Ken Erickson: Muskrat

Very nice Elliott. It was ironic that you posted this knife, because for some weird reason, all day at work yesterday, I kept thinking of knives with yellow Westinghouse micarta :eek:

I like the trio concept, and also like the fact you used yeller scales on them. I know we have covered this in the past, but when I see a yellow scaled knife, it takes me back to my youth.

As always Kens work is incredible. I like the way the blades spines follow the same contour, when the knife is closed :thumbup:

It's gonna be a great Christmas at the Blues Ranch
 
Holly Smokes Elliot that is a beauty!!

I never thought I would like a Muskrat but that one has defintely changed my perception.

Thanks for sharing the pics.


KG
 
Elliot, ...Oh to be a fly on the wall when your collection comes out!

Those three Yellows are mind blowing, that Improved Muskrat is stunning, the Stockman and the Lockback are just superb as well, great thought by two great knife thinking minds, to Ken - it must be a great feeling to be where you are at this moment of time, to be able to produce something so magnificent...... well all I can say is you are the envy of a huge group of people-as Elliot is owning your/his beautiful knives.
Thank you so much for showing us, Elliot, a group shot one day?

edit, Elliot I just saw your comment again on whether you could have dressed these up more by using Stag etc..... I dont think I have ever read anything you have said that I could disagree with, until now ( in a nice way:) ) , you have other absolute top notch knives in that beautiful material...and Im sure thats not my usual exaggeration, with the yellow scales these have a look of Quality - all of their own- apart from my massive love of HJ'S and Easy Openers, I think you have the perfect knives there!
 
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Congratulations, Ken and Elliot, y'all have succeeded in shaking to the foundations my dislike of wharncliff blades. This muskrat is truly extraordinary.
 
Ken & Elliott,
You guys have a new partnership goin' on! Fabulous results from great old styles, beautifully crafted.
Love them all, I can't seem to get enough, I need help and I am sure my wife would whole heartedly agree!
Jeff
 
Mr. Blues, Ken made an excellent knife for you. That "spikey" wharncliffe is amazing. Do you do any knifeworking yourself?
 
shrapne1 said:
Mr. Blues, Ken made an excellent knife for you. That "spikey" wharncliffe is amazing. Do you do any knifeworking yourself?
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Last knife I produced was made from a Popsicle stick and ground on a concrete sidewalk. I can't swear to the hardness of the blade but the edge and tip weren't too bad. :p
 
Another beauty :) Love the look of the handles and the elegant slender blades. Absolutely great work as always, and beautifully photographed too of course. No getting up too early on Christmas day Elliott, otherwise you might disturb Santa! :D
 
Blues said:
Last knife I produced was made from a Popsicle stick and ground on a concrete sidewalk. I can't swear to the hardness of the blade but the edge and tip weren't too bad. :p
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Hey man you know what, it sounds silly when you compare it to kens, but like you, i made one from those paint stirrers you get from home depot and like you, i was darn proud of it lol
 
I love how the blade shapes mirror each other when closed. The muskrat is a favorite of mine and this is an exceptional example. Way to go Elliott and Ken.
 
So the muskrat love is out of the closet now it seems... Interesting for me as it was never particularly a favorite pattern of mine until I had a Case/Bose version for a while.

After I let it go I decided that some day I'd have something in that vein again down the road...Glad I thought to bring up the subject with Ken as he hadn't built an improved miuskrat until now.
 
So the muskrat love is out of the closet now it seems
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OMG. Please, NO one post a youtube. The mere reminder of that song is bad enough.
 
I really can not get over the quality of work that Ken is putting out. Excellent knife Elliott, its lucky to have such a great home. Looking forward to seeing the group shot of your yeller's :thumbup:
 
knarfeng said:
OMG. Please, NO one post a youtube. The mere reminder of that song is bad enough.
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Whew. I'd consider maybe even putting that sentiment in good ol' red(!).

I'll bet I'm fixin' to get Told what specifically "Improved Muskrat" means by even bringing this up, but from my vantage point every pattern Ken's attempted so far warrants an "improved" in front of its name, once he's completed the project/pattern in question.

~ P.
 
pertinux said:
I'll bet I'm fixin' to get Told what specifically "Improved Muskrat" means by even bringing this up, but from my vantage point every pattern Ken's attempted so far warrants an "improved" in front of its name, once he's completed the project/pattern in question.

~ P.
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Ah grasshopper...a standard muskrat has two identical slender clip blades. The idea being that when skinning small fur bearing mammals that when one blade dulls, there is another at the ready.

The "improved" muskrat removes the redundancy and replaces it with a wharncliffe which is not only fun to say (like some English aristocracy, don't you know) but is actually pretty useful too. (Allegedly)

Luckily, it's not yet time for you to leave. ;)
 
Blues said:
Ah grasshopper...a standard muskrat has two identical slender clip blades. The idea being that when skinning small fur bearing mammals that when one blade dulls, there is another at the ready.

The "improved" muskrat removes the redundancy and replaces it with a wharncliffe which is not only fun to say (like some English aristocracy, don't you know) but is actually pretty useful too. (Allegedly)

Luckily, it's not yet time for you to leave. ;)
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Snort!

Thanks for the explanation, which I trust you know I actually anticipated (though from which knowledgeable source, I could not foresee-- there are so many :thumbup:), and appreciate.

~ P.
 
pertinux said:
I'll bet I'm fixin' to get Told what specifically "Improved Muskrat" means by even bringing this up, but from my vantage point every pattern Ken's attempted so far warrants an "improved" in front of its name, once he's completed the project/pattern in question.
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I don't mean to contradict Elliot or Ken, but I asked this once, and never got an answer.

www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/846896-quot-Improved-quot-Muskrat-What-s-the-improvement

The only thing I could conclude, and it's a vague conclusion at best, is that any differentiation from a single-spring, 2 clip blade muskrat can be called an "improved" muskrat. At least, as far as the companies that labled them such are concerned, because I could find examples of every other configuration of muskrat (number of springs, blade combos) that were called "improved".

As far as "Hawbaker", Stanley Hawbaker was a trapper that wrote many books on the subject, and pioneered the clip/wharncliffe blade configuration of the muskrat.
 
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