All About Pocket Knives

Hi Guys,

Kelley (Gunsmoke) was kind enough to direct me here (hey, I'm from Arkansas - we're kinda slow).

A little background about me ( isn't very exciting). Been fooling with knives for over 50 years. Made my 1st knife when I was 5 - Momma promptly took it away from me.

Have bought, sold, traded, worked on, built knives since I was either 9 or 10 years old. Have cussed and discussed cutlery with some of the real knife experts in the world - the men who made them, the men who sold them, and mostly, the men who USED them.

Got out of the hobby a few years back, because of my "day job", but I'm old and retired now, I'm working on a new shop at the moment. Construction is slow, cause of my physical limitations, but I hope to be grinding somewhere around the 1st of October. Initially, I'll do hunting knives and kitchen cutlery - but I want to concentrate on folders, once I grind the "rust" off.

Thanks for having me, I'm glad to be here - I love knives and love to talk knives.

Well, RM. allow me to be the fisrt to send you a hearty from AAPK. Looking forward to seeing photos of your knives and hope you will share your years of knowledge with us.
...CCBill...

Hello Ringmaster,

Welcome to AAPK, were glad to have you here. I'm looking forward to getting a gander at some of your knives.. and hearing your knowledge and ideas.

Sunburst

Welcome Ringmaster. This is the best place on the NET, and we are glad to have you.

Warm to the site Ringmaster. Looking forward to seeing you on board. s-k

Welcome!
I understand the physical limitations all too well myself.
It is great to have another gimpy knife mechanic on board!
This is a great place with great people here.

Dale

. im sure you'll enjoy it here.

Welcome to AAPK and I look forward to seeing some of your work. Rusty, heck, just apply a little oil and everything will be OK. Great group here, happy to have you aboard!

Ringmaster Hello;


You said "Made my 1st knife when I was 5 - Momma promptly took it away from me."...

I too was a kid that kept doing things Mom did not want me to do.

Nice to see you have persistency and now that will pay off.
Many of us here can't move like we want to any more.
So I am sure you will fit right in.
Just go SLOW up and down ladders building you New Shop.

justold52 wrote: So I am sure you will fit right in.
Just go SLOW up and down ladders building you New Shop.

You can go up the ladder as fast as you want.................................just be sure you come down SLOW!

Dale

Thanks, one and all, for the warm welcome !

I never met a "jerk" that genuinely enjoyed knives... I said that 30 years ago, and it's still true. I hope to be able to contribute to the discussions, in my little way.

Ken - what I'd like to find is a teenage "apprentice", to help build the shop, and stick around for a few years to learn how cutlery. These kids nowadays.....

Dale - Going up the ladders is kinda slow, but coming down is easy. "Gravity's not just a good idea - it's the LAW".!.!

Hukk - Your filework is terrific. I may ask you for some hints, later on.

S-K - You wouldn't happen to have some old A.Wright & Son "clunkers" laying around, would you ? If they're worn out and junky, just send 'em to me !

Sunburst - I've got an old S&M repro from Queen, dated 1991. Best Coke-Bottle hunter I've ever held. It's mint, never carried - what's it worth ?

Everyone else - thank you, I truly feel welcome.

Take Care,
JR

Ringmaster wrote:Thanks, one and all, for the warm welcome !

I never met a "jerk" that genuinely enjoyed knives... I said that 30 years ago, and it's still true. I hope to be able to contribute to the discussions, in my little way.

Hukk - Your filework is terrific. I may ask you for some hints, later on.

Take Care,
JR

Thanks JR, but I can't take credit for any filework that I have posted. I had a few knives done by Colin Paterson (realmontanan scrimshander also), Jeff Jones (agteacher2), and Michael Prater of Painted Pony. I hope I gave everyone credit for each picture I posted at the time I posted them.

Come to think of it, I know I put them in Customized Factory Knives when I first had them done and gave credit where credit was due, (like immediately when I got them back) .
I may not have done so if I posted them down the road in another thread, for say pearl knives, Exotic Handles, or abalone knives. My apologies, I should give credit everytime I use that knife in a new thread.

I have begun my own filework (those guy's were having too much fun)! I am curently sidelined for an indefinite amount of time from right shoulder surgery. Here are a couple pictures of the last knife and sheath I finished for a customer. Good thing he liked it, I was in surgery 12 hours later, For filework I've pretty much followed Dan Dushane's fileworking DVD and reccomend it.

BTW, if you drop this skinner, let it fall. It is hair popping sharp! He specified 20 degrees on each side and he wanted to be able to shave with it. He can, but I told him not to bang it against bone or the like. An edge like that is more prone to chipping.

Welcome Ring Master, This is the most laid back knife forum on the web. Alot of really nice guys, who have a wealth of information. We really like photos of knives, so be sure to share when you have the time.

Welcome Ringmaster!

Can't wait to see your stuff! Don't see a lot of kitchen stuff and certainly would like to! Maybe some nice carbon steel kitchen knives hand-made in the US of A?....

Marcinek,

It's gonna be awhile, before I can show any "new" stuff. But, here's an old tater peeler that I made for ex-wife, about 30 years ago. She wudn't use it, because it was "too sharp". Looking back, I can see that she just didn't wanna peel taters...

( I can do better work - at the time, I didn't even own an electric-powered tool. ) If my back will let me, I'll have some nice kitchen stuff, in a month or two.

Take Care,
JR

Hi Ringmaster. Welcome to some of the knife people USA! There are several on this site that will certainly teach you something should you just ask. Enjoy.