Could this knife have been made by ERNEST WARTHER?????

[Fixed Blade]

Greetings: So I just received this knife after winning it on ebay. Pics were bad and no description and vague title caused little viewing or bids so I picked it up cheap. I liked the lines of it, even on the bad picture. After getting it and looking it over closely now I REALLY like it. Very artful design with excellent fit/finish. The blade, guard and handle tang are a single piece of 1/8" tool steel with applied aluminum guard and pommel. Ebony wood handles. They are secured by very finely done rivets and burrs of aluminum and steel. That's what got me "wishful thinking" that this knife COULD have been made by Ernest Warther. While not resembling his famous WW2 dagger, the way the handles are secured isalmost identical. The knife is 10.5" overall with the blade being 6". This knife is not marked at all and Warther didn't sign his work either. Anyone out there know much about Warther? I know there are lots of his kitchen knives around and one of the WW2 daggers that was mint in the original shipping box sold on ebay last week for just over $10K...Any thoughts or educated guesses out there?

Thanks,
FB in Vt.

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[tltt]

http://www.warthers.com/contactus.htm

Quickest way might be to email them. I understand they still keep tabs on the fighting and hunting styles made by the family over the years.

[Ishrub]

Thanks for a great link tltt. The man himself.

Fixed Blade - You never know, if it is one of his, it may be in his Picture Book http://www.warthercutlery.com/picture-book.html
$6.95 This picture book is a 27 page representation of Warther Museum. The book shows pictures and descriptions of the carvings and other items that Ernest "Mooney" Warther created throughout his life

or together with the DVD $20 http://www.warthercutlery.com/the-wa...ge-bundle.html

Now a bit off topic.
All their knives are now Crucible CPM S35VN steel.
I love their wood carver blade descriptions which clearly explain the blade shape design and suggested usage - I haven't seen that before. You do need to open each blade link to get the detail.
http://www.warthercutlery.com/wood-c...968-model.html

[gbuskirk]

I guess this is the famous Warther dagger that OP referenced:

Another for comparison

[Ishrub]

gbuskirk - I Cant see your photos for some reason - just the dreaded red cross.

FIXED somehow.

[skweegee]

What I do know is that his WW-II "daggers and sheaths" sell routinely in "used condition" for $8-$10K. The one above, judging from the photo, would be more.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...vip=true&rt=nc

[sunnyd]

She looks like a very likely match to me.. And I really like the knife.. I am also quite glad to have found this thread and learn more about the maker.

[Fixed Blade]

I have emailed some pics to the Warthur Museum in hopes someone there knows about his early knives.
FB in Vt.

[tvranesic]

They know a great deal about his early knives. His grandsons are/were running the museum and they've always maintained a thorough history of Mooney's knives. They should be able to tell you if it's one of his.

[Fixed Blade]

I heard back from the Warthur Museum but they didn't shed much light. They only said that Ernest "usually" marked his knives with an etch of his name or initials somewhere on the knife. As the recent WW2 dagger that sold on ebay wasn't marked, I guess that's not a hard and fast rule. As I said, the materials, workmanship and style all speak to a master craftsman, not a run of the mill theatre knifemaker. Thanks for the comments.

FB in Vt.

[tvranesic]

Just about every Warther knife I've seen has been marked, so the eBay knife may have been some type of anomoly. Anyone who thinks Bill Scagel was a fascinating person should really take the time to look into Ernest Warther. His talent was beyond comprehension and anyone within a days drive should make it a point to visit the museum...whether they like knives or not. I've attached a couple photos, although I had to take them through the glass, so please pardon the glare.

[jvan]

Simply stunning work, where is the museum located?

[gbuskirk]

Simply stunning work, where is the museum located?

Dover, Ohio

[tvranesic]

Simply stunning work, where is the museum located?

The museum is in Dover, Ohio just a couple hundred yards off of I-77. The focus of the museum isn't even Warther's knives but rather his carvings, which are simply without equal. He was offered $50,000 plus $5,000 per year to simply allow one of his carving to remain in Grand Central Station...a tidy sum of money in the 1920's! He declined stating: "My kids are fed, my roof doesn't leak, and Frieda (his wife) has her button collection."

It's tough to see in the photos but most of Warther's folding knives have bolsters that were crafted from coins. A few of his miniature folders have bolsters from California gold pieces. It's interesting to note that Warther almost never sold a knife that he made (aside from his kitchen knives). They were either made for friends/relatives or given away as gifts.