Knifemakers' Guild
Encyclopedia
The Knifemakers' Guild is an organization made up of knifemakers to promote custom knives, encourage ethical business practices, assist with technical aspects of knife making, and to sponsor knife shows. The Guild is composed of 300 knifemaker members and several thousand collector
s, writers, and other investors as honorary members.
in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Charter members included Blackie Collins
, Bob Loveless
, and Dan Dennehy. Russell was made the first president with Loveless as the Secretary.
The current President is Gil Hibben
, past presidents have included Jimmy Lile
, Frank Centofante, D'Alton Holder, George Herron, Buster Warenski
, and William F. Moran
. The Knifemakers' Guild is composed of over 300 members worldwide.
The Knifemakers' Guild hosts an annual show where members meet once a year to conduct business, elect officers, and display their work. The show is attended by thousands of collectors.
Knife collecting
Knife collecting is a hobby which includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining knives. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating an assortment of different knives...
s, writers, and other investors as honorary members.
History
The idea for Knifemakers' Guild came about at a Las Vegas, Nevada gun show held at the Sahara Casino in February 1970. The actual founding occurred in November 1970 by A.G. RussellA.G. Russell
A.G. Russell was born in Eudora, Arkansas where his grandfather taught him how to make knives when he was nine. Russell went on to make knives as a hobby and profession. In 1964, Russell switched his focus to selling Arkansas whetstones and a year later began selling knives. In 1968 he started...
in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Charter members included Blackie Collins
Blackie Collins
Walter Wells Collins or Blackie Collins was an American knife maker who designed and popularized the assisted opening mechanism and various automatic knife designs within the art of knifemaking...
, Bob Loveless
Bob Loveless
Robert Waldorf Loveless , aka 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...
, and Dan Dennehy. Russell was made the first president with Loveless as the Secretary.
The current President is Gil Hibben
Gil Hibben
Gil Hibben is a 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 films Rambo III and Rambo...
, past presidents have included Jimmy Lile
Jimmy Lile
James Buel Lile, known as Jimmy Lile or The Arkansas Knifesmith , was a knifemaker from Russellville in Pope County, Arkansas, who made the Rambo Knife for the films First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II...
, Frank Centofante, D'Alton Holder, George Herron, Buster Warenski
Buster Warenski
Buster Warenski was a custom knifemaker from Kimberly, Nevada who made "Art Knives" utilizing gold and other precious metals...
, and William F. Moran
William F. Moran
William F. Moran Jr. or Bill Moran was a 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...
. The Knifemakers' Guild is composed of over 300 members worldwide.
The Knifemakers' Guild hosts an annual show where members meet once a year to conduct business, elect officers, and display their work. The show is attended by thousands of collectors.