My knife: Hervé Maunoury
My knife: Hervé Maunoury
Where do knife makers get their ideas? What inspires their designs? Our series on custom knives tries to shine light one specific knife. In this issue: the ‘Black Eagle’ by French knife maker Hervé Maunoury.
Text Hervé Maunoury, pictures Bas Martens
Text Hervé Maunoury, pictures Bas Martens
The ‘Black Eagle’ from French knife maker Hervé Maunoury.
“Like many of us knife makers, I have always been attracted by knives, especially by their versatile nature as tools.
“Like many of us knife makers, I have always been attracted by knives, especially by their versatile nature as tools.
I think that the minor aspect that a knife can serve as a weapon gave me confidence. When I was still very young my mother gave me a dagger ‘scout’ type Solingen. At that time, living in the country as I did, I could proudly wear it on my belt.
“I have been making knives since childhood ... with more or less success! My work as a professional musher, which
“I have been making knives since childhood ... with more or less success! My work as a professional musher, which
I practiced for twenty years, not only forced me to have a quality knife but it forced me to discover Finland and the Puukkos. There, I met fellow mushers who made knives during the short Lappish summer. They worked in the pure Scandinavian tradition and they kind of ‘put my foot in the stirrups’. I started to forge for the pleasure of it and now it's been more than five years since I became independent knife maker.
Close-up of the handle with the eagle’s head scrimshaw.
“This knife is called the ‘Black Eagle’. I wanted to make a generously proportioned camp knife. I particularly like feather Damascus; it is a form of Damascus that I find ‘poetic’. On this knife, it is a feather explosion Damascus of about 500 layers. I like watching raptors, they fascinate me. The feather Damascus and the eagle scrimshaw on a stag antler insert gives the knife the same theme. I also made a small eagle-head scrimshaw on the scabbard closure.
“The guard and the pommel are from the crown of a deer antler. The black wood is Morta, which I chose because its colour is reminiscent of the dark contrast of the Damascus. The hidden full tang with no screws or pins give me a complete freedom of expression on the handle. There are birch bark spacers in the Scandinavian style.
“This knife is called the ‘Black Eagle’. I wanted to make a generously proportioned camp knife. I particularly like feather Damascus; it is a form of Damascus that I find ‘poetic’. On this knife, it is a feather explosion Damascus of about 500 layers. I like watching raptors, they fascinate me. The feather Damascus and the eagle scrimshaw on a stag antler insert gives the knife the same theme. I also made a small eagle-head scrimshaw on the scabbard closure.
“The guard and the pommel are from the crown of a deer antler. The black wood is Morta, which I chose because its colour is reminiscent of the dark contrast of the Damascus. The hidden full tang with no screws or pins give me a complete freedom of expression on the handle. There are birch bark spacers in the Scandinavian style.
Left: There is a small eagle-head scrimshaw on the scabbard closure.
Right: Close-up of the feather Damascus blade.
“I like to do all steps of my knives myself, from Damascus to leather scabbard. Scrimshaw is a technique I discovered in the 80s in the United States. On the shores of Lake Michigan I met a family of native Americans who lived off of the fish they caught. The grandfather sold small pendants with deer antlers on which he made scrimshaws. I loved it and he showed me how to do it. I still have the pendant he gave me.
“Perhaps this anecdote shows a Native American inspiration in my work, but in fact I like to combine different primitive techniques such as lacing leather in a Mexican or Argentinian style, Inuit scrimshaw, and Scandinavian duodji in terms of lines and materials.”
For more information on Hervé Maunoury see www.couteaux-herve-maunoury.com.
“I like to do all steps of my knives myself, from Damascus to leather scabbard. Scrimshaw is a technique I discovered in the 80s in the United States. On the shores of Lake Michigan I met a family of native Americans who lived off of the fish they caught. The grandfather sold small pendants with deer antlers on which he made scrimshaws. I loved it and he showed me how to do it. I still have the pendant he gave me.
“Perhaps this anecdote shows a Native American inspiration in my work, but in fact I like to combine different primitive techniques such as lacing leather in a Mexican or Argentinian style, Inuit scrimshaw, and Scandinavian duodji in terms of lines and materials.”
For more information on Hervé Maunoury see www.couteaux-herve-maunoury.com.
The ‘Black Eagle’ is a generously proportioned camp knife.