Call 800-686-4216 ext 3 to setup a preview appointment today.
Location
North American Auction Co.
34156 E Frotnage Rd. Bozeman, MT 59715
Online Only Live Sale
(Lots 1-750) – 9 AM Mountain Time, Saturday, June 19th, 2021
We encourage you to bid and buy Online Only with Live Simulcast Bidding. In-Person bidding will be limited due to COVID-19.
The sale shows the Best In The West Early American Indian Weapons and Artifacts, Beadwork & outstanding Navajo Jewelry paired with antiquities of the Old West & Frontier along with an amazing showing of Fine Artwork and Luxury Jewelry.
Shipping will be available In-House for all lots at the buyers expense. Shipping cost includes handling (labor), materials, label and insurance.
He was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky as a farrier in the Cavalry. Working by the sweat of his brow shoeing horses, a task more akin to blacksmithing than ranching, Rudy seemed almost on a destined path to bladesmithing.
After presumable making his own blades due to his need for an edge to perform highly at his everyday task as a farrier, others from Fort Knox started to take notice. His first “knife collectors” or more appropriately customers were Montana Blackfeet tribe members who were working as horse breakers. They needed a blade that was stout enough to withstand their rigorous job but yet still retain a sharp edge to skin a frozen horse in the dead of winter, and as will become the definition of Ruana Knives themselves Rudy met the challenge.
He met the need for Montana hunters and ranchers who were sick of the wasteful mass-produced knives that you could buy off the shelves, “A lot of knives back then, the guards would come off or the blades were loose,” says Hangas (son-in-law to Ruana and eventual owner of Ruana Knives). “But Rudy was what I always called ‘hell for stout,’ and he wanted to make something that would never fall apart” (source 1).
Rudy Ruana didn’t just make knives he made a tool that would last the users lifetime, their kids lifetime and so on.
“Quality over Quantity” as Mark Hagas Would Say.
Rudy Ruana didn’t just make knives he made a tool that would last the users life time, their kids lifetime and so on. “Quality over quantity” as Mark Hangas would say (source 1). Over the years I, Tucker of North American Auction Co. have seen many a Ruana which had been passed through multiple generations of family members showing only the obvious signs of use. Ruana knives were made to be used, and used they were.
His work wasn’t about looks, but inevitably his iconic design of cast aluminum integral handles paired with antler grip scales being dovetailed and paired with heavy leather sheaths all bearing the Ruana name has now become the prize for many a knife collector.
A Ruana blade is crafted in the very same shop Rudy forged, even using many of the very same tools and machines he used as well, keeping the same spirit Rudy had, that of Montana.
That spirit, a quiet rebellious, hard working, roll your sleeves up, build for quality and longevity attitude that is woven into the fabric of all Montanans. We built North American Auction Co. and founded it here in Bozeman, Montana under these same principles. We wanted to work harder, put in more time and give our customers the best product we possibly could. We’ve put our neck on the line time and time again, being told by competitors and mentors that we put too much into our photography, too much into our descriptions, that we spend to much on our catalogs and should focus more on easier things to sell like other auctioneers. Instead we put our heads down, rolled up our sleeves and for the last decade we worked.
I hope that you all enjoy the several Ruana handmade knives along with other collector knives that are in the next sale as much as I do and that you put into your lives, your work, your everything the same attitude that Rudy did.
I would also love to hear from you about what you’d like to interact with in upcoming blog entries. It’s kind of a cliche to say customers make our business or that we couldn’t do this without you, but its true. Let me know what you think about these amazing Ruana Knives and what you’d love to hear about in our next blog entry.
That spirit, a quiet rebellious, hard working, roll your sleeves up, build for quality and longevity attitude that is woven into the fabric of all Montanans.
We built North American Auction Co. and founded here in Bozeman, Montana under these same principles.
I would love to hear from you about what you’d like to interact with in upcoming blog entries.
Tucker Markovich
Thanks,
Tucker Markovich, NAAC VP (Auctioneer, IT-Guy, Item Repair Man, Coffee-Maker, Blog-writer, Chief Bottle Washer and whatever else hits my work bench)
Call 800-686-4216 ext 3 to setup a preview appointment today.
Location
North American Auction Co.
34156 E Frotnage Rd. Bozeman, MT 59715
Online Only Live Sale
(Lots 1-750) – 9 AM Mountain Time, Saturday, May 15th. 2021
We encourage you to bid and buy Online Only with Live Simulcast Bidding. In-Person bidding will be limited due to COVID-19.
The sale shows the Best In The West Early American Indian Weapons and Artifacts, Beadwork & outstanding Navajo Jewelry paired with antiquities of the Old West & Frontier along with an amazing showing of Fine Artwork and Luxury Jewelry.
Shipping will be available In-House for all lots at the buyers expense. Shipping cost includes handling (labor), materials, label and insurance.
Call 800-686-4216 ext 3 to setup a preview appointment today.
Location
North American Auction Co.
34156 E Frotnage Rd. Bozeman, MT 59715
Online Only Live Sale
(Lots 1-750) – 9 AM Mountain Time, Saturday, April 10th. 2021
We encourage you to bid and buy Online Only with Live Simulcast Bidding. In-Person bidding will be limited due to COVID-19.
The sale shows an exceptional collection of Early American Indian Weapons and Artifacts, Beadwork & outstanding Navajo Jewelry paired with antiquities of the Old West & Frontier along with an amazing showing of Fine Artwork and Luxury Jewelry.
Shipping will be available In-House for all lots at the buyers expense. Shipping cost includes handling (labor), materials, label and insurance.
Call 800-686-4216 ext 3 to setup a preview appointment today.
Location
North American Auction Co.
34156 E Frotnage Rd. Bozeman, MT 59715
Online Only Live Sale
(Lots 1-750) – 9 AM Mountain Time, Saturday, January 23rd. 2020
We encourage you to bid and buy Online Only with Live Simulcast Bidding. In-Person bidding will be limited due to COVID-19.
The sale shows an exceptional collection of Early American Indian Weapons and Artifacts, Beadwork & outstanding Navajo Jewelry paired with antiquities of the Old West & Frontier along with an amazing showing of Fine Artwork and Luxury Jewelry.
Shipping will be available In-House for all lots at the buyers expense. Shipping cost includes handling (labor), materials, label and insurance.
Call 800-686-4216 ext 3 to setup a preview appointment today.
Location
North American Auction Co.
34156 E Frotnage Rd. Bozeman, MT 59715
Online Only Live Sale
(Lots 1-750) – 9 AM Mountain Time, Saturday, January 23rd. 2020
We encourage you to bid and buy Online Only with Live Simulcast Bidding. In-Person bidding will be limited due to COVID-19.
The sale shows an exceptional collection of Early American Indian Weapons and Artifacts, Beadwork & outstanding Navajo Jewelry paired with antiquities of the Old West & Frontier along with an amazing showing of Fine Artwork and Luxury Jewelry.
Shipping will be available for all lots at the buyers expense.
Call 800-686-4216 ext 3 to setup a preview appointment today.
Location
North American Auction Co.
34156 E Frotnage Rd. Bozeman, MT 59715
Online Only Live Sale
(Lots 1-750) – 9 AM Mountain Time, Saturday, December 5th. 2020
We encourage you to bid and buy Online Only with Live Simulcast Bidding. In-Person bidding will be limited due to COVID-19.
NOTICE: Auction Date moved to December 5th due to potential Covid-19 case. Thank you for understanding and choosing NAAC. All shipping is in-house and our team will make sure your items get shipped asap after the sale.
Shipping will be available for all lots at the buyers expense.
Call 800-686-4216 ext 3 to setup a preview appointment today.
Location
North American Auction Co.
34156 E Frotnage Rd. Bozeman, MT 59715
Online Only Live Sale
(Lots 1-750) – 9 AM Mountain Time, Saturday, October 31st. 2020
We encourage you to bid and buy Online Only with Live Simulcast Bidding. In-Person bidding will be limited due to COVID-19.
The sale shows an exceptional collection of Early American Indian Weapons and Artifacts, Beadwork & outstanding Navajo Jewelry paired with antiquities of the Old West & Frontier along with an amazing showing of Fine Artwork and Luxury Jewelry.
Shipping will be available for all lots at the buyers expense.
(Lots 1-450) – Staggered Timed Close Beginning December 12th at 12pm Mountain Time.
This will be an Online Only sale with no live component. The sale will be timed and each lot will stagger closed starting at 12pm. If a bid is placed within the last few minutes of the item it will be extended. The lots will take approximately 1 and a half to 2 hours to close.
No In-Person Preview due to covid. Call for more details.
Shipping will be available for all lots at the buyers expense.
Call 800-686-4216 ext 3 to setup a preview appointment today.
Location
North American Auction Co.
34156 E Frotnage Rd. Bozeman, MT 59715
Online Only Live Sale
(Lots 1-750) – 9 AM Mountain Time, Saturday, October 3rd. 2020
We encourage you to bid and buy Online Only with Live Simulcast Bidding. In-Person bidding will be limited due to COVID-19.
The sale shows an exceptional collection of Early American Indian Weapons and Artifacts, Beadwork & outstanding Navajo Jewelry paired with antiquities of the Old West & Frontier along with an amazing showing of Fine Artwork and Luxury Jewelry.
Shipping will be available for all lots at the buyers expense.
Auction Info
