin,

fish hooks, weights, fishing line,

matches, a whistle, a fire starter,

and a striker for use with the fire

starter) and a compass attached to

the butt o0f the hollow handle.

The question this begs is, “Can a

15-dollar knife cobbled together

in a factory in China do the same

thing as a custom knife by a talented

domestic knife maker?” That is,

after all, the promise of knives such

as these. Those who manufac-

ture them count on the fact that a

good portion of the buying public

looks at price and appearance

only, assuming that the quality

level will be “good enough.” This

is why cheap copies (most of them

unlicensed) of popular knives find

APRIL 2015 | 45

a toehold in the market. It doesn’t

help that many of these copies are

hawked on late-night shopping

programs who claim the knife is

worth “X dollars,” where “X” is the

price of the real, name-brand knife,

but the knife you are purchasing is

the Chinese copy that resembles it.

The Rocky Mountain Knife is a blast

from the past, in that it mirrors the

cheap hollow-handled survival

knives that were all the rage back

in the 1980s. That’s when the

popularity of the Rambo movies

had everybody with twenty bucks

buying a plastic-handled “survival”

weapon. There was even a little bit

of media hysteria about the knives,

as a few teenagers (as teenagers

tend to do) prompty ran amok

with their new toys, vandalizing

neighbors’ property and using

their blades to cut up garden hoses

and light random fires. At lesat, if

you believe the more sensational

of the news reporters, that what

was happening.

With the resurgence of survivalism

in the form of modern day “prep-

ping,” it was perhaps inevitable

that the hollow-handled discount

survival knife would come into

fashion again. The Rocky Moun-

tain Knife, advertised on conser-

vative Internet programs as well

as late-night television, is one

such example. It looks like some-

thing you could use for survival

purposes. But is it “just as good”

as a custom knife? And can it do

what it says it can do?

In a protracted bout of outdoor

testing, the Rocky Mountain Knife

was put through its paces to answer

just this question.

The knife is eleven inches overall

and comes nicely sharp out of

the blister pack. Point of balance,

surprisingly, is at the guard. The

plastic handle provides reasonable

traction and is even comfortable,

although the metal guard rattles

and will probably grow more loose

over time.

The bottle opener is awkward to

use, while the serrated spine is so

dull that it took several minutes to

gnaw a groove into even a small

branch. The survival gear in the

butt is cheap Chinese junk and

should be replaced if the knife is

fielded. There are several metal

split rings that fit between the

compass bulb (the compass is

not very accurate) and the main

portion of the handle.

The Nylon sheath is flimsy and

cheaply made. It has a pouch

for the usual very-coarse sharp-

ening stone and an emergency

whistle (which does whistle with

a sufficiently annoying tone).

Attached to the whistle is a cord

that also retains the striker for the

fire starter. The fire starter (which

produces nice big sparks, actually)

does not have a pouch and seems

destined to be almost immedi-

ately lost. I threaded the cord

from the signal whistle through

the fire starter just to keep it from


going missing. Overlooking a

spot for this fire starter makes it

almost impossible to carry it with

the knife, at least with anything

resembling convenience.

In cutting tasks, the knife actually

did okay. It cut kindling, sawed its

way slowly through larger pieces of

wood, hacked grooves in stumps,

and was still sharp enough to slice a

tomato. The edge, however, exhib-

ited several dings after this testing

(keep in mind the knife tackled

nothing harder than seasoned

wood). When in use, the handle

would flex perceptibly, and the

seam around the compass in the

butt is already starting to separate.

There is no doubt in my mind that

over time, this handle will break

with normal use, resulting in a

knife that is completely useless.

This knife will work—for a little

while. As such, it might make a

useful disposable tool, as long as

one does not ask too much of it. It

is probably worth the ten or fifteen

dollars you are going to pay for it

online or in, say, a drugstore. It is a

far cry from a quality custom knife,

however. It seems you do indeed

get what you pay for, and there is

no substitute for a well-executed

knife created by a true craftsman.

Given the knives available on

the market today from American

makers, there really is no excuse

in “cheaping out” and choosing

a plastic-handled piece of junk

made by wage-slaves in a Chinese

mass-marketing facility.

APRIL 2015 | 47

WALLACE EDGED TOOLSWALLACEKNIVES.COM

"edge" - wallace edged tools

Documents