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Rod “Caribou” Chappel was a master bladesmith from Washington state, renowned for his artistic and functional knife designs. Starting his craft in the early 1970s, he named his business “Davis Custom Knives” after his grandfather, Roderick Davis. Chappel studied under esteemed knifemakers Gil Hibben and Harvey Draper, honing his skills to create unique, high-caliber knives, daggers, and bowies. His legacy endures through his distinctive creations. Chappel passed away in 2017, leaving a lasting impact on the custom knifemaking industry.
The Legendary Blade Featured in Guns & Ammo 1976 Annual
Giant John Nelson Cooper Bowie / Shaw Leibowitz Etching
Fixed
Prepare to witness a legend among blades. This isn't just any Bowie knife; it's a monumental John Nelson Cooper masterpiece, boasting a 22-inch blade adorned with the largest Shaw-Leibowitz etching...
$18,000.00
Rod Caribou Chappel #1 Bowie
Davis Knives
Standing Bear – A Voice for Native Justice Standing Bear (circa 1829–1908) was a Ponca chief and civil rights pioneer whose fight for dignity and justice reshaped U.S. law. After...
$12,000.00
Davis Knives - Rod Caribou Chappel
Davis Knives
Featured in 1976 Guns & Ammo Special Edition Quanah Parker was the last chief of the Comanche and a key figure during the transition from free-roaming Native life to reservation...
$15,000.00
Chappel’s knives are celebrated for their distinctive sweeping grinds, mirror-polished finishes, and ergonomic handles sculpted to fit the user’s hand perfectly. He employed a unique rolled convex edge, enhancing durability and sharpness, and believed that crafting a fine knife involved 200 meticulous steps, achievable in just 22 hours.
Drawing inspiration from mentors like Gil Hibben and Harvey Draper, Chappel’s creations—ranging from the elegant “Lady Diana” to the robust “Bull Elk Bowie”—combined functionality with aesthetic appeal. His Alaskan Native American lineage granted him the legal right to use materials like walrus tusk ivory, adding a rare and authentic touch to his work.
With a background in architecture and civil engineering, Rod approached knife making like drafting blueprints—precise and thoughtful. Among his many designs are the Lewis & Clark, Mini Mag Bowie, Coeur D’Alene Fish Knife, and Woodsman Bowie, all of which remain featured on our site today. These are original Rod Chappel knife drawings.
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