Fossil Ivory & Damascus knife makers?

Rev. Pete · Mar 3, 2003

Folks, I want to get a 4" (or so) utility knife made up with a Fossil/Mastadon Ivory handle and a Damascus blade. This wouldn't be an art knife but rather a fancy using knife. I don't know if this is realistic but I want to keep the total cost in the "hundreds" rather than in the "thousands". I'd appreciate your mentioning makers who might make me such a knife. Thank you for your kind assistance.

Keith Montgomery · Mar 3, 2003

Chances are that the price would be in the above $500.00 range. Nice mastadon/mammoth ivory slabs will cost $120.00 a pair and up. Really nice colored slabs will cost much more (generally $200.00 and up). Add say $100.00 or more for the damascus (minimum I have seen is about $20.00 an inch) and that will give you an idea of what your knife will cost. Don't forget to add the cost of the guard and sheath material and if you want a ferrule, spacers or mosaic pins add that as well.

Rev. Pete · Mar 3, 2003

Chances are that the price would be in the above $500.00 range

Keith, thanks for the price info. That was within the parameters of my budget. $700, $750, $800, thereabouts. Above that and I'd have to buy my wife a new leather sofa. The knives I see around with these fancy materials tend to be art knives and as such fetch a justifiably higher price. I'm thinking of something that could actually be used. (Why not, the leather sofa would cost three times that and we'd still sit on it).

P.S.: You aren't in Canada, are you?

Keith Montgomery · Mar 3, 2003

What would make you think that, eh? Yep, I'm from the great white north. The prices I was mentioning were in US dollars, though.

akivory · Mar 3, 2003

Pete,
Try Michael Smith .I sold him some ivory and I have seen his knives and I think they are under priced.His email address is smithknife@hotmail.com .He has a web site but I could not find his address.
Chuck

Megalobyte · Mar 3, 2003

OK, as anyone will tell you, Scott Cook makes an incredible knife, and, at a very reasonable price, and he makes hunter/utility knives with approx. 3.5" damascus blades, with a beautifully ground, razor sharp edge, something you often dont find on damascus blades. Now, the only fixed knives i have seen of his have wood handles, usually snakewood, and its very pretty, but im sure he would make you one of his fixed hunters with a beautiful damascus blade and fossil mammoth ivory. I would guess itll run you only about $500-$600, depending on the color/character of the ivory.

By the way, if you want to know if i like mammoth ivory, check out my new email address.

To me, there is nothing prettier than a great knife with deep blue mammoth ivory scales/handle.

JTurner · Mar 3, 2003

If you are talking folders, Jeff Hall makes a nice one. He is working on something for me right now. Check out this lefty at Bladegallery.com.

http://www.bladegallery.com/knives/knife.asp?knifeid=1024&pics=small&alt=one

Also has a website.

http://www.nemesis-knives.com/

Good luck...JT

slon · Mar 4, 2003

Try Bud Weston at http://www.westonknives.com/weston/index.asp

Ansoknives · Mar 4, 2003

I work with both materials and your budget is fair! You can check my page by clicking the banner.....

Keith Montgomery · Mar 4, 2003

I would certainly recommend that you look at Jens' knives. You can't go wrong there.

jdm21 · Mar 5, 2003

look at William Henry www.williamhenryknives.com in their collectors section (don't slobber too badly)--also ag russell site under their selection of special order William Henry knives

jdm21

Ebbtide · Mar 5, 2003

Lurk in 'Shop Talk'
You can get a good look at who likes to make what & get to 'know' them too.

Or you could even ask there!

akivory · Mar 5, 2003

If you do not mind your knife being a "simi custom" I would also recommend William Henry.I believe A.G Russel has an exclusive on thier knives with mammoth ivory handles.On thier website they have some with walrus ivory.For the last two months my EDC has been a carbon fibre black and tan.I am very happy with it.I have another with ivory handles on order.
Chuck

Griffon · Mar 5, 2003

Originally posted by Rev. Pete
Folks, I want to get a 4" (or so) utility knife made up with a Fossil/Mastadon Ivory handle and a Damascus blade. This wouldn't be an art knife but rather a fancy using knife. I don't know if this is realistic ...

I don't think it is. The fossil ivory does not like temperature nor humidity changes. Oiling it helps some, but in the long run it's not a really good material for something you use outdoors.

Rev. Pete · Mar 5, 2003

Thanks for all the replies, I really appreciate it. Jens, I've been admiring your beautiful Damascus knives for a while now. I want to say that my inspiration for this project was the latest AG Russell catalog with the beautiful William Henry Damascus and Blue Mammoth Ivory folder. I now have a much better idea of what is available and the costs.

akivory · Mar 5, 2003

Griffon,
I could not dissagree with you more. Ivory has been used on knife handles for hundreds of years .It holds up very well.I have a drop point hunter with mammoth ivory that I have used for the last ten years.I dress six to ten road kill moose a year.I lost it for a winter and when I found it in the dirt the following spring it was still in very good shape.The problems people have with ivory usually from knifemakers who do not know how to work it.Think about it this ivory hase been in the dirt for ten thousand years.
Chuck