Challenge cutlery co.
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Pile Driver
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- Location: North Shore MA
Re: Challenge cutlery co.
Great knives posted here, I only have one and hope I find more along the way.
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JAMESC41001
- Posts: 929
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Re: Challenge cutlery co.
That’s a great hunter. What is the handle material?
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Pile Driver
- Posts: 350
- Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 5:18 pm
- Location: North Shore MA
Re: Challenge cutlery co.
Its a nice ebonyJAMESC41001 wrote:That’s a great hunter. What is the handle material?
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LongBlade
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Re: Challenge cutlery co.
Nice old Hunter PD 
... Blade looks to be in really good shape... Based on photo with some light on the wood handle it looks like cocobolo to me given the brown hue ... maybe it’s just the light 
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... Blade looks to be in really good shape... Based on photo with some light on the wood handle it looks like cocobolo to me given the brown hue ... maybe it’s just the light ...____________________________________________________________________________
Lee
Lee
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Pile Driver
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Re: Challenge cutlery co.
Looks red and black to me, why I think it's ebony. I can get better pictures tonight maybe, admittedly those are terrible pictures just what I have from the day I bought it.LongBlade wrote:Nice old Hunter PD
Edit: here is another picture of it with some of my other knives
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LongBlade
- Posts: 3416
- Joined: Mon May 18, 2015 3:00 pm
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Re: Challenge cutlery co.
PD - Given the new photo and your description I believe it is cocobolo for sure 
... Ebony is a dense black wood (sometimes very dark brown but almost black) - in those days the ebony supply was plentiful and most companies used an African variety if I am not mistaken. Colobolo is more reddish brown with black streaks - though rosewood can also be very close the black streaks in the grain are more obvious. I have seen multiple knives from Challenge use cocobolo and it looks very much like yours... of many of the old companies I have even seen rosewood on some of the Challenge handles... Just my opinion... 
... Ebony is a dense black wood (sometimes very dark brown but almost black) - in those days the ebony supply was plentiful and most companies used an African variety if I am not mistaken. Colobolo is more reddish brown with black streaks - though rosewood can also be very close the black streaks in the grain are more obvious. I have seen multiple knives from Challenge use cocobolo and it looks very much like yours... of many of the old companies I have even seen rosewood on some of the Challenge handles... Just my opinion... ____________________________________________________________________________
Lee
Lee
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JAMESC41001
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Re: Challenge cutlery co.
Looks like cocobola maybe. Thanks for a peek in the draw. Now I have to ask. What’s the pearl??
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Pile Driver
- Posts: 350
- Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 5:18 pm
- Location: North Shore MA
Re: Challenge cutlery co.
Thanks for the education, I always thought ebony had a few different varieties. I like the traditional dark black for sure but the red is pretty cool in my opinion.
The pearl is a nice Hibbard Spencer Bartlett survivor with the original leather slip with gilded button snap.
The pearl is a nice Hibbard Spencer Bartlett survivor with the original leather slip with gilded button snap.
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JAMESC41001
- Posts: 929
- Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2012 8:14 pm
Re: Challenge cutlery co.
Well, glad I asked those are sweet. The long pull on the Keen Kutter is very cool, as is the pearl on the HSB. Like Lee mentioned there are different types of ebony actually I think the real dark stuff is in the core and the lighter streaks get more prevalent toward the outside. Ebony is my Favorite for collecting and making knives. Although it is a mess to sand. Not pretty. Finishing ebony is an art unto itself. It has natural oils in it.