Robert Appleby nails a Loveless dropped hunter in crown stag.
Robert Appleby’s custom-order reproduction of a dropped hunter by BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Bob Loveless in amber crown Sambar stag is Loveless in all the right places.
A customer sent Robert an image of an original Loveless knife and Appleby went to town, reproducing the tapered full tang faithfully to the original.
“It’s still a full tang, not a frame,” he explained, “one solid piece from the point to the back.” He tapered the tang, left the stub at the end and mortised it into the stag crown handle butt. He glued the spacers like a block, which fit over the stub. The stag is from Culpepper & Co., which amber dyed it as well.
“I really enjoyed that knife,” Robert noted. He said the satisfaction he felt after he had finished it was similar to the same sort of happiness he has when experiencing “the old muscle cars.”
Loveless Repro Dropped Hunter Specs
Maker: Robert Appleby
Blade length: 35/8”
Blade material: AEB-L stainless steel
Blade finish: Mirror polish
Handle: Amber-dyed crown Sambar stag
Bolster: 416 stainless steel
Overall length: 9”
Maker’s list price for a similar knife and sheath: $625
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