All About Pocket Knives

Dale and I were chatting about me not doing many fixed blade mods. I said that I had done some fixed blade stuff early on when I first started tinkering.

I thought it might be cool to share some of our early work, whether fixed or folder, to see how we've come along. I know I didn't pop out of the womb with mad skills, still learning everyday.


Here's some of the first stuff I did. These are pre-ground blanks, mostly from Jantz. The handles are dymondwood. All the guard and handle work is mine.


This was a knife that a member (who is now passed on) gave to me, I did a mod on. Not my best work, first try with a bifurcated tang. Regardless, it is a knife that has special meaning to me.

Here's an early Colonial that I did...


And a Camco I made for my dad at some point...

And I think these are my first 2 TL-29 mods...

Impressive Glenn!
There is some nice work there.

I will have to look for some pics of my early repairs & mods.
I had a few 'Epic Fails' in some of the early ones. You never know how an experiment in repairing or modifying a knife will come out until you are done.

Glenn, You do some awesome mods!

For some reason I kept the first three knives I ever made. I think I wanted them as a reminder of where I started. I have managed to aquire much better equipment than was used to make these knives. Makes it faster and easier but not necessarily better. That's up to the craftsman. I've learned a lot since then but realize there is more to learn than time to learn it in.

I numbered about the first 100 knives I made and than quit numbering them.

#1. Woodcraft style hunter with stag handle. Many of the knives I've made recall an old style knife.

#2. Double edge fighting knife with old KA-BAR bone handle. I got the shop at work bead blast it for me. I also realized that trying to make a symmetrical double edge knife was very much like making two knives.

#3. My first attempt at a folder. Large 5 1/2" cokebottle I patterned off of an old Continental knife that was wore out. Terrible nail nick. Cocobolo wood handles with inlaid and pinned shield. Most likely in the running for the ugliest folder I ever made but walks and talks like it should.

Also picture is #16 a weird little bird and trout with curly oak handle, ivory cap and water buffalo spacer. Sheath is also curly oak.

Wayne

Wow, your first knives look like my knives now, Wayne!

Great pieces, and thanks for sharing. Love that coke bottle!

This is my first and last one so far!

Great work guys

Looks like a very good start Dimitri! Awesome stag.

Thanks Wayne, I`m just dipping my toes in the water before I jump in the lake

Here are some knives I did in 2006 for Rich Langston (lt635ret).
I think I started repairing knives in 2005, so these were within about a year of when I started working on knives.
Rich sent me some rough blanks from the from the Schrade auction that needed a lot of hand sanding to get the steel smoothed out. They were a real education in themselves.

I hope my work is more refined today from these, not that they are bad, just that I think I could make them look better today.
Here is a 123OT I reworked about 2006 also. The stag came from the Henkel's factory on Germany after they closed, circa 1960.
I think my file work is better than it was then.

Good stuff, everyone!

I recall doing some folder kits back in the early days, but they weren't special enough to take pictures of, I guess. I think I gave those out as gifts to family that year.

Sorry, family...

The first customized knife I sold. I felt ashamed to ask $20 for it.............still do

I'm sure at $20 you were working cheap. Good to have a picture to put things in perspective.

Wayne

I still feel weird asking anything for my work. I don't think $20 is anything to be ashamed of. If they didn't like the work, they wouldn't have paid the $20, right?

I think a lot of us tend to undervalue our work. At least, I think I do. I guess I look at it this way...if I charged premium dollars for my work, I would expect that my customers would have every right to expect a near-perfect knife. I don't think I've ever made one of those, LOL.

glennbad wrote: I think a lot of us tend to undervalue our work. At least, I think I do. I guess I look at it this way...if I charged premium dollars for my work, I would expect that my customers would have every right to expect a near-perfect knife. I don't think I've ever made one of those, LOL.

I think we all undervalue our work Glenn. I have yet to make a perfect knife, but I keep trying.
I had a wonderful complement regarding the quality of my work at the OKCA show this year.
Charlie Campania came to my table and bought an 8OT I have modified with bone handles. He asked what I was asking for it, I replied $80.
Charlie looked at the knife and said I was undervaluing my work, I should be charging more for the quality of work I am putting out. Then he bought the knife.
It was one of the greatest complements I have received, especially considering how particular Charlie is about knives! He has impeccable taste in knives, IMHO.

orvet wrote:Charlie looked at the knife and said I was undervaluing my work, I should be charging more for the quality of work I am putting out. Then he bought the knife.

That there is braggin' material Mr Dale, even though I know it isn't your style.


Some great talent being shown here

Miller Bro`s wrote:This is my first and last one so far!

Great work guys

I remember this thread Dimitri.I had aspirations,they left like the dew,when the sun came up.I appreciate the work you all do,and I'm glad you do it.