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Gene Osborn
Gene launched a passion for
knifemaking back in 1981 while attending a heat treat and metallurgy school for
the US Navy. During his service he received extensive training in metals,
working as a nuclear components welder (4956 N.E.C.) repairing the First and
Seventh US Submarine Fleets in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Visit Gene's website at WWW.CENTERCROSS.COM or purchase his videos from our video library. Johnny Stout
Johnny Stout recently celebrated his 20th year as a knifemaker, fulltime for the last 12 years. Johnny is the co-founder of the Guadalupe Forge School of Knifemaking & Bladesmithing at his shop in New Braunfels. He also hosts the biannual Guadalupe Forge Hammer-In & Knifemakers Rendezvous held in the Winter and Fall each year, and teaches personal knifemaking classes several times a year. He was instrumental and a founding member of the Texas Knifemakers & Collectors Association. He is also a member of the Knifemakers Guild, and an Apprentice Bladesmith in the American Bladesmith Society. Johnny takes every opportunity to advance and promote handmade knives. Check out his website at www.stoutknives.com and check out his video "The Fine Art of Hollow Grinding with Knifemaker Johnny Stout" on our website. Ed Caffrey, ABS Mastersmith
Ed Caffrey began making knives in 1982, shortly after joining the Air Force. He earned his ABS Journeyman Smith rating in 1994, and his ABS Mastersmith rating in 2000. In December 2003, after 22 years of service, he retired from the Air Force to pursue Bladesmithing on a full time basis. He has served as a judge at the Journeyman Smith level for the American Bladesmith Society and his work has appeared in Blade Magazine, Fighting Knives Magazine, Knives Illustrated Magazine, the Knives Annual, and The Wall Street Journal. Ed's current passion is producing Mosaic Damascus blades and barstock, and he enjoys creating collector grade folders. Ed runs a forum on the Knife Network which you can visit by clicking here. He also offers one-on-one classes that correspond with each of his videos, Basic Bladesmithing,Basic Damascus and Mosaic Damascus (coming soon). For details and fees, please see his website at WWW.CAFFREYKNIVES.NET. Chuck Burrows
Chuck Burrows has been working and studying leather craft and knife making for over forty years. His study of these two crafts includes the methods and materials stretching from ancient times to now. He has studied with many old time makers and made just about everything out of leather possible from watch bands to saddles. Overall though his first love has always been knives, hawks, swords, and their sheaths. He has made sheaths for all kinds and makes of knives, including originals and some of the best of the modern makers. His has been making knives and sheaths for the custom market since 1973. His presentation knives, hawks, and sheaths are based on the styles of the American frontier incorporating carving, beadwork, rawhide, braintan, and other period correct materials. Other period knives such as Scottish Dirks and medieval daggers are also part of his repertoire. His life long love and study of the American Frontier era and the history of leather work continues to this day. Chuck and his wife Linda, who does much of the beadwork on their frontier sheaths, currently reside in SW Colorado. You can reach them via their website Wild Rose Trading Company at www.wrtcleather.com. David Broadwell
Born in 1954, David Broadwell's interest in making knives was kindled in his twenties, working as a machinist. Picking up a worn shop file, his first attempt at grinding a knife in 1981 gave him a chill from head to toe and he thought, "I have got to do this for a living!" Fellow knifemaker, the late Bob Hajovsky, worked in the same shop and was an early source of encouragement and information. Broadwell punched his last time card in 1989 and began making fighters, sub-hilts, and bowies full-time. His intent and goal was to make knives as functional art medium, and his reputation for large, dressy fixed blades soon included flowing daggers, and elegant folders, with more sculpting, texturing, and etching and patina variations. By the mid 1990's his work was firmly focused on "art knives." His knives are known for their flowing, organic lines, textural carving, sculpting, and meticulous fit and finish. In today's production-oriented world, Broadwell's work is still done individually as an artist-craftsman, primarily one-of-a-kind, commissioned pieces. Even limited editions are ground, fit, and finished by hand. Broadwell also makes one-of-a-kind fountain pens with many of the same patterned metals and materials he uses in his art knives. To keep his metal sculpting skills fresh and growing, David stimulates his creativity with drawing classes and fine art studies. He lives in North Texas with his wife and young daughter and has two grown daughters as well. They enjoy fly-fishing, camping, bicycling, vintage pen collecting, antique browsing, and any excuse to eat out or go get ice cream. Visit David's website at WWW.DAVID.BROADWELL.COM. Dwayne Dushane
At 40 years old, Dwayne Dushane has been happily married for 22 yrs to his high school sweetheart with whom he has three daughters. The older two have moved out on their own, and the younger one is in high school. In addition to making knives, he is a 911 Dispatcher at Andrews County Sheriff's office. He tries to spend as much time in the shop building knives as he does at the sheriff's office. He loves to create things with his hands and feels that The Good Lord has blessed him with the ability to do so. Growing up around guns and knives, Dwayne made his first knife in the 8th grade metal shop in Andrews, Texas in 1977. Years later he learned more about the art of knifemaking from gentlemen such as Johnny Stout and Weldon Whitley. He started building knives in December 1995 on a regular basis. Dwayne uses the stock removal method and does all phases of the knives himself except making his own Damascus, which he is currently learning. He uses materials of the highest quality that he possibly can. All woods and other handle materials are stabilized as much as possible. He uses ATS-34, 440C, D-2, Damasteel and Damascus from top notch makers. He feels that a knife should be able to stand on its own without any embellishments, and then when you add them, it just adds to the beauty that is already there. http://dushaneknives.com.Steven R. Johnson
Steven completed his first knife, which he still has, in March of 1966. He was lucky enough to have Gil Hibben as his Boy Scout Explorer Advisor whom gave each scout the opportunity to make a knife. For Steven, the "project" evolved into part-time and then full-time work. Later, Steven had the opportunity to work with Harvey Draper, Rod Chappel, Buster Warenski and, thanks to the kind recommendation of long-time friend/advisor Mr. A.G. Russell, Bob Loveless. Steven is forever grateful for the effect these men have had on his life, and his work. Over the years he earned a college degree, met and married Dorothy (Oh, happy day) and they're working on raising a family. Knifemaking has remained a constant in his life, since he was a teenager in the Hibben shop. Thirty-some years later, he continues to make using knives that feature well-defined grind lines, precise fit and highly polished blades of, for the most part, 154-CM/ATS-34 type steel. He enjoys the people and places associated with knifemaking and the personal challenge of making each knife as flawless as He can make it. http://www.srjknives.com. Harvey Dean
Harvey Dean strives to use the best quality materials in every knife he makes. He begins by hand-forging the blade in your choice of high carbon steel or his own Damascus. The knife is then completed with the customer's choice of handle material, fittings, and optional embellishments. Harvey prefers to use natural materials for handles, such as hardwoods, antler, pearl, and fossil ivory, but is open to the use of other types of handle materials at the request of the client. Nickel or sterling silver, iron, brass, bronze, or Damascus may be chosen for fittings. The customer may choose to enrich the knife by allowing Harvey to utilize file-work, engraving, carvings or other types of embellishments. A quality handcrafted sheath is provided with each knife. Harvey's goal is to make a knife both he and his customer can be proud of. The different styles of Harvey Dean's knives range from basic utility knives to hunters, camp knives, fighters, Bowies, and folders. Harvey enjoys the challenge of variety and creativity as he produces other types of weaponry such as swords, battle axes, and creative pieces of an unknown or forgotten era. Harvey has been handcrafting knives since 1981 and began hand-forging blades in 1986. As a member of the American Bladesmith Society he received his Mastersmith rating in 1992. In the summer of 2004, Harvey was selected to serve on the American Bladesmith Society Board. In 2007 Harvey was honored to be selected as one of twenty-five knifemakers to exhibit at the Art Knife Invitational. He has served as vice-president of the Texas Knifemakers and Collectors Association since its inception. Harvey shares his knifemaking knowledge. He is an instructor at the Texarkana College-American Bladesmith Society's "Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing" in Washington, Arkansas. Over the years, Harvey has taught at knifemaking seminars in a number of states--Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Michigan, Montana, New York, and Texas. Along with Johnny Stout, Harvey hosts two knifemaking seminars a year in New Braunfels, Texas. His knives have been featured in many publications and magazines worldwide. http://www.harveydeancustomknives.com. Bob Warner
Bob Warner has been making knives since 1993. Since He started making knives has made a lot of tools that He needed in His knifemaking and has shared that information with other knifemakers. He has made the following tools over the years and has helped other build them also. Hydraulic Press - Anodizer - Electro-etcher - Grinders - Welding tables Stencil making light box - Equipment stands - chemical etching equipment and many other tools that come in very handy for knifemakers. I enjoy teaching others what I know and hold knifemaking classes when requested to do so. He is currently a writer for Knives Illustrated Magazine. Jerome Anders
Jerome learned, developed and mastered his knifemaking skills under the tutelage of his father, Master Smith David Anders. Having earned his own ABS Master Smith ranking, Jerome's knives, each of which is a virtual one-of-a-kind, are highly sought after. Don Robinson
Don Robinson lives in Brownsville, Texas "On the Border by the Sea", as the local chamber of commerce advertises it. Don is a heavily experienced Tool & Die Maker and Manufacturing Engineer and currently a Custom Knifemaker. He has been making knives of all kinds for sale to the public since 1988. He started with fixed blade knives, then slip joint folders, lockback folders, and currently makes linerlock, framelock, slipjoint and button lock folders of all sizes and styles in addition to fixed blade knives. Don is the sole author of all his work, including the heat treatment of his blades. He uses the stock removal process, but will furnish damascus on request. Each knife is made by hand, one at a time, utilizing the manually operated machine tools in his shop. He is a fully qualified heat treater, in addition to his metalworking skills. Don is the author of two different "How To" books on making knives and uses CAD to produce his folding knife designs. His books and designs are marketed by several Knifemaker's Supply companies, and on his own web sites. He especially enjoys passing on his skills and knowledge about knifemaking to willing learners, both on the internet knife forums and in his own shop. http://home.earthlink.net/~donwrobinson. Linda Karst Stone
Linda Karst Stone,one of the leading scrimshanders in the field today, has been featured in numerous publications. Her ability to combine art with ivory has earned her a successful career in the art of scrimshaw. Linda has invited you into her studio as she transforms a simple piece of ivory into artwork with photographs, a tool, and color. This amazing two part video first focuses on transferring an image from a photograph to a piece of ivory using a graph and pencil then etching the complete image in place. The second disc brings to life a black and white image using pigments and various degrees of etching. Linda patiently teaches you her techniques, tools, tips, scale, guides, methods, shadows, depth, highlights and inks in order bring character and dimension to your scrimshaw art, and all without power tools! See one of her pieces by clicking here http://paulberetta.com/kopas/target3a.html. Weldon Whitley
Weldon began making knives for the public in 1965. At that time he was in Odessa, Texas and recently married to his wife Doris. Shortly after their marriage he went to work in the natural gas industry and remained there for the next 36 years. His occupation during that time was that of a machinist during which time he applied many of the skills learned there to the trade of knifemaking. During his tenure with the gas industry he lived at Jal, New Mexico, El Paso, Texas and took early retirement in Odessa, Texas. He has knives bearing all of these locations through the years. All of his knives showing the Odessa mark are representative of when he started knives as a full time occupation. He has made a series of knives for the 40th and 50th anniversary of the New Mexico State Police as well as a limited edition for the Shriners in Illinois in honor of the Crippled Children?s Hospital?s 60th year of operation. Weldon has also worked in the mediums of bronze and leather. On his knives, he now does his own embellishments to include engraving, scrimshaw, and file work in an effort to be the sole artist on his work. Weldon and his wife Doris now reside in Odessa, Texas where he now works as a full time knife maker. He makes several shows during the year showing his work while collecting a growing clientele and many new friends. http://www.custom-crafted-knives.com. Allen Eldridge
Allen was born and raised in Southern Illinois. His father was a carpenter and taught him how to sharpen his tools when he was a young boy. He got hooked on sharp stuff then. Allen made his first knives out of old saw blades and files at his uncle's concrete plant where he had a grinder. Allen joined the Air Force when he graduated from High School in 1961.nbsp; In Vietnam in 1965 he made two bowies. He sold one for $50. First knife he had ever sold. He still has the other one. After Vietnam he settled in Tennessee. where he lived and worked for many years until moving to Fort Worth, Texas in 1990.. Over the years Allen worked on muzzle loaders and knives. He has forged blades, do wire inlay, engraving and scrimshaw and has worked with a lot of makers over the years. He taught wire inlay at Jim Batson's Bladesmith Symposium for 7 years. He's been a member of the Miniature Knife Society since 1989 and have won numerous awards for his miniatures and makes many originals as scale models of full size collector's pieces. Allen moved to Fort Worth, Texas in 1990. He met Gene Osborn a couple of years ago. Just this month we have combined our talents and I am now a part of Center Cross Metal Works as a full-time knifemaker. See some of his minitures on his website at http://www.onlineknifeshow.com/maker30.html. Don Polzien
Don has been a custom knife maker since 1990. He has a long background in martial arts, because of this He specializes in tradtional style Japanese edged weapons. He also does restoration of old blades, saya, etc." We know you will love Don's special blend of traditional workmanship with modern specifications. Charles And Courtney Turnage
Designing functional art has been my business for about four years, but working with wood has been a part of my life for 30 years or so. As a hobby I have built fences, decks, kitchen cabinets, antique replica furniture and more. Growing up as a kid and working with my father who was a landscaper and an uncle who was a carpenter helped me became skillful with my hands. My creativity I owe to God. I am the author of a book "Turning Beautiful Pens with Charles Turnage" (not yet published) and I wrote an article for Popular Woodworking magazine (Dec. 2002) entitled "Turned Bottle Stoppers" and one for American Woodturner due out September 2003 entitled "Bottle Stoppers". Some other articles on my work are "Noted with Pleasure" Niche magazine (Winter 2003), "Carving art out of antlers and palm nuts" Sunday Telegram (business section- Dec. 15, 2002), "Turning Time" Worcester Magazine (June 20, 2001) and "Wood Ma.. Fall Show 2000" Wood magazine. I have also been on front cover of Penn State Industries (craft supply catalog) three times. A few other noteworthy accomplishments are I developed Hi-Gloss Project Finish, I designed the Bottle Stopper Lathe Chuck, I redesigned the Wine Bottle Stopper Kit (all for Penn State Indus.) and I designed a jig for getting fine shavings from bone for Etex Corporation. Raymond Rybar
It is still quite vivid in my mind, as a youngster, being mesmerized by blacksmiths and farriers bending and shaping hot iron and steel with relative ease. Having grown up twenty miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I eventually learned to shoe horses. After my duty to service ended in 1971 I shoed horses at a standard bred race track, not far from Pittsburgh, until 1987. In the winter most of the horses would leave for racetracks in warmer climates like Florida and California and like many a horseshoer, I would tinker with forging knives, tomahawks, bear traps and any other iron or steel object that was of interest to me at the time. I sold a couple of knives and tomahawks that, as I look back, could only have been barely serviceable. Fortunately, the owners still liked them because they were hand forged. I continued to forge blades, because, as many can attest to, forging blades is habit forming. Throw damascus steel in the picture and it becomes outright addictive with absolutely no cure. One day I ran into a fellow, two mountains and a river south, by the name of Hugh Bartrug. He was a blacksmith at a Westinghouse air break factory until it shut down. He then began forging at his home smithy, overlooking the Monogahela river. Mr. Bartrug introduced me to some of the fine points of damascus forging, mosaic construction and overall knife manufacture. Hugh, being a registered Mastersmith with the American Bladesmith Society, was a wealth of information. One of his primary goals was to win the coveted Best Damascus Award at the worlds largest cutlery exposition, the Blade Show and International Cutlery Exposition held each year in Atlanta, Georgia. He eventually did meet that goal. Unfortunately, his health no longer allows him to make knives. During the time I spent with him, Hugh introduced me to the American Bladesmith Society and schooled me in the criteria by which a standard is set for a forged blade. The American Bladesmith Society is now recognized world wide as the standard for testing one's blade forging abilities. This is proven year after year by applicants from all over the globe coming to Atlanta to test for first, their registered and world recognized Journeyman stamp, and second, some years later, their Master Smith stamp. Applicants have come from as far away as South Africa and Australia. From England came the Queen's armorer to apply and did, over the years, acquire his Journeyman and Master Smith stamp. Being quite enamoured by the results of the efforts of this U.S. born international organization, I put forth my best efforts to try and acquire the coveted Journeyman stamp. With the help of Hugh Bartrug, Steve Swartzer, Dr. James Badson and a hundred others, plus my Master Instructor, Jesus Christ, I managed to cut rope and timber, shave hair and bend that same blade 90 degrees at the smithy of Bill Moran in Maryland. The following Spring I took the required five blades to Atlanta for testing and got my Journeyman stamp. A few years later, in 2001, I tested at a higher level and got my Master Smith stamp. In that same year, to a small degree, I was able to compensate those who gave so much of their time, information and initiative to help and encourage me by winning the Blade Art Knife Award of the Year at the annual Blade International Cutlery Fair in Atlanta. In 2003 at the same annual event I won the Best Damascus Award. In 2004 I won the Best Damascus Award again. I feel quite privileged and rewarded, as should all of those who helped me along the way, to be a part of history in the world of fine cutlery. As I mentioned earlier, the only problem with damascus is its very addictive properties. Once mosaics come into the arena the addiction is compounded. I often use mosaics to tell stories and, on occasion, to declare Biblical statements. Over the years, I have been tagged as a Bible banger who is into Bible blades. That is OK with me. My efforts tend to gravitate to blades that tell Bible stories, although, I still make simple hunters and skinners. |
