of royalty including Queen Elizabeth II and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. According to The Washington Post, Sylvester Stallone's knife cost the actor $7,000 and included over 30 feet of silver wire in the handle. Death Moran died of cancer on February 12, 2006, at Frederick Memorial Hospital. After his death, one of his Bowie knives sold for $30,000 at auction. According to his obituary in The Washington Post, Moran willed his forge and tools to the Frederick County Landmarks Foundation. Legacy Apart from his influence regarding the forged blade, pattern welding, and damascus steel, Moran's influence has spread to other realms of the cutlery industry beyond "Art Knives". Copies of Moran's knives have been made by production knife companies. Spyderco has long made a Drop point hunting knife, inspired by a Moran designs. Blackjack Knives made several tactical versions of Moran's fighting knives. Paul Chen's Hanwei Forge of China made a damascus steel version of the Moran Kenshar, complete with silver wire inlay. Custom Knifemaker Ernest Emerson has long stated that the Moran ST-23 was one of the inspirations for his CQC-8 folding knife. In 1986, Moran was inducted into the Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame. Two years later in 1988, Moran and the ABS founded a Bladesmithing School in cooperation with Texarkana College. The campus was located in Washington, Arkansas near the place where James Black, made the first Bowie knife. In 1996, Moran was inducted into the American Bladesmith Society Hall of Fame as an inauguree. From 1988 to 2001, Moran taught at least one class a year at the school. Upon his retirement from teaching in 2001, the school was renamed the "William F. Moran School of Bladesmithing". As of 2008, the American Bladesmith Society is in the process of creating a Moran Museum as a wing of a new Frederick County Library in Middletown, Maryland, less than a mile from where Moran's shop stood. Further reading References External links Essay on Bill Moran Tribute to Bill Moran Interview with Bill Moran Knife makers People from Frederick, Maryland 1925 births 2006 deaths