All About Pocket Knives

Posted: **Sat Dec 14, 2019 11:18 pm**

1967redrider wrote: ↑Sat Dec 14, 2019 3:37 pm I read in one reference book recently that these were done in Mastadon Ivory, wish I would have snapped a picture of it. Could it be possible?

tongueriver wrote: ↑Sat Dec 14, 2019 5:58 pm For some reason I had it in mind that they were bone.

Bone is right. Also not at all likely with a middle-of-the-pack serial number.

Maybe Bill Feeney (the scrimshaw artist) did up an extra-special edition in mastodon ivory but the "less than 3000 sets" were bone. I'd love to see ivory examples if they exist. It may still be possible to track Feeney down in Bedford, Mass. to ask him. He probably did most of his work on ivory back-in-the-day. All the scrimshaw artists did. He would likely have had lots of ivory on hand. Back then it was usually elephant ivory though. The use of mastodon ivory is a more modern phenomenon which evolved following the ban on the use and trade of elephant ivory.

Posted: **Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:25 am**

Bill Feeny bio, July 2011 (I tried to copy and paste him in his shop, an image within a .docx, but this website will not let me do that):
FALL RIVER
With a palette that dates back to the Stone Age, Bill Feeney brings the lost art of scrimshaw into modern times.
He sets aside a 25,000-year-old mammoth ivory tusk that weighs about 120 pounds. It will eventually become a piece of jewelry. Feeney creates scrimshaw in his Ace Street shop that sells on Cape Cod, Alaska and Hawaii.
The tusk, Feeney said, is a “byproduct of the gold mining industry.” It originated from Alaska where the whooly mammoth has been preserved in abundance. He also uses fossilized walrus tusk that Eskimos once used for tools. Some still have a pointed edge or are rounded and were used as pounding tools.
The artifacts are from Alaska, Siberia and Russia. Feeney attends a show in Alaska and purchases his wares, which are shipped to him every few months.
“It’s a limited business,” Feeney said. “There’s not a lot of people looking for this.”
Feeney started “scrimming” while he was a Westport High School math teacher. He learned with Bob Rayno, a retired Westport High School art teacher.
Feeney left teaching in 1981 to open a factory outlet store where scrimshaw jewelry was sold. He then went into the scrimshaw business for himself, first creating pieces in his basement and then renting space.
At Feeney’s shop, the Spouting Whale, he creates real scrimshaw pieces, and also a line made from resin. He employes about 10 people who paint the etched pieces and cure them. He also works with several artists for high-end pieces.
Feeney still enjoys scrimming on his own. After the shop closes, he spends a couple of hours alone etching on these ancient tusks.
Feeney was born in New Brunswick, Canada, and grew up in Connecticut. He’s lived in Mattapoisett since 1972 and is married to Ann Marie Feeney. They have two sons and four grandchildren.
Feeney graduated from the University of New England in Maine and became certified to teach at Boston College.
Feeney said he enjoys his job as a scrimshaw artist and shop owner. It allows him to use both his business and creative sides.
“I’ll retire at 83,” Feeney said. “It’s not a ‘job’ if you like what you’re doing.”

Posted: **Sun Dec 15, 2019 2:27 am**

tongueriver wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:25 am Bill Feeny bio, July 2011 (I tried to copy and paste him in his shop, an image within a .docx, but this website will not let me do that):
FALL RIVER
With a palette that dates back to the Stone Age, Bill Feeney brings the lost art of scrimshaw into modern times.
He sets aside a 25,000-year-old mammoth ivory tusk that weighs about 120 pounds. It will eventually become a piece of jewelry. Feeney creates scrimshaw in his Ace Street shop that sells on Cape Cod, Alaska and Hawaii.
The tusk, Feeney said, is a “byproduct of the gold mining industry.” It originated from Alaska where the whooly mammoth has been preserved in abundance. He also uses fossilized walrus tusk that Eskimos once used for tools. Some still have a pointed edge or are rounded and were used as pounding tools.
The artifacts are from Alaska, Siberia and Russia. Feeney attends a show in Alaska and purchases his wares, which are shipped to him every few months.
“It’s a limited business,” Feeney said. “There’s not a lot of people looking for this.”
Feeney started “scrimming” while he was a Westport High School math teacher. He learned with Bob Rayno, a retired Westport High School art teacher.
Feeney left teaching in 1981 to open a factory outlet store where scrimshaw jewelry was sold. He then went into the scrimshaw business for himself, first creating pieces in his basement and then renting space.
At Feeney’s shop, the Spouting Whale, he creates real scrimshaw pieces, and also a line made from resin. He employes about 10 people who paint the etched pieces and cure them. He also works with several artists for high-end pieces.
Feeney still enjoys scrimming on his own. After the shop closes, he spends a couple of hours alone etching on these ancient tusks.
Feeney was born in New Brunswick, Canada, and grew up in Connecticut. He’s lived in Mattapoisett since 1972 and is married to Ann Marie Feeney. They have two sons and four grandchildren.
Feeney graduated from the University of New England in Maine and became certified to teach at Boston College.
Feeney said he enjoys his job as a scrimshaw artist and shop owner. It allows him to use both his business and creative sides.
“I’ll retire at 83,” Feeney said. “It’s not a ‘job’ if you like what you’re doing.”

Thanks so much for posting that! Feeney, having been born a Canadian, instills a little bit of Canuck association to these knives too. Great info. I found a link to the article you must have as a .docx: https://www.wickedlocal.com/article/201 ... /307229895

My two, set # 0808.

Bill Feeney with tusk:

Posted: **Sun Dec 15, 2019 3:09 am**

I found another interesting article regarding Mr. Feeney from patriotledger.com Nov 25. 2015. I didn't like the obtrusive pop-up video ad so... fair use!

Bill Feeney happened to be the 1st artist mentioned.

https://www.patriotledger.com/article/2 ... /151127017

Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair returning to Durfee on Dec. 5

FALL RIVER — Two hundred artists and crafters will be selling their wares at the 39th annual Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair at B.M.C. Durfee High School.

“As I began to cull through the list of 200 crafters, I realized how many ‘big names’ in crafters show at the fair,” said Jim Rogers, founder and director of the Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair.

Several local authors will also be selling their books at this year’s two-day event taking place on Dec. 5 and 6 at B.M.C. Durfee High School. A fundraiser for the Fall River Scholarship Foundation, the craft fair is a shopping destination to check items off holiday gift lists and a place to pick up holiday decor.

Shoppers will find 20 types of crafts including hand-thrown pottery, knitted items, handmade clothing for people and pets, carved wooden items and glass art.

Here, at a glance, are some of the crafters and artists who will be selling items at this year’s event.

1) Scrimshaw

Bill Feeney’s scrimshaw jewelry and gift items are made right here in Fall River at his studio, Spouted Whale. A regular at the craft fair for at least 14 years, Feeney has been making scrimshaw items since the 1970s. The pieces are made with cast resin or fossilized mammoth ivory tusks. Every fall, Feeney said, he goes to Alaska to dig up the mammoth tusks that he uses in his creations.

A pocket knife from Spouting Whale.

So Craft Fair 2020? See ya there? Seriously, I think a new quest has just begun. These forums put all sorts of ideas in my head.

I'm going to contact Spouting Whale Inc. and see what Mr. Feeney might scrim on this bone "Little Finger" if I ask real nice. Unlike me, they're on Facebook. Plan was always to get this knife scrimshawed but who was the most appropriate scrimshander was the question. Feeney has worked on literally thousands of Schrade knives and was born Canadian, as I am. He's the man if I can get him. Decision made.

Posted: **Sun Dec 15, 2019 3:15 am**

Thanks for the research and posts! Mr. Feeney is holding a sizable chunk of Mastadon Ivory but imagine what the 120 lb. piece must have looked like. I will find that book reference to these sets. And I will be keeping an eye out for the lockback set.

Posted: **Sun Dec 15, 2019 3:28 am**

Best of luck! That lockback set is available often enough. You'll find one at some point.

Posted: **Sun Dec 15, 2019 4:28 am**

Great thread! I have two knives, Feeney scrim on mother of pearl; I will show them maybe tomorrow.

Posted: **Sun Dec 15, 2019 6:04 pm**

This one has all the bling, five pages of paperwork, display case, etc. It was a commemorative for a hardware company in Memphis, Tennessee. Scrimshaw by Feeney. This knife is available, for anyone so inclined.

Posted: **Sun Dec 15, 2019 8:41 pm**

Great looking fire in that pearl, tr!

Posted: **Sun Dec 15, 2019 8:53 pm**

I am a big fan of the Scrimshaw knives, but unfortunately i have only one that hasn't popped up yet. It is an original artwork done by Frank which he sold at a Garage sale he was having at his home. This one is special to me and was supplied by Eric Albers.
Tony.

Posted: **Sun Dec 15, 2019 9:51 pm**

The MOP slabs on those knives are really thick. Nice! I love the barlow too.

Today is a great day in Schrade-ville. I did indeed contact Spouting Whale and was surprised when Mr. Feeney himself answered the phone.

He is a very interesting gentleman and I was able to speak with him for a bit regarding the bone Little Finger I posted. I'm sending it off to his studio this very week. Too cool!

We spoke of his work on the I*XL bone sets and Orgill knife and plaque and he mentioned how he used to go to Ellenville to hang-out with Henry Baer and do work for him personally. We spoke of the Camillus connection as well specifically regarding the "Heralds Of The Sea" lock-back set and the Schrade-Camillus Baer family connections in general.

The Schrade factory wall collection was, of course, astounding but I sure wish that Henry Baer's personal collection had been itemized and meticulously photographed before he passed. You just know he had to have many crazy-good treasure-knives the like of which are rarely seen.

Bill Feeney was an early-adopter of the belief that killing elephants for ivory was wrong so he has been using the mammoth ivory for a long time. He still goes to Alaska yearly to source tusks. He donates charitably to protect elephants and encourage reponsible ivory use.

He is still doing scrimshaw on Schrade branded knives to this day for sale at his store. He likes the traditional patterns they represent and he's also friends with Stewart Taylor. He was able to confirm that the pic I posted earlier (showing his hands working on some knives from the article in 2015) was of Schrade brand knives being scrimshawed.

At his studio they can re-handle knives in ivory as well as doing the scrimshaw. Turns out a freshly-made super-special ivory-version "Heralds Of The Sea" set may still be possible if anyone is so inclined.

I felt honored to get a chance to speak with Bill and I know the knife he scrims for me will be a most-prized part of my Schrade collection. I am going to have him do something to commemorate Spouting Whale and his work (perhaps a literal spouting whale etc) on the front and something Schrade-y on the back. Maybe "Schrade Collecting" "A Sharp Idea" "1904-2004" in banners etc. Time will tell.

Posted: **Mon Dec 16, 2019 4:48 am**

That is really cool and make sure you post pictures of your scrimshawed knife when you get it back. What is the "Heralds of the Sea" set you reference? Thank you!

*Edit- I think I answered my own question.

Posted: **Mon Dec 16, 2019 5:37 pm**

1967redrider wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2019 4:48 am That is really cool and make sure you post pictures of your scrimshawed knife when you get it back. What is the "Heralds of the Sea" set you reference? Thank you!

*Edit- I think I answered my own question.

Thanks! I've decided to incorporate some of my personal history into the knife since it's traditional scrimshaw subject-matter.

I'm going to have an image of the famous tea clipper Cutty Sark (not necessarily the one shown) put on the front of the knife. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutty_Sark

On the reverse I'm going to have an image of Captain George Moodie, Cutty Sark's first Master.

George Moodie is my Great-Great-Great Grandfather on my Mom's side so I think it's a good call.

edit: I checked with something other than my memory and I made an error when posting. Captain Moodie is my Mom's Great-Great Grandfather. He's my Great-Great-Great Grandfather.

Posted: **Mon Dec 16, 2019 9:51 pm**

bladecollectorr wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2019 5:37 pm
1967redrider wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2019 4:48 am That is really cool and make sure you post pictures of your scrimshawed knife when you get it back. What is the "Heralds of the Sea" set you reference? Thank you!

*Edit- I think I answered my own question.
Thanks! I've decided to incorporate some of my personal history into the knife since it's traditional scrimshaw subject-matter.

I'm going to have an image of the famous tea clipper Cutty Sark (not necessarily the one shown) put on the front of the knife. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutty_Sark
Cutty Sark.jpg

On the reverse I'm going to have an image of Captain George Moodie, Cutty Sark's first Master.
Captain George Moodie 2.jpg

George Moodie is my Great-Great Grandfather on my Mom's side so I think it's a good call.

That's really cool!

Posted: **Tue Dec 17, 2019 12:45 am**

This thread is becoming crazy good, which is another way of saying there are so many extra fine examples. First time I have seen scrim on MOP.

Posted: **Tue Dec 17, 2019 12:58 am**

Scroll down on this page for the white bone Peter Stuyvesant daddy barlow. I sold this knife to Eric Albers. What was I thinking?
viewtopic.php?f=64&t=54057&p=610669&hil ... nt#p610669

Posted: **Tue Dec 17, 2019 1:05 am**

bladecollectorr wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2019 5:37 pmThanks! I've decided to incorporate some of my personal history into the knife since it's traditional scrimshaw subject-matter.

I'm going to have an image of the famous tea clipper Cutty Sark (not necessarily the one shown) put on the front of the knife.

On the reverse I'm going to have an image of Captain George Moodie, Cutty Sark's first Master.

George Moodie is my Great-Great Grandfather on my Mom's side so I think it's a good call.

That is an awesome idea

Posted: **Tue Dec 17, 2019 1:16 am**

jxr1197 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 17, 2019 1:05 am
bladecollectorr wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2019 5:37 pmThanks! I've decided to incorporate some of my personal history into the knife since it's traditional scrimshaw subject-matter.

I'm going to have an image of the famous tea clipper Cutty Sark (not necessarily the one shown) put on the front of the knife.

On the reverse I'm going to have an image of Captain George Moodie, Cutty Sark's first Master.

George Moodie is my Great-Great Grandfather on my Mom's side so I think it's a good call.
That is an awesome idea

I think that is just great!

Posted: **Tue Dec 17, 2019 3:29 am**

Thanks for all the kind encouragement! I'm having a lot of fun with it.

I've been busy planning the knife and I think I have a final mock-up finished. I don't expect a photo-realistic Capt. Moodie and I want it done using only black ink. I chose that pic of Cutty Sark because it shows the rigging well so the ship portrayed will have the right proportions. Bill Feeney can add the sails as appropriate.

Design could change significantly to correct any not-so-great aspects of my plan. Once Bill gets the knife and plans he can school me.

Posted: **Fri Jan 31, 2020 8:36 pm**

1967redrider wrote: ↑Sat Dec 14, 2019 3:37 pm I read in one reference book recently that these were done in Mastadon Ivory, wish I would have snapped a picture of it. Could it be possible?

BOVINE BONE.

Posted: **Mon Apr 13, 2020 7:03 pm**

My custom Schrade Scrimshaw journey is nearing it's happy conclusion. The SC509 I sent to Bill Feeney is on its way back to me. Here are the pics he sent me. I couldn't be happier. Great work from a good man.

In my parents house there was always a 2-foot long exact replica of Cutty Sark with full rigging prominently displayed on the mantle over the fireplace. This thing is one impressively accurate wooden model. My Mom was so proud to be George Moodie's great-great-granddaughter and she taught us about it as soon as we could talk if not before. She was first-generation Canadian and her/our Scottish roots were very important to her. Alzheimer's took her too soon in 2011 and this knife will always make me think of her. She would have loved it.

Posted: **Mon Apr 13, 2020 7:11 pm**

Wow! That's neat BC! Looks like he's done a great job. Always liked scrimshaw...but the family story makes it even better!

Posted: **Mon Apr 13, 2020 7:37 pm**

WOW... That is some AWESOME scrim work!

Amazing!

Posted: **Mon Apr 13, 2020 8:20 pm**

Family history makes that great knife even better! Proud for you.

Posted: **Mon Apr 13, 2020 8:56 pm**

To have that knife reflecting a part of your family history is beyond cool. The scrimshaw is wonderful.

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