The News from ElephantToenails.com

It’s official now-

This is a video recorded to let the YouTube knife folks know about iKnifeCollector

You guys may be curious as to which are the most popular stories here at The News for the year of 2008.

They are ranked by number of times read (or at least clicked through to) out of the 155 stories published this year.

I’m going to list them in the order of most popular first. Drum roll, please: 

Cutlery News Journal- a new addition to our family

Toenail Trivia- What the heck is a Pumpkin-Seed?

Knife Company History- Lockwood Brothers and one rare bird

W R Case Toenail Reference List: TESTED XX - XX USA Lighting S Era

Featured Toenail- H. Boker & Co.

Rumor Mill- Case discovers a prototype toenail from its earliest days!

Welcome to my World- Early Toenail History

Knife Company History- Cattaraugus Cutlery Co., Little Valley, NY

Knife Company History- Napanoch Knife Company

History of Platts Cutlery Companies

Mr. Tony Bose

The Tony Bose interview is out of production and is now live. And yes, while the interview is an all around Tony Bose interview, I did ask him specially about his toenails. As you may know, he is one of a few custom knife makers to make toenails of the vintage toenail variety.

Tony is one heck of a gentleman and was a pleasure to talk knives with. I think you will find the interview enjoyable- he has a very dry sense of humor, but is really very funny.

Instead of loading it here at The News, follow the link directly to his interview. Thanks and enjoy the show.

Hope to see you at the Parker Show next week and don’t forget our ET Collectors Club Breakfast Sat. morning.

I’m excited to share with you a special feature for us here at ET.com. Within the next couple of weeks, I’ll be bringing to you two very special guests.

As you know, I have a little (tongue in check) project I have going over at Cutlery News Journal. It is the Audio Interview Series with key players in the knife industry. Two of the guests I’ll be interviewing are directly relative to us here. These knifemakers are Tony Bose and Don Hanson III.

Both of these men are very respected makers and both have made toenails. Before you jump back by saying ”but these are custom knifemakers, Scott, we’re into vintage (OLD) toenails here at ET.com,” allow me to say, I know that. Hang with me on this.

T Bose Pearl Jumbo

Mr. Bose was the first knifemaker to actually make the Jumbo Swellcenter. He will provide us with keen insight into what it is like to make one of those puppies. He told me recently, the Jumbo is the hardest knife to make of all he has ever made…and we’ll get him to tell us why.

D Hanson Blue Mammoth Bark Ivory Scales

Don Hanson III, if you don’t know him, is known throughout the world as Mr. Sunfish. He established himself in the custom knifemaking Who’s Who by making toenails. And even adopted it as his trademark, except as you know he calls them sunfish. 

Since we can’t go back and interview anyone from the early days of the C. Platts, Case Brothers, or early W R Case companies, obviously, in order to get insight into what it was like to actually hand forge and finish a toenail, these men are the modern-day equivalent. I think it will be fascinating to talk with these men.

Here’s what I’m going to do- The CNJ Interview will be a 30 minute in-depth conversation and will be released there in its entirety, but for you and me here, I’m going to cut out the heart of the toenail discussion and post it here. Be patient as it takes time to work out all the scheduling and production, but will let you know as soon as I can.

You will be able with a click to hear these conversations right here without any special plug-ins or downloads. I hope you will listen in!