In Memoriam

John McCain

Male

Champaign, IL

United States

User/Collector

Profile Information:

How did you hear about iKnifeCollector?
google search
Do you currently subscribe to any knife publication (offline)
No
How long have you collected knives?
21- 25 years
Favorite Kind of Knives
Remington, Case folders
vintage knives of all types
About Me
knifemaker and avid collector
Interests
knifemaking and collecting

Comment Wall:

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  • J.J. Smith III

    Thanks John, but no cake. We had BBQ.

    May 3, 2014

  • Ron Cooper

    Thanks, John!

    Like I told Ken, it's all good. I'm just chasing some different interests right now. I hope that things are going well for you, my friend. Thanks again for expressing your concern. It's greatly appreciated. Have a great weekend, okay!

    Cheers!

    May 31, 2014

  • Bruce McLain

    Thanks for the BD wishs

    Getting older just  means more time to appreciate your youth

    Jun 20, 2014

  • J.J. Smith III

    Jul 1, 2014

  • Steve Scheuerman (Manx)

    Thank you kindly, John!

    Jul 5, 2014

  • Tracey Reed

    Good morning John.  We are primarily web based for our selling, as well as some shows.  We run our site, reedcutlery.com, as well as on eBay under Reeds Classic Knives.  Have a great day!  

    Jul 7, 2014

  • Max McGruder

    Thank you for the B-day wishes! It's Been a great day!

    Sep 10, 2014

  • J.J. Smith III

    Oct 7, 2014

  • Ted. Bobo

    I met Jan last weekend & she told me some of you goys are ok. But she didn't ell me which ones!!! I am a amateur knife collector & have MUCH to learn. I am presently collecting Frontiers, Bear, low number craftsman & lower priced parkers. I almost have a full set of Frontiers (some need to be upgraded) except following numbers: 4021, 4323, 4421, 4513 & 4611. Any help finding these will be much appreciated

    I live about 40 miles from the Bear factory.

    Oct 21, 2014

  • Jon Salmon

    John - Very happy to accept your "knifetime" friendship !! Cheers - Jon Salmon

    Nov 17, 2014

  • Jan Carter

    A very happy Birthday to you my friend!

    Dec 8, 2014

  • Steve Scheuerman (Manx)

    Hey John! Hope you have a fantastic birthday. Have a great day, best wishes!

    Dec 8, 2014

  • anthony a. reid

    hey john. forgive me i'm just seeing your comment that you know who made that damascus dagger i have and he's a member here. who is he ?  thx. man you got me all excited; i need to exhale lol.  thx.

    Dec 16, 2014

  • Bob Robinson

    John, I know you are correct  on the hook end, I pondered on it because it doesn't start with the reverse bend to the hook. I was not sure what it was though, never seen that small a hoof pick on that small a knife. I am really astounded at all the info you found on this one, I found only the name in a knife book I had but other info indeed scarce. Thanks to the highest degree on the info for the Wilson.

    Mar 2, 2015

  • Bob Robinson

    John thanks for the info on the John Fisher knife also. Great information. I had no idea if it was that old. I had meant to take it to a person who has a lot of ivories to get their opinion but had not got to do it yet. I am pretty sure it is, just has a little different texture than bone and color is a little richer. You must do quite a lot of researching as you tend to find a lot of resources quickly. My regards.

    Mar 2, 2015

  • Bob Robinson

    John, Just  for your info, I got both of those from a local small antique dealer about 15 years ago for 2 bucks each. Just happy I had two bucks to spare that day! I did buy several others from him also, I will have to go back through my inventory to see what I can discover.

    Mar 2, 2015

  • Bob Robinson

    Yep John, two bucks each. Nowadays you don't find many deals like that with the internet and Ebay so prevalent in our everyday lives. The fellow that owned that little antique store was a longhaul truck driver and was only open once in awhile on the weekend. He always kept a fridge of cold beer free for his friends. His partner was a collector also so I only got  ones I really wanted when I got there before him. Not sure what his partner did for a living. He wasn't ever there much to help run the place. The driver picked up knives at antique stores, yard sales, and flea markets all over the country. Really nice fellow and interesting stories. I bought quite a few knives until the other fellow found out. He finally closed shop a while back.

    Mar 2, 2015

  • Paul Mig

    Hi John, I'm new to iKC but I see you have posted some Imperial catalogues so I sent you this friend request. I am tracking down my grandfathers jackknife which seems to be 1946-1956, do you have any catalogues in that era? Thank you very much for your help.

    Mar 18, 2015

  • Paul Mig

    Hi John,

    I have also been doing some research on my Imperial 3 blade Stockman.  From what I see so far, it's looking like a model C3-697RB from the “Razor Blade Stainless Steel Pocket Knives” series produced from ____? to ____? The original blades were a Clip, a spey and a pen (mine were obviously modified,probably to facilitate whittling).  Check these photos and thanks in advance for any further info you can come up with.

    Mar 19, 2015

  • tim payne

    hey john, thanks for your response.  now you've forced me to find this fixed blade. LOL   I have quite a few knives, and many places I have them all stashed too.  will try my best to remember to dig it out.  thx.

    Mar 30, 2015

  • tim payne

    Honored to have your freind request John.

     

    Tim

    Mar 31, 2015

  • tim payne

    hey john.  sorry I left you hanging, without enough ammunition.  oh yeahh, I found that Robeson.  there are no numbers!  just Robeson Germany.  with some of the prettiest stag you would want to see, on the rear side.  thank you much for your help, did not mean to put you out waiting for me to find it.  sorry...

    Mar 31, 2015

  • tim payne

    p.s. I found you a minty fresh vintage colonial bowie for your next hunt!  LOL...

    Mar 31, 2015

  • tim payne

    Robeson is 6-7/8" overall w/SS blade and no marks/numbers other than the Robeson Germany marking. promise you more pics too!

    Mar 31, 2015

  • tim payne

    Give that dog a bone!  Best pics I could give you tonight John, on the Colonial Bowie.  Seller had this knife dated at 1940-1950s?? 

    Mar 31, 2015

  • tim payne

    hey john, figured I would have already heard them dogs baying by now.  LOL

    Apr 1, 2015

  • J.J. Smith III

    Apr 6, 2015

  • Lars Ray

    OK John - I'm done for the moment - 14 total posts, and I have I think about 4 more to do. The remainder are mystery knives - no markings or tang stamps whatsoever. I might just add them all into a single posting of mystery knives and see what comes of them. They may not be worth the effort - don't know.

    Thank you sir for your efforts on my behalf -  it is very much appreciated!

    Apr 9, 2015

  • tim payne

    howdy john.  did you see the genella mountain man I posted?  Jan asked me about Genella Company.  Below was all the info I could come up with. 

    Can you help me out John?

    Produced by Charlie Genella,  made in the late 70's, . I remember reading an article about Charlie Genella in one of the knife mags once. He sounded like an interesting character. He died, I think  in the early 80's. 

    Apr 10, 2015

  • tim payne

    Comment by Jan Carter 42 minutes agoDelete Comment

    The Gold Knife: The true story of travels with Charlie GenellaPosted on May 23, 2013 by Knives Illustrated

    Charlie Genella was walking the aisles of the Birmingham Gun Show. This late-1970’s gun show, sponsored by the Alabama Gun Collectors Association, was also hosting the Alabama Knife Collectors Club. Military knife authorities M. H. Cole and Roger Ballard were active members of the Alabama Gun Collectors and promoted bringing knife people into the show, so Charlie and I were there.Charlie and I traveled the show circuit together in those days. He insisted that we be in front of the roll-up doors the minute the show opened to be among the first exhibitors in the room. That way, we would get there earlier than the other knife collectors and scarf up all the bargains. What I actually meant was that I would set up the tables and sit with his and my knives while he walked around the shows looking for bargains.  Any new knife was a guaranteed sell in those days—when knife collectors had not yet learned to narrow their collecting focus. The day before, one of Charlie’s sources had come up with some unusual knives with gold-colored bolsters and blades like the one illustrating this article. Charlie planned to sell them for $2.50 each. The knives were marked “Thailand” on the bolster, and were packed in sealed plastic bags of 12 knives. Charlie bought 10 bags for a total of 120 knives. The story that came with the knives was that they had been obtained at an airline salvage auction, so this was a one-time buy. Charlie rounded an endcap of tables, and there before him, under a glass dome, was a knife that looked identical to one of his 120. Under the dome in neat calligraphy was a sign reading, “Solid Gold Knife—Not for Sale”. Charlie laughed, and the man behind the table looked up.

    “That’s not a gold knife. I have some of them,” Charlie told him.

    “You’re a liar,” the table holder challenged.

    “I have them under my table—right here at this show.”

    “They’re not like this one. This one is gold.”

    READ THE ENTIRE STORY HERE

    Apr 10, 2015

  • tim payne

    howdy john, hope you're fit today.  hoping you could do a bit researching on the cutino cutlery equal end I posted this morning.  while the scent is still fresh......  we don't want you scatching fleas!

    Apr 12, 2015

  • Jean-François

    Thanks, John! And BTW, yes, the birthday cake was a wonderful "millefeuille".

    May 27, 2015


  • KnifeMaker

    Kevin Davey

    Hi John and everyone else. Thanks for the welcome. Knife makers and collectors are some of the most friendly welcoming people I have ever met. I will post a bit more later.

    Jun 3, 2015

  • Spec-Operator 4

    Thank you my friend. Good to be here with fellow knife lovers.

    Jun 5, 2015

  • J.J. Smith III

    It's like that sometimes, John.....

    Tell me more.

    Jun 17, 2015

  • J.J. Smith III

    Jun 30, 2015

  • Jan Carter

    FEATURED MEMBER

    Jul 3, 2015

  • Joe

    Thank you for your help. I have not set the knife down since I got it last Friday.

    Aug 22, 2015

  • J.J. Smith III

    Jan 1, 2016

  • Ellis H. Roberson

    Got it.  Which do you prefer for me to call you on??

     My cell # is 620-870-2003 and Home is 620-251-4997.

    Jan 19, 2016

  • Ellis H. Roberson

    I do all my LD on my cell phone it's usually on til I hit dream land.

    Jan 19, 2016

  • Mike Opp

    Hello John, my name is Mike. I was referred to you by another member, he told me that you may be able to help identify some knives that I have one in particular if you can help please let me know I have one of the knives already pictured. It is my on my page I'm not sure how this form works please let me know if you can't find my pictures and I will try to get them sent to you. Thank you for any help that you may be able to give. sincerely Mike.

    Feb 18, 2016

  • Orville Bumgardner

    Thanks John;

    I don't have a lot of time to spend here but I have especially enjoyed the blogs.

    I am usually able to pick up on the terms as I go along.

    For one who's knife use consists mostly of cutting strings or tape to open a box, and sometimes a Machete around the property my questions would be laughable to most.

    Mar 14, 2016

  • J.J. Smith III

    Apr 2, 2016

  • Sunil Ram

    Hey John, thanks for joining us at the Stockman Pattern Group.

    Apr 16, 2016

  • Pete Walker

    John,

    Thank you very much for your response with the history and value/price information and beautiful pictures.

    It will really be interesting to find out what happens at the French auction.

    Best regards,

    Pete

    Aug 6, 2016


  • In Memoriam

    D ale

    Hey hey .. I see it's your birthday tomorrow.

    .

    Enjoy your day !!!

    .

    D ale

    Dec 7, 2016

  • John Bamford

    Happy birthday John , hope you have a great day .

    Dec 8, 2016

  • Jan Carter

    Dec 8, 2016

  • Steve Scheuerman (Manx)

    Dec 8, 2016