Name your TOP 5 Custom makers & why, (& you have to own at least 1 from those picks)

Kohai999

Kohai999

Second Degree Cutter
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Jul 15, 2003
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Hey All,

It's been a little slow around this place lately, so I thought I pick an activity that we all like, and get some discussion going. I WILL jump all over someone for being negative to another participant. If you don't agree with the choices, keep it to yourself or go offline. This is intended to be fun, informative, and educational, not immature, mean-spirited or a drag.

I'll go first(this is based upon what I currently own, I like Larry Fuegen for the # 1 spot, just don't own one yet, due in October)

In order:

1. Harvey McBurnette- Sole authorship, innovator(mid-lock folders), top quality workmanship, great person, made big folders that really pocket well, function as designed and look better each time you look at them. He will be missed, and is missed by me. He was a gentleman, as well as an excellent knifemaker.

2. Bob Crowder- Great knifemaker. His pricing is some of the best in the business, his communication skills are top notch. He not only listens to his customers, but encourages their input. He can design and grind just about any fixed blade on the planet, and he rarely repeats himself. Even the same models look different with the treatments that he gives them. His wife makes the sheaths, and they complement the knives perfectly

3. Warren Osborne-It's all in the details. He is a knifemaker's knifemaker. Every maker that I show his work to just shakes their heads in wonder. His lockbar seams are practically invisible when the blade is open. His grinds are crisp, precise and overall designs are elegant. He will not use substandard materials on his knives, ever.

4. Jim Siska-He has been making knives longer than I have been collecting them. He has a unique style, all his own. His prices are reasonable. His satin finish is top quality, his grind lines are sharp and crisp. The knives balance perfectly, and the construction methods are sound. He stands behind his knives 100%. He makes his own sheaths and they are as good as any custom sheath makers' work that I have seen.

5. Scott Sawby-I love his self-lock. It is a creative design, that is done with an elegance very much unsurpassed in this business. He makes a knife so slim and light you wonder why it doesn't break when you open it. As long as he has been making knives, and as much press as he gets, he is still relatively unknown. He delivers on time, and his attention to detail is breathtaking.

Thanks.

Best Regards,

Steven Garsson
 
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In no particular order:Bradshaw, Crowell, Dean, Fitch, Ruple. I like Jason Howell just as much as the five, but you said five not six.
 
Steven,

Limiting it to five guarantees that I have to leave off 10 worthy makers. :confused:

The reasons are the same for all five of my top custom makers, meticulous attention to detail approaching perfection, beautiful flowing blade designs and gorgeous handle materials, superb balance and comfort in your hand, excellent value. I do not collect folders or stainless steel, so my opinions are based soley upon forged fixed blades. The number next to the makers name represents the number of examples that I own. In alphabetical order:

Russ Andrews (2), Harvey Dean (3), Jason Knight (3.5), Ron Newton (3.5), Nick Wheeler (5).
 
In no particular order: Harvey Dean, Bill Buxton, Ken Onion, Bill Ruple, Kit Carson, Chuck Gedraitis, Dan Gray, Nick Wheeler, Jerry Fisk, Neil Blackwood, Geno Denning, Larry Chew, Tom Mayo, and Jerry Hossom.

Is that five???:D

If not there is one or two more: John Fitch, Alex Daniels, Walter Brend and Jim Crowell

there may be one or two more, but I want to keep it at five.:rolleyes: :p :)

Edited to add the why part: these guys are perfectionists who strive to make the best and to be the best. In my eyes they make the best and are also the very best of people. Being an honest, hard working, and compassionate maker is very important to me. these guys are it!!!!
 
Hmmm,Let's see here; John Fitch, Brett Gatlin, Jerome Anders,Rob Patton,Burt Foster,not necessarily in that order except for Fitch. :cool:
 
i only own knives from 4 makers at this time...i use my knives and when i dramatically pared down my collection a few years back i kept the ones i liked AND would use and carry. my knife "bug" has kind of faded and knives that sit in a box or safe just do not do that much for me anymore

tom mayo...own 4 with another due tommorow. his knives are well made and stand up to use. i have carried my first tnt daily for almost 4 years and it functions almost like a new one. the finish he puts on it is also very durable. even though i like to use my knives.... i also dont like for them to look like crap the first time I use it. tom is also a very nice guy

bailey bradshaw...a real artist...own 2...one is a mastadon/damascus/cpm-3v folder with a damascus toothpick. it is my "church" knife. it is very gently carried. also have a little stag lock back...i carry it everywhere with my tnt. its a remarkable little knife.

neil blackwood...stellite fishing blade...combined a few of his design elements into my "ultimate" fishing knife. rust proof with a specially textured handle to enhance grip with wet hands. wear it on a neck sheath under my waders. i almost always catch and release and honestly have no real practical use for a knife except to cut leaders or flies off. why i use a $375 knife to do what a $5 pair of clippers does better is anyones guess. it does rile up the "trout unlimited"/enviromentalist wacko types to see a "knife" so maybe thats why :rolleyes:

rick hinderer...lefty folder with neat carbon inlay/machined tecture in handles/unique blade shape with flipper. i bought it because it looked cool ..i still think it looks cool so i still own it :)

i do have a gavin hawk knife coming soon too. i have not bought a knife for 2 years and i will get 2 in a month. this one has a real funky mechanism that i find quite intruiging so i ordered it
 
Limiting it to five guarantees that I have to leave off 10 worthy makers.
Click to expand...

That's true. But, if five is the number...


In alphabetical order by last name (I'm not going to dare put these guys in any other order)

Rommel Bugtai. Mechanical perfection. Fit and finish you'd expect on the Space Shuttle (which is not surprising considering his day job).

Rick Eaton. His engraving is simply unbelievable.

W.D. Pease. A wonderful sense of style and executed with utter perfection. Pure class.

Zaza Revishvili. Truly the greatest living Filigree artist, one of the greatest ever (And I can say that having recently been to the Kremlin and the Hermitage and seen some of the greatest Filigree ever done. Zaza is definitely in that league.).

Ralph Turnbull. An excellent man to work with who combines machinest perfection with a great sense of design and style.


I would also like to add that all of these makers are true gentlemen, amd outstanding artists. I'm privileged to count them all as friends.
 
It was to get us all thinking. I'm not trying to be exclusionary, at all. I love Nick Wheeler and Chuck Gedraitis knives, they are both in my collection, and they are favorites to be sure. Thanks to those who chose to play by the rules. :D Pete, how do you own .5 of a knife?

The idea was to THINK about what you own, and why, and explain it. That is the HARD part, but I had some time on my hands today, so I came up with this one. By the nature of the question, you MUST pare it down to the basic elements. You think this was easy for me? 1/2 of the 50 makers that I collected knives from are good friends, in the truest sense of the word, and of the ones I selected, only 3 are/were friends.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Well, sadly my collection is limited, so my choice are too, but here it goes:

1. Herman Schneider - The percision and beauty of the piece. Incredibly clean work! Super nice guy too.
2. James Rodebaugh, M.S. - Simple, honest, down-to-earth, and no-bullsh*t. Has every reason to be full of himself and isn't.
3. Robert Crowder - Never had a chance to meet him in person, but all my conversations via email have been a pleasure. Simply fell in love with his knife as soon as I saw it!
4. Mike Draper - Another no-bullsh*t bladesmith. Got one of his folders and it is a workhorse!
5. Trace Rinaldi - Got my very first custom knife from him. He's a fun guy too.
 
Not an easy thing to do. I too have a limited number of customs. Seems most posters have all of the makers they list, so I'll stay with what I have.
Thanks for the question....I'll have to give it some more thought.
 
So, am I guilty of a felony?:D


I don't own knives from all the makers I listed, just wish I did. Therefore I cannot pare my list down to five. Instead I listed "first place through fifth place"

And all the makers I listed are tied for first place:p
 
Tighe, Onion, Moulton, Marzitelli, Bose(either)!

Love them, talent I can only dream of!

Paul
 
Considering my budget, in no paticular order:

Crawford(own), Nealy(own), Dozier(own), Terzuola(own), Bose(don't own :( ).
 
"After being enlightened by his elder, Kohai felt good and strong as he opened the door to the steel cage. Today is a good day to die, he exclaimed". :D ''

Best Regards

STeven Garsson
 
Boy, this is tough, I'd find it tough even if it were 10 makers, but, I'll give it a try.

In no particular order:

Baliey Bradshaw---Impeccable workmanship, a timeless sense of style, can do everything imaginable, including exceptional engraving and gold inlay, makes everything from users to the fanciest period piece, to a very authentic Japanese sword, and other period swords too, his folding bowies are like having a forged bowie that folds, the best of both worlds. A true rennaisance man and his prices are less than what they should be.

Don Hanson---Love his bowies and folders alike, he uses the finest natural materials and his workmanship is second to none.

Tom Mayo---Nobody I'm familiar with consistantly makes as smooth and precise a tac/utility folder. Though JW. Smith and Scott Cook are definitely comparable to Mayo, so ultimately it's a matter of personal taste at this level. For the best tac/utility framelock, I'd have to say Mayo and Cook are awfully close, but I own more TnTs, so they get my vote. :)

Jerry Fisk---Well, need I say more? Does it all, and so well.

Mike Williams---Ultra-clean, solid, classic designs, the consumate MS.

They all happen to be very approachable and nice guys too, which only adds to my fondness for their work.

Now, if you wanted to really make people squirm, ask which 1 of the 5 they would rank at the top. I'm not sure I could do that. :) Though I think I'll go out on a limb and say it would be between Hanson and Bradshaw. :eek: :)

I have to add, were I not limited to 5, I would add a few more names like Pease, Winkler, Patton, Dake and Kious. :)
 
Taking the top 5 from my collection,even though it's a small one,is a difficult choice,as I'm forced to leave a couple out.

Roger Bergh-awesome multi-bar damascus,and I really like the way he combines materials in his handle treatments.I don't have any carvings on my Bergh knife,but the ones I've seen are quite outstanding.He also makes his own sheaths and they are works of art in thier own right.Also it was a Bergh knife that was my first foray into what I consider "high-end" knives.It's what got the ball rolling with speed.

Mike Zscherny-Makes a great folder.The first timeI saw one I was so impressed with the smoothness of the action it was a must buy.Precision and choice of materials combine to make a fine knife that's just fun to have.I'll carry these when I get all dressed up for a nice night out.

Philip Booth-Another great folder maker.Especially in the automatic department.He has some nice unique designs and you can spot a Booth from a mile away.His 'gent's autos' are very classy and beautiful,plus it seems he's always putting something together to make people go..WOW.(like his double D/A autos...neat stuff!)

Daniel Winkler-His knives have a certain character to them,that,coupled with the Karen Shook sheath gives an aesthetic powerhouse to my collection.A distinctive style and feel to his pieces that make them unmistakeably a Winkler.People have often asked me how old this combo is,as it certainly does look as if it's been handed down generations.The knife itself is beautifully executed and really feels good in the hand.

Chuck Steffen-Great looking knives.Precision and craftsmanship is excellent.Prides himself on the useability of all his knives,regardless of how pretty(made me promise to use them).It was Chuck that actually got me to carry my fancy folders out and about,and I'm thankful for that.

As an aside...I've met all of these men except Daniel Winkler(as I bought that one second hand)and each of them has been a pleasure to deal with,excellent knife makers and great people,I look forward to seeing them at any show we are at together.
 
Tough to name five favorites and you have to own them. Here goes:

W.D. Pease makes as good a folder as you can get. Flawless design and execution.

Scott Sawby one of the todays top makers.Style and design of his own.

R.W. Loveless because he's done so much for customs. You can argue better fit or finish but there is nothing like a Loveless!

Jimmy Fikes a forerunner in forging and Damascus. Nobody duplicates a Fikes and thats what I like!

Don Fogg, I've been fortunate to own a few and still have a Bowie. A nice guy and as good as it gets in design.

Others I own from makers who should be on anybodys list: Ron Newton,
Ernie Emerson, Kit Carson. I don't have any of Phill Hartsfields at this time but that will change. Phil Boguszewski, the Cobra is as well executed a design as you can ask for, I have a couple.

Win
 
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