To All Swivel Knife Aficionados And Collectors

[gtwister09]

This goes out to all you swivel knife collectors. With the discussion on the earliest swivel knives, I would love to see pictures of your collections and especially older swivel knives that have the cups, rings, etc or incising knives if you have some of them. In the Ringlero article from Shop Talk News there was one of the cup models that was in Jim Jackson's collection.

Clay, Wyoming Slick and some others have already shown some of their swivel knives.

Look forward to seeing any and all your collections.

Regards,

Ben

[Mike Craw]

An earlier ShopTalk! article was all about knives and showed some that Jim Jackson had made from the description Don King gave him about the ones he built out of nails and a piece fo wood with a tin can swivel. I know you can search the current main article on the Proleptic web site, but I don't know how/if you can search past ones. I'm pretty sure I kept the article, but I don't know how I'd put it online from the hard copy. Might check with the folks at ShopTalk! about getting a digital reprint if they'd be willing. It was a fascinating article.

Mike

OK, just went through my files and found my copy of the article. It's entitled, "Swivel Knives, It's All In The Hand" and it was written by Nick Pernokas. It's a nine-page article with quotes from Jim Jackson, Lonnie Height, Bob Douglas, Chuck Smith, Robert Beard, and Paul Zalesak. There are photos of swivel knives from Jim Jackson's collection and the Don King Museum as well as new manufacture from Chuck Smith and Leather Wranglers.

I must have printed my copy from the Proleptic website, since my copy doesn't show the headers or footers, so I can't give you the issue number or date. It might be worth contacting ShopTalk! on their website at www.proleptic.net to see if they would be willing to share it online.

Hope this helps,

Mike

Edited March 10, 2012 by Mike Craw

[gtwister09]

Mike,

Thanks! I already have the article and the web PDF saved. There are actually two different swivel knife articles from Shop Talk., Actually one of them is on a saddlemaker, Mervin Ringlero, but it also has some swivel knife information. I was looking for this from our collections (not just old ones but to also see people's collections). Here the PDFs are together...

Swivel Knives

http://www.proleptic.net/ShopTalk_APRIL_web%20article.pdf

Mervin Ringlero

http://www.proleptic.net/Feb_article.pdf

"I would love to see pictures of your collections and especially older swivel knives that have the cups, rings, etc or incising knives if you have some of them."

Thanks again Mike.

Regards,

Ben

[King's X]

Hey Ben

Included are just a couple of pictures of my swivel knife collection. It has been some time since I took this for my blog. I have added a few more knifes to this collection to include the Craftool 50 Year Anniv, a Hackbarth plus a few more. Interesting thing, when I started leathercraft, I was given a knife that had a 'peg' for a handle and a blade inserted. I thought it was junk and passed it on. If I only knew back then what I had.......man.

Enjoy!

[gtwister09]

Sam,

Thanks for the picture of the collection. You are swivel knife poor for sure! Thanks again.

Regards,

Ben

[King's X]

Most of them are wrapped and in storage. I have an idea for a custom shadow box in my head so that I can put it on the wall in my shop area to display them. I do keep probably my favorite 12 on my bench, each with different knife tips. It makes it easier if I need a beader or edge blade or bevel blade to just reach for the particular knife instead of changing out blades.

Thanks.

[ouchmyfinger]

Most of them are wrapped and in storage. I have an idea for a custom shadow box in my head so that I can put it on the wall in my shop area to display them. I do keep probably my favorite 12 on my bench, each with different knife tips. It makes it easier if I need a beader or edge blade or bevel blade to just reach for the particular knife instead of changing out blades.

Thanks.

im jealous of all of you guys, i just received my barry king tools and i was currently doing some research on a new swivel knife, i have medium size hands for a guy nothing special. what would you guys recommend? i do mostly sheridan and i am currently using a stohlman with stohlman hollow ground blade. i just got my beader blade from barry also and love it. also what blade should i use. I'm sticking with smaller projects like wallets and purses.

thanks

[King's X]

My top 3 have to be the SK-3, Ol' Smoothie and my custom swivel knife with a Barry King blade. I own all of the Stohlman knives and the only issue with them is that (for me) there is wasn't enough grip quality on the barrel. Probably because they are cast. I would say If the barrel and saddle work out for you...........May I suggest that you try out one of Barry King blades for under $20. He is even making blades to fit the shaft diameter of the Craftool swivel knife. Just a suggestion.

[gtwister09]

Here are some older ones that have been sent offline from DiVelbiss, Hackbarth, Ken Rich and Bob Brown.

Bob Brown

DiVelbliss

Hackbarth

Ken Rich

Regards,

Ben

[King's X]

That is cool......now to hunt for a few more swivel knives for the collection.

[NoName]

Finally found time to post this...25 and counting.

Top row: AFAB inc. custom, Bob Beard, Chuck Smith, Henley, Barry King, Hackbarth, Hackbarth, C.S. Osborne.

2nd row: A variety of Craftool products with different blades

3rd row: Midas, Midas (with Craftool yoke because the Midas one fell apart), Midas, Develbiss, (unknown), X-Acto, (unknown), (unknown).

If anyone can identify the unknown ones please let me know.

[pete]

VERY neat!!! I noticed the blades- do you use the angled blades a lot? I prefer them but have been trying to learn the 3/8 straight.

pete

[NoName]

Most of my tooling involves small, tight curves. for straight lines or more broad flowing patterns I will switch to a straight blade. My go-to knife is the first one. A friend of mine in Arizona and I made it based on what I thought a swivel knife should feel like in the hand. It was the prototype. We were going to make more but it never happened.

I am still jealous of King'sX collection. I hope he takes the time to identify all of them for us. There are a couple of them that I am not familiar with yet.

[LNLeather]

Swivel Knives

http://www.proleptic...b%20article.pdf

Mervin Ringlero

http://www.proleptic...Feb_article.pdf

I couldn't get your links to work - am I the only one having trouble?

thanks for your help..... Great info

[gtwister09]

Cheryl,

Tried it with three different browsers and all of them bring up the PDFs. Do you allow viewing of PDFs inside your browser. You can always right click and save them.

Regards,

Ben

[LNLeather]

Cheryl,

Tried it with three different browsers and all of them bring up the PDFs. Do you allow viewing of PDFs inside your browser. You can always right click and save them.

Regards,

Ben

Ohhhh, Thanks Ben.

I don't usually have trouble with this sort of thing.

Usually things just download with one click...

I have an imac, so I tried pressing the command key

and then clicking on the link and it is downloading now.

Thanks so much for your help.

[REDTAILHAWK]

HELLO,

HERE IS A PHOTO OF MY COLLECTION. MOST CAME FROM EBAY AUCTIONS. THANKS

[King's X]

Nice collection....I see few familiar models and a few that I still need for my collection.

[REDTAILHAWK]

Thanks King's X. I was very lucky to get a few of them. Especially the Rob Barr Swivel Master that holds the Xacto blades.

[Havamal]

Great articles! Thanks for sharing them!

[mmirob]

I knew I shouldn't look at these postings... I just get green with envy! I love the turquoise inlay!

[spud762]

These are my knives. I just started but love collecting and using the them.

[spud762]

I just got this in the mail!!!!

I feel lucky to have found it!!

[REDTAILHAWK]

Hello, SPUD672,

You already have some in your collection I'd like to have. In your first photo, the knife below the Midas one, does that one have a gold inlay? If so can you take a closer photo so we can see it better, please? And the Robb Barr Special Edition! Plus being the 1 0f 100! You should be proud of that one. What sort of blade set up does it have? I was wondering if they made those with Robb Barr's multi-blade system that a lot of people are trying to get. Thanks for posting the photos. I'm soooo jealous!

[spud762]

Thanks!!! The other ol smothie also has the gold Inlay. It's the one with the ranch branding iron symbols on it. Ill take a picture when I get home.

The Robb Barr has the cobalt thin blade on it. Just don't want to carve wih it!'