 Body GARTZ
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His knives and this page can never paint a true picture of what it was like to know Bub Worrell. But they can offer us a glimpse of his skill. Now that he is gone they are all that is left to us to remember him by.
Bub had been making tacticals for quite a while and in listening to his customers had
arrived at two very useable patterns. The top one was obviously the more utilitarian, while
the bottom was a more tightly focused field knife. |
Both featured ATS34 blades heatreated in
the 61/62 range so will keep their edge long after other knives have given up. Blades are
3 7/8 inch long, sized for discretion, yet up to the task of survival in difficult
situations The black linen micarta grips end in a swedged pommel which offered an extra
tough point for punching.
Bub worked in O1, 5160 ATS34 and his own triple composite damascus of 1050, L6 and 5160
and was not afraid to take on customer designs. His turn around time varied quite a bit
depending on the piece and whether it was already on hand or not, but on average it ran at
about 2--3 months for the utilitarian pieces. Frequently the knife you wanted was already
made and sitting in his shop waiting for you. Bub's knives always had "handcrafted work of
art" written all over them.
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 Western Art Bowie
| We have been teasing you long enough so here is a classic example of Bub's work in the few years before he died. This
lovely bowie was a collaboration between Bub and two other artists, engraver Ron Nott and
scrimshaw artist Roni Deitrich. |
That sumptuous Elephant Ivory handle and 9 inches of
Damascus are separated by a Solid Sterling guard. For detail images and information click
the thumbnail image above.
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 Damascus Dagger
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It just doesn't get much better than this. Though a beauty to behold this is not a
delicate piece as it features a fine sturdy 8 inch blade in 320 layer damascus. |
The
rich fossilised Walrus ivory handle with oval crossection, like a japanese sword handle,
is framed in engraved nickle silver fittings. Engravings are by Ron Nott.
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 Damascus Hunter
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Made to fit in the hand
like nothing you ever handled before. Beautifully balanced for effortless functioning. A
great cutter in 896 layer damascus with nickle silver bolster, elephant ivory handle and
fossil wallrus ivory grip. |
The "Running Rope" file work on spine was the ideal
embellishment for this style of knife and points to its lineage We have perhaps, seen this
pattern before but rarely is it given such fine treatment.
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 Dog Bone Tanto
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America and Asia came together here for a style of tanto that was reminiscent of the great
All Mar. Imagine if Mr Mar back in his hayday took one of those nice cutting tantos of his
and made it bigger. |
Imagine he hardened the 9 inch ATS34 blade to 61/62 rockwell. Then
imagine he went mad altogether and replaced the rubber handle with engraved nickle silver
bolsters and Gaboon Ebony scales with engraved pins. Any knifemaker would probably have
been pleased with his efforts. Not enough for Bub, he went to Robert Schrapp for a
crossdraw American cowhide sheath overlaid with rayskin, the perfect complement for his
Amerasian Style Tanto.
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 Forged Hunter
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This is a knife that could end up being a lifetime companion. Going where you go, doing
all you ask without complaint. |
Forged 5 1/2 inch, 5160 blade, textured bolsters and
Cocobolo handle are simple yet elegant.
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 T-handle Knife.
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Sometimes there is only one word to describe a knife....WoW ! |
A plethora of raw materials in a pattern that William Moran might well appreciate. The extra crosspiece allowed a choice of grip style or serves as a guard depending on use. An excellent example of how to do this difficult pattern the right way with its sturdy construction and elegant execution.
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Peanut
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Lets face it, if you are a knife lover its hard to leave the house without something on
your belt or in your pocket. Kinda like going out with out your pants, but in this day and
age with all the media hype many people are wary of the knife carrier. So you end up
having to explain to people that your really not a bad guy just because you carry a blade.
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Here's the answer to your dilemma. Few people will find these little blades intimidating
and while a larger blade is more usefull, these little knives will serve in a pinch.
Used like a steel thumbnail. Good for opening boxes, cutting string and other light
cutting chores, you could even do some skinning with them. Very small knife
2.5"---3" overall, in fact designed to fit in the little front right hand pocket
of your jeans. Stock was 1/8". Three different styles in Stag with damascus blade or O1, Mastadon ivory and Sheep horn. Rc57. Also available with
filework.
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 Knife &Fork
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Once upon a time a gentleman or lady would have their very own
personalized eating utensils, for travel, mainly. Not any more, so much so that most cutlery makers don't
offer these sets unless specifically commissioned to do so. |
These were ground in 1/8"
stock. Knife was 9" overall with 2.5"blade. Fork was about an inch shorter.
Blade Rockwelled C 58
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