Winchester Knife Cartridge Series Abalone

[lenny357]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Winchester-Knife-Ca ... .m20.l1116

Are these knives TRUE Abalone or that LVS material like GEC uses??????

Also who made these knives Queen??? maybe ???

Thank you to all that contribute to my pursuit in total knife knowledge

[tmwsiy]

I believe they are made by Queen... I was always under the impression that the cartridge series Winchesters had real abalone but
I know that they used the celluloid/faux abalone on the lower end models though...

[Hukk]

LVS is laminated abalone which is TRUE abalone shell. The quality of shell has decreased over the years and no new abalone has been commercially harvested off California since 1997 and I think that will be permanent. A lot of shells are full of pin hloes, now more so than in the past, perhaps an organism was released from the bilge of a ship from...............?

Anyway, Cullpepper bought some of the last remaining shell stock from the seafood processors and more than likely that is it for the Red abalone and the Green abalone. A little will come from Mexico. Paua abalone are small so they need to be laminated. The Paua abalone has a commercial season but I think that will tank due to poaching.

[lenny357]

wow Im learning more info....so this LVS stuff could it de-gas like a cel knife ?

heres something I found http://www.s-denterprises.com/bluegrass ... alone.html


Ow the entire set will be at my door in about 2 weeks minus the box. The place I picked it up at split up the collection and wanted $160 for the box.

[Hukk]

wow Im learning more info....so this LVS stuff could it de-gas like a cel knife ?

No, it is real shell, painstakingly cut and put together, many times I can pick out the seams. I've handled so much abalone in my life that I can easily pick it out. There is an adhesive that they use but I have never seen it outgas. 2000, more than likely they are laminated, but very few would be able to spot it.

http://www.knifehandles.com Go to that site (Culpepper) and click on the Mosaic Abalone. All of that is laminated shellfish. I have a 5-1/2 x 9-1/2 Paua Select sheet and a Green Select sheet, though I bought them from Masecraft for a lower price. I bought them 2 years ago and price has changed - Radically.

[lenny357]

Wow .....thats why these knives and...GEC's and the Tony Bose CASE's are so much $$$$$. I might hold on to these, you think they will be good investment pieces? My wife sure like them THAT Paua Select is great looking stuff.

[Hukk]

IMO, the value of abalone handled knives will go UP. Because the resource is not being replenished at the same rate of harvest in the wild and farm raised abalone are not big enough to have all the colors when they are harvested.

California supplied everyone until 1997 and IMO, there will never be another commercial fishery in California. As for the Paua, (New Zealand) 70% to 80% depending on the source, is either poached abalone or undersized. Only 20% (approximately) is legally taken. Obviously at some time that fishery will have to close also.

Tasmania - Australia, Tasmania suplies 25% of the worlds abalone, mainly to China. These are the Blacklip Abalone and Greenlip Abalone. Sport harvest allows 10 per day. No Surprise, that fishery is in danger too!

Many species are not suitable for knives (out of about 130 species). One which would look nice is the pinto abalone off Brittish Columbia, Alaska, and the San Juan Islands. But the shell is way to thin. They have a few all the way down to California, I found one about 80 ft deep off Fort Bragg. Man, that is deep for cold water. No Scuba gear is allowed in California - Free dive only. It's breath hold, kinda like snokeling - only DEEP!

[lenny357]

Thanks for the replys and Hukk awsome know how, who, what whenn...lol Thank you!

Been abalone diving since I was 12 - so that's 40 years , can't help but learn a thing or two!