Score! Hidden local gem found today..

bender21

Basic Member
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Aug 15, 2014
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19
Wanted to show this beauty I found today. I live in the West Michigan area. Great place. So many excellent knife makers here. I grew up in Grand Haven, and currently live in Fruitport, a half mile from Scagels shop.

A local shop has a backroom filled with custom knives. I have found some great stuff in there. I asked to see this one, as it jumped out at me as being very handsome and said I would take it after handling it. I asked him to grab the sheath as well, and he said I bet! It's a Welling sheath. He asked for the knife and then noticed it was a Welling as well.

He said he had no idea that he had any left in the shop, and has gotten quite a few people in looking for them. I feel blessed.. I love this knife!


 
bender21: Thanks a nice folder. I've used the same one many times in the past.

Now for the bad news: It is NOT a handmade knife by 'Welling'. It is a discontinued kit knife from Knife Kits called the EVN-1. I"ve assembled and finished a few myself.

Here's a photo of another:

orig.jpg


I've always scorned anyone who placed their 'mark' on a kit knife, especially because of the long term ramifications. If you were lucky you paid less than $200.

I don't want to drag your gladness down, however I present a reality check in case you were misled.

What were the implications on this?

Coop
 
wow, I agree. Pretty lame to mark a kit knife.. I thought he was pretty well regarded for his scagel style knives.
I paid $175, so still not bad for a nice knife I can use, and a nice sheath ;)


 
wow, I agree. Pretty lame to mark a kit knife.. I thought he was pretty well regarded for his scagel style knives

He certainly is, as he is for his sheaths.
Perhaps you should contact him and ask about this knife.
He once made me a Bowie sheath, and I found him to be a very nice guy.
 
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I found the kits :'(
I see several types of wood scales available, including the one that is shown, but what material are these scales?
 
Those scales are coral. Beautiful and fragile. He went the extra and pinned them also.

When I was a moderator on the Knife Kits forum years ago, we'd have threads pages and pages long about this aspect. My personal allowance was to create a term called 'Handfinished'. 'Handfinished by Ron Welling' would be closer to reality and allows that there IS clean and precise handwork which is done.

Without this qualifier, the default mark infers 'Handmade' and that's just not the case.

I would be interested in his take. Note: I have never had the experience of a maker who signed their kit knives being anything less than defensive upon questioning, to put it mildly.

I'd like to be proven wrong.

Jim
 
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