Great, fun and informative Columbia River Knife & Tool Nirk/Tighe Folder review.
BLADE Show 2012
June 8-10, 2012
Cobb Galleria Centre
Atlanta, GA
For 3 days, we will give you the very best of the knife-making and knife-collecting industries under one roof. You will find the world’s largest combined show of handmade, factory and antique knives, over 700 tables and almost 175 factory booths and products. Expect the most diverse array of knife manufacturers, custom knifemakers, cutlery manufacturers, collectors and collections!
In addition, we’ve got the Blade Magazine Knife of the Year® awards, Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame© induction, the annual ABS meeting, the BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competition, forging demos, collecting how-to’s and so much more.
The BLADE Show was created for knife enthusiasts by knife enthusiasts and is presented by BLADE Magazine—the world’s most trusted authority on knives and knifemakers.
There May Be No Time Like Now to Buy a Bill Moran Knife
A coveted ST-24 by Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Bill Moran in wire inlay and checkering comes with a classic silver-half-moon leather sheath. Moran used the “W.F. Moran” stamp starting in 1980, typically on larger knives. It is not seen much anymore. (Dave Ellis photo)
By Dave Ellis
I still see Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Bill Moran each time I hold one of my many Moran knives. I miss visiting with Bill at the BLADE Show and the Art Knife Invitational. I miss showing him my latest Moran acquisition and watching his eyes light up as he explained how the knife came about.
I have collected a wide variety of Moran knives over the past 30 years. The one I have found the easiest to resell because of their collectibility and historical importance, in no particular order, are the ST-24, cinquedea, Southwestern bowies, 50-year anniversary editions, his damascus pieces, folders—he made fewer than 50—and quillon daggers, especially those in damascus.
In general, the more contemporary the Moran knife, the greater its value and collectibility. However, the cinquedea is an important exclusion to this rule. Bill made only about seven of them and most or all have Lime Kiln stamps, which indicates the knives were made sometime between the mid-1950s and 1973. I have sold a Moran cinquedea for over $30,000.
Value Enhancers
Some of the features that increase Moran knife values are wire-inlaid handles and sheaths, accompanying display boxes made by Bill, the knives that appear in the book written by Cutlery Hall-Of-Famers B.R. Hughes and Houston Price, Master of the Forge, the 50-yrs. stamping, and the newer raised-leather-style sheaths.
Since Bill’s passing in 2006, his knives have had a slight increase in value, though nowhere near the jump that will occur down the road. Many of his pieces are finding their way to China, Russia and other countries. Bill was never a prolific maker, so with the limited number of knives he made, those that hit the market are coveted by collectors and dealers alike.
Damascus Moran knives are in a class of their own. Bill is recognized as the father of modern damascus and his pattern-welded blades are highly prized, and can range from a low of $7,000 to upwards of $60,000! His damascus fighters and bowies seem to be the most desirable, followed by daggers and hunters.
Curly maple is a common Moran handle material, so when you can buy one in stag or other materials, it typically costs a premium.
The knives from the 1990s are probably among the finest to leave the Moran shop. They are lighter and quicker in the hand than Lime Kiln models and usually come with the newer-style sheaths. If you are lucky enough to find one with the 50 yrs. marking, you will see that it demands a premium.
The future looks very bright for those collecting Moran knives. You can still pick up a great example at a reasonable price and rest assured that it will increase in value down the road.
Bill made his knives one at a time by hand, no apprentices, no newfangled tools. His forge, anvil and hammer should reside in the Smithsonian!
For more information on Moran knives and their values, contact the author at 760-945-7177 or visit his website, exquisiteknives.com.
For more on the latest knives, knife legislation, knifemaking instruction, knife trends, knifemakers, what knives to buy and where and much more, subscribe to BLADE® Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication. For subscription information click on http://www.shopblade.com/product/blade-magazine-one-year-subscripti…?r+ssfb022312#BL1SU
Moran Knife Values
Carbon steel hunters $4,000-$10,000
Carbon steel fighters (ST-23 and ST-24) $10,000-$25,000
Carbon steel bowies (Southwestern bowies can bring the upper range, $6,000-$35,000
especially with composite stag handles)
Carbon steel folders $15,000-$25,000+
Damascus hunters $7,000-$20,000
Damascus fighters $18,000-$70,000
Damascus bowies $18,000-$40,000
Damascus folders (extremely rare) $20,000-“to way up there”
*All values are the author’s. Features such as matched sets, gold wire inlay—which is especially rare—special stampings and logos, handle materials and blade materials can have an impact on value.
Moran Tang Stamps
Most of Bill Moran’s knives can be valued based on their tang stamps. The rule of thumb is that newer Moran knives bring higher values. The author values each stamp using a star system, with five stars being the most valuable, four stars the next most valuable, etc.
•Damascus—Bill started using this stamp in 1973 and discontinued it around 1979. It was always used along with the MORAN stamp: 4-5 Stars
•50 yrs.—Starting in 1989, Bill began his 50-years knife project. The stamp appears only on 50 knives celebrating his 50th anniversary of knifemaking: 4-5 Stars
•WFM—Bill’s first stamp used in the late 1940s: 4 Stars
•MORAN—He started using this stamp in 1973 and still uses it today: 3-4 Stars
•M.S.—Denotes a master smith with the American Bladesmith Society, first used by Bill in 1981: 3-4 Stars
•W.F. Moran—Bill used this stamp starting in 1980, typically on larger knives. It is not seen much anymore: 3-4 Stars
•Moran (small print)—Bill used it on his miniature knives: 3 Stars
•By W.F. Moran, Lime Kiln MD—This is a common stamping first used in the mid-1950s and continued until 1973: 2-3 Stars
Moran Sheaths
Depending on materials used and how they are made, the sheaths can add significant value to a Bill Moran knife. The author values each sheath using a star system, with five stars being the most valuable, four stars the next most valuable, etc.
•Wooden sheath with silver wire inlay: 5 Stars
•New style wood-lined leather sheath with raised leather design: 4-5 Stars
•Wood-lined leather sheath with throat and tip (steel or ivory is better than brass for fittings): 4 Stars
•Wood-lined leather sheath: 3-4 Stars (rating varies depending on the quality of the half moon and other accouterments)
•Leather sheath with a silver half moon: 3 Stars
•Wooden sheath: 3 Stars
•Plain leather sheath: 1-2 Stars
Andersen Forge part 8
Continuing the knife construction.
Knife Of The Day: Bartlow Award Winner
Our Knife Of The Day for Feb. 22 is John Bartlow’s utility hunter in a 4-inch blade of ATS-34 stainless steel and a handle of bark elephant ivory.
Winner of “Judge’s Choice, Hunting/Utility Knife” at last year’s Professional Knifemakers Association Show in Denver, the knife is 8 5/8 inches overall and boasts Bartlow’s trademark line cutter/choil where the edge of the blade begins.
For more information e-mail John at [email protected].
For more on the latest knives, knife legislation, knifemaking instruction, knife trends, knifemakers, what knives to buy and where and much more, subscribe to BLADE® Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication. For subscription information click on http://www.shopblade.com/product/blade-magazine-one-year-subscripti…?r+ssfb022212#BL1SU
Emerson Knives Opens New Factory by Mike Searson
The following was excerpted from examiner.com, and written by Mike Searson, Knife and Sword Examiner:
Emerson Knives held the grand opening of its new factory in Harbor City, California this past weekend, with more factory space, an in-house CQB-training area, visitor lobby and other amenities.
There were several charity raffles, door prizes, contests, a raffle to “Build your own knife,” a custom knife lottery, and a demonstration by martial arts aficionado and Emerson instructor, Richard Bustillo, with a number of his students from the IMB Academy. Additionally, tattoo artist Vance Foster was on hand to provide body art for any willing subjects.
Ernest Emerson set up a “virtual museum” with the timeline of Emerson Knives featuring photos and some rare and unique pieces from the vault. Emerson made his first knife, a butterfly knife, in 1979, while working as a machinist for an aerospace company in southern California because he could not afford to buy one for his martial arts class. He had been studying under Dan Inosanto and Richard Bustillo (both protégés of the late Bruce Lee) at the time, and soon received requests from other students to make knives for them. Emerson made these early knives in exchange for the cost of materials.
He branched out into more conventional designs of the time, fixed blade knives and lockback folders, but soon was intrigued by the LinerLock® design developed by Michael Walker. With Walker’s permission, he incorporated the lock into his own designs and used high-end materials such as mother-of-pearl, titanium and paua shell in his knives. Falling back on his martial arts background, he stripped these designs down to their essence and made a series of tactical knives. These knives featured bead-blasted titanium hardware and black-canvas-Micarta® scales.
In the 1980s he was contacted by a group of “underwater welders” to build a “hard use folding knife as strong as a fixed blade that could perform in extreme environments.” The “welders” turned out to be members of SEAL Team Six, for whom Emerson designed a knife from the ground up. The knife incorporated a unique chisel-ground blade, sharpened on only one side to eliminate parasitic drag and was named the CQC-6.
After profiles in knife magazines and being mentioned in the novels written by Richard Marcinko, the founder of SEAL Team Six, the CQC-6 took the knife community by storm in the 1990’s. Military and firearm aficionados purchased the knife as did legions of knife collectors. Emerson designed a slightly different version for Benchmade Knives in 1994, the CQC-7.
In 1997, Emerson launched his company as a full-time endeavor to produce knives on a larger scale for both his military and police contracts, and to supply the quickly growing collector base.
More than just a Knifemaker, Emerson is an accomplished martial artist. This new facility not only has more factory and warehouse space, but has a dedicated training area for Emerson’s CQB classes.
The highlight of the grand opening was the fabled “Emerson Lottery.” When the demand became overwhelming, Emerson stopped taking custom orders in 2000 and the only way to get a custom knife from him was at a show. To make it fair to the numerous collectors, dealers, and purveyors, this is done via lottery. Names are written on slips of paper and placed in a box. Whoever’s name is drawn gets a chance to buy a knife at the “table price.” Often the ratio of knives to consumers is more than 10-to-1, and with good reason. A custom knife may cost $650 at a show, but on the aftermarket can go for more than three times that amount.
As is always the case with Emerson Knives, the donations for the raffles were generous. According to Mary Emerson, over $3,000 had been raised to benefit the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, The Naval Special Warior Foundation and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
For more information on Emerson Knives, consult the company’s website: http://www.emersonknives.com.
Support Alaska’s “Knife Rights Bill”
In one of its latest e-mail newsletters, Knife Rights reports that Knife Rights Director of Legislative Affairs Todd Rathner testified at a hearing of the Alaska House Judiciary Committee on HB55 “Definitions of Gravity Knives and Switchblades” this past Wednesday. Referred to by sponsor Representative Mark Neuman as the “Knife Rights Bill,” the measure would clarify state law on the subject of assisted-opening and one-hand opening knives to ensure they are not considered gravity knives or switchblades, currently banned under Alaska statute. The bill was first introduced last year.
According to the newsletter, Rep. Neuman introduced an amendment at Knife Rights’ request that was adopted into the bill to include Knife Law Preemption. Preemption means the state laws are applied throughout the state, regardless of where you are. With preemption, other political jurisdictions such as cities, towns and the like cannot pass laws regarding knives that are more restrictive than the state law. Preemption is the keystone to eliminating the patchwork of local knife laws that can trap the unwary citizen who cannot possibly know the particulars of the laws for each and every municipality. Preemption is the basis for further efforts to ease irrational knife restrictions altogether and is the cornerstone of Knife Rights’ efforts to protect Americans’ right to own and use knives.
HB55 advanced out of committee with a unanimous vote.
If you live, work or travel in Alaska, please contact your Representative and ask him or her to vote in support of HB55. For more information, click on http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/commbr_info.asp?session=27
For more on Knife Rights, click on www.KnifeRights.org
For more on the latest knives, knife legislation, knifemaking instruction, knife trends, knifemakers, what knives to buy and where and much more, subscribe to BLADE® Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication. For subscription information click on http://www.shopblade.com/product/blade-magazine-one-year-subscripti…?r+ssfb022012#BL1SU
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