The late, GREAT Stan Fujisaka...

SharpByCoop

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It's with a sad face I got news today (from David Mirabile), that Stanley Fujisaka passed away on New Year's Eve. I'm told he was brought back to his home from the hospice to spend his final hours.

I've known he's been in poor health for a couple of years, and I'm impresed at his fortitude.

I have never, EVER heard anything but endearing praise for this warm and giving teacher. :) His alumni list of makers from Hawaii alone is impressive.

I own this knife below, and when I bought it it had a lock that travelled over too far to my liking. I contacted him and sent it back. In less than a week it returned as new, with a box of tasty macadamia chocolates included. :thumbup:

Here's a tribute thread to Stan. Please post YOUR remembrances.

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Coop
 
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Sad news is right.
I always heard good things about Mr Fujisaka as well.
I saw one of Stan's knives about 15 years ago right after I started making knives. This one had a large mosaic pin in it the handle at about a 35 degree angle. I started experimenting with making my own pins and setting them at different angles on some art knives I was doing after that inspiration.

We have lost a true master.
 
I did a double take on your thread title Coop, it's gonna take a while to get used to him being "late"

He was awesome and I am proud to have known him and learned to make folders from him.

He worked it right up to the end. This is us at the California Custom Show just this past October.



Thanks for everything Stan, I won't forget.
 
Several years ago, Linda Karst-Stone mentioned to me that I should consider writing a profile about Stan and I jumped at the chance. He and I spoke on the phone for the article: about knives, Ken Onion, a little about Stan and the commitment needed to be a knife maker. We then got on to the Dodgers (he named a daughter Maury after Maury Wills) and it was like we'd known one another for years. Before the article came out, Stan sent me a red micarta handled folder with a red thumb stud - it arrived out-of-the-blue along with all kinds of candy and nuts and coffee. I called him up and was stuttering my way through my "thanks" for the knife. When I took a breath, Stan said: "Steve. Calm down. It's just a knife."
Kathy and I have stayed in contact with him and Elaine ever since and we'd just sent a little something down to them and received a lot of Hawaiian goodies about the same time. Elaine mentioned that Stan had gone into the hospital for pneumonia. This morning I received the news from her about his death.
To paraphrase Springsteen, 'They say you can't take it with you, but something is missing now that Stan's gone."
 
I met Stan many years ago at the Oregon knife show. What a wonderful man. I bought a folder from him that I still have. He always treated me like I was one of his best customers. A very gracious and humble man.
Very sad news indeed and a shock.
Gary
 
This is indeed sad Coop. Have seen Stan at various times and have always enjoyed his gift of Macadamia Chocolates. When at one of the BAKCA shows, Stan had a table perpendicular to his good friend, Jim Sornberger, and while looking at JIm's work which I have always liked I looked over to keep my eye on my wife who was speaking with Stan and his wife. She was looking at his knives and picked up one, at which time her eyes became large and excited so I went over to the table and we purchased this knife, which she had "fallen" in love with.

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It is a knife we always enjoy and I'm sure that P will be sad too when I mention this info from Coop to her.

Now Coop that SF dagger with the dogs is marvelous. Would love to have that one in the collection.
 
He was a great man, a very talented knifemaker, a gentle soul and he gave way more back than he ever took.

Best Regards,

Steven Garsson
 
Oh man, that is sad news. I always wanted to carry one of his knives and still do to this day, but never got around to grabbing one. I've always liked the clean folders he made, and have heard nothing but good things about him.
 
wow, the end of an era, i still have knife mags from the early 90's where i first saw his work...Fujisaka~san used to come up to the island and fish with some of the locals every year back in the day...

またね、ふじさかさん。
 
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Sorry to hear that Stan has passed.

he was a nice man and a great knifemaker.
 
It's always sad for the industry when a great talent is lost. Although I have only owned one of his knives, he made a lasting impression on me the times we had met.
 
We have lost so many of the greats!
Stan will always be remembered as a soft spoken, talented Man.
Rest in peace.
Dave
 
He was my mentor, Sensei and friend. He will be missed. I would not be where I am if it wasn't for his encouragement and push.I love that man dearly.
 
Since I live in So Cal I've had the pleasure of seeing Stan at many, many shows over many years. Very few makers can come close to the level of jewelry-like craftsmanship Stan imparted in his work.
We'll miss you, Stan. RIP
Jack & Tina
 
Just heard about this. It's a shame. He was a master of his craft. My Fujisaka might be my most perfectly made knife.

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This is indeed sad Coop. Have seen Stan at various times and have always enjoyed his gift of Macadamia Chocolates. When at one of the BAKCA shows, Stan had a table perpendicular to his good friend, Jim Sornberger, and while looking at JIm's work which I have always liked I looked over to keep my eye on my wife who was speaking with Stan and his wife. She was looking at his knives and picked up one, at which time her eyes became large and excited so I went over to the table and we purchased this knife, which she had "fallen" in love with.

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It is a knife we always enjoy and I'm sure that P will be sad too when I mention this info from Coop to her.

Now Coop that SF dagger with the dogs is marvelous. Would love to have that one in the collection.

This is a very tough thread. Like Murray notes above, many years I was at a show and while I was looking at other stuff, my wife started talking to this quiet maker and cooing over his knives. For perspective, she had no interest in knives and only went to a few shows with me to indulge me, but was clearly not interested. That changed when she met Stanley. His gentle demeanor and amazing knives just drew her in. While it was several years before we could buy one of his knives, she would make sure to look him up at every show that we were at. Over time, she accumulated a few of Stan's knives. He would often send us a nice hand written note and some of the famous chocolate covered Macadamias, even if we didn't buy a knife when we saw him. A real friendship developed. Stan would refer to my wife Dot as his Groupie! In the last year or so, we were lucky to visit Kaneohe where Stan and Elaine lived as well as our son! Stan and Elaine were wonderful and generous hosts. We were crushed when we heard of his passing, but had seen him in late October and knew that he wasn't in very good shape, although he put on a really good face for us.

When he first passed, I spent hours searching the web for pictures of Stan or his knives, just to remember him. As a result, we also scored a special set of knives he made and his friend Jim Sorenberger engraved. While we were finally settling into the reality that we'd never see Stanley again, today we were surprised by a very special card from Elaine. It reopened the wound for both Dot and I, but at the same time, was a loving gesture from Elaine during a terrible time for her. It was emblematic of the both of them. You could not hope to find two finer people. The world is poorer for Stanley's passing. Elaine must now face a future without her partner after many, many, many years together. Please keep her in your thoughts.
 
^^^ A heartwarming and illuminating post. Thank you for sharing this.

It's testimony to the friendships in the 'knife world' which rise above many others.

Jim
 
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