How do you feel about Hunters?

Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones

Joined
Oct 28, 2006
Messages
13,363
I LOVE a good Hunting knife even thought I don't hunt like I used to. Just something about the feel in the hand of a great Hunter.

At times I have thought about collecting nothing but to allow me to concentrate on acquiring the finest examples by all the Great Hunter makers.

I value my ABS Hunters as much as I do my Bowies and Fighters.

I only bring this up as the result of some recent conversations I have had regarding Hunters as being entry level or "second class citizens" so to speak to larger knives, which came about by some's opinions that Hunter's prices are down (something else I don't agree with).


So, makers, collectors, how do you feel about Hunters? I hope that many don't share the opinion mentioned above.
 
I love hunters too, but the characterization of them being "second class citizens" while perhaps harshly stated, contains more than a kernel of truth - simply becsause there will always be more of them around than their larger bowie / fighter / camp knife bretheren.

Go to most "ABS" tables and if there are 6 knives there, 4 will be hunters and two will be b/f/c's. Sure, there are exceptions, but they define rather than detract from the rule. That doesn't make the hunters unworthy by any stretch - just more easily attainable and as a consequence, less sought-after in the secondary market than the b/f/c's.

My primary focus is on the larger knives - I generally purchase a hunter when it is part of a set - far less frequently as stand-alone knife. But that's just my focus and my preference. Within the context of the forged blade, hunters will always be the bread and butter. And there are good reasons for this. One is that vastly more people will actually USE this type of knife, versus a bowie or fighter. Another is simple economy of manufacture. I have all of two knives to my name as a maker - one a 5" hunter, the other a 10" bowie / camp knife thing. The big one was WAAAAAY more than twice the work of the small. I have heard it suggested by more than one maker that they can easily turn out 3-4 hunters in the time it takes to produce a comparable bowie - but they can't get 3-4 times the price for the big one.

Are prices down on ABS hunters? Can't say I have noticed, but then I don't generally actively seek out hunters on the secondary market.

Roger
 
I don't view them as "second class" - at all.
When I'm slotting and fitting a guard for a Hunter, truing up the symmetry of the handle on a Hunter, or hot-bluing the fittings on a Hunter, I haven't noticed these tasks one bit easier than if I was working on a Bowie or a Fighter.
I heard a quote from a Cutlery Hall of Fame-er who once said "We're in the business of selling knife handles"!
Bowie or a fighter might take a little longer to forge and finish out, but once you get to the guard and work back, the work's the same.
 
Karl,

I should have made it clear that I was speaking from a standpoint of collectibility. Take Fisk as an example. You want to find a Sendero on the secondary market? You probably can. You want to find an Arkansas or Roho camp knife? You'll be looking a LOT longer. Does that make the Sendero less of a knife or a "second class citizen" in absolute terms? No. It will be just as good as the Roho. But it will be easier to find and likely command less of a premium even within the context of a maker whose knives across the board carry a solid premium in the secondary market.

On the making side - does it take you the same amount of time to put a hand-rubbed satin finish on a blade 4" long and 1" wide as it does to do the same finish on a blade 10" long and 2" wide? It sure didn't for me - but as I said - I only have two knives to go by.

Roger
 
RogerP said:
Karl,

I should have made it clear that I was speaking from a standpoint of collectibility. Take Fisk as an example. You want to find a Sendero on the secondary market? You probably can. You want to find an Arkansas or Roho camp knife? You'll be looking a LOT longer. Does that make the Sendero less of a knife or a "second class citizen" in absolute terms? No. It will be just as good as the Roho. But it will be easier to find and likely command less of a premium even within the context of a maker whose knives across the board carry a solid premium in the secondary market.

On the making side - does it take you the same amount of time to put a hand-rubbed satin finish on a blade 4" long and 1" wide as it does to do the same finish on a blade 10" long and 2" wide? It sure didn't for me - but as I said - I only have two knives to go by.

Roger
Click to expand...

There is probably not as MUCH difference in time spent once you get good enough to avoid putting little divets in your larger blades.......I'm not there yet:eek::D Once I get the grinder "errors" squared away, it really doesn't take that much longer to hand sand a bowie. I have found that the extra time shows up in the forging, rough grinding and figuring out how to keep a 10"+ blade straight:grumpy:
 
I like hunters a lot, though I have also noticed that they attract far less interest from collectors than larger blades such as Bowies and fighters. But I've personally bought more of them because I find them to be easier to carry and more versatile as utility knives, and I actually find the blade and handle profiles on many hunters to be more appealing to me than those of larger knives.
 
Hunters for many people are seasonal. I know my sales reflect that.

However, the hunter, at least on the ABS side of the house is for most the entry level knife into forged blades.

Consequently, they sell very well...if priced correctly. Too many hunters don't sell because they are over priced for the makers position in the market.

I've sold 5 hunters in the last 48 hours...someone is buying them.

WWG
 
RogerP said:
Karl,

I should have made it clear that I was speaking from a standpoint of collectibility. Take Fisk as an example. You want to find a Sendero on the secondary market? You probably can. You want to find an Arkansas or Roho camp knife? You'll be looking a LOT longer. Does that make the Sendero less of a knife or a "second class citizen" in absolute terms? No. It will be just as good as the Roho. But it will be easier to find and likely command less of a premium even within the context of a maker whose knives across the board carry a solid premium in the secondary market.On the making side - does it take you the same amount of time to put a hand-rubbed satin finish on a blade 4" long and 1" wide as it does to do the same finish on a blade 10" long and 2" wide? It sure didn't for me - but as I said - I only have two knives to go by.

Roger
Click to expand...

Roger, you make a good example, except perhaps not the best example as to knife types in that most of Jerry's camp style knives are made as "field grade", without embellishments. On the other hand, Jerry is making quite a few highly embellished Senderos as of late and IMO this will be the norm going forward.
So generally speaking IMO, today's "typical" Senderos would bring a little more than today's "typical" camp style Fisk knives.

There's currently is a Sendero that would trade in the $5000+ range and perhaps one that I can think of that would trade in the $4000+ range.

Not trying to pick nits here, just to make the point that Jerry's "higher end" hunters are HOT and IMO any entry level Sendero in excellent condition under $1500 is an PRIMO investment. And there's a few available on the market right now.
I have turned down $2100 for a Gamemaster (below) that I paid $1400 for at the '05 Blade Show. That's nice appreciation in 2 years.

Two things we can expect from the NLT Gamemaster (below) @ the Micro Show;
1) Collectors will be ALL over it.
2) It will NOT be inexpensive.

FiskKnives001.jpg


1554792477_b6abd50f26_b.jpg
 
RogerP said:
Karl,............
On the making side - does it take you the same amount of time to put a hand-rubbed satin finish on a blade 4" long and 1" wide as it does to do the same finish on a blade 10" long and 2" wide? It sure didn't for me - but as I said - I only have two knives to go by.

Roger
Click to expand...

It most definitely takes longer to work out the longer blade.
Like I said, once you get to the guard, it's not a lot different.
Now watch everybody jump on me like a wounded minnow!
Of course, we can make knives as complicated as we want. But, for the most part, not-withstanding making the damnascus for blades, extreme file work, inlaying and embelishments, a handle is a handle.
I just spent the entire morning filing and fitting a Buckeye Burl handle on a 5 inch hunter. The other day I did a handle on a Bowie in about 45 minutes.
Of course, my response here has nothing to do with the points you and Kevin make about the collectability of the different forms, but the complexities are not all that different.
 
WoodWorkGhost said:
However, the hunter, at least on the ABS side of the house is for most the entry level knife into forged blades.

Consequently, they sell very well...if priced correctly. Too many hunters don't sell because they are over priced for the makers position in the market.


WWG
Click to expand...

1. If you plan on using it...a hunter is the way to go.

2. IF you plan on collecting it...the bigger knives are the way to go. Hunters is usually the first knife to be SOLD out of a collection, as well a the first to be purchased.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
WoodWorkGhost said:
However, the hunter, at least on the ABS side of the house is for most the entry level knife into forged blades.

Consequently, they sell very well...if priced correctly. Too many hunters don't sell because they are over priced for the makers position in the market.

I've sold 5 hunters in the last 48 hours...someone is buying them.

WWG
Click to expand...

unlike many of you i don't have the opportunity to visit the shows in the US. before i spend a lot of money for a knife of a maker i am unfamiliar with, i usually order a hunter. i did it that way with burt foster, kevin cashen, tai goo, russ andrews, matt lamey. i ordered/bought a smaller knife first, then ordered a bigger/more expensive one. no disappointments!

an hour ago i bought a very reasonable priced hunter by pete crowl from the well known les robertson. could be the first crowl, could be the last one, we'll see...

and then: i like hunters as they are the knives i can use, same with camp knives. bowies, well, i have two, never used one...

regards,
hans
 
commodorewheeler said:
Bill, that auction was ended early by the seller. The seller may have gotten an offer that he was happy with and was willing to end the auction early for, or he may have decided to just keep the knife.
Click to expand...

Sorry as I responded to Bill before I read your post.
But makes sense as I couldn't imagine why a dealer didn't jump on it at that price.
 
Kevin Jones said:
Roger, you make a good example, except perhaps not the best example as to knife types in that most of Jerry's camp style knives are made as "field grade", without embellishments. On the other hand, Jerry is making quite a few highly embellished Senderos as of late and IMO this will be the norm going forward.
So generally speaking IMO, today's "typical" Senderos would bring a little more than today's "typical" camp style Fisk knives.
Click to expand...

Comparing apples to apples, I think my example holds. A carbon steel wood handled Sendero will be much easier to find and command less of a premium than a carbon steel wood-handled Rojo. Same for fancy versus fancy. Here would be an NLT Rojo:

orig.jpg


Most of Jerry's Senderos (if you could look at all the knives of that style made collectively to date) are field grade as well. The fabulous example you have shown is a knife that would not even have existed 5 years ago - such lavish gold-inlayed engraving is a relatively recent addition to the Fisk repertoire. Jerry has been making Senderos for a loooong time.

Roger
 
That is a great looking Fisk much like the one that is the Persian style that will be available at the Micro show next weekend. I have always had a number of Hunters as they are just one area of the whole field of knives that I enjoy. In fact, I'm looking at another hunter that I just have to decide upon and maybe the collection of hunters will get an increase.

Meantime, here are a few from simple to more complex

Brett Bennett

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Bill Burke

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SR Johnson

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John White

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Ruffin Johnson

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Todd Begg

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Roger Bergh

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there are others but this gives an idea as to how far and wide the interest in and complixity and variety of hunters that one can have.
 
Kevin Jones said:
Roger, you make a good example, except perhaps not the best example as to knife types in that most of Jerry's camp style knives are made as "field grade", without embellishments. On the other hand, Jerry is making quite a few highly embellished Senderos as of late and IMO this will be the norm going forward.
So generally speaking IMO, today's "typical" Senderos would bring a little more than today's "typical" camp style Fisk knives.
Click to expand...
***********************

RogerP said:
Comparing apples to apples, I think my example holds. A carbon steel wood handled Sendero will be much easier to find and command less of a premium than a carbon steel wood-handled Rojo. Same for fancy versus fancy. Here would be an NLT Rojo:

Most of Jerry's Senderos (if you could look at all the knives of that style made collectively to date) are field grade as well. The fabulous example you have shown is a knife that would not even have existed 5 years ago - such lavish gold-inlayed engraving is a relatively recent addition to the Fisk repertoire. Jerry has been making Senderos for a loooong time.

Roger
Click to expand...

Roger, you totally missed my point as I was not addressing all knives of that style collectively to date. I specifically stated the comparison of today's typical Sendero (which is dressed) and today's typical Rojo (which is almost never dressed).

Jerry came out with the Sendero design about 16 years ago.
 
Very Nice Hunters Murray, You have a very well rounded collection. Many great examples of many different styles.

Here's a few of my favorites:

HancockIvoryHunter.jpg


orig-1.jpg


338046127_b2bb2a894d_b.jpg


SenderoNLTChuckWardPhoto.jpg
 
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