Biography

Mt. Wrangell from Chuck and Cathy's front yard.

Chuck Bowen was born in Oklahoma, raised in California and moved permanently to Alaska in 1965 when he was 25 years old. He worked as a hunting guide, as a taxidermist and loaded cargo for an airline. What he learned from this was that Alaska was the right place for him. Most of each year was centered around hunting season. He loved being out in the woods and was happy to supply his family with their winter meat. He hunted Noose, Caribou, Spruce Hen and Ptarmigan. He did some fishing for Salmon and Halibut. He, also, did a lot of sheep hurting when he was younger and thinner. When the time drew near for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline to start construction, Chuck took welding classes at Anchorage Community College. Then he worked on the pipeline for the entire four years.

During that time he bought the house where he is now that is 16 miles south of Copper Center. He and his wife Cathy love it there. The view couldn't be better and they have wonderful neighbors. The air is clean and the long daylight is energizing. There has been Grizzly, Black Bear, Wolf, Fox, Moose and Lynx in the yard.

Chuck has collected knives for years. After being injured in a construction accident, he was in Anchorage shopping for a hunting knife with a Dall Sheep horn handle and couldn't find one. Everyone in the sporting goods stores told him that they didn't know where to find them, but if he found some they wanted some to sell. So, Chuck started making knives in 1980.

He makes Hunting Knives, Fillet Knives, Ulu Knives and Ulus. The blades are Denretic or D2, made from the big round blades that cut the big round rolls of paper in paper mills. It is so hard that it can only be cut with a plasma cutter. It is particularly high quality metal that keeps a sharp edge for a very long time. He has Damascus knife blades that are hand made.

The handles are made of Moose, Caribou, Elk, Black Tail deer antler, Dall Sheep horn, wolf jaw, sometimes Goat Horn and Musk Ox horn. Some of the Damascus knife blades have Fossil Walrus Ivory or Fossil Mastadon Ivory that can be scrimshawed.

In the end of some of the Moose antler, he sets in a Moose or Bear head made of silver and dyed the animal color. They all come with sheaths and the Ulus with a stand, also. He guarantees the knives and will repair or replace as long as they haven't been abused. One thing to take into consideration is that there are no two knives alike, partly because all of the handles are made of natural products and partly because they are hand made.

Chuck got the nickname "The Knifeman" from a little Eskimo Lady who couldn't remember his name when she first met him 24 years ago. It stuck!