Fine Scrimshaw by Rick Bowles

Testimonials

"Rick Bowles has taken the ancient art of scrimshaw to a level of which the ancients who first scratched impressions of their world on animal bones and teeth could never have dreamed. From primitive black and white folk art depicting animals, sailing ships, whaling adventures, and dramatic scences from the world of the scrimshander, has evolved the fine art of a master craftsman. True to its heritage Rick Bowles continues to scrimshaw ivory with scenes of animals, still nature, historical figures, and momentous events of mankind's past and our present, but he does so with the eye and the hand and the soul of a classic artist, ever true to perspective, to motion, to color, to shading, to realism and to his own spirituality. Rick "paints" on ivory with "brushes" of sharpened and pointed steel but mystically creates images which are warm and satisfying to the soul. It is fine art to be sure. But more than just a nice picture to look at, Rick's work captures the subject's spirit and then draws you into it. The artistry of Rick Bowles would be as much at home hanging on walls of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, or the Louvre as it is displayed in the Randall Knife Museum or on the walls of the lucky few who have managed to acquire a piece of his work."

- Doug Cream

" Rick Bowles has rightfully earned his reputation as one of America's best scrimshaw artists. His attention to detail and his ability to develop original artwork on the ivory before him is beyond compare . "

- David Warther

"I HAVE HAD SEVERAL IVORY PIECES SCRIMMED BY RICK, AND ALWAYS THE WORK THAT HE D0ES IS WITHOUT EQUAL! OBVIOUSLY, THAT IS THE REASON HE IS THE STANDARD, NOT JUST ANOTHER SCRIMSHANDER. HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AVAILABLE FOR ANY INQUIRIES. VERY MUCH WORTH THE WAIT FOR A WORK OF ART!!!!!"

- JOHN COLEY

"Rick Bowles, professional scrimshander and world class fisherman, has become famous over the past twenty-five years for his works of art on Randall knives. More recently, he has become even more recognized, in the knife collecting world, with the collector interest in his Randall Rick Bowles Special knife.

Randall knives with Bowles scrim are the most sought after collectible on today’s Randall knife market. The reason, Rick’s attention to detail and his amazing talent to achieve that detail."

- Rhett Stidham