Stalking knife

deerwarden

Well-Known Member
Like many of you have a shed load of knives that I've used in the past from Buck folders to expensive custom jobs. I have had George Trout make me 5 to my designs, another by W C Davis, and another by Arno Bernard, also some expensive Puma and Falravin jobbies, I like knifes. I've made several myself, and now have an Aly mini grinder, a two wheel buffer, and a Clarke mill/lathe and have knocked up several blades myself, however the best knife I ever had and LOST, was by the late Harry Boden, a model he called the "Sika", this went with me to Scotland 8 times and Africa once, then I lost it somewhere and despite looking for it over a 10 year period, have never found it. I am currently having three blades made for me of my own design similar to Harry's Sika by Ian Burns, a maker on British Blades, Ian goes under the name of Tatsumi and has made some lovely knives, he will make me a knife based on my design of a 4" modified spear point, of 22mm depth max, this is more than enough to spike/cut around the anus of all our deer with a modified loveless handle, and also one with a handle that has a finger notch as the Sika Had, ALL will have proper finger guards, not merely a notch cut into the blade between handle and the choil to serve as a finger guard. I really looking forward to making up the two blades he has made, and getting and using the third one he wanted to make to see the finished design, will post when I have then, but as I leave for the states next Tuesday for 5 weeks with a mate and hunting contacts out there it may be some time. deerwarden:rolleyes:
 
If you are going to the USA, buy one there, for something different. There are so many super knife makers, and many of them mostly known regionally, or to discriminating collectors who have discovered them early. A lot of the knives, in nice leather, are less than $150.00 US. Post some photos of what you like best.
 
Already done that with George trout, James Sponaugle, and A G Russell in the past B4 we were hit with huge import duties and tax's, we now have to pay upon entry into the U.K. I had a bad issue with Gilbert Norfleet who took $200 from me but did not supply a knife for 15 months, loads of excuses including illness of his mother then himself. I then found out there were several others who had not got their knives either, as I paid by credit card and had all the e-mails to hand I got a full refund, looked a nice copies of the loveless design. Play at home now, but no disrespect to the other makers out there in the USA as James supplied me a great knife after the above bad experience. Southern, George Trout has built me some great knives, some in 20 and 30 twist damasteel with lovely embossed sheave's, these will be left to my grandchildren as they can only increase in value, Ian's work is first class, his attention to detail on my designs and input has enhanced them, he is very professional and pro-active, these will be workers unless I again think they are too good to use, that's why he's doing me blades only as well for me to put the handles and guards on myself. deerwarden
 
What a shame that governments cannot discriminate between Red China dumping millions of cheap knives made by slave labor into our markets, from individual craftsmen selling something which is unique, and perhaps made to order for an individual customer, who may not buy anything instead. Every government has way more money than they need, but never as much as they want, to the end of bleeding the economies into a standstill.

George Trout makes beautiful knives of great steel. I have been dealing with A.G. Russell since his catalog was a photocopy list of his personal inventory of mostly second-hand knives. He has been a great champion of the craft, and the manufacturers. We just lost a great one here a few years ago, George Herron. It's a shame when second-rate makers try to charge too much, or take down payments and have to be pestered to deliver.

One of Herron's better protege's:
Wayne Hendrix Handmade Knives | A.G. Russell Knives

www.agrussell.com › Knives



 
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What a shame that governments cannot discriminate between Red China dumping millions of cheap knives made by slave labor into our markets, from individual craftsmen selling something which is unique, and perhaps made to order for an individual customer, who may not buy anything instead. Every government has way more money than they need, but never as much as they want, to the end of bleeding the economies into a standstill.

George Trout makes beautiful knives of great steel. I have been dealing with A.G. Russell since his catalog was a photocopy list of his personal inventory of mostly second-hand knives. He has been a great champion of the craft, and the manufacturers. We just lost a great one here a few years ago, George Herron. It's a shame when second-rate makers try to charge too much, or take down payments and have to be pestered to deliver.

One of Herron's better protege's:
Wayne Hendrix Handmade Knives | A.G. Russell Knives

www.agrussell.com › Knives

Man alive, they're not underpriced now though...! Recently I bought a Puukko 'Ahti' absolutely great forty quids worth of knife. For my previous thirty years stalking I've used the same two knives. Both inexpensive & both have served well. ATB
 
I used to have one of Harry Boden's Bowie knives years ago, made from 1/4 inch D2 :evil:

I used my uncle's Joel Bolden model 1 last time I was in Canada and it's a joy in all respects.

Great shape, comfortable handle, thin D2 blade with a full flat grind and distal tapered to a fine tip.

Thin and sharp = great combination :tiphat:
 
I used to have one of Harry Boden's Bowie knives years ago, made from 1/4 inch D2 :evil:

I used my uncle's Joel Bolden model 1 last time I was in Canada and it's a joy in all respects.

Great shape, comfortable handle, thin D2 blade with a full flat grind and distal tapered to a fine tip.

Thin and sharp = great combination :tiphat:

That's what I've ordered in a high grade stainless steel, only needs to cut/penetrate flesh for field gralloch, when back at vehicle I always carry a 6" larder knife and steel/saw to split breastbone/dull a blade etc, you don't need a thick blade or a deep bellied blade for our field dressing. deerwarden
 
Yes, these are nice, but I but the same quality from unknown locals for $140 USD, all of whom learned at the elbow of the same masters.

I love Puuko knives! I had one made last year for a friend with stained oil burl handle, and his name on the blade. It will shave the hair off a frog.
 
Wow, I'll look out for hairy frogs next week, you have a longer history of knife making in the states, we don't as yet have the large companies such as Jantz, Texas Knifemaker supplies, etc as a one stop shop for all your needs, we are catching up and there are some great makers out there doing good work, Ian is one of them and I looking forward to getting my orders. deerwarden
 
I am just a duffer, making a knife here and again...still have blades left over from 20 years ago, which I ground and George Herron heat treated along with his batch ( sent to a commercial heat treater). There were guys like Harry Morseth, who would go to Norway and bring back semi-shaped Damascus blades to finish in the 1960s, and Bo Randall making fighting knives for local P-51 and Navy pilots during WWII, but it didn't get going until Herron, WC Wilber, Bob Loveless, Lile, Dozier, and those masters got together about 1973 and formed a national knifemaker's guild, then state ones sprang up along the way. Buck Brothers started out picking up old files from the machine shops there in Michigan, annealing them, cutting, grinding, tempering and putting on handles.

I made my first few knives from a broken 6 foot crosscut saw blade, then actually bought my first formed blades from William Rogers, Swordmaker, of Sheffield, England. They had made Bowie knives, skinners, and other working knives sold to pioneers going West, and to the Confderate soldiers, so I can still find some lying around with a bit of history on them.
 
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Sheffield has been the home of knife making for some time, George Wolstenholm was another maker who sent Sheffield made bowies and folding penknives to the States during the 1840s onwards, they have become very collectable with his I*XL mark on them, Joseph Rodgers was another maker as well as William Rodgers. All three marques are now under the name of Egginton, and still make bowie and folders to the same designs as they did in the pioneer days mentioned, so we do have a history of knife making dating back to a period of history I have an interest in, just bought an Ulberti 1876 in 45-60 to use for occaisional deer stalking here in the U.K. need to make a traditional bowie rather than use my Puma modern one, keep your experience's/tales coming Southern, I for one enjoy them, and am looking forward to 5 weeks in Montana and Wyoming in a weeks time. deerwarden, unless the snakes will be active,:eek:deerwarden:scared:
 
I am going to look for some of those Sheffield knives you mention.
I collect things from all eras, no pattern, just what I like, especially things with a tie to family history.
Right now, I am getting an itch for a William Rogers fighting knife from WWII ( not the Sikes, but their own, with the leather washer handle ).
Last year, I ran across some Cattaraugus knives made for the British Army in Burma, where my father served some years. Had to grab them.

Oh, yes the rattle snakes will be coming out of hibernation, but they are fine as long as they are not shedding, with the skin over their eyes and feeling vulnerable, striking at everything close.

Keep posting photos of 'UK knives. They have an honest, working look that I enjoy.
 
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