Tony Bose comes from humble beginnings in the
west-central Indiana town of Hymera. He suffered an injury to his right eye at
the age of six and his family endured hard economic times throughout his
childhood. When Tony became old enough to work, he encountered many obstacles
due to his partial blindness. As it turned out, that childhood injury and his
love of "pocket knives" became a catalyst in making Tony who he is
today and his knives some of the most coveted hand made knives today.
Tony started making knives in 1972 after many
years of repairing knives for extra money. He made his first folder in 1975. To
date he has made over 48 different patterns based on knives from the old
cutlery companies. Tony says, "I don't design knives, I bring old knives
back from the grave." Tony's forte is just that; bringing old knives back
to life but with all the improvements that modern materials and superior
craftsmanship offer. Tony's reputation as a master cutler of traditional
folding knives was recognized and rewarded in 1998 with his hiring as
consultant to the W.R.Case & Sons Cutlery Co. Tony provides a level of
expertise with pocketknives that could easily have been lost but he shares the
information openly with anyone who wants to learn. Tony Bose, custom knife
maker, & W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery have announced the “Norfolk” as the
2009 Case/Bose Collaboration knife. The first Norfolk was created by Joseph
Rogers for the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in London, England in the
1850s. With 75 blades, and 2-3 in length, it made quite the impression at the Great Exhibition.
Roger’s
knife company, Norfolk Knives, was
located on Norfolk Street and that is where the name of the knife is derived
from.
In production as a regular pocketknife of that
era, the Norfolk came in numerous blade configurations, and various sizes, but
always maintained its distinctive shape. That distinctive shape, along with the
Wharncliffe blade, piqued Bose’s interest and resulted in his recreating this pattern with Case XX.
The Case/Bose Norfolk will retain the classic shape of the original Norfolk in
a length of 3”, with “Made in America” 154-CM steel Wharncliffe and clip
blades, riding on a single back spring. Bose says he’s always liked the Norfolk & Wharncliffe
blade combination…”It’s just handy
to have around…you can do just about anything with it, good solid blade to use
& being on a single back spring makes it very thin, easy to carry in your
pocket. And then when you need the clip blade the “ease” in the handle makes it
easy to access.”
In the Bose/Case Collaboration there will be
“half stops” on the blades, a great safety feature but they also provide better
action and thus the reason they are preferred by Bose. Bose particularly wanted
to point out that the 154-CM steel used in these blades is “Made in America”
with a Double Vacuum Smelting process (a process not normally used abroad). “This
process makes the 154-CM cleaner than what you could get abroad, There’s no slag, and it finishes real nice without
freckles or specks.” Being a tad particular about his steel, Tony is especially
happy with this 154-CM.
“And hey did you know,” he adds, “this 154-CM is
what they make jet engine parts out of. It will work at 1000º without losing
its temper.” Impressive. Tony says it’s always a challenge to put two blades on a single back spring. One
side of each blade must have an offset grind so blades can pass each other, but
the end result is a thinner overall piece, making for a more comfortable knife
in your pocket, which is a just and fitting description for the Norfolk, a very
comfortable knife in your pocket.
While we had Tony cornered, we told him we
already knew that making knives was his passion and his most favorite thing to
do…BUT… what about when he’s not making
knives? What would be his passion? “Well,” he replied in that drawl that is
undeniably Tony, “my vocation is making knives and my hobby is messing with
knives. I just love them, love everything about them.” I have
48 patterns in my line drawings but I've probably made twice that many. Some
that I have designed are the Lanny's Clip, Zulu Pear, and Panama Trapper.
I've
studied old knives all my life, the early U.S.A. and Sheffield. That's what I look
for, round handles with no hot spots that feel good in the hand. I designed the
BackPocket and Wharncliffe trapper too
Now for any and all who know Tony…there’s no surprise there. That’s why his knives are so highly sought after; each
one has a bit of Tony within. Besides his obvious interest in knife making,
Tony is also an avid sports fan.
Reese Bose
Reese Bose, the oldest of the three Bose kids,
was an enterprising young man while he was still in school. He established a
knife sharpening business in the third grade. The teacher would collect all the
knives that the other children brought to school and hold them till school let
out. It was clear even back then that Reese would be involved in the knife
making business when he grew up. Tony says that, "I have helped a lot of
guys figure out how to make pocket knives, but Reese is the only one I have
taught". It's apparent that Reese has been taught well. Reese joined his
father in the workshop in 1993 and has established himself as an accomplished
knife maker.
Even though working together only several feet
apart at Wilfred Works (that's what the boys call their knife shop), there is a
difference in the way Reese goes about making a knife. Reese has a style that
is uniquely his own and the attention to detail that serves him and his
customers well. Reese's free time activities include horsing around (horseback
riding and caring for his trusty pal Tonto), hunting, keeping his old pickup
running, and starting fires with sticks and strings (which he has perfected).
