| Sources |
- [S47] Sevier County, Tennessee and its Heritage, Sevier County Heritage Book Committee, (1994, Don Mills, Inc.), 214.
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 27 Nov 2006.
A Cut Above
By: GAIL CRUTCHFIELD
Community News Editor
November 27, 2006
Museum opening doors in Sevierville
Anyone with an interest in knives, history or master craftsmanship will soon get the chance to see all of those things and more when the National Knife Collector's Association reopens its National Knife Museum at its new home inside the Smoky Mountain Knife Works in Sevierville.
Project manager Pete Cohan and his staff have been working to trim the 12,000 knives in the association's collection to about 5,000 for the rotating displays. The doors will open to the 4,000 square-foot display at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and admission is free.
The museum is relocating from Chattanooga, where it was housed until the property was sold. Smoky Mountain Knife Works owner Kevin Pipes offered the association space on the mezzanine of the expanded portion of his store.
Pipes said he thought housing the museum at the Knife Works would be a natural fit and is something that's close to his heart.
"My first business in Pigeon Forge in 1974 was a museum, so I have a special place in my heart for museums," he said. "I think we need to preserve the past for the future."
The past is just what visitors will see at the museum, where the length and width of two walls are dedicated to the history of cutlery.
The timeline starts at 2.5 million BC with artifacts from the Bronze Age to and proceeds through to the 20 and 21st century with protoypes of the Rambo knife and a knife that orbited the Earth with astronauts.
"Anything we display is authentic," Cohan said.
Many of the knives, swords and tools in the collection came from generous donations, including those from Drs. Frank Forsyth of Winston Salem, N.C., Willams Rosenthal of New Orleans and James Wilkinson of Springfield, Tenn., Cohan said.
The vast majority of the collection in enclosed in locked display cases which house boards that can be rotated out as necessary. The knives are attached to the boards magnetically, so either the whole board or just a few knives can be replaced. Cohan said the rotating exhibits could be changed every three to six months.
For the history buffs, the timeline begins with artifacts of cutting tools man used thousands of years ago, to the knives made today.
The types of blades displayed in timeline include a spring-loaded fleam used in the 18th and 19th centuries for bloodletting as a medical treatments. The display also points out that George Washington actually died from bloodletting.
The first Boy Scout knife is also on display in the timeline exhibit, as well as in a separate display dedicated to the Boy Scouts of America and the knives created for the organization. The Boy Scout display is located next to a display dedicated to the Girl Scouts of America.
Other displays of interest include exhibit knives, such as a barrel knife and others with dozens of blades.
"This is very, very unusual," Cohan said of a barrel knife, "and very, very costly."
Another display is dedicated to the work of the Case knife company.
"W.R. Case's son also did a complete timeline of the business," Cohan said of the display he described as the most complete, significant manufacture's display.
The work of other knife manufactures is on display, but all are of historic pieces, no current pieces are on display, Cohan said.
There are also collections from local clubs and a wall dedicated to the work of custom knife makers such as Bill Moran, Ralph Bone and Bo Randall.
For those who like the more unique, there are also displays of foreign and exotic blades and swords from all over the world.
Steve Coots, host of the Knife Works' cable television which airs each week on DirecTV and Dish Network, is enthusiastic about the museum.
"It's really neat," he said of the Association he's been involved with the past 20 years moving its museum to Smoky Mountain Knife Works.
"We're really excited about it."
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 8 Jul 2008.
Cancer survivor Kevin Pipes carves out support for research
SEVIERVILLE - Kevin Pipes, vice president of Smoky Mountain Knife Works knows firsthand the harsh reality of having prostate cancer, which is why the "two-time cancer survivor" has dedicated his knife work talents to research and education to both breast and prostate cancer.
Pipes was first diagnosed with the cancer, that's identified when doctors notice a patient has an enlarged prostate gland, about five years ago.
"When your sitting across from that doctor and he tells you, 'you have prostate cancer,' it's like nothing else in the world matters, it really puts one's priorities in order," Pipes said.
Pipes said learning he had the cancer was "tough" and that the doctor told him he had an elevation in his PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) level, which was how he determined that he had cancer.
Since his diagnosis in 2003, Pipes developed another enlarged prostate about two years ago, but with radiation treatment, Pipes proudly declared he was a "two-time cancer survivor."
Half the proceeds from the knives sold will go to cancer research at the University of Tennessee Medical Center's Cancer Institute in Knoxville. Pipes sat down with The Mountain Press in an interview to calculate the total amount of money raised, which was $29,051.69, his ultimate goal is to raise at least $100,000.
The concept for the knives began about a year ago, when Pipes began working with UT Medical Center to develop ways to raise money for prostate cancer awareness. Pipes said he worked with design partner Andy Armstrong to design the 13 different types of knives. Those types include seven pink knives for breast cancer research and six different blue knives for prostate cancer research support.
The knives comes in different shapes and sizes. Breast cancer knives have a pink ribbon on them, while the blue prostate cancer knives have small men on them.
"If we can help save at least one life it would all be worth it. Hopefully, one day cancer will become one of those diseases that is easily cured," Pipes said.
The reaction from Pipes' customers has been a great one. Whether stopping by the store, that claims to be the world's largest knife showplace, or watching the two live shows on Dish Network and Direct TV, Pipes said there's always been a good response.
"Just the other day a lady stopped by who told me she had an aunt who passed away from cancer and her mother survived it. She told me the knives were a great idea and bought a bunch of them," Bill Ball, assistant manager said.
Ball also said the importance of cancer awareness was very important to him as well since his wife is a survivor of colon cancer.
Knives Live can be seen twice weekly, Pipes said.
Pipes said he also has received letters from victims and survivors as well.
Renee Hawk, vice president of the Cancer Institute, expressed the importance of cancer awareness and education within the community as well. Hawk said some of the money raised during the knife sales will go to fund mobile units that offer free screenings and education on prostate and breast health.
"Early detection leads to better survival, so we go out into the community offering education and screenings so that people understand the importance of this," Hawk said.
Pipes could not stress enough the importance of men over 45 getting yearly checkups.
"If I hadn't been checked on I probably would have been dead," Pipes said.
Hawk expressed her gratitude toward Pipes for what he has done for the Cancer Institute.
"We are very grateful for his vision to produce the knives, it's a wonderful thing that he has done," Pipes said.
Pipes is a resident of Jefferson County and has recently donated funds to the Relay For Life there. He owns a farm in Dandridge with his children. He has lived and worked in Sevier County most of his life, but said he just wanted a farm so he decided to move.
Sevier County prostate screenings are expected to take place in September. The screenings will be provided by the UT Cancer Institute. Look for the advertisements in The Mountain Press.
For information about the pocket knives call 1-800-251-9306 or visit www.utmedicalcenter.org.
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
PIPES, KEVIN GRANVILLE ABBOTT, FONIAH KAY 1973-01-10
- [S149] The Official Marriage Records of Sevier County Tennessee 1972 - 1981, Volume IV, Smoky Mountain Historical Society, (Copyright 2008), ISBN 1-890150-00-6.
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
PIPES, KEVIN GRANVILLE WHALEY, KATHERINE OGLE 1979-04-21
- [S131] Divorce Record.
Husband's Name Wife's First Name Wife's Maiden Name County Court Date of Divorce File #
PIPES KEVIN G KATHERINE [NOT GIVEN] SEVIER [NOT GIVEN] 01-04-1980 00959
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
PIPES, KEVIN GRANVILLE BROWN, CYNTHIA HELMS1981-08-22
- [S131] Divorce Record.
Husband's Name Wife's First Name Wife's Maiden Name County Court Date of Divorce File #
PIPES KEVIN G CYNTHIA H [NOT GIVEN] JEFFERSON CHANCERY 04-21-2003 07252
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1951 - (73 years)
, d. 23 Nov 1999, Jefferson Memorial Hospital, Jefferson City, Jefferson County, Tennessee 
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