What is the value of a Hibben Knife?
This is probably our most asked question and an impossible one to answer. Any collectibles’ value is simply what a collector is willing to pay at any given time and that can change from day to day. The best way to determine what a collectible is worth is to watch what they are selling for at the auction sites such as eBay or at some of the online knife forums. That in no way guarantees that your knife will sell for the same price but it is the best way to gauge what collectors are typically paying for specific models. We honestly do not follow what our knives are selling for on the secondary market so we cannot answer this question.
Can you repair my Hibben knife from United Cutlery?
We are sorry but Hibben Knives cannot repair or replace United Cutlery products. Gil Hibben licensed his designs to United Cutlery but has no control over the manufacture, distribution or repair of those products. You will need to contact United Cutlery about warranty repairs.
Do you ship outside the United States?
We will try our best. However, international shipping of knives can be a problem when shipping to certain countries that incorrectly classify knives as “weapons”. We have experienced problems shipping to Canada, Germany and Australia. Since we cannot possibly keep track of all of the ever-changing laws for every country, it is the BUYERS RESPONSIBILITY to check your local and national laws regarding the legal purchase, ownership and/or importation of knives. If you order from us and the order is confiscated by customs officials, the BUYER ASSUMES ALL RISK AND LIABILITY.
What is the difference between the handmade RIII knife and the United Cutlery replica?
Gil Hibben designed the knife that was used by Sylvester Stallone playing John Rambo in the 1988 movie “Rambo III”. Gil Hibben licensed the knife design to United Cutlery to make replicas of the movie knife (which, by the way, was their biggest selling knife worldwide). The United Cutlery replicas were manufactured in Taiwan and are actually about 1 3/8 inches shorter and has a thinner blade than the knife that was used in the movie. Gil Hibben made a limited edition of 350, serial numbered, full sized copies of the actual movie knife. Gil’s RIII knives are entirely handmade by Gil from 440C stainless steel and Makassar Ebony.
When are more United Cutlery Hibben knives going to be released?
United Cutlery is now under new ownership and they are once again manufacturing the line of Hibben designs. They intend to continue and expand the United Cutlery line of products. As you can imagine, it will take some time to get items manufactured and shipping again. For more information, check the United Cutlery website at www.unitedcutlery.com
How long does it take to fill an order for a handmade custom knife?
That depends on Gil’s schedule, workload, and the complexity of the knife. Gil’s handmade custom knives can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to make as there is a lot more work going into them than many people realize. It must also be taken into account that Gil’ travels several times each year to custom knife shows, making appearances and other obligations so he may be out of the shop for several days at a time. The best thing to do is to simply inquire about the delivery time when you place your order.
Will Gil Hibben make a knife that I designed or to my specifications?
Sometimes. It depends on the specific details. Gil has made knives in the past based on a customer’s design and he has made modified versions of his own designs per a customers wishes. However, he may decline if he feels that he cannot, for whatever reason, produce what the customer is expecting and of the quality that Gil demands of himself. The best thing to do is to call or email us and discuss what you want.
Does Gil do all of the work on custom knives himself or does he outsource some of it?
Gil makes all of his custom knives and sheaths entirely by hand assisted by his sons Wes and Derek. He also does his own inlays and decorative filework. The only exceptions would be for additional embellishments such as scrimshaw and engraving where he may employ the services of some of his acquaintances who are experts in those areas.
Does Gil sell his knives at knife shows or make personal appearances?
Yes. Gil attends several knife shows each year including The East Coast Custom Knife Show in New York, the Solvang Knife Show in Solvang CA, the Blade Show in Atlanta GA, the Knifemakers Guild Show in Louisville KY and sometimes a couple of other shows. Gil also occasionally makes special appearances when requested for special events. Also, As a 6th degree black belt in Kenpo Karate, Gil occasionally attends selected Karate camps.
What type of steel does Gil use in making his knives?
For his handmade custom knives, Gil may use several types of steel depending on the knife and it’s intended purpose. Most commonly, Gil uses 440C stainless steel, D2 carbon steel, or Damascus steel.
What is heat treating and how does it affect a knife?
Heat treating is the process of heating steel to a specific temperature, for a specific duration, and then quenching (cooling) it in a specific manner. This makes the steel very hard but brittle. It must then be “tempered” by heating it again to a lower temperature and letting it cool slowly. This restores some of the flexibility so that it is not so brittle that it would break easily. Each different type of steel must be heat treated in a specific way to achieve maximum performance in terms of hardness and durability. Very hard steel is hard to sharpen but will hold an edge very well. Steel that is a little “softer” will be easier to sharpen to a very sharp edge but will need to be sharpened more often in use.
Did Gil Hibben make the knife used by “Rambo” in the new Rambo movie?
Yes. Sylvester Stallone once again called upon Gil to design and make the knife used by Rambo in the 2008 movie “Rambo”. Gil began working on the design in October 2006 and over the next year several designs were submitted before arriving at exactly what Stallone wanted for the Rambo character. Gil is listed in the film’s credits as the “knife maker”.
Do you accept International credit card orders?
In some cases yes and in some cases no. For countries where we do accept credit card orders, we will ONLY ship to the billing address of the cardholder.
Due to the high incidence of credit card fraud in some countries, will not accept credit cards and will ONLY accept Western Union Money Transfers for the following countries:
- Romania
- Indonesia
- Singapore
- Ghana
- Ukraine
- Uganda
- Nigeria
- Hungary
- Belarus
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Slovak Republic
- Russia
- Yugoslavia
- Macedonia
- Philippines
- Thailand