Adam Drescher (middle) during a break between scenes of the upcoming movie, “The Mule.” At right is Clint Eastwood and at left is character actor Richard Herd. Adam owns Adam Unlimited, which specializes in exotic skins for the knife and motorcycle industries, especially rayskin. (Photos by Images courtesy of Adam Drescher)
Adam Drescher, known best to the world of knives for his stingray leather supply company, has enjoyed many highlights in an acting career that spans over 40 movies and TV shows, but his experience in The Mule directed by and starring Clint Eastwood ranks at or near the top.
Released on Dec. 14, 2018, The Mule is about a botanist—played by Eastwood—who unwittingly becomes a mule transporting drugs for a criminal cartel. As with most of his roles, Adam’s character doesn’t have a name.
Drescher designs most of the accessories he sells, including these rayskin knife cases made in a factory in Bangkok, Thailand.
“I’m a computer online sales guy trying to talk Clint into taking his business online,” Drescher said. “I’m in two or three scenes that were shot, though I have no idea what will end up in the finished cut.”
The scenes were in a bar, which is where Adam asked the person playing the bartender to photograph him, Eastwood and actor Richard Herd.
“Working with Clint was a dream come true,” he added. “I’m what’s known as a ‘day player’—I work on a film for a day, maybe two days at a time, then I’m done,” Adam explained. “People think they remember seeing me but they’re not sure. I’m usually there and gone pretty quickly, usually just a scene or two, and this thing with Clint is almost like the epitome. Being a day player I don’t know how it could get any better. I got to work with him, got to improvise a little bit, got to actually act, had more than one line, and had a little character part to do. I had some interaction with him. That made my day.”
There are different grades of rayskin and Adam said he uses only the best. “People would come to me and say the interior of their wallet had worn out, and we began using shark skin in the interiors of our wallets,” he noted. “[Shark skin] never wears out.”
So what was Eastwood like as both a person and a director?
“He was pretty much what I was expecting only because I’ve heard so much from other people who’ve had the privilege of working with him,” Drescher said. “He knows his stuff backward and forward, totally in charge, quiet, yeah, he’s the man.
Another of Adam’s roles was as Boss Man on the TV show Hap and Leonard starring Michael Kenneth Williams (left) and James Purefoy (right).
“He never yells at you and from what I gather that goes all the way back to his days on Rawhide [the hit 1960s TV show]. Clint said the director would yell ‘action’ and it would spook the horses before they would start the scene, so Clint got that out of his system and said, OK, real quiet, and the next thing you know you’re doing the scene, you don’t even realize the cameras were rolling. Clint would say ‘cut’ and everything was respectful and really quiet and to the point. I’d heard that he shoots really fast. He did a couple of takes of our scenes, got different angles and got the dialogue right that he wanted. It was a pleasure of an experience for me, a highlight of a career that’s pleasurably been full of a lot of highlights.”
After years of being as mythical as its title character, the fifth movie in the Rambo franchise, Rambo V, is slated for a fall 2019 release, according to Deadline:
In the fifth episode of the franchise, when the daughter of one of his friends is kidnapped, Rambo, who has been working on a ranch, crosses the U.S.-Mexican border and quickly finds himself up against the full might of one of Mexico’s most violent cartels.
Sylvester Stallone confirmed the announcement on his Instagram account:
A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) on
Upon release, it will mark 11 years since the previous installation, 2008’s Rambo. It will also be the second in the franchise with a title that mercifully follows the logical sequence of releases (First Blood [1982], First Blood: Part 2 [1985], Rambo III [1988], Rambo [2008], Rambo V).
Another False Start?
That’s if it releases. The only proof of life is the movie poster and some press. Stallone was non-committal when BLADE pressed him about it last year, saying only, “Never say never” (read the full interview here).
Even Rambo’s creator, First Blood author David Morrell, expressed his doubts when the news broke today.
Don’t know if this is true about a fifth RAMBO film. The author of the source material is always the last one to find out. Every six months there’s an announcement along these lines, but DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD is reputable.https://t.co/Ju58qX8KSU#RamboV@DEADLINEpic.twitter.com/4eC7uOisQ0
Time will tell. That the announcement comes during the Cannes Film Festival could mean this is only a play to see whether investors will bite. A little hype from the fan base, by way of a poster release, couldn’t hurt those prospects.
Who Will Make the Knife?
Cutlery-Hall-of-Fame® member Gil Hibben made the knives for RamboIII and Rambo, but it’s not clear whether he will be back for a third time. Regardless of who makes the knife, it’s encouraging to see the poster feature a blade. Sourcing the knife won’t be an afterthought.
Even if the movie is financed and starts production, it may be a while before the knifemaker is selected. Not only would the commission need to be negotiated, but Stallone himself will have to sign off on the design.
Cutlery-Hall-of-Fame® member James Lile created the iconic knives for First Blood and its sequel, First Blood: Part 2.
Stay Tuned
BLADE will report on developments as they occur. Keep an eye on the movie’s IMDB page, too.
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For those ground into a nub by Frosty and Rudolph, the Die Hard movies provide a welcome respite without leaving the Christmas movie genre. And yes, they are Christmas movies. While the series’ armory mostly centers around firearms, there are a few exceptions for the knife enthusiast.
Knives of Die Hard (1988) and Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)
Jack Crain designed two fighters that make brief appearances in the first two Die Hard films.
From his website, where replicas are still for sale:
One scene in Die Hard 2: Die Harder also involves what appears to be a prop automatic, although it’s hard to tell from this short clip:
Knives of Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995)
The third film contains what’s probably the most memorable knife scene in the franchise. This one involves a karambit. Despite it being a product of the prop department, it’s worth noting due to the rarity of karambits in Hollywood movies.
No, it’s not a pretty knife. Maybe that’s why movie studios tap custom knifemakers when the blade gets more screen time. In fast-moving action scenes, it’s likely more economical to let the prop department turn out something passable.
Knives of Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
This is the one movie in the franchise with a giant question mark on the knives used. Information is either hard to come by or doesn’t exist, and there are no notable knife scenes.
Knives of A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
Busse Knives played a part in the most recent Die Hard movie in many ways. It provided knives and sponsored screenings for U.S. military members stationed overseas. From its official statement:
Nearly 50 Busse Combat knives were purchased by the production company and delivered to Russia for either inclusion in the movie or gifting.
An Arsenal RS-1, a “knifegun” that also fires .22 cartridges, makes an appearance. It’s similar to the one featured in this video:
In the end, what would’ve been a dramatic knife fight didn’t make the film’s final cut. It still managed to make its way onto YouTube, though.
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John Gomes, the 51-year-old Cohoes, New York, resident and alleged “amateur knifemaker” who started a fire that damaged 32 buildings and displaced approximately 20 people, will not appear in court today as scheduled. He was charged with felony reckless endangerment and misdemeanor arson on Friday, Dec. 1 while the 200 block of Remsen Street smoldered, threatening to reignite. Gomes’ case has been waived to Albany County Court to be presented to a grand jury. In a report by the Times Union of Albany, New York—which has followed the story closely—Gomes lawyer has stated that his client is a hard-working plumber, the father of two children and this was a tragic accident, not a crime. Reaction from knifemakers on social media was swift and nearly unanimous: Gomes’ did not do his research, about forges or metal working, and his claim of trying to replicate something he saw on “Forged In Fire” was a deflection from his own lack of forethought. One maker from Upstate New York theorized that it could have been simply a trash fire to avoid disposal charges, but that claiming to be working steel was a better story than a flagrant violation of the law. Was Forged In Fire a scapegoat for the Cohoes fire?
John Gomes, a resident of Cohoes, New York, started a fire in an open barrel in his back yard. Reports say he was attempting to bend a knife, as he had seen done on “Forged In Fire.” But was “Forged In Fire” a scapegoat? (Times Union photo)
On Friday, December 1, knifemakers awoke to the cringeworthy news that Gomes had started an open barrel fire in his back yard to “bend” metal as he had seen done on “Forged In Fire.” It was a relief that nobody was killed in the fire. One fireman was treated for dehydration and heat-related issues and the fire chief received a burn from a flying ember, but other than that nobody was injured. By last count, 32 buildings were damaged by fire, smoke or water, resulting in millions of dollars’ worth of property damage. Approximately 20 to 25 people were displaced, but Red Cross representatives were on sight to meet the immediate needs of both emergency response personnel and to provide shelter, food and clothing to those whose houses had burned. Cohoes is a quiet commuter city about 18 miles north of Albany. The houses in the affected area are wooden and within inches of each other. The 30-mile-an-hour winds on November 30, made it challenging for the firefighters to stay ahead of the blaze.
Cohoes is an old mill town that is no stranger to fires. In 1978 a man and his seven children were killed in a fire suspected of being set by the sole survivor, the wife and mother. After new evidence surfaced in 2010 Virginia Grotto did sign a confession, but then claimed she was badgered to do so. Another Cohoes fire in 1988, destroyed nine buildings, including three businesses. That fire also affected Remsen Street. The cause remains a mystery with some neighbors claiming at the time it was a Hells Angels motorcycle gang act of revenge against someone living in the apartment building where the fire started and others claiming to have seen two boys playing with matches. All other causes were ruled out. In both cases, Cohoes rebuilt. One added note to the most recent fire was that this area of Cohoes was enjoying a resurgence. Both the current mayor and interviewed business owners commented on the city’s resilience and they would rebuild. A florist was able to resume work the next day despite building damage, and a pharmacy owner lost a storage garage that contained chair lifts that had been ordered for Christmas, backup inventory and old medical records, but his store was open for business.
The 30-mph winds made getting ahead of the fire a challenge. In the end 32 buildings were damaged and approximately 20 people displaced. (Times Union photo)
John Gomes’ son defended his father on social media, claiming that he never meant to burn down his own house or anyone else’s. Commenters offered words of encouragement for the boy and prayers for his family. On knifemaker Groups on Facebook like Forged In Fire TV Show Discussion Group!!!! and my own Erin at BLADE, it was unanimous that “Forged In Fire” was not to blame. There were jokes about the blade not making the cut, or the reverse, it being able to wipe out a city block. There was mention that “Forged In Fire” now does include a warning that forging is dangerous and not to be attempted without careful consideration of safety measures. Of course, one popular comment on Facebook was simply a picture of a fire extinguisher.
John Gomes, according to statements made by his lawyer to the media, never intended for his open barrel fire to cause damage to his own house or anyone else’s. He’s been charged with felony reckless endangerment and misdemeanor arson. (Times Union photo)
Concern was expressed, though, by more than one commenter on more than one thread that “Forged In Fire” seems to play up the fireball created during quenching. It is a television show and the quenching drama makes for good entertainment. However, the “Forged In Fire” set is actually fireproof. It is vented to prevent asphyxiation, but not in the way a home forger might vent his forge. This is why it is often unbearably hot on the set, causing heat exhaustion in some participants. And, of course, there are crewmembers standing by with extinguishers, ready to cut the electricity or provide medical attention as needed. There have been instances in the final round when participants are at their home forges of fireballs being too close to propane tanks and the like. Although show representatives expressed sadness over the fire in Cohoes, they reserved comment, according to Times Union reports.
One of the most intriguing comments was posted by a resident bladesmith of Upstate New York. “I think he was burning trash, which is illegal in most municipalities in New York State, so he would not have to pay for disposal,” theorized F. Page Steinhardt, of Sunshadow Design and “Forged In Fire” winner. He added, “In an open burn barrel, which is illegal in most municipalities in New York State in a 30-mile-per-hour wind, which is a dumb idea, and ‘Forged In Fire’ was a convenient scapegoat.” Page reiterated that he didn’t know for sure the exact motivation for the fire, and perhaps we will never know exactly what happened. “But that is just my opinion from reading the stories and living in Upstate New York,” he concluded.
Matthew Parkinson of Dragon’s Breath Forge in Connecticut and another “Forged In Fire” winner brought up another good point. “FIF isn’t responsible for someone who can’t think ahead. I mean, they show giant fireballs all the time, so it isn’t like you could even claim they make it look safe.” Matt also offered guidance to those just starting out. “As far as new smiths, take a class. Find a good school and take a class. It will be the best money you ever spend.”
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From left, Forged In Fire’s Doug Marcaida, ABS master smith J. Neilson, host Wil Willis and Dave Baker.
Forged In Fire, a new reality TV show pitting bladesmiths against each other in an attempt to see who can make the best knife, is attracting more viewers—1.4 million—than any knife-related media entry in history, and those numbers are climbing.
After five weeks on The History Channel, FIF has gained double-digit growth across all key demographics compared to its premiere episode. According to a History Channel news release, ratings are up a whopping 74 percent in the 25-54 age group, 73 percent in the 18 to 49 age range and 32 percent in all viewers. That’s 595,000 viewers aged 25-54 and 552,000 aged 18 to 49. In all, FIF is attracting 1.4 million viewers, an unprecedented number for a knife-related media endeavor of any kind.
In last night’s fifth installment in the series, bladesmith Guy Harris won the $10,000 cash prize offered to the winner in each episode. He won for making what was judged the best version of an Elizabethan rapier.
Hosted by Wil Willis, the show originates from a building that has been transformed into a giant forge of sorts containing a number of individual forges, grinders, power hammers, drill presses, hand tools, knifemaking materials and more. In each episode, four different bladesmiths compete against each other in a preliminary round in which they build a rough knife from materials and to specs provided by Willis and the three judges: ABS master smith J. Neilson, ancient weapons authority David Baker and martial artist/weapons authority Doug Marcaida. The four smiths are whittled down to three after the rough knife segment and to two after the finished-knife segment. The two finalists are assigned a special knife, sword, axe or other edged tool that they have five days to complete at their home forge. They then return and the judges put the resulting pieces through the cutting paces and decide which one wins the $10,000 prize.
David Morrell, author of the novel First Blood, based the book’s title on an old dueling term.
“I thought of it as a kind of duel between the characters, and there’s a dueling term about drawing first blood,” he explained. “In some duels the person who drew first blood would be the victor, so there was a kind of irony here of who drew first blood and who was going to win in this harrowing conflict.”
Rambo is More Canadian than American
Though set in Kentucky in the novel First Blood, the movie’s locale was supposedly in the American Pacific Northwest. Actual filming was done in British Columbia. (image via imdb.com)
Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Morrell today is an American citizen.
The setting he chose for the novel, First Blood, was a wilderness area in Kentucky called the Grand Canyon of the East. However, Carolco, the production company that made the First Blood movie, wanted to do the flick in British Columbia, partly for financial reasons.
Meanwhile, for the purposes of the film, the locale would be identified as the American Pacific Northwest.
“It’s ironic that a Canadian created one of the most recognizable American icons,” Morrell noted. “It’s doubly ironic that the movie adaptation of First Blood was filmed in Canada’s British Columbia, even though my novel is set in Kentucky.”
Uncle Sam Makes an Appearance
The First Blood character of Col. Sam Troutman, played by Richard Crenna in the movie, was inspired by an American icon. Can you guess which one? (image via imdb.com)
Morrell gave Col. Sam Troutman, played by Richard Crenna, the name Sam because he represents Uncle Sam. As Morrell noted, “I saw him as the system that had created Rambo.”
You Only Got Half the Story
The original cover for “First Blood.”
Originally, First Blood was about 600 pages long. Morrell didn’t like it and so went back and started reading it again. He found a chapter he didn’t like and deleted it. He read the book again and found it moved faster as a result of the deletion.
“I had digressions for one of the deputies, and the man who flew the helicopter and so many different viewpoints in it that I began cutting this chapter and that chapter and found that all I had to do was have the alternating sections between Rambo and the police chief,” he said. “So I probably lost about 300 pages doing this. It was like sculpting, knocking bits of granite off to create a statue. I had written and written so much that I learned that by cutting back I got an intensity that I hadn’t expected. So it was a big lesson for me.”
When she was 15, Charlotte asked Wally if she could make a knife. He likes teaching her so he said, “Sure, let’s do it!” (Morgan Graham image)
Making “Ruby’s Knife” from Supernatural
My daughters Savannah and Charlotte had always been craftsy and artistic, but they rarely spent time in my shop. One day in 2016, Charlotte, who was 15 at the time, asked me if she could make a knife. It was to be based on a knife from a TV show she was watching called Supernatural. A character on the show named Ruby used the knife to kill “demons.” It is a very unusual design.
I like teaching so I told her, “Sure, let’s do it!”
A Daughter’s First Knifemaking Project
To get Charlotte started, Wally had her practice grinding. Note her safety glasses and gloves.
For her first knife I thought grinding it out would be easier than forging it. To get started I had her practice grinding wood to learn how to use the 2×72 belt sander. Grinding the bevels of the blade in wood to practice gives you very fast feedback and speeds up the learning process. I don’t use jigs, so it can be tricky to get hollow grinds the same height up the blade on both sides. Flat grinding is an easier technique to start with compared to hollow grinding, so we began with that.
Charlotte cut out and ground the blade, getting it ready for heat treating. We heated the blade until it reached critical temperature (when a magnet will not stick to the steel), then took the blade out of the fire and quickly quenched it in oil. Next we tempered the blade and sanded it to a high polish.
Charlotte carved the markings on the blade, and we found a piece of deer antler very similar to the TV knife to use as the handle.
Safety First
Charlotte drills a hole while in her dad’s shop. Note the gloves and ear protection.
As I taught each step I also taught her about knife shop safety, as so many of the tools and machines can be dangerous.
For instance, it’s important to know how to safely clamp a blade on a table for sanding and how to hold a blade against a buffer—the latter which I think is the most dangerous machine in the shop.
I showed her how to drill holes and gave her a safety tip on how to make sure a blade does not get away from you and spin around and cut you. She had her hair tied back and wore safety glasses, as well as Kevlar® gloves and hearing protection.
A Fantastic Finish
That first knife is always special. Charlotte’s initial piece not only is special but also unusual—based on a model used by a character in the TV show Supernatural to kill “demons.”
Charlotte’s first knife turned out great and it was so cool to see how fast she learned and progressed. It also surprised me that she did not experience all the challenges I had when I started.
The knife’s fit and finish was great, and the blade was straight. She decided to keep her first knife for herself. Each subsequent knife she made was different and she had to learn new skills for each new model.
Making the Game of Thrones Obsidian Dagger
The next knife Charlotte made was a copy of the obsidian dagger from the TV series Game of Thrones. In the show the dagger was made from “dragon glass” and was used to kill “night walkers.”
Charlotte employed O1 tool steel for the blade so she could gun blue it black like the TV dagger. She ground the blade and then textured it with the small half-inch-wheel attachment to look like obsidian. She polished it with a Dremel® tool. My brother Ted loved the knife so much he bought it.
Next Up: Sting from The Hobbit
Next up was a mini letter opener modeled after Bilbo’s sword “Sting” from The Hobbit. The new model required her to grind a dagger blade with a straight line down the center. She used a flat grind and, after heat treating, polished the blade by hand. She also learned how to carve with my high-speed/hand-held grinding tool.
She made the mini sword as a gift for her best friend, Morgan.
Hooked on Knifemaking
Charlotte wants to make knives for fun and as a part-time job, so she decided to make a kitchen knife to sell. It was a Japanese-style model and when it was done, I posted it on Facebook. It sold in no time.
With this new model she learned about Japanese kitchen knives and how thin they are. She also was introduced to forging by texturing the blade, which was later ground off to make the knife thinner.
Moreover, she learned a new skill making a multi-part octagon handle for the knife. Excited by her new part-time job, she decided to make a tanto. Again, the new style required learning many new skills. Her tactical-style tanto has a hollow grind, so we started with wood again to teach her how to hollow grind, ensuring the grind was even on both sides. She learned how to grind in a tanto tip and how to make the angle the same on both sides.
Charlotte learned how to tie a Japanese handle wrap and etch the blade to make the temper line or hamon really stand out on her tanto. She also learned how to make the mune (the blade spine).
To make Japanese-style tantos, she had to learn how to create temper lines and put a high polish on the blade. She learned how to tie a Japanese wrap and etch the blades to make the temper line really stand out. She also learned how to make the mune (the blade spine). I posted a picture of the knife on social media and she quickly sold it and received another tanto order.
This past March break she forged out a bushcraft-style knife and will continue to work on it in my shop. She is not taking orders as she has a heavy school year finishing the 12th grade. She has been accepted to the University of Windsor in the forensic science program next fall.
She does have a waiting list and loves working with her hands. Knifemaking fills her need for creativity, just like it did for me. Charlotte intends to make one order at a time and she is getting comfortable using all the equipment. Making leather sheaths is the next skill she wants to learn.
This past March break, Charlotte forged out a bushcraft-style knife and was working on it in her dad’s shop at press time.
What Better Way to Spend Quality Time with Family?
There are so many branches to the tree of knifemaking and I look forward to seeing where she takes her knifemaking in the future Charlotte is a unique 17-year-old who wants to make knives and can do so just as well as boys. Her favorite part of knifemaking is watching the progress of polishing the blade. She takes her time with each step and really is a perfectionist. I am so proud of both my girls and it has been so much fun to show Charlotte what I have been doing for 32 years.
Go, Charlotte!
* All images by Wally Hayes unless otherwise noted.
