Who are your top 3 favorite collaboration knifemakers?

misque

misque

Joined
Jul 9, 1999
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I was going thru the acquisitions/collection this morning and noticed the collab factory knives I have definately show a pattern of favorite makers. Here are my top three in order:

1) Ken Onion- Something about the flow of his designs really works for me and I have more of his collabs than any other makers. Very curvy and dare I say, sexy?:o Ken's designs run the gamut from workers to gent's knives and all look good.

2) Warren Osborne- His folder designs are slender and functionally decorative. He has the amazing ability to pack a lot of knife into a sleek package. His collabs with Benchmade are gent knife good looking but as hard working as you want them to be. Hard to resist his stuff when at the store.

3) Darryl Ralph- Does this one really need any explanation? DDR has his finger on the pulse of today's knife buying public and designs accordingly. It seems every time he comes out with a new model it becomes a 'must have'.

A real up and comer I am really liking is Eric Glesser. Sal's pride and joy has put out a couple of really well thought out designs and one is proving to be wildly popular with this community. Can you say "Manix"? His Dodo model is my EDC work knife and gets used multiple times a day every day I am at work. It is a joy to use and has supplanted such favorites as the Cricket(FRN and SS models), the Scallion, the Chive and the Meercat. That speaks very highly about the Dodo's design and execution.

Well, gotta go. Gators take on the Dawgs today and I'm gonna see every minute of that one for sure. GO GATORS!
 
1. Darrell Ralph 2. Ken Onion 3. Greg Lightfoot. GREAT thread by the way!!
 
Those Case/Tony Bose limited edition models are a pretty good collaboration. There have been 4 or 5 I think. Or maybe 7:)
 
My favorites, the Paragon / George Herron collaboration knives. I have two and they are beautiful and well-made.

-Bob
 
Fred Perrin - Spyderco Street Bowie
Terzola - Spyderrco Starrmate
Osbourne - BM 940
 
I like the fact that there are many varied responses. Yet, there are trends in the favorites so far. Mel Pardue was one I'd considered in my initial choices for his collaborations with Benchmade. But, I thought I'd list them by the number of pieces I have from the maker's collabs with the factories and I only have a few from Mel so far.

There are makers listed who I hadn't considered initially but have put out really great stuff. Names like Perrin, Schempp, Terzuola and Mayo.
One name I'm surprised hasn't shown up yet is Lake. I've personally been lured by a couple of his collabs but others have stepped up and Ron's stuff has unfortunately taken a back seat for the time being.

Great responses thus far. Please feel free to explain why you made your choices if the spirit moves you.:D
 
1) Carson.
THX for my EDC CRKT-flippers.

2) Crawford.
Simple a perfect knifedesign!

3) Ralph.
The Camillus MAXX is soooooo coool!
 
One name I'm surprised hasn't shown up yet is Lake.
Click to expand...
I recently handled one of the Lake Pal knives from CRKT. I liked it very much, but couldn't include it as a 'Favorite' because I don't actually own one yet. But it's definitely on my shopping list!

-Bob
 
Bob Terzuola, for his collaborations with Spyderco, especially the StarMate
Warren Osborne for the BenchMade SwitchBack and the BM 940 series
Darrel Ralph for his CUDA MAXX series
 
From what I have in my collection:
Fisk: BK&T BK-5, Camillus OVB

Ralph: Camillus CUDA Maxx 5.5, Camillus CUDA Dominator
 
Warren Osborne with Benchmade is my favorite collaborater and maker. If it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't be into this nearly as much.

Ken Onion with Kershaw, Speed safe ANYONE can afford...need I say more.

Ron Lake collaborated with Paul Chen CAS Iberia to make a production version of his classic taillock that could fool some people and he has done alot with CRKT and so much for the industry in general
 
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