Heinze Leiber knife

Hey everyone. I see that this thread was started quite some time ago but maybe there is still some interest. I met Heinz Lieber some years ago when I was on vacation in northern B.C. His shop is located at the north side of the Peace River dam just south of Hudsons Hope B.C. The man is a master at his trade. I have been a knife collector for many years and appreciate a quality knife. Heinz definitely makes a quality knife. They aren't cheap but in my opinion worth the price. There was a real nice hunting knife, a bit on the large side, leaning towards Bowie size. Nothing fancy like the one pictured here but nice, going for CD$450. As far as materials his blades are made from M2 chipper blade steel from a sawmill chipper. Very tough steel! It must be hell to put an edge on it initially, but the ones I looked at were like a razor. I know from experience that even Solingen blades require touching up several times in the course of skinning a deer in order to keep them sharp. Heinz claims his knives will skin two moose before needing touching up. The majority of his handles are made of antler, as is the one in these pics. His sheathes are quality leather and all enclose the knife almost completely with just the end of the handle protruding. Also near the end of the handle is a small hole as well as one in the top area of the sheathe. This is to tie the included leather thong to in order to prevent losing your knife when hunting in rugged terrain. I don't know what kind of following he has achieved that may affect value, but as far as an excellent quality knife you would be hard pressed to find better.
Trent Rock said:
My Canadian buddy sent me pics of this Heinz Leiber knife he got about 10 years ago
Any thoughts on Heinz Leiber knives?
Are they collectible/valuable or just run of the mill custom knives?
I couldn't find anything on the net except a listing that said he uses D2 steel
Thanks for ANY info on this Canadian maker, all :)

Also
He can't seem to remember what the handle material is :eek:
He thinks it's mastodon or something like that :confused:



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Yes the combined HL was his makers mark. Also the heart on the sheathe. All his sheathes bore that mark.
 
I replied under another thread. Heinz Leber(his business card is right in front of me) sold me a knife similar to that one. Elk handle for sure and the blade went to the end of the handle. I am pretty sure it was made from old sawmill blade steel, but I could be confusing it with another. I think he rough cut them from the blade then had a process of heating and cooling to temper it. My goodness it is a shame he did not have an apprentice. And what a shop! It was one of the highlights of my travels to the NW. By the way there was an auto body shop in or around Anchorage that had big curly tusks on the sign. Always wished I had stopped to ask about them.
 
Heinz Leber Knives. They were all handcrafted by a great knife maker in Hudsons Hope b.c Canada. Heinz passed away in February 2015 after suffering a bad stroke 10 or more years earlier. His Knives sold all over the world .Handle materials were Stone and Bighorn sheep,Mastedon Ivory and very old Desert Ironwood. Travelers from USA and Canada would stop at his
shop on their way to Alaska and northern B.C. His better knives were hand engraved by A artist in Sask and sold then for $500 up to?? My Knife that was given to me by Heinz about 20 years ago has never been used and never will as long as i live. I will love my knife forever and me and my family will always love this great man. PS if you have 1 keep it.
 
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Sorry to hear about Mr. Heinz Leber. I purchased my first ever custom knife from him back in '91 on my way from the lower 48 up the highway to Alaska. Nice home, shop, and display room. Purchased his elk hunter which has taken care of many deer, elk, caribou and moose all through the years. It goes on every trip in the woods. After my visit to his shop, I new what I wanted to do in life. I pulled my Leber Elk Hunter out after reading this thread and gave it a good cleanup and sharpening. I still have his brochure that has model names, photos, knife specs, and pic of Heinz behind his counter of knives. Well made knives and special memories for me. Rest in peace.
 
Heinz lived in Hudson's Hope, B.C. His house was on a cliff top overlooking the Peace River just down from the W.A.C. Bennett Damn. It was my understanding that he was a hunting guide in his youth and got into knife making later. I purchased one of his knives when I was up that way back in the early 2000's. The pictures of the knife certainly look like his work. I have the same brand on my knife as yours. I've seen mastodon horn at his shop and the handle on your knife does not look like it. It's probably elk or moose or sheep.
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i see this thread is almost 14 months old, however i just wanted to share with you the series of fortunate events that led me to be able to carry on, in a sense, Heinz Leber's trade. I will keep it short. I am a knife maker here in the cold north that is Fort St. John BC, and had heard the name Leber and knew it as a synonym of quality and master craftsmanship in the knife world. Through time, I had always made it a point to visit this man as an aspiring knife maker, however by the time I got to making a point of visiting Heinz, I learned of his stroke and the fact he was no longer taking visitors. long story short I ended up meeting his son through some random events and was able to purchase the remainder of Heinz's steel stock and materials. prior to this I purchased the rest of Herb Friend's steel stock, material, and tools who had purchased Heinz's stock and tools shortly after heinz's first stroke. I have in a short time inadvertently obtained all of Heinz's tools and stock. I found in his steel stock an old pattern. I could not erase it and put my own pattern over, so with his wife's permission I finished it according to how i believed he would've wanted it completed. minus his markings. not to make it as if he completed it. but I have completed it with his signatures and trademark design features in mind. Being in such a unique position, I would like to see what you guys think.
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What are you looking for exactly?

If you want critique that can easily be supplied.

If you want accolades, I am sure my brothers who would not say an unkind thing under torture will be along shortly.

If you want to sell it, that is the hardest thing of all.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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