Tom Maringer WIP Masterpiece

That is a really impressive piece in all respects. Very much enjoyed the pictorial.

Roger
 
VERY cool stuff. The shoulder rig is REALLY nice. Also, I never knew where the whole kydex process originated.

Thanks,
Peter
 
Thanks Dudley for showing off this new one, and I'm glad that you other folks are liking these new pieces. Dudley told me about this thread and I finally found my way here!

As many of you know, I took about 12 years off from knifemaking and did some other things... went back to school, got my master's degree, did some teaching, some exploration geology, and some cartography, and wrote a novel. I had a lot of time to think about knives without actually making them, and I found that my taste in what I like narrowed considerably. My old Vorpal knives (1982 to 1995) now seem rather inelegantly chunky to me, like there's too much metal there. I had worked out this toggle-tang construction method for making swords with wire-wrapped handles, and had made a couple of subhilts using that method. Those designs kept pinging around in my head, so when I started making knives again those were the ones I wanted to focus on trying to develop.

This new subhilt is the first "crossover" from the fancier display type knives to a practical field knife, furnished with a shoulder-rig and Vorpal style strong-side sheath instead of a fancier display scabbard. It may look "fancy" but every bit of metal is doing a job. The wire-wrapping is literally squeezing the bamboo handle core with hundreds of pounds of gripping force constantly, allowing it to be as light as possible. The toggle lets the blade be thin while keeping the tang as wide as possible through the transition from blade to handle. The knife weighs just 9.3 oz... much lighter than it looks. With a bead blasted finish this knife would be a premier field-grade practical fighting knife. The prospective owner agreed we'd leave it polished for now, and leave the option to bead-blast later.

So this is represents the sort of knife I hope to bring to some shows this year, an evolutionary development bringing together the Vorpal carry concept with the wire-wrapped sword style into a highly practical and versatile field tool, capable of being field stripped and cleaned by the owner like a fine firearm. I'm already signed up for the Guild show, and the AG Russel knife "event"... still waiting to hear about the BLADE show. I'm on a waiting list.

Tom Maringer, knifemaker
 
I had a chance to peek at one of your 'new' knives Tom, and I'd like to say that details and craftsmanship are more amazing up close.

Have a great show year, Craig
 
I had the opportunity to handle (and see dissembled and reassembled) one of Mr. Maringer's knives last night and it was amazing. I don't think I have ever been as impressed with a knife!

Allen
 
tmaring said:
..... With a bead blasted finish this knife would be a premier field-grade practical fighting knife. The prospective owner agreed we'd leave it polished for now, and leave the option to bead-blast later.
Click to expand...

Mr. Maringer....not sure if I missed what the steel was on this one, but assuming that it is D2 as many of your other pieces were...beadblasting is a bad option, in my experience.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Tom,
It's good to see you making knives again. You may not remember, but we talked at length at the A. G. Russel Event. The knife is an inspiration. :thumbup: Lin
 
Tom, I am very glad to see your knives coming out again. It was a pleasure to meet you at the A.G. Russell event and I look forward to seeing you again. I agree with Lin, inspirational work.
Brion
 
Kohai999 said:
Mr. Maringer....not sure if I missed what the steel was on this one, but assuming that it is D2 as many of your other pieces were...beadblasting is a bad option, in my experience.
Best Regards,
STeven Garsson
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments guys! Yes we decided to leave that one polished and perhaps will make a velvet lined wooden scabbard for it one of these days. Instead of bead blasting I've been using a large tumbler with fine abrasive media to "stonewash" some D-2 blades. It makes a much brighter matte finish than the bead-blasting, but still masks the micro-scratches that a Kydex sheath can leave.

By the way... I finally heard back and I will be at the BLADE show in Atlanta, end of May. I'll be in the Guild section. This will be my first show in something like 15 years! Should be interesting!

Tom Maringer
 
Now why couldn't you have been there last year when I had both money and was at the show?? Everything happens when I'm not around lol.
 
That's a beauty!

Thanks for the water skiing pic, that's fun :thumbup:
 
Murray White said:
Now why couldn't you have been there last year when I had both money and was at the show?? Everything happens when I'm not around lol.
Click to expand...

I applied for a table last year... was told they were sold out. Finally got in this year. Sorry Murray!
 
I was just reading thru the June Issue of Blade mag. and saw the article
"Pursuit of Lightness"...
Tom,that pic of you cutting the bamboo just blew my mind!
Had I not seen it,I wouldn't have thought a knife that size,that light,was capable of that kind of cutting.
I recall seeing another article in the April issue,showing your Best Fighter award winner (an awe inspiring take-down!).
Sir,you have captured the essence of the Samurai in your blades.
I have a deep and abiding love for the Eastern blades,and never found a modern (Japanese influenced) knife that just felt...sublimely Perfect.
Until now,that is.
 
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