Only One Maker?

Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones

Joined
Oct 28, 2006
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Say a knife organization was to have a contest where the winner received $50,000 to build a collection of a single custom knifemaker's knives. :eek: :)

Let's assume that the winner has to spend the entire $50K without going over, all or any of the maker's knives will be available to you at current market prices and there's no specific quantity requirements.

This is not necessarily a best maker or even a favorite maker thread, but just an exercise to have some fun and possibly learn about makers that you are not currently familiar with. I hope we get good participation here as it will be good information for newer collectors as to see what makers the veteran collectors, makers and dealers go with and why.

Collectors, makers, dealers; anyone can play.

So which custom knifemaker would you pick and why? :confused:
 
No doubt in my mind.....I would go with Arpad Bojtos in a heartbeat.:thumbup::cool::thumbup::cool:

His imagination, creative ability to put his ideas into real knives and his reputation are all topnotch. His use of "old school" tools is very appealing to me too. Besides that he is really the most soft spoken and kind man I have ever met. His resell potential in the aftermarkt doesn't hurt either.

Even my wife likes him and his knives. When my last knife, the Viking, arrived my wife said to me that it would be a great idea to sell all of my other knives and start collecting only his knives. I didn't listen but it wasn't a half bad idea.:D

Marcel
 
I could not bring myself to choose only one knifemaker. It was too
difficult even as a mental exercise.....
I can only go where my heart takes me - and choose the four representatives
of four different knifemaking disciplines that I admire and collect:

Integrals -- Edmund Davidson.
Forged Knives -- Tim Hancock
Embellished Art Knives -- Dellana and Van Barnett (just can't separate the two)
Carved Art Knives -- Wolfgang Loerchner

I would gladly spend all the $50,000 on knives made by any of these makers...

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
 
ddd said:
I could not bring myself to choose only one knifemaker. It was too
difficult even as a mental exercise.....
I can only go where my heart takes me - and choose the four representatives
of four different knifemaking disciplines that I admire and collect:

Integrals -- Edmund Davidson.
Forged Knives -- Tim Hancock
Embellished Art Knives -- Dellana and Van Barnett (just can't separate the two)
Carved Art Knives -- Wolfgang Loerchner

I would gladly spend all the $50,000 on knives made by any of these makers...

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
Click to expand...

Sorry David, as that means you will forfeit the $50,000. :eek: ;) :D

Feel free to post photo examples of the maker you choose.
 
Kevin,

I never won a lottery ever. I did not expect to win this
one anyway....... Thanks for giving me the chance...... :)
I go with my heart so have to let some one else win the
prize money.

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
 
I would commission Jason Knight, MS to build me a new knife each month until I had spent all of the 50K.

He is a terriffic artist who actually makes knives, his work is gorgeous, reasonably valued, and will appreciate in value, imho.

FWIW, I also seriously considered Russ Andrews and Nick Wheeler, but there is a better chance of my visiting the Moon, than their building one knife a month.
 
ptgdvc said:
I would commission Jason Knight, MS to build me a new knife each month until I had spent all of the 50K.

He is a terriffic artist who actually makes knives, his work is gorgeous, reasonably valued, and will appreciate in value, imho.

FWIW, I also seriously considered Russ Andrews and Nick Wheeler, but there is a better chance of my visiting the Moon, than their building one knife a month.
Click to expand...

That an interesting concept Peter, as I had not thought about the one a one month scenario. You could even draw income off the remaining money as he completes all the knives over time. Perhap end up with an extra knife.

But remember as you choose, (since this is not real life) one of the assumptions is that availability is not an issue as all and any of the maker's knives fall into play.
 
well i would choose a maker with an extremely wide breadth of products...someone who makes everything from folders to fixed blades, swords, axes, and other "specialty" edged tools/weapons. Strider/Dwyer immediately come to mind, as does Warren Thomas...Hartsfield and Brend would also be in my consideration set...give me the $50000 and I'll make my final decision.

RL
 
Kevin Jones said:
But remember as you choose, (since this is not real life) one of the assumptions is that availability is not an issue as all and any of the maker's knifes fall into play.
Click to expand...

In that case, I would have Jason Knight, Russ Andrews and Nick Wheeler draw straws to determine who won my commission. I would be very content, regardless of the outcome.

P
 
Kevin,
Thinking about it a little and seeing that there might be a small chance
of winning the $50,000 option, I think that I will send the whole sum
of money in advance to Wolfgang Loerchner and have him make for me
one folder a year till the money runs out....... :)

Here is one of Wolfgang's folders from my collection.
It was made and shown in the making for my first book on custom knives...

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

From my book "...Custom Folding Knives"
picture.JPG
 
Don Fogg, including his collaboration work with Murad Sayen and Jim Kelso.
 
I'd probably go with Bailey Bradshaw, considering the wide range that he's done, and pretty much all of them falls within my aesthetic tastes. At 50K I think I'd want a sampling of the many things Bailey is capable of, from folders to small fixed to medium fixed to bowies to sabres to Japanese swords.

Rodrigo Sfreddo would have been my very very close second choice. So far I've only seen small fixed to bowie sizes from him, but his designs among those have been more wide ranging. And he seems to keep coming up with amazing technical achievements. It'd be fun to have part of that money encouraging him to foray into swords and folders.
 
Wolfgang is a Genius.
assuming these knives can be purchased directly from the maker at his or her price

Tony Bose..
 
RAN said:
Wolfgang is a Genius.
assuming these knives can be purchased directly from the maker at his or her price

Tony Bose..
Click to expand...

I agree. Wolfgang's designs are true art.

The assumption is that knives would be purchased at market price to take the short term financial gain influence out of the exercise.
 
It is SOOOO easy....Larry Fuegen.

Have a secondary nominee that I would also be really happy with, Burt Foster.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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