I had the honor to produce a one of a kind knife to be raffled off at the 2023 Black Bear Bonanza this year to raise funds for conservation in Arkansas. As I worked on the knife I couldn’t help but think about the thousands of man-hours that made this project possible. Without the visionary work and dedication of great men like Teddy Roosevelt and Aldo Leopold to pave the way for conservation, the Arkansas Game and Fish for their efforts to manage black bear populations, Clay Newcomb to hunt and harvest the bear who donated it’s femur for the handle, Brad Green for his efforts to trap and tan the beavertail, my mentors for teaching me the craft, and so on, this nod to conservation wouldn’t be possible. I played a very small roll in assembling the knife and sheath but the true hero’s of this project are the hundreds if not thousands of men who came before me to make this possible. Projects like this are what the legacy of conservation, community, and Back Country Hunters and Anglers are all about. God has placed man as managers of His resources and being able to utilize them to their fullest potential is in my opinion our ethical obligation which sometimes means preserving them, other times it means conserving them, and oftentimes it means maximizing their yield responsibly and choosing to be intentional and not wasteful.
This blade is handmade from AEB-L steel, which has become my favorite general purpose steel for knife making. It’s 9.25” in overall length with a 4.5” cutting edge and features a fully rounded spine along the top. The blade shape is optimized for processing bear and the semi-skinner design can be traced back to the works of George W Sears as an influential writer and adventurer under the pen name Nessmuck. The guard and pommel are brass and are contoured to match the bone. The bone handle is from a black bear femur hunted by Clay Newcomb. The sheath is constructed from Herman Oak leather with a beavertail inlay. The beaver was trapped by Brad Green on Arkansas public land and tanned by Brad at his house. Everything was hand sewn using braided thread and a saddle stitch.
It should last multiple generations and I look forward to seeing field photos of it being used in the field to provide for their families. This donation piece represents what conservation and being a sportsman is about to me through my craft as a knifemaker. It will be available exclusively at the Second Annual Black Bear Bonanza on March 4, 2023 at the Quail Barn in Bentonville Arkansas. The address there is 11670 AR-72 in Bentonville, AR 72712. It will be one of many desirable items raffled off for those in attendance. Last year’s event was an absolute hoot and this year’s will be even bigger and better. I hope to see you all there!
Topic: Ivory Bear Knife for the 2023 Black Bear Bonanza (Read 1903 times)
