Another Legacy from Hershel House by Mike Buss

Among the followers of what is known as the "longrifle culture", Hershel House's influence and contribution can hardly be overstated. His talent as an artisan shows through his long and distinguished career as an artist, designer, gunsmith, blacksmith, mechanic and preserver of pioneer skills. His influence on contemporary gun builders and bladesmiths is abundantly obvious at any showing of contemporary black powder firearms and accutrements. So much so, Hershel's influential style, along with that of his brothers Frank and John, has been graced with its own designation, the "Woodbury School'', after the community in Kentucky where their family home is located.

The knife shown here is not typical of the now iconic style of the "Woodbury School" knives which are relentlessly imitated by a generation of knife makers.  

This knife from Madison Grant's book, "The Knife in Homespun America",  is an example of another skill Hershel possessed, that of referencing existing historical artifacts and designs as the basis for his work.

This particular knife was Hershel's personal "side knife" for some years before he was talked into selling it. The sheath was made by Gary Birch, another talanted and well known contemporary artisan. If you look at the photo included here from Grant's book, it is quite evident that Herahel was making a copy, or more correctly, his rendition of that wonderful old knife. 

I asked Hershel about my observation because I was much impressed with the photo of the knife long before I saw his rendition or acquired it. When I showed him his knife, he said "boy, I ain't seen that in a long time". He told me he had examined the original in a collection somewhere and declared "I ain't' been right since!". 

The forged blade does not have his now familiar "HH" and hearts cartouche mark but the script "H" engraved on the handle's cap is unmistakably Hershel's work. It is speculated that he may have acquired the blade at a flea market and fashioned the handle in a copy of the knife in Grant's book. Apparently  Hershal had stamps for his ironwork as far back as the 1960's, but it would have required annealing the blade to facilitate punching the mark into it and then require  retempering. Or, he may just not have put the other marks on this blade, if he in fact did forge it. I don't know the year he made this knife but it was probably sometime in the late 1970' or early 1980's. 

This is all to say Hershel  referenced and assembled his repertoire of designs from a multitude of historic sources and artifacts. Much of his work represents attention to documented historic examples that undoubtedly fired his motivation. He then incorporate some of those design elements into his own work. Not until later in his career did his more iconic designs become so copied the might be considered cliché. Hershel's own creations do not look like clones as so many produced by today's bladesmiths. This is not to say there are aren't plenty of talented bladesmiths producing quality period cutlery. My comment is, why not follow  Hershel's lead and expand our creativity to include more than a single style?

Copy and photography by Mike Buss.