Favorite ABS Makers

MS: Bartrug, Fisk, Fuegen, Hancock, Bradshaw, Cashen, Harvey (Heather and Kevin)

JS: Sfreddo, Hanson

Others: Bergh, Bojtos, Rigney, Eaton, Barnett, Embretsen and so on

Marcel

PS Coop, what's that dagger in your avatar?? It looks great:thumbup:
 
Don Fogg is at the top of my list. Interesting that he only came up on this thread in 3 posts and not before #15. I suspect this is because he's been refocusing his efforts on the teaching side lately.

After that there are too many to list but in no particular order they would include Jerry Fisk, Kevin Cashen, Tim Hancock, Dan Farr, Larry Fuegen, etc.
 
SharpByCoop said:
Tai Goo = no ABS credits... :(

We had a LONG thread over on the Outpost at KNet (Tai's usual hangout) about the ABS. Tai supports the ABS members, but does not feel he needs the credentials, so he remains distant. My guess is he could walk through the tests if needed.

Coop
Click to expand...

Coop, do you have a llink to that thread? I couldnt find it.

thanks
kelly
 
Most of the usual great suspects have been mentioned more than once. Unfortunately a fair number of the names fall into a catagory of knives that I call UNobtainium. I can tell you about the virtues of knives by Don Fogg, Russ Andrews, or Greg Neely. BUT I can't tell you how to actually find examples of their work to own. They are the rarest of the rare.

Here are some topflight makers, from whom you can realistically expect to obtain a great knife at the Blade Show or have one delivered within a year.

Steve Dunn
Don Hanson, III
Tom Ferry
Burt Foster
Jason Knight
Shawn McIntyre
John White
Matt Lamey
Mike Ruth
 
Hmmmmmmm...well here goes.

Harvey Dean MS, Larry Fuegen MS, Russ Andrews JS, Nick Wheeler JS, Jerry Fisk MS, Tim Hancock MS, Bailey Bradshaw MS, Joe Flournoy MS, Ron Newton MS, Jason Knight JS, Tim Foster MS, Shane Taylor MS, Don Fogg MS (passed the MS test twice), Roger Massey MS, Dan Farr JS, John Fitch MS, Greg Neely MS, JD Smith MS, Michael Connor MS, Bill Burke JS, Mardi Meshejian JS, Rick Palm JS, Luciano Dorneles JS, Rodrigo Sfreddo JS, Ed Caffrey MS, Rick Dunkerley MS, Kevin Cashen MS, Daniel Winkler MS.

There are probably at least another couple of dozen that I should include.
 
Interesting but probably not surprising that when I looked at the knives made by those who espoused the "I don' need no stinkin' ABS" position most vociferously and acrimoniously, they were some of the ugliest dogs what ever barked.
 
I made it through a few pages and it didn't seem that cantakerous a thread. One thing that I didn't see mentioned enough was the fact that you can join the ABS, get all of the free help and advice you could ever want (these guys don't know the definition of "trade secret") and if you choose to do your own thing and never test for a stamp, then they are fine with that. As a matter of fact, you can join as a maker even if you are still pounding out rebar in a one brick forge.......or just thinking about making knives, for that matter Try that with the Guild.....:D This will be an interesting time for the ABS. All organizations have politics, but the ABS, for better or worse (mostly better in my opinion), was ssentially the personal fiefdom of one William F. Moran, Jr. who, even after he resigned the chairmanship, was to a great exent, the final arbiter of all things ABS. Fortunately, he was a most kindly and benevolent "absolute monarch". Now that he is gone, there may be some growing pains and griping, but I think that the organization has gotten so big that it will soldier on. No organization can keep everyone happy, but I don't that we will see the ABS implode like the Guild did sometime in the late 1990's/early 2000's.
 
Both as a person and an amazing bladesmith, Burt Foster.

There are a couple dozen guys whose work I love, but it would be hard to nail down favorites.

Oh, and thanks for the mention, but I'm not a Js yet. :)
 
SharpByCoop said:
Tai Goo = no ABS credits... :(

We had a LONG thread over on the Outpost at KNet (Tai's usual hangout) about the ABS. Tai supports the ABS members, but does not feel he needs the credentials, so he remains distant. My guess is he could walk through the tests if needed.

Coop
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link, I checked out Tai's site and found this.

** Tai Goo is founder of the Neo-Tribal Metalsmiths and an associate member of the American Bladesmith Society **

Maybe you showed some people another view and reason to participate. :D
 
NickWheeler said:
Both as a person and an amazing bladesmith, Burt Foster.

There are a couple dozen guys whose work I love, but it would be hard to nail down favorites.

Oh, and thanks for the mention, but I'm not a Js yet. :)
Click to expand...

OH Sorry. Actually, I don't think Brett Gatlin is either :foot: but I still will keeps you guys on my favorites list if that's OK? :D
 
NO! Take me off!!!

;)



Actually Kevin, if all goes well I'll hold my breath until June 8th and then I can be reinstated on your list :D



BTW- Somebody that should REALLY be in this thread:


Jim Schmidt (nobody said they had to be alive did they?)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top