Moran/ Scagel

[hammerdownnow]

I meant to post a happy birthday salute to the day William Wales Scagel was born. February 12th. It slipped my mind with the news that it was also the day of Bill Moran's passing. How ironic that the same day one of our greats came into this world is the same day that another great man passes.

Anyone have any pics of favorite Scagel or Moran knives original or homage to share?

[rhrocker]

That's quite a coinscidence! I have quite a few Scagle photo's, but not that many Morans. I'll get something posted this evening. Mr. Scagel must have been born in the 1870's or 80's.
I'm courious as to what impact Mr. Morans death will have on the knifemaking/collecting world. When something like this happens to a major mover and shaker, it generates shock waves that resonate all throughout the knife community. It also means that the chance of every purchasing an original of either one is now pretty much gone for a lot of us.

[hammerdownnow]

A Moran knife has been out of my price range for many years Still it has not stopped me from admiring pics, particularly the silver inlay on maple. While Moran made some beautiful art knives, one that I really like is a small coffin bowie he talks about in this interview for knifeart.com. His statement that "I wanted my knives to cut real well" always stuck out for me. This simple, yet beautiful EDC he said he had carried for the last few years, I have often wondered about. Whether he had eventually sold it and who owns it now.
Moran interview

[hammerdownnow]

Here is a little collage I made a while back. A non knife friend from out of state clipped the obit and sent it to me.

[staindblade]

wow, that is freaky, man...! i wonder what kind of knives THOSE TWO are making in heaven !

[rhrocker]

You can be sure they're checking out the pearly gates, analyzing the type of steel that's in it. Nice collage Roc. I had never seen that particular knife that I remember, and looking at that sheath, I think I would have remembered. I like the tip on the sheath. I wonder why he didn't put some kind of guard on his little coffin Bowie? Seems you could mess up a index finger pretty good if you slipped while cutting something. You have any other photos on it Roc? Buddy probably has it

[hammerdownnow]

I had read in one of Bill Morans books that early on, his inspiration for making knives was the Persian style blades. The inlay and the damaskus surely crossed over to his other patterns.

Now if he put a guard on that, it would not be called a guardless coffin now would it? haha. I have several and have never once slipped a finger on to the blade. None of my skinners have guards on them and I have had them slicker than a minnow. I think the waist in the handle makes up for the guard. Having a guard to get tangled on a boot knife might well get you killed. Ed fowler noted a couple weeks back that alot of the old bowies that appear "used", had severely cutback or tipped guards on them. Hmmm, makes you wonder. I guess we tend to confuse knife fighting with fencing.
I don't think Moran was opposed to guards, just depended on appilcation I guess.
Moran's first cattaloge


Bill Moran 1982

pic sourse(clickhere)

[rhrocker]

Guardless coffin eh? Well, I suppose your right there! Do you have the deminsions on it, and if it's a tapered tang? I think I'll russel me up a couple of those with burled Mesquite handles and 52100 so I can get a first hand feel of the knife. Roc did it show a sheath?

In the old catalog, I LOVE that #10, but don't know about the #14.

[hammerdownnow]

Sorry Robert. That is the only pic of that knife I have. I asked around a bit about it in other threads but no one seems to know who owns it. I got the pic from the link I posted in #3. Here is another pic, a then and now of a couple of my favorite guys. Anybody know anyone in these pics?


I am afraid I miss quoted Ed Fowler a little. Maybe he will show up and set me straight.

[Ed Fowler]

Many makers of knives have never had to use one extensively. That is why some knives with guards that would be very unfriendly to the hand of the user have had the guards reshaped. Not to minimize the effectiveness of the guard, but to make it more friendly to the hand that holds it.

I have held knives that had guards so sharp they would peel paint, many of these are replicas of the Sheffield bowies. The Bowie was the hula hoop of the 17th century, many of them were poorly designed for a lot of use, but looked great to the man who simply wanted to be a player in the fad. They were not bad knives, they served to comfort the man who simply wanted a Bowie.

The design and construction of the guard is one attribute that provides a clue to either the maker's or one time owners knowledge and competance.

The above in naturally my opinion.

Thanks for the invite!

[Mace]

Hey Roc,
I,m not sure if thats the last one he was carrying....last year at the last Moran hammer in he had a nice little intragal with a roundish handle and some silver wire inlay. It was a nice knife and I have wondered what happend to it. It's my hope that he still has it with him.
I want one of mine when I go.

Nice tribute Roc.



My last aprentice knife was Moran inspired.
Mace

[Ed Fowler]

Roc.
There is a lot of tallent in that Persian knife you furnished a photo of. The more I look at it, the better I like it. One very nice package by a great maker.

[hammerdownnow]

I love that knife Mace. It is going in my folder of all time favorite Knet knife pics. A stunning little gent. Simple and elegant.

Ed, that persian has grown on me also. The pattern seems to have a good ballance between slicer/slasher, sticker. Combining those three to good effect is quite a trick.

Robert, how about a mesquite sheath with a little silver inlay and throat hardware, ala Micheal Price.

[hammerdownnow]

Here is Morans own sketch of his persian with dimensions.

[Ebbtide]

Originally Posted by hammerdownnow

A Moran knife has been out of my price range for many years Still it has not stopped me from admiring pics, particularly the silver inlay on maple. While Moran made some beautiful art knives, one that I really like is a small coffin bowie he talks about in this interview for knifeart.com. His statement that "I wanted my knives to cut real well" always stuck out for me. This simple, yet beautiful EDC he said he had carried for the last few years, I have often wondered about. Whether he had eventually sold it and who owns it now.
Moran interview

I do believe I saw that knife in Rhett Stidham's (sp? w/apologies) showcase at the show here in NYC last spring.

He said it was Moran's personal carry piece.
IMHO, just about purrrrrrrfect.
I admit to a huge weakness for guardless coffin handled bowies