Rick Lowe - The Leather Bending Magician

willic

willic

Joined
May 13, 2013
Messages
2,221
Good morning everyone in Fiddlebackland...

I just wanted to share an awesome experience I had yesterday.

I was in Western North Carolina yesterday morning and decided to make a small detour and visit the fabled Rick Lowe. Rick lives way up a hill in the most intense green mountainous area. As I pulled onto his road, I could see Rick waiting outside his shop door, high above. What a view! I hope that everyone who lives in that part of the country realizes how beautiful of a home they have! Rick and I talk a good bit. I have a lot of sharp objects an Rick is always coming up with cool, original and artistic ways to sheathe them. Rick always seems happy and ready to take on a challenge; now I can understand part of his smile... anyone would smile with the view of the Smoky Mountains that Rick has!

Anyway... The vase majority of Rick's business is making specialty gun slings. His shop was lined with leather in different steps of the process in making these slings. I believe yesterday he was making different colors, but all for the Henry lever actions. His leather work is meticulous, precise. The leather he uses is thin, dense and strong with a beautiful surface, what a difference from the fat, floppy leather I normally see! I was in the shop of a master artisan! Rick knows I came to talk knives, so we moved over to his knife sheathing table. He had several of your Fiddlebacks being fitted with custom pants! I thought is was cool, Rick uses an older Fiddleback Karda and a newly acquired W.A. Surls Palmer in his everyday work! By the way, Allan, that Palmer is breathtaking!!!! We spent quite a bit discussing metals and the benefits of what is available on the knife market today. Rick is not only passionate about leather, but he has quite a kydex set up and is an accomplished knife maker! I even brought a damascus and blackwood nessmuk for him to see; a knife he made me a long time ago. The real challenge I brought was a pair of vintage Busse's, an Infi Steel Heart II and a Battle Mistress 1/300 to be fitted with Rick Lowe leather.

Anyway, I just wanted to give a shout out to Rick Lowe! If you guys ever have a vision of knife leather, give this guy a buzz! Rick Lowe is a leather bender extraordinaire! Simple, fancy or complex... Rick is the man!

Enjoy your view, Rick and thanks for the hospitality!

-Will
 
His kindness and generosity toward myself and my son, as well as his remarkable craftsmanship, have served to really draw us into this wonderful community. I'm thrilled to see this thread, in part because he's a humble man, and in part because I'm quite grateful to him.
 
Agreed, Rick is great to deal with and I will add a couple of pics of some of my sheaths from Rick.



 
I'm hoping for another run of his leather-wrapped kydex for the production Hiking Buddy. That might actually make me give fixed blade EDC a try.
 
Thanks for the pictures and adding to this thread, guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need to add some pics, myself! I have always leaned toward simple, no tool work on my leather, but recently I ordered one with a fully tooled side.... WOW! Even Rick's tooling shows his attention to detail!

-Will
 
Will, it was a most excellent afternoon! Hard to beat sitting around talking knives, knife making, guns and leather. Now that you know how the road runs, should make a return trip easier.

I'm a lucky and blessed man. I'm able to work at something I enjoy, and get paid for it, while meeting and interacting with some of the finest people ever. It's for this that I want to have my shop open to anyone and be able to pass on knowledge that was given to me and made my journey easier. If you're in this area, try to find time to stop by. I'll never turn down the chance to quit working.
 
Great thread Will! Rick does fantastic work in all of his various pieces. I've had multiple sheaths made by Rick as well as slings. I am currently getting info to him for a lever gun ammo cuff. Above all Rick is a class guy.

This thread wouldn't be complete without some rifle sling pics:

A Rick Lowe sling on my 1892 El Dorado
20160110_152240_zpswdvrvv1c.jpg


Henry Big Boy .44 mag
20160306_125544_zpsnkb9cd83.jpg


20160306_125557_zpsccjea4ku.jpg
 
Thanks a lot MajorD for making me spend more money this week LOL … Love the sling been looking for a while to pick one up for my Windchester Model 94. I haven't really seen to many good one out there with good leather but I do now. Thanks
 
Yeah RLo is pretty OK. We just don't get together as much as we'd like.
Nice pics guys, he does quality work no doubt.

Did Max lick you to death Will? That's one big dog.

Unless things change this year Rick will probably be at my table J-5 at the Blade Show in June. Make sure you come by for a visit. Pretty much within spitting distance of Andy, Allen, Dylan, Phil and the rest of the Fiddleback guys.
 
crazyfingers said:
Thanks a lot MajorD for making me spend more money this week LOL … Love the sling been looking for a while to pick one up for my Windchester Model 94. I haven't really seen to many good one out there with good leather but I do now. Thanks
Click to expand...

More often than not it's everyone else's pics here that causes me to explain another knife to my wife. It's nice to be the enabler for a change. I don't feel bad. :D

I'd be happy to send you some additional close ups of both if you are interested. Just let me know. The 1892 has a standard sling. I asked Rick to include a cartridge bandolier for the Henry.
 
crex said:
Yeah RLo is pretty OK. We just don't get together as much as we'd like.
Nice pics guys, he does quality work no doubt.

Did Max lick you to death Will? That's one big dog.

Unless things change this year Rick will probably be at my table J-5 at the Blade Show in June. Make sure you come by for a visit. Pretty much within spitting distance of Andy, Allen, Dylan, Phil and the rest of the Fiddleback guys.
Click to expand...

Carl, Max DID lick me to death! He's a big dog, but, man he's a sweet dog!
 
This thread wouldn't be complete without some rifle sling pics:

A Rick Lowe sling on my 1892 El Dorado
20160110_152240_zpswdvrvv1c.jpg


This is a top 10 photo for me on this forum. Love all your lever guns shown here.
 
I love the way Rick's leather shows the profile of the knife... so often a knife is hidden within leather, but not Rick's! The Sneaky Pete sheath accentuates this better than any!
 
I think it was our mutual mentor and adopted Dad, Sandy Morrissey, that said "If you are not going to compliment the knife with your leather work, you might as well use cardboard."
(Of course I left out all his colorful adgetives/expletives)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top