A Cut Above
September, 1980
Once man discovered iron, he began turning it into blades, without much thought to elegance. That was the next step, and after a few millennia of cleavers, cutlasses, dirks, daggers, swords, scimitars, machetes, bowies, bayonets and battle-axes--from the purely utilitarian to the ceremonially ornate--we arrive at the classic American pocket-knife refined to the level of art. Functional art, to be sure; a gentleman's tool, if you like. Quality cutlery, in any case, though a man might think twice...
