Hill Pearce - Walnut Mediterranean Bowie

SharpByCoop

SharpByCoop

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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Oct 8, 2001
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For the newly initiated here, Hill Pearce won the Knives Annual 'Wooden Sword' award in 1983 along with Bob Lum, and Jim Corrado as trendsetting makers with exceptional pieces. His style is very recognizable, as he dominates with Mediterranean bowies and pieces that have a period look to them. His filework and attention to detail is inescapable, and this piece would make ANY modern smith take full notice.

Let's take a look:
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My infatuation with Hill Pearce knives is unending. Fortunately, my admiration for them is well-reknowned, and I have scouts helping me on the four corners of the globe. Michael Starr is a knifemaker who was attending a knife/gun show in FL, where he stumbled upon this gem on a dealer's table (Gary Lollar). It was being sold on commission from a collector who bought it OVER twenty years ago.

Numbers and emails were traded, photos were sent, deals were approved, and it arrived yesterday. I stand ready to help out Michael soon. :)

Not only does the upper and lower spine filework differ, but so do the brass liners. One of his signature looks is a chisel cut upper swedge, and when it comes to the Spanish Notch, I have yet to see anyone utilize it more elaborately. He uses fluting on his bolsters, and his filework patterns on the backspine made Jerry Fisk and Harvey Dean scratch their heads in wonder when I showed them one of my earlier pieces a while ago.

Hill tells me that when the maker's mark (the small script 'P') is on the butt end, he used someone else's damascus. In this case he thinks it was Rob Charlton's 'Damascus USA' billets imported from India in the mid eighties. When it is on the blade, it is his own forged damascus.

Topping it off is a very clean sheath by an unknown sheathmaker. Very appropriate for the work.

Hill has not made a blade in over 15 years, nor will he any more. Personal retirement from knifemaking. He started making exhibition-grade black powder rifles before he made knives and allows knives were easier to do!

This particular knife is my seventh fixed blade and I own four of his folders. Every one of them shares similarities. I love the pieces I own and am always on the lookout for more. You can understand why!

Here it is with the twin knife which is on my banner image:
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Thanks for reading this far and enjoying the pieces. :D

Coop

BTW, I share wonderful conversations with Hill regularly, and called him up when I got this piece. He loves to hear my stories, and he lives without a TV or a computer in Alabama, pecking away at a typewriter, writing stories and a play, shooting rifles, and pickin' on a guitar. His life is in retirement. As Gus reminds us, it's all about the people... :thumbup:
 
Very unusual pieces, Coop.;)

It is always cool when the maker and the collector can speak nicely with each other, and share stories.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
That is a super piece Coop. Hill has a lot of talent and was ahead of his time.

BTY, I don't think Michael Starr is a knife maker :o but he is a great guy :D
 
Sure enjoyed seeing this one, Coop - and am happy for you that you've found another for your collection. Very nice indeed!
 
Love the knife and the story. In fact I like all your Pearce knives a lot. If I ever stumble on one of Hill Pearce's knives (fat chance over here in Europe;) ) I think I wouldn't call you Coop but keep it for myself:D

Marcel
 
I knew you guys would enjoy this post. STeven, you are showing me a LOT of moderation in your words. The drawback is palpable.... ;) :D :foot:

Marcel, Hopefully one never shows up on eBay that we both see. BIDDING WAR!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Roc, I know your thoughts. :thumbup:

Because this one was mine, I spent liberties on the layout. I would never had shown the blade upside down in the portrait image for a client. I had (4) detail images with opposing diagonal shots. No arrangement made me happy until I realized I needed a fifth. All came together....

Coop
 
thank you Jim for sharing the photos of an outstanding knife and the history of the blade and maker. :)

Gary
 
SharpByCoop said:
I knew you guys would enjoy this post. STeven, you are showing me a LOT of moderation in your words. The drawback is palpable.... ;) :D :foot:
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Hey man,

You know what you like, and you know what you are doing. There is very little that I can tell you that you don't already know about the wonderful world of custom knives, so why should I be a dick?

You know what I think, and if you looked at my collection in its' complete form, it just might put you to sleep.

The difference between the H.P. knives and the folding subhilt are night and day to me, and THAT deserved a negative comment, huzzahs by S.R. Johnson and others, notwithstanding. The "Made in China" engraving made my head come close to exploding.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Beauty is always in the eye of the beer holder. Altho the subhilt folder is kinda cool it does not strike the chord that sings to the soul like the HP's do. There is a certain intangable feeling that some knives radiate. They are able to convey the touch of the master and whisk one away to a special place. They say that the difference in the beauty of a woman boils down to a few millimeters in how far her eyes are spaced apart. The same goes for a knife,or any piece of art. The difference between so so and exceptional is a few mill's. of flow this way or that.
 
R. Ellis said:
Beauty is always in the eye of the beer holder. Altho the subhilt folder is kinda cool it does not strike the chord that sings to the soul like the HP's do.........The difference between so so and exceptional is a few mill's. of flow this way or that.
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True story......

I was busting Warren Osborne's chops at the SHOT show in like 1999 or 2000 about the Benchmade 940. I thought that it was the ugliest production knife that a custom maker could put his name on, and shared this with him. Mind you, we had just met each other 5 minutes previously, Mel Pardue doing the introduction.

Warren asks me if I smoke cigarettes, I say yes. He invites me to go outside with him, which I figured meant he was going to attempt to stomp my ass outside of the exhibition hall.

We get to smoking, and he points out a skinny, smallish guy walking with his arm around a woman about 4" taller, and about 150 lbs heavier, and says that shows how people's tastes are different. I got the message real quick, and the thoughts have stayed with me, but I STILL like my beer cold, my women round, but not too round(think TRUE hourglass), and my knives with a classic/modern look and feel to them. Too far outside the "norm" need not apply.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
The knife is very beautiful.

I can't imagine that the design of the handle is practical for actually using the knife.
 
1Bigdog said:
I can't imagine that the design of the handle is practical for actually using the knife.
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Well, I just pulled it out to see if you had any merit....














Yup, you're right. Back in the case it goes. I still love it.... ;)

Coop
 
I think those grips are beautiful as well as functional for there intended purpose as a fighter handle. With the palm swell in the middle for a good grip and the waist in the front to the guard to protect the hand from the blade when the knife goes in.. A waist in the back with a good sized pommel for pulling the blade out.

Those who study knife fighting worry about those two things. After maintaining a good grip for penetration, the problem then becomes how to get the knife out for another thrust. Both of these problems seem to be addressed in the HP design.

The advice given to new collectors is to collect what you like. Try not to second guess what someone else might find appealing. That is one of the good things about the hobby is that tastes vary and evolve. A pattern that you never gave a second glance to could suddenly become interesting. Then a whole new love affair will start up. Ahhh, life is good.
 
R. Ellis said:
I think those grips are beautiful as well as functional for there intended purpose as a fighter handle. With the palm swell in the middle for a good grip and the waist in the front to the guard to protect the hand from the blade when the knife goes in.. A waist in the back with a good sized pommel for pulling the blade out.

Those who study knife fighting worry about those two things. After maintaining a good grip for penetration, the problem then becomes how to get the knife out for another thrust. Both of these problems seem to be addressed in the HP design.

The advice given to new collectors is to collect what you like. Try not to second guess what someone else might find appealing. That is one of the good things about the hobby is that tastes vary and evolve. A pattern that you never gave a second glance to could suddenly become interesting. Then a whole new love affair will start up. Ahhh, life is good.
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The diameter of the handle appears way to small for any sized hand to get an optimal grip on the knife.

The handle contours do not seem to be designed to form to a hand either.

Again - beautiful knife but useless in a fight. I think it would hurt its investment value.
 
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