Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades R. H. Ruana knifes out of Bonner MT.

Does anyone know what quality his knives are?

I have only seen one and it was simple straight forward WORKING knife and was very good at that task.
The owner of the knife had commissioned the knife when from Ruana when he was out west on a hunting trip and picked it up on a return trip or it was shipped later.
I used that knife on a deer when Jack offered it and it was great in the hand and highly effective at the task at hand.
Jack bragged heartily on the edge holding ability o the steel and offered up an example, that his was used it to gut many deer at a check station during a special survey hunt.

I think one of the claims on his knife is that they were all made from the leaf spring of a certain year and make of car.
Makes sense because they should all likely be of the same steel alloy.
51 Studebaker comes to mind, but I could be wrong, it has been a LONG time since Jack told me the details about his knife.

His son was also producing knifes and I have never heard how good they might have been.

Jack has been gone for years so there is not even a way to check with him.
If only he (Jack) could see the Tennessee turkey populations now!

Google is your friend..........

https://www.google.com/search?q=His...tf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1


The first sheath I made was for a friend's Ruana knife.



I had never seen one before and so I googled it. I was amazed at the history.


Whether one is a casual user/colletor or a certifiable knife nut, everyone has certain things/features that trips their trigger when it comes to knives.


A while back one came up for sale. I bought it.



What interested me most about the knife was the signature etched in the blade



V.N Hangas.

Once again, Google is your friend.

https://www.ruanaknives.com/vics-blade/

IMHO, Ruana's are Americana!

ya!

GWB

Cool.. Have one I bought probably 50 years ago.. Great blade, lost it twice and found it later.. It stays in the drawer now..

I have one. It is my favorite hunting knife. A friend has several that he has displayed around his house and that have never seen the outside air or the inside of a deer.

They are quite Collectible! some bring Big Bucks

Yup, found one at a flea market a few years back.
Eventually sold it for a little over 1k.

Yep, one of those readily identifiable classic patterns that pull at your heart to go home with you.

Funny, I've never seen one I wanted to take home, even if it was cheap.

There are some cool old knives out there.... Just saying.
May not be the tool you prefer to own or use, especially if you only
keep a few users on hand.
Ruanas and White Hunters come to mind, but I have never owned either.
I have never owned a Loveless original either, but I sure have copied them.

I guess I have never seen the attraction to Ruana knives. They look like a junior high shop project that would get a grade of about C-...

Because I could!


ya!


GWB

A buddie of mine collects them, guess the ones the old man made are the ones that bring the real bucks! Iv never liked the looks of them, and havent owned one.

I agree with Shrapnel, they remind me of Pre-64 Winchesters.

My thoughts... while I'm pissing people off, I feel the same way about Randall knives.

Speak it, brother......

Why?


Because I could!


ya!


GWB

Gee, great work as always...

Me too not my thing on either brand, but appreciate the craftsmanship.....

Gdub, what are the objects/ uses of the items on either side of the icepick? Cool hat.


mike r

Mike, those are leather working tools.

Actually that is an awl, sometimes called a stitch awl. It is used for piercing leather an opening holes in leather. The white object is a "creaser. Some folk use antler or bone. That one happens to be plastic. I use it on wet leather to form creases. The third item is a burnishing tool with variou radii for burnishing the edges of leather.

When you cut out your pattern, the edges are rough.



Next you dampen the leather and stamp it or carve it and mark your stitch holes



Next I'll paint/stain/dye.




Next glue and then either use a stitch awl and stitching pony



after I sew I usually do a finish coat, then burnish the edges



When the edges are smooth I will typically use an edge dessing as a protectant

I'm guessing the item you're calling an ice pick, I'd be calling an awl.

Missed it by that much

a piece of antler used for a creaser!





creases




and a few more!



I call it my "NRPT" leather!




ya!

GWB

Was that the old ones are the ones made now. I always thought the old ones could use a little finishing.

and re-shaping........

gedubya, thank you for the thoughtful and informative reply. It is a rare pleasure to see the way you use your very cool stuff in their natural environment. You appear to live comfortably w/ style and humor in a world that you made for yourself. Well done.


mike r

gedubya
"Reckon ya know, now that ya kilt that thar bar, there will be even more pigs a runnin round bout"
Your posts are always a pleasure to peruse what with you have "pictured".

One has to remember The original Ruana's were made as tools for working men, likely nothing more.
Only today do some one want knife that are works of art and only some are ever used.
That is one reason I appreciate one persons posts here, he "uses" his knives.

A friend of mine paid to have a custom home built with the money he got from selling his collection of early Randalls. Don't know how many he sold or how much he had in them but he had been collecting them for a long time and was very knowledgeable about them. He would have someone to watch his tables at the big gun shows so he could roam looking for old Randalls. Just the old Heiser sheaths are worth more than most of the new customs that I see here on the 'fire.

Those knives are artistic.

For actual hunting I prefer a folder with one serrated blade from Walmart.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Smith-We...Serrated-Drop-Point-Tanto-Boxed/22089361

A fancy knife I have here is the single 4" blade engraved STEYR dated 1947 that my late uncle a USA officer had made for me in Europe.

Some beautiful work there Gee!!!

Was able to stop in their shop, Ruana Knives. They have a nice small shop. Met the "son", nice fellow. They have a lot of nice looking knives on display. He took me on a "tour" of their shop.



Guess everyone is intiled to their own option, but I think their knives are better then any JR. High shop project I have ever seen.
My inlaws live in the area, and all talk highly of their knives. I have an older 4" fixed blade made in the '60's according to the fellow I talked too. He, the son of the operation, said my knife was worth about $500. because of the age, current model sells for $375. Dad gave me the knife for my 10th birthday. Attached a pic of said knife.

Must be an 'eye of the beholder' kinda deal.....

Rudy built knives for the working man to have a quality tool for a reasonable price. IIRC he initially charged a days wage at the Bonner mill for a knife that he expected to be an EDC. He had no intention of his knives being collectible, he built them to be used. His finish did lack some, but the blades perform. The knives that came later in his career can be a little worse as his eyesight started going.

Geedub's knife was built by Rudy's son in-law Vic Hangas. Vic began working with Rudy in the 60's as I recall and now it is Vic and his kids, Rudy's grandkids.