A Girl's Knife

MTF3

MTF3

Joined
Aug 1, 1999
Messages
746
With all the talk about "custom" and "Handmade" floating around, I thought I would show you this one. My buddy Vance choose the steel, the design, and the handle material for this one. I consider this one a "Custom."

This is a particular knife was ordered as a birthday present for his seven year old daughter, Eleanor. The knife was finished on her birthday.
Eleanor_Knife_3999.jpg

This is a Charles May "Japan" Fireant with red box elder (as close to pink as Vance could find), white liners and black micarta pins and thong hole. (There is a story behind the name.)

Eleanor_Knife_4016.jpg

For those Charles May fans that don't recognize the design, this is one that I believe he has only made one other. It is a elongated Fireant in D2.

Eleanor_Knife_4041.jpg

Charlie even put this one in a black sheath for her. The knife feels nice and she will have something made for her for years to come. This knife seems to be the perfect blend in a skinning/utility blade.
The backgound is notebooks and journals that my wife made Eleanor for her birthday.

Eleanor_Knife_4013.jpg

I remember the day she was born, I cut a walking stick for her at the exact time she was born. I still haven't finished it, I guess she likes Charlie better than me now. I would.

Vance's oldest son has a Charles May "Bladie Mae" and we aren't going to let his three year-old have a knife yet. He is dangerous enough bare handed.
 
Melvin and Christy have done a great job with these pictures.
This knife has been a project for almost a year. My oldest son, Will, was looking at his knife shortly after Christmas. Eleanor ask, Daddy when do I get a Knife? This knocked me for a loop. She is a girly girl that plays with dolls and pony's. I even said Baby girls don't get knives. Eleanor replied, I want a Mr. Charlie to make me one. She started giving orders I want one with a pick handle and a smaller silver part. Melissa had come up at this time and like me was smiling from ear to ear. My little girl had designed her first custom knife. (in her on descriptive words).
A few months later we are getting ready for our annual family trip to "THE BLADE SHOW". I had already sent Charles an email about basic stuff she told us she wanted on her knife. Since he didn't have any "pink" handle material I told him I'd get some at blade show. Never found pink but did get this Red Burl that I thought was perfect.
Shortly after that I was visiting with Charles and saw a blank I'd never seen before and asked him about it. It was a Fireant with an extra finger groove. So its a Japan Fireant? Charlie liked the name.
I've said this before.......You better order a knife from him soon his order list will be years long (IMHO). This one took almost a year.
Eleanor has already asked if she could use it.....I'm so proud all knives are to be used. I will teach her how and when to use it. My wife was proclaiming how careful she has to be with it because its so sharp.
Thanks for Melvin and Christy taking such great pictures with her custom journals and her custom knife.This was a great a birthday for her. Charles was great to work with on this project. I'm extremely blessed that I have gotten to know Melvin, Christy, and Charles you guys are family.
Vance
 
What a cool gift and a lucky girl. A Charles May Fireant is at the top of my list of knives i'd like to own so I'm probably not alone in being a little jealous :)
 
Vance and I stopped by Charlie's shop today along with our wives. We were headed to Meridian for a Shrine function. We spent more time than we expected talking knives with Charlie and his lovely wife.

The best part (for me) was my wife ordered me a Bird & Trout. I had canceled my original Bird & Trout order to move up my FireMaker order, now I also get a Bird & Trout. My wife choose the handle material. (She is a keeper)

I'm not sure what Vance ordered, but we had a great time visiting. You should of seen some of the pretty camel bone handles on a few of his finished models. There was a Little Big Woods that would had come home with me if it hadn't already been sold. Woo!
 
We had a great time and that little big woods was amazing.
My wife also ordered a new knife........For herself.
V-man
 
I have a fireant on order with green dyed bone scales. The Lil' Big Woods with the dyed bone scales that you saw may have been the one that is on the way to me. Charlie is a super guy to speak with, and I am planning to be a regular customer.
 
sakoluvr said:
I have a fireant on order with green dyed bone scales. The Lil' Big Woods with the dyed bone scales that you saw may have been the one that is on the way to me. Charlie is a super guy to speak with, and I am planning to be a regular customer.
Click to expand...


You'll know if it is the one by the extra lanyard. I made some tied lanyards and had one that matched. I told Charlie to send it along with the knife, just because it was such a nice piece. Let me know.

You can squeeze the loop through the lanyard hole with a twist then pull the braided end though the loop.
 
MTF3, thanks for the heads up. That was generous of you, and I hope it was my knife! I think I will be getting it in the mail today. Although I have never met Charlie, he seems like a great person. We exchanged a few hunting pictures, and had a few lengthy phone conversations talking knives, guns and hunting.
 
MTF3- the stars must have been aligned for me last week (that, and I volunteered for some stuff at my church last week helping homeless families) because THAT was my knife. I love the lanyard! I will post pictures when I get a chance. Woo is right!
 
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