Any TDF Blue 456 for SALE??

Selling Bob Loveless knives must be pretty profitable, especially since most are in 5 figures. Man was a genius and artist.

 

Yup, tried to order a knife from him in the 70s, but the wait was too long. Should have waited. Got two by George Herron, instead.

I loved Loveless' Big Bear model, now unobtanium.

 

Yeah, I'm thinking my Gerber is a 5 & Dime pen knife....sheesh, those are so gorgeous!! Love that Texas 6 pointed star!!

 

Just gorgeous. The double hilting is fabulous. Afraid my Gerber Mk I was bought for purposes other than collecting. These have all the appeal, and beauty, and rarity, and,and,and....all that! Remarkable craftsmanship. Absolutely filled with the maker's soul.

 

On the other end of the spectrum you have this, A kitchen knife my grandfather made from an old file using a foot operated grinding wheel.


Near the handle you can see the indentations from the file. The grip is brass, bone, and leather

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It's seen a lot of use and it really keeps an edge

When you heft it you're reminded of what Crocodile Dundee said about knives

 

These look beautiful. Is there a special process or alloy used in making the blades?
Dave's knife looks like an all business kinda knife.

 

PLEASE do not un-hijack this tread. We have surely wandered off the original topic of a TdF 456 but found a most engaging topic!!

 

Bob's most famous steel was a batch of 154CM he picked up that was used in the aerospace industry for engine parts. Those knives tested out at Rockwell 61-62, but were not brittle at all. Not sure what he used after that was gone.

 

Not sure it is TDF but very nice shade of blue.

https://www.cncexotics.com/details-1997-ferrari-456-456_gta-used-zffwp50a3v0107094.html

 

As a Brit looking across the pond it's nice to see the "value" that is put on genuine artisan skills by the American market.

My late father was a Goldsmith, more specifically and Engraver, Enameller, Enamel Artist. He sub contracted for Garrards, Asprey, Purdey, Graff and many other high end retailers. He was the go to guy for repairing Faberge. I clearly remember one of the imperial eggs being at home when I was a child. It all went a bit over my head back then. He also has a couple of pieces in the Victoria & Albert museum in London.

When I look back at his skill he was never compensated appropriately for what he did, until he picked up a couple of American customers late in his career who comissioned him to make replicas and bespoke pieces for him. Mostly Arts and Craft stuff, Archibald Knox, tudric that kind of thing.

I watch antiques Roadshow every week, the UK version, and often I think you couldn't make the items for the valuations that are being given today.

We have very different markets when it comes to craftsman made products.

 

It is something I have never quite understood about the art market. And I do believe that many crafts clearly cross over into art territory. Such as the subjects of our discussion here. Why is painting considered high art and the crafts not? I'll need an art historian to explain this one to me. Why is the interpretive vision plus technique valued so much more highly for painting that other. There are objet d'art which, to my poor physicist eye, are as emotive and require at least at much mastery of technique.

 

Loveless knives, and many other makers' knives, are definitely art. There is even a category at knife shows for "Art Knives". Bob's were known for purity of design and finish, widely imitated but never really equaled.

 

From the few pictures posted here, it is absolutely clear Loveless knives are an elevated form and clearly objet d'art. And the price ranges also quoted here reflect that as well. My point is that no matter how beautiful and elevated, knives, furniture, jewelry, lighting fixtures (ask my wife!!), and I include car design here, all of these crafts, remain in a separate class from painting. To quote Arthur Clarke, "Any technology sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic." I see in these crafts so beautifully elevated as much as I do in painting. And I have had the joy of visiting many of the best museums in the western world and seeing the finest of paintings. Why are only paintings in a class alone? It's just a philosophy question....