Auction 40 August 28, 2008 Thursday Page 1
Phone bids start Tuesday
June 26, 2008 10 a.m.
Click here for the link to bid online
How to bid? Click
Home
These are the terms that govern this auction. Click here
to read them.
We have online bidding available in this auction.
IMPORTANT: You much choose whether you want to bid by phone or by the internet. You cannot do both.
If you call, we will register you online just like you would do yourself. Phone bidding is now primarily a service provided to bidders who do not have internet access, but if you choose to call we look forward to talking to you.
Bid by email or fax NOW!
This is a real auction. These knives are NOT for sale in advance, if you see one you like bid for it like you would
want to own it--you very well could! Click on thumbnails for a larger view! Other changes: Buyers premium is now 13%. ( If you pay by cash, check, or money order you are entitled to a discount of 3 percentage points on the buyers premium, making your net buyers premium 10%)
There are those who can claim being around in the early days—and then there are those who were. And even fewer who could write after their name: FOUNDER. When it came to the Knifemakers Guild, Hueske could indeed write “founder” after his name.
Lot 56 Chubby Hueske, Bellaire , Texas Model 411 Pro Hunter, #170, 154cm, tapered tang, wood handle. 8” OAL, 3 3/8” blade. (jca-125) Minimum bid $80
Lot 57 Chubby Hueske, Bellaire , TX Model A combat knife, 7” blade, D2, stacked micarta handle. #874, 12 1/4” OAL, some scratches on the guard. Original catalog included (jca-1077) Minimum bid $100
Lot 58 FRANKCENTOFANTE, Tampa , FL mark. Finger Groove hunter, 9 1/2” OAL, 4 7/8” blade. mint. Original catalog included (jca) Minimum bid $90
Lot 59 FRANK CENTOFANTE
Tampa , FL mark. Hunter. 9” OAL, 4 1/2”, 24 pin, wood finger grooved handle. mint Original catalog included. (jca) Minimum bid $90
Frank Centofante began making knives in 1970, and along the way has been inducted into the Cutlery Hall of Fame, and has served on the Guild board for 20 years, including four terms back to back as President. He was awarded the Red Watson Friendship Award, and is the co-author of How to Make Folding Knives along with Wayne Clay and Ron Lake .
LOT 60 RUFFIN JOHNSON Ruffin Johnson, Houston, TX #5 Ron Hicks Caper with extended blade, 440C, ironwood handle, engraved hilt and butt cap. Original catalog included. (jca-) Minimum bid $150
Ruffin Johnson, El Lobo Solo, from Houston , Texas has made knives since the 1970’s. He’s semi-retired now, with the last few shows he attended being the Spirit of Steel Show in Grapevine, Texas . He told us in 2007 that it would probably be the last show he would attend.
LOT 61 JOE FUNDERBERG Joe Funderberg was a top maker of his day, mentioned in most of the major articles, and maker of a most serviceable stacked micarta ringed handled commando knife. 11 1/2” OAL, 6 3/4” blade, no sheath. Paperwork included. (jca) Minimum bid $170
NOLEN KNIVES
lLot 62 Nolen Knives double edged hunter, 4” blade of 3/16” tool steel, cocobolo handle with 2 finger grooves and spacer, 8 1/2” OAL, sheath by Richards Leather of Corpus Christi, TX. Letterhead included. (jca-118) Minimum bid $110
Lot 63 NOLEN KNIVES Texas boot knife, skeleton handle, 1/8” 440C steel, sheath. 9 1/4” OAL, 4 3/8” blade. Original correspondence included. (jca-) Minimum bid $80
Jim and Doyal Nolen started Nolen knives, these knives date from when Jim was alive. Jim was a president of the Knifemakers Guild in the early days. The two brothers ran a crop dusting business in the off season, and after Jim’s death Doyal made knives on his own and eventually brought his brother George into the business. At one Knifemakers Guild show to celebrate an anniversary in knifemaking they gave away stag handled Nolen knives to friends, approximately 100 or so.
I’ve hunted with Doyal in South Carolina , where he was a bit dismayed that a bunch of knife people would be hunting, shooting deer, and then watching the lodge staff dress the game. He explained to me how he had taught Jim Carmichal of Outdoor Life how to rattle mule deer, and later the next day he demonstrated the technique to see if it worked on white tail for Tommy Lee and myself. It worked.
The rattling deer theory is you take two antlers and clank them together. During the rut the sound carries, and a buck deer nearby will hear the clash of the antlers and say to himself, “There are two guy deer fighting over a doe, and while they are fighting I’ll just mosey over and make some time with the doe.” Of course when he gets to the clearing he gets a high-powered 30 cal. surprise. As Doyal explained how it worked, I remember remarking, “I’ve been in some bars where I’ve seen that exact same thing happen with humans.”
Lot 64 Gil Hibben 40th AnnuallAlaska Fur Trade special, 9 1/8” 4 1/4” blade 154 CM, Alaskan cottonwood box by Walter Rowell, Sheath by Bob Levine, Engraved by Bob Donettie, Scrimmed whale tooth by Alaskan King Island Eskimo Pete Mayac. #118. C. 1975 (jca975, 976) Minimum bid $300
GIL HIBBEN
Gil is the current President of the Knifemakers Guild, a 50 year plus knifemaker, maker of the Rambo III and Rambo movie knives, (among others), and a designer for United Cutlery. Additionally he has made knives for Alaska sportsmen—and Elvis Presley. His knives will be found with locations from Alaska , Manti Utah , Arkansas , and Kentucky. Incidentally he was once a Scoutmaster in Utah and in his troop was future knifemaker Steve Johnson.
Lot 65 GIL HIBBEN Bowie hunter, maroon micarta handle, 110” OAL, 5 3/8” blade, brass fitting, no sheath (jca-1002) Minimum bid $200
Lot 66 JOE CORDOVA Pair of matching fighters in case, white and black micarta handles. Each knife is 10” AOL, 5 5/8” blade, tapered tangs. (wsc974) Minimum bid $400
Lot 67 Former ABS President Joe Cordova still makes stock removal as well as forged blades, but this micarta handled skinner goes back to a time when there wasn’t much forging going on. Cordova stated recently that he has made over 4000 knives in his knifemaking career. This one is numbered 346. 9 5/8” OAL, 4 7/8” skinning blade, brass fittings. Original catalog included. (jca) Minimum bid $200
Lot 68 DICK ATKINSON, WAUSAU , FL
Liner lock folder with micarta frame, 4 3/4”, fileworked back and blade back. Mint. Dick has moved to China and not making US shows at the moment. Seriously.(mbc) Minimum bid $100.00. (mbc).
Lot 69 PHIL BOGUSQEWSKI
Early lockback, Walrus Ivory handles with small cracks, 3 7/8” closed, fileworked back and blade back, crack across front handle and on the back handle. Otherwise mint. (bng) Minimum bid $100.00.
Lot 70 LEW BOOTH Lew Booth, Boonton, New Jersey Mole “I” all steel trout knife, 3 ½” handle, 2” blade, 5 1/4” OAL, 154cm. (jca-999) Minimum bid $20
Lot 71 DAVID BROADWELL LDC F3 #43 8 1/4” OAL, 4” blade, kydex sheath, bead blasted finish, micarta handle (bng) Minimum bid $100
Lot 72 BUCHANAN Maple handled hunter, straight tang, stamped on pommel, leather sheath. Mint but substandard polish, 8 1/4” OAL, 4 1/4” (lcm1151) Minimum bid $40
Lot 73 CARR
Impala horn handled skinner, ivory ferrule, brass fittings, 8” OAL, 3 5/8”, rough finish (lcm1152) Minimum bid $40.00.
Lot 74 DR. FRED CARTER
Fred Carter, Wichita Falls , Tx hunter full tang with lanyard hole, cream and red micarta. 8 1/2” OAL, 3 3/4” blade, tapered tang, dovetail bolsters, 1976 (jca-966) Minimum bid $60
Lot 74 Dr Fred Carter was inspired to make knives after seeing a handmade
D’Alton Holder in a local knife shop. A Knifemakers Guild member since 1976
including two terms as president. He has designed knives for Gigand Co.
Ltd, United Cutlery Corp., Harley Davidson’s 100th anniversary knife. He
holds a doctorate in Biology, and is noted these days for his quality
daggers and art knives.
Lot 75 ED CHAVAR, Bethlehem, PA Boot knife, Wharnciffe shaped blade, ATS34 steel, exceptional stag handles, Kydex sheath, 7” OAL, 3 5/8” mint (bng) Minimum bid $100
Lot 76 KEITH COLEMAN, Las Lunas, NM LDC 108 #24 folder 4 1/2” closed, micarta handle locking liner. (bng) Minimum bid $120
PETE HEATH
Lot 77 Pete Heath hunter, horn slabs, wood scabbard with maker’s name inlay, sold by Jimmy Lile in 1977. 7 1/2” OAL, 3 1/2” blade. Heath was a police dispatcher who made knives since the early 60’s until he passed in the 1970's. (jca-971) Minimum bid $70.00.
GERRY JEAN
Lot 78 Gerry Jean integral boot knife, tiger tail maple handle and sheath. JG54, 7 1/2” OAL, 3 1/2” blade. Original catalog included. (jca-970) Jean was a very early top knifemaker. Minimum bid $40
MICHAEL COLLINS
Lot 79 Early “MC” logo, hunter, wood handles. brass guard, 6” OAL, 2 3/4” blade, lightly whetted (bng) Minimum bid $80
IM CORRADO
Lot 80 BAKCA club knife, #4, engraved with a Bowie on the handles, 3” sliplock. #30. 1977 (bng) Minimum bid $80
JACK CRAIN
Lot 81 Jack Crain Classic Blades Noah Smithwick Bowie, stag handles, #042. 16 1/4” OAL, 10 1/2” blade (bng) Minimum bid $150
PAT CRAWFORD
Lot 82 Pat Crawford burl wood handled tapered boot knife. 5 pins, fileworked, mint, red spacer, 4” blade, 440C. Wrong sheath (jca-996) Minimum bid $80
PAT CRAWFORD Lot 83 Assassin stag handled combat dagger with a skull crusher pommel. Leather sheath. 11”, 5 3/4” blade, mint. (wsc1176) Minimum bid $200
PAT CRAWFORD
Lot 84 Original Custom Leopard, A Classic, 4 5/8” closed, all metal, locking liner. (bng) Minimum bid $150
Pat Crawford has been a full time knifemaker since 1975, as well as
a long time member of the Knifemaker’s Guild. His son Wes has joined him
in the business as well. He is a pioneer of the tactical knife genre and
is a major designer for Columbia River Knife and Tool.
Lot 85 CRAIG CRAMERER, Heltick , IL
6” blade polished stag, 10 1/2” OAL, hidden tang, mint (mbc) Minimum bid $200.00.
DAWSON KNIVEES
Lot 86 Dawson knives #62 gut hook skinner, light and dark brown layered micarta handles, mint (tgg) Minimum bid $20.00.
JOHN T. SMITH, ARKANSAS
Lot 87 John T. Smith made a good clean knife and studied under Jimmy Lile, whose influence is obvious on this curly maple handled hunter. The steel is A2. 8 1/2” OAL, 4” blade, with original catalog. Original cost was $70.00—in 1978. Minimum bid $90.00.
Lot 88 EK Combat knife. Includes some paperwork. Gary Ek era. 11 1/2” OAL, 7” blade (jca-082) Minimum bid $80.00.
John Ek was famous for making combat knives since WWII, pouring lead into
the holes as rivets. After he passed away his son Gary ran things for a
while, and eventually sold the company name to Bob Breurlin of the American
Historical Foundation, and the name faded away. This model was made by
Gary and is handmade.
Lot 89 HAROLD CORBY
Harold Corby, Johnson City , TN B-1 Fighting knife, 5 ½” blade 440c, hollow ground, full tapered tang, hand engraved brass guard and subhilt, cocobolo handles, 10” oal, 5” blade , spring clip sheath. Mint. Original catalog included. (jca-111) Minimum bid $150
Lot 90 Harold Corby, Johnson City, TN The African model, 5” blade, 440C, cocobolo handle with nickel silver spacer. (jca-1096 Minimum bid $60
FRANK VOUGHT
Lot 91 Big Foot Knives, Frank Vought, Plattenville , LA. wood handled coffin hit with catalog. 7 7/8” oal, 3 3/4” blade, brass fittings and brass wrapped tang. Includes original catalog. Guild member. (jca-083) Minimum bid $
Frank Vought from Louisiana is a deceased member of the
Knifemakers Guild. This coffin shaped hilt was originated in the Louisiana
country
CLYDE FISCHER
Lot 92 Clyde Fischer , Victoria , Texas Y-O Ranch hunter, 4 ½” blade, 8 1/4” OAL, cow bone handle. No sheath. Original correspondence included. (jca-107) Minimum bid $200
Clyde Fischer is another Texas legend, whose knives are famous for being
the popular knife used at the legendary YO Ranch. This particuar knife
features Texas Bull bone for the handle, and the extended guard marks it as
a YO special.
CLYDE FISCHER Clyde Fischer, Lot 93 Victoria, Texas drop point Pro hunter, 06 steel blade, mesquite handle, nickel silver fittings. 8 3/8” OAL, 4 3/8” blade. Mint. (jca-) Minimum bid $200
STEVE DAVENPORT
Lot 94 Steve’s Knives from Alvin Texas, and his name is Steve Davenport, 7 5/8” OAL, 3 1/2” blade, brass guard, dovetailed bolsters, stag handles, tapered tang. 70’s maker. Original catalog included. (jca-091) Minimum bid $50
ROD CHAPPEL
Lot 95 Rod Chappel Spokane Washington early model Arctic Fox, marked Davis Custom knives. 8 5/8” OAL, 4 1/8” blade, wood handles, Sheath is marked Jesse W. Smith, Spokane , WA . (jca-1074) Minimum bid $225
ROD CHAPPEL ( DAVIS KNIVES)
Lot 96 Roderick Caribou Chappel Davis Custom Knives, Spokane, Washington Coeur d’Alene knife, carved stag handle, marked 1976 June 7th 1776, 440C, 11 3/4” OAL, 6 3/4” blade. Including original correspondence between the original buyer and the leate pioneering dealer Ted Devlet, c.1970’s. (jca-1124) Minimum bid $300
HARVEY DRAPER
Lot 97 Harvey Draper, Ephriam Utah , Elmer Keith model, rosewood handle, less than 12 made by Draper of this model. 8 5/8”, 5” blade, brass guard, very heavy construction. Tooled leather sheath. (jca-)1084-1085 Minimum bid $300
Harvey Draper was a contemporary of Buster Warenski and Gil Hibben, making
quality knives until his untimely death in the crash of an experimental
aircraft, one of his other hobbies. His brother Bruce Draper made knife
grinders, and his son Kent became a well known quality knifemaker as well.
PAUL FOX
Lot 98 Paul Fox called this his Lifting Latch locking mechanism, with adjustable tension and on this particular knife ivory handles. When asked at the 2008 Blade Show about this knife and asked how many .45 cal model folders he had made with ivory handles his answer was simple. “One,” He said. 4” closed, dovetailed ivory handles. Original brochure included. (jca) Minimum bid $250
JIM MINNICK
Lot 99 ldc 104 #32 tactical folder, 5” closed, micarta handles, locking liner and belt clip, mint. (bng) Minimum bid $180.00.
Rudy Ruana began making knives in Bonner, Montana , having learned knifemaking as a farrier in the cavalry. He began making knives commerically in 1952. He retired in 1983 at the age of 80. The company is still in business today. Their prices start at $230 for the most inexpensive Ruana, and go up to $1260.00. The “M” mark on a Ruana knife was used from 1962 until 1983. The scimitar was used from 1944 until 1962.
RUDY RUANA
Top to bottom Lot 100 10B skinner M mark, 6 1/4” OAL, 3 ½” blade, Pre-1983. (lcm) Minimum bid $80
Lot 101 14B skinner, 5” blade, scimitar mark instead of the M (dates it as pre-1962) (lcm) Minimum bid $80
Lot 102 12A 5” blade, M mark, pre 1983. 10 1/8” OAL, original sheath, 2% or so blade wear so excellent condition.(lcm) Minimum bid $80
RUDY RUANA
Lot 103 Ruana Model 25C, full length sheath, "M" mark, 10 1/2” OAL, 6” blade, some specking. (jca-1102) Minimum bid $100
HARRY MORSETH
Lot 104 MORSETH smooth stag handled knife. 9 1/4” 3 piece stag with spacers, bruseletto on front, Morseth on the back. Morseth, Clinton Washing on reverse of the sheath. Excellent condition. (jca1025) Minimum bid $200.00.
Lot 105 Morseth, Springdale Arkansas #4 Cascade Skinner, 3 piece stag handle, pouch sheath. Includes correspondence between the original buyer and AG Russell dating from 1976. (jca-1095) Minimum bid $90.00.
MERLE SEGUINE
Lot 106 Merle Seguine Caribou model, 5 ½” blade, brass fittings, crack, used, some light freckles, snap from sheath strap is missing, 10 3/8” OAL, 5 1/2” blade (jca-1063) Minimum bid $80.00.
TRACK
Lot 107 Track, Whitefish, Montana wood handled folding hunter, 3” blade, back lock. stiff blade, with original sheath, otherwise mint (jca-TRACK) Minimum bid $60.00.
RED WATSON
Lot 108 Red Watson caper, brass fittings stag handle. 6 1/2” OAL, 2 5/8” blade, mint, brass butt cap (jca-1065) Minimum bid $150.00.
JERRY FISK
Lot 109 Mastersmith mark. Horn handled massive Bowie , 16” OAL, 10 1/4” blade Kenny Rowe sheath. Fileworked tang(wsc1103) Minimum bid $500
JERRY FISK
Lot 110 Small drop point hunter, wood handles, with sheath, carved wood ferrule, etched “Sample, not for sale, not to be taken internally” near mint. used, 7 3/8” OAL, 3 3/4” blade, (drt-951) Minimum bid $300
JERRY FISK
Lot 111 Stag Handled large Bowie, fileworked ferrule and guard, Kenny Rowe sheath. 15 1/4” OAL, 10” blade (wsc1110) Minimum bid $500
Fisk is a member of the ABS Hall of Fame, a National Living Treasure artist, and holder of the ABS Scagel Lifetime Achievement Award. And if you have to ask who he is you probably don’t need to be bidding on his knives anyway!
We will be one of the speakers at Fisk’s private knife show in October. Also known as Fiskapolloza.
JAY HENDRICKSON
Lot 112 Wood handled large Bowie with leather sheath, fileworked guard, Journeyman smith mark from a Mastersmith and former President of the ABS. Filed guard, tapered tang, wire inlay, exception balance, 11 3/4” OAL, 7 1/2” blade. Mint. (wsc1120) Minimum bid $350
A NOTE ABOUT MINIMUM BIDS: We are aware that our minimum bids are well below market value, the minimum is just that, a low opening bid to prevent a dufus from calling in a bidding $1.00 on everything in the auction in hopes that the bidders might slip up and let one go by. (This actually happened thus the reason for the minimums). As far as actual values, on any auction I would strongly suggest you bid based on a variety of things: your own research of values, your own gut estimation of how much that knife be of interest and pleasure to you personally, and sometimes it may just be that knife calling out to you that you were meant to own it. If you are bidding based on our minimums, or our estimates, etc. I venture you should do more research.
I have had some knifemakers, well known knifemakers, tell me to my face that the prices their knives brought at auction were too cheap, and I should have high reserves until the right customer came along. My advice to you--and to them--and to anyone else who thinks the minimums, or the final prices are too low. BID! BID! BID! There are a couple of smart knifemakers who have bought their own knives at our auctions and resold them to customers they know are looking for a particular knife.
So if in doubt. Bid!