Defining characteristcs? (style)

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.
 
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.
 
Spotting a given maker's work is not that hard if you a significant degree of familiarity with it.

As for regional "looks" - yes, they exist - but only in a very generalized sense. Arkansas and Montana for sure. Not so sure about Texas.

Roger
 
RogerP said:
Spotting a given maker's work is not that hard if you a significant degree of familiarity with it.

As for regional "looks" - yes, they exist - but only in a very generalized sense. Arkansas and Montana for sure. Not so sure about Texas.
Roger
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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.
 
Kevin Jones said:
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.
Click to expand...

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
 
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
 
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.
 
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