The Mark of the Maker on his Knife

golok

golok

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Oct 20, 2000
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For some time now, I have been thinking whether most knife makers leave a tell-tale sign of his handiwork on the knives he makes.

I am not referring to the laser imprint of his name or logo on the blame. I am referring to the way he shapes the handle or the angle he grinds the blade.

I believe every maker leaves some trace of his personality in every knife that leaves his workshop, regardless of the design or size of the knife.

For example, a collector picks up a blade at a knife show and straight away recognises from the shape and grind that the particular piece was most probably made by so-and-so.

How far is this true?
 
This is a common characteristic of the work of all well known knife makers. Successful makers develop a recognizable look or style. Knives that display this quality are said to have a 'face'. I think this is a very important thing for knife makers to develop, although I am not sure if it happens accidentally, or on purpose. A Loveless style knife is immediately recognizable. So is a Pease, a Carson, a Herman, a Warenski, a Scagel, a Fowler, a Winkler, and so on.

When I go to a show and look at purveyors collections of knives it is seldom necessary to see the makers mark to confirm to makers identity. New makers will not become successful long-time makers unless their work develops a 'face'. The influence of a new makers teacher is often evident in his work, but unless he develops his own recognizable style, he will probably not become a commercial success.

Para
 
Developing that distinctive "look" takes years. Distinctive models are easy but that commonality that ties all the models together is hard to achieve. Some makers try to achieve it by making the same style in a dozen different sizes, others just have a design element that appears somewhere in all of their work that becomes that elusive "look" without being immediately obvious. These people are destined to be remembered.

A Wolfegang Loerchner piece is never repeated but there is a certain flair in the design that screams Wolfe. A Walker folder may look like a dozen others but the way that the elements are tied together in the design it is recognizable.

Only the sucessful makers seem to achieve it or is it that once the maker is successful the market gets to see enough of that maker's work to recognize the "look". Sound like another question..what comes first the bottle or the beer?
 
It's probably the highest personal tribute to a maker to have people be able to recognize their work at a distance. It gets better once you look closer for most of them, too. At least it ought to.:)

First off is the style element, next is the execution. The maker's who get better and better, are always the one's who, upon handling or close inspection, we think "WOW! this is really well done!". The style of the piece may not have gripped us first, but the quality sure does. (I don't OWN one, but Geno Denning comes to mind mentioning this)

I think there are such subleties in shape that takes some makers years to acquire, some may get it immediately, and some, well......

Shape and design are crucial to me. I have very little opportunity to actually USE knives:(, so there HAS to be another lure. There is. And with so many makers producing unique 'signature' knives, I'm rarely disappointed.

Just like you folks, I'm really aquiring a sense of 'who's-who' by just looking. There are area's that I'm not as familiar with (Tactical, Asian-inspired), but I'm seeing differences.

Coop (who will be stopping by Wolfe's table next week. Just to admire!;))
 
I admire the makers that can develope a signature look or style of knife that has what Para described as "Face". The first maker whose work I fell in love with was Ed Fowler, (talk about having Face is there any more distinctive style than Ed's?) But, you also have to admire the makers that take a style like Ed's and develope their own look to it. Of course Bill Burke comes to mind when looking at the Fowler style, but Bill takes it even further and makes it unique and special in his own right. When he combines it with the Scagel style you get something really special.

I've never seen a Loveless knife that I didn't like, and is there any more imitated style? Still you can look at the work of Loveless style makers that have their own signature look to their work. I don't consider myself to be a sophisticated buyer, but even I can see the difference between a Herron or Steve Johnson style Loveless knife and a Loveless. As well as their protege, ie Velarde, Doggett, Denning, Branton etc.

Knife makers are Artists, none live in a vacuum, all get inspiration from what came before. The Masters will add their personal touch to their own work. The lucky ones will have first hand input and the blessing of their mentors and take what came before and build on it.
 
Para's right, this is a great thread!
(moving to Custom Forum for more exposure)

Thanks for the tip Para.
 
This is a common phenomenon in knives, guns, or anything that involves a great deal of individual craftsmanship.

I remember several years ago, years after I'd left the Marine Corps...

I was at the home of a Reserve Marine competition shooter. He brought out his new (to him) match rifle to show me.

Now bear in mind, all these rifles are M-14s, they're all built with exactly the same parts, and assembled in exactly the same way, and the stocks are all camo painted in the same scheme.

Yet somehow, from across the room, I identified the Match Armorer who built the rifle. Before I was within 10 feet of the rifle, I told the shooter the name of the guy who'd built the rifle. He had to check the Weapon Record Book, but sure enough I was right.

He was impressed, but the truth is, the more you know the guns (or knives), and the more you know the Makers and their individual style, the easier and more common this kind of thing is.

It's a certain indefinable "something" that doesn't exist in the world of Mass Production. It is perhaps, a small amount of the Artist's soul showing through in his work.

It's a beautiful thing.


Great post Golok!
 
A maker came to my shop some time ago. He first showed me a number of knives that looked like what you would see in any catalog. They were nice, but nothing origonal. He had made knives like he saw in the market place. Later he showed my his first knife, it was magnificient. All his thoughts on design were his and they would be very popular should he go back to his first knife for inspiration for all that follow.

I still have my first knife, or prototype if you will, made out of wood. I was around 7 years old. The guard is upside down and there are a few other mistakes but I can see the knives I make now in that knife. I even signed the knife with my initials. In all actuality, I am still trying to make that knife.

I have seen the case where two knifemakers living many miles apart and not knowing each other have come up with designs very similar. Their knives were born and nurtured by the use they made their knives for. The reason for the knife dictated the design so well that they could talk for hours as to why and what for with complete understanding.
 
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned DDR, I received one of his knives today (very pleased BTW) and think that it would be difficult to mistake his work for anothers...even without the small rectangle.

Steve-O
 
Originally posted by Steve-O
.even without the small rectangle.
Click to expand...

Small rectangle?
Do you mean his Logo? ;)
6464997.jpg
 
Two maker's knives that really stick out at a show would be Ed Fowler and Walter Brend. I have been searching for a Fowler but never can find one for sale. I was at a local knife show a few months ago and I saw what appeared to be a Fowler. I told my friend Dexter Ewing that it sure did look like a Fowler and he said it was. I asked the man how much and he said it wasn't for sale. That sure was a purty knife :) You can spot those from a mile away. When you see a Brend in person, you will be able to spot them from that day on. The grinds on those are just amazing. I'm sure I know other makers that add a personality to their knives but thats all that came to mind.
michael
 
Many years ago I went to my first custom knife show. It was held at the Rustic Pine Bar in Dubois Wyomnig. I took one of my best knives, then D-2 ground from a planer blade with spacers from horse bone,a third phalanx, cornual bone from under a sheep's horn and brass guard.
I saw some very famous knife makers there. I waited to talk to one of them and finally got my turn. I looked at his knives and showed him mine. I asked him what he thought, he said it is a piece of Shi-. I felt pretty beat, decided to leave figuring I wasn't cut out to be a knife amker.

Then I noticed Bill Moran in the back of the room, by himself with some of his knives. I walked back and introduced my self and looked at his knives. He immediately greeted me in the most cordial manner, asked if I made the knife on my belt? I said yes but it isn't very good. He asked several times to look at it. I was embarased to show it to him after my initial rebuff. Naturally I showed it to him and he immediately praised it, spoke of everything that was good about it and invited me to come to their next school and he would love to teach me. He did not say one thing bad about the knife, but somehow conveyed the improvement that could be acompoloished, including the potential of the forged blade. I wonder where I would have gone in the world of knives without those encouraging words at exactly the right time. Bill and Margaret Moran absolute Icons in the world of knives.

When we make something different we will face many who don't like what we make. It takes a lot of commitment and belief in what you wish to make to stick with it.

I see a lot of praise on blade forms for knives pictured, this encouragement is essential to future knife makers. Thanks
 
Ed, that story reminds me so much of my first knife show when I had the nerve to show you my copy of a wooden Prong horn. I made that wooden copy from pictures I had seen, but I knew after handling your knives it wasn't even close. Still, all you did was to tell me what I had done right and that I should get a forge and start making real knives, and I promise you I will some day. I hold you and Angie in the same high regard that you hold Bill & Margaret Moran. Thanks for your kindness then and now.

BTW, the other knives I made at the same time I made that wooden Prong horn were, a Randall #12 Smithsonian Bowie, Cold Steel Desperado, Crawford/Kasper Fighting Folder and a Ricky Fowler Model #146 Hunter. Five knives all distinctive in style and shape.
 
Hello Phil: Thanks for the extreme compliment.

In looking back I well remember seeing and holding that knife. I was in awe that you could come so close, not only in capturing my knife in wood, but your unique blend of what you saw and what you felt about the knife. I recognized immediately your talent. I feel that I errored when I suggested you made 'real knives' out of steel. Should you chose to develop them, you have truly unique talents with your knives of wood. Why not work with them, see where they lead you and just maybe you will one day bring your visions of knives of wood and more to a show that will stand unequaled. Wood naturally has properties that Damascus has tried to equal for 100's of years. Every knife maker has scraps of wood that could very easily find no finer place than in Knives By Phil
 
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