The Sun Is Warm And The Wind Is Sweet

The wind doesn’t cut like a knife.  Sunglasses aren’t worn to prevent snow blindness.  Any sand we have is to run between our toes and not for traction.  Why?

I’m not in Cleveland today.  I’m in sunny Florida were the natives are bitching about how cold 78 degrees is.  Me?  I think it’s Heaven.  Especially after during our winter.

I’m down here celebrating my father’s 90th birthday.  He and my mother decided to leave the northern states and move to Florida after he retired.  None of us kids live down here, so they established a beachhead and grew into the community.  They’re happy, but I still worry about them.  My wife is able to help her mother with daily activities but not only can I not help my parents, I don’t get to visit them either.  Florida is just too far for a weekend jaunt.

My father gave me his father’s knife.  At one time it was nice and new, but like a lot of old timer’s knives, the blades are literally sharpened away.  Still, I’ll treasure it as it is.  It is one of the few connections I have to my grandfather.  I’ll get a picture up later.

I like this group of people outside of Chili’s.  They look like a nice family so I took their picture for my blog.  Well, it was either them or hire actors for a family shot.

Really, this is part of my family.  I’m still missing a brother and sister.  They haven’t arrived yet.  I hope they are alright.  Travel can be hazardous.

One of the reasons I think Florida is heaven besides the warm winters is the botany and biology.  This is one of the little guys I see hangin’ around the house looking for a quick meal.

Flies?  You got flies, maybe yes?

Warther Expo Recap

The Warther Expo is over for this year.



Was it a success? I’m taking a page from Bill Clinton. It depends on your meaning of success. If success means getting friends and other knife aficionados together under one roof, it was a success. If you define success as high attendance and foot traffic resulting in sales, the answer is no. Reasons and excuses aside, attendance was down. But it was still great fun!


For those who did attend, great deals, wonderful knives and outstanding sausage sandwiches were available. Here’s some of what you missed.

 Communication was difficult in the large open room we occupied. We soon came to depend on the man known as The Voice.

I didn’t know you could still buy Warther combat knives with the metal sheath. They are, I’m told, a special order but one can be made for you.





 James Pengov was set up at one table with his lovely engravings and tools. James makes knives, but his engravings are spectacular.

Work in progress   Jim@pengovinc.com

My spies tell me (I talked to his father) James is working on achieving national recognition and is close to completing his apprenticeship. Expect his prices to jump, but they will still be worth it.

I showed you one of Jack Hatton’s miniatures in a previous post. Here’s one of his small decorative knife handles.  (For reasons not understood by me at least, Jack's miniature is at the bottom of this blog, at least it was in my previews.)  Jack can be e-mailed at hattongwy@aol.com


 I can't begin to figure out how someone carves a figure this small and so nicely.

Warther knives were quite well represented; after all it was the Dale Warther Memorial Expo. I didn’t know Dale very well, but he always said hello and I miss seeing him at the knife club meetings.

I am always surprised at the stories people tell of finding a Warther treasure at a yard sale or flea market. You see them on eBay once and a while, but these knives have developed quite a following in Ohio. It was a great chance to see the displays.
 

But don't let me confuse you. There were plenty of other knives.

If you couldn’t find something to your taste, well, you weren’t looking hard enough.












And if by some strange chance you have acquired all the knives you want (How can this be?!?), there were wood cases to display your collection.



Well-made wood boxes and cases always remind me of my mother’s father. He was an old-world cabinetmaker. He came over after the First World War and could make magic with wood. He would have never allowed it, but I sometimes wonder if I should have taken a year or two off between high school and college to study under him. Boy, talk about paths not taken and only dimly understood.


Even in the middle of the hubbub and excitement, you could find knife makers lost in thought thinking about their next creation.

See you next year!
 

Knives and Hearts

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, and if you missed giving that someone special a gift or at least a card, you have to wait a year.  Better still, do it sooner, or that someone special may not be in your life that long.

The day was originally named after Saint Valentine in 496 by Pope Gelasius.  The saint’s day was removed from the Roman calendar in 1969 by Pope Paul VI.  Not exactly a cutting edge holiday, it has shown remarkable staying power.  Most nations have some custom or celebration marking the love between two people.  They go by various names, but I like the Guatemalan day, “Dio del Carino” or Day of Affection.

Naturally, I didn’t forget my wife.  How could I?  She grounds me, lifts me up and has my back.  I would not be who I am without her love.

So what did I get her?

It’s a neck knife made by Gary Bucklew.  The small 2-inch 440c steel blade has a dyed giraffe bone handle.  The knife and its dark leather sheath is supported by a tiger conch shell necklace.  I think it’s lovely and she likes it too.  Or, at least she’ll wear it.

I got a partial mystery knife.

It’s a sailor’s knife with non-lockable marlin spike, sheepsfoot blade and can opener.  The main blade is stamped Coricama and is claimed to be (here’s the mystery) 1950-ish Italian navy issue.  I haven’t taken the time to research it.

I like odd knives.  Not any oddity, but oddity as a result of function.  Doctors’ knives are the perfect example.  A proper one has a spatula for compounding and mixing, a slender blade for lancing boils and other minor surgery and a metal base for grinding medical ingredients.

Sailor knives are the next best example.  A spike for working knots free and splicing lines, a blunt tipped knife to prevent injury while working on a rolling ship and can opener for survival rations are often the key components.

I’m already looking at other sailor knives and wondering if there’s a book or website where I can learn more.