Bob Kramer knives?

Bladeandbarrel said:
As a footnote, I got a Kramer/Shun "Sur La Table" Chefs knife and must say that it is an amazingly fine and refined kitchen knife in every respect. It is a carbon copy of his damascus knives and exceptionally balanced and ground..
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I got to handle some earlier chef knife models from Bob, and they were top quality.

The 8" wide bladed Kramer Shun that I have is probably my BEST chef's knife, in terms of sharpness, balance and aesthetics.....I have some from the finest custom chef's knife makers in the US....and they are great as well, but for performance....the Kramer is the best.....I had an Onion Shun and gave it away when I got the Kramer....no insult meant towards anyone, just sharing my opinion....when you USE one, you "get it".

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
To be fair this is well above his catalog asking price, which is make no mistake very expensive. Of course since he's not currently taking orders, catalog asking price is a bit moot. This is a one his first chevron damascus pattern so there is some collector value to it. The starting bid was $100, and as hard as he's worked I don't see how anyone can begrudge him the money. I'm still kicking myself for not buying ten years ago when an 8" chef's would have run in the $400-$500 range.
 
Kohai999 said:
I got to handle some earlier chef knife models from Bob, and they were top quality.

The 8" wide bladed Kramer Shun that I have is probably my BEST chef's knife, in terms of sharpness, balance and aesthetics.....I have some from the finest custom chef's knife makers in the US....and they are great as well, but for performance....the Kramer is the best.....I had an Onion Shun and gave it away when I got the Kramer....no insult meant towards anyone, just sharing my opinion....when you USE one, you "get it".

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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Yes,
I am a huge Shun fan and have put the big Onion up also. Still use the Santoku's, but the Kramer is really the cats ass.

My wife is scared of it . Its so sharp she cringes when I use it. muahhhhhhhhhahahahahha
 
Bladeandbarrel said:
Also, the popularity of cooking related shows is absolutely through the roof.
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This food thing is getting really big and like the rising tide that floats all boats, the growth in this area fires up related businesses - like commercial photography. There is so much money in food photography that a lot of the best photographer talent has migrated into that arena. As a pro shooting food, because of the intense competition, he or she must make a huge investment in equipment and publicize that they use top of the line Hasselblad (or Mamiya et. al.) medium format camera etc. etc. etc. (The Hasselblad H4D-50, body only, retails for over $28,000.00!!!) It's nuts.
 
some people just have so much money they have no idea what it's worth.

with that said, anything they are willing to do to patronize the arts is good for the art community and much appreciated.

make me a little jealous? sure, but i have no idea where my modest start to knifemaking is going to take me.
 
canid said:
some people just have so much money they have no idea what it's worth.

with that said, anything they are willing to do to patronize the arts is good for the art community and much appreciated.

make me a little jealous? sure, but i have no idea where my modest start to knifemaking is going to take me.
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Thus much of the allure, I expect. :thumbup:
 
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I picked up some his gems a while back. I think what Bob has that most neglect to acknowledge is that he knows how knives are used in the kitchen; he understands the motions of the various cutting techniques, knows how balance is important, knows the ergonomics & he just nails it. I've done lots of searching & even by just looking at other hand-made chefs knives, it appears that the bladesmith has no idea of how his/her design would transfer to a real kitchen environment. I use mine all the time - I only wish I had more: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4537622...7623142977111/
 
canid said:
some people just have so much money they have no idea what it's worth.
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I kinda know what you mean, but this deserves to be debunked. At least two people had an idea what it was 'worth' to them, and each of them drove it up till it was worth it to only one.

Wolfe Loerchner's knives will sell for double or triple what he asks. Immediately. Are they not worth it?

There are a lot of greatly successful people out there who DO have a lot of money. For them, finer purchases are all on another scale. For us, it's also on another scale. But I think not knowing what it's worth is a relative proposition, and not necessarily frivolous.

Coop
 
It is called "marketing". It started out with an article in the New Yorker magazine. It made the "Kramer" brand very desirable and he went on to further heights from there. He certainly expanded his market to people who had never heard of a custom knife. I am not so sure he will saturate the market any time soon.
 
Hi JG,

So let me get this straight. You are saying that knife makers should take the time to explore the market(s) wants and desires.

Building your product to suit the needs and wants of those who buy that product.

Develop a plan and implement it to introduce their products to that market.

Utilize a pricing structure that offers value pricing as you continue to improve your position in the market. Implementing continuous improvements further creating demand for the product. Ultimately achieving the goal of achieving the top position in your market.

JG, you need to step away from the drugs...that would never work. :D
 
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