Fikes Knives……Whatcha got? Whatcha want?

Here are 2:

Tanto6a1_zpsfd802701.jpg

2014-08-06%2013.37.38_zps6wxanx2k.jpg
 

Attachments

  • Tanto6a1_zpsfd802701.jpg
    Tanto6a1_zpsfd802701.jpg
    43.8 KB · Views: 14
Of course Don Fogg used the inlayed 24k gold cherry blossom logo.
I have heard it said Jimmy's is a chrysanthemum.
Like Win, I wonder if Joss is around ?

Doug
 
Doug C said:
Of course Don Fogg used the inlayed 24k gold cherry blossom logo.
I have heard it said Jimmy's is a chrysanthemum.
Like Win, I wonder if Joss is around ?

Doug
Click to expand...
Oh man, that must be amazing to see.
Hopefully Joss can send a pic.

I know I'm being a bit of a fan… but picking apart these beauties to determine its vintage is a bit fun and geeky for me.
Kinda makes me feel like a witness to a bit of history depending on when you collected a Fikes knife.

Some of the Makers Marks are on the bolster, some are on the spine. Different placements and different marks. Different colors and different marks.
Fikes is the most awesome enigma I've encountered.

And in a collaboration with Don Fogg…. it just sends it to a different place.
Doug, thanks for sharing.
I'm sure Don could reveal some insight.
Joss as well.

But damn…. all knives he's ever introduced, seem to be effin awesome.
Hence why I'm a big fan. As he seems to be able to do no wrong. At least with his knives!
 
These are Fikes II knives. I got the tanto around February and the fighter around May this year. The flats of both have the stamp pattern.
 
Pardon my ignorance, but anyone care to expound on the Fikes II knives? This is the first I've heard of 'em.
 
Fikes II knives are made by Chris Tidwell in Jimmy's shop and under his watchful eye. Chris has worked with Jimmy for over 20 years and, unless told, they are virtual clones of Jimmy's knives and undergo the same forging/grinding techniques, heat-treat, testing, etc....beautiful knives and a number of the ones I pictured were made by Chris.

He had 20 knives at Blade this year and sold a number of them....CUTTING MACHINES!
 
Dawkind said:
He had 20 knives at Blade this year and sold a number of them....CUTTING MACHINES!
Click to expand...

Dudley,
I've never been to Blade. Did Chris and Jimmy sell those beauties themselves, or did they go through someone else? Any idea how one could get any of the new stuff?
I mention this, as you say they "sold a number of them" vs sold out.
 
PM sent.... :)

Chris made the knives and had the table....it was his first Blade Show and he did real well. :)
 
Dawkind said:
Fikes II knives are made by Chris Tidwell in Jimmy's shop and under his watchful eye. Chris has worked with Jimmy for over 20 years and, unless told, they are virtual clones of Jimmy's knives and undergo the same forging/grinding techniques, heat-treat, testing, etc....beautiful knives and a number of the ones I pictured were made by Chris.

He had 20 knives at Blade this year and sold a number of them....CUTTING MACHINES!
Click to expand...

Hi Dudley,

Chris and I have been friends for twenty years. He's only been working in the shop for three years and only started making the Fikes II knives maybe a year ago or a bit longer. The blades he makes are marked on the tang, opposite side from the flower, with two center punch marks to distinguish them from knives I've made. Won't be long until my wife, Maggie and her good friend, Dorothy Carlisle, will be joining the shop crew. That's what I want... other people working in front of the forge while I cool off in the house immersed in a bathtub full of shaved ice and vodka pondering whether I'll actually forge something myself once the weather cools off.

Now that Maggie and Dorothy have both had their 39th birthdays we're considering calling their blades "Old Hen Knives". Might work since they both cackled when I mentioned the idea to them. Or maybe they were growling... I'm deaf as a post after all.

Jimmy "Here, you hold it and I'll hit it" Fikes
 
jimmyfoto said:
Dudley,
I've never been to Blade. Did Chris and Jimmy sell those beauties themselves, or did they go through someone else? Any idea how one could get any of the new stuff?
I mention this, as you say they "sold a number of them" vs sold out.
Click to expand...

Hi Jimmy,

I sent you a short note this morning and a longish one this evening with a couple of photos... of paintings, not knives. Let me know if you get the longer note. If not, send an email address to me at OleyFermo@aol.com and I'll resend it. Me trying to send anything to anyone via farcebook is hopeless.

Thanks,

That Other Jimmy
 
Thanks for straightening me out buddy....I need that you know. ;)

You've got a great crew but soaking in shaved ice and some Absolute ain't a bad way to go either!!!!

Thanks for stopping in and I'm in for one of those 'Old Hen Knives'....after handling the one Maggie made and polished up to reveal that great hamon, I know they'll be fine cutlery.

I hope this finds everyone at your place doing fine and give those animals some love for me....,and Maggie and Dorthy, too. :D
 
Oley... I have to say, that self portrait posted here is as good as your knives! I must look at it every day...

You have younger women forging knives too, all I've gotta say is I'm impressed. I should send you some vodka for that tub... :D
 
jimmyfoto said:
Of course, we both know about assuming things… but my assumption is the blossom is the latest greatest. And the chop and scratch are more vintage. Or have you seen some more recent knives with those marks/logos?
Click to expand...

Hi Jimmy,

I've been using the flower design and other textures on ironwork since about 1970 and on edged weapons since maybe 1975. I've also used numerous other touch marks as whimsy dictates, sometimes even signing blades in script with a buzz tool (which used to make Henry Frank cringe, bless his heart). I think I currently have three of the flower punches in different sizes and numerous other bits and pieces I use to texture / mark / sign the blades depending in part on whether I was in my "art knife" phase was back in the '70's and 80's or in my "string wrapped sharp steel bar" mode... which I'm still drifting along in. I've never cared whether someone knew that some guy named Fikes had made the blade they were using. so much as that they knew they were using a good blade. People and names fade away but a good knife will last for generations of use.

Old Crazy Jimmy
 
OleyFermo said:
I've never cared whether someone knew that some guy named Fikes had made the blade they were using. so much as that they knew they were using a good blade. People and names fade away but a good knife will last for generations of use.
Old Crazy Jimmy
Click to expand...

Hence, why I believe you're a hero to many, Jimmy. And you're a tough act to follow! And why you're knives, set themselves apart from the rest.
 
There is nothing better than a Fikes thread that Oley chimes in on! That shop is goin' to be something else with two women telling you an Chris what to do! Staying in the house with ice an Absolut probably is the answer.

Earlier Jimmyfoto mentioned the green wrap, that is my favorite, nicer when accented with black Turks Heads.

medium800.jpg
 
Being young and fairly new to the scene I hadn't heard of Mr. Fikes till I saw this video last year..

[video=youtube;4abBG8LCMcI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4abBG8LCMcI[/video]

:eek:
 
There is also this video for those who haven't seen:

[video=youtube;YddZTesy--s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YddZTesy--s[/video]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top