Ken Erickson Knives: A Retrospective

waynorth said:
A nice velcro case would suit this presentation grade hunter perfectly! This knife first went to Norway, so took a long journey to my ubiquitous yellow background.
What a beauty! I am ever so happy to be the new custodian of this knife!!
KensHunter1.jpg

KensHunter4.jpg

KensHunter5.jpg

KensHunter6.jpg

KensHunter9.jpg
Click to expand...

Those pictures went very good with my coffee this morning. Another cup it is......
 
DSC02388.jpg








Ken told me yesterday that the knife was finished and he asked me if I wanted him to post pictures in his thread or wait. I said sure, go ahead and post. Problem was later I could not bring myself to look at it as I wanted to wait until it was in hand. As Ken and I had had many email exchanges, phone calls, and WIP photos I already had a very good idea of how the finished knife would look so this morning I got over it and looked at the thread. Besides, the agony was killing me! Glad I looked, now I get to be amazed twice!

If you could have taken a picture of this knife in my mind when the project started it would have looked exactly as it does here. Working with Ken has been such a pleasure words cannot describe the satisfaction I feel with this build. If you ever get the chance to work with Ken on a special project you will not be disappointed.

Ken, from the bottom of my heart I appreciate the experience you afforded me. Oh yeah, the coined liners were a welcome surprise as well. A base I did not cover but I am sure glad you added that touch. Going out of your way to accommodate me on my 440V preference was also greatly appreciated.

Below is a copy of the letter I sent Ken with the antique Syracuse knife. I think you will agree that Ken nailed it!

By the way Roland, I like your suggestion for a name.



11/15/12

Ken

Enclosed is the knife pattern I am interested in having you build. I have always liked this little knife for some reason. If you read the link I sent in my email a couple of weeks ago you will notice even Bernard Levine was at a loss as to what the pattern was. My name for it is Veterinarians Sunday Go to Meeting Knife. I could imagine a vet carrying this on Sundays just so he could be prepared for the widow Johnson inviting him over after church for dinner and asking him to castrate her new cat while he was there. This spey blade would not be of much use on anything larger. Maybe one or two calves in a pinch but definitely not a whole days worth.

Ken I lead two lives basically. One in the country, a working cattle ranch, where I normally carry a big cattle knife and am quite comfortable doing so in jeans or overalls. The other life is in the city, khakis and loafers, where the cattle knife is just too big to carry around, for me anyway. You would be surprised how many people in the city give you a second look when they see a three or four blade 3 5/8” to 4” knife. You would think they thought you just pulled a gun.

This little knife seems just about perfect for business casual around town. I still get the feel of my cattle patterns without the bulk. It is better suited to my chores in town as well considering opening packages and picking my nails is about as hard of use as it will get. I do use a coping blade a lot as well.

Changes to the sample I am sending:

-Change spey blade to a coping. I like the angles on my coping blades to be sharp. I see a lot of coping blades where they have rounded the tip a bit and I don’t care for this.
-Different or maybe no shield (always a difficult choice for me as I place much importance on the shield)
-Different scales. Still undecided but leaning toward bone or ebony.
-Stainless blades, springs, liners etc.
-I am a bit picky about pen blades and I don’t like them too blunt.

Ken your thoughts and guidance are welcome and appreciated. Even with a couple of years to think about this project I still have not settled on a few aspects.

Feel free to disassemble this knife if that would be helpful.

I look forward to talking with you as this project moves along.

Regards,
Brad Rosenthal
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the kind comments! They are appreciated.

Brad was very enjoyable and easy to work with on this project. I have always felt some of my best knives have been the ones that are a collaboration between myself and client. However the most rewarding part is getting to know you folks on much more of a personal level.
 
Adding images here to maintain a record of Ken's work in this thread...

Pattern: Muskrat
Length: ~4" closed
Weight: 2 1/4 oz.
Thickness: .425"
Construction: Integral. Single Back Spring, Catch Bits
Covers: Yellow Micarta
Steel: CPM-D2 @ ~ 60 Rc

large.jpg


large.jpg


xlarge.jpg


xlarge.jpg


large.jpg


large.jpg


large.jpg


xlarge.jpg


xlarge.jpg


medium800.jpg
medium800.jpg


medium800.jpg
 
Brad, that is a beautiful well thought out design. The name "Improved Gentleman's Cattleman" seems, if unwieldy, at least very appropriate!
Nice work, Ken, turning a budget Camillus into a Class act!!
 
waynorth said:
Brad, that is a beautiful well thought out design. The name "Improved Gentleman's Cattleman" seems, if unwieldy, at least very appropriate!
Nice work, Ken, turning a budget Camillus into a Class act!!
Click to expand...

Thanks Charlie. It was a great pleasure to work with Ken on this project. Pride of ownership is running quite high with this one.
 
Here are a few knives that will be going to the Badger Knife Club show with me towards the end of March.

A big thanks again to John Lloyd for hooking me up with some great cover material. I have used the yellow Micarta on quite a few knives, the swayback is the first with more vintage Ivory looking linen Micarta. Has that warm color of aged ivory.

3 3/4 single blade jack built on a stock knife frame
3 5/8 single blade swayback jack
Both knives feature flat grinds and CPM 154

_DSC2760.jpg

_DSC2767.jpg

_DSC2766.jpg

_DSC2757.jpg

_DSC2763.jpg

_DSC2737.jpg
 
Here are a few knives that will be going to the Badger Knife Club show with me towards the end of March.
Click to expand...

Badgers? You don't need no steenkin' badgers...

Okay, that said, a couple of winners there, Ken. Nicely done. :thumbup:
 
Lookin' good Ken! Now if Janesville was somewhere a little closer to Central NY .... :thumbup:
 
Great pair Ken!! White Linen micarta looks like it belongs on fine knives like this.
 
Thanks for the comments guys! The white linen is much nicer in hand than I am able to capture with my camera.
John really has helped me out with some great cover material. Shell, Micarta and great box of stag.

Here is a group picture of what I have ready so far going to Janesville.
_DSC2770.jpg
 
That is an awesome group shot Ken.

I love both of those yellow handles, and that bartender is just a work of art!

ken erickson said:
Thanks for the comments guys! The white linen is much nicer in hand than I am able to capture with my camera.
John really has helped me out with some great cover material. Shell, Micarta and great box of stag.

Here is a group picture of what I have ready so far going to Janesville.
_DSC2770.jpg
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top