- Joined
- Feb 11, 2003
- Messages
- 1,862
I've had the good fortune recently to work closely with Bill on a little project of my design. We had worked out a trade in which he would make me up a small custom knife. I knew that no matter what, Bill would make a knife that I'd be proud to own, so I left the majority of the design up to him. I basically gave him the following ideas:
1. A blade in the 4-4.5 range, 1095 steel preferred.
2. Micarta handles that are on the smaller size since I have fairly short fingers.
3. An unsharpened swedge.
I let him run with it, and here's what he delivered a couple weeks later!
It's a 4.5 blade hunter with burlap micarta scales and mosaic pins, a small, well rounded handle area, and absolutely razor sharp. It's PERFECT. If there was some magical machine that I could stick my head in to and have it read my mind and build a knife, this is the knife that would pop out of the other side. I couldn't ask for anything better.
Closeup of the burlap micarta/mosaic pins:
Oh, on a side note, Bill hates to work with micarta, so I feel especially lucky to have this one. I didn't know that at the time of ordering, but I thought I'd let everyone else know so we don't subject him to this torture too many times.
I've worked with Bill a couple times now, and my next purchase WILL be one of his big choppers. He's a class act and amazing craftsman all the way around, and makes the knives to back this up.
If you are on the fence at all about dealing with Bill, do it. You will NOT be disappointed.
-Parke1
1. A blade in the 4-4.5 range, 1095 steel preferred.
2. Micarta handles that are on the smaller size since I have fairly short fingers.
3. An unsharpened swedge.
I let him run with it, and here's what he delivered a couple weeks later!
It's a 4.5 blade hunter with burlap micarta scales and mosaic pins, a small, well rounded handle area, and absolutely razor sharp. It's PERFECT. If there was some magical machine that I could stick my head in to and have it read my mind and build a knife, this is the knife that would pop out of the other side. I couldn't ask for anything better.
Closeup of the burlap micarta/mosaic pins:
Oh, on a side note, Bill hates to work with micarta, so I feel especially lucky to have this one. I didn't know that at the time of ordering, but I thought I'd let everyone else know so we don't subject him to this torture too many times.
I've worked with Bill a couple times now, and my next purchase WILL be one of his big choppers. He's a class act and amazing craftsman all the way around, and makes the knives to back this up.
If you are on the fence at all about dealing with Bill, do it. You will NOT be disappointed.
-Parke1
