Josef Rusnak

Carl Faberge made picture frames, in addition to Easter Eggs, art and function are a wonderful marriage. :cool:

The Japanese Mouse is my favorite of the three. :eek:
 
Just more examples of why the medium of knives is such a limitless canvas for expression of style, engineering, craftsmanship, and art.

If they hold an edge and cut well, then they are truly knives. There are limits to practicality as we all know. There are no limits to inspiration.

Coop
 
Kohai999 said:
They are jewelry with an edge. There is a total difference.

P.S.-Don't start flaming on me, IT is just MY opinion, and I am entitled to express it.
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Steven - yes, it is your opinion. And if someone had a "flamming" opinion, why would they not be equally entitled to express it? It cuts both ways.

Anyway, I love edged art. Some of the best bladesmith I collect do that a lot, and I think their stuff is beautiful. It's true that sometimes the practical aspects are not optimized, but if it was all that mattered, we would all be driving Honda Civic.
 
"Steven - yes, it is your opinion. And if someone had a "flamming" opinion, why would they not be equally entitled to express it? It cuts both ways."

Because I don't want to be baited into explaining my position, and hurting people's feelings with the explanations, that's why, and damn, Joss Delage, you are one contrary dude. I don't know if we have met at the OKCA show, but I have had a table there for 10 years, and probably would have remembered you. I was doing a basic Japanese sword introduction at the show for the last 5 years.

This is an expression of opinion based upon pictures that someone posted. I posted pictures of my R.J. Martin knives and encouraged people to say something bad if that is the way that they felt.

If Gabe owns those knives, he certainly will not be selling them out of my harsh opionion, he probably could care less, one way or the other. You buy what you love, hopefully.

We had this "Art" discussion a few months ago, I could have sworn that you started the topic. I have one question for anyone that would know. Are the edges of the damascus dagger in the middle sharpened to a cutting edge? I should not have to ask that question, but I do.

Best Regards,

Steven Garsson
 
Indeed, this would be a dull world if practicality was the only consideration taken into account when something was designed.

These knives were obviously designed as collector pieces and not intended for use. Not saying they couldn't be used, I really doubt that was their intended purpose. They are more ornate than what I would personally choose, but I still like to look at knives like this and very much appreciate the artistic talent and inspiration that goes into them. It is great that instead of painting or sculpting, that some artists have decided to make knives their canvas. It makes the world of knives far more interesting and broadens the appeal to a much more diversified group of people.

My taste in knives has changed over the years. At the beginning all that I wanted were working knives. Well made, but not too high priced and production only. Then my interest shifted to custom knives, but very basic, practical and at the lower end of the price scale. Over the last couple of years I have thrown practicality out the window. I now collect bowies and have one on order from Tai Goo that some would call an art knife. Who knows, maybe someday I will start lusting after the more ornate bowies that don't really turn me on right now. In fact, the way things are going, it is only a matter of time.
 
Keith Montgomery said:
They are more ornate than what I would personally choose, but I still like to look at knives like this and very much appreciate the artistic talent and inspiration that goes into them. It is great that instead of painting or sculpting, that some artists have decided to make knives their canvas. It makes the world of knives far more interesting and broadens the appeal to a much more diversified group of people.
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Dammit Keith,

There you go, being all sensible again. :rolleyes: :p

Roger
 
Kohai999 said:
and damn, Joss Delage, you are one contrary dude. I don't know if we have met at the OKCA show, but I have had a table there for 10 years, and probably would have remembered you. I was doing a basic Japanese sword introduction at the show for the last 5 years.
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Yes I am, that's true :)

We might have met at OKCA. If you remember a guy with a french accent, it was probably me. I probably won't return next year, but who knows.
 
Good points Keith, well said. Tastes change. To me though, you should be able to wear a knife to some degree in order to call it a knife. I know a collector of high-dollar knives, all say in the starting region of $15,000.

He/most would not WANT to wear/carry these knives to use, but they CAN be used, if the user so should desire. I am not seeing that criteria applied here.

Virgil England, the big daddy of Art/Fantasy knives said that he would rather shovel dirt than make another drop point hunter. I can understand the point, that the art is most of what is important to the piece, but the bottom line, is that these pieces just do not work for me on so many levels, and that will probably not change. It has not changed in 20 years.

Joss, my plans for this year are Reno, 'cause Don Fogg said that he would make some time available for me when I called him, and I want to hang out with Matt Diskin and Nick Wheeler, normally I would have to work at SHOT, Solvang, Blade, The Sword '05 gathering @ Ashokan, the Art Knife Invitational (because I can, there is a very real chance that I will buy nothing, and get drunk early in the day), and Blade West. This leaves no time or money for the OKCA, but I did renew my membership, making it 12 years of continuous membership. The OKCA is a good organization to be part of.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Ikarus I

ikarus%20I.jpg
 
Personally, I don't think that a reputation is made over the forums, but by face to face interaction, and that only, and by what a man does, as well as by what he says.

MY OPINION is what it is, just that. Anonymously taking away my reputation points irritates me, and if, whoever your little ass is, had e-mailed me offline, we could have had a discussion, and that would have been that.

It never ceases to amaze me, the trolls that one has to put up with in order to enjoy the company of good, knowledgable people. The price of the modern day is having to rub elbows with unwashed masses of mediocrity in the hope that you find a gold nugget every once in a while. Some of those here are pure platinum.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
(P.S., Ikarus I looked very nice, and qualifies as an excellent knife by most standards, but the spelling is usually Icarus)
 
Steven, don't worry about your rep level. If you are not afraid to speak your mind, you are going to piss some people off enough to give you bad feedback. Differing opinions make for more interesting forum content and sometimes for very heated debate and that it a good thing, as long as things stay respectful, and with you they always do.
 
Kohai999 said:
......., but the spelling is usually Icarus)
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Steve, I look forward to your posts , always have a bit of meat to them ..... but I am a pedantic bugger, and I am pretty sure Icarus with a "c" is a corruption made by the English language. The Greek island which the myth says Ik(c)arus plummeted too was renamed afer their famous visitor and in the English alphabet, is called IKaria, and if you reference most non-english accounts of the myth, his name is spelt Ikarus. I imagine as the knife originates from CzR, the spelling is probably correct for that part of the world.

Stephen
 
Thanks, I mean it. I was venting a bit. Did not know that Ikarus was probably the correct spelling. I try to learn at least one new thing every day.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
I try to learn at least one new thing every day.
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Me too. Problem is it doesn't replace the two things I forget each day. DOH! :rolleyes:

I was hoping Gabe would chime in and give us a little more insight on his selections.

Coop
 
here are three that we get to show to other artists so they and some of their customers have an opportunity to see custom knives as works of art.

picture.JPG


blade by Bud Weston with sculptured handle and mammoth ivory scales


picture.JPG


Damasteel, sterling silver handle and sheath with gold beads and abalone inlay with ivory inlays


picture.JPG


Giraffe bone, damasteel, carved lion, sterling fittings--this one is for Phyllis

these have all been posted before but perhaps they can be enjoyed again.
 
Keith Montgomery said:
Steven, don't worry about your rep level. If you are not afraid to speak your mind, you are going to piss some people off enough to give you bad feedback. Differing opinions make for more interesting forum content and sometimes for very heated debate and that it a good thing, as long as things stay respectful, and with you they always do.
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I completly agree with what you just said. after all , you can't please EVERYBODY!
that's the spice of life!
 
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