Lockback Folder: The lockback was Mel's most recent and most sophisticated folder design. This particular knife has a 3.25" D-2 blade offset by damascus bolsters and beautiful fiddleback redwood scales.
Lockback Folder: Another view of this wonderful piece.
Desert Ironwood Campset: Another custom for a Bladeforums member. The Campset knives obviously have desert ironwood handle scales, and the blades are D-2. The larger of the two is a 4.5" skinner while the other is a 3" caper.
Desert Ironwood Campset: Notice the excellent craftsmanship of the Campset's dual sheath!
Frontier Friction Folder: Mel's classic folder design. This one has a 3.75" D-2 blade, desert ironwood handles, stainless steel liners and an adjustable tension pivot pin. A work of art, truly.
Various Drop Point Hunters: These knives were Mel's bread-and-butter work. Each one was different, as were all his knives. Woods were not listed, but the top is definitely cocobolo, while the second one looks to have scales of desert ironwood or kingwood. The tgird knife looks to have an unusual figure desert ironwood handle, too.
Frontier Friction Folder: Another gorgeous folder. We should all recognize this one from Mel's cover page on his website. The D-2 blade is 3.75" long and has stainless steel liners, and adjustable pivot pin, and fiddleback redwood handles.
Mini-Pukko: Another ethnic design, the pukko is a traditional Scandanavian knife. This one has a 3" D-2 blade, stabilized redwood handles, and a desert ironwood bolster.
Lockback Folder: This lockback has a 3.5" D-2 blade and stainless steel liners. The handle scales are a light mesquite wood.
Texas Bowie: This knife has a 5" D-2 blade, spalted chinkapin scales, and desert ironwood bolsters. Mel's interpretation of the bowie was unique in that all his bowies that I know of were small. This knife has an interesting history. It came to me from the owner, Brian Edginton, an Australian Bladeforums member. I'll let him tell it in his own words:
"I was one of Mel's many email friends. I really don't know how he had the time. I own three of his knives....all traded for. My favorite is the small "Texas Bowie" as pictured on the website. It has a story. Mel inadvertently mailed it to me last
year....he had intended to send a different knife. He quickly realized his mistake and sent the correct knife and advised
me by email. When it arrived, on bad advice from the Australian Post Office, I refused delivery in order to avoid paying postage. I didn't realize it would go back to the US by surface mail and the knife arrived a full three months later. Of course, Mel
lost that sale. Later, we traded again and the bowie crossed the Pacific for a third time."
Thanks for the story, Brian. Unfortunately our Aussie brother doesn't have the means to photograph the other two knives to share here. I guess a few will have to slip through the cracks!
