John Cooper knives

[mikeS]

I read about the knifemaker John Cooper, maker of the Iron Mistress. He was granted a patent for handle contruction. Anybody know how he did it?

 

[magnum .44]

what do you mean, for handle construction?

 

[mikeS]

He holds a patent on stck tang constuction, his method id supposed to never come apart. The article stated it involved welding, brazing and epoxy. I was curious as to the method he used. Is it different than what most makers use?

 

[magnum .44]

oh, well i use full tangs. never heard of him.

 

[primos]

Magnum .44,

The legacy of John Nelson Cooper goes back a few years. He made hunters, utilities, fighters, Bowies, diving knives, throwing knives, movie knives, etc. -- and he made lots of them.

There were lots of guys in the Special Forces and in law enforcement carrying his knives. They were carried by soldiers in World War II, the Korean War, and in Viet Nam. One really popular blade he did was called the Iron Mistress. I believe that John was also one of the founding members of The Knifemakers Guild.

Mr. Cooper died in 1987.


Terry Primos
http://www.shreve.net/~primos

 

[tom mayo]

his patented method was for the way he brazed on the guards...BEFORE h/t...really nice...big clean radius....the guy who works for-cant remember..the guy who started out selling sharpening stones in arkansas and now sells all kinds of knives- hopefully you know who that is...anyhow...his number one man is an expert on John Nelson Cooper... a true knifemaking Legend. check out the website....the sharpening stone guy. whatever his name is...

 

[mikeS]

Tom, are you talking about A.G.Russell?

 

[Stan Wilson]

Go here U.S Patent# and details http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?&pn=US03595104__&s_bsum=1#bsum

------------------
Failures are only Failures if we Fail to learn from them.

 

[mikeS]

Rebos, thankyou that cleared up my question and also gave me some new ideas, I appreciate it.

 

[KenOnion]

Tom,
Your refering to none other than Paul Basch.He knows more about John Nelson Cooper than anyone. He even wrote a book about him.

But it is me who has his (John Nelson Cooper's) Grinding vest ,Autographed and dated.
Lucky bastard huh!
Aloha!!! Ken Onion

 

[tom mayo]

yea....a g russel and paul basch....cant remember nothing...its the govts fault for sending me to southeast asia in the 60s..

------------------
http://www.mayoknives.com




[This message has been edited by tom mayo (edited 06-27-2000).]

 

[magnum .44]

wow! that list of knives that he's made is pretty impressive.

 

[Bobby Branton]

Ken,
I have one of Johns personal throwing knives that he and George Cooper used to throw behind his shop. I also have a special throwing knife that was part of a set that was made for The world famous Knife Thrower Skeeter Vaughn.
Skeeter never picked it up so John gave it to Dan Dennehy who gave it to me.
I was eyeballing that vest but could not raise the cash at that time.

Bobby Branton

------------------
AKTI member #1000
President South Carolina Association of Knifemakers
President American Knife Throwers Alliance

http://www.brantonknives.com

[This message has been edited by Knifeslinger (edited 06-27-2000).]

 

[mikeS]

Ken, Could you desribe the vest, was it functional? That is did it serve as a tool? Was it simply fashion? Something he was comfortable wearing. Does anyone know the name of the book by Paul Bausch? It is fasinating to me that this man made such fine knives, without a belt grinder. Today anyone wanting to make knives is stopped by the inability to afford this expensive piece of equipment. A bench grinder was what John used in his carerr, and used it welll. I would like to know more about him if anyone knows?