Bob Cargill Cripple Creek Knives

Mishap while building the Whirly Bird.
Greg

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mckgreg said:
Mr. McMath, those knives of yours are all Bob Cargill Cripple Creek knives that were made once a year for Cripple Creek Tribe Members. The info
on them are within this thread and are in the Smoke Signals that have been posted. Starting on about page 5 I believe. There are Smoke Signals
for the Lockport, IL knives but there aren't any for the Old Fort, TN. knives that started in 1987.

Fellas, the name of this thread is Bob Cargill Cripple Creek knives.
I am aware how things tend to stray in a thread but let's try to keep the topic
on Bob's knives. The reason most people come here is for info about those knives.

Greg
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Thanks Greg
I will go through the Smoke Signals. Thanks for the page reference to get started.
 
What a great thread! I am going to spend some time looking back through the whole thing...a history lesson in Bob Cargill and Cripple Creek :)
It will lend some history to the Cripple Creek 14s coming soon for those, like me, who are fairly new to the them.
 
It won't do you any harm to do that. Be sure and start from the beginning and take the time to read everything too.
The Smoke Signals and articles and posts.
A lot of people just look at the photos and don't really get an understanding of the time frame in which they were made
or a idea of why and how Cargill started Cripple Creek.
Take your time 'cause there is a lot to digest. I'm sure you will end up considering your time was well spent. Save as much
of the info you are able to to a flash drive or something similar. You won't regret it. I have a lot of stuff about Cripple Creek on
old floppy discs that got messed up. At the time that was about the only way I had to save it. Lesson learned.
Greg
 
mckgreg said:
A very special knife Bob made for his wife, June. A 3 blade LI-1. This is the only 3 blade one I know of that was made in
the Cargill Cripple Creek era.
Greg

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I believe there was a pearl one as well. He made one for her birthday and one for their anniversary.
 
That's a nice Cargill Thunderbird sidelock model. Did you see the other one in this thread? No apology required Mr. Duckdog.
Greg
 
Yes, I was. I was wondering if Mr. Duckdog was following this thread and saw the other Cargill's so he wouldn't feel as tho he needed to apologize
for posting the ivory one. "Page 15" I believe. If he hasn't been following this thread from the beginning, we'll have to make him sit in the back of the
room until he does so. It starts on page "1".
Greg
 
mckgreg said:
Yes, I was. I was wondering if Mr. Duckdog was following this thread and saw the other Cargill's so he wouldn't feel as tho he needed to apologize
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I, did, Greg, and I read most of the way through. However, I became so excited as I read more of Bob Cargill's work and outreach to his customers, I wanted to post my knife before I became too timid. The ones displayed here, including the earlier Thunderbird, were a bit intimidating in their beauty (at least as photographed). I am very thankful for finding this thread and thank all of you, Greg in particular, for getting the Cargill history online. (I have other customs about which I would love to have a just smidgen of this information.)
Thanks,
- Stuart
 
The Lightfoot. Bob put some of these together by using old parts. Notice the tang stamps versus the 96 on the blade. This was after the Blackjack deal and Bob not being in the best
financial or physical shape started putting knives together to get some cash coming in. Most of Cargill's equipment got sucked into the Blackjack demise and only had what ever machinery
and tools that he didn't put into the Blackjack deal.
Greg

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View attachment 1012834 View attachment 1012835

Above is a photograph from Bob Cargill's Facebook site. Below is a message I posted in the thread discussing the recent run of GEC 14 knives containing the Cripple Creek logo and shield. My post was in response to a question asking how Bob Cargill might feel about these knives. I would like to hear what collectors on this thread believe; especially mckgreg mckgreg who appears to have a close relationship with Bob Cargill.


"That is a very interesting question. There is a great thread about Bob Cargill and Cripple Creek Knives for anyone who cares to learn more. The story is both uplifting and sad. Cargill survived a life threatening accident in the 1970's but overcame his injuries and went on to create a highly successful brand. By the 1990's, his body began to fail, and he sold his company and logo. The new enterprise did not last long. Cargill continued to make a few knives for a while, but, eventually, he stopped entirely. Apparently, Cargill allowed his patent license to expire. It seems to have gone through several hands and is now owned by either Blue Ridge Knives or Smokey Mountain Knife Works. So, it appears that he does not receive any income from the sale of these new, non - Cargill, knives. I hope that I am wrong. If I am, please correct me.

So, Bob Cargill might be proud to see his logo carried forward, but the circumstances are murky at best. If any of you have a relationship with Blue Ridge or SMKW, it would be great to hear from them. I understand the world of business, and they were probably very savvy to acquire such a valuable and historical logo. However, I certainly hope they have done something to honor and compensate the man who created the legend."
 
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If I were to spray paint the word Ferrari on a Buick station wagon would it then become a Ferrari? To me, if Cargill didn't make it, it isn't a Cripple Creek Knife.
Other than that I have nothing to add about how the Cripple Creek logo is now appearing on new knives. I would like to keep this thread about what the title suggests.
"Bob Cargill Cripple Creek Knives"
Don't get me wrong, I'm more than glad to see your interest and perspective but when you start asking questions like the ones you posted it will lead to nothing but
conjecture and no real answers. Lot's of "I heard this from so and so and that makes it true" or some such nonsense that seems to appear here on the internet.
Any other info you might be looking for can only come from Bob Cargill and he is private in his matters.
I would be hesitant to hang on the words of anyone that is currently using his logo in hopes of making money from the sweat of another man's brow.
Greg
 
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