Auction 40 August 28, 2008 Thursday Page 1
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June 26, 2008 10 a.m.
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Jim Crowell is one of the leading handforgers in the game, in addition to being a regular instructor at the ABS School, he is also a former world cutting champion, and has been featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.
JIM CROWELL
Lot 113 Stag handled Bowie, fileworked guard. 15” OAL, 9 3/4” blade, blade is mint but has 3 or 4 storage spots (wsc) Minimum bid $300
JEROME ANDERS
Lot 114 Hunter made from 1084 steel with curly maple handles. 7 5/8” OAL, 3 5/8” blade, hidden tang. Some very light freckles that should clean. Nickel silver fitting. Journeyman stamp. Temper line is visible. 2 1/4” sharpened false edge, tooled leather sheath. (bng) Minimum bid $70.00.
JIM CROWELL
Lot 115 Stag handled hunter, shooting star tang mark, leather sheath, 12”, 6 7/8” blade, one tiny freckle, two sheaths, one with a frog, the other with a belt loop. One sheath is by Kenny Rowe.(wsc1115) Minimum bid $150
JIM CROWELL
Lot 116 Early pre-shooting star mark. CROWELL on the tang, 1084 steel, Brass fittings with maroon micarta handles. 8 1/2” OAL, 4 1/4” blade Kenny Rowe sheath, has been carried, tapered tang (bng) Minimum bid $50
Jim CROWELL
Lot 117 Stag handled dagger, 2 piece stag handles, hidden tang, Mastersmiths mark, 1990, 10 1/4” OAL, 5 1/2” blade, speckled on the edge and on the tang. Great balance. (WSC1180) Minimum bid $150
JIM CROWELL
Lot 118 Micarta handled dark blade tactical. Boot clip on leather sheath. Bead blasted handle. Uncommon pattern from this top ABS maker. 12” OAL, 7” blade (wsc1178) Minimum bid $150.00.
JOHN M. SMITH
Lot 119 Stag handled clip point Bowie . 15” OAL, 9 5/8” blade, some light tarnish spots that should clean out with little effort. Appears to be Damascus guard and ferrule. (dsc1136) Minimum bid $200.00
T. J. YANCEY
Lot 120 T. J. Yancy, Estes Park, CO, 4” drop point, 8” oal, 154cm, tapered, red spacers with ivory micarta handled scrimshawed with a deer head by Ann Yancey. Brass fitting, pouch sheath. (jca-) Minimum bid $150
T. J. Yancey and his wife Ann pioneered scrimshaw on knife handles. He
faded from the scene after health problems, but at the time he made this
knife it was among the best, and the ivory micarta was considered
preferable for scrimshaw as it was much more durable.
BERNARD SPARKS
Lot 121 Bernard Sparks, Dingle, Idaho hunter, 440C, safari hunter, 9 3/4” OAL, 5 1/4” blade, sculpted finger groove. Sparks was a hunting guide and designed his knives based on his experience skinning thousands of animals. He began making knives in 1962. In the 70’s he was considered one of the best known American knifemakers. (jca-1101) Minimum bid $170
JOHN OWENS
Lot 122 John Owens, Miami Fl knifemaker and airline pilot, micarta handles skinner. 9” oal, 4 3/8” blade, mint, no sheath, hidden tang. FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE KNIFEMAKERS GUILD (jca-1001) Minimum bid $50
Lot 123 G. W. Stone, Dallas , TX engraved ivory handled folder, fileworked overall, slimlock, #0, 4 7/8” closed, early rough finish, cracks in the ivory. Stone began making knives in 1962. (lcm-1160) Minimum bid $180.00.
WILLIAM SONNEVILLE
Lot 124 W. Sonneville, Mobile Alabama , was a gunsmith. A native of Holland , he called this knife his "Buckeye hunter", semi-tang, stacked brown micarta with aluminum spacers, tooled leather sheath. (jca-965) Minimum bid $80
BOB LOFGREEN
Lot 125 Bob Lofgreen, Lakeside Arizona Royal Elk model, 4” blade, 8 1/2 OAL, D5 steel with 3/16” stock, stainless guard and butt cap, dovetailed ivory micarta slab handles, tooled sheath with original paperwork (jca-) Minimum bid $110
Lot 126 Charles Weiss stag handled fighter, 12” OAL, 7” blade, 3 1/2” sharpened false edge, tooled leather sheath, tapered tang. (den1492) Minimum bid $250
WAYNE VALACOVIC
Lot 127 Large Wood burl handled fighter, tooled leather sheath, interesting fileworked arrowhead on the spine 11 1/2”OAL, 6 1/2 blade. Non-active Guild member. (wsc1170) Minimum bid $300
PAT TOMES
Lot 128 Pat Tomes Scagel style Bowie, Mastersmith mark, 12 1/2” OAL, 7 1/8” blade, stag butt over a stacked leather washer handle, (den) Minimum bid $200
KOJI HARA
Lot 129 wood handled Loveless style fighter, 11” OAL, 6 3/8” blade, mint (DEN1490) Minimum bid $200.00.
WAYNE VALACHOVIC has retired from knifemaking. A Vietnam Med-evac chopper pilot and darn nice guy, he was a pioneer of quality hand forged knives. He still visits a show or two just to see old friends--and he has many!
WAYNE VALACHOVIC
Lot 130 Wood handled folder, fileworked back and blade back, mint. Tail lock with lanyard. 3 3/4” closed, lockback (plm954-955-4c) Minimum bid $180.00.
WILLIAM GORDON DEFREEST
Lot 131 Gordon DeFreest, Barnwell , SC (marked Gordon) 9 7/8” OAL, 5 3/8” blade, mint, wood fighter. The late Gordon Defreest was heavily influenced by George Herron. If you like Herron knives you will like this one. He was a hunting companion of both George and myself. (DEN1493) Minimum bid $200
JIM DEATON
Lot 132 Red Micarta handled small hunter 7 1/4”, 3 3/8” blade, rough fit, Schrade sheath, (lcm1150) Minimum bid $30
Lot 133 DUMATRAIT
Micarta handled hunter. Straight tang, spotted and cleaned, near mint. 8 1/4” OAL, 3 5/8” blade, Concho on sheath. (lcm-1153) Minimum bid $40.00.
Lot 134 JAMES bone handled saddlehorn, arrowhead shield. 4 1/4” blade, marked, 263b. rough construction (lcm1196) Minimum bid $40
Lot 135 JAMES bone handled coke bottle folding hunter, arrowhead shield , 4 3/4” closed, rivet cracks, #262A (lcm1197) Minimum bid $40
Lot 136 KELLEY USA stag handled trapper. 4 1/4” closed, #1216-85. Rough construction. (lcm1193) Minimum bid $25
Lot 137 KELLEY USA stag handled Texas Toothpick, 4 3/4”, 1985, excellent condition. Rough construction. (lcm1194) Minimum bid $25
Lot 138 PRESLEY micarta handled skinner, straight tang, brass guard, speck or two on the bolster and on the blade back that should buff off. (wsc1181) Minimum bid $40
Lot 139 PRESLEY Ivory micarta hunter, with finger groove. 8 1/8” OAL, 4 3/8” blade, straight tang. (wsc1182) Minimum bid $40
MANLEY BLADE
Lot 140 Manley Blade, Glenville, WV, Black Bear model, 440c blade, black micarta handle with white spacer, 9 1/4” OAL, 4 3/4” blade, engraved guard. Correspondence included. (jca-120) Minimum bid $50
Lot 141 J. D. PERRY, WAYNESBORO, PA, stag handled folder, lockback, rough finish, storage scratches (lcm1159) Minimum bid $80
TOON
Lot 142 Two blade stag handled with music note shield, double pulls, crude, excellent condition, 4” closed (lcm1190) Argel Toon of Ft. Smith Arkansas made knives from 1955 until his death in 1977. He is credited as being the man who trained Knifemaker’s Guild member Clifton Polk and got him started in knifemaking. Minimum bid $80.00.
(LEFT) Lot 143 F.W. (Fred) Hoy, San Pedro , CA tool gut hook, 154cm, ironwood handles. Sold in 1977 by Ted Devlet for $225.00. 8 1/4” OAL, 3 1/4” blade, tooled leather sheath, brass wrapping around the tang. (jca-969) Minimum bid $80.00.
Lot 144 MAYHALL Bone handled two blade barlow, 1 spot on pen blade, rough finish, near mint(lcm1167) Minimum bid $20
Lot 145 MAYHALL Stag handled slip lock, spear point exc. #240B, 3 5/8” excellent (lcm1187) Minimum bid $25
Lot 146 MAYHALL stag handled slip lick clip point, 240A, 3 3/8”, near mint (lcm1188) Minimum bid $25
Lot 147 MAYHALL smoothbone handled one blade mini-trapper, smooth stag, excellent to near mint, 3 1/2” closed (lcm1198) Minimum bid $20
A.M. Mayhall from Counce, Tennessee was originally a timberman and sawyer
who began making knives prior to 1970, specializing in handmade versions of
vintage knives, along with some adaptations of his own. His knives began at
a time for a knife to be considered handmade by the non-Knifemaker’s Guild
crowd. The knife had to look a little crude, and Mayhall knives are not of
flawless fit and polish. But they are handmade folders from a time when
few made handmade folders, and historical marks of a time when a handmade
knife did not have to be flawless to build a following of collectors.
Mayhall died around 1980.
Lot 148 MAYHALL stag handled folding hunter, 5 1/4” #244a, 4 or 5 spiderweb spots on the back of the master blade, near mint (lcm1191)Minimum bid $35
Lot 149 NORMAN DEW Norman Dew hidden tang skinner, stag handles, brass guard and butt cap, 4” blade, 8 3/8” OAL was out of knives by 1978. (jca-1098) Minimum bid $60
JOHN GRECO
Lot 150 Scagel style, stag and leather washer handle, 6” blade, 10 3/4” OAL. With sheath, mint. (mbc) Minimum bid $150.00.
ZOLAN McCARTY
Lot 151 Stag handled hunter, leather sheath. During the era when Z was at his best. A slight scratch on the blade toward the point, 9 1/4” OAL, 4 3/4” blade, tapered tang (btg1146) Minimum bid $90
Lot 152 DAVID SHAW, UTAH
David Shaw rosewood handled hunter, contemporary of Warenski, 9 3/8” OAL, 4 1/2” blade, tooled leather sheath, hidden tang, top quality, flat ground (jca-995) Minimum bid $100
DAN DAGGET
Lot 153 Dan Dagget, Steward, Ohio Model 9 Mountain House skinner, 154cm 8” OAL, 4” blade, tapered tang, wood handles, no sheath, mint. Original catalog included. (jca-117) Minimum bid $100
Dan Dagget was a knifemaker who really wanted to make art—to the end that
he went to art school, and turned in a knife as an art project. He was
already an established Knifemakers Guild member at the time, and he
received a bad grade on his knife. When he went to the professor the prof
explained, “The problem is it looks too much like a knife.” He later went
into cowboy art, doing bronzes and making a knife as a part of it, and then
he faded away years ago. He made a good clean knife.
LARRY HARLEY
Lot 154 Lonesome Pine Knives, engraved hunter, mirror polished. Billy Bates engraving. 8” OAL, 4 3/8” blade, dovetailed wood handles, #358, straight tang. Mint. (bng) Minimum bid $80
We asked Larry about this knife and he says it is one of his old ones because of the mirror polish. (He identified Bates as the engraver). He is active in the youth program of the American Bladesmiths Society as well as being one of the knife industry's best loved characters--in a field that has more than a few characters.
Personal: Larry lived a couple of miles from my grandparents in Bristol, TN. When I started editing Knives Illustrated Magazine I went by his shop to do an article--this was after he'd been featured for winning the world cutting championship on the front cover of the Wall Street Journal. He heated up the gas forge so we could do some forging photos--and when I was least expecting it he unplugged the blower to the gas. (This can best be described as starting up a Navy Tomcat inside a shop, with full flame in afterburner). He tried to tell me that he didn't do it intentionally. (Please see the last line in the above paragraph about Harley being a character!) I like Harley, he's a good guy.
DELEON
Lot 155 Fighter 13” OAL, 8” blade, wood handles with micarta spacer, brass fitting, some specks, with sheath (bng1472) Minimum bid $90
RALPH DEWEY HARRIS
Lot 156 Ivory handled hunter. 8” OAL, 3 5/8” blade, mint. Handles had flaws and appears to have been filled with matching epoxy, some natural checking. Otherwise mint. (bng1459) Minimum bid $90
Lot 157 R. W. STAFFORD, GEORGIA burl wood handled lockback folder, #7, 3 3/4” closed, storage scratches on the bolster (btg1169) Minimum bid $60
Lot 158 R. W. STAFFORD small hunter, wood handles, 7” OAL, 3 3/8” blade, tapered tang, tooled leather sheath, mint (btg1148) Minimum bid $40
MIKE FRANKLIN
Lot 159 Mike Franklin, Aberdeen OH, Special show hunter, 54cm, Mexican Bocote handles, 154cm, only 4 made in this model. 7 1/4” OAL, 3 3/8” blade. Elaborate tooled sheath. (jca-1091) Minimum bid $50
Mike Franklin of Aberdeen, Ohio has made knives since the early days and
along the way had tried a variety of marketing techniques. You would
probably know him best today as the creator of HAWG knives or the
innovative designs he has created for Columbia River Knife Works.
Lot 160 R. W. STAFFORD small fighter , 8 1/4” OAL, 3 1/2” blade, maroon micarta handles, tapered tang. Mint (btg1147) Minimum bid $40
PRINSLOO SPRING
Lot 161 (George Aurit, Kalispell , MT ) Ivory micarta handled drop point. leather sheath, tapered tang. Top quality. (jca1093) Minimum bid $100.00.
Lot 162 BUD WESTON
Damascus blade folder with carbon fiber handles, 3 5/8” closed, fileworked framed and blade back. (bng1488) Minimum bid $90
RICK NOWLAND
Lot 163 Damascus blade wharncliffe with Ivory handled folder. 3 1/2”, dovetailed bolsters (bng) Minimum bid $110
MCGOWAN
Lot 164 McGowan stag handled hunter, fileworked back and blade, 9 1/2” OAL, 4 7/8” blade, tooled leather sheath, mint. Minimum bid $50.00.
WEATHERFORD BROTHERS
Lot 165 Weatherford Brothers (Bill and Don), large skinner, stag handles, 10 1/2”, 5 ¼” engine turned blade, Pictured on page 44 of “Knives and Knifemakers” by Sid Latham and formerly in his personal collection. These Texas knifemakers left the business to run a successful machine shop. Knife has been sharpened so near mint. wood case marked “Lee Maynard, Santa Fe , NM .” A softcover copy of the out-of-print “Knives and Knifemakers” is included with this knife. (jca-1000) Minimum bid $100
JIM SMALL
Lot 166 Jim Small fighting knife, prototype, doubled edged, tapered tang with red liners, D2, black micarta handles with red spacer, nickel sliver guard and pins. Original paperwork included. (jca-back15) Minimum bid $90.00.
Jim Small’s micarta handle dagger goes back to a time when he made knives in an old railroad car in Madison , Georgia . This was before he became a world class engraver and hosted two popular PBS Television specials on “How to Build a Knife”.
DAVID HOWIE
Lot 167 David Howie tapered dress boot knife, unusual rare rib bone handle, filed guard, 4” blade, 11 brass pins with file work on tang. Dovetail bolsters, 11 pins, 1978, brass fittings (jca-968) Minimum bid $40.00.
HORACE WIGGINS
Lot 168 HW mark (Horace Wiggins). Cholla cactus with synthetic filling, 4” blade, finger grooved, One of the top early makers. (jca-993) Minimum bid $90.00
CHRIS KORMANIK
Lot 169 Unique hunter Wood handles with brass inserts, tooled slant sheath, 9” OAL, 3 5/8” blade Mint. $015 (bng) Minimum bid $90
SHELDON
Lot 170 Sheldon knives were made by Sheldon Jones, of Frederick , Maryland . A student of Moran and one of the early Damascus makers, he heat treated some of the first knives that former ABS President Jay Hendrickson ever made. At a time when a Loveless knife sold for $550.00, this knife sold for $1250.00. 13” OAL, 7 7/8” blade, fileworked guard and pommel, N/10/74 on tang. Metal tipped throat and tip sheath with fringes. Original catalog included. (jcabac20) Minimum bid $200
STEVE KRAFT
Lot 171 Damascus and Mastodon ivory locking liner, fileworked anodized titanium liners. Ruby thumbstud, 4” blade(bng) Minimum bid $150
W. C. PASS
Lot 172 W. C. Pass, Merritt Island , FL (former Randall employee) 5” drop point, 10” OAL, 154cm, Leather pouch sheath, with spacer and ferrule. Hidden tang, nice balance, one light cleaned speck on the reverse side. Original catalog included. (jca-1145) Minimum bid $150
WAYNE HENDRIX
Lot 173 hunter, 2005, micarta handles 6 1/2” OAL, tapered tang, 2 3/8” blade, Hunting guide who studied under George Herron. (bng) Minimum bid $90
JIM MAGEE
Lot 174 Persian style liner lock, genuine pearl, 3 3/4” closed, mint (mbc) Minimum bid $200.00.
RICK NOWLAND
Lot 175 2 blade pearl folder trapper. 3 3/4” closed, dovetailed bolsters, (bng) Minimum bid $150
Lot 176 Zolan McCarty crown stag handled massive bowie . I mean MASSIVE. 21” OAL, 15 1/2” blade, mint. Fancy fringed sheath with stag ovals as decoration. (btg) Minimum bid $170.00.
JOHN LEBLANC
Lot 177 John LeBlanc, Sulpher, LA, Model 7 , stag handle with red liner, 8 5/8” OAL, 4 1/4” blade, wood presentation case, 154cm blade, tapered tang (jca-1050) Minimum bid $100.00.
JIM LARGENT
Lot 178 Ironwood handled hunter, 4” blade, 8 1/2” OAL, straight tang, bit of filework on the blade, with sheath. (mbc1204) Minimum bid $100.00.
Largent is a knifemaker from Bayfield, Colorado. His knives have won
best knife awards at several PKA shows and well as the award at the Rocky
Mountain Blade Collectors for best of show
Lot 179.
A knife with a story...
...of sorts
I first saw this knife with a second similar knife when it was shown to me by Glen Lambert in the 1970’s. Glen had probably the largest collection of Scagels at the time other than Dr. Lucie, and he was also instrumental in getting the knifemaking careers of Harvey McBurnette, W. T. Fuller, and Durvyn Howard started.
He claimed at the time that these two knives were some of the rarest he had owned, citing the vintage fine pattern Damascus , the elaborate cloisonne handles, and the gold Damascene overlay. He had an elaborate story of how he had obtained them, but I can't remember the details after so many years. They weren't vintage pocketknives and at that time that was my primary interest--and I didn't listen well.
In later years after Glen’s death, a bank called me, wanting to sell a knife describing one of the pair, stating that it had been pledged as collatoral for a five figure loan (to Glen). I told them what I thought it was worth (not five figures) and the disappointed bank officer did not seemed pleased with my free appraisal. I never did hear what happened in that circumstance.
A family whose father passed has consigned the knife shown here, unmarked, and when they asked about it I told them the only ones I had ever seen similar were owned by Glen Lambert years ago. The family member said their father had bought a lot of knives from Glen and this was probably from him.
So there you have the whole story as I know it. In Glen’s eyes this knife was magnificent. If you think so as well, bid accordingly. If not, well bid less than magnificent. Ownership of this knife will transfer at the conclusion of this auction. There is no minimum and no reserve. Govern yourself accordingly. Be brave.
We will have online bidding available in this auction. Check back for a day or two for the link.
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.