We've done shows all over the US.
During those times we're pretty busy and don't always get to see
what's going on around us. One state that we hadn't had much chance
to explore is Ohio. Recently, we went to see our friends, Jim and
Linda, who live there and they gave us a great tour.
Jim likes to be a bit mysterious, and
so he didn't tell us where we were going as he was driving us around
the area. We saw some beautiful countryside, some of Lake Erie, Amish
country and had some excellent ice cream. It was a fine tour.
As model makers, he was right on when
he took us to a place that I was previously unaware of and I imagine
that most people unfamiliar with the area also don't know about.
It's called Warther's, or more formally
Warther Cutlery and they make outstanding knives, primarily for the
kitchen and dining room, but also for carving. Anyone that enjoys any kind of model
making or wood carving should make a visit to this place in Dover,
Ohio. I don't want to downplay the importance of their knives, but
there is something there that I think everyone should see and that is
the collection of steam locomotives and trains, intricately carved
from Ebony, Walnut, Mother of Pearl and Ivory....so add any and all train buffs to the list of those who will love this place!
The founder of the cutlery company,
Ernest “Mooney” Warther lived an almost fairy-tale story, finding
a small pocket knife in a field, meeting a man who caused him to
discover a method of carving a small pair of pliers from a single
strip of wood, working in the steel mills and gaining the knowledge
required to make outstanding knives as he grew into a world class
carver. If I remember the story correctly, his carved models were
displayed at a World's Fair, The White House and Grand Central
Station. 
I can't do justice in a description here, but his descendents, who still run the museum and cutlery company certainly do. It's very interesting and a lot of fun.
I must say, and this is from a
professional model maker's perspective, that his carved trains are
exquisite, with their thousands of beautiful parts. Any model maker
or carver is going to learn things simply by seeing his works.
Whether you currently care about models or not, you cannot help but
be impressed. Of course, if you like things of quality, their knives
alone are truly worth checking out. Consider that the White House
Food Service uses them. For more information about the musuem and
Warther Cutlery go to http://warthers.com
If you've been to my blog before, you may remember that I am a firm believer that model makers, as with any other artist, should sign their works. This is because, in my opinion, all too often beautiful models are found in the world and there is no way to know who the artist was. I am thrilled to know that this artist; Ernest “Mooney” Warther is recognized for the contributions that he made to the world of modeling, the world of carving and for his contributions to the history of the railroads.
