UC148 Bladelight (above) – This was actually the very first knife I designed for UC, and I had no clue how to design a survival knife. This knife is so bad it is laughable now, but none of us knew what we were doing at the time. It was certainly a learning experience.

UC184 Double Hunter

UC196, 197, 221 Tarantula Boot Knives (middle, above) – One of my early UC boot knives with a little fantasy thrown in. Knockoffs of this are still on the market today.

UC200 Buckshot

UC202 Invisible Knife – A clear plastic knife, for personal protection.

UC204, 205, 208 Black Widow Boot Knives (above) –The standard UC boot knife for many years.

UC206, 214, 215, 217, 210 216 Little Protector (above)

UC209 Scorpion – Another standard UC boot knife for many years.

UC213 Forest Ranger

UC232 Defender

UC234 Igniter (above)

UC243 Little Bowie

UC252 Liberty Eagle Bowie

UC459 Elite Forces Combat Folder

UC460 Elite Forces Bowie

UC465 Crown Jewel Dagger – The plastic jewels were not my idea.

UC469 Serpentine Bowie - My UC version of the Hibben Highlander Bowie design.

UC485 Total Recall Dagger (above) – I designed some original knives for this film (see Hibben Double Shadow) but we were too late to get them in. As it turns out, the one Swarzenegger used in the film was a Cold Steel push dagger, seen for about one second of screen time. We had the license already when we found this out, so we decided to do a “licensed product” instead. I designed my own push dagger and we sold it as a licensed product even though it was not in the film. People did not seem to care that it was not actually in the film.

UC501, 1119 Indiana Jones Bowie (above). My first movie license design back in 1988. The original president of United Cutlery, Kevin Pipes, was a big Indiana Jones fan like me. He got us in the door at Lucasfilm. Initially we were going to make the machete Indy uses on the rope bridge in Temple of Doom, but it was just so plain and boring looking we wanted to design a new one, a relic that Indy would have picked up in his travels. I sketched dozens of designs, but still could not come up with a good one. I designed and designed, right up to the morning when we were supposed to meet with Lucasfilm and make the deal. I finally came up with the design, drawing on a hotel napkin at breakfast. Kevin got the license deal completed and we were invited to see a screening of the third Indiana Jones film, which was about to be released, in the theatre on Lucas Valley ranch. I called the knife a Khyber Bowie since it had some characteristics of a Khyber. The painting I created for the packaging was turned into a poster that won an ADDY award that year. The knife was hugely successful. UC had a few 3x size Indy bowies made for our showroom and a few of our top customers.

UC520 V-44 Bowie

UC632 Young Indiana Jones Folder

UC632-BB Young Indy Belt Buckle

UC686 Fang II

UC687 Game Zipper

UC691 Triton Three Blade Dagger – The jewels were not my idea.

UC696 Black Cobra Boot Knife

UC698 Mermaid Knife

UC699 Dragon Claw (above). My first real UC fantasy Knife from 1991. Since I could not put my name on the Hibben Double Shadow, I made another medieval fantasy version of it for the UC line.

UC720 Stealth Defense Comb

UC721 Sierra Club Commemorative

UC723, 724, 787, 788 Black Hornet Lockbacks

UC725, 1249 Crusader Dagger (shown at right) . My first Legends in Steel dagger, though we did not use the Legends name at that time.

UC726 Phoenix (AKA Bird of Prey). My version of the Klingon D’k Tahg knife from Star Trek. I took some of the clunkiness out of the original and redesigned my own handle.We tried and tried to get a license to do an official version from Paramount but they had a “no weapons” policy from the Rodenberry days. Our version did eventually get used in the Star Trek: Generations movie and on Deep space Nine. See the Hibben knife list for more Klingon stuff.

UC728 Wasp Dagger – Another variation of my split blade design.

UC729, 730, 731, 838, 839, 840 Keyring Knives

UC732 Stealth Defense Brush

UC734, 735, 736 Hunting Knives

UC775 X-Tra edge Hunter

UC784 Sentry Shoulder harness Knife – My first real shoulder harness and knuckle knife design.

UC785 Elite Forces Combat Dagger II

UC789 Chines Sea Dragon Dagger – Based on jade carvings I had seen in China.

UC805,806, 807, 808, 810, 843, 971, 972, 974 Samurai Swords

UC834 Sidekick Skinner

UC841, 915, 916, 1088, 1089 Special Agent Stinger

UC842 Stingray II diving knife

UC864, 865 Bullet Knives

UC870, 871 Neptune’s Pearl Daggers – Originally this was a design for Mortal Kombat, based on a description in the script. It did not make it into the film but we made it anyway.

UC875, 876, 877, 878 Mini Six Shooter Knives

UC895 Medieval Axe

UC896, 897, 995 Dragon Samurai swords – My version of the Highlander style swords.

UC899 Stingray III

UC917 Push dagger

UC925, 926 Lightening Bolt Throwers

UC927 Double Duty push daggers

UC937, 938 Tomahawks

UC943/UC1261 Stargate Ra Dagger (2^nd from bottom) - The night I saw the film I was blown away with the visual imagery and the incredible design work. The film needed some help in the third act (directors cut is better) but the art and sets were stunning. I was an ancient Egypt buff and when I got home that night I started drawing Egyptian knives with the engraving style I remembered from the film. This was the first one I came up with. I liked it so much that I went to the guys at work and told them we must get the Stargate license so we can call this the Stargate knife! I still get asked which scene it was in.

UC951, 952, 953 Never Surrender Bowies – My version of what I saw as a traditional bowie knife.

UC954, 955 Sidekick

UC956 Whittlin Jack Deluxe carver series

UC969 Round Table dagger – My second Legends in Steel design. My favorite one. This knife gets lots of play in television and movies. Prominently featured in the film End of Days, several episodes of the tv show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Witchblade.

UC970 Talisman – The first KR branded knife in 1997. Two versions, antique silver and antique red were made, and later a kris blade version.

UC988 Thor Dagger

UC1090, 1091, 1092 Polaris lockbacks

UC1093 (top in photo) Orion liner locks

UC1095 Oriental Dragon Knife – Based on jade carvings I had seen in China.

UC1102 Tibetan Dagger (KR brand) – Elements of this knife were based on some jade carvings I saw in China. Used in an episode of Chris Carter’s tv series Millennium.

UC1110 Elite Forces tactical

UC1120, 1120-B Sword of Darkness (KR brand) – I originally designed this as a Lord of the Rings sword when UC was trying to get the license from the Tolkien estate.

UC1121, 1121-BR Sword of Vaelen (KR brand) – Also a Lord of the Rings design originally. This was my version of Narsil/Anduril.

UC1123, 1227 Fossil Hunter (above left) – The first knife I designed in the Relic collection. I thought it was very unique until I later saw that a few custom makers had done something similar years before I thought of it. I think everything has been done at least once before. The knife was seen briefly in the film Queen of the Damned.

UC1124-1128 NASCAR folding collectibles

UC1142 Isis dagger (KR brand) – I consider this to be one of my best full blown fantasy knives. Everything came out right with this one. There are probably more copies of this knife than any other knife I have designed.

UC1142-MIN 1/4 scale miniature Isis dagger (KR brand)

UC1143 Toro Dagger

UC1144 Knight’s dagger (above)-  My second Legends in Steel design. This one was featured on the cover of Playboy and in a pictorial with a lovely lady inside. Also featured in Spider Man 2.

UC1146 Omega liner locks

UC1147 Skull hunter

UC1148 Dragon Tooth Dagger

UC1149 Leviathan (upper left above)- The first knife I designed for the Blades of Atlantis series. Originally it was going to be a Hibben knife.

UC1184 Black Ronin sword

UC1193 Heavy Metal knife – I designed this for the second animated film. It appeared only for a few seconds of the film.

UC1228 Sabertooth Dagger

UC1229 Horus – Another design I created the night I saw the film Stargate.

UC1230 Lancelot’s Dagger – My third Legends in Steel knife. This one did not come out the way I wanted. We made a revised version a few years later that was much better.

UC1231 Posiedon’s blade

UC1232 tanto – The first in my Black Ronin collection.

UC1233 tanto

UC1234 Double bladed sword

UC1235 Skull dagger

UC1239 Kilgorin (KR brand)

UC1239-MIN 1/4 scale Miniature Kilgorin

UC1240 Elexorien (KR brand)

UC1240-MIN 1/4 scale Miniature Elexorien

UC1251 Sorcerer

UC1253 Dragon Flame Dagger

UC1257 Black Ronin Thrower

UC1258 Samurai 3000 Katana – Start of the Samurai 3000 series, my hokey futuristic Samurai swords. I always wanted to design my own light saber so I guess this is as close as I will get.

UC1259 Samurai 3000 Ninja

UC1260 Samurai 3000 Tanto

UC1271 Kraken

UC1274 Cretacious Bowie

UC1289 Volkoth Battle Axe – First design in my Volkoth series, which are my take on Klingon weapons.

UC1290 Volkoth Battle Claw

UC1292 Volkoth Fighting Axe

UC1303 Trelek – First in the Steel Apocalypse collection.

UC1305 Lancelot’s knife

GIL HIBBEN CUSTOM DESIGN SERIES

I must first say that before you read this understand that there are many people involved in the various aspects of designing a knife, not just the person who’s name goes on it. Some people may be shocked to find that a knife from the “Hibben Knives Custom Design Series” was not actually designed by Gil. Many were, but many were not. This was not an attempt to deceive anyone, it is just that it takes many people to create a successful knife line. We always attempted to keep the spirit and integrity of the line intact. Our goal was always to make a great collectible knife line that would make people happy. Many have questioned who actually designs the Hibben line and who designs my knives due to the similarities, so here is the straight story.

For the record, if there had never been a Gil Hibben or Paul Ehlers my knives would look totally different. I was heavily influenced by their custom knives along with several other great custom knife makers.

UC453 Double Shadow (above) - After the success of the first United Cutlery ‘Hibben Custom Design Series’ knife, the Silver Shadow (a name I came up with for a Rigid folding knife but we used for the Hibben line instead) in 1989, UC needed a follow up knife. We looked through photos of Gil’s custom knives, most designed by the wonderful Paul Ehlers and skillfully turned into 3-D art by Gil, but they were just beyond what we could do on a production basis at the time. The Silver Shadow was basically just a custom V-42 stiletto so it was not that hard to make, but we wanted something more stylish and custom looking. Gil did a few designs, really nice survival type knives as I recall, but none of us thought that was right for a follow up. Gil was used to making custom knives and he could do whatever he wanted, but we were limited to the realities of modern production methods.

I had been working on futuristic designs for the film Total Recall, which we were trying to get the license for at the time, but we were too late to get anything in the film. One of the designs I came up with was this split blade knife with a futuristic handle. We all liked the knife and one of UC’s owners, Kevin Pipes I believe, suggested it for the next Hibben knife. I was a little upset at this but then I thought, this knife may not get made at all if we don’t do something with it, and Gil makes knives that other people design all of the time. Gil still has to turn a flat, 2-D drawing into a 3D work of art, which is no easy task. I redesigned the handle, same shape as the Total Recall knife but all smooth shapes, and changed the grip to wire to match with the Silver Shadow, and kept the unique split blade as is. I did not think Gil would go for it but I showed it to him at the Blade show in Knoxville, Tennessee that year and he liked it and said he would make a custom version.

Several weeks later Gil’s custom knife arrived and it was an incredible feeling to see my knife design turned into a real hand made knife by one of my favorite knife makers. Gil made the guard and pommel out of brass and used a different material for the handle but we decided to go with the polished metal and wire wrap look of the Silver Shadow to keep continuity in the line. I think this was the first time we started using the phrase “fantasy knife”. David Hall suggested we call it the Double Shadow, since it had a split blade and was the follow up to the Silver Shadow. It went on to become one of the most successful knives in the line, and has appeared in more movies and television shows than any other UC Hibben knife. Here’s a short list of its appearances: Babylon 5, Crusade, Space Rangers, White Dwarf, Gladiator (not the Ridley Scott one), Hideaway, Timecop, and The Fifth Element. It recently made an appearance in Star Trek: Nemesis thanks to Gil sending his contact at Paramount a few samples.

UC627 Highlander Bowie (above) - When it came time for the third knife for Gil’s series we again stole another of my UC knife designs, this time a camp bowie I was working on, and customized it in the polished metal and wire look. We also made my original design as a UC knife, the UC469 Serpentine Bowie, so I did eventually get my name on the design. The Highlander was used in the X-Files episode The Calusari with a modified handle. It has appeared as a toy accessory and even was used in a nude Gallery magazine pictorial (thanks to Jimmy H. for the copy of the issue). In the Oliver Stone film Natural Born Killers, Woody Harrelson throws the knife and the camera tracks it spinning through the air as it flies into a persons back side. Not my favorite movie knife scene.

UC700 Raven (above) - Since I was becoming UC’s primary knife designer I kind of willingly took on the role of coming up with design of the Hibben knife each year at this point. This time I was determined to make something that had the “look” of a Hibben custom fantasy knife instead of converting something I had already done. I wanted something with that flowing, elegant curvy look that people would identify with Hibben. I looked at many of his incredible fantasy knives trying to find one that could be simplified into a production knife. If I remember correctly, the name of the knife I finally settled on was called the Elf Dirk. That was the basic shape I played off of, even though the final knife barely resembles it. I created many versions of this and sent the best one to Gil. He suggested some changes and we were off. We went for a black chrome look this time, and a fluted wire wrapped handle like the original Hibben knife, which I think had a sheep horn handle. I wanted the black look because of some of the custom knives I had seen made by Buster Warenski and Fred Carter were all black plated. We thought this would work for Gil’s line and it did. The finished knife was very successful. I’m not sure Gil ever made a custom version of this one. It appeared in an episode of Chris Carter’s excellent television show Millennium.

Klingon Version of the Raven (above) - Gil and I worked on this modified version of the Raven for Star Trek: Generations. It is the one held to Soran’s (Malcom McDowell) throat by B’Etor, one of the Klingon Duras sisters. The producers picked it because it had a Klingon look. I redesigned the blade based on one of the production designer’s sketches and added the Klingon lettering. Gil added the spike and made the new blades, which were placed in stock Raven handles for the film props. A friend of Gil’s made the Klingon symbols on the hand guard. The ones seen in the film were dirtied up to make them look used. Gil later made 19 custom versions of this, one of which I am the proud owner. The toy action figure of B’Etor also came with the knife as an accessory. As a huge Star Trek fan this was a blast to work on, as know it was for Gil as well.

UC750 Raptor (above) - My second attempt at making a knife that had that “Hibben” look. I think I got a little closer this time, though I had Klingon knives in mind more than anything, as I was into Star Trek: The Next Generation at the time, specifically the developing Worf story line. This was very bizarre when the knife was actually later used on Deep Space Nine! I was so into this one that I carved a fossilized raptor claw to use for a photo shoot of the knife to be used in our ads (see the photo gallery). I wanted everything to be perfect for this one. I also made a 3-D dinosaur scale embossed surface for the sheath. This knife was used in the film Mortal Kombat and was featured on the cover of Blade magazine.

Klingon Version of the Raptor – The stock knife was used in Deep Space Nine by Dax to threaten Captain Sisko in a mirror universe episode. It had a very good close-up. I think the episode was called “Through the Looking Glass”. It was also seen on the weapon wall in Worf’s quarters in a few episodes. After this I began to see Klingons in full dress wearing the knife at Star Trek conventions! This knife, along with most of the previous ones, was on display at the Star Trek experience in Las Vegas. Gil’s versions of two of the shows primary swords are there as well. Gil was named the “official Klingon armorer” by Paramount.

UC849, 850 Warbird. I admit I failed miserably on this one. I based it on a Hibben custom knife. I can’t remember which one. The final design came out too fat and stubby looking and I was not happy with it. I don’t think Gil was either. I did not spend enough time on the model for the handle parts. Double edged knives were becoming a problem to ship into Europe so I also made a single edged version, which looked even worse.

UC898 Dragon Lord (above and below). This was not designed as a Hibben knife at first, but as a Kit Rae knife, but after the gang saw it, it became a Hibben knife. I really just wanted to do my own thing with this one and designed what I wanted to see in a fantasy knife. Out of all of the knives I have designed this is one of my all time favorites and I really regret that my name is not on it, but the insatiable thirst of the UC Hibben collector had to be fed. This one was also popular with the Star Trek Klingon crowd. It appeared in many television shows and films. Several very good close-ups are in an episode of The Crow: Stairway to Heaven. A modified version appeared in the Spawn movie and the Spawn toy graveyard play set even had a little plastic knife. Most UC/Hibben collectors I have heard from tell me this is one of their favorites in the line.

UC985 Hornet - This one is based one of the custom Hibben/Ehlers designs. I only redesigned the hand guard and pommel a bit. Otherwise it is Paul Ehlers’ design.

UC1099 Hornet short sword – Same as above but I designed a short sword blade for it. Also used as Hibben’s 40^th anniversary sword.

UC1169 Jackal (above)– Another design meant for my line but it looked like it fit in with Gil’s so we used it. One of my favorites. Use extensively as Faith’s knife in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television show. It was recently used in Star Trek: Nemesis by the clone Picard, Shinzon. Featured heavily in the movie poster and marketing campaign. Another one I regret not having my name on, but if it were not for Gil’s association it probably would have never been used in Star Trek. It came as an accessory with the Faith limited edition action figure and the Shinzon action figure from Nemesis.

GH2000 Griffyn (above) – I really tried to make something that looked like a real Hibben custom knife this time, with multiple blades. We really pushed the envelope for a production knife. Not an easy one to make. Interesting but not one of my favorites. It came from a sketch I did for what would eventually become the UC Steel Apocalypse series. It did not translate to the smooth surfaced Hibben knife very well.

GH2009, 2010 Scorpion (above) – Another one designed for my line, but again, we needed a new Hibben knife and it fit the look so it was used there instead. This is one of my favorites. Gil made a custom version of this one at one point and it was featured in Knives Illustrated magazine, erroneously credited as a Paul Ehlers’design.

GH2014, 2015 Tigershark – I worked for about a month trying to come up with the next design and just could not get anything that I liked enough to show to Gil, then at the last minute I came up with this. It actually all came together in about five minutes. Sometimes pressure brings out the best. Gil made a few changes to the back of the blade, but otherwise it is exactly what I designed in that five minutes. A really beautiful knife. Another one that pushed the production envelope as far as it could go. Probably the most difficult one we ever made.

GH2025 Eye of Drakonus – It was getting harder and harder to come up with something for Gil’s line that did not look like something from my KR line. I had been questioned by customers for the previous few years who was the real designer because it was becoming obvious that my designs for UC, KR, and Hibben all had a certain look. I suggested that this time we do a real collaboration and use both of our names on the knife. I designed about six knives and sent them to Gil. He picked out his favorite bits and we went back and forth by fax modifying the design to this final version. This one actually has more of Gil’s design ideas than any of the others, a true collaboration. It is probably the last one I will design for or with Gil because I want to focus on my own line and keep the looks as different as possible. I’m sure some will say my 2004 Kit Rae knife, the KR19 Archeros, looks like a Hibben knife when they see it, and in a way it is. I have been designing what I thought the Hibben “look” was supposed to be for so long that it is a permanent part of the way I design fantasy knives.

UC866 Pro Thrower Axe

UC945 Pro Folder – I took the shape of Gil’s Pro Thrower and made a folder version. It was intended to be a folding throwing knife in the beginning, but that did not work out.

UC946, 947, 948, 949 Cord grip throwers -  We needed another thrower for the line so I came up with this different version of the classic Hibben thrower. Gil made some changes when he made the protoypes. The final follows his design.

GH2012 Series Folders – We needed a follow up to the first Hibben thrower so I took a folder I had designed for UC and redesigned it as a Hibben folder. One of the most well made folders on the market but it did not sell very well.

COLT

CT1 Bowie – The first release in the second generation Colt knife line.

CT2 Trailblazer knife axe combo -  Won the 1996 Blade Award for most innovative imported design. It was based on an old Marbles combo.

CT3, 4, 5, 6 Colt Sportsman Hunting Knives. Originally manufactured for us by Camillus Cutlery of NY. Still in the Colt line to this day.

CT8, 9, 10 Black Diamond Daggers

CT11 Samuel Colt Signature Bowie

CT12, 13, 14, 15 Revolver Lockback - I was not happy with the finished product and I disown these Camillus manufactured knives.

CT16, 17 Ridge Runners

CT18, 19, 93 Professional Throwers

CT20 Trailscout Hunter

CT26, 27 Pathfinder Camp and Tactical knives

CT28, 29 Trooper Tac I

CT30, 44 AR-15-K Lockbacks

CT31, 32, 55 series Police Positive and Detective Special liner locks

CT36, 43 series Pony liner locks. Also used this frame for the Colt scrimshaw series (above)

CT49, 50, 96, 97 series Colt Cobra and Cobra II liner locks (bottom three above). My favorite hard use, no bull folding knife. The knife that really put Colt folding knives on the map.

CT0095 Safari Hunter

CT0094 Commander Boot Knives with shoulder harness

HARLEY DAVIDSON

HD1 Lockback. Based on old UC Rigid lockback tooling, which was in turn based on a lockback design I lifted from the original Rigid factory knives.

HD4, 16, 27, 28 series liner locks (several decoration variants produced). Also known as H-D Art folders. Actually this was a modified UC folder I designed a few years earlier.

HD5, 9, 10, 11, 12 Die cast motorcycle knives.

HD6 Freedom Bowie – The first, and so far only H-D fixed blade collectible I have ever designed. Featured on the Blade Magazine February 2000 cover.

HD17 Live to Ride lockback

HD18 Silver Thunder liner lock (top left)

HD19 Stainless lockback

HD31 motorcycle tank key chain knives

HD0041 Camp Knife/Axe combo. Variation on the Colt CT2.

RIGID

RG1,2 Liner Locks (middle, above). My first folding knife. There were many, many Japanese copies of this knife made. Before the days of détente ball bearings to hold the blade closed!

RG23,24 Lockbacks with Pocket Clips. My second folding knife design. Also many copies made. I think some of the copies are still available today. Featured a unique injection molded thumb stud, one of the first on the market. It had a unique habit of breaking off the knife at the slightest impact.

RG26 Boot Knife. Based on the original Smith & Wesson boot knife, back when UC had the S&W license. Purchased by Ben Affleck in the Kevin Smith film Dogma and used in his killing spree at the end of the film, in a comical way.

RG40 Hunter. Blade art only.

RG41 Skinner. Blade art only.

RG42 Hunter. Blade art only.

RG43 Skinner. Blade art only.

RG54, 55 Sentinel Lockbacks with pocket clips. My first Zytel handle folding knives.

RG56, 57, 58 Throwers. My first attempt at throwing knife design.

RG61, 51 Utility lockbacks

RG67 Stainless lockback. Blade art only.

RG68, 68 Bear Tracker Hunters

RG73 Apache lockback. Blade art only.

RG74, 75, 76 Hunters

RG79 Pro Hunter

RG81 G-10 lockback

COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR

CL0103 Cathedral Peak Hiking Staff

Cl0121 Timber Ridge Knife/Axe Combo. Variation on the Colt CT2.

Cl0141 Gallatin Range Hunting Knife. Same as the Colt CT0095.

STANLEY

SL37 Roll Tech Utility Knife. Another version of the Colt Revolver knife. Still not what I wanted. One day we will make this knife right.

SL11, 30 Liner Locks

WRANGLER

WR0100SG/1010SG/0102SG Large, Medium, and Small Stag Bowies - Blade art only.

WR0009SG Hunter

WR0013 Lockback

WR0013 Wranch-Mate Liner Lock