Let's See Some Hunting Knives

[CBH Australia]

I will definitely agree that you can by a great knife in the US for the same amount of money. The $90 in shipping from NZ is a killer and makes it not really worth it IMO. You can spend the same amount of money here and only 10-20 bucks of that will be tied up in shipping (the difference obviously being made up in the quality of work). So definitely more bang for your buck buying American. Side note, there are some Eastern European makers that do acceptable/good/great for the same amount of money and ship for very reasonable prices.

AH drama aside, I like Garry just fine as a person. That said I agree he does acceptable/good work but not great work. But I don’t think his goal was ever to do it for a living and finish them to a higher degree. I think his actual pricing reflects that, the shipping costs (which are out of his control) being the problem. As far as I know all his knives, except probably kitchen knives, include a basic sheath so I find your sheath comment odd.

Now… I SERIOUSLY doubt Garry was the problem in your experience with him. Going off of your posts since you have been on AH I would imagine you were the problematic one. If there was a problem to begin with.

Yes, the freight is high.
My only regret is that I did not preorder another before I went to visit him.
Lovely people and Garry showed me around his workshop and walked me through some of the steps it takes to make a knife. Then we gratefully accepted his offer to have lunch with them. I doubt he makes big money from this and everyone has to put a value on their time. If he wasn’t retired I think he would put more value on his time.
The kitchen knife set he made himself while Lyne was in hospital is absolutely top class work but has also taken a lot of time.

 

[Tgood1]

My favorite hunting knives.
Neither expensive, both industrial, 100% utilitarian
Mora and Buck

View attachment 681005

Mora blades are just unbelievable in regards to price. I love em

 

[CBH Australia]

A design made to my request known as the 4x4 hunter. Inte to be short enough to wear in a vehicle. Sturdy enough for general tasks and a nice shape for skinning. Coincidentally the handle is 4” and the blade is 4” as per discussions around design.

 

[Scott4030]

I have used a Gerber A475 since 1978. Love it. Great drop point, stays sharp, sharpens easily.

 

[CBH Australia]

In front is a small knife made in Australia.
The Sharpal Diamond hone has a leather pouch where the backside doubles as a strop.
The little skinning knife by a New Zealand knife maker was a custom design I asked for. The handle colour is Toxic Yellow.

 

[mdwest]

A design made to my request known as the 4x4 hunter. Inte to be short enough to wear in a vehicle. Sturdy enough for general tasks and a nice shape for skinning. Coincidentally the handle is 4” and the blade is 4” as per discussions around design.
View attachment 681538

I went for something very similar.. a "Tahr Hunter".. same blade and handle profile for the most part, but with a 3 3/4" blade.. I think it will be just about a perfect size for our whitetail and the typical texas feral hog.. Im looking forward to putting it to use a bit this next season...

As to shipping, G put mine in the post the next business day after I ordered.. It took 6 days for it to get through the NZ post, get approved for export/shipping, etc.. then another 2 days to get to the US.. once it arrived in the US, the US Govt sat on it for 2 days before approving it to be released to the US postal service (that just happened yesterday).. its now got to make its way from Los Angeles (where it entered the US) to Dallas.. my guess is it will be in my hands around Tuesday unless USPS screws something up (always possible with USPS)... So from the moment of order until anticipated delivery is going to be +/- 2 weeks (not all that bad IMO).. and G did his part, dropping it off at the postal service quickly (just 1 day) and providing me tracking information that's allowed me to watch it on its journey (see all information above)... I have zero complaints.. its been a very easy, smooth, and quick transaction.. and if things go sideways from this point forward, that will be entirely on USPS.. not on G or NZ..

 

[Altitude sickness]

I’m finishing up my Randall inspired knife.

Sneak peak. I should be able to wrap it up tomorrow
D2 steel and Mammoth tusk ivory scales.

I bought a custom knife and the builder angled the top of the tang and handle the way the hand angles when clenched around it. And love it. So I’m trying that angle on this one. It ads to the custom fit of my hand.

 

[mdwest]

I’m finishing up my Randall inspired knife.

Sneak peak. I should be able to wrap it up tomorrow
D2 steel and Mammoth tusk ivory scales.

I bought a custom knife and the builder angled the top of the tang and handle the way the hand angles when clenched around it. And love it. So I’m trying that angle on this one. It ads to the custom fit of my hand. View attachment 682386

Ive got a large piece of D2 out in the shop and some dark green micarta.. Its my plan to do an mdwest knock off of a Randall Model 15 at some point..

 

[Altitude sickness]

Full disclosure. I am not a knife builder. More of an assembler. I bought the blade blank. Then bought the ivory from a collector.

So this blade is definitely NOT a Randall. But the closest I can get with my skill level

 

[Altitude sickness]

The polishing of the steel alone to look like a Randall is a lot of labor.

 

[CBH Australia]

@mdwest I think the Tahr hunter is another nice design and I like the enclosed sheath as shown in the first one that was posted as a pic.
I believe that design was inspired by a Kiwi named Henry.
Please post a pic when you receive it.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Finished sanding and polishing the handle. Now to make a decision if I want to polish the blade like a Randall. I have a Sullivan by Gutcher sheath coming for it

 

[Altitude sickness]

The mammoth ivory has a special deep warm look and feel. Nothing looks or feels like ivory.

I think I’ll make some for a pistol next.

 

[Wyfox]

I forged this damascus blade in a knife making class. I used pre-ban ele ivory over ebony wood and cocobola with mosaic pins. I made the sheath from 9oz saddle leather with ostrish glued and hand sewn over it.

 

[Wyfox]

My go to hunting knife is an old Marbles
and this M. Sanders (Louisiana)
Both gifts from my old man. My Havalon probably gets used the most though...

 

[Atticus]

 

[Datchew]

You guys are pretty amazing making all those knives.
Im still in the camp of treating knives like can openers and crowbars. Just a tool. But I respect the work and elegance you put into them.

 

[Nicaburns]

You guys are pretty amazing making all those knives.
Im still in the camp of treating knives like can openers and crowbars. Just a tool. But I respect the work and elegance you put into them.

Oh, we make crowbars too…
But, like fine rifles, sometimes a fine tool can also be a work of art… at least in the eyes of the guy who made it anyway!
I think any maker considers it a huge compliment when any blade he makes is actually used in the field

 

[Betterinthebush]

This is a skinner/flesher I designed in Virgil Campbell’s shop in Moose Pass Alaska. The bone handle is the first trophy caribou I caught and the first animal I took in Alaska. Only seemed proper to make a forever working memory out of him instead of hanging him on the wall. Virgil made this for me 20 years ago. There’s a lot of patina on the steel from blood and salt water.

 

[Droppoints]