Bob-Sky blades?

I recently obtained three unfinished Bob-Sky blades, made by the late Bob Hajovsky. They are a Bowie, with a 7 inch long blade, a quarter inch thick, a chute knife with a 4.5 inch blade, 9 inches over all length full tang, also .25 inches thick, and an up swept skinner, with a 4.25 inch blade, a quarter inch thick. Bob liked to use ATS-34 most of the time. he also used D2. I don't know for certain what these are made of. They are harden and marked, but need more polishing to make them look like they should. Bob always made his knives look great. It would be a crime to do less with these.

I want opinions on what I should do with these. Should I put them in a display, as is? Should I have them finished? If I finish them, who should I have do it? Let me know what you think.

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[This message has been edited by Onehandclapping (edited 02-14-2000).]
 
B

brian w edginton

Joined
Nov 8, 1998
Messages
770
Ask yourself "did I buy religious relics or did I buy knives".
If you answer honestly, you will have your answer......you know what I mean.

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BrianWE

I don't want to be right all the time......I just want US to be right more often.
 
Brian -- You're correct. I've always thought highly of Bob and the great knives he used to make. Even if I don't plan on using them, I could still have them finished for display purposes. Done by a highly skilled maker, like gene Osborne for example, they would as good as they would have looked if Bob had finished them. I probably will never use them. Not because I wouldn't like to, but because I'm handicapped and probably couldn't hold them well enough to use the the proper way, I'd feel like a read idiot if I dropped one and broke off the tip. For me they willbe display knives, but who knows what will happen in the futuer. One of my children might want to use them.

My question remains -- should I have them finished? Is it right for another maker to finish the knife of a deceased maker? I didn't know Bob well enough to know how he would have felt about it.

Charles Shultz didn't want anyone else drawing "Peanuts". Is there some unwritten law I'd be breaking by having them finished?

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At the time of Bob's Passing I had very little money and couldn't afford anything to
get at the time I reciently traded for a dagger and a Bowie I plan on finnishing mine out to the best of my ability and putting them on display in my collection I intend to use stag or Ivory I havent made up my mind but they will be choice when I am finished I had a great lot of fondness for Bob he helped me alot in my endever's making knives when I had a question I would call him and he was allway's receptive to any of them just thought this might help you in your desion

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TbarK Custom Knives
http://vip.hpnc.com/~tbark Therefore I erge you brother's in view of God's Mercy to offer your body's as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship Romans 12-1
 
tbark

As a maker you are in a good position to finish your blade. As a mechanical engineer I know how to make just about anything. But knowing how and having the ability is two very different things. If you could, tbark, can you save my e-mail address, sbieg@aol.com, and send me a picture of your blades, in their current shape and after you finish them? I'd like to know what you do with your. It will help me with mine.

You can see mine by looking at the e-Bay auctions I won them all on. The URLs are:

Bowie blade
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=254862331

Chute blade
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=254867718

and the upswept skinner
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=255175372


I'd like any suggestions you might have. Being handicapped the way I am, I have to get a knife maker to finish these, if I finish them. I'm leaning that way the more I think about it. I've made several small, crude knives over the years, but wouldn't think of risking these blades. The chance of ruining them is far too high.

Thanks for the answer….


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onehandclapping,

I almost owned the blades you have now. They were put up for auction on ebay by Bob's sister after his passing. There were several groupings of blades. I had enough $$ to get the one group that I really wanted but "earwax" and "stiper28" IIRC won the others.
I was also able to get a few of Bob Engnaths blades after he passed away.
I never met or talked to either of the Bob's but they were both respected members of the knifemakers community.
I plan on finishing the knives to the best of my ability. I just finished a blade blank that my father-in-law made. My first knife. I learned a great deal in the process and now have a higher level of respect for those who create truly fine knives. I'll probably start with a small dagger of Bob Engnaths, then work up to the blades that I really want to be perfect.

Even when they are completed they will always be a Bob Engnath/Sky blade finished by me. Their skills and names will always be a part of those knives.

p.s. I think there are a few of Bob Sky's blades in the for sale forum.

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~~TOM~~
 
I have 4 Bob Sky blades sent by a customer to finish for him. I never had the pleasure of meeting Bob personally. From everything I've heard, he would want his blades finished. How that gets accomplished is how the individual owner wants them. I will be making them to honor the man.
You need to make this decision (whether to finish them or not) with your heart and decide on the maker to do it the same way. I believe that will be the only way both of you will be happy with the outcome.

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Gene Osborn
Center Cross Metal Works
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword...
Hewbrews 4:12
 
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