bernard_levine
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2000
- Messages
- 16,473
In my view, what sets Moran and Loveless apart from other knifemakers of their generation is the influence they had and have on other knifemakers, especially on makers who are completely unaware of that influence.
Even more influential than either of them, of course, was Bo Randall. It is true that Randall's first designs, as well as his business model, were inspired by Scagel, but I submit that Scagel would be as forgotten today as is his contemporary Giles Wetherill (who coined the term "custom knife") if it were not for the influence of Bo Randall.
The only maker of the following generation who has had this kind of influence on other knifemakers (not on the public, which has never heard of Loveless or Moran or Scagel, and mostly not of Randall, either) is Michael Walker. The comments in some posts above about his contribution grotesquely understate what he actually did. Look at a Watson 1906 patent locking liner (on a TL-29, for example), then look at ANY LinerLock, but especially any of Mike's from the 1980s, when he was still the first and only guy making this mechanism that he invented. If you can't tell the difference... be careful you don't cut yourself, because you don't know knives. Most makers (and most factories) making LinerLocks now, a) make the geometry wrong, and b) have no idea that Mike invented it.
As to makers with this kind of influence on other knifemakers today, I am not aware of any. Ron Lake has influenced many folder makers, but most don't get his main lesson, which is about standards of workmanship. Butch Vallotton has inspired quite a few other makers to push the envelope on autos.
In a different way, Gil Hibben has inspired many knifemakers to boost their incomes by licensing designs or mechanisms to manufacturers. The only maker to do this more successfully than Gil is Ken Onion, but Gil started doing this more than 35 years ago (first with Browning, then later with United), long before Ken made his first knife.
BRL...
Even more influential than either of them, of course, was Bo Randall. It is true that Randall's first designs, as well as his business model, were inspired by Scagel, but I submit that Scagel would be as forgotten today as is his contemporary Giles Wetherill (who coined the term "custom knife") if it were not for the influence of Bo Randall.
The only maker of the following generation who has had this kind of influence on other knifemakers (not on the public, which has never heard of Loveless or Moran or Scagel, and mostly not of Randall, either) is Michael Walker. The comments in some posts above about his contribution grotesquely understate what he actually did. Look at a Watson 1906 patent locking liner (on a TL-29, for example), then look at ANY LinerLock, but especially any of Mike's from the 1980s, when he was still the first and only guy making this mechanism that he invented. If you can't tell the difference... be careful you don't cut yourself, because you don't know knives. Most makers (and most factories) making LinerLocks now, a) make the geometry wrong, and b) have no idea that Mike invented it.
As to makers with this kind of influence on other knifemakers today, I am not aware of any. Ron Lake has influenced many folder makers, but most don't get his main lesson, which is about standards of workmanship. Butch Vallotton has inspired quite a few other makers to push the envelope on autos.
In a different way, Gil Hibben has inspired many knifemakers to boost their incomes by licensing designs or mechanisms to manufacturers. The only maker to do this more successfully than Gil is Ken Onion, but Gil started doing this more than 35 years ago (first with Browning, then later with United), long before Ken made his first knife.
BRL...
