So...I bought a Smithsonian several years ago for a very good price even though it had a walnut handle which was not exactly what I was after. I knew that sooner or later I would ask the shop to rehandle it but never got around to it. When I finally decided what I wanted on it the shop was no longer accepting orders for changing handles except when warranty issues required it. So...there I was with an OK Walnut handled Smithsonian but not really what I was after. What to do? I talked with an old friend of mine who is a master ivory carver and asked him if he would carve a Native American out of a block of ivory for me. He said that he would so I called David Warther, got a big ass block of ivory, took off the walnut handle, cut down the tang, put on the block of ivory and sent it to my pal for him to do his creative thing. I Received the knife yesterday, and to say that I am ecstatic over the results would be understatement. The image is intended to represent a "generic" Western Plains Native American of no specific tribe.















The sculptor's name is Dennis Holland. Dennis enjoys a worldwide reputation for his detailed ivory carvings for individual gun and knife collectors, custom gun and knife makers, and some commercial enterprises as well which he has allowed to machine duplicate some of his carvings in less expensive handgun grip material.

Regards,
Doug