Another early (1950’s) hunter made by R.W. “Bob” Loveless when he lived in Claymont, Delaware, interestingly, there are thumb notches on the back of the blade, just ahead of the guard. This is an extremely uncommon feature on a Loveless knife.
The photo, by Hiro Soga, ran full-page on page 131 of the book Knifemaking With Bob Loveless.
If you’re a fan of Bob Loveless knife designs, you likely have a soft spot for at least one of the Delaware Maids … no, not the logo, although that etched “Delaware Maid” is part of it … but perhaps a hunter such as the below. From 1954 to 1960 Loveless made over one thousand knives called “Delaware Maids” and they became Abercrombie & Fitch’s best-selling handmade items, outselling the Randall blades.
An ultra-rare (only three of seven survive) Loveless “Delaware Maid” hunter with the VL&A (Von Lengerke and Antoine) logo, the knife has a trailing-point blade and a slender double-pinned hardwood handle. The photo is by Hiro Soga, and the knife comes from the John Denton collection. It appeared on pages 114 and 115 of the book Knifemaking With Bob Loveless.Â
When a Merchant Marine named R.W. “Bob” Loveless walked into Abercrombie & Fitch—a retail sporting goods store—in downtown Manhattan, New York, he was looking for a Randall knife. But Randall knives were out of stock, and the waiting period was too long, so Bob decided to make a knife on his own. When he returned to Abercrombie & Fitch with a knife he had built, the store manager liked it well enough to order four more just like it.
This is one of Loveless’ first knives made for Abercrombie & Fitch during the early 1950’s. The photo is courtesy of John Denton, and the image ran in the book Knifemaking With Bob Loveless.
If you talk about Greatest Loveless Knife Designs, a Bob Loveless chute knife has to be included in the list. Originally designed for a Spec Ops parachutist working in jungle climates, the “chute” knife was fashioned to cut the lines of a parachute should the operative become entangled in them, a tree or other obstruction.
This piece, shared by Dave Ellis of www.exquisiteknives.com and www.robertloveless.com, is an amber-stag-handle model valued at approximately $13,000.
See more Loveless knives in the popular Knifemaking with Bob Loveless book.
The knife Bob Loveless built for Schrade features a stainless steel blade and synthetic molded handle with no guard. The top piece is the Schrade knife, and the bottom is the Loveless semi-skinner prototype from which the Schrade knife was developed. Note the finger-grooved  handle, a feature seldom seen on a Loveless knife.Â
The photo is by Hiro Soga and ran across a two-page spread in the book Knifemaking With Bob Loveless.
When considering the “Greatest Loveless Knife Designs,” a pearl-handle piece is probably not the first that enthusiasts would think of. In fact, this “gent’s” model is one of the very few knives made in pearl from the Loveless shop. And what a beauty she is! … including the naked lady logo.
Thanks go to Dave Ellis for lending the image and his expertise on the matter. Dave has two websites: http://www.robertloveless.com and http://www.exquisiteknives.com.Â
If Bob Loveless reportedly said that this integral semi-skinner, with its dark-green canvas-Micarta handle, is “the most beautiful knife I ever made,” then who am I to argue? Or anyone for that matter …
The knife was crafted about 1987 and features a drop-point blade. It is from the John Denton collection, and the photo is by Hiro Soga. The knife appeared on page 39 of the book Knifemaking With Bob Loveless.Â
