That Kevlar is awesome!

Alan does awesome work. 

Very nice, Dennis!!  Awesome work!!!!!!!!!

This Alan Davis folder is very special, as I will be giving it away as a Christmas gift to an IKC member.  First, the knife …. then the details!  This is one of a very few knives that Alan has made which keeps getting requests for Alan to make another.  I think he has done nearly a dozen, each a little different in size and features.  The design is based, loosely, on the Cold Steel Tuff Lite.  Alan made this one in 2013.  It features Koa scales and an Alabama Damascus sheepsfoot blade (though he called it a Wharncliffe!).  Alan added firework to the blade spine and back spacer.  The shape of the handle just seems to fit your hand perfectly.  And … you just can’t beat a sheepsfoot blade for just about any utility cutting you can think of!

Now for the give-a-way details.  This GAW is open to any IKC member who became a member on or before 18 November 2016.  To enter, go to the page below … on my personal web site (the specific details are contained there).  I wanted to make it easy for me to pick a winner and not clutter up the forum with posts that I would have to keep track of.  On the GAW page of my site, there will be an email link.  Use that to enter.  Please read the entire details first and be sure that there are no legal reasons which would prohibit you from receiving this knife.  I will be using Random.org to select the winner on the evening (no idea what time) of November 25th. Each entry will be numbered according to receipt time.  So, you have until the time I choose the winner to submit an entry.  I will email the winner immediately and the winner will have 48 hours to respond, or I will make another selection.

Good luck … and I hope I am able to make someone’s Christmas a little merrier! 

Just seeing your collection of knives makes my Saturday brighter Dennis , thanks for the generous offer !!

beautiful cutlery creations all dennis.  keep em coming, pleasure viewing each of these pieces...

Entered, good luck to everyone!

WOW! what a beauty

This is a wonderful idea!  Not just for the recipient on the knife, but also, hopefully for the local animal shelter, the Sloth Sanctuary charity, or other animal-related charities & causes.  You've planted the idea in me & hopefully everyone else who has read your GAW post that animals need our advocacy -- not just in terms of funds, but also words and actions.  Regardless of winning this knife or any subsequent sale thereof, I'll be giving again this Christmas to help animals.  Thanks for the reminder to do this again this year, & have a very good evening.  And yes, I am most certainly in!

What a great way to start the holidays with this generous GAW!  Thank you for the opportunity.

Without a doubt those are the most awesome knives I have ever seen!  Wow!

What a wonderful knife. I'm not usually a custom collector, however I think anyone can see that these knives are true pieces of artwork, as well as functioning knives.  Perhaps this could be my entry into a new line of knives for my collection! Thank you for the opportunity.

Very nice. Well made a mix of old and new.

Super knife.

You're very generous Dennis, those knives as you say are beautiful. 

Thanks all.  Glad to be able to do this.  Good luck to the winner.  Remember, the winner will be selected the evening (US eastern zone) of 25 November.  So watch your email.

Beautiful! Very kind gesture Dennis!

Great looking knife, would love to own one.

 Best of the old world with some new world mixed in thats awesome!

Beautiful knife.  Would be an honor to own one!

The GAW has ended and the winner notified.  A total of 42 entries were submitted.  Each was assigned a number based on Date/Time received.  Random.org selected number 24 (Date/time of the message was Nov 20th, 8:07 PM)  If I do not hear from the winner by Nov 27th at 5:10 PM, I will make a new selection.

Since I haven't gotten a message from you I have to assume I wasn't the winner, but I offer hearty congratulations to number 24, whoever that is. Thanks for the opportunity Dennis.

Congrats to the winner, and Thank you Dennis for the generous opportunity!

Congratulations to the winner and Thank you again Dennis Hibar!  OK, now I cannot wait to know who won!

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Okay ... should be obvious by now .... but Ricky is the winner!!!   Knife goes out to him tomorrow.  Speaking of tomorrow, I will be doing my regular Saturday post of a Davis from my collection.  You won't want to miss this one ... it is a real beauty!

WOW how awesome is that :) 

Okay ... we are back to my regular Saturday posting.  I have a a few Alan Davis knives that are so special to me that they will never see any serious pocket time.  Oh yes, they do get to fill a role as pocket jewelry on special occasions … but that’s ‘bout it!  This is one of them.  This small gent’s folder features some drop dead gorgeous blacklip mother of pearl scales.  Alan also inlaid pieces of blacklip into the textured back spacer.  Bolsters are bronze TextureTech.  The blade is some of Del Ealy’s lion pattern Damascus and is 2.5625”.  This was one of those knives that I didn’t have to think more than a nanosecond to know I wanted it.  Fortunately, I noticed it immediately as he listed it for sale.  I claimed it less than a minute later!

As you say Dennis that is a jewel , it's no wonder you were keen to buy it !

Dennis,

I can see why this one immediately drew you in!  The talent Mr. Davis displays, as a master, in this knife is exceptional

Most of my Alan Davis knives are folders …. but I thought I owed it to myself to have one of his fixed blade hunters.  Problem is, I have no need for a very large blade.  Since Alan doesn’t make very many fixed blades anymore (compared to the number of folders he makes), it took some time to find just the one I wanted to add to the collection.  This one came via another Davis collector.  The blade is 2.875” with a flat grind and made from 1084.  Despite its small size, it’s a stout blade … a hair over .2 inches thick with a distal taper.  Handle is made from some nice looking Koa and feels great in hand.  Alan also makes his own sheaths.  This knife is often riding my hip when I am taking care of summertime yard work!

I can understand why you like to keep that one on your hip Dennis ,  it's a beaut  !!

I had to show off my new Alan Davis knife, compliments of Dennis!

Merry Christmas indeed! Thanks Dennis.

[Update: This one has been sold.]

Here is my one and only slip joint made by Alan.  Wish he would make more.  This one has some very nice touches.  Obviously, the ironwood covers are very eye-catching.  Size is fairly manageable and the titanium liners cut down on the weight a little.  The blade is from CPM-154 and is 2.75” long.  Pull is a very comfortable 4-5.  What I really like about this one is the texturing Alan did on the backspring and blade spine.  Not only does it add a classy touch … but when the blade is open, it appears to seamlessly blend into the back spring. 

Here’s another Davis from my collection ... a beautiful art knife Alan created.  It had crosscut Mammoth scales, timascus bolsters, and a 2.875” Rob Calcinore Damascus blade that Alan blued.  A pretty piece that really belongs in a frame, than a pocket!  

*Note:  This one has a new home and is no longer in the collection.

That is a dramatically beautiful knife Dennis !

What I really love is that slip joint though that is truly glorious !!!  I missed it last week due to the winter bug that had me feeling low .

Nice knife Dennis, it would look good in any display case or pocket!

Dennis,

At the bottom of each individual posting in here you should have an edit button.  If you do not, never fear I do!

I love that on occasion you carry a few of these beauties.  Especially the mammoth, like any form of ivory, they just get better with age and contact.  I use a bit of peanut oil on my ivories every once in a while.  Do you use anything on yours?

Thanks for the comments.  Yes, this is certainly a pretty piece.  Like all my knives, I coat them with Renaissance Wax a couple times a year.  And Jan .... unfortunately, see no edit button.

It is Christmas Eve and felt the occasion deserved a really special Alan Davis.  I missed buying this one when Alan finished it and put it up for sale.  However, I eventually managed to pry it from the hands of the Davis collector who initially bought it!   It is called Alan's Elk Scene folder.  It features a 3.125" Doug Ponzio pattern Damascus blade in his Elk Scene pattern, Père David's stag scales and M3 composite bolsters. Père David's stag is somewhat rare.  The deer originated in China and almost becoming extinct.  Here's some info on it taken from Animal Diversity Web:

"The name that the Chinese gave these deer was "sze pu shiang". This means “none of the four.” The deer supposedly has a neck like a camel, a tail similar to that of a donkey, antlers of a deer, and hooves similar to a cow. However it didn’t resemble any of them more than the other (Harper, 1945).

In 1865, Père Armand David, a French missionary, discovered the deer in the Imperial Hunting Park (Nan Hai-tsu Park) near Peking they were believed to be the only surviving members of the species. About a dozen individuals from this group were imported to Europe. In 1894, a flood destroyed the Imperial Hunting Park and much of the herd was killed. Those that did survive were hunted by starving citizens during the Boxer Revolution in 1900. The Duke of Bedford gathered the remaining breeding population of 18 deer at his abbey in Europe and began to increase to population. During WWII the herd was moved because of the fear of extinction due to bombing.

In 1985 Père David's Deer was reintroduced to the Beijing Milu Park and a second group was released in 1986 in a site north of Shanghi called the Dafeng Milu Natural Reserve (Huffman, 2001). In 1997 an estimated 671 deer were surviving in the wild in China (Jiang et al., 2000)."

[Update: This one has been sold.]

While a little larger than I normally like to keep in my pocket, here’s a Davis that, nevertheless, gets plenty of pocket time.  Alan built this one with blue-dyed sycamore scales and a 3.375” stone washed and parkerized 52100 blade.  This is a great combo of materials and the blade shows very little wear and tear because of the finish.  And … I have to say, this is one of the smoothest (and all of his knives are smooth) opening and closing knives in the collection.

Hope everyone has a very Happy New Year.

Beautiful knife again Dennis .

Dennis, thanks for starting this. I am nowhere near you in terms of collecting the knives of Alan Davis but I admire his work greatly and have a handful of examples. Let me know if it would be appropriate to show off my Davis knives here and if so how to do it. I am new to iKnife

Have at it Rick!   I love drooling over Alan's knives!  Tomorrow I'll be posting another nice one outfitted in wood!

Wow, those are some amazing looking knives Dennis!

Here’s a Davis that I bought, well, because I didn’t have anything dressed in this wood!  When I first saw it, I immediately thought a light colored Koa.  Right region …. wrong wood!  The scales are Hawaiian mango.  Blade is nicely sized at 3.125” and made from Alabama Damascus.  Alan added some vine filework to the spine and a Damascus back spacer to give it a touch of class!

This one was in my pocket yesterday, so thought I would feature it today!  It is a great, smaller size EDC Davis that is always a joy to handle ... and begs to be used.  Scales are nicely figured curly koa, bolsters are blue twill carbon fiber, and the blade is a perfectly sized (for me) 3.125” Elmax clip point.  Like all of Alan’s knives, action is perfect and build quality is first rate.

A really nice knife again , that Koa is beautiful but I think the bolsters really make the knife .

One of the things I love about this discussion Dennis is that you actually carry/use these knives.  I know that makes Mr Davis proud.  I have never met a custom maker that thought he was building eye candy and the purpose of it being a knife did not matter