All About Pocket Knives

Hi Joe, I started collecting these after my grandfather gave me one of the original pearl 1906 Tuna Valley knives. It made for a perfect centerpiece to focus the collection around. You are correct, all my Tuna are collectible/display pieces, I don't use them.

The blades have a mostly uniform grind, maybe a few weren't perfect. Typical to fashion from Queen, the blades don't come razor sharp from the factory.

Most of my knives I acquired are 2nd hand, or bought at shows. In both cases you can pick up a knife for quite a bit less than full dealer price. I've spoken to Ryan and Courtney Daniels on many occasions (and bought knives from them), and they introduced me to some of the dealers, so I can also buy from dealer sites with a discount price occasionally.

I love the mammoth ivory, and all the Tuna knives I've seen have premium ivory. So much character and each knife has perfectly matched handles. And there is a lot of variety from knife to knife, so lots of different colors to choose from (white, brown, red, blue, green). Part of the reason that the mammoth handled knives are more money isn't just the ivory, but also the ivory is fluted on the ends, and then the bolsters are each hand engraved by Oiseau Metal Arts, so that adds to the cost, and they are also limited to only 25 pieces. At knife shows, you can often find an ivory Tuna Valley knife in the $350-$400 range, but even still, you are correct that most won't pay that much for a factory made knife. I've never found a flaw with any of the ivory handled knives, and I would say they are higher quality than factory made, but not quite up to custom made quality. But I like them, I'm blessed to be able to buy them when I wish, so I keep buying them.

Here is a newer one that I just recently got pictures of. The carpenter whittler in ivory.

Thank you Rookie. Your reply really helps me understand these knives.
Did T.V. use elephant ivory on any of it's knives before the ban went into effect ?
kj

All Tuna knives use mammoth ivory only.

I liked these pics I got today walking in the woods with my camera and a newly acquired Tuna knife. 2012 Cotton King with Ebony Wood handles.

Another fine Tuna Valley knife & well photographed as well.
Rookie you sure are putting on a great knife show here. I like the Burnt Stag & Mammoth ones best but so far i don't have one to post.
kj

Thanks Joe! Here are a few new ones I took today.

Wow ! More spectacular knives. Is this 2 knives or 4 knives ?
These Tuna Valley knives you have would make a stunning display if all shown together like on a display board/cabinet.
kj

Those are just 2 knives, I posted 2 shots of each one. They are the 2012 lockback in amber stag, with spear point blade (made by Queen Cutlery). And the 2010 4-blade cigar congress in jigged redbone (made by Great Eastern).

That is actually my long term goal, if I ever get "man cave" built in my house, I'm going to create a nice wooden/glass display with black velvet liner, and soft light inside. That's probably a 10 year goal at this point though.

Time for a photo update. Here are a few new shots from during the past few weekends while I'm out walking in the woods behind the house.

Another couple I took today, of the 2012 version of the cigar stockman with brazillian cherry.

Thanks Rookie. You are showing us the best Tuna Valley Picture Show anywhere online i do believe.
kj

Thanks Joe! I like walking in the woods, I like Tuna Valley knives, and I like taking photos of them. So I would probably be doing this even if nobody was watching. haha

Amazing knives and pics!! Thanks for posting!!

Thanks Scott, much appreciated.

Some new ones to show.

Can you give me a few details on the black handled "Stabber Jack". I am pretty sure i need one.
kj

Sure KJ, here is what I know about it.

They were released on April 18, 2012, in a limited 50 piece run. The Certificate of Authenticity lists it as "Ebony Wood Lockback pattern". They were made by Queen Cutlery, with the Tuna Valley tang stamp. Original dealer selling price was $120. They are 4 1/2 inches long closed. Blade is made of ATS-34 steel. It has Nickel Silver pins, liners, and bolsters.

They also made 50 more in burnt stag handles in the Swing Guard pattern instead of the lockback. But the handle size/shape and blade/tang are all identical. I've yet to find one of those for sale that wasn't modified, or missing the tube/coa. The hunt still continues for that one.

Thanks Rook, 4 1/2" is the same as the GEC # 23. Does this T.V. have a flush & square joint ?
kj

Fantastic pics of some beautiful knives Rookie, thanks for sharing them . I too like walking in the woods and taking pics of knives, so I can relate! Just curious, when you are woods walking with your TV knives, do you carry them in a special bag or pouch so they don't get all scuffed up? If I am taking multiples into the woods for pics I will sometimes use a fold over style shotgun shell holder with individual velcro sleeves for each shell (or knife).......other times I just load up my pockets and go!
...always have to be sure to do a little inventory count after pics though so no knife gets left behind....one time I took a bunch of pics of an old wooden Robeson jack atop a big rock off the trail, got about a mile down the path and realized I left the knife perched atop the rock! Hustled all the way back and it was still there thankfully. I was worried some greedy squirrel was going to snatch it up and scurry up a tree with it. That rock is now named "Robeson Rock" in my mind, and I think of it every time I hike past it.

Another question if you don't mind... I read that you don't carry any of your Tuna knives....what do you edc? It must be something nice I bet, since you have such fine taste in cutlery.....

Joe, yes the lockback when fully opened is flush. Here is a pic I found of it open, this isn't my photo, just one I had found online a few years ago.


Mike, if I'm taking more than 1 knife in the woods, I usually take a small backpack with me, with the camera, tripod, knives, and a clean cotton cloth to wipe off fingerprints. All the Tuna knives come with a black velvet sleeve, so I keep them in those until they are ready for a photo, and then afterwards they go right back in. I have knives that are users, for in the tackle box or in my hunting pack, but the TV knives are for a display collection only.

I'm a little different than most. I researched for a long time to find my ideal carry knife, and it rides in my pocket every day. I don't have a knife rotation like most, I just have this one and it will be my only one until it fails me or I find something I like better. It is a 2012 S&M sowbelly in stag. This photo was from the day I bought it. It has been sharpened and dropped a few times since then, and the stag isn't as vibrant a color, and the bolsters and blades have some surface scratches on them. But I still like it.

Rookie, "flush & square joint" refers to the blade tang being flush with the bolster ends in both the half stop and closed positions. Here are pics showing such a joint in a GEC # 23 pattern knife.
Does the T.V. 'Stabber Jack' have this type of joint construction ?
kj

I see. No, it definitely doesn't have a flush& square joint then. It has a continuous round 1/2 circle. There is no 1/2 stop.

Thanks.
kj

I was out today after lunch and took some photos of the 2015 muskrat in amber stag. These 2 turned out nicely.

Man! That's a Real Beauty!