-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Defining characteristcs? (style)
- Thread starter 2knife
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
I believe most collectors that have at least moderate interest and experience with customs knives can identify the more well known maker's knives out of a line-up. Many on this forum can identify most maker's knives at a glance.
Certain collectors who study and collect particular maker's knives can usually identify, determine vintage, value and spot counterfeits of these maker's knives.
You can't help but learn these maker's tricks such as their grinds, preference for materials, the grit to which they take their blade finishes, pinning methods, the consistency of their damascus patterns, degree of polish of their handle materials, their cuts, background and style of their engraving, their different maker's marks and vintage of these marks and of course their overall style.
IMO, this is one advantage in concentrating on select makers rather than many makers in your collecting.
Certain collectors who study and collect particular maker's knives can usually identify, determine vintage, value and spot counterfeits of these maker's knives.
You can't help but learn these maker's tricks such as their grinds, preference for materials, the grit to which they take their blade finishes, pinning methods, the consistency of their damascus patterns, degree of polish of their handle materials, their cuts, background and style of their engraving, their different maker's marks and vintage of these marks and of course their overall style.
IMO, this is one advantage in concentrating on select makers rather than many makers in your collecting.
- Joined
- Dec 10, 1998
- Messages
- 4,860
There are regional characteristics to many makers. The trend of a folder with a damascus blade, bolster, natural handle material and lots of filework was started in New England by makers like Jim Schmidt, Bill McHenry, and Wayne Valachovic, just to name a few. All others that make knives like this are following these makers and others.
In Montana you have a bunch of guys doing lots of hot blued mosaic damascus, which seems to be their signature style.
Unless the knife is marked it is difficult to know when and where a knife was made. If you know the maker it is possible to get a ballpark idea of when the knife was made. You can base this on when he started making knives, the quality of the work and the materials used.
In Montana you have a bunch of guys doing lots of hot blued mosaic damascus, which seems to be their signature style.
Unless the knife is marked it is difficult to know when and where a knife was made. If you know the maker it is possible to get a ballpark idea of when the knife was made. You can base this on when he started making knives, the quality of the work and the materials used.
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
True, spotting a maker's "mark" is not difficult, however knowing which maker's mark or configuration of marks a veteran maker (Fisk for example) used at various periods in his/her career is extremely helpful in determining when a knife was made.
The "Maryland" style (Moran, Barnes, Hendrickson to name a few) is one of the more recognizable styles IMO.
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2002
- Messages
- 13,348
I wasn't referring to a familiarity with a maker's "mark" or stamp - but to familiarity with the body of the maker's work as a whole.
Roger
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2002
- Messages
- 2,125
If you talk California style, Steven Rapp's knives come to mind, the Gold Rush era, in a more modern sense i guess one might say Loveless?
Florida, the history and influence of Randall knives?
Arkansas, the ABS or prevalence of the bowie.
Louisiana, maybe a French influence, dirk, gamblers stlye, riverboat?
This is more in line with what i'm asking more than particulars of a certain maker, maybe i was blurring the issue before.
European engraving, scrimshaw is different from what i've noticed in pictures. i'm not eloquent enough to say how..
David
Florida, the history and influence of Randall knives?
Arkansas, the ABS or prevalence of the bowie.
Louisiana, maybe a French influence, dirk, gamblers stlye, riverboat?
This is more in line with what i'm asking more than particulars of a certain maker, maybe i was blurring the issue before.
European engraving, scrimshaw is different from what i've noticed in pictures. i'm not eloquent enough to say how..
David
jdm61
itinerant metal pounder
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2005
- Messages
- 47,357
As far as current ABS knives, you can certainly spot ones that are of the "Arkansas" school, which I might call the"Arkansas-Texas-Lousiana-Oklahoma" school as there are a lot of smiths making knives of that general style in that region. The "Maryland" style is also very distinct as previously noted. The trend in Florida over the last number of years has been more toward very elaborate folders from what I have seen. Frank Centofante got famous when he was living in Tampa and there are a goodly number of guys making pricey folders down here in Central Florida.