Gil Hibben - The Man and His Knives by C. Houston Price
Gilbert W. Hibben of LaGrange, Kentucky is an unusual man, one who has been able to build his life around an object and a profession he truly loves - knives. In his own quiet and unassuming way, Hibben has made his mark in the world of handmade knives. He has pioneered; he has taught; he has influenced; and, for a long time, he has had the recognition and respect of custom knife fanciers. As creator of the Rambo III knife and a host of others, Gil Hibben is now recognized throughout this country and most other countries as well.
When one first meets Gil, his soft spoken and friendly manner would quickly reveal that he is a true gentleman, a family man - father and grandfather. Visiting with him reveals seemingly endless talents and experiences - some unrelated to knives and knifemaking. A smooth and pleasing tone sets the stage for learning that Hibben's tenor voice has been heard singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as well as the award winning Thoroughbred Barbershop Chorus. It's a voice that can also be heard a N4LRF on the Amateur Radio bands as well. With musical talents not limited to singing, Gil plays guitar and is extremely talented at the near-lost art of playing "rhythm bones" - learned in childhood from his father. Whether he makes do with teaspoons or uses his own handcrafted "bones," Hibben can complement almost any musical act.
There are other sides to this versatile man such as his expertise in the Martial Arts. He holds a black belt in judo as well as a third degree black belt in Kenpo karate, which he has taught. Hibben enjoys hunting and served as a hunting guide during his residency in Alaska. And, whenever such a busy man seeks time to relax, he does so by riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Gil has spent the greatest part of his life making knives, begining it as a hobby after his 1956 discharge from the Navy. His first knife was made in 1950, but he doesn't count it as the beginning of his knife making career. That's when he wanted a big knife like the one carried by Jim Bowie and was unable to afford to buy one. Looking back at the experience, Gil figures that he labored at least sixty hours with a stone grinder, file and drill in making that first knife.
His early knives were given away with his father, his brother and a number of friends as the recipients. "I was having a great time making them. My love of making knives meant more than owning them," he recalls, admitting that as one of his early downfalls. "I enjoyed it so much that I was going broke. I couldn't afford to by materials and then give the knives away - but, I did it." Then someone wanted to buy a knife and he sold his first bowie for $45. "Thats the kicker," he points out, "when you get some money for your work. I was hooked. I had graduated from the pure pleasure of making knives to thinking, hey, people will actually buy these things."
During the next several years as a part time knifemaker, Hibben was selling knives to local hunters and sportsmen. Knifemaking began to occupy more and more of his time and thoughts so that, in 1964, he became a full-time maker working in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1965, when one of his knives was pictured on the cover of Guns and Ammo magazine, Hibben was transformed from a maker of knives for local hunters and sportsmen into one that was nationally known. To reduce overhead and because of the area's good fishing and hunting, he moved that year to Manti, about 125 miles south and in the center of the state.
The next five years spent in Manti were significant ones in Hibben's knifemaking career. He had the pleasure of working and learning with, teaching and influencing a number of makers whose names were relatively unknown at the time but could now be featured in a "Who's Who" of the knifemaking world. The Small Business Association had helped set up a knifemakers' apprentice course, with Hibben as the instructor at the Utah School of Knifemaking and he is the only knifemaker to have been officially recognized by the government as a teacher of the craft. Another highlight of his Utah years was his designing, in 1968, all of the Browning's original line of knives.
While living in Seattle after his Navy Discharge, Hibben worked as a machinist for Boeing Aircraft and learned of some excellent metals. He began making knives using an industrial-use steel known as 01. It was 1964 when he learned of a new "super steel" called 440C. Because it is available only in round, square, or hexagon stock, using it was no easy task. Hibben recalls, "We had to hand forge everything into knife blanks. I used gas fired ovens, a fifty pound trip hammer, a big anvil and wore wrist supports while pounding my way through all those knives." He feels confident that he was the first custom knifemaker to use 440C and, to the best of his knowledge, Hibben was the first to mirror polish custom blades. In claiming these innovations, Hibben is quick to add, "Nothing I did was all that special; it's just that I was there." One thing that he's very proud of, however, is having been able to help beginning knifemakers. It is with no small degree of satisfaction that Hibben smiles as he calls himself the Johnny Appleseed of knifemakers - "It seems that wherever I go, there are knifemakers springing up around me."
Hibben was and is a prolific knifemaker. He made about 300 knives for use by our servicemen during the Vietnam conflict and feels that his first hand knowledge of the martial arts has helped him in making knives that are functional. Just as his martial arts experience has benifited his knifemaking abilities, Hibben feels that his five year experience serving in Alaska as a guide to big game hunters helped him to understand just what is required in knives used in the wilderness.
When asked about the Rambo III movie Knife, Hibben explains, "It was luck." Since meeting a few years ago, Sylvester Stallone has purchased over twenty Hibben knives for his collection. Still, there was real excitement around the Hibben household when Stallone called him one evening and asked if he'd like to make the knife for the new movie. They began discussing designs and agreed that a large bowie made by Hibben many years ago should be a good basic design. The success of the movie is now history, but the knife featured in it continues to establish new records; the Rambo III knife could well be the best selling knife of this decade. Hibben's association with United Cutlery has resulted in many thousands of knives, factory made to his design and specifications, selling throughout the world.
Hibben's handmade knives cover a wide variety, from small skinners to large and heavy swords - some with blades a yard in length. Production time can range from a week to six or more months, depending on the design, Prices of his handmade pieces range from $300 to over $10,000, depending upon the knife. More recently, he has preferred to make art knives and is earning attention for some of his elaborate work. "I liked doing the movie knife," he says. "but I'd like to be remembered even more for being an artist. I never dreamed of being an artist."
As a teenager slaving away to make a knife like Bowie's, Gil never dreamed of a hero like Rambo nor that he would someday be making a special movie knife. Nor did he dream that he'd have the opportunity of making knives for personalities such as John Wayne, Elvis Presley, Steve McQueen, Sylvester Stallone and Steven Segal or world leaders such as Israel's Defense Minister Moshe Dayan and Vice-President Dan Quayle.
As a knifemaker and knife designer, Hibben has earned a dedicated following of knife users and collectors from all parts of the world. Call it luck, if you want, but recognize that the luck has been a long time in coming. Call it the good fortune of being in the right place at the right time, but this knifemaker has been in his share of places during several decades. Gil says, "We all have inner guidance and I would like ro give credit to that. It's been like following a dream." He has, indeed, built his life around knives - an object and a profession he truly loves.
