A 'pair of a pair' of daggers...

[SharpByCoop]

... that's what I said, alright.

I just finished a small show in Baltimore (Chesapeake Show), and I had some fun shooting these pieces from two fairly obscure makers:

Larry Mensch hails from Pennsylvania, and Fred Slee is from New Jersey. Both of these guys have created elegance in their own styles. I am sure you'll like them both. Fred also does his own hammer and chisel engraving. Maybe this will help them both get *out* of obscurity!

It's always amazing to find the 'little' guys who show up at these smaller shows and blindside me with this quality!

(The Slee daggers are one of my all-time favorite shots!)

Coop

 

[Burchtree]

Great craftmanship, and great pictures!

BTW -- Happy Birthday! (18 eh? )

 

[RWS]

These are great looking knives. I think that daggers have such great characteristics that I almost like them as much as Bowies.

Of course, your picture taking ability could make almost any knife look great.

I'll bet you could take pictures of Rosie O'Donnell, or even Hillary Clinton, and they would come out looking hot.
On second thought, naaah.

 

[Les Robertson]

Hi Coop,

As always nice pics.

However, the only reason Fred Slee toils in "obscurity" is because he chooses too.

I bought my first knife from Fred in 1989.

He makes a great sub-hilt fighter. I have a couple on order. Although Fred was not definite on a delivery time.

 

[Joss]

I love the little damascus dagger. It looks like a wasp to me!

 

[Phil Tham]

Great daggers and great pictures too!

 

[RogerP]

Terrific pics Coop. Fred Slee I've heard of, though not at all recently. Those daggers of his are pretty stunning. Do you know what the handle material was? Cool stuff.

Roger

 

[Osprey Guy]

Sorry I'm coming in a little late on this...don't get over here too often.

Larry Mensch is a good friend and I was involved in arranging to have Coop take pics of some of his knives (Coop was my 1st and only suggestion)

Although more conventional fixed blades are Larry's bread and butter, every now and then he literally "has a dream" and comes down the next morning and begins one of his unique Art Knives. The snakewood dagger is not for everyone, but as is the case with all of Larry's knives, the fit and finish is flawless. His grinds are nothing less than amazing!

Although not a wasp, Joss was on the right track. The damascus dagger is meant to be a dragonfly. Larry asked me if I could guess how he got the idea for the wings...it took me a moment and then I had it...Scraps from profiling on the bandsaw! How many of us have looked at that shape sitting next to our saws and thought "hmmm, dragonfly wings?" BTW- That's a 3 ct ruby in the "tail" and several pieces of mammoth.

I'm very pleased to be able to share with you guys, that photos of this "dragonfly knife" (by Coop of course), will be featured full page along with a bio of Larry, in David Darom's upcoming book on Custom Art Knife Fixed Blades (due out next year)! David's first knife book on art knife folders (which had it's debut at the NY custom knife show last Spring) is already a classic,... a gorgeous full color "coffee table" book for all knife lovers.

Congrats to Larry for finally making it to the "Big Show!"


Dennis Greenbaum

Yeah Baby!