Jack Levin: We think most of you would agree that in recent years the words "Legend" and "Master" have been over used to the point where they have little real meaning - yet despite that fact we still feel duty bound to use these words when describing extraordinary Knife Maker Jack Levin.

A life-long knife enthusiast, Jack made his first folding knife at age fifteen in Riga, and in the ensuing 40 odd years has remained fascinated by metal. One reflection of this passion is the name he chose for his most recent series of knives, a name he often uses to describe his own feelings about edged art - Knifemania!

Always involved in creating unusual mechanisms, Jack has a degree in Cold Metal work and spent several years as a military gunsmith. He also has a number of patents, in Europe and America, for different inventions and mechanisms. And although he has no formal art training he has always been interested in art history, and has spent countless hours researching old metal work, arms and technologies, and he is a widely regarded as a restoration expert in both areas.

Jack's knife making philosophy is simple and straight forward, he is inspired by the harmony of knives and arms exemplified in the Middle Ages, and he believes each detail of a knife should have a purpose, and that the knife should be capable of use.  He spends considerable time before beginning construction designing new mechanisms and making certain he has a plan for all phases of the work – especially if it involves a brand new mechanism.

Each folder is quite complex and frequently consists of 31 parts or more, and Jack likes to carve his frames from a single piece of metal to make them as flat as possible. And although stationary shields have been common on fixed blades for hundreds of years, Jack is the first maker we know of to have automatic shields that change position on many of his folders. Jack has also invented magnetic locks and folding guards for fixed blades, and almost all of the parts on his knives are not only decorative but functional.

Jack has also received numerous awards and honors despite being unable to work on knives for almost three years due to recurring tendon and ligament problems in one of his hands. He is also the only knife maker we know of to have won at least one or two Awards at the Blade Show in Atlanta 4 consecutive years. This is an abbreviated list of Jack's awards and accomplishments.

2003 - Blade Show & International Cutlery Fair - Most Innovative Design, knife Don Quixote
2004 - Blade Handmade, Best of Show, Portland, knife Poseidon
2004 - Blade Show & International Cutlery Fair, Best of the Show, Atlanta, Poseidon
2004 - Blade Show & International Cutlery Fair, Best Collaboration, Atlanta, knife Poseidon
2005 - Blade Handmade, Best of the Show, Portland, Blade-Bow
2005 - Blade Show and International Cutlery Fair, Best of the Show, Atlanta, Blade-Bow
2005 - Blade Show and International Cutlery Fair, Best Fantasy, Atlanta, Blade Bow
2005 - Blade Handmade, Best Fantasy, Portland
2006 - Blade Show and International Cutlery Fair, Most Innovative Design, Atlanta knife - Palash

Click here to view Jack's knives

Salvatore Puddu: Born 1961 in Quartu S. Elena, next to Cagliari, Sardinia Island, Italy, Salvatore Puddu was a Bridgestone's precision mechanic by trade before he became a full-time knife maker in 2000. Recognized early for his Three-blade lock-back folder at the Milan Knife Show, today he is Vice Chairman of the Italian Guild and member of the German Knifemaker's Guild.

Puddu knives are produced strictly one at a time so that maximum attention can be focused on perfection from beginning to end during the construction process.  And although it adds to an already lengthy delivery time, Salvatore's knives are made entirely by him from start to finish.  

Needless to say every part of a Puddu knife is designed and crafted with special purpose and function in mind, no matter how small, and every knife may be completely dismantled should adjustment or cleaning ever be needed.

In fact Salvatore loves his pointy creations so much that each knife is made with slightly different details and is also in some way more complicated than the last. This keeps the creative fires burning brightly and helps avoid the boredom which can sometimes stifle the creative process over time.

Salvatore enjoys the challenge of building multi-blade knives best, and because they take so much time to create, his production is limited to between 15 and 20 knives per year maximum. So it is no wonder that delivery time is now measured in years!

He is also among the few makers in the world building lock-back multi-blades, and is the only maker we know of who is building two blade lock-backs that open from opposites sides of the frame - a major technical and aesthetic challenge.

This particular model is called the Chris-Cross folder.

Part of the magic is that when the blades are closed they are completely hidden by the frame where they touch nothing at all internally! This requires extraordinary tolerances, lengthy assembly time and the patience of a saint!

Frequently Puddu knives are adorned by the engraving of some of the world's finest artists – engraving which must complete and harmonize with each knife so that the aesthetic whole is in the end greater than the sum of the parts.

And finally, as with some of his great American predecessors, whose art and philosophy he admires, Salvatore's work personifies the union between the great artists and craftsman who are always searching for new technical and aesthetic challenges that will help push the boundaries of their art.

This philosophy, and more importantly, the knives themselves, are why Salvatore Puddu is one of the finest master knife making artisans in the world today. 

Click here to view Salvatore's knives