Old School Sheffield (pro photo on pg 3)

[akaboomer]

I love your take and modernization of a classic!!!
Thanks for sharing the pic and portion of the process.

Chris

[JMR]

Amazing knife Lin as usual!

[Bladepeek]

Lin, do you use a press with your name stamp, or just a bigger hammer? I'll be darned if I can get mine that deep. Maybe I need a different stamp. I did chip the upper leg of the "k".

[Lin Rhea]

Thanks.

Ron, I'm using an electro etcher.

[D.Ellis]

Looks vintage.........only shinier.  :D      
Darcy

[Jedimaster]

I don't know much about knife design or history but I know when something looks right and can see this knife is special. Very well designed and executed. I'm amazed by your talent ... and how you make it seem effortless. Just not enough nice to say about this one.

[akaboomer]

Lin, was this knife inspired by one of the Woodhead design Sheffield's? Is there a possibility you could show us some of the historic designs that inspired this peice?  I have seen the display of historic knives at the museum where you work, was the inspiration from one of those or perhaps a book that is housed at the museum?

I love historic inspired knives and enjoy seeing what inspired the artist.

Chris

[Lin Rhea]

Thanks.

Yea, I have one picture at the moment that shows one of the George Woodhead Bowies. The area where the ivory is shown is what I was thinking of, escutcheon plate included. Mine is more or less a stylized version.
 

There is also another maker of that time period named Chevalier whose knives are especially graceful and well proportioned that I really like. I used his idea of incorporating two materials in the handle.

I had lunch with his great, great....(not sure how many greats)nephew on Friday. It was intertesting getting some family history on the maker from his viewpoint.

[akaboomer]

Thanks Lin. I do like the history and historic value of pieces like the Woodhead you posted.  Historic inspired knives are great.

Chris

[allen newberry]

That is too cool!  Those old knives sure are inspirational.

[Lin Rhea]

Thanks guys. If you ever are feeling burnt out on knives, just get your hands on a Bowie Knife Book and thumb through it. It'll get you fired up.

[J Reeves]

Great Job Lin.. I got to find my self one of them Bowie knife books..

[ron w]

Outstanding job.....      

[Lin Rhea]

Thank you. I just got the finished pro photo.

 

[milehi101]

Lin I admire all your knives but have never made a comment on them.  Cant help but comment on this one
it is absolutely awesome.  It has to be a labor of love to put in the hours to make a masterpiece like this one.

[Lamey]

Lin, as always, knockout work.. and your right, those old "bowie" books can be very inspriational.  There is one on Bowies/Knives of the Civil War thats a good read.

[Lin Rhea]

Thanks guys. Yes Matt, I plan to have that book. I'll see Mark Zaleski soon and he will have some with him. You ought to load up and drive to Little Rock in February (16,17).

[Xander]

Wonderful work, as always Lin!  Truely inspiring for a steel hack like myself.  Its nice to finally have found a forum where you post your work, I very much enjoy it.

One question, I'm having a hard time with making the handle materials stand proud of the metal fittings, what do you use to guage the height?  Do you also leave it tall on the tang sides for a frame handle?


Cheers!

-Xander Holman

[Lin Rhea]

Thanks Xander. As weird as it sounds, I eyeball the thickness where it's proud. Sometimes I have to measure, but I avoid it when possible. I flattened the backs against the frame but leave the edge of the ivory proud in as many directions as possible. I can flush the stag most of the time depending on its age. I just grind the thickness till it looks right to my eye. The great photos in some of the books are a big help to see whether the makers thickened theirs or flushed it.

When you get the chance to see the really old knives from that time period, you'll see that the material has usually shrunk. Some more than others.

[akaboomer]

Just got word that this won the Best Historic Knife award at the Arkansas Custom Knife Show banquet this evening.

Congratulation Lin.

Chris