Bill Ruple Uses Stunning Craftsmanship in His Award-winning Designs
Let’s turn back the hands of time a bit to the 2013 SHOT Show.
I had a chance to spend what little downtime I had, having lunch with my good friend and knifemaker Luke Swenson. While doing so, we stumbled into his friend and mentor, Bill Ruple, who was sitting at an adjacent table. It was immediately apparent that Bill was a true Texan through and through—donning a cowboy hat, beard, moustache, thick Texas accent and manners you would expect in an old Western.
My friend affectionately referred to him as Maestro whenever he addressed him. At that time, I had not been around the custom knife circuit too much, so I had no idea just who it was that I was meeting, but he had a kind and welcoming demeanor.
They were both in town for the Vegas Invitational Knifemakers Show at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, which was taking place directly after the SHOT Show. I was fortunate enough to spend time with both of them.
The Maestro
Esta historia es de la edición December 2016 de Knives Illustrated.
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Esta historia es de la edición December 2016 de Knives Illustrated.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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TIP TALK
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BLADE TIP SHAPES AND WHY IT MATTERS
HOLDING FIRM
GETTING A GRIP ON KNIFE HANDLE BENEFITS, MATERIALS, AND FUNCTIONALITY
EDGE UP
TIPS, TRICKS, AND TECHNIQUES TO SHARP WHEN ADVENTURING FAR FROM HOME
THE COMBAT KITCHEN
SLICE, DICE, CHOP, AND CUT: FOOD PREP WITH BLADES FROM POPULAR TACTICAL KNIFE COMPANIES
MORAKNIV Classics
THESE TIMELESS BUSHCRAFT KNIVES HAVE BEEN UPDATED AND ARE BETTER THAN EVER
ONE FOR THE ROAD
CHOOSING AN “EVERYWHERE KNIFE” CAN BE DIFFICULT DUE TO COMPLICATED KNIFE LAWS
TRAVELING LIGHT
SOMETIMES, INEXPENSIVE UTILITY BLADES YOU PICK UP AT YOUR DESTINATION CAN GET THE JOB DONE
MATCHED PAIR
JB KNIFE WORKS LAYMAN KNIFE AND GAMBIT HATCHET COMBO: ONE PICKS UP WHERE THE OTHER LEAVES OFF
WHEN BIGGER IS BETTER
THE CAS IBERIA CHOP HOUSE IS A MACHETE THAT PROVIDES BIG BLADE CUTTING POWER
KITCHEN KNIVES DON'T HAVE TO BE DULL
I have a confession to make. See if this sounds familiar. I take meticulous care of the knives I use for everyday carry, hunting, and general woods wandering. I wipe them down with an oily cloth after use and I never let them get too dull. Seldom do I have to restore a damaged edge. Most of the time I simply touch up the edges of my pocketknives with a few careful strokes across the rough bottom of a ceramic coffee cup. That’s usually all that’s needed. I don’t use my knives as screwdrivers or pry bars. As a matter of fact, I still have the very first knife I ever owned, an old Boy Scout knife that was handed down from my older brother. The blades have a deep patina that comes with using carbon steel over the years, but the knife is very usable still.