Most popular personalities in the knife industry today

Dr. Jim Allen, who runs Three Sisters Forge. His knives are heavy-duty, and often slated toward military and law enforcement. I've had three of his "Beast" models, and gifted one to a newphew. He will do anything to keep a customer happy...
Jim is/was a dentist, who retired from that profession due to an extreme disability. But his knives...are first-rate, cryo-stabilized, triple-tempered, and EACH blade is Rockwell tested before he lets it go out of his shop.
A really neat gentleman, whom I've talked with on the phone on quite a few occasions. He lives in the mountains of Oregon, so his passion (other than blades) is down-hill mountain-biking. What a lucky guy!

I would also include Jim Ankerson. Jim has done so much testing with new blades, new steels, new models...that nearly ALL of us have benefited from. He has spent a lot of his own money on our behalf, and has compiled such a great deal of good info and classification of the steels into separate groupings... I have often used his steel info when I'm considering a new knife. I am very appreciative of his efforts.
 
Kevin John


joke :D


Not mentioned by op:

William Scagel - grandgrandfather of modern knifemaking
Bill Moran - grandfather of modern knifemaking, equally to Loveless and Randall
Bob Lum - many collaborations with Spyderco and Benchmade
Bob Terzuola - father of tactical folders, collabs with Spyderco, Benchmade etc. Probably he used thumb disc first.
Fred Perrin - father of military/street bowie and LaGriffe, collabs with Spyderco, Emerson, Cold Steel etc.
Allen Elishewitz - father of Stryker family, some most famous Benchmades are his designs
Mel Pardue - as above, he designed BM Griptilian
Warren Osborne - father of BM 940 and some other classic now modern folding knives
Andrew Demko - father of triadlock and some CS designs, for example Lawman, Talwar
Michael Walker - father of liner lock, collabs with Spyderco and Klotzli. He and Terzuola were probably inspiration for Ernest Emerson.
 
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Serious question for the gentlemen who are more attuned with the history of the blade: I've read in a few places that Bob Terzuola is the father of the tactical knife; I read elsewhere that Ernest Emerson is the father of the tactical knife, and I've read in other elsewheres that (I forget who) another someone is the father of the tactical knife.

Who really is the father? Has there been a reliable paternity test?
 
Terzuola is the father of tactical folders, Emerson was popularizing that type of folders. Before it he was making some "rainbow" knives called pre-tacs like that:
Emerson_PreTac_knives.jpg
 
Les George. I've had a few interactions with him and he's just a great guy.
 
With in the industry I think it would be hard not to mention Andy Roy of Fiddleback Forge and LT Wright. Every year at Blade Show these guys have more new makers coming up and talking to them about their knives and how they do what they do and they have helped bring a lot of new makers in to the industry!

Lots of great names mentioned so far and can not argue with any of them!
 
I have to second Kit Carson and Rob Simonich should be on anyones list.Here is a name that everyone once knew and shouldn't be forgotten James Mattis.
 
I've had nice conversations at the forums with Sal Glesser, Mr.Demko, Jerry Hossom, Michael Janich and Edd Schemmpp. True gentlemen with much wisdom, common sense and great ideas behind!
 
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