The Nicholas Cage Look-alike Knife

Every now and then we all do something that we don’t really receive credit for.  For some, that really ‘gets under their skin’, and for others, it’s really not a big event.  This is the story of an engraving I received little, if any credit for, but view philosophically as just part of life.  

A young local knifemaker approached me one day at a gun show and asked if I’d engrave a knife for him.  One of his knife styles was a titanium bolstered liner lock folder.  He’d done a very nice job on the one he presented to me for engraving.  His instructions were to engrave it with scroll and an eagle.  

Titanium is an interesting material for the engraver.  For years I struggled with engraving it.  One day at a FEGA show, I noticed a knife on one of the tables that was nicely engraved and in titanium.  When I asked the engraver what he used to cut titanium, he freely informed me that he used cobalt gravers. After the show, I quickly contacted one of my suppliers and had some new gravers headed my way.  To my joy, cobalt was the answer!  Titanium still cut much differently than other materials, but I now had little problem making nice borders and scroll. 

With only the directions of scroll and an eagle, I decided to do only the eagle’s head.  This would let me present much more detail than if I engraved the complete bird.  I surrounded it with Jim White scroll.  The other side I covered completely with scroll.

My young knifemaker was surprised with the eagle-head-only engraving, but fortunately decided it was acceptable. 

Not long after he finished the knife, he received a call from a local knife store.  It seems that actor Nicholas Cage was in Alaska filming a movie and had stopped in to look around.  When asked if they knew of a truly unique knife, the staff immediately thought of my client.  They called him and said if he could get there within an hour with the knife, there was a great possibility for a sale.  He made it in time and the sale was made.  He has a photo to prove it.  He was, of course, thrilled, and I was happy for him.

Years passed and one day his mentor, who had taught him how to build that particular style of folder, presented me with one he’d built specifically for me.  I’d engraved many knives for him and he said it was his way of saying thanks for always promptly getting them done.  

One day I decided since his gift was so much like the Cage knife, I’d engrave a similar pattern on it for myself.  While it doesn’t have a Damascus blade and its scales are black micarta, I’m quite happy.  It reminds me of two knifemakers and a famous actor.  I call it my Nicholas Cage knife.