Remembering Ken Schwartz (1951-2021)

Glock Guy

Glock Guy

Joined
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I just saw that Ken Schwartz passed away via Michael Christy’s IG page. After some digging, it looks like he passed on September 11th of this year.

Does anyone know what happened?!

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family…🙏🏻😥

Here’s a nice write up from the KME Facebook page:

We lost a giant this week.

I’m very sorry to have to bring everyone this sad news but, Ken Schwartz, the great Sensei of all things micro abrasive, passed away at home earlier this week.

Anyone who knew Ken will realize what an enormous loss this is to the sharpening community as a whole. If you didn’t know the Great Sensei, but you’re on this forum, you’re very likely using products that Ken helped to pioneer years ago. Use KME Chosera stones?...Ken cut and dressed every single one of them by hand. Our CBN emulsions? Look at the labels on the bottles... “Formulated by Ken Schwartz”.

Ken was also an authority on the subject of rare natural Japanese water stones. Stones with names you never heard before, and lots of them, names most of us couldn’t even pronounce. But he could speak at length on the history and specific qualities of every one of them. Ken traded extensively in rare natural water stones for many years.

No surprise then that Ken was an absolute master of the craft of sharpening as well.

Mani, his wife of 25 years, passed only a few weeks earlier.

Rest in peace Sensei, you will be missed,

Ron, Brian, Bernice, Kyle, Uncle Jones, Jake

Ken Schwartz
(1951-2021)
You will be missed!

Ken was a great asset to the sharpening community. I thought it might be nice to hear what you learned from him, or how he’s made your life better through his products.
 
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Ken really was an amazing sharpener. A gentleman, a scholar, and a teacher. He's taught me some things and I will always be grateful. I last spoke to him about 2 years ago and had no hint that his health was poor or anything. This is a real shock.

Here's a link to his youtube channel with some good videos.


I will miss Ken even though I didn't know him well.

Brian.
 
RIP. I didn't know the man, but I've watched many of his videos and I use his excellent sharpening system.
 
I suspect he died because his wife did a bit earlier.
That sometimes happens to close couples, when the surviving spouse doesn't make it through the year.

In another forum, Ken was always ready to answer questions. He'd even offer to talk a person though a sharpening issue over the phone.
 
This is pulled from the CKTG forums. I don't think they will mind me posting what someone there said:

Re: Ken Schwartz Passed Away​

Post by FisherMAn1298 » Mon Sep 20, 2021 4:38 pm

I joined this group in November of this year. One of the first things I noticed was Ken's posts. So many people getting answers from the same man. Very quickly I decided to see if I could get a dialogue going and maybe learn something but deep down I was looking for a mentor. WE hit it off right off the bat. One phone call turned into daily calls. He was smart, quick-witted and utterly devoted to this forum. We talked every day about what was said in various posts. What his opinion was on how to solve various repair posts, etc. The phone was always on speaker with Mani at his side. She took a liking to me and it was my great good fortune to become her friend too. She had a great laugh and a zest for life, despite being bed-ridden by the time I met her. He was totally devoted to her. She was his whole life and i suspected from the day she passed that this would be his fate. That life without Mani wasn't meant to be. He said the last couple times I talked to him that he had to tie all the loose ends and then get with the living of life but I knew his heart wasn't in it. After we got to know one another I told him my intent was for him to become my mentor all along and he said he was glad I did. He always had an instant answer to any question and from the day Mani died not a sunset passed without our daily discourse. When it happened I didn't know what to do for him, me being all the way across the country so I did what any good Italian boy does, I sent him food! I sent him seafood from my hometown, the oldest fishing port in America!! He was a HUGE lover of every and any type of cuisine and he thanked me profusely and ultimately sent me a gift in return, a Yaginoshima Asagi natural stone which I shall cherish always. I felt great pride and good fortune that he let me help him get through his heartache. The last time we talked was Thursday September 9th. He wasn't feeling well and I asked him to drop a one liner if he didn't feel like talking so I knew he was ok.He did on Sept. 10th. i'm ok, Thanks for caring. Ken. Those were his last words to me. He died the next day.This man who loved to help others, especially here in this forum. I want everyone to know how much he loved being part of this forum, even though he had friends and colleagues all over the world, this is where his heart was. There are many long timers he was very fond of but he took great pride and pleasure in helping new members like myself. He also of course held Mark and Susan in especially high regard as friends, colleagues and just plain great people.Please know we've all lost a friend here. Right now I am filled with sadness and loss but it will lessen over time but the memories of Ken, his giant intellect and rapier wit will remain with me always, as will Mani too.I will forever miss his trademark phrase when answering my calls in that booming voice of his, "House Of Schwartz here!." I would reply hey Mudman, what's up and he would laugh!
Rest in peace and God Bless You Ken Schwartz.


The immortal words of Ken Scwartz-"Master The 1K."
Click to expand...

A really nice story with a sad ending.

RIP Ken.

Brian.
 
We lost a good one with Ken.
He really would take time out and talk with anyone and answer sharpening questions.

I always enjoyed my conversations on the phone with him.
Rest In Peace brother.
 
Glock Guy said:
I just saw that Ken Schwartz passed away via Michael Christy’s IG page. After some digging, it looks like he passed on September 11th of this year.

Does anyone know what happened?!

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family…🙏🏻😥

Here’s a nice write up from the KME Facebook page:

We lost a giant this week.

I’m very sorry to have to bring everyone this sad news but, Ken Schwartz, the great Sensei of all things micro abrasive, passed away at home earlier this week.

Anyone who knew Ken will realize what an enormous loss this is to the sharpening community as a whole. If you didn’t know the Great Sensei, but you’re on this forum, you’re very likely using products that Ken helped to pioneer years ago. Use KME Chosera stones?...Ken cut and dressed every single one of them by hand. Our CBN emulsions? Look at the labels on the bottles... “Formulated by Ken Schwartz”.

Ken was also an authority on the subject of rare natural Japanese water stones. Stones with names you never heard before, and lots of them, names most of us couldn’t even pronounce. But he could speak at length on the history and specific qualities of every one of them. Ken traded extensively in rare natural water stones for many years.

No surprise then that Ken was an absolute master of the craft of sharpening as well.

Mani, his wife of 25 years, passed only a few weeks earlier.

Rest in peace Sensei, you will be missed,

Ron, Brian, Bernice, Kyle, Uncle Jones, Jake

Ken Schwartz
(1951-2021)
You will be missed!

Ken was a great asset to the sharpening community. I thought it might be nice to hear what you learned from him, or how he’s made your life better through his products.
Click to expand...
From what I was told by a relative of Ken's the coroner thinks Ken passed away from arteriosclerosis but they aren't 100% certain.

The relative told me that Ron from KME had been contacted y people that knew that Ken did work for KME and asked Ron if they knew what was going on with Ken because they couldn't get ahold of Ken and so they decided to contact Ron at KME.
Ron tried to contact Ken to no avail and then called the police in the town that Ken lived in and asked them to do a wellness check and the police found Ken deceased in his home.

RIP Ken
 
Ken and I shared a room at BLADE for many years to keep the costs down, he was one of my dearest friends.
I shall remember the happy times.
Rest in peace my dear friend.
Farid Mehr
 
Sadly I just learned this today! I Skyped with Ken at least twice a month for many years, right up until I moved to Bozeman for work. I spoke with him by cell a couple days after his wife passed, what a terrible time. I just got busy with work and fell out of touch, only spoke to him a couple times after that but had been trying to get him by cell and email over the last year. Given his age and the passing of his wife I had the feeling that he may not be with us any longer but was still bummed to learn it was so. What a great guy he was! So knowledgeable and generous with that knowledge, and he had a great sense of humor. I'll remember our interactions for the rest of my days. He probably forgot more about J-nats than most Westerners will ever know and I will greatly miss being able to pick his brain. RIP, buddy! You are missed.
 
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