Warenski "Main Gauche" - "Khukri" - "Tut" - "San Fran" - "Scimitar" - Surprises

[betzner]

Bob, would you happen to know how many knives Buster Warenski made over the course of his career?
I'm curious about the 'top five' as well, and also about the 3rd of the legacy series.

Lorien, it's difficult to answer how many knives he made. I know I can't. I've seen a bunch of hunters with wood handles from the early years (70's to 80's), during which period he also made certain kinds of daggers, Bowies, etc - some very plain stuff, some masterfully engraved stuff, etc. By the early 80's, he was a master engraver and, it seems to me, produced fewer but more elaborate pieces overall. But I am just guessing on that. But I've seen enough of his early knives to know he was producing a reasonable amount of work.

It was in the 80's when the real art seemed to come out in the work. I don't think it is possible to pinpoint a time when the "artknife" came to life in his work, but if you look through all the knife publications, such as Weyer's and Darom's books - and magazines - you will see stuff beginning in the 80s that seems in my mind to be set apart from the 70s pieces. As to numbers, I don't think anyone knows. There are masterpieces in closed collections we will never see. Again, looking through Weyer and Darom would be a revelation to most, as to what was produced, and probably scratches the surface.

As to top five, I imagine each collector has his or her own top 5. I wouldn't ever venture a guess or try to come up with a list myself. As to the 3rd in the "Legacy" series, it's Fire and Ice, which I imagine can be found with a google search.

Hope this helps.

ps: I have a feeling that perhaps an upcoming Darom publication this or next year might enlighten us on some of this, who knows.

 

[betzner]

Lorien, here is a page from a 1975 article interview with Buster Warenski. I've chosen only to show one page, in order to make a point.

Buster Warenski is credited with re-creating the famous "California" or "San Francisco" style knives. But he was a master at re-creating many, many historical types, and the Main Gauche is an example of this. If you read this article page, from American Blade, you can see how foresighted he was in predicting the need for antique knife re-creations - and became of master of it.

Bob

 

[Lorien]

I've chosen only to show one page, in order to make a point.

roger that, buddy! Thanks so much for the intel. Warenski is far and away the most amazing knife maker, imo. I really should do more research and thanks to the kick in a arse, I think I will.

A main highlight of my own custom knives experiences was in San Diego when Dr. Marton kindly allowed me to handle Warenski's white jade handled Jambiya, (pictured in David Darom's Great Collections book) which I have spent many hours ogling in 2D prior to that experience. I think it's my favourite knife of all time.

 

[betzner]

Lorien, the Jade Jambiya is a really special piece. You're a lucky guy to have handled it.

We should remember that perhaps the greatest knife designer of modern times, Bob Loveless, called Buster Warenski the greatest knifemaker that ever lived. Buster Warenski had a special talent for producing more high-end-art "cultural" pieces, usually with some antique appeal, than almost anyone else. From the collection of and with the permission of owner Ed Wormser( 2018 -recently acquired by another MAJOR collector), I'll show one of my all-time favorites (easily in my Top 5 Warenskis) below, a Khukri (almost two feet long) which could NEVER be reproduced in such magnificence, at least in my humble opinion:

 

[Lorien]

best thread of 2012 so far!

 

[SBranson]

Wow.. I hadn't seen that khukri before, thanks for posting it. It gives one pause... wow... again.

 

[ddd]

Lorien, it's difficult to answer how many knives he made. I know I can't. I've seen a bunch of hunters with wood handles from the early years (70's to 80's), during which period he also made certain kinds of daggers, Bowies, etc - some very plain stuff, some masterfully engraved stuff, etc. By the early 80's, he was a master engraver and, it seems to me, produced fewer but more elaborate pieces overall. But I am just guessing on that. But I've seen enough of his early knives to know he was producing a reasonable amount of work.

ps: I have a feeling that perhaps an upcoming Darom publication this or next year might enlighten us on some of this, who knows.

Yes Bob, quite a few of Buster's knives will appear in Julie's book.

Here for example is the full page illustration of Buster's Kurki from her book.

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

 

[ddd]

A main highlight of my own custom knives experiences was in San Diego when Dr. Marton kindly allowed me to handle Warenski's white jade handled Jambiya, (pictured in David Darom's Great Collections book) which I have spent many hours ogling in 2D prior to that experience. I think it's my favourite knife of all time.

Here, my friend is Larry Marton's Jambia with the carved white jade handle....
Also from Julie's book....

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

 

[ddd]

Actually, Bob and Lorien, by strange coincidence I have set
both knives on facing pages in Julie's book....

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

 

[peterinct]

From the time I first saw some of the Warenskis mentioned, it has been my opinion that Buster was the greatest knifemaker/designer EVER!

Thanks for posting this thread Bob.

Peter

 

[JParanee]

Truly amazing work

I have never seen the Khukuri before

So many elements to master a true Artisian of the highest order

 

[SharpByCoop]

Wow, this thread just gets better and better. Thanks for these tantalizing images!

Since we are talking 'Best of the Best', a shot of his King Tut dagger would fall into place.

Humbling.

Coop

 

[braillediver]

Thank You for sharing some amazing pictures.

The Kukhri looks more like a computer generated image than a real knife. The reflections and the lighting look too perfect to be real.

 

[Patrice Lemée]

I also hadn't seen the kukri before. Just WOW!

You guys have to stop posting these, I may never get my jaw back up from the floor.

 

[Wulf]

That Main Gauche is truly one of the finest knives ever made. Just a brilliant piece.

I'm lucky to have one Buster knife in my collection and it's probably the simplest and least valuable type of Waresnki knife you can find, a simple trailing point hunter with cocobolo handle made circa 1974, but even this knife is something to behold. Simple and unadorned though it may be, it still shows the skill and artistry of the maker, who's eye for detail, elegance, and simple flowing beauty truly set him apart from other makers.

You've got some outstanding pieces here Bob. Thanks for sharing them with us!

 

[betzner]

Buster Warenski pretty much single-handedly resurrected California style knives from knifemaking obscurity. If you look back in this thread, you'll notice an article that mentions his attitude that antique knives would one day be reproduced faithfully, for collectors who might not be able to find the true antique pieces anymore.

No Warenski thread would ever be complete without inclusion of a Warenski California-style knife. So here is an example, an absolutely wonderful piece from the collection and with the permission of Walter Hoffman. The handle inlays are gold quartz and, yes, the sheath and handle fittings are all solid gold:

 

[ddd]

Here is the King Tut's Dagger setup from the display of Phil Lobred's
collection in "The Great Collections" (2007).

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

 

[Marcel54]

Man, what an amazing couple of knives.

Marcel

 

[ddd]

Here is the second masterpiece in Buster Warenski's
"Legacy" series. It is "Fire and Ice".

This knife was designed with rubies and diamonds, hence its name, “Fire and Ice”.
The blade is made of work-hardened 18k gold. The handle is rutilated quartz crystal
with light reflecting golden rutile crystals.
All the carving, engraving and stone setting was done by Julie.

This too his a page from Buster's section in Julie's book...

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

 

[.LuD.]

Ouch... Fantastic.
AWESOME !