Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

The Northwoods Knife brand name originated in Gladstone, Michigan when a man named Dave Shirley adopted it as his knife company's name in 2004. Dave was well known for collaborating with popular knife companies to have knives made to his specifications for resale well before 2004 & beyond. KnivesShipFree bought Northwoods from Dave & has continued to team up with respected makers to produce knives marked with the Northwoods brand name.
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gsmith7158
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Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by gsmith7158 »

I think Kj had a good idea about a thread for each pattern and since I got this Beauty from Kj, I will go ahead and kick off the Hawthorne Jack thread. I believe these came out in late 2016 or early 2017. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. They also came with two different blades and a myriad of handle materials so please feel free to show all you have.
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Greg

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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by kootenay joe »

Wow Greg, what a good looking knife ! Pretty well all Northwoods are attractive knives, but only some are as attractive as this one.
Thanks for starting this thread. I don't have one to add, but i am looking forward to seeing some of the other sharp looking Hawthornes.
kj
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by RalphAlsip »

Very nice Greg. ::tu:: I see red / amber / carmel in the stag on your Hawthorne - very pretty! This Hawthorne Jack has a Wharncliff blade and is more traditional sambar looking stag. The clip blade looks better to me in this knife. My hope is they will make a lockback version of this knife with a clip blade which would be very close to the old Case 51L pattern like your beautiful WR Case & Sons 8151L
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by gsmith7158 »

RalphAlsip wrote:Very nice Greg. ::tu:: I see red / amber / carmel in the stag on your Hawthorne - very pretty! This Hawthorne Jack has a Wharncliff blade and is more traditional sambar looking stag. The clip blade looks better to me in this knife. My hope is they will make a lockback version of this knife with a clip blade which would be very close to the old Case 51L pattern like your beautiful WR Case & Sons 8151L
Jerry yours is beautiful as well! ::tu:: A lock back might send me Into a frenzy ::woot::
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by QTCut5 »

I had a couple of nice Hawthorne Jacks in the past but sold them when they started to rust in the tropical climate where I live. The mammoth ivory was especially bad. Now I have only one Hawthorne (E. ivory) which I keep well-coated in Ren wax. I really like the pattern...it's a classic traditional slipjoint which has been copied by many knife companies such as GEC #48 Improved Trapper, Case & Queen Slimline Trapper and a Scagel Fruitport, among others. Although they're not all identical to the Hawthorne, I included some photos of several similar patterns from other companies just for comparison.
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~Q~
We are all just prisoners here of our own device.
In the master's chamber they gather for the feast.
They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
(Eagles: Hotel California)


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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by Cletus Awreetus »

ain't she sweet!!
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by kootenay joe »

WOW ! Yes, Super Sweet. This is the second ivory Hawthorne shown in this thread. I am jealous as heck, just in case you have one to sell.
Anyone know how many were made ?
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by kootenay joe »

The Hawthorne Jack had 2 runs about 1 year(?) apart. The first run had no caps, a "bare head" Jack. The second run had caps (rear bolsters).
I was very fortunate to obtain this ivory !!! Hawthorne, bare head from "Q" for the same price as the original. This means this knife is half gift as an ivory Northwoods today can easily sell at double original price. And then Q topped up the deal with a surprise gift, a GEC letter opener/emergency self defense dagger with IVORY handles !
Q is a very generous guy ! Thanks Q.
kj
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by doglegg »

Wow Roland, you scored big. Like the knife and the letter opener. Gonna say like the knife one more time cause it is fabulous. Q is a great guy to deal with.
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by gsmith7158 »

Unbelievable Roland ! If there is another person out there wishing to sell a mammoth or Ivory Hawthorne Jack please contact me. ::pray::
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by Somewhiteguyntx »

Old post but I'll add mine
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by gsmith7158 »

Somewhiteguyntx wrote:Old post but I'll add mine
Very nice Hawthorne! ::tu::
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by doglegg »

Great looking Jack. Ivory? ::shrug::
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by Somewhiteguyntx »

Mammoth

Thought this was one of my 'Holly Grail' knives, it's pretty but not as list worthy as I thought
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by gsmith7158 »

Somewhiteguyntx wrote:Mammoth

Thought this was one of my 'Holly Grail' knives, it's pretty but not as list worthy as I thought
Well let me know if you want to sell it. ::nod::
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by RAMROD »

Hawthorne Jack giraffe bone
Hawthorne Jack giraffe bone
I like the pile side the best.
I like the pile side the best.
Mail call!!
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by Buckibbq »

Pair of Hawthornes dressed in jeans
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I’m a long time collector in search of rare and limited GEC AND Northwoods knives. Always looking to add ivory pieces to my collection. PM to discuss sales or trades, please!
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by QTCut5 »

Giraffe Bone Wharncliffe Hawthorne Jack

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We are all just prisoners here of our own device.
In the master's chamber they gather for the feast.
They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
(Eagles: Hotel California)


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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by kootenay joe »

Q, i think you have a few Hawthorne Jacks ? Is this Giraffe bone one a new addition ? It certainly is a most attractive knife.
I have been looking for a Hawthorne but have not been able to find any. Did it come from ebay ?
The one i would really like is the first release, a barehead, and with a clip blade.
kj
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by Doc B »

Beautiful one, Q!!! ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
Heretical Refurb / Mods of cheap old folders, since late 2018
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by QTCut5 »

Thanks KJ & Doc B.

The Hawthorne Jack is my favorite Northwoods pattern. I used to have several (blue camel bone, mammoth ivory & elephant ivory) as well as a bunch of other Northwoods patterns but the climate here in HI was not at all kind to the Northwoods steel (no aloha for Northwoods, apparently) and trying to keep them all from spotting and rusting was practically a full-time job. Eventually, the near-constant maintenance was causing me so much worry and distress that I decided to sell them all (do you still have the elephant ivory Hawthorne you got from me, Roland?) and try to be content with just looking at the pictures I had of them in my computer photo archives. Unfortunately, I recently had a catastrophic hard drive meltdown and lost a bunch of photo files, so even that little joy was now lost to me.

When I saw this one for sale I immediately fell in love with it and decided that I absolutely had to have at least one Northwoods Hawthorne Jack in my collection at any cost. It was brand new and in pristine, mint condition when I bought it; but, one day after it arrived I noticed a small spot had already appeared toward the tip on the mark side of the blade and I just about had a panic attack (if you look closely, you can see the spot in my photos).

I realized that the only way to protect this baby from Hawaii's Northwoods-averse climate was to give it the "Tutankhamun" treatment. So, after taking these photos I slathered the knife from head to toe, inside and out with a heavy coating of Renaissance Wax then put it inside an individual Sac-Ups pouch and then sealed that inside a Ziploc freezer baggie with three fresh silica desiccant packets then put it inside a locking aluminum case with an airtight rubber gasket seal.

I really don't think I'll be taking this knife out of its sarcophagus very often...maybe only once or twice a year just to check on it, apply fresh wax and replace the desiccant packets. I've already made multiple backups of the photos. I'm taking no chances this time! ::paranoid::
We are all just prisoners here of our own device.
In the master's chamber they gather for the feast.
They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
(Eagles: Hotel California)


~Q~
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by Ivoryman »

QTCut5 wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 3:59 am Thanks KJ & Doc B.

The Hawthorne Jack is my favorite Northwoods pattern. I used to have several (blue camel bone, mammoth ivory & elephant ivory) as well as a bunch of other Northwoods patterns but the climate here in HI was not at all kind to the Northwoods steel (no aloha for Northwoods, apparently) and trying to keep them all from spotting and rusting was practically a full-time job. Eventually, the near-constant maintenance was causing me so much worry and distress that I decided to sell them all (do you still have the elephant ivory Hawthorne you got from me, Roland?) and try to be content with just looking at the pictures I had of them in my computer photo archives. Unfortunately, I recently had a catastrophic hard drive meltdown and lost a bunch of photo files, so even that little joy was now lost to me.

When I saw this one for sale I immediately fell in love with it and decided that I absolutely had to have at least one Northwoods Hawthorne Jack in my collection at any cost. It was brand new and in pristine, mint condition when I bought it; but, one day after it arrived I noticed a small spot had already appeared toward the tip on the mark side of the blade and I just about had a panic attack (if you look closely, you can see the spot in my photos).

I realized that the only way to protect this baby from Hawaii's Northwoods-averse climate was to give it the "Tutankhamun" treatment. So, after taking these photos I slathered the knife from head to toe, inside and out with a heavy coating of Renaissance Wax then put it inside an individual Sac-Ups pouch and then sealed that inside a Ziploc freezer baggie with three fresh silica desiccant packets then put it inside a locking aluminum case with an airtight rubber gasket seal.

I really don't think I'll be taking this knife out of its sarcophagus very often...maybe only once or twice a year just to check on it, apply fresh wax and replace the desiccant packets. I've already made multiple backups of the photos. I'm taking no chances this time! ::paranoid::


Sorry to hear you had to sell off all your beauties (especially that blue Camel and the Mammoth) in your favorite pattern for the anxiety it causes, and a spot in one day is rather disturbing. If it's any consolation, as I'm sure you already noticed, that rustic heat treat scale at the top around the Northwoods stamp has been removed already and it looks to me from your pictures that the primary grind lines have been buffed/ground/polished or whatever too. Didn't come from KSF that way. So whoever had it before you might have had the same problem with spotting. The upside is a spot that small, as the one you have now, can be polished out and have the blade look like it looked when you bought it. Given your climate and sea spray full of salt droplets and your stated history with GEC 1095, might have to invest in a cheap bench grinder or a Dremel with some polishing wheels with light abrasive to polish tiny spots like that right out. It's not original finish anyway, that's for sure, so putting it to the wheel will not hurt anything that hasn't been altered already, and with the right wheel you can fix it. Just a suggestion since it's a problem. If you're only taking it out semi-annually, maybe a thick grease for the blade would work. Bearing grease or something thick wiped on thin. Best of luck with it though. That's a fine one and if you ever find maintenance is too much hassle send it this way and we'll take the hassle out of if for you. :wink: :mrgreen:
"It's what people know about themselves inside that makes them afraid." -No Name, High Plains Drifter
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by kootenay joe »

Q, i no longer have the ivory Hawthorne. I have had 'financial problems' for some time now and unfortunately had to sell many of my best knives.
Ivoryman what is it that you see in Q's pictures that tells you the blade finish is not original ?
I use an AGR product called "Rust Free". It is a clear viscous oil product that can be spread very thinly on a steel surface and creates a barrier between steel and the air. I think it would do it's job even in warm seaside places.
kj
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by QTCut5 »

Thanks for the suggestions, gentlemen.

I realize that the issue of protecting knife steels in storage has been discussed at length in other threads, but I'll briefly share my experience here anyway.

I have had spotting/rust issues with a handful of different knives particularly Northwoods (all), most GEC 1095 and some (not all) DFC era Schatt & Morgan steel. I've tried many different oils, ointments, grease & wax including Balistol, Tuf Glide, Rust Free, WD-40, Vaseline, Flitz Wax, Ren Wax, etc., (too many to remember) with varying degrees of success. Truth is, most of the products protect the steel just fine, the difference, and my main concern, is how long the product lasts, i.e., how frequently it needs to be refreshed; some are better than others for long-term storage. I have found that AGR Rust Free, for example, dries out faster compared to some of the other oil treatments and tends to leave a gooey yellow residue that is difficult to clean out of the joints and tiny crevices. Other concerns include how "messy" they are in terms of leeching out onto whatever is in direct contact with the knife, and then there's the odor, which may seem like a relatively minor or "picky" issue but if the smell of a product makes me gag every time I take out a knife, that's a problem.

Simply stated, I prefer a product that is easy to apply, lasts a long time, isn't messy and doesn't have a strong, unpleasant odor.

While it may not be the most practical solution, I did find a way to have an ivory "Hawthorne" that stores well and doesn't require a lot of maintenance (although it's not a Northwoods Hawthorne): I had one custom made with steel that is better suited to the climate conditions where I live.

This K'roo Warthog Ivory Hawthorne Jack was made for me by Willem O'Kelly with N690Co Bohler Uddeholm blade steel and 304 stainless for the bolster and liners.
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We are all just prisoners here of our own device.
In the master's chamber they gather for the feast.
They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
(Eagles: Hotel California)


~Q~
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Re: Northwoods Hawthorne Jack

Post by Ivoryman »

Well Northwoods has nothing on that Kroo for looks, that's for sure. Beauuuuuuutiiiiiiiiiifuuuuuuuuul.
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