knives by gene of portage

J

jesse holiday

New Member
i have 2 knifes made by gene of portage, in. i inherited them. im not exactly sure of their value. i have talked to a few people about them. the prices they suggested were not cheap. the bowie knife is 18" long with what i think is a bone handle. it has a marking of 1 of 1. the other knife has a horn for a handle. not sure what kind. any info would be appreciated. and i would consider any serious offer.

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i do not have knife sheaths, i got them in a zip up case similar to what i have seen used for hand guns.
also i inherited them from my dad. and i have to share with my 2 sisters.
thanks
 
I used to live in Portage a few years ago. I wasn't aware that there was another knife maker that lived so close, though the maker may not have lived there when I did. I didn't start making knives until I moved to Valparaiso anyhow.

At any rate, both handles look like they were made from deer antler.

They're not bad looking knives, and they look like they have a relatively decent fit and finish, though it's a little hard to tell from the picture quality.
If I hat to guess, I'd say they were were handmade by stock removal. They don't look like "kit" knives.

If that's the case, and they've been heat treated properly, I'd say they may be work anywhere from $200 to $400 for both of them, IF you found the right buyer. I'd say $400 would probably be the highest range being that they have no sheaths and come from what appears to be an unknown maker.

If you had a little more info on who the maker was, what kind of steel they were made from, how old they were, etc... that MIGHT affect price in one way or the other. Hard to say with what little information you do have.
 
Found an old reference to him elsewhere dated 2007:

"C.E. 'Gene' Johnson of Portage, IN sold his first knife in 1975. He had a couple of pieces in 'Knives '88' and '89 ... He was still listed in 'Knives 2005' as an active maker, still in Portage and his phone number is 219-762-5461."

I understand the phone number was disconnected, but I hope this helps. FWIW, I read his work priced from $100 to $2000.
 
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