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Jim
Biesinger Jules Bouillet John Bundy Rick Cain Joyce Cracas Dale Duby Dan Edwards Fae Harper Stephen Herrero Kimberly Hunt Jim Jackson Ted Miller Todd Orr Mary Pearson Greg Peltzer John Raya Randall Reading Ken Richardson Tommy Singer Joe Slockbower Ed Totten Ruben Trajada Dale Traut |
 Ken Richardson The main activity of this area is the timber. Years ago the timber was cleared a section at a time with cross cut saws, then hewed into railroad ties with broad axes. They were then brought with team or floated down the creek to a railhead where they were picked up. Dillard, Missouri was originally the railhead on the upper Huzzah Creek. The Dillard Mill, now a State Historical Park, is on the Huzzah Creek here at Dillard. The old cross cut saws have been discarded and replaced with chain saws, but were long prized by the natives for making good knives. Being a professional horseshoer and blacksmith for years, about 12 years ago I began making knives out of these old saws for friends who were trappers, hunters, and fishermen, as here in the Ozarks these are year-round activities. We never anticipated these knives would become as popular as they did; our only advertising being word of mouth. And so, a few years ago, after cutting up several thousand of these old saws, they became really hard to find. We then sent samples of the best of the old saws to several steel mills where they were analized. Eventually we came up with an exact metal which is 1085 Blue Tempered Spring Steel. Most of my customers feel it is superior to the old saws knives, however, we can still supply a limited number of knives out of saws on request. The spring steel has all the qualities of the saws being springy; will not chip, is easy to sharpen yet hold a very keen edge. The handles are shed whitetail, mule deer, and elk horn. In most cases the animal is still roaming the hills growing another set of horns. |
