BOOK REVIEW
Reviewew by Knife World staff

In 1989 the world's most famous bladesmith, William F "Bill" Moran Jr., celebrated his fiftieth year of knifecraft with the undertaking of a project to make one knife for each year he had spent in the field. Termed the "50 year knives," the last one was completed and delivered in late 1996, and the span of these knives encompasses combat knives to carvers, utility knives to bowies, patch knives to pendants. This book is a celebration of those fifty knives, accompanied by related anecdotes and other items of interest to the many thousands worldwide who are fascinated by Moran and his creations.

The variety of the fifty year knives is fitting, as it represents the span of what Bill Moran has made over the years. While every Moran is a collectable today, many of them were designed to be working knives, pure and simple, and it pleases this writer to know that Bill will still take the time to make a plain 'ol using knife as well as a deluxe cased collector piece that sells for several thousand dollars.

The largest section of the book consists of full-page black and white photographs of each of the 50 year knives, accompanied alongside by a detailed description of the knife, the materials used to create it, the date it was finished, and other interesting particulars. Short sections also cover the background of the 50 year knives, tips for the care of Moran knives, the development of the ST-24, and the development of the wood-lined sheath Moran utilizes. (Note: Due to printing issues, many of the photographs appear somewhat dark... this isn't an art book, but a reference for the collector and knifemaker who admires Moran's work.)

The background work for this book was done by collector William P. Semon, Jr., who painstakingly documented each of the knives as they left the Moran shop. Wayne Holter, author of the book Moran - Fire and Steel, did most of the photography, and Dominique Beaucant, the well known knife author, handled the writing tasks. Together they have created a valuable resource for the collector and enthusiast and a superb source of inspiration for the knifemaker, and offered it to the public at a very reasonable price for a quality book printed in small quantities.

Softcover, 108 pp.

Availability: Usually ships the next business day.

$20.00