ruana knives

[gringo]

someone plopped one of these into my hand this weekend...
"so you like old knives huh?" and out comes this beautiful old knife...next weekend he says he will show me the big brother to this old knife.
no..they are not for sale...he was just being a tease.

http://www.treemanknives.com/tek9.asp?p ... =jqdomodqi

[1967redrider]

Nice vintage knife. He has a similar Ruana for sale for $545, a little steep for my blood.

[jerryd6818]

Several years back, the guy that owns the local cutlery store had a bucket full of those Ruanas and they were cheaper than dirt. If my memory isn't failing me, we're talking $30-$40 range. I didn't buy any because I was new to the game and didn't know anything about them and wasn't impressed with their appearance. Someone please kick me.

[1967redrider]

[Ramrod]

Several years back, the guy that owns the local cutlery store had a bucket full of those Ruanas and they were cheaper than dirt. If my memory isn't failing me, we're talking $30-$40 range. I didn't buy any because I was new to the game and didn't know anything about them and wasn't impressed with their appearance. Someone please kick me.

how bout beaten with a club.....
I doubt they were Ruanas though.
Mark

[jerryd6818]

Several years back, the guy that owns the local cutlery store had a bucket full of those Ruanas and they were cheaper than dirt. If my memory isn't failing me, we're talking $30-$40 range. I didn't buy any because I was new to the game and didn't know anything about them and wasn't impressed with their appearance. Someone please kick me.

how bout beaten with a club.....
I doubt they were Ruanas though.
Mark

You could be right. I wish that back then I had the knowledge y'all have and the memory my lady friend has.

[Jacknifeben]

"Lady friend" has a nice ring to it.

[jerryd6818]

I'm a little too old for a "girlfriend".

[galvanic1882]

Great knife, I just picked up my first Ruana the model is called a Smokejumper. I really like the feel of it!!!

[tongueriver]

I had a '60s "M" stamp Rudy Ruana big sticker and have handled a couple more. I have studied pictures of many of them. They go for $400 and WAY up if you count the bowies. They are blacksmith knives, really, handmade, one of the early customs when very few customs were being made. I hate to say it, but they were a little on the crude side. On the other hand, his son in law (or is it grandson in law) Vic Hangas has carried on the tradition, but his work is anything but crude. Really nice knives; I would take one of his any day. And in fact I have. His website could be of interest. ruanaknives.com

[tongueriver]

Here is one of the new generation Ruana knives by the Hangas boys. 8 inches overall. Elk stag handle inserts. Damascus steel is 1084/L6 by Gerome Weinand of Missoula, Montana. It is called the Sidekick. I could bone out a fly's wing with this.

[fct43montana]

I have a new book out on Ruana Knives, (The Hammer Still Rings) 296 pages and over 1700 photos, from 1938 to 2011.
Web page is (www.ruana.us) History of Ruana Knives.

I have been collecting Ruana Knives for over 56 years, this is the second book that I have published.

Frank C. Towsley

[Miller Bro's]

They are blacksmith knives, really, handmade, one of the early customs when very few customs were being made. I hate to say it, but they were a little on the crude side.

I found one recently, never used or sharpened, has the "M" stamp so I am guessing 1950`s or so.

The aluminum handle is finished nice and the elk horn is fitted well, however the blade finish is crude, lots of scratches left from the early stages of forming the blade and the blade on the face is not level, it is wavy.

So, I started grabbing what ever I had laying around and trying to cut it to see how sharp it was or if it would dull right away. It sliced through cardboard, paper, plastic, even some leather, then I wanted to see if it could still shave the hair off my forearm, no problem took it right off, this thing is scary sharp!

What it lacks in finish it more than makes up for in cutting ability

I think I have found a new brand of fixed blade knives to collect

[tongueriver]

Rudy Ruana (a second-generation Finn, btw) started out using Studebaker springs and used them for many years before changing. Here is a fairly early (little-knife-stamp) skinner that I really like. I don't use it; I have newer ones that I DO carry in the autumn.

[Miller Bro's]

Nice looking knife

I like the little knife stamp.


When did he switch to putting two pins in the handle?

[Miller Bro's]

The Ruana web site:

http://www.ruanaknives.com/companyhistory.aspx

The company history for posterity:

COMPANY HISTORY
Ruana Knives are still handcrafted in the small shop where Rudy Ruana began forging out blades 75 years ago and are American Made as much as a product possibly could be.

Having left the decimated family farm in North Dakota and looking for greener pastures, 1938 found Rudy Ruana in the small community of Bonner, Montana working as a mechanic and welder at a small garage. In order to help his family survive during the post depression era, Ruana began to make a few knives on the side—a skill that originated in the 1920’s when he was a farrier in the cavalry, making his first knives for a couple of Native Americans in need of a better tool for skinning horses. As time passed and the reputation of Ruana’s knives grew, demand became so great that Rudy began making knives full time in 1952, calling his business Ruana Knife Works. In 1964 Ruana’s son-in-law, Vic Hangas left a job with the phone company and put his artistic talents to work, joining Ruana in the business. Hangas’ son Mark began working at the company in 1976. At the end of 1983 Ruana retired at the age of 80 and sold the business to the Hangas family. In 1984 Mike Hangas joined his brother and Dad and the business was incorporated. Rudy Ruana passed away in April of 1986. He received the honor of being posthumously inducted into the American Bladesmith Society Hall of Fame in 1997 and BLADE Magazine’s Cutlery Hall of Fame in 2002. As of 2011, Vic, Mark and Mike Hangas have combined Ruana Knife making experience in excess of 100 years.

In an era of outsourcing and diminishing Made in America products, Ruana Knives are still handcrafted in the small shop where Rudy Ruana began forging out blades over 70 years ago. While a few things have changed over the years, we are still using the same methods and much of the same equipment Rudy used. Our goal is to give our best effort on a daily basis while maintaining Rudy Ruana’s work ethic and emphasis on uncompromising quality over quantity, proudly crafting knives that are American Made as much as a product possibly could be. We will continue our commitment to creating knives that are first and foremost usable and durable, and as evidenced by customer demand, increasingly collectible.

[tongueriver]

Here is some new production by the Hangas clan.

[tongueriver]

Another newer knife, in Damascus.

[tongueriver]

And some ironwood handles.

[Miller Bro's]

WoW! keep `em coming

[Miller Bro's]

This is the knife I previously posted about.

[tongueriver]

I found one recently, never used or sharpened, has the "M" stamp so I am guessing 1950`s or so.

from HEAR THE HAMMER, a book about Ruana knives, the "M" stamp was used 1962 to 1983.

[Miller Bro's]

Thanks, I will need to order that book for my library.

[Owd Wullie]

My late uncle had one. First time I saw it was in the late 60's. He was proud of it. It had been all over the world with him. In the late 50's and early 60's he was what are called "contractors" today. Back then he was simply a mercenary/soldier of fortune. It was only after his death and due to a freedom of information request that we found out that was actually working for the CIA.

He was proud of that knife. I thought it was the ugliest thing I'd seen and it reminded me of those Mexican knives that you used to see for sale at the tourist traps.

When my uncle got killed in '73 his youngest son ended up with the knife. By that time I was making knives and took a closer look at that old Ruana. I had a LOT more appreciation of that thing in the early 80's than I did in the late '60's.

My cousin had the knife in car and his car was broken into and some doper stole the knife.

Oh well.

[tongueriver]

My late uncle had one.

I had an uncle who was always late, too. . In my immediate circle of acquaintances, two of us left Ruana knives and one wedding band at gut piles (and this before our present Alzeimer situation ).