Old Knives, New Photos

jjtjr

jjtjr

Joined
Dec 28, 2001
Messages
1,394
These are a couple of knives that I have had for awhile, but I never had great photos of them. Jim Cooper has solved that problem.

This first knife is a Don Fogg MS folder. It is the fourth folder that Don made out of five or so, it is fairly rare. It has a 4 3/4" Damascus blade with Damascus bolsters. The handle is Oosic and it has filework.

CoopFogglarge.jpg


This is a 6 1/2" double edged Loveless Riverside Fighter. It has contoured Macassar Ebony scales and nickel silver trim. I believe that it was made around 1978.

CoopLovelesslarge.jpg


Thanks, Coop for some great photos.

Jim Treacy
 
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Great knives, great pics.

That Fogg in particular is really something!

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Jim, always nice to see the old ones getting new images. And really nice seeing an older Loveless fighter now and then!

Best,

Bob
 
Jim specializes in incredibly rare and historical pieces. I shot some Moran's for him in the past, as well as JD Smith and a Fisk NLT.

I commented to him that the Fogg would normally be an unremarkable folder from the 90's, but that it IS a Don Fogg, MS piece, and only one of five, makes it compellingly beautiful.

The Loveless' handle was SOOOO inviting. I held it and twisted it and envisioned how STeven has remarked how intentional Bob makes the handle. This one has even softer curves than his latest work, and that swell was so pronounced, I needed to show this.

Jim, thanks for giving all of us a peek into the Annals of Knife History. This was gratifying. :)

Coop
 
SharpByCoop said:
I commented to him that the Fogg would normally be an unremarkable folder from the 90's, but that it IS a Don Fogg, MS piece, and only one of five, makes it compellingly beautiful.

Coop
Click to expand...

That is seeing with just your camera eyes, Jim.;)

In the '90's the vast majority of makers were moving towards screwed-together linerlocks. Nothing wrong with this, actually prefer it, as the knife is 99% of the time smoother, adjustable and "cleaner". Clearly, this knife then, or even now was made by a 'smith and a good/great one.

Large blade, immensely interesting damascus. The oosic, which I frequently disdain, is chosen/worked with minimal porosity/pithiness...the dovetailed bolsters are of course, a mark of a better maker. The nitre blued bolsters of damascus are a key element of something "fancy" happening, as is the use of copper pins. The filework is clearly inspired by Jim Schmidt. The overall package is a clean, organic knife made by a technically superior craftsman AND an artist.

IF I saw NO name on the knife, I would attribute it to one of perhaps 10 makers-Hugh Bartrug, Howard Clark, Don Fogg, Wayne Goddard, Darryl Meier, Jerry Rados, J.D. Smith, Jim Schmidt, and Tim Zowada, and I would have been on the fence about Wayne Valachovic, for that matter maybe Wayne Goddard too, but maybe not. Regardless, if the price was less than $1,000, I would have purchased it(name unknown), and spent as much time as it took to find out who made it.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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Thanks guys.

STeven,

Re:
IF I saw NO name on the knife, I would attribute it to one of perhaps 10 makers-Hugh Bartrug, Howard Clark, Don Fogg, Wayne Goddard, Darryl Meier, Jerry Rados, J.D. Smith, Jim Schmidt, and Tim Zowada, and I would have been on the fence about Wayne Valachovic, for that matter maybe Wayne Goddard too, but maybe not. Regardless, if the price was less than $1,000, I would have purchased it(name unknown), and spent as much time as it took to find out who made it.
Click to expand...

There is no name on the knife, but a liner is marked D. Fogg #4, which makes it pretty easy to know who made the knife. I agree that many of the makers that you mentioned have a somewhat similar style which I like. That's why I have folders from Hugh Bartrug, JD Smith, Wayne Valachove and Don Fogg and wish that I had folders from some of the others.

Jim
 
jjtjr said:
STeven,

There is no name on the knife, but a liner is marked D. Fogg #4, which makes it pretty easy to know who made the knife. I agree that many of the makers that you mentioned have a somewhat similar style which I like. That's why I have folders from Hugh Bartrug, JD Smith, Wayne Valachove and Don Fogg and wish that I had folders from some of the others.

Jim
Click to expand...

Jim,

Some knives have maker's marks that are very hard to find, like you have to take the knife apart to see it, which I never understood.

However, I was talking about if the knife had NO marks whatsoever...and yeah, most of those makers are of the New England school of knifemaking, so I can see how you might like that.;):D

I do too, wish I owned this one by Howard Clark:


Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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Jim, Thanks for giving us a peek at these rare birds ! :cool:
Coop, As Always. :thumbup:

Doug
 
Great knives and pics. I thought I was seeing a bit more palm swell than I am used to seeing on that Loveless - very nice indeed.

Roger
 
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