Very cool!

As an older fart, who remembers those 3-line tiny classified ads in the back of Guns Magazine, I find it poingnant, almost sad, as the confluence of a Depression-era 6th grade education runaway to the Army at age 16 Cav. farrier mechanical genious, his old shop, and his grandsons still carrying on the trade, simply is not happening anymore. It simply can't.

And now, aging people, aging equipment. Am so glad that documentary was shot to preserve the history in more than stills and written pages.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBKnLe7tYmU

Lofty
Thank you for the information and I apologise for not getting back to you sooner.
Very informative.

Rod

An obscure old thread, apparently originally it's own area, then relegated to "knife photo" status in the corner for some reason, and folk still manage to stumble across it and it be brought to light.

Such was my finding it, and I imagine yours as well, so, no apology required for also stumbling across a query reply.

As for obscure, so is a thought which will not go away.

If Vic had not come aboard for love of the craft in 1964....if Rudy had spooled down production and finally shut down NLT 1968.....if Vic had not gotten actual dealers and demand exploded, and widespread attention to the name developed.....

Would anybody remember this obscure knifemaking name today?

Some would. But it seems quite possible that today's demand for their knives, and especially the early ones, might not ever have been.

Point being, a "real Rudy" knife being desirable today owes much to Vic and his sons. And they have done nothing but truly improve the knives in every way, and without doing away with classics, but only making them better. They hunt elk, they use these knives, they know what makes a good cutter.

So, I do not feel I am getting a second class knife at all from these folk. Quite the opposite. I am getting a knife from the people who helped make the legend. A knife that cuts. A tool.

If there were two words I would use to describe them, they would be "solid, smooth". If it were three words, it would be "solid, smooth, symmetrical".







PS- if four words were allowed, I would add "sharp".

Sharp - this is a good word.

I found on the web, I do not remember where,
the instructions for sharpening from Ruana.
This is one of the most understandable and effective
instructions from the manufacturer.
All explained very clearly. People love their work.

If no one mind, I'll put it here.

I like how they deal with wire edges and too acute an angle, which many instructions rarely bother to mention, and the folded or dented wire edge the cause of more disappointment, resharpening, and calling a knife "no good/won't hold an edge" than any other cause.

HOWEVER, as with most old old sharpening advice, they assume all anyone has is a stone. Most folk today in the USA own not one stone, and use some gizmo. And the assumption one has only a stone leads to a convex edge (which Ruanas have) being flat stoned, which is ok for a touch-up, but counterproductive to the convex edge when used for much more than that.

Stropping removes a wire edge, and stropping fine for most touch-up at home, as is a smooth steel being used to iron out small dinks and dents in the edge, prior to stropping.

Both stones and strops have their fans for everything from initial grind to finest final edge, and I will stay out of that, but, no sense sharpening and removing steel when a smooth steel and strop is all it needs.

My "steel" is actually the smooth polished shank of a large diameter titanium bolt, but, same thing as for use, and it does not rust in the middle of nowhere, along with the blade.

Back to Ruana, rather than sharpening, I would discuss their grind and edging as done currently on the newer 14.

The hollowgrind is more a flat angled grind for lower half of primary grind, leaving edge strong, and the convexing is actually done by multiple straight passes down the edge on both sides with a wheel, gradually curving edge in to centerline.

It leaves one able to strop or stone, pick one. I like the strength of the edge as supplied, especially on a heavy skinner seen more as a general chore knife, and have no intention of weakening it with a flat grind sharpening job to fine edge.

OH!.....so much concentration of late info on shop, details of actual newer knife might be good...

Spine and ricasso bottom are rounded, same multiple lengthwise passes arching those surfaces as used in edging.

Weight is 7.1 oz bare, 11.1 (or somesuch, under 12 for sure) oz. in the heavily built heavily protective flap sheath which would be right at home on a brown pre-War USMC Sam Browne set. It may not be lovely, but as with knife, built to last and do its job, carry and protect. Small brass nails are for safety to prevent knife cutting through welt, which it could do, real easy. Retention is quite good even minus flap. This sheath for outdoors outdoors.

Will throw one other quick one out. The "mundane" 1095 used by the Ruana shop since 1962.

It actually is a trickier steel to work than several popular steels, as it must be quenched within seconds of coming from the heat. This leads to rushing, knocked over oil, and dropped knives which immediately cause an uncontained oil fire in a shop. Not a good thing. This steel generally not recommended for guys starting out in forging.

My experience with old smokie is quite positive as for edge holding, pretty much as good as any. In the main, there are no magic super steels, no matter the brand name, only steel with good heat treat and bad, and a steel chosen properly for a task, or a poor steel chosen for the use.

If shearing large rolls of paper continuously in a papermill, the hard abrasion resistant steels cannot be beat. But make a bowie of that steel and it breaks.

1095 is a high carbon steel, and a tough steel with good edge holding, when done properly. End of discussion from my end.

Anecdotally, one guy wrote of using his Ruana to skin a buffalo and needed to touch up the edge 4 or 5 times, which he thought pretty darned good.

A more proof positive, and even a fitting test, is this one regarding a knife which might have inspired my larger, heavier, more solidly made newer skinner.
http://www.knivesillustrated.com/putting-marbles-knives-to-the-cutting-test/

In the main, my advice is do not worry about the steel. Worry about the knifemaker.

And what would an ABS Master such a premier knifemaker, Ed Fowler, make of Rudy, his 1095 knives and his shop? Below are a few lifted quotes...


"Rudy's knives were made to use. I have cut with them and they do very well, better than most of knives being made today.

I have never seen a broken Ruana, considering that he made them for working men in working country this speaks very well for them. They were made and sold as users. 

Had Rudy decided to go for more expensive knives he certainly could have done so. I have seen some of his knives that knew excellent fit and finish and still maintained the honest strength through design and materials that a working knife needs to have.

Rudy forged his blades on a 50 pound Little Giant and did his own heat treating. I have never sought to know how he heat treated, but there is no question that he knew what he was doing. Next time I talk to his grandsons I will ask.

I am told that he made his own milling machines out of parts from other machines. A friend of mine told me that he knew Rudy well when he started making knives, he was also a pretty good machinest and was there when Rudy set up his milling machine for handles.

Rudy had a knife throwing set up behing his shop and liked to throw his bowies. When you study his designs, the probability of damaging one is very remote. The elk antler is very very effectively protected form damage should the handle striking an object or be pounded on to add force to the tip. 

As Rudy's "art knives" come to the surface, we gain a greater appreciatiion for his knowledgable workmanship. In my book he was one of the best makers in our history."

Also, from same....will leave his typos intact on below.

"My opinion of Rudy Ruana as a maker has changed greatly in the past 6 years. I feel that he stands alone when it comes to knowledge of cut and design of lady knife when it comes to function. Rudy also made an individual and creative statement of origonal design, the intregity of all his blades was as good as it gets and made a living doing it. Very few makers have been able to achieve these objectives.

I remember a time when new makers criticised Rudy's knifes as crude and laughed at his 'lack of craftmanship'. Most of those 'superior' makers are no longer making knives. Looking at his early knives he could have gone after the high ticket market had he chosen to do so, (the Bowie that I have written about and this latest $10,000 knife are examples of superior craftmanship) instead he identified the market he wanted to serve, designed a great knife and brought pleasure to many men who needed a knife.

Rudy was in complete command of all the materials that went into his knives, they were his, he understood them well and made it work. These are the hallmarks of a true master."

Next time anyone asks for opinions on Ruana, just point them to the above quotes.

Lofty, thanks for resurrecting this thread and posting the Youtube video, which was terrific. How often can you see truly gifted artists and craftsmen at work?

I had read "Hear The Hammer", but the video really brings home how small the shop is, and how well the knife-making equipment still function 80 years after Rudy Ruana conceived and built it, apparently with parts from a wide variety of sources.

I just picked up my first Ruana knife, a 28-CD Skinner, as I really like the 'fat belly' blade profile. It is beautifully made, and fits the hand perfectly. I absolutely adore the hand-hammered pins in the elk horn handle inserts; they are a perfect reminder that the knife was made by hand by smiths who are supremely skilled. I'm looking forward to using it, maybe this summer.

I actually found the thread, which in reading first posts was actually its own subforum until buried in knife photos for some reason, already resuscitated recently by someone else, which is the only reason I found it.

As for the documentary, I adore good craftsmanship documentaries, and this is one of them, even if it covered a cobbler or wheelwright.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBKnLe7tYmU
A knifemaker, even better!

However, as with most stuff on the net regarding Ruana, actual info was sparse, and I thought it would be good for folk to actually KNOW something about Ruana. I think most folk think it some sort of factory which turns out second rate crude cutlery, and simply pass along that assumption. Nothing could be further from the truth.

They are just solid, good, Sarah plain and tall, in their standard stock offerings. The custom orders another matter.

I have a "custom" sheath due in this week, small shops so easy to deal with, with answers to questions easily answered in a simple yes or no. All I had to do was ask, mail a check, and sheath is on the way. All I asked for was a normal sheath minus loop, flap, and snap, a simple blade cover so that I can carry far more often simply stuck under belt or IWB.

The knife has been used daily since posting of giving it a whirl, first rate cutter for woods work, strips bark with alacrity, powers through stripped limb stubs taking four hard tries and three screeching halts with not a glint yet to edge, and still zips open mail as if a box cutter.

Good solid knife. I have the 21A on order, along with a modern 10B old smokie, as it appears my old one might be getting too valuable for a utility knife, anymore.

They do a good job filling the "user" market, as they always have. Personally, I have renewed appreciation for them after reading Ed Fowler's comments. The knives have actually progressed as for cutters since Rudy's time.

Vic, Mark, and Mike love to hunt and flyfish, and use the knives, keeping in mind the ONLY knives they came of age with were old ones of which they had plenty of experience using....so, they simply continued making them, but made them cut even better. Not as if they make a secret line of older style for own personal use, and foist a new version on outside buyers, nor are the later style of grinds less labor intensive, but instead, take much more time.

Personally, I am suprised by how tough the skinner. Usually, if it says "skinner" from most anyone, stripping limbs is an excellent recipe for chipped or busted edge. I originally ordered a 21A as an all purpose, but was called and asked if I wanted an available 14B. Glad I took Mike up on the offer.

As for materials, such as elk, it says not only totally made in USA, but made out west, in Montana. Provencial in the best sense of the word.

(I still have a great amount of trouble keeping A, B, AC, alpha suffixes straight, so please excuse mistakes).