NEW IN THE KNIFEMAKERS WHO WILL BE HOT 2015 MARCH 2015 www.blademag.com THE MONGOO SE BY DANIEL GALLOWAY AND LEE WILLIAMS ONE TO WATCH SMALL AXES GO HEAD-TO-HEAD HOW SHARP IS 80CrV2 STEEL? OLD SCHOOL POCKETKNIVES REBORN BOWIE OF LIVER-EATING JOHNSON US $5.95 03 KNIFE IVORY PRIMER: THE BIG PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE FLIPPERS 0 FnL1 04 0120 01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWNhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo 02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL 03 cnVlZ2VyAFKoW8QEMTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ Qy1BDDA3NDQ3MDUwMjUxNwA= 74470 50251 7 Display until January 26, 2015 01_0315BladeCoverUS.indd 1 12/2/14 10:21 AM FACTORY FOCUS | BY STEPHEN GARGER ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF POHL FORCE KNIVES POHL FORCE KNIVES very knife has a story some- it the right knife for explosive ordnance “Ehow,” said Phil Cookson of disposal. Pohl Force USA, the state- “Dietmar’s a very good listener and not side version of Dietmar Pohl’s Pohl Force only listens, but tries to somehow cre- Knives based in Burscheid, Germany. ate and turn ideas into a practical knife,” “For example, Dietmar has a lot of con- Cookson said. ”Quite a few of the designs tacts in the German Kampfschwim- are from his experiences with operators mer Naval Commandos [German Navy and knife users.” SEALS] and goes up to Northern Germa- Pohl’s initial interest in military and ny, where he spends time talking, listen- tactical knives can be traced to the work ing and diving with them. He drew a lot of the late BLADE Magazine Cutlery Dietmar Pohl, founder of Pohl Force Knives, of the characteristics for his Romeo Two Hall-Of-Fame© member, Jimmy Lile. holds the Quebec Outdoor One fi xed blade. design from those experiences.” Pohl cited Lile as his “lifelong inspiration” The knife is the company’s modern inter- In addition to underwater operations, as a result of the Rambo movies First pretation of a model originally developed the titanium-blade Romeo Two can also Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II and for the U.S. Marines in the early 1950s. Though the knife was never offi cially intro- serve as a pilot survival knife and for the Lile survival knives Sylvester Stallone duced, Special Forces units reportedly used battlefi eld clearance personnel, where ti- used as John Rambo in those fi lms. the original during the Vietnam War. The tanium’s anti-magnetic properties make “I have worked in the knife industry Quebec (top) features a 7.59-inch blade of Sleipner stainless and a G-10 handle. 86 BLADE MARCH 2015 86-PohlForce.indd 86 12/2/14 10:42 AM The Mike 1 outdoor version is the most popular model in Pohl’s EOD line. MSRP: $360. Blade steel comes in a choice of D2 or Niolox and the handle is 3D-CNC milled. Blade length: 3.74 inches. 20 years now, 14 as a designer, marketing manager and product manager for two Solingen-based companies,” Pohl said. “I designed more than 100 knives that went into serial production during those years.” He is also known internationally for his books on combat and tactical knives. In 2008 he founded Pohl Force in Germany. Pohl Force USA was launched at the 2012 Lion Steel, winner of the BLADE Magazine BLADE Show. “Even though Gil Hibben 2014 Manufacturing Quality Award, makes and Daniel Winkler taught me how to the knives in Pohl’s higher-end EOD line. grind and forge a knife, I am not a knife- Dietmar Pohl (left) visits with Gino Pauletta maker,” Pohl noted. “I am a designer.” (right), Lion Steel founder, at the 2014 BLADE Show. POHL FORCE USA I queried him about the knives’ manu- facture and quality control. attn: P. Cookson and/or S. Ehinger Dept. BL3 “Because the price was an important Belleair, FL 33756 point, we produce the Alpha, Bravo, 727-468-2002 Charlie, Lima and Romeo designs in Tai- www.pohlforceusa.com wan, but each knife comes here to Ger- many and goes through our very strict SPECIALTIES: Folders and fi xed blades in quality control,” Pohl explained. “In 2012 a range of both higher- and lower-end tactical and outdoor styles we teamed up with the Maniago, Italy, MSRP RANGE: based company, Lion Steel, whose knives $195-$516 are state-of-the-art and who received the BLADE MATERIALS: D2 tool steel, Niolox BLADE Magazine 2014 Manufacturing and 440C stainless, and titanium Quality Award, which says everything.” BLADE FINISHES: Bead blast, Pohl Force has two product lines: the stonewashed, powder epoxy, PVD and Italian-made EOD (Euro Ops Division) PTFE coatings higher-end knives and the lower-price- HANDLE MATERIALS: GRP, G-10, 6A14V point models produced in Taiwan. titanium, canvas Micarta® “It comes down to quality control. Ev- ACCESSORIES: Those refl ecting a “concept ery knife, no matter where it’s manufac- systems” approach, including knife- tured, is examined by Dietmar personally specifi c Kydex®, nylon and leather sheaths, shoulder harnesses, leg before it goes out,” Cookson stressed. I adapters, Cordura holsters for MOLLE was taken aback by Cookson’s claim and vests and more in MSRPs from $9.99 to sought clarifi cation that Pohl looks at ev- $125; also knife collector pouches ery knife. Dietmar told me he does. Ap- MARCH 2015 blademag.com 87 86-PohlForce.indd 87 12/2/14 10:21 AM FACTORY FOCUS | In addition to underwater operations, the titanium-blade Romeo Two also serves as a pilot survival knife and for explosive ordnance disposal. Other features include a GRP handle and PVD blade coating. Overall length: 9.84 inches. The Kydex® sheath includes a MOLLE nylon adapter. MSRP: $340. parently, the process is working. look more sexy and technical, they’re not “I can count on one hand the amount practical if you want to maintain your of returns I’ve had,” Pohl stated proudly. knife in the desert.” “Th e people who use our knives are my Both Pohl and Cookson emphasized customers and there’s a very personal that Pohl Force also designs and provides thing going on where they can call me accessories refl ecting, as Cookson noted, anytime.” Every Pohl Force knife, regard- that “Pohl likes to think in concept sys- less of product line, is serialized, recorded tems.” For example, tactical accessories and comes with a signed certifi cate. include knife-specifi c Kydex® sheaths, As for some of the knives’ distinctive shoulder harness systems and Cordura features, Pohl pinpointed the Alpha. “It holsters for MOLLE vests. was the fi rst design for Pohl Force and Blade steel depends on the product line. the knife is so big because no operator in Along with the aforementioned titanium, the world goes without gloves into com- 440C stainless is standard for the Alphas, bat,” he began. “I also use slot screws for with D2 and Niolox used in the EOD of- the handle because, although Torx screws ferings. “Niolox is something Lion Steel The Alpha Two (top) and Bravo One front- lock folders feature blades of bead-blasted 440C stainless and GRP handles. Respective inch blade lengths and MSRPs are 4.44 and 3.26 and $240 and $195. Inset at the 2014 BLADE Show is Dietmar Pohl with ABS master smith Daniel Winkler, the latter whom helped teach Dietmar how to forge knives. 88 BLADE MARCH 2015 86-PohlForce.indd 88 12/2/14 10:21 AM uses extensively and they have a lot of overwhelmed,” he said. “Our dealers pany that produces quality knives.” experience with—a tool-grade stainless are Blade HQ, KnifeCenter and White Th ey’ve got the knives. With that kind with a Rockwell of 58-59 HRC and excel- Mountain Knives, along with us directly, of game plan, Pohl Force Knives and Pohl lent anti-corrosion,” Cookson explained. and the pricing is consistent so you can Force USA have their goal well within “We fi nd it applies to military and law en- go to the dealer you like.” sight. forcement people who oft en work in high- Pohl Force USA recognizes the uphill moisture environments and do not want battle in establishing itself in America. To read all about the latest knives, knife to be constantly maintaining their tools.” “Th e knife community is quite critical news, forums, blogs and much more, see Th e Taiwan-manufactured knives and you have to earn respect,” Cookson blademag.com. come with a GRP (glass-fi ber-reinforced concluded. “You have to convince every- plastic) handle, while the EODs are avail- one that you are a credible, serious com- able in G-10 and canvas Micarta®. Th e manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the EOD line’s most popular model, the Mike 1 outdoor version with a polished blade, is $360. Th e survival version with a Niolox blade and PVD coating is $390. As for the future of Pohl Knives, Diet- mar stressed there are no plans to work toward radical growth. “We want to be recognized as the small company with specialized products, like Chris Reeve Knives,” he noted. “Chris belongs to the very small group of people in the knife industry that I highly admire, and Daniel Winkler also belongs to this group.” Cookson outlined the company’s phi- losophy. “We don’t fl ood the market with new designs, we tend to take models out and introduce them so the customer isn’t Pohl Force offers accessories refl ecting a “concept systems” approach, including knife-specifi c Kydex®, nylon and leather sheaths, shoulder harnesses, Cordura hol- sters for MOLLE vests and more. MARCH 2015 blademag.com 89 86-PohlForce.indd 89 12/2/14 10:21 AM.