Roy Blaum established Roy's Knife & Archery Shop in 1976. A former sports and news photographer for the Times Picayune and cameraman for WWL-TV in the 1960's, he was also widely recognized as an outstanding knife maker. He died on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
Roy Blaum playing his guitar was a common sight, along with his wood-carvings, photography exhibit and the wide variety of sporting goods inside his store at 319 North Columbia St., Covington, LA. (Photos by Ron Barthet)
According to his obituary posted at E. J. Fielding Funeral Home in Covington, Roy was born in New Orleans on April 8, 1935. He attended Tulane University and majored in Architecture and Business Administration. He enlisted in the Army in 1956 and served as a radio operator in Korea.
In Korea he discovered his passion for photography. After his military service he attended San Mateo College in California in order to study photography. He was then accepted to Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California for advanced photography studies.
He later worked as a cameraman for Channel 8, WVUE-TV filming news and sports, and producing commercials. He became the Chief Cameraman with channel 4, WWL-TV and WYES-TV, filming news, documentaries, commercials, production and special features for Walter Cronkite and Mike Wallace shows on CBS News.
He was also a Cameraman and Stringer for United Press International and UPI films, Newsweek, Time and Life Magazines as well as the Associated Press. He completed a film for Plaquemine Parish on life styles and industry.
In addition, he was a staff photographer for the Times Picayune, Daily Record and States Item newspapers in New Orleans. It was around this time that he began to learn the Harmonica. This led to him to serve as a cameraman, editor, and performer of original harmonica music for a documentary called “Help”.
Shortly thereafter Roy began to master the guitar. He moved to the north shore in 1978 and began his life at the shop. He started making knives and opened three knife shops, including the one on North Columbia St. in Covington.
He was an avid bass fisherman and traditional bow hunter. He became well-known for his amazing and whimsical carved figures and shared them with many people. Memorial services were scheduled for E. J. Fielding Funeral Home, 2260 W 21st Avenue, Covington LA 70433 on Friday, July 11, 2025, at 9:30 AM with interment following in the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery.
For more information about Roy and his shop, CLICK HERE for an Inside Northside article.
Roy's Knife & Archery Shop, Columbia Street, Covington
In May of 2020, Roy made headlines by speaking out about how government-enforced stay-at-home orders due to CoVID did not apply to him and many other business owners.
Video of Roy inside his Knife & Archery Shop
(To view the video click on the "Play Triangle" in the center)
Below is a sample of one of the many Blaum photographs that appeared in the Times Picayune Newspaper:
