The Naked Edge (52 page)

Steve Rapp's Interpretation of a Michael Price knife. Gold quartz inlays, silver sheath with gold throat. (Courtesy of Phil Lobred)

Prop for the 1952 Alan Ladd film,
The Iron Mistress
, based on Paul Wellman's novel. Designed for Warner Bros. by John Beckman, the knife inspired later blade makers, such as Gil Hibben, to pursue their craft. (Courtesy of Joe Musso)

Four production versions of the Iron Mistress, including the wooden prototype and a retractable blade used for stunts. The top version has a silver guard as well as a brass back, collar and butt cap. (Courtesy of Joe Musso)

The Iron Mistress, interpreted by Gil Hibben. (
Hibbenknives.com
)

Secret Knife (or Puzzle Knife), Spain, 1699. The sun and clock dials control a lock on the folded blade. (Drawing by Asha Hossain Design)

First Blood
Rambo knife by Jimmy Lile. It features a saw, a guard with straight and Philips screwdriver heads, holes in the guard for a wrist lanyard, twine wrapped around the handle, a waterproof compartment within the handle for storing essentials such as matches, and a cap with a compass on its underside.

Rambo (First Blood Part II)
knife, by Jimmy Lile. Larger than the
First Blood
knife, it has a non-reflective black surface. The sheath has a compartment for a brass-handled sharpener.

Gil Hibben's knives for
Rambo III
and
Rambo IV

Cavanaugh's knife, Ernest Emerson's CQC-7W. The hook at the top opens the blade as the knife is drawn from a pocket. (
Emersonknives.com
)

La Griffe, “The Claw.” Simple and small. The index finger goes through the hole near the blade. Favored by climbers and boaters. Designed by Fredric Perrin, manufactured by Ernest Emerson. (
Emersonknoves.com
)

Fine-art blades by Bob Loveless, one of the most influential knife makers of the 20
^th
century. (Courtesy of Phil Lobred)

Fine-art Gurkha knife, the Khukri, by Jay Fisher. Note the traditional enigmatic notch at the bottom of the curved blade. (
Jayfisher.com
)

“Master of the Forge” Bill Moran (1925 – 2006) ivory handle and silver hilt. Intricate pattern embedded in the Damascus-steel blade. (Courtesy of Phil Lobred)