It is likely that a knife was the first man-made tool, and
certainly it was the most important for primitive man. It became
the heart of every stage of civilization, evolving through the
stone age, and the “ages” of bronze, iron, and steel, finally
becoming more than a tool—a true collector’s object of
artisanal beauty. Knifemaking has benefited through the use of old
and new materials, and new techniques that combine traditional
metallurgy with high technology and aeronautical craftsmanship,
using metal powders. Most of all, thanks to a new generation of
cutlers, from every continent, artisans, artists, designers and
crafters have made a wild variety of beautiful knives that are
beyond most people’s standard idea of a plain cutting tool. Of
Knives and Men is a superb display of the world’s foremost
contemporary knifecrafters. The 46 artisans, and their works
selected for this book are, to our eyes, the most representative of
the last 30 years. All have their own style and character, mixed
with utility and the knifemaking tradition of their home country
and culture. Others are quite startling in their inventiveness: a
simple steel knife with a handle made from a fox’s lower jaw
(Mickael Moing, France); Damascus steel blade and fossilized
mammoth ivory handle (Pekka Tuominen, Finland); stainless steel
blade with ironwood handle encrusted with mother of pearl and
precious stones (Harumi Hirryama, Japan); and a “button lock”
knife of Damascus steel, with a handle of Damascus, gold, titanium
and mother of pearl (Michael Walker, USA). And the knifemakers are
from many countries: Brazil, USA, France, Slovakia, Finland, Japan,
Italy, Canada, South Africa… and more, displaying a stunning
variety of material and technique. There are 217 astounding knives
and sheaths in all, plus a directory of decorative materials used
for the handles and sheaths, from birds eye maple to mammoth molar,
from carbon fiber to fossilized coral, and techniques from ancient,
to lost-and-then-rediscovered, to space age. All have a grade of
cost and contact information for the makers. Extra sections on
embellishments like scrimshaw, blade engraving and sculpting of
handle material are added. This is a unique and beautiful volume
that will have very wide appeal.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
