Paul Fox - Collector appreciation

[HTMD]

I think this is a wonderful thing to do and I salute the collector who made it happen.

Many of us were helped along in the beginning by a special maker, maybe even the first maker we met. Knowing almost nothing and with endless basic questions, these makers still treated us with tolerance and respect. This was true for me. It was RD Nolen who really lead me into the custom knife world.

Recently a collector asked me to photograph a knife made by the maker who served such a role in his development - Paul Fox. The collector wanted to honor Paul who, like everyone before him, has gotten older and watched all the new younger makers take their turn in the spotlight. And the collector wanted to try and bring some further recognition to him late in his career.

To do this is a great thing, a worthy effort that I am pleased to be a part of. It's important. Because, as I've learned... "appreciation and recognition - babies cry for it, grown men die for it."

 

[obedriverleather]

I had the great privilege to meet and work with Paul in his shop in 1991, the lessons i learned from Paul i was able to apply not only to metal finishing and fabrication but to everything else in my life, one of the smartest and most innovative people i have ever met. definitely one of the Great ones.

 

[HTMD]

Great to hear that about Paul. Innovative seems like a good descriptor. I understand that he enjoyed employing different locking mechanisms than those in common use. In the knife above, the back bar see-saws on a pivot per usual but in the open/locked position the back bar is kept in place by a spring which you can actually see if you look carefully into the middle detail shot. I didn't use the knife, obviously, so I can't comment on possible accidental releases. However, I loved the smooth and easy action of depressing the back bar and releasing the blade. This is helpful for one who has some arthritis in their thumb(s). Less efforts is required and that effort is linear. This may sound like something of little consequence (until you get older) but remember, one of our arguments for keeping one-hand opening/closing knives legal is that they are generally easier to operate for those with some loss of hand function.

 

[Jos]

APpreciation is very much in order here... that's a beautiful folder!

kind regards,

Jos

 

[obedriverleather]

If you like the mechanism on that knife you should look up Pauls battery powered motor driven knife, the blade was opened and closed by pressing 2 buttons, they were way ahead of what anyone else was doing. I enjoyed working more on his fantasy knives than the folders though, in the late 80's and early 90's it was very common to see Pauls work in any Knife magazine, and i believe his work would stand up as well today along side todays knifemakers