Serial number 171. Completed 1/9/80. A Nice smaller slip joint (pull open and snap closed - like your Grandpa's old Case knife.)

It had been out in the world. I ended up with it thru some long forgotten trade. It probably had never had a drop of oil. Was a bit gritty. I opened it. Stropped and buffed the cams and spring. Buffed the interior and exterior components and blade. Sharpened it. It's edge was razor sharp but it had a tiny wrinkle/twist near the point. Like somebody buried it in a knot and twisted. I corrected it mostly by judiciously cold forging. Then sharpening took out most of the rest. But, if you sight the edge, you'll see a ghost if it. It will come out in subsequent sharpening. I didn't want to grind off good blade steel just to obcess over it. .

I have to locate my mislaid knife serial numbers for the early years. I've had them here at BPS but they are hiding right now. To my memory, I made 99 knives at Braddock Heights Md in 79/80. My stay there ended when the landlord accidentally set a fire in the attic while working on plumbing, behind the knee walls. That night, while I was at a huge Sportsman's show, the house burned. The upper floor collapsed onto our floor and into the basement. The debris and water filled my shop. My family was ok. My previous motherinlaw was watching my girls. I was very lucky for neighbors and ... Firemen. It was the coldest night of the year. The house burned inside the sheet of ice from fire hoses.

This knife was made as inventory for the show I was attending. When I got the message about the house, I just gave away my Show display of backdrop, cabinets, etc., and packed my stuff. I'd been judged worthy to graduate into the Main Hall of the East Coast Sportsmens show in Harrisburg ... after only my first year. Nuts!! People kill for those locations! And, afterwards, I never have gone back. A shame. It was quite an opportunity lost.

Well .... that's the setting.

This rare Braddock Hghts Folder, is for sale @ $600 to the first to drop their marker!. It's real nice. This is S#171 and I'm at about 1,390 now!

$600 plus $17 to ship.

To "Drop Marker" just post here .... , "I'll take it Gary".

Best, thanks very much guys.
Gary

It sold right away. Thank you Kurt. I just wanted readers to see it for a while. Many thanks to all for stopping by to read. I'll have new items for sale shortly!



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2017 02:41PM by barnespneumatic.

Wood - Bubinga
Frame - Brass
Steel - O-1 High Carbon Tool Steel

Just a curious note. If Braddock Heights, Maryland sounds familiar to Knife Collectors ... it was the home of Bill and Margret Moran. Bill was the famous Bladesmith who began the American Bladesmith's Society. I lived a couple of blocks away on the same street in 1979. I'd considered it an honor to be his friend from approx 1976 on. When I jointed the ABS, he performed my stage testing as I progressed to Madter Bladesmith. Thru conversations with him, I came to understand the process of making Damascus Steel.

Just a note. Has nothing to do with this little folder, but the Braddock Hghts thing may ring a bell.

Gary

Gary
That's a beautiful little knife for anyone to make or own even IF it's early on in you career. . It's very functional and decorated in a couple of different ways . I've got a early Barnes knife from that same year . 6-10-1980 . Serial # 227 Windsor Md . Now 5 months later after the fire you've already produced a couple more knifes ???? Dang your fast and good .
It's a very similar to that one without any real decoration. It's has rosewood scales and a brass body with a highly polished blade . It's got some very nice filing on both sides of the liners and also along the spline.
I only wish I could make one as nice . This one came with a simple leather case with a snap . If know one has spoken for it yet ........



" Thanks Gary , I'll take it "

Thanks
Kurt

Hah! Hi Kurt .... Thank You.

Lots of funny stuff here. Kelly sent me a text ... had a screenshot of your post immediately above. Said ... "Guess you haven't seen this." I was surface grinding a Damascus blade when she beeped in.

I looked at it. "Well, I'll be." Great! Then, I realized the knife didn't have wire inlay or dress filed bolsters. "Huh???" Where'd he get a pic of this knife before I finished it?!! Then, I realized it was a Twin. Gosh ... might be about as close as I have made two!!!

Then .... I looked at the numbers. You were impressed I'd made a knife 5 months after the fire. Actually ... note there were 56 knives between this one of mine 1-9-80 and yours was 6-10-80. Good Grief.

During that time, I'd prepared for the Harrisburg show. Gone. House burns. We secure the New Windsor place (which was available because it HAD sold at auction recent to that, and the buyers financing had failed. The owner was in the mood to sell. So; we drag my stuff covered in frozen debris out of the basement of the wrecked house. Load it on my Dad's flat bed trailer and haul it to New Windsor. There was an 1894 one car thin board garage on a row of sunked (and frozen in bricks. Middle of February 1980). I chip loose, and jack up the shed. Order a truck load of concrete. I pour a concrete floor in Feb. Yes it cracked. I worked on the cracks for the next 35 years.

To be continued....

BTW ..... Here's an old pic of your new knife. Found in the thousands of print pictures I have in boxes. Couple things I noticed. To take this knife down, clean, repair, reassemble ... I used the Higher Class "Raised Domed Hammered and Polished Pins." As you see in the original pic, in Jan. I was hammering them flush into countersinks and sanding and polishing them flush. The repair upgraded (I wouldn't have wanted to grind down your handle patina anyway), but your June Folder HAS orig. raised pins. Between Jan., and June, I started doing that as standard. Also .... where the edge terminates at the flat ricasso .... the concave cut there (The Choil) allows you to lay an edge flat on a stone or just avoid the curve that develops there as a blade is sharpened. The January knife had no Choil. Your June knife does. Because I repaired this edge, I just as a reflex, added the Choil. So; between Jan 80 and June 80, I began using a Choil on the blades. I'll give you this 38 year old pic with your knife.

More to come ....
Gary

Another few notes. Between Jan 80 and June 80, I not only made a shop out of a small rickety box of single car garage (it was small. Previous owner had parked his BMW 318i in it and FILLED it up with that small car. Haha. To continue .... that was also the period of time during which my first marriage exploded on the rocks, and I was caring for a couple of toddler aged girls.

Amazing.

I recall too ... in 80 I built my first Forge. Made my first Damascus Dagger. Built my rolling mill. Build my Power Hammer.

No wonder I'm worn down a bit. It was 1980.

Gary

Hey Gary
That's some serious knife production. You know I got to thinking maybe the wood on my knife isn't rose wood but. Bubinga . I have a rose wood bevel indicator and the grain is not like the knife . The wood on Kents kayak looks more orange than deep red . Hmmm

Thanks
Kurt

Hi Kurt,

Yes. That's Bubinga. The darker oily exotic woods oxidize. As they age, they will get almost black. Cocobolo does the same. Purple Heart as well. You'd need a strong UV protection to prevent it. All woods darken. But if you noticed, I use mahogany a lot on my gun stocks. It mellows and becomes very very rich in tone. Note some of Kent's guns. They just become beautiful and it looks like you can look "into" the wood.

Gary

Kurt, you beat me to it. Wish I would have stopped by yesterday afternoon. That would have made a nice Christmas present for myself!

Scott