Harold Corby

BossDog

BossDog

KnifeDogs.com & USAknifemaker.com Owner
Staff member
Everyone knows about Corby bolts. If you don't, you should.

Beth told me someone named Harald Corby called in and placed an order. He said he invented Corby bolts.
I told her if he calls again, I wanted to talk to him.
He called back a few days later and I had a great conversation with him. I told Beth to send him an assortment of the Corby bolts we carry.

A few weeks later I received a handwritten letter from Harold along with a couple knife catalogs. What a class act.

I just got off another call with Harold. I started asking questions and he started telling me stories about the very start of today's custom knife making culture starting with the first Guild show and getting into an argument and then becoming good friends with Ron Lovelass. He told me back then there may have been 10 full time custom makers. I believe him. Harold is 86 years old and has been making knives for over 50 years.
We are all fortunate that others ahead of us paved the way for custom knife makers.

corby.jpg

He also sent one of his catalogs.
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I remember meeting Harold YEARS ago, when I was still a "pup" chasing down advice of experienced makers.

Those who are newer have no idea how it was back then! I refer to it as "The Dark Years"..... when EVERYTHING was a "secret". Imagine asking another knifemaker "What steel do you use?" Now you'd get a billion answers.....back then all you'd get is the evil eye and the person would turn and walk away from you.

It took me at least a dozen phone calls, and 3 in person visits (including a 2 hour drive each way) before I ever got to see the inside of a full time knifemaker's shop. And another 4 visits before the individual would answer even a single question. So you can image how riled up I get these days....when I answer the shop phone, and all I get is "Hi! How do you do XXXXX?" Without even an introduction or a "Can I ask you a question?" Knowledge was hard earned back then.... something that is taken for granted by many these days in the knife world.
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
I remember meeting Harold YEARS ago, when I was still a "pup" chasing down advice of experienced makers.

Those who are newer have no idea how it was back then! I refer to it as "The Dark Years"..... when EVERYTHING was a "secret". Imagine asking another knifemaker "What steel do you use?" Now you'd get a billion answers.....back then all you'd get is the evil eye and the person would turn and walk away from you.

It took me at least a dozen phone calls, and 3 in person visits (including a 2 hour drive each way) before I ever got to see the inside of a full time knifemaker's shop. And another 4 visits before the individual would answer even a single question. So you can image how riled up I get these days....when I answer the shop phone, and all I get is "Hi! How do you do XXXXX?" Without even an introduction or a "Can I ask you a question?" Knowledge was hard earned back then.... something that is taken for granted by many these days in the knife world.
Click to expand...
Harold told me that no one would tell him where to buy knife steel back then. It was a secret. He ended up sourcing 440c from Fry Steel in California. It is good we don’t have that mentality anymore in the community.
 
Good job, BossDog. Here we are very fortunate to have men like you, him and other expert makers on this forum.
 
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