Damnit. This is a story I never wanted to write. On the morning of June 7, 2026, the world lost a legend in Reuben Bolieu. Since that time, the epitaphs have poured in from every segment of the knife and outdoors community. He was loved and respected by all. I must apologize for my tardiness on this matter, but I have been at a complete loss for words. However, by this point, he would insist that it is time to put on my big boy pants and do my job. He always pushed me as much as I pushed him. So, here we go.
Reuben Bolieu—The Legacy of a Soft-Spoken Legend
“We lost Superman.” – Joe Flowers.
When I read those words the following day, it wrecked me. Reuben, Joe, and I became friends on the old Hoods Woods Hoodlums message board around 2008. We didn’t know it then, but it was a kinship that would defy time and distance. Our love for the outdoors and knives became a bond not easily broken.
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We cemented our friendship during a Harris Publications SHOT Show party. Young writers still earning their bones at Tactical Knives Magazine, we took complete advantage of the open bar and a corner table. Eventually, the party wound down, and we came alive. Our careers were laid out ahead of us, and we were in Vegas. These were exciting times. So, we staggered our way down the Strip, identifying all the flora/fauna and climbing all the statues.
After that, it was clear that the three of us were meant to bring our special brand of hijinks to every subsequent trade show. For almost every SHOT Show and Blade Show since then, you would find the three of us together after show hours. If you found one of us, the odds were very high that you also found at least one of the other two.
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While attending Blade Show this year, I was already aware that Reuben had taken a turn for the worse. So, it was a very strange show for me. There was no Mutt to my Jeff. No Frick to my Frack. Although I visited with a lot of friends, it still somehow felt lonely.
I learned of his passing on my drive home from Atlanta. That was a long, difficult drive. I had to come to terms with the fact that this was the end of an era—personally and professionally.
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A Wealth of Experience and Knowledge
Everyone who met Reuben would attest that he was one of the kindest, most gentle-natured people you could meet. He was soft-spoken, but his wisdom and experience were undeniable. He didn’t need to be loud or boisterous; he was just Reuben, and that was always enough.
His years of globetrotting with ESEE Knives, Randall Adventure and Training, and as a drummer for a cruise line provided experience and knowledge few will ever understand. Whether he was backpacking the Philippines (with barely enough for a day hike), instructing SWAT teams in the Peruvian jungle, or hanging out in his personal camp near his home, Reuben was out living what he wrote.
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He had visited most of the wild places the world has to offer. So, when he wrote a story on wilderness survival or knife use, he spoke with authority, experience, and knowledge. And his travel photos are the stuff of National Geographic. You owe it to yourself to spend some time perusing his photography on Instagram at @reubenbolieu and @adventurefoodguy (he loved cooking in the woods/jungle).
Reuben lived the life most people can only read about in magazines. In fact, he probably wrote the articles that most people lived vicariously through.
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The Consummate Professional
In 2010, Ron and Karen Hood started Survival Quarterly Magazine, and I was honored to be asked to contribute to each issue. Sadly, on June 22, 2011, Ron Hood passed away suddenly, leaving behind a wife and a son. Immediately following, Reuben showed his support for Ron’s widow, Karen, and son, Jesse, and started writing for Survival Quarterly, and our lives became intrinsically linked in the professional realm as well as on a personal level.
One year later, I was brought on as the Associate Editor and Art Director and learned firsthand what it was like to work with Reuben as an editor. For what it’s worth, it was a working relationship that lasted from that time until the day he fell silent. In fact, he still owes me a couple of assignments. I will work that out with him when I see him again.
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Over the years, he and I wrote for just about every outdoor or knife magazine on the newsstand. If one of us wasn’t in a particular magazine, the other would work to make it happen. Case in point, when he learned I wasn’t writing for SWAT Magazine, he reached out to Denny and changed that.
So, when I took over as the editor of Knives Illustrated Magazine in 2016, he was my first call. Likewise, this played out when I started Knife & Gear Society and when I became an editor for Athlon Outdoors. His content was on point, and his photography was engaging. Not to mention, he was always asking how he could improve and make my job easier. It was a no-brainer.
He was an editor’s dream.
The World is a Lesser Place Without Reuben Bolieu
I hate that I have to write this. Not because Reuben isn’t worth memorializing. But because I hate that it needs to be written. This one stung.
I have enough memories and stories to fill a book. Yet, I am at such a loss for words that I can barely get through this short tribute. Right about now, I would be calling Reuben for some inspiration. Damnit.
Godspeed on your final, and greatest adventure, Bearthedog. Until we meet again.
Gentleman. Scholar. Professional. International man of mystery. Friend.
