Shilin Cutter, chinese slipjoint, pics

[ChrisR]

Depends a lot on price - but Damascus with black plastic would be nice ... but I would take any under 3-inches and slip-joint - I love that shape :)

[oregon]

Here's a pic, not mine, of Damascus w black plastic handles, 1 1/2, 2 1/2, 3, 3 1/2 and 4 inch blades.

[jzmtl]

If I get to pick one and money is not tight, I'd go with the 3" blade wood handle. http://shilin-cutter.com.tw/sln073.html

[oregon]

Then there's the stag handles (not my image):

[oregon]

If I get to pick one and money is not tight, I'd go with the 3" blade wood handle. http://shilin-cutter.com.tw/sln073.html

I believe that the wood handles in the link are Nara wood. Really looks terrific. Good choice.

[oregon]

Nara wood handles (looks kind of like Rosewood with some burl pattern) (not my pic):

[oregon]

Depends a lot on price - but Damascus with black plastic would be nice ... but I would take any under 3-inches and slip-joint - I love that shape :)

It, the leaf blade with eggplant handle, is a killer shape. All of the Shilin knives are slip-joints. I would like to own all five of the Cowry-X with black handle knives. Collect them all kinda thing. :D

[oregon]

I showed the first knife pictured to anyone who would hold still long enough today at OKCA in Eugene. It was a first blush experience for everyone. "Never seen anything like it" summarizes the comments. The handle material is ivory. The cracks at the outer pins are due to the proximity of the pins to the edge of the ivory scale. It is probably better to not have a bail in the end of the knife in order to help prevent cracking the ivory there so I won't replace the missing bail. I couldn't get near busy Bernard Levine so no hands on discussion, unfortunately.

[ChrisR]

It certainly is a lovely design and it seems clear that it influenced Bom Lum in his Chinese Folder design, so it is strange that it is so hard to get them out of Taiwan - I'd have thought that lots of makers would be repeating the design, as they have such bad copyright out there too.

Interesting that it is ivory - I guess that suggests that you have an older model perhaps - and it might get tricky bringing it across international borders without proof that it is antique? The Nara wood handles really do look good - I think I'd go for one of those - price allowing :)

[oregon]

It certainly is a lovely design and it seems clear that it influenced Bom Lum in his Chinese Folder design, so it is strange that it is so hard to get them out of Taiwan - I'd have thought that lots of makers would be repeating the design, as they have such bad copyright out there too.

Interesting that it is ivory - I guess that suggests that you have an older model perhaps - and it might get tricky bringing it across international borders without proof that it is antique? The Nara wood handles really do look good - I think I'd go for one of those - price allowing :)

The wood is actually Narra (The translation from Chinese dropped on of the "Rs"): AKA Amboyna in Indonesia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterocarpus_indicus

I talked with a wood supplier yesterday at OKCA and he showed a block of it to me. I couldn't see the grain just variations on a theme of reddish brown, kind of blotchy on a small scale. It was heavy and dense. Seems perfect for knife scales.

One of the viewers of the knife yesterday said that officials, in a prior year, came in and confiscated ivory and the holders of the ivory and took it and them away to an unknown result. This is something I did not see. I've been going for five years without issue. And, yes, I now feel funny about the knife. Perhaps I can send a page showing a scan of the knife and pictures of the 5 makers and see if the current maker can draw a line to his ancestor thereby dating its production or maybe even giving me a date of manufacture. I'll see.

[ChrisR]

My understanding is that owning modern ivory isn't a crime but selling it or moving across international borders (without a CITES permit) is an offence. So, assuming it is real ivory, then as long as you just keep it and enjoy it you should be fine :)

[oregon]

Thank you kindly ChrisR. I feel less guilty already.

Leroy Remer, the extrordinarily talented knife smith, examined the knife, explained the life cycle of ivory on a knife and why it cracked. He cleaned and waxed it for me while he explained care and feeding of this rare material. I had talked to him briefly about ivory, he let me handle some of his custom work which employed ivory, last year and this was my first hands-on experience with this substance. It has an attractive feel that stayed with me.

[ChrisR]

It sounds, from the cracking that perhaps the ivory has some age to it anyway so it might be that it is some very old ivory (even recycled off another piece) that was just fitted to this knife. The knife itself looks like it has some age too ... so I wouldn't feel too guilty :) As an aside, did Leroy eliminate the possibility that it was something like Walrus ivory? We're assuming it is elephant but I am not sure how to tell these things apart.

[oregon]

It sounds, from the cracking that perhaps the ivory has some age to it anyway so it might be that it is some very old ivory (even recycled off another piece) that was just fitted to this knife. The knife itself looks like it has some age too ... so I wouldn't feel too guilty :) As an aside, did Leroy eliminate the possibility that it was something like Walrus ivory? We're assuming it is elephant but I am not sure how to tell these things apart.

Leroy and I didn't get into what kind of ivory. Next time. He is living in California now but plans to move to Oregon. Roseburg, perhaps. He has a brother in my neck of the woods. He provided the bulletproof glass for the buck knives in another thread. China is a land of mystery to me. I have no knowledge of the animals there that could yield ivory. My guess is elephant ivory. As it ages it swells and then shrinks over the years. Sensitive to temperature, humidity and altitude.

I'm in touch with a european that speaks chinese. He is trying to open the maker of the Shilin Cutters to my desire to purchase from him. The maker has a reputation for being exclusive while picking who he vends thru which goes to explain why the largest knife store in Taipei has no inventory.

I am positive that I will acquire some damascus-bladed Shilin Cutters. I am trying. I think I can do it. I think I can.

[oregon]

I made arrangements last night to buy, via telegraphic transfer that I shoud be able to make this morning when my bank opens (tt), the three larger folders shown in pic on post #20 (black handles with damascus blades in 3", 3.5" and 4" lengths).

We were having a family dinner when a phone call came in from Taipei. They have had a repetitive problem with their emails bouncing back to them so I haven't received them all. I've adjusted setting on my end so I will see if that helps emailed communications. I am lucky that the vendor has an english speaking employee who btw was awe struck by pics of the clear-scaled bulletproof Buck 110s I had sent as was everyone else he showed them to.

I'll post pics and my impressions when they arrive.

[oregon]

Did the tt this morning to the retailer. Boy did I pick the wrong bank, Chase. $45 to send an offshore wire transfer. Got email from the vendor, Johnny @ Mascot, that shipment had been made. My cost per folder is just short of $140.

I left one on the table, 2.5 inch black handle with Cowry-X blade. Someone shoud grab it ($64 + shipping + cost of tt).

I received email from an employee of the actual maker of the Shilin Cutter. He is not making the inexpensive, eye of the beholder kind of thing, anymore as it distracts from the natural material product line using wood, horn and stag. End of the bargain items.

I estimate the delivered cost of a 3" Cowry-X blade with natural handle $350. The new entry level Shilin Cutter with damascus blade.

I can't blame the maker if the profit margin is greater with the top end line and he can still make the sales. However, he has quite an inventory of high-end folders. I hope that he sells a million of them.

[oregon]

I'm happy to be of any assistance.

I have email contact info for the maker and for a retailer down the street in Taipei.

[oregon]

I sent this to the maker in hopes that he would take the time to tell me which relative made my knife and when it was made. Knife on the left and family tree on the right. It might work. I'll see.

[oregon]

I've been chatting with an enthusiast In Taiwan about the Shilin Cutter knife and its maker. He has met the maker twice at the December meet put on by RGH Knives (largest knive retailer in Taiwan). His plan was to visit his pal at RGH and then the Shilin Cutter maker in Taipei this weekend. I hope that he takes his camera. I would love to be there with him for his enthusiasm, insight and language skills. December in Taipei. That has a nice ring to it. Maybe. Quite a journey... But, then it would be travel for cutlery so why not.

[oregon]

I received shipping/tracking information on the three Shilin Cutter knives from Mascot knives in Taipei. I've been told to expect them to arrive here in Oregon before May. Oh boy.