Ken Erickson Knives: A Retrospective

Here is another of Ken's knives, which just arrived in the mail!
Thanks Mike R!! It's my turn to look after it for a while.

I remember this knife when it was made. At 3 3/8" plus a little, it is amazing that Ken got so many blades and such detail into this smaller knife!
Ken's hand-jigged and dyed bone, and a rendition of a Curley-patent Manicure blade (the nail-file works!), plus Sheepfoot and Pen blades.
All snap perfectly at about 5+ pulls, this is a nicely balanced Gent's knife!
Erickson%20Norfolk%20Pen%203_zpsgdy5uajt.jpg

Erickson%20Norfolk%20Pen%204_zps3yczk7bg.jpg

Erickson%20Norfolk%20Pen%202_zpsha50tidl.jpg

Erickson%20Norfolk%20Pen%201_zpsaxw60wve.jpg



Pure elegance! What craftsmanship....wow!!:eek::thumbup::thumbup:
 
Wow Charlie, that's..something else. I love Ken's hand jig and dyed bone, all the little details such as the nail file and long pull pen make it come together. That's a beauty for certain :)
 
Very nice, Charlie! Pure elegance in a little package. That would be a pleasure to carry and use.
 
So great to see pics of the knives Ken has made for Charlie and Blues and some come with great memories, especially that stag locking whittler.

Missed your post Gus - thank you!
And thanks to all of you for the nice words. Ken has quite a following of people who appreciate his work!
 
A very very long awaited mailcall. Been looking this knife by Ken for a very long while now and the previous owner relinquished it to me after some prodding and convincing ;) Thank you Joe~ In my pocket now but that jigging oh my :D

Ken Erickson Serpentine Jack
--3 5/8" Closed length
--CPM D2 (Small number "7" on pile side tangs denotes blade steel)
--Half-stops both blades
--800 grit hand finished blades, finished bright inside
--410 integral frame and bolsters
-- Hand dyed and jigged bone scales, dark mahogany color
--.098 flat ground clip blade, .074 flat ground modified pen blade
--Cut swedges
--Long pull clip blade, standard pull pen blade
--5 1/2 to 6 on the pull, firm but pleasant to open.
--Wrap around spring for pen blade.
--Federal shield pinned.
--2 3/8 oz


tumblr_ochi9tOVyJ1rzq6m9o1_1280.jpg

tumblr_ochi9tOVyJ1rzq6m9o4_1280.jpg

tumblr_ochi9tOVyJ1rzq6m9o2_1280.jpg

tumblr_ochi9tOVyJ1rzq6m9o3_1280.jpg
 
Last edited:
You're on a roll, Tim! I like the combination of blades and the design with the wrap around spring. Nice looking bone covers and shield too. Very nice!
 
You're on a roll, Tim! I like the combination of blades and the design with the wrap around spring. Nice looking bone covers and shield too. Very nice!

Thank you Jake :) Nothing like a knife you've been 'on the hunt' for to come without grasp. I really enjoy this style of broad scallop jigging in contrast to the other examples I've seen Ken create before.
 
Wonderful Erickson, Tim. I really like that pen blade. It's very similar to a modified wharncliff blade.
 
Wonderful Erickson, Tim. I really like that pen blade. It's very similar to a modified wharncliff blade.

Exactly what I thought Gary, a really nice zulu style or modified wharncliffe blade that's actually nice and full sized compared to many pen blades I've encountered. :)
 
question fellas, does one have to sign up or wait for the books to be open? or is mostly a find it at knife shows kind of thing to pick one of these up?
 
question fellas, does one have to sign up or wait for the books to be open? or is mostly a find it at knife shows kind of thing to pick one of these up?

Ken is usually at the Badger show in October, he goes to a few local shows (Wisconsin) a year.
 
I "think" (and am pretty sure) that when I did my first knife project with Ken, which seems like yesterday, it was the first time he had been requested to make a zulu style blade. (Of course neither of us had heard of a zulu blade at that time and I had requested it simply because I had a production knife with a pen blade shaped somewhat similarly which I had grown to really like.)

Turned out that Ken really liked that blade shape as well and we utilized it on many projects thereafter.

Erickson_Bone_Hunter2.jpg
 
Ken is usually at the Badger show in October, he goes to a few local shows (Wisconsin) a year.

question fellas, does one have to sign up or wait for the books to be open? or is mostly a find it at knife shows kind of thing to pick one of these up?

As far as I know these days..Ken isn't making knives at the moment? Perhaps Charlie could provide some insight. A friend of mine in Wisconsin said he's been absent from the local Wisconsin shows as well as the Badger knife show. I have heard that he's in good health which is the best thing to hear even if he isn't making knives at this time.

I "think" (and am pretty sure) that when I did my first knife project with Ken, which seems like yesterday, it was the first time he had been requested to make a zulu style blade. (Of course neither of us had heard of a zulu blade at that time and I had requested it simply because I had a production knife with a pen blade shaped somewhat similarly which I had grown to really like.)

Turned out that Ken really liked that blade shape as well and we utilized it on many projects thereafter.
...

Beautiful 2 blade Elliot! Seems like this one I have might have come after that one ;)
Similar jigging, zulu blade shape and end cap bolsters.

tumblr_ocixhq7V4y1rzq6m9o1_1280.jpg
 
Tim, I don't know when Ken built it.

Your images don't show up for me without me going into your post as if to edit it and then copying the url for the image and opening in a new tab...so you'll understand that I miss a lot of the pix (which is why I don't often comment on them).

Must be something to do with how my chromebook and security interact with your hosting site.

Oh, and while I'm at it, I received your email some weeks ago but could not reply to it since you had emails turned off here so I let the matter drop. (Anyway, I couldn't accommodate your request so the point was moot. Just wanted you to know that I tried to reply.)
 
Tim, I don't know when Ken built it.

Your images don't show up for me without me going into your post as if to edit it and then copying the url for the image and opening in a new tab...so you'll understand that I miss a lot of the pix (which is why I don't often comment on them).

Must be something to do with how my chromebook and security interact with your hosting site.

Oh, and while I'm at it, I received your email some weeks ago but could not reply to it since you had emails turned off here so I let the matter drop. (Anyway, I couldn't accommodate your request so the point was moot. Just wanted you to know that I tried to reply.)

Hi there Elliot,
Ah gotcha and no worries. I wonder if it's that way for many. Might have to change to a different hosting website.
Aha yeah I finally re upgraded to Gold so I imagine that's why emails wouldn't go through but I do appreciate it :) It was a real shot in the dark and I appreciate the thought very much as well.
 
I was wrong, the Badger Knife Club show is in April, but there was a show in October he used to attend.
 
Hi there Elliot,
Ah gotcha and no worries. I wonder if it's that way for many. Might have to change to a different hosting website.
Aha yeah I finally re upgraded to Gold so I imagine that's why emails wouldn't go through but I do appreciate it :) It was a real shot in the dark and I appreciate the thought very much as well.

You're quite welcome.

I was wrong, the Badger Knife Club show is in April, but there was a show in October he used to attend.

Jerry, you weren't wrong...you just mis-remembered. We're getting to that age you know...:p
 
You're quite welcome.



Jerry, you weren't wrong...you just mis-remembered. We're getting to that age you know...:p

I'm over the hill and picking up speed :) Hope it's cooler in the mountains than here, fall can't get here fast enough.
 
Back
Top