Well, I had a great time at Blade and saw many of my friends again and met some new ones. Lots of knives to look at and I bought a few. It was a scrimshaw weekend for me, most particularly Rick Bowles' work.
This is Rick's #032 for Randall. He told me he doesn't like the dragon very much but did it and a few others like it because Gary Randall was very interested in "Dungeons and Dragons" at the time. I like it a lot, particularly the continuous pattern around the beveled butt.
- -Buckspen

Awesome !

I love this knife! Great find!

I don't think they get much finer than that. What a nice get.

Here is the second knife I bought at Blade. This one has a snowy owl on one side and a gyrfalcon (I think) on the other. Rick didn't do many knives on both sides so this is an unusual one. It is #058. It's a Little Bear Bowie and the red and white spacers are unusual, too.
- - Buckspen

Very nice!

Buckspen, did you get #9, too?

Rick says that in 30 years he has double scrimmed about 4 knives.... another score!

And, to highlight the weekend, I bought a #3-5 from Gary Clinton with Rick Bowles' scrim #009 on it. This is one of the first ten knives sent to Rick to scrim in 1981 by Gary Randall. Five of the knives had five inch blades and no butt cap and the other five had six inch blades with butt caps. All had black & white spacers and each have different artwork. What makes this knife doubly wonderful for me is that I bought #3-6 with Bowles' scrim #008 from Mitchell Harrison a couple months ago. I was amazed to find #009 at Blade and it really made my weekend. Rick Bowles was kind enough to send me an old photo of all ten knives and a copy of a letter to him from Gary Randall dated 5/18/1981.

- - -Buckspen

What a perfect Trifecta of early Rick Bowles knives! Congratulations!