My visit to Hess Knifeworks

Excellent write up Cory . That would have been a very interesting visit for any one of us and you kind of took us along with you . Thank you very much for that . I purchased a Hess knife in 2015 for a Gift to a family member and it was a very well made and beautiful knife . Their price points are almost unbelievable . Thank you again for the write up . That was cool of you to order a knife and pick it up at the shop .
Very nice pictures of your knives folks .
Have missed you on the Porch too Cory. May run into you and your Dad at Janesville in March ??? Did meet your parents a couple of weeks ago too.
Take care my friend.

Harry
 
Great post and story, Cory. That looks like a really practical and well made knife.
 
Taike, I'm happy to hear that I may have had something to do with your ordering one of Andy's knives. I have no doubt that you'll be very happy with it.

Old Engineer said:
Have missed you on the Porch too Cory. May run into you and your Dad at Janesville in March ??? Did meet your parents a couple of weeks ago too.
Take care my friend.
Click to expand...

Life has been kind of crazy, and my knife carrying has stabilized a bit giving me less to write about. I'm sure we'll be at the show, with kids in tow. It's funny to me that somebody from here has run-ins with my parents. You always think of people from the Internet as distant figures living in far off places. Pretty neat that we're neighbors, even if we've never actually met. :)

Thanks for the kindness, Jake. It's really the perfect fixed blade for my lifestyle. Small enough to be unnoticeable on my belt, and big enough to be comfortable to use.
 
I don't own any Hess knives, but they are really nice to look at!
 
Great write up Cory. I enjoyed it.

Next time you go will you please try to talk them into a copper pommel and guard. I wrote them a while back in hopes that they would do a run on the Tiburon. They need more persuasion. :D

Did they give any idea on how many they produce or how they choose which pattern they run?
 
LOL, I'll bring up the copper next time I talk to them. I don't know how much sway I'd have, but I'd bet it would just be a matter of getting Andy the material and he'd do it.

As for the number, I didn't think to ask. I'd guess that it's based on orders he's getting from his dealers. He had maybe 20 knives on the bench.

When I was there he had a mix of different patterns in the works. Several large capers, a couple regular capers, a couple whitetails, and a larger hunting style knife maybe a muley or hunter not sure on that one. It didn't appear to me that he was doing them in runs at all, just a mix of different stuff. He didn't have any of the bigger ones like the outdoorsman or pioneer going, but that makes sense for the time of year it is. When I emailed I gave him about a week and a half and had my doubts that he'd be able to put one together for me on such short notice. Don said that it wasn't a problem, which kinda reinforces that he's not doing runs. It would be a pain to stop midrun just to make one knife for somebody and then go back to your run if that's how he works. All that being said, this is guesswork as I didn't think to ask.

We really spent more time talking knives in general than his specific knives. He didn't seem to think that there was too much to talk about in regards to his knives. He was more interested in talking about old Marbles knives and Scagel knives and the man that made them. It was very different than talking to people at Queen or GEC or even most custom makers I've talked to. He was just hanging out with his dad and a friend in the shop and some guy came in to buy a knife and shoot the breeze for a while.
 
First ran across Hess knives at traditional nationals (trad bow) several years ago. It was a giveaway knife by one of the vendors not Hess. My young son was nuts over it but it was to large for him at the time. We went back the following year wanting to find and buy one. The were no Hess knives to be found.

I had a hard time tracking them down but finally did. He now has a Hess bird n trout just like the bigger one he wanted. I might have to get the whitetail in the same handle material,it is what he wanted, couldn't find one with the antler pommel or he would have gotten one.

Dave
 
IMAG0295.jpg Thanks for sharing Your trip to Hess Knives and this great thread!
I have only one, the Tiburon in stacked leather.
Great quality for the money with nice Fit & Finish and good design!

The Tiburon is a great thin slicer, with very good edgeholding and it came incredibly sharp out of the box.
Here together with a Bark River larger knife, also in stacked leather.

attachment.php



Regards
Mikael
 
Last edited:
USPS Tracking shows a leather stacked Hess Hunter is out for delivery to my address now. Wasn't expecting delivery until Tuesday. YIPPEE!
 
Does anyone have a Hess Tiburon and a Buck 102?
I've been eying the Hess for a while now, but I wasn't sure how it compared to the Buck that I already have. On paper they seem too similar to justify buying the Hess, but MAN that stacked leather with aluminum pommel is one good looking blade!
 
Very interesting read Cory! Looks like ya got a fine knife there. Very striking piece of cocobolo, one of my favorite handle materials.
 
leghog said:
USPS Tracking shows a leather stacked Hess Hunter is out for delivery to my address now. Wasn't expecting delivery until Tuesday. YIPPEE!
Click to expand...

Congratulations Leghog, you seem to be on a fixed-blade spree right now! :D :thumbup:
 
SadSappySucker said:
Does anyone have a Hess Tiburon and a Buck 102?
I've been eying the Hess for a while now, but I wasn't sure how it compared to the Buck that I already have. On paper they seem too similar to justify buying the Hess, but MAN that stacked leather with aluminum pommel is one good looking blade!
Click to expand...

I don't have the Buck 102, but the Tiburon has more bladeheight and the spearpoint gives the knife more metal in the tip.
The Buck is hollow grind, where the Hess has a flatgrind with a convex edge.
Treat yourself and get the Tiburon, no need to Hessitate!


Regards
Mikael
 
Last edited:
I too have a couple Hess knives - both capers. 1 in curly maple and the other in birds eye. Fabulous knives. I will absolutely get more in the future.
 
Does anyone know the website address and email address of Hess Knifeworks?

I may search the net, but I can't find anything about it....

I would like to ask them if they are planning to produce a tribute to Marble's sporting knives The Ideal (1898) and Woodcraft (1915)...

I would really like to see these pattern produced at Hess Knifeworks.
 
Street address and phone number are all I find. If they have a website they aren't telling.
 
B BetterCallSal , they used to have a website at hessknifeworks.com, but it’s no longer there. Perhaps one of the dealers that carries their knives can put you in touch or ask in your behalf?
 
SadSappySucker said:
Does anyone have a Hess Tiburon and a Buck 102?
I've been eying the Hess for a while now, but I wasn't sure how it compared to the Buck that I already have. On paper they seem too similar to justify buying the Hess, but MAN that stacked leather with aluminum pommel is one good looking blade!
Click to expand...
Sorry it's been so long, but, I just ran across this thread...here is a Buck 102 and a Tiburon. Preston
DSC_0159.JPG
 
Im impressed by your review of your visit .What an awesome and satisfying adventure.
I've been eyeing Hess knives for quite a while...praps you should be their salesman....you've convinced me.
Cheers snd thanks for the write up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top