Bob Kramer

Last updated
Bob Kramer
Born1957or1958(age 65–66) [1]
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s) Knifemaker, Bladesmith
Awards
Website kramerknives.com
Custom made knife made personally by Bob Kramer in his shop in Bellingham, Washington. It was auctioned off in July 2019. KINTARO'S DREAM.jpg
Custom made knife made personally by Bob Kramer in his shop in Bellingham, Washington. It was auctioned off in July 2019.

Bob Kramer (born 1958) is an American bladesmith, "widely considered the greatest American knifesmith working today". [2] Some consider his kitchen knives to be "the best in the world". [3] His first knife shop in Seattle, Bladesmiths, opened in 1993. [4] [5] As of 2017 he forges steel and makes knives in Bellingham, Washington. [6]

Contents

Education and early life

Kramer worked as a cook at Four Seasons Olympic Hotel in Seattle when he was an oceanography student at University of Washington. [5] In 1992 he took a two-week course at American Bladesmith Society's school (ABS) in Hope, Arkansas (also reported as Washington, Arkansas [1] ) to become an apprentice knifemaker. [5] He received the Master Bladesmith recognition from ABS in 1997. [1]

Knifemaking

Kramer by Zwilling mass-produced knife Knife by Bob Kramer (17970647591).jpg
Kramer by Zwilling mass-produced knife

Kramer initially sold his knives in the conventional fashion: $150 for an 8-inch chef's knife in 1995, [4] $125–$225 in 2000, [5] $475 in 2008. [1] After a 2008 article in Cook's Illustrated that deemed his 8-inch chef's knife to have "outperformed every knife we've ever rated" [1] Kramer began selling by a waiting list. The knives are now sold by auction only. At auction a new handmade knife by Kramer cost $30,000 in 2015, as much as 100 knives mass-produced with similar materials to his specifications. [3] [2]

A handmade blade by Kramer was displayed as part of a juried art exhibition at Bellevue Arts Museum in 2016–2017. [7] His knives are especially known for their fine Damascus steel patterns and exotic wood handles [8] [2] and "heirloom quality" polishing and finishing. [5] Chef Christopher Kimball has called a Kramer chef's knife his "most prized tool". [9]

Kramer made a custom steel and meteorite knife for celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain. The knife realized $231,250 including buyer's premium, at auction in October 2019. [10]

Apprentices

Mareko Maumasi, also from the Olympia-Tumwater area, worked for Kramer in the 2010s and went on to become a noted independent knifemaker himself. [11]

Awards and media

Kramer appeared on Top Chef: Seattle as a judge in January 2013. He was named an American Craft Council Rare Craft Fellow in 2015. [12] [13]

Personal life

Kramer lives in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife, Leanne. [6]

Related Research Articles

James Black was an American knifemaker best known for his improvements to the Bowie knife designed by Jim Bowie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese kitchen knife</span> Type of knife used for food preparation

A Japanese kitchen knife is a type of kitchen knife used for food preparation. These knives come in many different varieties and are often made using traditional Japanese blacksmithing techniques. They can be made from stainless steel, or hagane, which is the same kind of steel used to make Japanese swords. Most knives are referred to as hōchō or the variation -bōchō in compound words but can have other names including -kiri. There are four general categories used to distinguish the Japanese knife designs: handle, blade grind, steel, and construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Bourdain</span> American chef and travel documentarian (1956–2018)

Anthony Michael Bourdain was an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian. He starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition.

WÜSTHOF is a knife-maker based in Solingen, Germany. Family owned for seven generations, the company's main products are mid-priced to high-end kitchen knives for domestic and professional use. WÜSTHOF is one of the leading manufacturers of chef's knives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernest Emerson</span> American knifemaker and martial artist

Ernest R. Emerson is an American custom knifemaker, martial artist, and edged-weapons expert. Originally an engineer and machinist in the aerospace industry, Emerson became a knifemaker by producing knives for a martial arts class and making art knives early in his knifemaking career. In the 1980s he became better known for his combat knives and popularizing a style of knife known as the Tactical-folder.

Sabatier is the maker's mark used by several kitchen knife manufacturers—by itself it is not a registered brand name. The name Sabatier is considered to imply a high-quality knife produced by one of a number of manufacturers in the Thiers region of France using a full forging process; the knives of some of these manufacturers are highly regarded. However, the name "Sabatier" came into use before intellectual property laws and is not protected; knives legally bearing the name range from high-quality knives made in France to cheap mass-produced products of poor quality from France and other countries; a registered logo or full name, or both, such as "65 Sabatier Perrier", is necessary to establish origin and quality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Global (cutlery)</span> Japanese cutlery manufacturer

GLOBAL is a Japanese brand of kitchen knives and accessory tools owned and manufactured by the Yoshikin factory of Japan. The Yoshikin Factory is owned by the Watanabe family and located in Tsubame, Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bladesmith</span> Person who uses an anvil and forge to make various types of blades

Bladesmithing is the art of making knives, swords, daggers and other blades using a forge, hammer, anvil, and other smithing tools. Bladesmiths employ a variety of metalworking techniques similar to those used by blacksmiths, as well as woodworking for knife and sword handles, and often leatherworking for sheaths. Bladesmithing is an art that is thousands of years old and found in cultures as diverse as China, Japan, India, Germany, Korea, the Middle East, Spain and the British Isles. As with any art shrouded in history, there are myths and misconceptions about the process. While traditionally bladesmithing referred to the manufacture of any blade by any means, the majority of contemporary craftsmen referred to as bladesmiths are those who primarily manufacture blades by means of using a forge to shape the blade as opposed to knifemakers who form blades by use of the stock removal method, although there is some overlap between both crafts.

Robert Waldorf Loveless, a.k.a. Bob Loveless or RW Loveless, was an American knife maker who designed and popularized the hollowground drop point blade and the use of full tapered tangs and screw-type handle scale fasteners within the art of knifemaking. He is cited by other knifemakers and collectors as one of the most innovative custom knife makers in the world.

Blade is a consumer magazine about knife collecting. The magazine is based in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Honyaki (本焼) is the name for the Japanese traditional method of metalwork construction most often seen in kitchen knives by forging a blade, with a technique most similar to the tradition of nihonto, from a single piece of high-carbon steel covered with clay to yield upon quench a soft, resilient spine, a hamon, and a hard, sharp edge. Honyaki as a term alone can refer to either mizu honyaki (water-quench) or abura honyaki. The goal is to produce a sharper, longer lasting edge than is usually achievable with the lamination method. The term has been adapted to describe high-end mono-stainless in Japan and carbon blades by non-Japanese bladesmiths that have a hamon but are made with Western steel, heat treat, equipment, finishing, and design.

Friedr. DICK is a German cutlery manufacturer founded 1778 in Esslingen, Germany. Known by their logo name of F. Dick, the company has three lines of business. F. Dick specializes primarily in butcher's knives and tools, where it is regarded as a market leader in both Europe and North America. The company is known for its wide range of high quality sharpening steels and is also renowned for its chef's knives where it is a respected manufacturer in the professional sector, but less established for the casual user. Although F. Dick cutlery is available for purchase in the American market, the brand has not caught-on with mainstream American consumers. As a result, the brand is limited in its availability, and is generally only available at cutlery specialty-stores in the American market.

The American Bladesmith Society, or ABS, is a non-profit organization composed of knifemakers whose primary function is to promote the techniques of forging steel blades. The ABS was founded by knifemaker William F. Moran, who came up with the concept in 1972 when he was Chairman of the Knifemakers' Guild; the following year, he introduced Damascus steel blades at an annual show. In 1976, he incorporated the organization, and it received non-profit status in 1985.

James Buel Lile, known as Jimmy Lile and "The Arkansas Knifesmith", was an American knifemaker from Russellville in Pope County, Arkansas, who made the Rambo Knife for the films First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II. As a knifemaker Lile served as a president of the Knifemakers' Guild and on the board of directors of the American Bladesmith Society.

William Francis Moran Jr., also known as Bill Moran, was a pioneering American knifemaker who founded the American Bladesmith Society and reintroduced the process of making pattern welded steel to modern knife making. Moran's knives were sought after by celebrities and heads-of-state. The "William F. Moran School of Bladesmithing" bears his name and in addition to founding the ABS, he was a Blade Magazine Hall of Fame Member and a President of the Knifemakers' Guild.

Gil Hibben is an American custom knifemaker from Wyoming who is based in La Grange, Kentucky. Hibben designed the first line of Browning hunting knives in 1968, the American Kenpo Knife for Ed Parker, and the Rambo Knife for the 1988 film Rambo III 2008 film Rambo. Hibben's "Fantasy Knives" have been used in over 37 films and television shows, particularly science fiction, earning him the title "Klingon Armorer" from the Star Trek franchise. Hibben currently serves as a President of the Knifemakers' Guild, a post he has held for fourteen years.

Bo Randall was an American knifemaker who founded Randall Made Knives in Orlando, Florida.

Jerry Fisk is an American bladesmith based in Nashville, Arkansas. Fisk was named a National Living Treasure in 1998 by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Museum of World Cultures.

The Blade Show is an annual tradeshow for the cutlery industry. It is the largest event of its type in the world. The show is owned by Caribou Media Group and is hosted by Blade Magazine. The event has over 1,000 exhibitors and is the host for inductees into the annual Cutlery Hall of Fame. It also hosts the annual Blade HQ Balisong Competition, BladeSports International Cutting World Championships, Blade University, Knife of the Year Awards, and a variety of knifemaking classes and demos. The event takes place every year over the course of several days and brings in knifemakers and knife companies from all parts of world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zwilling J. A. Henckels</span> German knife-maker

Zwilling J. A. Henckels AG is a German knife-maker based in Solingen, Germany. It is one of the largest and oldest manufacturers of kitchen knives for domestic and professional use, having been founded in June 1731 by Peter Henckels. It is also one of the oldest operating companies in the world. The brand's namesake was Johann Abraham Henckels (1771–1850), who renamed the brand after himself under his leadership. J. A. Henckels is one of the leading manufacturers of chef's knives. Since 1970, Zwilling is fully owned by Werhahn KG. The following brands belong to the Zwilling Group: ZWILLING, HENCKELS, Miyabi, BSF, Demeyere, Staub, Fontignac, Ballarini, Flammkraft, and Santos Grills.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Todd Oppenheimer (November 24, 2008), "SHARPER: Bob Kramer and the secret lives of knives", The New Yorker, archived from the original on June 3, 2017, retrieved January 22, 2017
  2. 1 2 3 Josh Ozersky (August 29, 2014), "Culinary Cult Objects: Worth the Price?", The Wall Street Journal
  3. 1 2 Rachel Belle (November 28, 2015), The world's best kitchen knives are hand forged in Olympia, Seattle: KIRO-FM, archived from the original on January 27, 2021, retrieved January 22, 2017
  4. 1 2 Tom Sietsma (May 17, 1995), "Bob Kramer's job is a real grind - and he loves it", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, ProQuest   385979506
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Schuyler Ingle (December 7, 2000), "Master of the blade", Saveur
  6. 1 2 Emily Singer (January 15, 2018), America's Most Celebrated Knife Maker Is Just Getting Started, Gear Patrol, archived from the original on August 16, 2024, retrieved August 16, 2024
  7. BAM Biennial Exhibition 2016 "Metalmorphosis", Bellevue Arts Museum, September 2, 2016, retrieved 2017-01-21
  8. Dennis Tang (June 22, 2015), "The Mad Bladesmith Behind the World's Greatest Kitchen Knives", Esquire
  9. Michael Prager (December 4, 2003), "A perfect gift for... The chef", Boston Globe via HighBeam[ dead link ]
  10. Danielle Garrand (November 5, 2019), Anthony Bourdain's chef's knife sells for over $230,000 at auction, CBS News
  11. Craig Sailor (July 30, 2015), "Tumwater knife-maker is 'Forged In Fire' for History Channel", The Olympian
  12. Elizabeth Stamp (April 6, 2016), "Anthony Bourdain's Newest Obsession: American Crafts", Architectural Digest
  13. Chris Amundsen (July 27, 2015), "The Executive Director's Cut: Summer 2015", Official blog, American Craft Council