2/1/2008
I hope this newsletter finds all readers doing well. February 2nd is Mary and my wedding anniversary. Yes, Groundhog Day. She selected this date so that I would not forget our anniversary date (02/02/2002 at 2pm). We have seen a lot happen in the six years that we have been together. We built a new house, three of our children got married, six Grandchildren have been born and I opened my business full time. It’s hard to believe that we have seen so much transpire in such a short time. I was talking to a friend (Jim Bevan) last week about all of the things that have taken place in our lives. He summed it all up with a statement of eloquent reality. “It isn’t the age, it’s the mileage”.
I finally finished the collaboration knife that I made with Jean-Paul Thevenot. It is currently at PointSeven Studios being photographed. I will post pictures of it in the Knife Gallery when I get them from PointSeven. The fittings that I made for this knife were a real challenge for me to complete. I knew when I designed the fittings that I would be pushing my skills, but wow, I had no idea how tough I had made it for myself. The handle material is ebony that has antique ivory panels inletted into the palm areas. I checkered the ivory panels with thirty lines to the inch checkering. The guard is a “D” style. I sculpted a scallop shell on the top of the guard that projects over the riccasso of the blade. The bottom of the “D” guard is sculpted into two interlocking scrolls. I mirror polished the “D” guard and hot caustic blued it, so it is a deep gloss black. The ferrule between the guard and handle, and also the butt cap, are mild steel that I niter blued to a blue/purple color.
I just finished a custom order integral knife with buffalo horn handle scales. This knife is pictured in the Knife Gallery. At this time, I am working on another custom order for a full tang version of my Santa Fe Trail model. This knife will have Desert Ironwood burl handle scales. I also want/need to make a couple more knives to take to the Arkansas Knifemaker’s Show.
I have been turning away gun work for the last month, so I can focus on making knives. I had tentatively planned to quit doing general gun repair at the end of 2008. However, the volume of knife work that I have waiting has led me to back away from the gun repairs already. I have been completing the repairs on guns that are already in the shop as I have time and I am almost finished with them. I will be very selective about any gun repairs that I agree to do in the coming months. I am adding a number of knife shows to my schedule and need time to make knives for the shows, as well as fill custom orders.
Speaking of shows………. The ones that I am looking to add are the Sprit of Steel Show, the Chicago Custom Knife Show and the Blade Show West. At this time, the Sprit of Steel Show is the scheduled for the same weekend as the Chicago show. I have heard that the SOS Show date may change, but that may cause it to interfere with the Blade Show West. So, I don’t know where I will be at this time. I will post all of the shows on my show schedule, but will have to change the information when I hear from the show promoters.
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