You know Jan .... some women folk I know tend to accessorize with purses, jewelry and the like.  I tend to do something similar ... but with pocket knives!!!  Unless I am sitting around in the house with my fleece comfy pants on, I normally carry 5 knives with me!  One of my Davis' is normally in my front pocket, a Spyderco Centofante Memory in my back pocket, another custom (most often a Davis) in a belt pouch, and GEC 18 Coyote in my coin pocket, and a serrated Spyderco hawkbill ladybug on my keychain!  Some are for using (depending on the task) and others are for showing and talking about.  Oh ... when I am lounging around the house in my comfy pants .... there is always a small jigged bone Davis in my pocket!  With the exception of a few very special Davis knives ... they all get carried.  Actually, the first thing I normally do when I get a new one is to put my own edge on the knife.  I tend to be very particular about the edges on my knives.

(Note: This knife has a new home!)

Last Saturday, I mentioned my fleece comfy pajama pants (probably the greatest invention since duct tape!!).  When I am in the house, that’s what I will be wearing!  And … clipped to the pocket of those comfy pants is my Alan Davis daily use folder.  I bought this one from another Davis collector in 2013.  He picked it up directly from Alan in 2010 and it became one of his every day users.  Since I’ve owned it, it has literally been used every single day cutting anything from rope and twine …  to packaging and boxes … to plants and twigs …. and anything else that needs cutting around the house.   It is one of Alan’s  smaller mini-linerlock folders featuring a 2.5" Alabama Damascus blade and jigged amber bone scales.  I originally bought it because I wanted to carry a Davis when I went to visit my daughter in Akron, Ohio …. and that blasted city as a blade length law (2.5”), so I needed a smaller folder at the time!  Once I got it, I realized what a joy it was to carry around the house.  I just took these pictures, so the knife reflects nearly 7 years of daily use (by myself and the previous owner).  Oh ... I do have another mini-linerlock around-the-house user that really "bites" ... but will share that one another day!!!

Thought I would post this one today, while the memory of her is still fresh in my mind. You see, this past week she went on a journey across the country.  I have a friend who likes Alan’s knives (why the heck would he not?!!) and really wanted something with a stainless Damascus blade.  Since he also loves bolsters and Mammoth … I figured this one would fit the bill. It did!  Alan made this gent’s folder with a 2.75” Damasteel blade, textured titanium bolsters and some really nice looking Mammoth bark scales.  He also did some his outstanding Roman knot file work on the back spacer (I love his Roman knot … and fortunately, I have another with it!!)  While I do prefer high carbon Damascus over stainless … I kind of like unmistakable look of Damasteel.  So, will be on the hunt for another of Alan's knives with a Damasteel blade!

Here’s a Davis folder that falls into my “conundrum” category. It sports some absolutely beautiful ironwood burl scales, carbon fiber bolsters and a 3.5” parkerized Alabama Damascus blade.  I keep telling myself that I should let this one go, as it has far more blade length than I really need.  Then again, I really like the wood and the Damascus!  Therein lies the conundrum!!!

*Note:  This one is no longer with me in my collection.

I also would have a hard time with this one Dennis.  The burl is simply stunning and I am an ADS nut!

Back in early 2013, I bought a nice block of redwood burl ... just because I liked it. I had no idea what I would do with it. Then the light bulb lit up in my head. In September of '13, I sent it to Alan and asked him to put me back on his books and make me something out of this redwood. I told him that I didn't want to know anything about it and to fit me in whenever he got an idea for something special. I was in no hurry. The only thing I told him was that I wanted him to keep the blade between 3 and 3.25 inches, it needed to have a clip and that I thought gold tones might go well with the redwood. Everything else I was leaving up to him. Regardless of what he made for me, I knew I would love it. Well, Christmas came early when Alan told me September 20th, 2015 that it was ready. My 2-year wait was over. To say I love this one would be a huge understatement. This beauty features my redwood burl mated to a 3" Del Ealy Damascus blade in his fish pattern and Doug Ponzio Damascus bolsters. Alan also used Del's Damascus for the clip and back spacer.

Dennis,

Having spent a good deal of time in the redwoods, I perked up a little when you said you had purchased a burl!  This is such a beautiful way to honor a majestic tree.  Make it into a knife using equally amazing steels !!

Yup Jan ... beautiful wood.  Then again, this is coming from a wood lover!!

Here’s one of my Alan Davis gent’s knives that has it all.  Great looks, perfect size, and outstanding combination of materials.  The blade is a multi-bar Damascus forged by Rob Calcinore using his Turkish twist and snowflake patterns.  Alan nitre blued the 2.75 inch blade and mated it to a liner lock frame with Mammoth bark scales and M3 composite bolsters. He also used M3 composite for the back spacer.  Sad to say … this is one of the few that doesn’t get very much pocket time.  It’s just too eye catching to risk marking it up!!  So, it only comes out for special occasions.

Time for my Saturday Davis showing.  

Here's a beautiful Davis folder that I love, but one which really clashes with my typical attire (jeans and shirt!). This trailing point gent's folder features a fantastic color combination. The scales are Mammoth bark. Bolsters are absolutely incredible.  They are copper that Alan first textured, then buffed, sanded and gold plated.  He then sanded and buffed them again to give the bolsters a nice antique look which accentuates the colors in the Mammoth bark very nicely. The thumb stud is also copper that Alan hand carved, gold plated and added an inset blue topaz. Back spacer is highly polished carbon fiber with alternating citrine and blue topaz gem stones. This knife fits my comfort zone perfectly, with its 3.125" blade from Doug Ponzio stainless Damascus. But, as I told Alan, I won’t be adding another with all that bling … as it makes me feel too high class!!!

ZOWIE!

Sometimes I think that craftsmanship is dead in this day and age.

But then I scroll through your Alan Davis knife photos and change my mind.

O.K., mine is going in my pocket today! (still not sure I can force myself to cut anything with it though)

Here is a neat Davis that I picked up in 2014, mainly because of the wood.  The scales are some of the darkest Australian Ringed Gidgee I had ever seen. Bolsters are M3 composite and the blade is a San Mai Damascus by Rob Calcinore comprised of his Turkish Checkerboard with an O1 cutting edge.  Blade length is larger than I normally like, at just under 3.5 inches, but I made an exception due to the Gidgee!

Dennis,

Not only is that wood stunning but the San Mai Damascus is EXCELLENT! 

Thanks Jan.  Get ready for a real stunner in my next post!!!

This is the most recent addition to my Alan Davis collection … one that almost wasn’t to be!! Back in January my desire to take a late afternoon nap got the better of me. I let this outrageously beautiful and first of its kind Davis slip right through my fingers. It was quickly snapped up just minutes before I wiped the sand out of my eyes!! Fortunately, the owner took pity on me and recently offered it to me for my collection. That was an offer I could not refuse! This is the first knife Alan sent off to have the bolsters engraved. The bolsters are bronze and the engraver ( Jake Newell ) did an outstanding job on them. Scales are Mammoth bark and the blade is Doug Ponzio's Damascus (in a loose Turkish twist pattern), nicely sized at 2.6875". This is a drop dead gorgeous knife and am elated to have it in the collection.

Well you sure did deliver on the real stunner.  And the first one to be engraved!

Rick ..... Love that knife!  And .... love it for a whole lot of reasons.  First being that I was the first to own it!!!!!  I originally bought it from Alan in March of 2015.  A beautiful piece and the most striking pine cone scales I have ever seen.  Another collector loved it just as much and had been trying to persuade me to sell it to him for a long time.  I finally decided to let it go, in hopes that some good karma would befall me in "my" attempts to acquire some pieces I was after!!! (btw ... it worked!!)  I still have a bunch of pics of this one.  If you would like them, just send me a msg with your direct email and I can get them to you in a zip file.  Here's a bolster shot:

Dennis, talk about a small world and I guess that this is a small world of Davis collectors. I have run into several of you who are waaaay more serious than I am and really great and helpful people.

But I do love these knives and I did send a PM with my e-mail. I'd love to add your pics to those I have taken.

Rick,

WOW, that has to be one of the best examples of the pinecone scales I have seen.  It takes someone that knows what they are doing working with them.  The have to be placed where it will be the best view, no easy task since they look nothing like this when you start working with them

Here is a nice slim Davis that spends a fair amount of rotation time riding in a belt sheath.  It was also one that I thought had escaped me.  Back in early 2014 Alan made two small trailing points.  One a flipper with a 1084 blade with hamon (I will post that one at a later date) and this one.  He decided to keep this one for himself and sell the flipper, which I obviously bought.  Then, in July of 2015, after carrying it for a little more than a year, he gave it a loving spa treatment and put it up for sale.  When I saw it, I thought to myself that it looked so familiar, but didn't know why (dang sometimer’s disease was rearing its ugly head again!).  I was able to snag it and when it arrived I realized why it looked so familiar.  It was the sibling to the flipper I bought a year earlier!  Anyway, love a trailing point and this one is no exception.  It has some Mammoth bark scales and an Alabama Damascus blade that measures in at just under 3 inches.  It is one of several slim Davis knives I own that keep me smiling! 

Like I said when you got that one Rick .... it's a beauty!  Love the stag on it.  And, seeing this on reminded me, if anyone would like to look at a pic tour of Alan's shop, you can do so here.

I don't know how I could top that beautiful stag Davis that Rick posted … so, I won’t even try!  Since my last post was a mammoth and Rick posted his stag, decided to go with a nice wood for today.  Picked this one up in December (2016) and it features some really nicely figured amboyna burl scales.  The bolsters are a textured M3 composite which are really striking and give a nice contrast between the scales and the 3.0625” Del Ealy multi-bar Damascus blade.  Del has been forging a lot of multi-bar Damascus lately and all of it is really stunning.

(Note:  This knife has a new home!)

Here is another of my Davis frame locks.  Admittedly, I much prefer liner lock folders … but couldn’t stop looking at this one.  The 3.25” Damascus blade (1095 & 15N20) has a wonderful pattern, however it was the frame that sealed the deal.  Alan hand carved the titanium frame and then painstakingly spent hours heat anodizing it with a rainbow of colors.  Its slim profile makes for a great back pocket knife.  Truth be told, I intended on giving this one to my daughter, but the knife just grew on me!!

That is, indeed, a remarkable show of craftsmanship. 

This is, perhaps, my most basic Davis knife, an Ironwood with antiqued blade. Basic as it is, though, note the fine attention to detail that is the hallmark of Alan's work.

This is my most recent. This one features curly koa scales, alabama damascus blade and bolsters and all the exquisite filework and fine craftsmanship that I love about his knives. This second image is from Alan.

Rick ... love them both (actually looked quite long and hard at that koa!  Was glad you picked it up.  And ... by the way ... there ain't nuttin' basic about Alan's knives!!!  I guess tomorrow I post a Davis dressed in wood to keep the theme going!!

For some reason photobucket wiped out my Alan Davis album, so for the record I am reposting the comments with renewed images.

For some time I have been meaning to post this one. And to celebrate an incoming arrival I'll do it. This is s Gentleman's Sambar Stag folder  that I got from Alan in July last year. It features Delbert Ealy T-Rex damascus  blade and bolsters and it probably my favorite of the Davises that I have. 

Unfortunately I lost my first post on the famous pinecone flipper, but I will repost the images since that is what it really is about. The images are from Dennis.

Look forward to seeing tomorrow's post. Next week I will have coming an abalone scale knife that I fished out of the 'Bay for a song. It was there for a while and I made the seller a ridiculous offer which, in essence, he accepted. Love it!!

Dennis, I apologize.  Seems my editing to replace the pics did not take.  Thank you for working so hard to repost!

I have been looking at the rainbow anodized, truth be told I have looked at it several times.  I know you intended it for your daughter but goodness I can certainly understand why it grew on you.  Also I wonder if he will ever do another one?  The time involved had to be extensive and well worth the look 

Jan,  Sent you a message.  Actually it was Rick who reposted the last few that were lost by his host.  Ref the Davis, yes it took him forever to get the colors right on that frame lock.  He told me that he even had to stop, sand out some spots that did't come out like he wanted, and start the process all over again!  As you know, when you do heat anodizing like this, you don't know the exact color that will be reflected until you remove the heat and it cools a little!  His "gambling" paid off big time!  Anyway, time for my Saturday post!

One of the nice things about box elder is that the grain and coloring can differ so much from piece to piece. Throw in some dye … and well, the appearance combinations seem limitless!  Here is an example of some dark dyed box elder with special bolsters.  Alan made this one in September of 2016, but I missed it because I was out doing yard work when it listed.  Fortunately, a month or so later, I was able to pry the knife from the collector who snagged it! (I love haggling with other collectors, whether it be to buy one of theirs or sell one of mine!  You become great friends with people that way!) Anyway, this one has dark, richly colored box elder, a 2.875” Alabama Damascus blade, and blue shred carbon fiber bolsters separated from the scales with some blue G10.  The blue shred is really fascinating, in that you only see the blue under some direct lighting and the color seems to shimmer as you rotate the knife.  Really neat.  

That is stunning. No other word.

Rick,

The "basic" is a splendid looking knife.  It is one I would feel just fine about putting in my pocket.

(Note:  This knife has a new home!)

How about a really eye-popping Davis flipper? The scales are a nicely figured curly Koa, bolsters are s-shaped M3 composite, blade is 3.3125" of iguana pattern Damascus by Chad Nichols, and it has fantastically anodized liners and clip and a carbon fiber back spacer.  I bought this one in 2014 and was really on the fence about it.  I mean the colors are so loud that they scream!  However, after receiving the knife, I really started to appreciate it. Even though it is a little larger than I like, it really feels great in hand … and it is a super slicer!

Everyone needs a few that are over the top!!

Let’s do some Mammoth bark again.  Here’s a great Davis gent's folder.  I bought it because I loved the blade.  Well, that ... and I really liked the coloring of the Mammoth bark.  And, truth be told, I also liked the matching Mokume bolsters and thumb stud.  Okay … fact of the matter is, I love everything about the knife!!   The green/dark caramel colored crackle Mammoth bark ivory scales have a very nice pattern and color.  The bolsters and hand carved thumb stud are some of  Mike Sakmar Mokume.  The blade is nicely sized at 2.875" and is some of Del Ealy's Damascus in his Dragon pattern.  Alan added double anodized, textured Ti back spacer and liners for some added eye appeal.  Hope you enjoy.

(Update:  This knife has been gifted.)

While all of Alan’s knives are uniquely different in one way or another, every now and then, he takes things one step beyond different.  These are the ones I like to spot quickly enough to add to the collection.  Here is one example I picked up in January of 2016.  It is a small folder with a 2.25” Rob Calcinore Damascus blade and curly koa scales.  What sets this one apart from the pack is that it uses a front tab on the blade to open the knife (similar to the opening method a number of South African knife makers use).  While Alan calls this a front opening flipper,  you’d have to have very small hands to easily hold and flip the blade open.  With my larger hands, I find it far more comfortable to roll the blade open with my thumb on the opening tab.  This is a super nice knife that fits comfortably in the watch pocket of my jeans!!

It looks a great deal like a friction folder to me and I LOVE this one.  You know me, I love my woods and this one has a simple quality that I really like

Thanks Jan.  This one is a simply lovely knife.  Only problem is that there is no way I can capture the wonderful chatoyancy in the wood in any of my pics.

Here is a special Davis from my collection. It is dressed up with Mammoth tooth scales, Mokume bolsters and a just under 3 inch blade from some of Del Ealy’s multi-bar Damascus. The reason this one is special is that it has colors in it my mother would have loved. She passed away last year ... less than a week before Alan made this one. As soon as I saw it, knew I had to add it … as it reminds me of her.

Great knife, great memories.

Here’s a Davis that I almost didn’t buy because I thought the blade was a little too large.  However, while the blade was a tad large … it was also significantly more than a tad beautiful!  So, I caved.  As it turns out, this one makes it into my Davis EDC rotation quite often.  This one features some Honduran Rosewood scales and a 3.375” Zoe Crist Damascus blade in his Explosion pattern.  Let me tell you, Zoe’s Explosion pattern is mesmerizing.  Love it. 

This is one of those knives that isn't overly fancy, but really looks to get the job done. I've been buying from some other makers recently, but I need to get back to Alan's work, because nothing feels quite the same.

Here is a nice trailing point flipper dressed up in Mammoth bark ivory.  I posted its sibling back on March 18th, 2017.  That one, however wasn’t a flipper and it had a Damascus blade.  While I like Damascus … sure glad that Alan occasionally puts out a knife  with a non-Damascus blade.  In the case of this flipper, the blade is made from 1084 and has a differential heat treat with a nice visible hamon.  Blade length is perfect for me at 2.875” … and I absolutely love that it is a trailing point (though not overly pronounced).  I do believe it is one of my favorite blade profiles. 

Here is one of my special Davis knives.  Special, because I missed out on the first folder he made using this handle material. It’s a liner lock with some nice tiger coral scales.  The bolsters are titanium texture tech.  The just shy of 3 inch blade is CTS-XHP which Alan acid and stonewashed.  Everything from blade to bolsters to handle come together quite nicely on this folder.

That's gorgeous!

Thanks Rick.  In addition to really liking the handle/bolster combination .... absolutely love the blade profile on this one.

The stonewash was the perfect blade finish for this one.  It allows the beauty of the handle material to stand out