Page 35 - Blade (February 2020)

who felt it couldn’t be done successfully.
Previously, the Guild Show had been held
in conjunction with a gun show, but, under
Dowell’s leadership, the event came into its
own as an all-custom-knife show.
Mrs. Dowell also remembers Ted’s work
on the Guild bylaws and that he spent
hours on the telephone with Cutlery Hall-
Of-Famer Bob Loveless (page 12) to put the

tenets together. The two knifemaking giants
had a mutual respect for one another, and
Loveless taught Dowell how to make the
wet-form sheath.
After so many years, Betty refl ected on

her husband’s life and work.
“He wanted to be known as a ‘straight
arrow’ who kept up his orders,” she

commented. “That’s a typical New
Englander, I guess, because he was brought
up in that area. He was a rebel. A school
administrator once said that if he asked
Ted a question, he knew he was going to
get a straight answer. He never hesitated to
express his opinion.”
Throughout his life, Ted Dowell managed

to solve those stubborn equations that
confronted him. Anyone who picks up one
of his knives feels that lasting impression.

*Dave Harvey moved his Nordic Knives
retail knife shop to Boise, Idaho, where the
Solvang Show will be reincarnated as the
Nordic Knives Invitational Knife Show May
2 at the Grove Hotel (page 56).

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Dowell also made
lockback folders,
including this one
with scroll engraving.
(SharpByCoop image)

FEBRUARY 2020 blademag.com 35