While at A.G. Russell’s Knife Event this past Aug. 16-17—a review of which will appear next time in BLADE®—I was talking with ABS journeyman smith Lin Rhea when I couldn’t help but notice his headgear.

He had on a jungle/boonie-type cover and I asked, “What’s with the hat?” He replied that since so many knifemakers wear cowboy hats, he wanted to do something different so that he didn’t look like a “me too’er”—and in this age of looking for a way to stand out among a growing gang of talented makers, I understand Lin’s sentiments exactly.

All of which got me to thinking about knifemakers and their assorted “looks” over the years. The following list, though admittedly abbreviated, is the result.

•Cowboy hats: Probably the most numerous of personal accouterments among makers is the cowboy hat. When you go to shows and peer out over the tables, cowboy hats pop up like mushrooms. Ten-gallon felt hats of assorted colors seem most popular, with ABS master smith Bert Gaston wearing one at the BLADE Show that looked more like a 20-gallon model. Then there are the variations on the theme, such as BLADE field editor Ed Fowler’s “Montana crease” and the Mexican-American model ABS master smith Jerry Fisk wore at A.G.’s Knife Event. The next thing you know, the Southwest cutlers who make spurs will start wearing them at shows.

•The painter’s hat of Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer© Bob Loveless: Loveless wore a colorfully striped painter’s hat for years and it became one of his trademarks. The reason he doesn’t wear them anymore, he once told me, is that his source in Japan for them dried up. I miss those hats.

•Buckskins: Probably the first makers I was aware of to wear buckskins are R.W. Wilson and Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Dan Dennehy. At one time, Dennehy wore them from head to toe; now he wears a buckskin shirt. ABS master smith Daniel Winkler used to look positively Jeremiah Johnson-ish in buckskins at shows, though he seems to have toned it down in recent years. Fowler wears a buckskin vest. Both he and Dennehy wear cowboy hats, so I guess they’re “guilty” of double dipping in “all their sartorial splendor.”

•Bib overalls and suspenders: The first maker I recall seeing wearing bib overalls at a knife show is ABS master smith Cleston Sinyard. I’ve also seen Dick Atkinson, Kit Carson and ABS master smith Charles Ochs in them. (Atkinson wears red suspenders more now.) When Ochs wore bib overalls, it was an imposing sight. At 6’8”, Ochs was the Paul Bunyan of denim.

•And the rest: Jot Singh Khalsa in his all-white Sikh apparel and long black beard always stands out at shows. I seem to recall Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Bill Moran in dungaree shirts, especially at the BLADE Show, though a lot of that had to do with him and fellow ABS master smith Jay Hendrickson doing their forging seminar outside during the show. (The soft cotton dungaree shirt no doubt felt good in the hot summer sun.)

Billy Mace Imel impeccably attired in suit and tie and finely coiffed is a beacon at any show at which he exhibits. Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer A.G. Russell and his elegant ascot definitely make the list. Baseball caps, of course (ABS master smith Al Pendray in his wootz cap immediately comes to mind), and bolos do, too. And though it doesn’t fit under the apparel label, every time I saw Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer George Herron at a show he would almost always have his ever-present pipe planted firmly between his teeth.
Who am I leaving out? Let us know.

Why Do You Collect Knives?

We have decided to poll BLADE readers to find out why they collect knives. How about it? Why do you collect knives? Give us reasons, anecdotes, inspirations, history, etc. Include the last knife show you attended, the last knife you bought and your favorite knifemaker or knife brand, along with your return contact information.

Send it to Why I Collect Knives, c/o BLADE, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990 or e-mail BladeEditor@fwpubs.com. If you want, include pictures of one of the knives you collect, a picture of you holding the knife, etc. If digital, the pictures must be at least 72 DPI and 2000x2000 pixels, or at least 300 DPI and 1500x1500 pixels. The results will appear in a future issue or issues of BLADE.