Custom Knife History

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^^^Thanks Doug, I appreciate it. - :thumbup:

I seen a great video a while back on knife maker Mr. Ruana.
I would like to find out more about him and his knives.

Maybe we could do like a discussion format type post, what do you know about the maker?

Any dates and hard facts would be good, along with good photos of him and his knives. - Thanks!

(It would be nice if we could get the video added here, I'll see if I can find that thread and post a link.)

EDIT - found it.....

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...na-Knives-A-short-documentary?highlight=ruana

https://youtu.be/lBKnLe7tYmU

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The ABS often gives so much credit to the Moran legacy that they practically ignore the other guys that were forging blades long before that...Richtig, Scagel, Ruana....

There is an article in Knives 1991 entitled The Times and the Knives of Rudy Ruana by John Haviland and then another one in Knives 1993 by Lance Strong called We called him MR. Ruana.

I can go back and read them and put up the pertinent facts, but there is also this from the Ruana Knives website:

Having left the decimated family farm in North Dakota and looking for greener pastures, 1938 found Rudy Ruana in the small community of Bonner, Montana working as a mechanic and welder at a small garage. In order to help his family survive during the post depression era, Ruana began to make a few knives on the side—a skill that originated in the 1920’s when he was a farrier in the cavalry, making his first knives for a couple of Native Americans in need of a better tool for skinning horses.

As time passed and the reputation of Ruana’s knives grew, demand became so great that Rudy began making knives full time in 1952, calling his business Ruana Knife Works.

In 1964 Ruana’s son-in-law, Vic Hangas left a job with the phone company and put his artistic talents to work, joining Ruana in the business. Hangas’ son Mark began working at the company in 1976. At the end of 1983 Ruana retired at the age of 80 and sold the business to the Hangas family.

In 1984 Mike Hangas joined his brother and Dad and the business was incorporated.

Rudy Ruana passed away in April of 1986.

He received the honor of being posthumously inducted into the American Bladesmith Society Hall of Fame in 1997 and BLADE Magazine’s Cutlery Hall of Fame in 2002.

As of 2011, Vic, Mark and Mike Hangas have combined Ruana Knife making experience in excess of 100 years.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Fantastic post STeven, thank you very much.

Question for you, who do you think were the first Custom Folder Maker?

Traditional & Tactical?

Scagel made a few folders? But would you consider those Custom Slip Joints?

I guess what I want to know, is who did it first? Not the first to be famous for doing it.
 
PocketKnives4Sale said:
Fantastic post STeven, thank you very much.

Question for you, who do you think were the first Custom Folder Maker?

Traditional & Tactical?

Scagel made a few folders? But would you consider those Custom Slip Joints?

I guess what I want to know, is who did it first? Not the first to be famous for doing it.
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Hi Al,

Don't even wanna speculate on Traditionals, but as far as incorporating all elements of a true "Tactical" knife, that was Robert Terzuola. He was the first to do it all, but there is a much lesser known guy named Robert Hayes from Railroad Flats, CA who was making button locked flipper folders as far back as the early '70's who definitely set the stage.

You can read about him in William Cassidy's Knife Digest, published by Knife Digest Publishing Company in 1974.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
That was a good post about the other folks forging. Think about Jimmy Fikes, Don Fogg and James Schmidt, all forging blades in the NE. I think Bill Bagwell was there, too.

Terzoula was definitely the "father" of today's tactical folders, I can remember the rush to his table at NY Shows in the '90s, sold out in minutes! It's gone full circle and once again he sells out in minutes, so I'm told.

Scan from a "Fighting Knives"
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