League of Extraordinary Knifemakers

golok

golok

Joined
Oct 20, 2000
Messages
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If ever there was an organisation that fits that name, how many of the present knifemakers in America would be recorded in its register?

It might not be that easy to establish a criteria to pick the names but I suppose we can try.

Most of the really good ones would most probably be too humble to even want to be considered. I guess we have to do it for them.

Is it possible to narrow the list down to just 10?
 
There's the AKI. That's as close to something like that I can think of. (They're not *my* top makers, but that's not the point.)
 
Well, I can give you a list of makers I personally think are among the best, with the understanding of course that there are knives from makers I havent yet seen. And like Keith, I could never limit it to 10, and I'm sure I'll forget some, but here goes. No particular order other than what pops into my mind first.

Tac/Utility, folders and fixed...

Mayo
Blackwood
Hossom
Mad Dog
Brend
RJ Martin
Hayes
Hartsfield
Fogg
Boguszewski, his flippers especially.
Carson
Obenauf
JW Smith
Tighe
Strider
Snody
Chris Reeve
Cook
Microtech

Fancy Art Knives...(I'm not listing here forged fixed blades by various smiths, because I'll list them seperately below.)

Lake
Kious
Dake
JW Smith
Waters
Pease
Corbit
Dellana
Ron Newton
Fogg
SR Johnson
Taylor
Owen Wood
McHenry
Dunkerly
Embertson
Gallagher
B. Davis
Don Hanson
Hitchmough
Centofante
Pardue
Minnick
Selvideo
Barnett
Eaton
Siska
Steigerwalt
Warenski
Osbourne
Hoel

Below are makers that are known for forged fixed blades, many are either Mastersmiths or J-Smiths, but some are neither.

Fisk
Hancock
Crowell
Fitch
Primos
Bradshaw
Williams
Newton
Dean
Rik Palm
Jon Christiansen
Wheeler
Knight
Cutter
J. Tiensvold
Harvey
Hendrickson
Winkler
Waters

Well, that's all I can think of right now, I'll add to the list if I remember others.
I'd be interested to see what makers others might add too.

OK, I'm going to try to pick my favorite 3 in each category, which is very tough and no matter how I choose, I'll feel like I'm leaving somebody out, but here goes...

Tac/Utility FOLDERS:

Mayo
Boguszewski
Strider

T/U Fixed:

Blackwood
Brend
Hossom

Art Knives:

Dake
Pease
Corbit

Forged Fixed Blades:

Bradshaw (No Brainer)
Fisk
Newton
 
Top 100 would be a better list, but still not a truly accurate listing. Most of us only know about the makers we see on the internet. I have seen some incredible makers that don't advertise and go only word of mouth.
 
Yep, when Greg isn't hunting wild boar with a knife he does make the some pretty darn nice knives.

I'm still trying to condense the couple of hundred names I have come up with down to ten. I am not having much success!
 
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