Frenchy's Custom Knives and Sticks - Bruce Parry Quest Talisman knife page

THE TALISMAN

(MK 3 - Quest Project)

On here you can read about the Talisman MK3 and its connection with my friend Bruce Parry.

To view archive photos of various type of knives I made to date click on respective link below...

LARGE KNIVES SMALL KNIVES BUSHCRAFT KNIVES KNIFE SETS

My involvement with Bruce has been going on while, but until now - with Bruce's consent - I've kept it very private because I didn't want folk wrongly assuming that I would profit from my close involvement with Bruce. I'm proud to be associated with him as a friend and an owner and user of several various knives I made for him.

Bruce is a very kind and affable man, yet steely and resolute in character. He really cares and is very modest and unassuming and I'm very glad to be one of his friends. What he does is very adventurous, but he regards himself as an Explorer with real concern about the people he stays with, their culture and the environment, as evidenced by his Tribe and Arctic TV series. He's forever on the go, so I was very pleased that he had a chance to come and visit me late December 2015. With my having been unwell and feeling down for some months, his visit proved to be a good tonic as it helped to lift my mood considerably.

Apart form the knives I made for him, Bruce asked me to make him a number of knives to be used as gifts in connection with a filming project he was involved in, a Quest far more involved than anything he has done before. I can't deny that I was well chuffed with the chance to be of service to him, although I had some doubts about my ability to make the number of knives he was suggesting. The brief was that the knives must be tough, low maintenance and easy to sharpen. I already had just the model that would be perfect for the tasks they might be put to - the Talisman MK3 in 440C steel with Canvas Micarta handle material. After I messed about with four MK3 Talismans I decide to make some changes to the handle to provide a more secure, safe and comfortable grip. I was required to make three batches, with each batch being distinctive in handle material colour. I also made one of each batch for myself as a memento. Some of the supporting team also had knives from me, which were also well received. With Bruce being so modest, he didn't want his name on the blades and wasn't sure that my name was to be included either! Although I did end up with my name on all the knives, Bruce's name was only on the second batch - reluctantly so. Anyway, Bruce told me that all the knives I made for gifting to the three main Tribes aroused a lot of excitement and much appreciation - so mission accomplished as far as I was concerned.

Well, not quite! I had more to do as it was decided that I would make a further 11 knives to be used as gifts for the 'Quest' project sponsors. These knives had to be special so I was given a free hand to do whatever I felt would be right to fit the occasion. This time I could put Bruce's and my name on the blades. The actual knives are all shown below and should speak for themselves really... All that remains now is for me to be told when the film premier is, as I, together with my wife, are both invited.

I would very much have liked to name a knife after Bruce, but out of respect for him and knowing he's not commercially oriented, I haven't even broached the subject with him. In any case, I've plenty to be going on with as it is, the last thing I want is a lot more orders that I can never hope to deliver on.

BELOW ARE THE 12 GIFT TALISMAN MK3 AND THE ACTUAL THREE BATCHES I MADE FOR THE PROJECT.

My own BP Gift Talisman in Snakewood

Bruce's own Gift Talisman in Desert Ironwood

EXAMPLES OF KNIFE HANDLES PRIOR TO FORMING

1. Pau Rosa; 2. South African Olive Wood; 3. Mountain Ash Burl; 4. Tulip Wood;

5. Zebrano; 6. Danish Bog Oak; 7. Figured Bocote; 8. Red Narra (Amboyna);

9. Stabilised Spalted Beech; 10. Indian Rosewood.

SAME SAMPLE OF KNIFE HANDLES FORMED AND PRIOR TO OILING

SAME KNIVES POST OIL SOAK AND WET SANDING PROCESS

THE VERY SAME KNIVES AGAIN OILED UP AND HARD WAXED

JUST NEEDING FINAL TOUCHES

As can be ascertained, the difference in colour of the woods from their raw state to having been through the oiling process and hard waxed buffing is considerable. Which is why I suggest that when choosing a wood one should make allowances as to how the knife handle will actually darken and end up looking like.

Speeding up the drying off of the oiling process.

Below are several of Bruce's knives from me.

The Quest Tribe knives, as I'm calling them, are as shown below. There are three distinctive batches. Pity that I didn't think to make some decent photos of them at the time, butt I was busy and thought nothing of it.

The four knives to the left are the ones I played about with to arrive at the final design profile. I actually altered a couple of the blades as well, but as can be seen in the actual batches, the profile is not too dissimilar to the Talisman MK4 in the handle area. The blade and the contouring is somewhat more pronounced.

Each batch is named after the Tribe they were gifted to.