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Home , Knife making

Kids’ favorite back-to- school recipes on page 9.

VOL. 88, No. 16 www.ldaf.state.la.us August 4, 2005

A Baton Rouge man is known worldwide for the quality of his . He makes a tthhee blade so sharp

it will cut through a UUTTTTIINNGGbundle of 16 one- CC inch ropes in a single swipe. Try that with your big-box Bowie eeddggee . By Sam Irwin hat’s it like to be the best in the ago when he wanted to modify a favored ver, put some stones on it and stuff, but you Sparks illuminate the dirt floor below as he world? The best runner? The best Gerber knife. can’t get their handles off because they’re cast runs the croc hunter under the grinding belt. cyclist? The best craftsman? “I was teaching hand-to-hand combat to the on.” Satisfied with the progress, Ki dips the blade Baton Rouge custom knife East and West Baton Rouge police departments Ki called the venerable knife manufacturer to into a bucket of cool water and wipes the steel WmakerW Shiva Ki knows. on how to take away a knife, how to use a knife discuss his idea, but Gerber was slow to on his pants leg. His custom blades may be the best in the against a guy while he’s still got it in his respond. Skulls, taboos and a fierce Rottweiler protect world. hands,” Ki said. “I had a Gerber Mark-II but I “Gerber said they would give me a few Ki’s shop and backyard. A hand-painted sign, A Ranger paratrooper with the 101st didn’t like the handle on it. blades to customize if I promised not to re-sell worded in German with “!Achtung! Airborne, Ki started making knives 25 years “I wanted to make my own handle out of sil- them,” Ki grinned. “I said, ‘Too late. I started Mörderisch Hunds!” warns unwanted visitors making my own knives now.’ So blame of Ki’s watchdogs. The warning literally trans- Gerber.” lates to “Attention: Murderous Hounds!” Hundreds of handmade custom knives later, Ki gives the dog silent hand signals. Ki has elevated his knife making craft to an art. “There’s nothing like a well-trained dog,” he At any given moment, Ki is working on a murmurs. number of knife projects at his modest north Inexplicably, Ki also has a turkey and a ban- Baton Rouge home. Pieces of dusty iron and tam chicken in the pen along with the steel casually litter his garage machine shop. A Rottweiler. 36-inch sawmill blade leaning against the shop Perhaps to someday test a blade’s efficacy? wall is missing a diagonal pie-shaped section. “Nah, I couldn’t eat my friends,” Ki said. “I “Bearing steel is the best steel to make a love birds.” knife. The whole world runs on bearings,” Ki, a Zen Buddhist, has placed inconspicu- observed Ki. “But saw blade steel is the sec- ous Buddhist trappings around his household. ond-best.” A photo of Ki meditating dominates a wall In one dark corner of his shop rests the drag- loaded with framed mementos and newspaper on, Ki’s gas and coal-fired forge. clippings. A tiny Buddha occupies an honored “I’ll start up the fire. Once the propane is place in the middle of the top shelf of a glass burning I flick the switch and it goes ka- bookcase. woosh,” Ki said. “It starts belching like a drag- Then there are the knives. Beautiful blades, on. I call it the dragon breath.” razor sharp edges, flesheaters are everywhere. Opposite the dragon rests a grinder adorned From antique Samurai swords mounted on with a number of wheel attachments and belts. beautiful lacquered Oriental stands to a variety He flicks on a clip-on light. Two unfinished of edges under glass, all are seemingly within knives rest on a flat surface near the grinder. Ki arm’s reach. Long pieces of steel with patterns Shiva Ki uses a power hammer (above) to blend steel destined to become one of has yet to mount a handle to the knife’s skele- drawn on them, the birth of future blades, are his ultra-sharp Spirit Blade knives. Ki’s forge, dubbed the dragon breath, can ton. clamped into vises or laid on counters. reach steel-melting temperatures. African wart hog tusk and ossic (petrified “These are croc hunters,” Ki explained. Ki’s elegant blades are completed with exot- bone) (top) make for an exotic handle of Ki’s Trailing Point . “They are similar to a . See Cutting edge, page 2 Page 2 MARKET BULLETIN August 4, 2005

Cutting edge, continued from page 1 ic handcrafted handles of ebony, ivory and rare sharp. scalpel edge to a knife, he first builds a sheath guy and the hair starts jumping off his arm and South American snakewood. He also used “You’re only supposed to have hard steel or of exotic wood or leather. he runs yelling, ‘Oh, don’t cut me.’” 50,000 year old fossilized wooly mammoth soft steel in a knife. You can’t have both,” Ki Pointing to a 4-inch scar on his thigh, Ki Whether the hair starts jumping off or not, ivory for grips. The grips may be lined with said. “The clay mass delays the quench” learned the hard way to complete every aspect one thing is certain, Ki’s blades are impossibly water buffalo or stingray hide and trimmed in The quench is the hardening process of of the knife before edging the blade. sharp. Japanese raw silk. The decorations make the immersing the heated blade in oil to rapidly “I’m so stupid,” Ki said. “For years I’d finish Last year, noted French knife expert/journal- knife beautiful, but the real artistry is in the cool the steel. a knife. It was ist Dominique blade. “By the time the quench gets to that part of sharp. Done. Beaucant Ki admitted it took him four years to learn the steel, the molecular structure has Finished. And For a story on “Flesh Eaters: filmed a cut- how to sharpen his blades but once he mastered rearranged into a lower granular level. The then I’d make Shiva Ki Tactical Knives” go to ting exhibition the skill his blades became cutting machines. molecular structure of steel goes through many the sheath. I’m with Ki’s “Well-known and respected American changes at different temperatures. So you got trying to draw http://www.military.com/sol- famous 10- Society (ABS) master bladesmith spring steel underneath the clay and hard-as-a- the pattern diertech/0,14632,Soldiertech_Shi inch Spirit Jim Crowell studied my edge under the micro- chisel steel on the exposed portion. You can around the knives. scope trying to figure out how in the hell I do keep your steel much harder without it break- knife onto the va,,00.html Beaucant bun- it,” Ki said. “Why my knives cut so good and ing because the stress is absorbed by the softer, leather and I’d dled 16 one- keep cutting.” springier heart of the steel.” be cutting pencils in half. inch ropes into a single thick strand and began So how does he do it? Without a trace of But the entire knife making process is more “It took me years to figure out how dumb that slicing. Not hacking. Not sawing. Slicing. irony, Ki flatly states, “I’ve got the enigma than a unique blend of metal. was and not sharpen the knife until I was com- According to Ki’s website (www.shivakicus- thing going that clay tempering gives me.” After cutting the raw steel into the basic knife pletely done with everything else. That way tomknives.com), Beaucant cleanly cut the bun- He said the special clay-tempered technique design, Ki rough grinds the blade to 80 percent you can’t possibly hurt yourself. You can draw dle of 16 ropes eleven times. Immediately he favors combines laminated hard and soft of its final edge using a Wilton square-wheel around it without cutting the end off your pen- afterwards, with the same knife, Beaucant steels to make a super-durable knife that is grinder. cil and stuff.” chopped up a bunch of two-by-fours. Just like “You’ve got hammer marks in He shook his head in wonderment. butter. the steel that you got to “Sometimes even a genius is a stupid s.o.b.” After the amazing demonstration Beaucant out,” Ki said. “You straighten He held up a pattern of a knife he calls the A- wrote in a 2004 issue of Tactical Knives, everything up and get the nice Tac, a folding knife with a graceful curve. He “Every Shiva Ki blade I’ve tested, was incred- straight clean lines.” has already made a number of mental calcula- ibly sharp, dangerously sharp. How can this The rough grind is followed by tions refining the design. man make knives so sharp? Master Ki’s knives a heat treatment at temperatures “I’m going to take a little bit off the top to are the sharpest I’ve ever tested. Every one a ranging from 1450 to 1550 F. make it sleeker,” he said. “That’s a wicked flesh eater.” “I can melt steel in my forge,” s.o.b. The handle’s going to be sculpted so you So in order to make a super-sharp blade all Ki said, which is important in the can hang on to it real good. I redesigned it and one has to do is quench and laminate and mix manufacture of . redesigned and redesigned. I got them singing hard steel with soft steel and temper it with “When you’re making Damascus now.” clay? That’s only the physical part. steel, the outside is like melted But Ki easily recognizes when he is satisfied “Because of my martial arts and Zen back- butter and then you take the ham- with an edge, a blade or a design. ground I understand the universe,” Ki said. mer and hammer the molecules “The perfection for me is in the performance. “I’ve seen the source of all life. I integrated together.” I sell . You just point my knife at the See Cutting edge, page 10 Damascus steel is a hard steel favored by Ki for many of his Ki served in the 101st Airborne in Vietnam. Two “croc hunter” blades (top) on knife designs. It’s characterized the work bench await final grinding. Ki sharpens a blade (left) and uses the Koto by a wavy pattern on its surface method to bring out the grain pattern in this unfinished knife (below). which is caused by forging the metal in layers. It’s both flexible and tough. After the blade is heat treated, Ki begins the finish grind using a variety of cubic zirconium belts to achieve the desired finish. He uses an acid dip to highlight the nuances of the steel’s wavy lay- ers, which resemble a metallic wood grain. “I put a blade into the acid to bring out the granular structure, the guts of the steel,” Ki said. “Sometimes I want to bring that out a little bit more.” Before Ki hones the final Page 10 MARKET BULLETIN August 4, 2005 Coming Your Way

Deep South Stock Horse Show es, broodmares and 3-in-one pack- Association has shows scheduled for www.southlouisianasaddleclub.com. charge. Association will hold open horse ages, will be sold. Aug. 13, Aug. 27, Sept. 10 and Sept. Silver Spur Riders Club will host For more information, contact shows Aug. 6, Aug. 20, Sept. 3, Sept. For catalogs or more information, 24 at South Park in Denham Springs. open horse shows Aug. 27, Sept. 3, Trudy Bulliard at (337) 365-7539. 17, Oct. 1 and Oct. 15 at Shady Park contact the LTBSC at (337) 896- All shows begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 29 and Nov. 29 beginning at 8 The Ladies of Cajun Lagniappe Arena in Baton Rouge. 6152 or email [email protected]. Events include halter, performance a.m. at Burton Coliseum’s indoor fiber artisans are hosting their annual The shows include Western judged Calcasieu Horseman’s Club will classes, English and gaited, timed, arena in Lake Charles. Fiber Arts For -‘em Sept. 16-17 at and timed events. host open horse shows Aug. 13, Sept. novice horse and rider classes, and Classes include English, halter, Camp Pearl in southwest Louisiana. Halter begins at 9 a.m., judged at 24, Oct. 30 and Nov. 5 at the Burton lead-in classes for non-riders. judged Western and speed events. Workshops will include knitting, 10:30 a.m. and speed after 1 p.m. Arena in Lake Charles. For more information, contact Stalls, hookups and concessions crochet, needle felting, dying, weav- High point and high point reserve The shows are PAC approved and Deloris Sanchez at (225) 664-3150 available. ing and spinning. Registration is $8 awards will be presented at each feature four age divisions and classes or Wanda Johnson at (225) 664- For more information, contact in advance or $10 at the door. show. Points will accrue for end-of- for special needs riders. 3169. Renee Jordan at (337) 855-3279. Motel rooms, cabins and RV the-year awards. Classes include halter, color, show- South Louisiana Saddle Club is The Labor Day Classic Open 4D hookups are available at Camp Pearl. For more information, contact manship, leadline, Western and holding its 2005 Summer Classic Barrel Race will take place Sept. 4-5 Registrations forms can be down- Jenny Redhead at (225) 978-2447. English disciplines, reigning and open horse show at 1 p.m. Aug. 20 at at the SugArena in New Iberia. loaded from the Web site: www.run- The Louisiana Thoroughbred speed events. Churchill Arena in Westwego. The entry fee is $40 per horse ningmoonfarm.com. Click on the Breeders Sale Company’s Summer Seven additional shows are Twelve buckles and rosettes will daily. Exhibitions are $4 each or “Fiber Arts For-‘em” link at the bot- Open Mixed Thoroughbred Sale will planned for the remainder of the be awarded to winners. The entry fee three for $10. Early registration ends tom of the page. begin at 10 a.m. Aug. 7 at Blackham year. is $7 or 6/$35. Aug. 24. A $15 late fee will apply to For more information, contact Coliseum in Lafayette. For more information, contact For more information, contact each late entry. Rhonda Selser at (337) 328-8461, About 150 head, including year- (337) 528-9441 or (337) 794-0662. Dudley Hartz at (504) 436-8145 or RV hookups, stalls and shavings Beth Syron at (337)774-2977 or lings, two-year-olds, racing age hors- Livingston Horse Show visit the Web site will be available at an additional Charlene Quinilty at (337) 832-3219.

Ki used South American snake- wood for this (near left). Beaucant’s Tactical Knives article is reprinted (far left). Beaucant is pic- tured slicing a bun- dle of 16 one-inch ropes (bottom left).

Cutting edge, continued from page 2 everything and just let it happen. Life lives me instead thing up. I always took it that I am destroying a piece of me trying to live my life.” of steel and turning it into this work of art. It’s not Ki started studying Zen Buddhism more than 30 destruction, it’s creation.” years ago. Ki has many knife concepts rattling around in his “I started with yoga and worked my way up from brain but he regularly fabricates a line of models for there,” Ki said. “In 1977 I reached enlightenment. customers willing to spend upwards of $1250 for a Don’t ask me to explain it, but I merged back with the Shiva knife, $3000 if they want Samurai steel. source of all existence. In essence, I died and came The Gung Ho, Gator Hunter and a super-sharp back. The purpose of yoga is to create that state. Fightin’ Bowie are some of his regular offerings. Meditation and yoga’s practices are aimed at enhanc- Smaller knives like the Eagle Talon and the A-Tac ing that energy and bringing forth that energy’s force, bring $750. He also builds a smaller version of the which is dormant in us all. There’s a power in each of Spirit and regularly outfits servicemen free of charge us that is greater than flesh and bone. That’s what the with his Ranger Stealth Kill blade. old masters spent 20-25 years studying, to reach that Ki has also issued a challenge to all knife makers to state. I am a master’s master. The first thing I teach adopt and arm U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq my martial arts students is that state.” with a custom knife. Simply put, Ki’s enlightenment allows him to have At 63, Ki is a fit and trim 165 pounds, but can bulk a special relationship with steel. up to a muscular190 pounds like he did three years “It’s more intuitive than anything else. You’ve got ago when he set the knockout record at the 2002 to let the steel talk to you,” Ki finally revealed. “I let national Tough Man competition. Interestingly the steel tell me what to do. Everybody else tries to enough Ki was 190 pounds 40 years ago when he was make the steel do what they want. I watch the steel. in a Black Ops Ranger HALO unit patrolling behind When it’s in a certain state, I know it’s ready to do a enemy lines in North Vietnam. certain thing. I just look at a piece of steel and I know. To stay in shape he lifts weights and rides a moun- I don’t think. That’s Zen. That’s meditation in action.” tain bike. Perhaps that is why he named his favorite blade the “I can’t run anymore because I messed up my Spirit Blade. knees, hips and back doing all those parachute Ki’s Spirit Blade, a stylish working tool, is perfect- jumps,” Ki related. “I’ve had a very interesting life ly balanced. It is lighter than it looks. The handle, and busy life. But my body has paid the price.” covered in stingray leather and wrapped in Japanese He doesn’t keep track of how many knives he silk, creates an incongruous feeling that the blade is makes in a year. “soft and warm in the hand.” “I just make knives to have something to do. I Another blade concept on the drawing board is the don’t keep track of anything,” Ki said. “I give a Shiva Linga, a sleek folding knife. lot to servicemen. Since I left the Rangers they “This blade is sexy. I call it the Shiva Linga,” Ki won’t let me kill bad guys anymore, so I stay said. “The Shiva Linga is any icon that represents the home and make warrior blades for our modern Hindu Lord Shiva, the creator and destroyer. People warriors to carry into the heart of the battle for From “Tactical Knives” always take that in the sense that it’s tearing some- our freedoms.”