Mystery knife: Trying to Identify the Maker

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Ardrinaheireann

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I've had this knife in my collection for a number of years that once numbered near 100 custom knives. I'd like to sell it but it is hard to price without knowing the original maker. There is no mark for the maker that I can find. It is rare that I forget a maker of a knife but I acquired this from a dealer/Jeweler around about 2005. He had crafted diamond tipped screws and a thumb stud for it after he acquired it as a demonstration of his skill at adding these diamond tipped screws to knives. They are hard to capture their craftsmanship in the photos. He told me who the maker was and I remember at the time it made sense and was a maker well known to me. But, I have since forgotten. I had thought it might be from Don Hanson III but while similar to a pattern he has made, it doesn't appear to be his. Any clue would be appreciated.

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my first thought is Stan Fujisaka
 
My guess would by Frank Niro, but only a guess. Have you used a loop to check inside. Some makers will include very small mark inside along spine.
 
Out of curiosity I looked it up. It appears you know exactly who made this knife. You posted it for sale as NIRO on EBAY last year. You even stated that "niro" is printed inside (as I suggested looking for)

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And just recently posted it again on ebay as Unknown maker, possibly Don Hanson. Your auction ends in 3 hours. Please do not try to scam people on BF. It's a nice knife but you are being dishonest here and moderators should take note.

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There is no dishonesty here. I posted a Niro on EBay last year, but not this knife. EBay removed it because it had mammoth scales. I still have that Niro and it is marked on the spine. I have offered the Niro for sale on this forum. This mystery knife had been and still is posted on EBay for sale with an unknown maker. I have never offered it for sale saying I know the maker. Feel free to scan any previous posts or links associated with this knife.
 
Well, you activated my curiosity. It is interesting if you do a image search for "Frank Niro knife diamond ebay" one of the images you will see is this knife. But, if you click on open the page when you see the image of this mystery knife you will see the eBay description for the Frank Niro Kestral with Mammoth Scales with nearly the identical description that is associated with the Niro knife I offered on this site. There is no image that is shown when the eBay page is opened. However, using that same search criteria you will also see the image of the Niro. If you click on the button to view the page you will see that both images show the identical eBay web page. That eBay description doesn't come close to matching the description I have posted here and elsewhere for this mystery knife, but does for the Niro I had offered. As I said, there is no dishonesty here.
 
On the off chance this piece was a Niro, I sent a query with photos to Frank last night. He indicated that early in his career he did make a handful of unsigned pieces. He researched his records and confirmed, while similar to a couple of his pieces, this was not one of his.

So the mystery continues. Again any suggestions to a maker would be appreciated.
 
blade looks to be Jim Ferguson twisted nickel Damascus if that helps
Dave
 
Not a Ferguson. I just finished going through 15 years of the annual Knives publication and the only thing I can find with a similar pattern is Don Hanson III, but he did say it wasn't his. The piece is an excellent work; you'd think it would be that difficult to figure the maker...
 
Answered my own question - here's from the eBay site:

Though there a few exceptions, most ivory products can't be offered on eBay because of various international trade restrictions and treaties banning the sale of these items. You can find additional information about ivory laws below.

Restricted
Antiques that contain 5 percent or less of real ivory and were made before the year 1900–for example:
Musical instruments with ivory keys, such as a flute, a piano, or a trumpet
Furniture with ivory inlay or ivory drawer handles, such as a cabinet, a hutch, or a desk
When selling these items:
Include a picture of the item in your listing
Specify the exact year the item was made and include the info in your listing description
Bone from non-ivory–producing animals (such as bison, buffalo, and oxen) as long as the species is clearly stated in the listing description
Cultured, man-made, or vegetable ivory as long as the listing description specifies what the item is made of

Not allowed
Bone from animals that produce ivory, including elephants, mammoths, walruses, and whales
Carved and uncarved ivory
Fossilized ivory
Manufactured items with more than 5 percent of actual ivory such as:
Canes
Chess pieces
Figurines
Jewelry
Scrimshaw
Raw ivory
 
HTMD said:
Answered my own question - here's from the eBay site:

Though there a few exceptions, most ivory products can't be offered on eBay because of various international trade restrictions and treaties banning the sale of these items. You can find additional information about ivory laws below.

Not allowed
Bone from animals that produce ivory, including . . . mammoths
Click to expand...

How idiotic.
 
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