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- Oct 2, 1998
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- 45,343
This was the first Blade Show I've attended in several years. Consequently I spent more time catching up with friends old and new than looking at knives for the most part.
Still, as things turned out, I did end up with three knives at the Blade Show and a couple others subsequently I figured I'd throw in.
I had the good fortune, through a friend from another forum, of meeting knifemaker Charles May who, (when I asked), just happened to have a couple examples of his knives with him. My friend Ethan Becker (Becker Knives & Tools, The Joy Of Cooking) had just gotten a nice smaller knife from Charlie at the time I hooked up with them.
Anyway, I had just finished saying at lunch, not an hour earlier, that the last thing I needed or intended to buy was a straight knife at this show.
But, when I put Charlie's scandi ground "Trace" model in my hand, well, it just whispered "take me home" in my ear. Who am I to say no?
The knife sports a 3" blade of D2 at Rockwell 60 (or 61) and tan canvas micarta scales with black liners. You can look at this knife a long time and still not find any flaws with Charlie's grinds. Everything about the knife from the plunge to the tip and the fit of the scales is first rate.
It is obvious that Charlie is extremely meticulous and very demanding of himself. No less a perfectionist than Tony Bose himself was impressed with a beautiful "integral" that Charlie had brought with him to the show.
To say that I am impressed with his workmanship is an understatement. Though the handle is slim, it is well contoured and fits the hand nice and securely. Due to its diminutive size (and the excellent leather belt sheath) it carries very nicely and does not make its presence known. I don't doubt that there are other May knives in my future and this one will be put into service and soon.
I ran into Jeff Randall at the show and Jeff and I go back several years.
Jeff gave me one of the new RAT (Queen/Ontario made) #63 Railsplitters which are shipping currently.
This is a "Surveyor" stockman knife with clip, coping and spey blades of D2. The ram's horn is polished and more finished than on the Cattleman knife so many of us purchased. (The blades came a bit sharper as well.) This is one stout little knife which is being released as a limited edition of 500.
The highlight of my Blade Show experience (knife-wise) as has been reported elsewhere on the forum was the opportunity to purchase a Reese Bose "Rodgers Wharncliffe Whittler" as a result of winning one of the lotteries held for his and his Tony's knives.
The knife features black buffalo horn scales, a federal shield and ATS-34 blades. The grind, fit and finish of this knife is virtually flawless and it will sit proudly with the stag trapper I recently received from Tony a short time back. It was important to me to have knives from both father and son and I am glad I was able to fulfill that desire.
You'd have to attend the show to imagine the pandemonium around the Bose table before, during and well after the drawing for their knives. They are truly treated like royalty in the traditional and slipjoint knife world yet they remain as nice and accessible as can be. I had the honor of spending a lot of time at the show with the Bose's on the floor of the show, at meals as well as their residence at the hotel (for show and tell as well as Fast Eddie's famous "fart machine". Don't ask.)
A nicer bunch of folks would be hard to find.
These last are post Blade Show developments.
A friend of mine who is the historian/archivist for Russell sent me today this early 1930's "spear point clip blade" Barlow, pattern #65.
It will be in good company with my 1890's vintage Russell Daddy Barlow (spear point).
And lastly, Rob Thomason is sending this nice stag Queen Sodbuster which was a special factory order from a few years ago. After getting the little Case Sodbuster Jr. a few weeks ago, I just fell in love with the pattern and utility and couldn't resist adding this one for just a few bucks.
So, that's my haul. Quite a bit heavier in steel than I was just a week or so back (and quite a bit lighter in the wallet as well. Well, that is unless I compare myself to my brother, Bastid. Then I don't feel all that light in the wallet at all!
)
Well, as our friend Tony Bose likes to say, he never saw a Brinks truck follow a hearse to the cemetery. :thumbup:
Hope you enjoyed the pix and descriptions!
Still, as things turned out, I did end up with three knives at the Blade Show and a couple others subsequently I figured I'd throw in.
I had the good fortune, through a friend from another forum, of meeting knifemaker Charles May who, (when I asked), just happened to have a couple examples of his knives with him. My friend Ethan Becker (Becker Knives & Tools, The Joy Of Cooking) had just gotten a nice smaller knife from Charlie at the time I hooked up with them.
Anyway, I had just finished saying at lunch, not an hour earlier, that the last thing I needed or intended to buy was a straight knife at this show.
But, when I put Charlie's scandi ground "Trace" model in my hand, well, it just whispered "take me home" in my ear. Who am I to say no?
The knife sports a 3" blade of D2 at Rockwell 60 (or 61) and tan canvas micarta scales with black liners. You can look at this knife a long time and still not find any flaws with Charlie's grinds. Everything about the knife from the plunge to the tip and the fit of the scales is first rate.
It is obvious that Charlie is extremely meticulous and very demanding of himself. No less a perfectionist than Tony Bose himself was impressed with a beautiful "integral" that Charlie had brought with him to the show.
To say that I am impressed with his workmanship is an understatement. Though the handle is slim, it is well contoured and fits the hand nice and securely. Due to its diminutive size (and the excellent leather belt sheath) it carries very nicely and does not make its presence known. I don't doubt that there are other May knives in my future and this one will be put into service and soon.
I ran into Jeff Randall at the show and Jeff and I go back several years.
Jeff gave me one of the new RAT (Queen/Ontario made) #63 Railsplitters which are shipping currently.
This is a "Surveyor" stockman knife with clip, coping and spey blades of D2. The ram's horn is polished and more finished than on the Cattleman knife so many of us purchased. (The blades came a bit sharper as well.) This is one stout little knife which is being released as a limited edition of 500.
The highlight of my Blade Show experience (knife-wise) as has been reported elsewhere on the forum was the opportunity to purchase a Reese Bose "Rodgers Wharncliffe Whittler" as a result of winning one of the lotteries held for his and his Tony's knives.
The knife features black buffalo horn scales, a federal shield and ATS-34 blades. The grind, fit and finish of this knife is virtually flawless and it will sit proudly with the stag trapper I recently received from Tony a short time back. It was important to me to have knives from both father and son and I am glad I was able to fulfill that desire.
You'd have to attend the show to imagine the pandemonium around the Bose table before, during and well after the drawing for their knives. They are truly treated like royalty in the traditional and slipjoint knife world yet they remain as nice and accessible as can be. I had the honor of spending a lot of time at the show with the Bose's on the floor of the show, at meals as well as their residence at the hotel (for show and tell as well as Fast Eddie's famous "fart machine". Don't ask.)
A nicer bunch of folks would be hard to find.
These last are post Blade Show developments.
A friend of mine who is the historian/archivist for Russell sent me today this early 1930's "spear point clip blade" Barlow, pattern #65.
It will be in good company with my 1890's vintage Russell Daddy Barlow (spear point).
And lastly, Rob Thomason is sending this nice stag Queen Sodbuster which was a special factory order from a few years ago. After getting the little Case Sodbuster Jr. a few weeks ago, I just fell in love with the pattern and utility and couldn't resist adding this one for just a few bucks.
So, that's my haul. Quite a bit heavier in steel than I was just a week or so back (and quite a bit lighter in the wallet as well. Well, that is unless I compare myself to my brother, Bastid. Then I don't feel all that light in the wallet at all!
)Well, as our friend Tony Bose likes to say, he never saw a Brinks truck follow a hearse to the cemetery. :thumbup:
Hope you enjoyed the pix and descriptions!
