To Be Auctioned at the Blade Show In Atlanta 2005
I am proud to be the maker of the ABS Mastersmith Folder for the year 2005. This is
a set of Moran style folders in a Presentation Maple box with Silver wire inlay on the outside of the box lid. I have included
two knives in this set in an effort to express what the forged blade means to me in terms of the ideals of the American Bladesmith
Society's goal of preserving the forged blade and to best represent that which I have learned from Bill Moran over the years. That
being the concept of "Form follows function" and " "Simplicity, Elegance and Power". I share with Bill the concept that all
High Art Knives should first be a well designed tool or weapon, only after it is well designed should embellishment
be added. In making this set of knives I have tried to demonstrate this ideology by making a Field Grade Folding Hunter and
then a Master Grade Exhibition Folding Hunter and setting them side by side in a Silver Wire Inlaid Presentation Maple
Box done in the Moran Tradition. These folders are examples of close tolerance machining with one piece integral
liners and bolsters for strength in the field. The blades are hinged on hardened bearings and the liners have a machined in
boss to help keep the blades from scratching during use instead of a brass or fiber washer. The lock bar and main spring are
of a one piece V spring arrangement simular to that used in high end double barrel shot guns. This allows for easier cleaning
of the knife as there isn't anything but a smooth surface in the spring area. The lock bar has been close tolerance fitted
into the notch in the blade and then has been forged into the notch for a perfect fit. During the final fitting stage after
hardening and heat treating, the actions of these knives have been hand lapped to make all surfaces flat to each other thereby
greatly reducing wear. After the lapping process the knives have been cleaned and a new hardened hinge bearing installed which
is .00025 thicker than the blade. This is done to provide just enough room for oil to float the blade and provide for a lifetime
of good service. Both knives have a blade length of 3 3/4 inches and an overal length of 8 1/2 inches. The blade backs and
lock bars are both fileworked in the same pattern. All screws are slotted and "timed" like the screws in a fine fiream,
this comes from my days as a custom gunsmith.
The Presentation Grade Folder is taken from a folder that is in Bill's catolgue of which Bill has
told me he made about 50 folders total of in his career. All the Damascus steel used in the Presentation knife was
made by me at the 2nd Annual Moran Hammer-in in Frederick Maryland in 2004.
The liners, bolsters and blade are all damascus steel. I used Bill's favorite pattern
on the blade, that being the Maiden Hair or twisted pattern. This pattern does make the most aggressive cutting damascus
blade as the layers cross over the edge. It is also a very good choice for a blade as in twisting the steel it greatly reduces
the chance for any serious flaws in the steel. That is one reason the Viking blades employed a twsited pattern. The scales
on this knife are of course, Fiddleback Maple with silver wire inlay done in a very similar pattern to the knife in Bills
catalog. Outside of the internal changes to Bill's design already spoken of I have added one other modern addition. On both
these knives I have used thumb studs. The thumb studs on the Presentation knife have a high quality Cubic Zircon set into
each stud. I also employ a both decorative yet useful feature on the bolsters. The groove cut into the bolster makes for a
nice appearence but also serves as somwhat of a reference point when using the knife.
The Field Grade Folder is an all carbon steel folder with Amber Stag Jig Bone scales.
The blade is forged from C1095 carbon steel. I have chosen the use of the Amber Stag Jig Bone as a personal favorite of mine
from my misspent and what some folks would say reprobate youth as a "Pennsylvania Dutch" country boy who spent too
many days afield with a gun or fishing rod and a Case red bone trapper in my pocket and a hunting dog at my
side or at other times spent whittling a stick under a shade tree along the Alloways Creek intead of doing my chores. This
jigged bone is pretty close to that old Case red bone I must say. In those days a Moran Folder was my idea of a FANTASY
knife......still is!
