Premier Fine Art & Antiques Auction
August 29, 2023
Below is just a small portion of the massive selection of high quality art & antiques to be featured in our upcoming August 29th 2023 auction! This auction will span multiple genres of collectibles, including Fine Paintings & Art, Jewelry & Silver, Orientalia, Rare Glass & Lamps, Early & Victorian Furniture, Decoys, Carvings, Coin-Op, & MORE!
GENUINE BILL SCAGEL FIGHTING KNIFE WITH SHEATH
05-102
Absolutely genuine William Scagel made knife. It has 6 3/4″ re-curved blade with a 4 3/4″ back grind; 12″ overall. It has a brass hand guard, with red fiber and German silver spacers and a stacked leather handle with pinned stag pommel slightly turned down. The left side of the blade has Mr. Scagel’s stamped cartouche along with his wavy dagger trademark. It is accompanied by an original Scagel sheath with brown button. Hand inscribed on the front “H. Rainey”. William Scagel was an extraordinarily interesting and truly gifted man. He is commonly considered to be “the grandfather” of the modern high art custom handmade knives. He lived, worked and made his knives in Michigan, primarily in the 1920s and 1930s.
Of course, he was making them before the ’20s, but the largest majority of them were made during this period. The knives he made were made to be functional and durable hunting knives, but many people were so drawn to his extraordinary beautiful and artistic looking knives that often times, even during this period there were people purchasing his handmade products, not to use but to own and to enjoy. During WWII, he made many fighting knives for troops going off to war. This probably is one of those knives.
