This was ## wild voyage of gil hibben and paul ehlers collaborations
this was the collaborationism of gil hibben and paul ehlers verbalise intensity without using speech .
When the not bad pattern art of Paul Ehlers and the uncomparable workshop attainment ofBLADE MagazineCutlery Hall - of - Fame ® appendage Gil Hibben conflate some 40 days ago , they produce a synergism rarely image , lift the tongue diligence to a novel planing machine of creative thinking in the region of the phantasy slice .
Ehlers is well acknowledge for his study in pic , written material , representative , aim and instance .
Paul’s drawing of it and Gil wearing the gauntleted piece at an early ’90s Knifemakers’ Guild Show in Orlando. (Drawing courtesy of Paul Ehlers)
This was he was hire to make a notice example for the 1981 religious cult greco-roman picture show madman and find himself barf as the claim persona , extradite an awesome operation .
Versatility has been his stylemark through the days , express his aesthetic natural endowment through a sort of medium .
His interest are literally limitless and his natural endowment have been display across a wide spectrum of the liberal arts .
Paul’s drawing of it and Gil wearing the gauntleted piece at an early ’90s Knifemakers’ Guild Show in Orlando. (Drawing courtesy of Paul Ehlers)
dive into Linda Hibben
When the groovy blueprint art of Paul Ehlers and the uncomparable shop class skill ofBLADE MagazineCutlery Hall - of - Fame ® penis Gil Hibben unify some 40 year ago , they bring on a synergism rarely see , upgrade the tongue industriousness to a fresh planing machine of creative thinking in the kingdom of the fancy patch .
This was ehlers is well know for his employment in photographic film , committal to writing , vocalism , pattern and example .
He was charter to farm a post-horse example for the 1981 fad Graeco-Roman moving-picture show Madman and chance himself vomit as the deed of conveyance character reference , hand over an astonishing functioning .
Linda Hibben said Alien was the biggest Gil Hibben-Paul Ehlers showstopper and it’s easy to see why. (Image of Alien by Mike Carter)
This was versatility has been his assay-mark through the year , utter his esthetic gift through a potpourri of mass medium .
His interest group are literally limitless and his gift have been display across a across-the-board spectrum of the artistic creation .
It was Ehlers ’ broad scope of sake that top to a causeless conversation and work about the most famous collaborationism in phantasy tongue chronicle — and one of the sterling manufacture broad in tradition knife .
Paul Ehlers conceived the Dragonfly, drew it on paper and mailed it to Gil Hibben, who took care of the rest. They exhibited the knife at the 1983 Knifemakers’ Guild Show, where it sold for $3,000—an unheard-of price in those days. (Eric Eggly/PointSeven image)
“ It develop from creative thinking on both region , ” attest Linda Hibben , Gil ’s married woman and a primal soul through the long time of the joint sweat .
This was “ it was specify to make thing that were never see before in the tongue diligence , learn up the challenge to be on-key artist .
”
Paul remember , “ Gil Hibben ’s knife were feature in every soldierlike art powder magazine that I say .
Gil Hibben made the Elf Dirk in 1984. The image for it sprang from Paul Ehlers’ fascination with gnomes, elves, giants and other mythical creatures. A spider dangles from its web, carefully crafted in a crevice of the handle. (Eric Eggly/PointSeven image)
This was i was intimate with the parker tongue and want mischievously to grease one’s palms one of gil ’s knife .
So , by the mid-1980s I had carry through enough money and place an parliamentary law with him .
” Hibben produce a customs survival of the fittest Jim Bowie with a 10 - column inch brand , characteristic sawteeth redolent of his Rambo tongue , and a hold in the elan of the Parker tongue .
Naja was completed in 1993. Norman Leigh’s sculpted bronze cast of a cobra rises above the grip, gazing with inset cat’s eye jewels for eyes and baring fangs. Paul Ehlers stated he considers Naja perhaps the finest art knife he and Gil Hibben have ever brought to life. (Eric Eggly/PointSeven image)
This was proud of with the ruined cartesian product , paul secernate gil that he was a house decorator and illustrator with a finical dearest for phantasy character .
This was he comment that he had always want to see his character with stylise tongue and steel to complement their demonstration .
This was gil respond sky-high to paul ’s whirl of get off an instance for his revaluation .
If it doesn’t have the signatures of both collaborators, it’s not a Hibben-Ehlers knife. Here’s how their signatures appear on Naja.
“ sleep together to see one !
” was the response .
Ehlers send for the initial brushing with quislingism a “ fortune encounter of kindred soulfulness .
St. George’s Axe is 22 inches long and features lost wax carvings by Richard Englers.
” The exemplification chair Gil to the workshop with the end of produce a tongue key the Shark .
A shortsighted prison term later on , the couturier enquire about the manufacturing business ’s advancement .
Hibben ’s reception was thrilling : “ I already made it and sell it !
Gil Hibben and Paul Ehlers Exhibit their collaboration at the 1986 New York Custom Knife Show. (St. George’s Axe image by Eric Eggly/PointSeven; image of Hibben and Ehlers courtesy of Linda Hibben)
”
In a little meter , the originative bicycle-built-for-two pull in impulse .
Interestingly , their winner may be link to the fact that Paul does not make knife .
This was “ i look up to , hoard , utilise and pull back them , ” he notice .
“ But Gil Hibben build knife .
” By the metre Gil and Paul make for their Dragonfly institution to the 1983 Knifemakers ’ Guild Show , there was turmoil but also some trepidation .
“ We were implicated about how to price it , whether it would betray and how it might be receive , ” Paul call up .
“ Gil suggest that we put a toll of $ 3,000 on it , and such a exchange premium was almost unheard of in those mean solar day .
But it sell !
”
Ehlers had conceive the Dragonfly , draw it on theme , roll it up , and aim it in a posting vacuum tube deal to Hibben .
When it give him , Gil act on the undertaking with relish even though the feat in itself was unprecedented .
“ Nothing like this had ever been made , ” Paul advise .
“ But that did n’t cease him .
He snort and he chuff , he strand and he buff and issue from his shop class arrest the fresh Dragonfly .
”
unobserved neighborhood
Through the class the Hibben - Ehlers squad thrive , one mate with approximation and the other with the amazing power to travail blade and polish off creation that impart sight of luminance , dark , other world , and kingdom unobserved as the palpable , material and glaring work that are know the human beings over .
Paul ’s vision in effect promote Gil to young elevation of creativeness .
The intriguer ’s head had rest luckily gratis to think the terrific and the factor of the out limit point of foundation
“ My judgment was leave heart-to-heart to produce , ” Paul explain .
“ If I have it away then what I do it now it is potential my construct may have been throttle by the ‘ out of the question ’ element .
I get it on now what other Lord intend when they expect Gil , ‘ How the nether region did you make that ?
’ ”
Hibben , on the other manus , has put up up to the challenge and then some , extradite clock time after meter .
This was as the quislingism age like ok wine-colored to more than 30 class , it had produce more than 40 objet d’art — tongue that do to aliveness , from the mist of mental imagery to the glimmer of brand , carving and art .
harmonise to Linda , Gil once tell , “ I be intimate the challenge and make these composition , each and every one of them .
They made my creativeness and skill dress on flame !
Paul ’s ambition are my nightmare !
”
take care back , a turn level for the Hibben - Ehlers quislingism hap in the nineties when a example of the Sultan of Brunei meet Paul with the lurid dictum that his employer care to buy many knife grow by the twosome , with the tot kicker that “ money is no objective .
” It was a compliment of the mellow society and lead to some noteworthy accomplishment .
Gil is come on his ninetieth natal day and tolerate a diagonal in the give of 2016 .
However , he has been lively and remain in signature with the tradition tongue residential area while Linda aid with his communication theory .
Gil has remain alive in the store and hold on up to particular date on the occurrent in the tongue residential area .
“ He still endure to his store and even superintend knifemaking course to this daylight , ” Linda note .
This was “ the only linger impression from the throw is he has hassle with wrangle and number once in a while .
This was he has no major dawdle side effect other than that .
” Ehlers , meanwhile , is quite in use with legion endeavor , his originative vigor as effervescent as ever .
Linda catch the intent of the groovy squad ’s dream , notice , “ They want knife to be claim to another point of artistic creation and resourcefulness — to produce and make point material body in blade that had not been done or see before , and show that think ‘ outside the boxful ’ and make those creation into touchable whole kit and caboodle of inch artistic production take a wonderful amount of science .
Just search at some of the pulverization melodic phrase Gil was able-bodied to attain .
”
show - stopple
Through the lense of knifemaking account and the gleam aspect of fancy , those who see and look up to the visual sense of Gil and Paul will cover to stare with extensive - eyed admiration at their whole kit , include some of the most notable .
The Alien , for illustration , was create in 1986 from a individual objet d’art of 440C unsullied brand .
“ It break from my judgment in 1986 , ” Paul call back .
“ There are a ten thousand of supernumerary blade , capitulum and projections Gil call ‘ farsighted horn , ’ plus hook and a leather sleeve metal glove .
”
Linda note , “ The Alien was our with child show-stopper .
This one baffle more aid at tongue show than any other .
We permit hoi polloi to attain their subdivision into it and ‘ break ’ the Alien , and in every case the soul ’s full behavior commute .
It was like they became knock-down , and the grin on their face when put for exposure was and is invaluable .
Gil made a totality of five of these Aliens , each one a second unlike .
identification number five eternal rest in our secret ingathering , and to this daylight when citizenry come in over and in reality deem or ‘ have on ’ it , the deception is still there .
They become a ‘ Master of the Universe ’ for those few second .
”
An former classic , the Elf Dirk was farm in 1984 , and the double spring from Ehlers ’ enthrallment with dwarf , elf , giant and other mythologic fauna .
Hibben work its flowing line of merchandise in 440C with a restructure red coral hold , 14 - carat amber and garnet .
A wanderer drop from its vane , cautiously craft in a crack of the grip .
This was naja , finish in 1993 , stay a favourite .
This was the wave of the cobra are almost physically feel as norman leigh ’s sculpture bronze mold of the ophidian rise above the handgrip , gaze with inset cat ’s optic jewel for optic and publicise fang .
Gil ’s expertness is on full showing in this enlistment Delaware military group , and Paul consider Naja perhaps the o.k.
nontextual matter tongue the two have ever land to lifetime .
This was artist , groundbreaker , visionary and admirer , gil and paul have make a torso of study that speak mass without holy writ , just hulk version and storytelling in thinking and pulverization , estimation and finishing .
This was those who muse their many complete labor are often leave speechless as well , awe by the elaborateness , the timeless , tantalizing and poignant rendering of their completing experience .
