Sheila....

I Join Jan in welcoming you to IKC and in particular Bladesmith Babes.  I am one of the welcomed but not sought after Babes.  I invite you to join "It Cuts Both Ways" group which focuses on knives made for defending one's self.  It will be interesting.

Stephen and Peggy,

Ya'll know I struggled with buying a pink knife but I am extremely happy with it

Jan...

How did you learn about this knife company?  What made you decide to pay this price for the beautiful pink knife?  I am trying to learn your thought process.

Clint,

When I began looking for a new knife company to collect I wanted to know this was a company employing US workers.  Nothing against knives from other countries, we own plenty.  But as the main focus of the collection US materials with US jobs just keeps the employment here.  A friend told us about Great Eastern, we met the owner at the Blade Show and got hands on with the quality.  From that day to now I tell everyone, If you like a traditional knife put a GEC in your hand and you'll be convinced. 

This particular pattern is a favorite of mine, it is the pattern that started my love of knives.  So when Great Eastern said they would be making it, I knew we would be buying a few of them.  The fact is I liked the look of this shell, it seemed to fit the pattern well.

Clint brings up a good question, How do we all decide what makes a knife "worth it"  for you? 

Jan...

You are a lady after my own heart.  I too want to buy only American made knives and in fact only American made products...when possible.  I spent three weeks looking in various stores for leather gloves made in the USA.  I found some in a Farm/Ranch supply store in Wellington, KS.  Yea the Wally World ones were $12 and made in China (AHHHGHH!!) but would rather pay the $23 for the USA pair.

I am just looking over what Great Easter has and of course they don't have the pattern I like in stock.  So I will wait.  Jan thanks for your reply.

Jan....

I like many of the patterns.  My problem is I have so many knives I just look at I am ready for one I can use.  I am more of a user than a collector.  If I use it I will need the blade to lock open as I am prone to have accidents with tools.

I like the Mini Lockback Hunter, Northfield Yellow Rose, Northfield Liner Lock Burnt Stag,Tidioute (#235111LT) with Burnt Grizzly Cut handles, and any knife (why I don't know) with Abolone ($$) handles which I have seen a few in this collection.  The Ben Hogan models are cool in....Abolone....#72 Mini lockback...and on and on.

Clint,

I, like many women, have collected for years.  In the past 6 years or so I have noticed that women are becoming more and more prevelant at the knife shows.  One of the reasons I have started this group is that, with the exception of a handful. most women dont talk about knife collecting.  But the number of women must be increasing just look at how many companies now carry pink knives 

Jan....

I agree.  When I was giving my classes on self defense for women, it was in three stages.  One is basic self defense, six weeks at two nights a week.  Stage two was self defense with edged weapons and stage three was self defense with firearms.  I had many requests to go straight to the edged weapons stage.  I refused as you build a house by starting a foundation.  The basic self defense moves are an intricate part of the edge weapons stage.  So I know there is a growing or coming out of ladies who like knives.

Clint,

Sure wish you were closer, love to take those courses.  I used to be just down the road.  About thirty years ago I lived in Bethany OK.

Jan...

Yes you would have been twenty minutes away.

Jan....

This is a good question.  However, you are only the second lady I know who likes knives.  The other one, Jennifer, I taught self defense with an edged weapon.  We never had a chance to talk about this.

Jan...

Yea they can't go on lunch break at the bank and say, "Hey look at my new Back Bite combat knife.  I carry it so if anyone bothers me I can mark them up."  LOL!

Clint,

Really, I am not supposed to do that at lunch?  My Bad!

She is certainly an interesting person isn't she.  I read this also

http://www.fullbooks.com/Flint-and-Feather1.html

May,

You buying the IKC 2011 knife?

Check out the IKC knife here

http://www.iknifecollector.com/profiles/blogs/ikc-2011-community-knife

Robert,

Put a new one by Lynn Dawson in

Women knife makers and bladesmiths

How many women do we have in IKC?

Robert my last count was 110 but we have added a few since Babes opened.  Educated guess maybe 125.

So, are any of you looking forward to getting a new sharp and pointy obejct for the holiday season??

looks like your site is doing well jan i'm glad how many women are into knives it is great...

Thanks Stephen we have a few now that come by pretty regularly

I love this story

A Sharp Dagger Strapped to her Inner Thigh

The Grandma with a classical education talked one fresh spring morning with her 3 grand daughters. "Now dears, I want you to see how the Ancient Irish girls protected themselves." She put her leg on a chair and pulled up her dress above her knee. She grabbed a sharp knife from the kitchen drawer. "In order to protect their virtue, Ancient Irish maidens would strap a knife like this to their inner thigh."

One of the "correct" Mamas corrected the old crusty Grandma. Her daughter stood up to proect her Grandma. "Mother, we know we can't do that today, but you know what, this makes me feel different about my ancient Irish cousins. They were well prepared to meet all of the challenges that life offered them."

Anyone else have one???

That was a great story, Miss Jan.

very good story jan. i have seen western's were the woman in the bars would carry a knife strapped to her leg.

Yes Jan, you did a very good job of story telling.  I have a couple of daggers the ladies of the evening carried in their garters.  The ones I have were made in England and traceable to the Yukon around 1898.  Cool stuff.

A purse was the most common way for a woman to pack a sidearm, and may still be today.  Unfortunately it’s a less than optimum arrangement, given that it’s the first thing a snatch-thief is likely to grab.  One can only speculate how many times some gal has has been surprised to find herself relieved of not only her money and her make-up kit, but also her primary means of defense.  More effective would be an open top belt holster worn high on the small of the back, or a knife strapped above the knee underneath a billowing Western skirt.  This was also an option:

There have also been some fascinating arms created solely for the purpose of disguised carry.  Some of the most fascinating are revolvers disguised as handbags or “wallets.”  Imported from Europe or hand made by tinkerers in the good ol’ U.S.A.,  they were made of cloth covered metal, and could be set off by a hidden trigger.  No doubt the women who bought them liked to imagine the surprise of a robber– who after asking a woman for her money bag, gets either a bullet in the belly or at least the scare of a life!  Other clever oddities included single shot pistols that could double as “brass knuckles” once fired.... plus revolvers with built in folding knives, and even pocket knives that “go boom.”

Clint,

When you get a chance can you show us some of the ladies knives?

Jan...

I will get one out of the safe and post a picture tomorrow.

Thanks Clint

.