Wayne Valachovic was the 5th knifemaker to earn the prestigious title of Mastersmith from the American Bladesmith Society in 1982. He retired from knifemaking in the mid 2000's. His knives are becoming few and far between on the secondary market. This large folding hunter is an exceptional example of Mr. Valachovic's early work. We date this knife to approximately 1984 - making it 30 years old - only a couple of years after he earned his M.S. stamp. We are not aware of the blade steel. The bolsters appear to be nickel silver. We were informed that the handle scales are rich butterscotch Westinghouse paper micarta. On one side is a scrimshawed eagle with a fish in its talons, and on the other side is a scrimshawed eagle's head. Both scrimshawed images are marked E.V. 84. We believe these to have been done by Wayne's wife, Eileen Valachovic, but we cannot confirm that information. Included is a beautifully matching Treestump Leather pouch-type sheath with an eagle with its outspread wings landing on the branch of a tree trunk (which runs the entire vertical length of the pouch's non-stitched side). The lock-back release sits right where the bolster and handle material meet. This big folder opens with a nice click, and locks with the ever so slightest bit of up-and-down movement. There is no nail nick - it opens easily with 2 fingers. The blade sits perfectly centered in the handle when closed. The pivot pins show no seams around them, they almost look as those they are part of the bolsters. There is also a lanyard hole with a piece of rawhide and an engraved barrel bead. We found a couple of minor carbon spots - one near the maker's mark, and the others near the tip of the blade on the opposite side. Unfortunately, the knife could not be sent back to Wayne for refurbishing, but these could easily be buffed out by an experienced individual.
Condition: Previously owned. Excellent. Never used, carried, or sharpened.
