Page 22 - Blade (January 2019)

®
COLLECTING CUSTOMS | BY LES ROBERTSON BLADE FIELD EDITOR

PATHS TO

H
KNOW WHAT THEY ARE AND LEARN
HOW TO BLAZE E YOUR OWN

PATH 1: It’s hard to resist the allure of a top-rate
a
using knife, and hunters lead the way due to their
sheer numbers and relative economy of price.
Landon Robbins outfi ts his droppoint in 1084
m
carbon steel with a handsome hamon anddesert
ironwood. Overall length: 8.5 inches. His list Bowies have always ranked high among
price for a similar piece: $450 (includes a collector favorites, and BLADE Magazine
4
®
h
custom leather sheath). (Chuck Ward image) Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame member Rudy Ruana
made some of the biggest—and some nice
hunters, too. (image courtesy of Mike Ruana)

hat puts a collector on edge? It can be a single attri-
bute of a custom knife such as a stag handle or a blued
Wguard. For others it can be the combination of materi-
als, design/style and/or the maker.
For most collectors it is about deciding what is in and what

is out of their collections. They control the direction of their
avocation.
What is it that turns someone into a collector of custom
knives? My experience over the past three decades has taught
me there are four primary paths.

22 BLADE JANUARY 2019