Posted by: escapement
Ray Cover - 07/21/19 09:18 PM
I haven’t seen any Ray Cover knives here, in this folder forum, so I thought I’d show a few of mine.
His work is as nice as I’ve seen on just about any slip joint folder. (I’m by no stretch an expert on folding knives (or any knives for that matter) but I can’t imagine it gets much better).
His knives are always finished flawlessly. Everything fits together so nicely it’s hard to find the backstop line between the blade and the spring when the knife is open. And from the spine, the spring lines are so well fitted, it’s hard to see them. Opened, closed, at half-lock, the lines are always the same - perfect. Run your finger anywhere along them and you’d swear you’re touching a solid seamless surface. And everything holds up perfectly well under a magnifying glass.
The blades are ATS-34 hand-finished to satin. The smaller knife is a drop point slip joint pocketknife with a 2 ¾” blade. The scales are a yellow “Westinghouse” micarta that has faded to a sort of antique gold over the years. (I carry this one in my coin pocket sometimes). The larger knife is a two-blade trapper with 3 ¼” and 3” blades: main blade is a sort of combo drop/ clip point and the other is a spey.
The scales are always fitted to perfection: dovetailed into stainless bolsters at the top, flush and flawless at the butt, and pinned over a very thin liner.
The blade “walks” out, and back in, firmly but smoothly, with just the right amount of tension, the spring end polished to perfection. The blade stops soundlessly at the half stop. But “talks” just right at both ends: springing open, at about 45deg., with a solid “click.” And snapping shut at the same angle in the other direction with a pleasing “thwack.”
I have a few more Ray Cover knives but have to take more pics. When you get a knife from him it comes in a little cardboard box, padded with the local newspaper, with a xerox copy of your cancelled check, wrapped in a finger-smudged blue shop towel with a few rubber bands. When he’s not making knives, he’s probably out on his tractor. He’s a great old guy and when I wonder why his knives aren’t more popular, his response is, “I don’t get out there much.” But he does attend some shows; one planned very soon. Lucky are those who find him.
This man is a real artist and his knives are just beautiful.
My pictures just don’t do justice. I have to either figure out how to use my phone’s camera better or break out the old digital camera.
Thanks for looking, Gary
…
His work is as nice as I’ve seen on just about any slip joint folder. (I’m by no stretch an expert on folding knives (or any knives for that matter) but I can’t imagine it gets much better).
His knives are always finished flawlessly. Everything fits together so nicely it’s hard to find the backstop line between the blade and the spring when the knife is open. And from the spine, the spring lines are so well fitted, it’s hard to see them. Opened, closed, at half-lock, the lines are always the same - perfect. Run your finger anywhere along them and you’d swear you’re touching a solid seamless surface. And everything holds up perfectly well under a magnifying glass.
The blades are ATS-34 hand-finished to satin. The smaller knife is a drop point slip joint pocketknife with a 2 ¾” blade. The scales are a yellow “Westinghouse” micarta that has faded to a sort of antique gold over the years. (I carry this one in my coin pocket sometimes). The larger knife is a two-blade trapper with 3 ¼” and 3” blades: main blade is a sort of combo drop/ clip point and the other is a spey.
The scales are always fitted to perfection: dovetailed into stainless bolsters at the top, flush and flawless at the butt, and pinned over a very thin liner.
The blade “walks” out, and back in, firmly but smoothly, with just the right amount of tension, the spring end polished to perfection. The blade stops soundlessly at the half stop. But “talks” just right at both ends: springing open, at about 45deg., with a solid “click.” And snapping shut at the same angle in the other direction with a pleasing “thwack.”
I have a few more Ray Cover knives but have to take more pics. When you get a knife from him it comes in a little cardboard box, padded with the local newspaper, with a xerox copy of your cancelled check, wrapped in a finger-smudged blue shop towel with a few rubber bands. When he’s not making knives, he’s probably out on his tractor. He’s a great old guy and when I wonder why his knives aren’t more popular, his response is, “I don’t get out there much.” But he does attend some shows; one planned very soon. Lucky are those who find him.
This man is a real artist and his knives are just beautiful.
My pictures just don’t do justice. I have to either figure out how to use my phone’s camera better or break out the old digital camera.
Thanks for looking, Gary
…