Name the top five custom makers that you want to own, BUT DON'T.

Keith Montgomery said:
J.D. Smith

J. D. Smith is a pretty unique craftsman. He has his own personal style, and I think he's very good. He's the only African American MS that I've met....
 
al pendray: wootz hunter/utility knife

richard rogers: 2 blade, with stag scales

jerry hossom: his old bird and trout knife...he said he would make me one a long time ago...i think he forgot :p
 
Ok, I'll play...
Five makers I'd like to own, but probably never will... unless I hit it big in the lotto or something.
Fisk
Fowler (bowie, of course)
Don Hanson
Arpad Bojitos (sp?)
Bradshaw
 
Mongo, and Kam,

Fisk, Bradshaw and Fuegen will all make knives at or near $1,000. That is not chicken feed, I agree. If I lost that much money, it would hurt.

But, you can save, and you can arrange to work with the maker to realize your dreams. Jerry has a long waiting list, but I have seen his knives sell recently from Les Robertson/Bob Neal for $1,500 or lower. It would be safe to say that this is a good investment, if the "little woman" is squawking.

Bailey runs around 6 months to a year of lead time. If you want it in two years, he'll make it for you then, at a pre-arranged price. Larry will pretty much do the same, except he runs around 18 months lead time.

The thing is, when you are talking about custom knives, $1,000 is not a lot of money. It is however, the limit that I will spend on a single knife, this rule having been broken twice, Busfield, and Osborne for those that care. I just HAD to have these pieces.

If you cut back on the beer, and expensive cigars, eat home more often, put a little less $$ in the church plate, and DO NOT give in to the childrens' pleas for the expensive piece of crap that will literally be a pile of useless crap in two days, you could probably scrape up the cheddar in a year's time. :D

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Larry Fuegan MS
Steve Dunn MS
Mike Conners MS
Ron Newton MS
Kevin Cashen MS
 
Ed Fowler
William Scagel
Michael Price
Buster Warenski

and this last guy surprised me...Larry Harley. Fell in love with one of his double edged recurve Hawg Knives in Atlanta this year. If I had an alternate...it would be Don Fogg.
Shane
P.S. Unfortunatley...I am an aspiring knifemaker. All my pesos is tied up in equipment...so this list is just a dream of a dream...I'd give my left big toe to have studied with Price. I ain't using it for anything anyway! SJ
 
I'll agree with Shane...
And add:
1. James Black Bowie
2. King Tut Daggar (just see it) :eek:
3. Morseth
4. Ruana, for use
5. Find a Samuel Bell knife at a flea market
David
 
5 Top makers who I'd love for investment quality:

Lake, Walker, Moran, Loveless, Scagel.

For whatever reason I am not emotionally tied to any of these guys. Yet.

My harder list:

Jeffry Harkins - his clever fitment and cleanliness of angular edges took my breath away. One is on order. Stunning work.

Joe Keeslar - his integral finger guard and the floral filework/carving he does simply blows me away. I called to place an order, and he was very kind but not willing to do ANYTHING while he is prez of the ABS. Not as a custom order anyway. Had I went to Reno, his table would have been MY first stop.

Jim Small - little known, but a purely great maker who concentrates on his engraving these days. I'd be honored to have one of his knives in my collection.

Wolfgang Loerchner - No one does it like Wolfe. No one.

Justin Brennan - VERY few knives made by him. I believe he is a gunsmith. What I have seen blew me away. Period pieces.

Like everyone else, this list would probably change if you asked me again in a month. This is what I offer today....

Coop
 
I'm with Coop on his investment list.
But the customs I would like to own are.

Tony Bose - large slipjoint single D2 blade in stag.

Don Fogg - anything he makes but large with Foggish hamon.

Bill McHenry - a large auto, he made some of the finest autos ever.

Harvey Dean - a large bowie in damascus and fossil ivory.

These four are all I can come up with at this time. The knives of these makers have inspired me over the years. I will probably own a Bose in the near future but it's unlikely I will own any of the others. After looking at my list, I guess I like BIG knives :D

Great thread, Don Hanson lll
 
Tony Bose
Reese Bose
Harvey Dean - Big stinkin' bowie
JW Smith - Framer
John Fitch - Big asss chopper
 
Don Fogg
Jimmy Fikes
Michael Connor
DE Henry
I would like a knife made by Doug Noren..his replicas are pretty amazing

Can I add Larry Fuegen to the list?....I loved the BIG honking southwest bowie on his site.
 
My list in no particular order.

1-Tony Bose
2-Jeffry Harkins
3-Jason Williams
4-Rick Dunkerley
5-Jim Minnick
 
Easy

1) Phil Hartsfield
2) Warren Thomas
3) Ernie Emerson
4) Steve Ryan
5) John Fitch

RL
 
Steven Roos said:
1. Buster Warenski
1. Van Barnett
1. Dellena
2. Bailey Bradshaw
3. Steven Rapp

(That numbering is intentional ;))

Got to think big, right? Rick Eaton should be in there, but I'm not crazy! :footinmou
Just got Bailey Bradshaw covered, so I guess I should put Rick Eaton in there! lol!
 
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