Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades What knife makers most interest you

Gene Ingram
Brett Dowell
Charles May
Rick Menefee
Fifth spot is an open position. There are probably at least a dozen makers I could plug in here at #5. Leaving it open lets me off the hook and when I see the next shiny thing not from one of the named makers on my list I can say "hello number five!"

A friend at work is buddy’s with Ken Coats. I’ve got him making me a two blades trapper to go with this single blade version he made me a couple years ago.

I. Wilson was a famous knife company in Sheffield, England, during the 19th Century. They made knives, packed them several gross to a wooden keg and shipped them to America. The mountain men and fur trappers carried them and also used them as trade knives to the Indians. They were used in hundreds of thousands of kitchens as butcher knives.

The one at the top of the picture is an original I. Wilson, and according to my mother, was used by her, her mother, her grandmother, and great grandmother. It is about 140 or 150 years old. Still cuts as well as when it was new, so long ago.

The lower butcher knife is about 75 years old and my father bought it for our kitchen, It was from John C. Primble Co. I've used it on many a deer and elk camp.







L.W.

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You have great taste my friend!

Thanks. Tony Baker, who worked very closely with Warren, is really turning out some nice knives of late. He moved to Oklahoma and has really stepped up his game. I believe that he is headed to the show in Arkansas with some nice pieces.

I like Mike McCarter out of Tennessee. He makes some very nice knives in a variety of patterns, and the fit and finish is great. He is in the February issue of Knife Magazine with his Kephart pattern knife.

Yes Mike makes some very interesting knives. His creativity covers a wide range of styles and design. I would like to get my hands one to put to use.

I have one of his Kepharts and a knife that is his version of a Canadian Belt Knife. Both are really well made and finished. I processed a deer with the Kephart last fall and was impressed with it. Works great in the kitchen too. The CBK is new and I have not done anything with it except cut summer sausage and tomatoes.

Going back to the title of “interest” rather than use, there are a few more to add, but with the caveat of not having used them enough to comment meaningfully on performance, but they are of interest for the sake of history or art.

Randalls have caught my interest of late, but the jury is out on performance.

Studying them has been interesting to see how some of his then new designs influenced so many makers who came later.

Tyanko Ivanov is a gifted artist knifemaker and engraver in Bulgaria. He makes his own Damascus steel in very interesting and unique patterns.

Every knife he makes is unique and a work of art.

He mainly displays and sells on Facebook, and occasionally on bladeforums.

I picked up this knife from him last year. That is his hand in the video, not mine.




Vojta Destensky in the Czech Republic is producing beautiful Loveless inspired work.

I have not purchased one, but am watching and thought others might find his work of interest.

http://www.vdknife.cz/Noze-na-prodej (multiply prices by 0.045 to convert to US Dollars)

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/knives-in-loveless-design.1640388/#post-18755968

Still hard to beat Ingram or Wilson for actually doing the job.

Here is another of Tyanko Ivanov’s work. He has more videos on YouTube and some of his best past work is on Facebook.

Never personally handled any of either maker's knives, but two who have a lot of designs that I like are: Jim Coffee Knives of Norton, OH and Crawdaddy Forge of Greenville, TX.

Darin Hunter with Hunter's Forge, he's a good friend of mine and is extremely talented! You can see his work on Facebook

I just bought my first Cross Knife by Pete Winkler and am really digging it. Fit and finish is awesome and the design will lend itself well to my hunting needs. Just still not convinced on full convex, but I guess time will tell

You will not be disappointed.

Have an M4 blade on order from Tim Olt, a Woodsman Nessmuk from Lucas Forge and am hoping to get one from Phil Wilson. That would make my year. Finally found a WC Davis drop point and a Geno Denning semi-skinner, both last year. Had looked for the Denning for a few years. Here's the Denning and WC Davis.

Just received this Large Clip Point Hunter from Tim Olt. Quickie phone camera pic doesn't do it justice.

Here it is with a new Ontario Rat 1 in D2 I'm going to try out for edc + a vanity pic of it by itself.





Must get some better pics of Tim's knife.

What's that top ingram in that bottom pic? Thanks

Rhino First and maybe only one he made.

Both very nice. Good luck with getting a Phil Wilson, they are hard to come by. Post pictures for sure when you get one.

Yeah that MRK guy makes some nice knives.