Ivory, Gold, Engraving, and Scrimshaw. A fancy dagger!

T

the possum

Joined
Jul 31, 2002
Messages
2,954
Didn't know how many of you saw my post in the general forum, so I thought I'd share just the pictures here.

Overview:
attachment.php


Detail of the scrim on back- you really need a magnifying glass to appreciate it.
attachment.php


One including the blade:
attachment.php


Look how thick the stock is.
attachment.php


There is a chance that someday this may become my hunting knife. If you'd like to hear the interesting story about this, I discussed it in this thread on the general forum.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RWS
It looks like a nice knife, someting right out of Franklin Mint, but to be quite honest with you if you ever showed up at our campsite wearin' this "hunting" knife the guys would start to giggle! :D






Just kidding with you. :D
 
RWS-
Yeah, I can understand what you mean with the Franklin Mint reference.

But, since I'm guessing you were being serious about the giggles in deer camp, I take it you didn't read the explanation on my other thread. ? No hard feelings or anything; just wanted to make sure you knew there's a special reason I said that.

Furthermore, this is my current hunting knife.
attachment.php


Before you giggle, would you like to hear the explanation about this one? :D
 
Possum, I was totally messing with you for fun.

First lesson in knife collecting is to collect what you like, not what other idiots, like me, likes. :D

With that Bowie you're on the right track, IMO. ;)
 
I believe the maker's name was Paul Meyers. A gun engraver named Sanchez (I think his first name was Jose?) did the engraving on the gold.

RWS-
No worries. I knew you were just joking around, and did a little in return. But again, I am not buying this, or trying to 'add it to my collection'. It's something totally different. ;)
 
I have to say that I'm not a real fan of huge chunks of gold on a knife. Small amounts of gold inlay or gold-accented engraving is one thing, but heavy gold fittings seem a bit over the top to me. I appreciate that this is supposed to be an extremely ornate dagger, but it would hardly be less so with tastefully engraved steel fittings.

It would also likely bring the price of the knife down somewhere within reason (was the $17k for the whole knife, or for the scrimshaw alone - I wasn't clear on that). Say I had a bowie on order from, say, Ron Newton, with steel fittings and steel throat and tip sheath. Then let's say I had pockets so deep the rubbed against my ankles, so I tell Ron to go ahead and render all the fittings in gold. I will easily have quadrupled the cost of the knife, but will it be 4 times better?

That said, it is a matter of personal taste and certainly the best thing about custom knives is that you get to have it your way.

Your friend sounds like an interesting character. There's no way on earth I'd be waiting 18 years for scrimshaw work unless Michaelangelo himself came back from the dead to do it.

Cheers,

Roger
 
RogerP said:
I have to say that I'm not a real fan of huge chunks of gold on a knife. Small amounts of gold inlay or gold-accented engraving is one thing, but heavy gold fittings seem a bit over the top to me. I appreciate that this is supposed to be an extremely ornate dagger, but it would hardly be less so with tastefully engraved steel fittings.
Click to expand...

To tell the truth, this knife isn't quite my "style", either. But I didn't commision it. My friend really loves gold and ivory, and this whole deal is about him far more than the knife.

I think the color of higher karat gold really compliments white ivory. So I have no problem with it as a material, but agree that function must come first. (so, ya gotta be carefull the fittings don't get too heavy.) I made a little Bowie knife out of solid gold for this same friend, with ivory handles and gold escutcheons. Also made him a mini Arkansas toothpick with gold fittings, & fluted ivory handle. I also made a mini bowie with gold fittings, but this one had white mother of pearl handles, which follows the same color scheme.

I'm pretty sure that figure was for the whole knife. I personally think he'd have a hard time selling it for that, though.

By the way, keep in mind this knife was made in the mid or late 1980's, and trends have changed since then.
 
Hey, Possum. When ya gonna make me one of those big uns? :)

I got the chance to see and hold that big ole coffin handled bowie, and it's quite nice.
 
Danbo, that avatar is damned distracting! It's bad enough I can't concentrate on work, but now I can't concentrate on knives!

Roger

PS - Yes, that big honkin' bowie is way cool.
 
Thanks for the compliments, fellas.

Dan, I must agree your new avatar is rather... ummm... distracting. :D

Danbo said:
Hey, Possum. When ya gonna make me one of those big uns?
Click to expand...

Big un? I thought you wanted a little fella with only a 13"-14" blade. ??? :D :D
In all seriousness, I'm not to the point where I'm comfortable enough with the design to sell. My primary grind thickness experiment on this one was a flop- it represented some flawed thinking. And I'd like to try some of the more shock resistant steels (would love to try Crucible L6, but I don't forge. Maybe S7 or CPM 3V?) to see if I can get better edge durability than this one. That, and I've been thinking about taking a slightly different direction on my big knives...
 
That is truly a beauty :eek:

In regards to your friend's wishes that you stick something with it, I would say follow his wishes as thoroughly as possible while doing the least amount of damage possible to the dagger. Perhaps as a finisher on a kill.
 
RogerP said:
Danbo, that avatar is damned distracting! It's bad enough I can't concentrate on work, but now I can't concentrate on knives!

Roger

PS - Yes, that big honkin' bowie is way cool.
Click to expand...
:D Not bad Danbo



possum makes teency tiny bowies and HUGE A$$ bowies, very cool man :D
 
That Bowie blade shape is really nice with the very subtle "S" curve on its edge and that big clip.
 
Wow. Thanks again for the compliments, guys. I post a picture of a dagger worth five figures, and my plain jane "beater" Bowie gets more praise.

I used my bowie quite a bit last night, to clear some smaller trees and brush from an old place we shoot at. I used that sharpened false edge quite a bit. I've seen a lot of bowies with just a slight swedge on the clip, but don't see the point in doing the job halfway. I make my swedges wide enough that they actually remove enough metal to improve the balance, and make a functional but sturdy cutting edge.
 
the possum said:
Wow. Thanks again for the compliments, guys. I post a picture of a dagger worth five figures, and my plain jane "beater" Bowie gets more praise.
Click to expand...


That's because, your plain jane "beater" bowie is awesome. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top