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My fellow edged devices lovers.  I need the iKC's help.  I am doing a little research for Knives Illustrated which is a bimonthly magazine about knives of all kinds, tomahawks, swords etc.  As a potential reader about firearms, knives, camping and other outdoor related subjects, what would a magazine cover have to have in order to attract you attention to pick it up.  Once the magazine is in your hands, what articles listed on the cover would cause you to open it up and look inside.  What subject matter would cause you to buy this magazine.

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.  All impute will be reviewed.  My thanks goes out to you all.

Clint

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Steve...

Great idea.  " Apoplectic 2012; A Knife You Can Survive With".  I like it.

Steve"Hog"Hanner said:

My opinion Clint is to have something about survival. One of the hottest groups right here on iKC is that Modern Survival Group. It just seems to jump sometimes, people are interested. Knives in use, for survival, defense, preservation of life and goods. How many ways can a knife function in the hostile world environment? That might get some interest.

Billy...

Duly noted.  Thanks Billy.

Billy Oneale said:

Clint, I do also like to see reviews of tacticals also, but not a whole magazine devoted to them.

If you're looking for a knife for a history lesson, I think your basic scout/camp/utility pocket knife would be of major interest.  Besides being the "official Boy Scouts of America"  knife, variations of the pattern have been used by citizens and soldiers of the United States  all over the world.  Just about every American knife maker has made it and the design with few modifications has been in every war the US has fought in since the beginning of the 20th century, if not earlier. It is a fairly popular pattern, almost any knife collector can relate to it or has a story about there own, and considering where they've gone you could almost tell the story of America through the pattern

I think I agree with the majority, that an art or traditional knife on the cover would draw my attention.

Here's my own opinion: I am largely a traditionalist. I like the trad folders, mainly those made by GEC. I do still like older classic knives by other makers too. I have one tactical folder and hundreds of trad folders. I do like some of the tactical folders and military type knives but I am an old fart and I'm not planning on going off to war. I respect other folks' right to enjoy the newer tactical folders, military type fixed blades, swords and tomahawks but that is not waht I enjoy reading about because I really don't want to buy those types of items. I think that it is tough for a knife magazine to please all of their readers because there is such a wide spectrum of edged tool users and collectors. I like the art knives and enjoy looking at all of the craftsmanship involved in their manufacture but some of them are pretty over the top too. I do personally feel that KI invests too large a portion of its printed pages to the one sword guy which is a big turn off for me - but that is only my personal opinion. I wonder if KI should be broken up into smaller more specialty publications to better serve it's readership - tactical knives/tomahawks; traditional and maybe the fancy fixed blades together; and then swords. While I don't have alot of interest in some of these groups I do appreciate good craftsmanship in each group so I sometimes don't mind reading about the products. I agree with some of what Smiling Knife and others have said about an outdoors context. I do enjoy knife history and older military knife articles (WWII and earlier).

I enjoy traditional knives, so anything along those lines would interest me. 

Profiles of American, and international,  knifemakers would be good.  E.g.: What are some of the old---and new---manufacturing techniques that GEC uses?  How in the world can Victorinox make a consistently good knife for $20?  Etc., etc.

I would also like to see at least one "how to" article in each issue:  how to prevent rust in a carbon knife; knife sharpening, both bevel edge and convex; whittling technique and projects; and so on.

And maybe a short "remembrance" or "knife story" piece, probably on the last page.  It would tell the story of some event or time in the teller's life where a knife played an important role, maybe involving a father, grandfather, (or mother or grandmother!), childhood friend, etc.

Good luck with the survey!

 

Andrew

 

 

Hi Clint-I tend to agree with Smiling-Knife and the others of similar tastes. I'm not interested so much in tactical knives or weapons as I am in quality made traditional hunting and folding knives. Not necessarily high end knives either but I'll spend more time looking at an A.G. Russell or Cutting Edge catalog than I will a Smoky Mountain Knives catalog (Case & Buck being the exception) I love Randall knives but here again, mine is a Model 5, Camp & Trail Knife with a stag handle, not a fighting knife.

Hand made knives in the more affordable range are always of interest to me. I've recently found a magazine called "The Backwoodsman" interesting because it covers a lot of information about the days of old and making your own knives and tools. Occasionaly, a few adventure or historical  stories based around a knife might offer a little break from the monotony of a "knives only" magazine, but that's just my opinion. 

Wow!  Hard questions!

Cover Content: 

a) headline banners of what's inside,

b) photo(s) of one or more featured products of a wide variety on appropriate background (outdoor scene, etc., but not firearm-related),

c) photo of contributing author(s) with their names,

d) title of special interest piece and subject discussed. 

Articles:

a) New edged devices on the market (4 or 5)

b) Featured knife manufacturer, designer, or knifemaker

c) Knife-related products

d) Sheath designs and materials

e) How-to articles

f) Historical articles

g) Knife-related services

h) Knife-related laws - new laws and case studies

i) Product reviews

Hope this helps.

Hello Clint,

As many wrote, there is a need of traditional folders material. There are many subjects on this topic that can be dealt. Such as review on manufacturers, newer and older, active and that had been closed, and evolution through time.  Or review on traditional models in perspective of time, review on custom makers and their manufacturing processes. Or in depth researches about the roots of the American traditionals which will probably lead to Sheffield England and Solingen Germany, review on "around the world" traditionals and so on. This is what's come up as I think of what will attract my interest. I hope you'll find it useful and forgive my not so good English.

Mike

I can understand the " Tactical Movement" that is blazing the knife scene-- but like the others here on IKC that has shown it is the Traditional Knives we COLLECT and USE. So if  a Mag. is going to be successful in my opinion

it needs articals of  INFO of  the Knives and people of these Knife Companys. But to keep the  Mags going you have to have Advertisement of these Companys, which could show the  info of the New traditional knives coming out.

Tobias....

I agree.  I have several of these Boy Scout knives in my collection.  As stated, I love old knives and when I find one saying a soft seductive voice....take me home....I can't resist.  Thanks Tobias

Tobias Gibson said:

If you're looking for a knife for a history lesson, I think your basic scout/camp/utility pocket knife would be of major interest.  Besides being the "official Boy Scouts of America"  knife, variations of the pattern have been used by citizens and soldiers of the United States  all over the world.  Just about every American knife maker has made it and the design with few modifications has been in every war the US has fought in since the beginning of the 20th century, if not earlier. It is a fairly popular pattern, almost any knife collector can relate to it or has a story about there own, and considering where they've gone you could almost tell the story of America through the pattern

Terrence...

Thanks for placing an "X" by the traditional knife project.

terrence ellington said:

I think I agree with the majority, that an art or traditional knife on the cover would draw my attention.

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