One of my goals for the new season is to try to introduce new customers to the world of the hand forged knife. Most of us try to get as much exposure as we can with our knives and will routinely assist novices with their learning of the trade but I want to reach those who typically have never had any interest in custom knives. I recently thought of an idea that hopefully may help do this.
For this project I chose to build multiple recreations of the most famous knife that I could think of to the general public. This needed to be a knife that people who otherwise would never buy a hand forged knife might be attracted toward buying and displaying. For this project I chose a knife from Hollywood that I believe most are familiar with--"The Iron Mistress".
I believe that there are few who have not seen either Alan Ladd, Richard Widmark or John Wayne holding this knife in the movies. If I can build these knives for an attractive enough price hopefully it will bring some new buyers/collectors to the custom knife world.
In any case, it should be an enjoyable venture.
Gary
It sounds like a good plan Gary. Put your idea in front of some of the magazine editors. Garden and Gun, Field and Stream, etc. In other words, not just the knife magazines. They look for such stories. And it is the STORY that they want and what this knife has as well as your bringing it to life. Good job.
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It sounds like a good plan Gary. Put your idea in front of some of the magazine editors. Garden and Gun, Field and Stream, etc. In other words, not just the knife magazines. They look for such stories. And it is the STORY that they want and what this knife has as well as your bringing it to life. Good job.
Thanks, Lin. I hadn't thought about the magazines but that's a good idea. I'll try to take some photos as I go and once that I have the first knives completed, I get to writing. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> That would make for a nice winter's evening's work when there's not much else to do.
Gary
I've been a little tardy in finishing many of my knives recently but finally got around to completing the first of the "Iron Mistress" knives. This one has a blade of W1. The handle is blackwood. The guard is 416 and the remainder of the handle hardware is nickel silver.
I have two projects on my wish list for 2018.
1. A Ballock dagger or dirk with a carved or fluted handle.
2. A sword. Preferably a Geibig type 3 blade with a Petersen type X hilt. (9th century)Pattern welding is optional!
Joshua States
www.dosgatosforge.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg
https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71
Also on Instagram and Facebook as J.States Bladesmith
“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.â€
