Not sure if you are aware of this. I like Gil Hibben's work and wouldn't mind having this one in my safe. He's making them to order.

Hibben Knives

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Jorge

Pretty neat.....I think Boker is making one too.

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Cheers, Charles
SWCA #2442

That is a bizarre looking knife. I would like to have seen a few of his knives, but they were just work tools like a shovel. When I was escorting deer and elk hunter I carried a custom 4" bladed knife. I now use about anything laying around. A well known elk guide and taxidermist uses 2 small Victornox kitchen pearing knives. Both in their plastic sleeves and in his backpack not on his belt.

That looks to me like a cumbersome, unhandy design if it's to be used for anything but cutting wood. The hilt and pommel configuration would, it seems to me, restrict hand positioning and reduce dexterity in cutting.

But then I can't figure how a kerambit would be used to do all the chores people who grew up with it use it for, so what do I know?

Maybe Elmer could lobotomize a gnat with that one, but I sure couldn't.

Sorry, I guess I'm in the running for the Debbie Downer Memorial Trophy.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Well, what world would it be if we all would agree on anything

GH is also making a folder version of the skinner knife... but geeeeez.... that's a lot of guns & ammo for that price...

Hibben Knives

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Jorge

Hibben's legendary Bowie knives are a thing of beauty, some of the other stuff not so much.

I collect Hibben handmade knives. I've not seen that one before. Gil lived a pretty interesting life. He made knives all over creation, including his early ones in Alaska, then more in Manti, UT, then he moved to Silver Dollar City in MO. He finally ended up in Lagrange, KY. He's got to be 80 or so years old now. I like all his handmade knives. He does/did good workmanship.

His designs were often to someone's spec's, not necessarily his own. If you wanted a knife, he'd build it for you. That business model tends to make folks (like our posters here) suggest maybe his designs weren't the best. But the fact was someone else wanted it built that way.

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Dick Burg

Dick, do you have any knives made by Gil's brother Wes? Some years ago I met him and was given a tour of his shop. His designs were much more conventional and, to my eye, functional than Gil's, and the workmanship was beautiful. I don't know if he's still making knives or not.

A couple of very talented brothers.

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Oh well, what the hell.

hmmm... I thought he passed on... but otherwise...

Why would anybody develop a special knife just to skin Elmer Keith?

'Cause he was a thick skinned old coot!

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Dick Burg