North & Prater / Bob Hardin ~ One of a Kind ~ 1990 ~ Vintage

This is an exceptionally beautiful , large fixed blade knife made by North & Prater / handle carved by Bob Hardin in 1990. This is the "Grizzly". It has an intricately carved Grizzly Bear on the handle and a bear paw print on the pommel. Blade is dated 2-90 / 33-002 on one side and North and Prater on the other side. The blade is file worked along the whole length on top. The knife measures 16" overall , blade is 8" with a mirror polished finish.

The condition is near mint with only some of small patina spots on blade,( see photos). Comes with pouch. Call , if you need any more info.

This is an adult signature required at the time of delivery.  No PO BOX delivery.

Below is a page from Knox News 2009 about Bob Hardin :

COKER CREEK, Tenn. - The walls inside Bob Hardin's little cabin are covered with fake leopard skins, and over the refrigerator door hangs a tapestry of a wolf.

Ceremonial masks from Indonesia stare down from the ceiling, and silver bracelets embedded with large turquoise stones rest on the window sills.

Somehow, it all makes sense.

As an artist, Hardin is difficult to categorize. His work is elemental, much like the man himself. At 79, and despite having had open-heart surgery a year ago, Hardin still has the stout bearing of a mountain man, which is what he is.

He makes knives with handles carved from moose antlers, fossilized ivory, grizzly bear jaw bones and warthog tusks. He has a penchant for big, heavy swords, especially scimitars and Viking broadswords. His knives sell for as much as $10,000.

Originally from Dalton, Ga., Hardin has for the past 14 years lived in the Coker Creek community in the mountains of Monroe County. He hasn't owned a car in decades. He lives alone, likes to listen to classical music while he works and can often be seen walking the highway to Tellico Plains, a nine-mile trip in each direction.

"Bob is a local icon," said Shyam Nunley, special projects coordinator for the Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association. "The quality of his craftsmanship is remarkable. He lives an artist's life."

Hardin also is an expert leather worker. Using a tool similar to a wood burner, he decorates leather clothing with intricate designs inspired by Native American culture and Southwest scenery. Some of his work includes elaborate stitching with colored beads, as well as buttons carved from buffalo teeth.

When he was 27 years old, Hardin lived for a while in Montana, 152 miles from the nearest town. For several years he worked as a hunting guide in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area. Winters were brutal, so Hardin learned to make his own clothes out of buckskin and sheep wool.

He took art lessons for one year when he was 7 years old. He started oil painting when he was 8, and began wood carving and making knives at 10.

Over the years, he has worked as a carpet designer in a textile mill, been a brick mason's assistant, and loaded box cars on a Blackfoot Indian reservation in Montana.