The Artist and Their Tools - Bob Kramer
Tools are extremely important to the craftsperson. Aside from the work and techniques employed to execute their craft, artisans' tools are near and dear to their hearts. When you find a tool that resonates with you, a bond is formed and a relationship is made. At the beginning, just as in a human relationship, there is an initial attraction which may lead to picking up the tool to learn more. “Ah yes, just as I thought, this is a beautiful tool.” Your next thought may be, “I want this tool,” or, “I want to use this tool.” When you first use a new tool, a conversation begins between the practitioner and the tool. There is an intimacy between the artist and their tools that sometimes can be difficult to describe, a love, if you will. I have heard some chefs say that a particular knife, or sometimes their entire roll of knives, account for the most important objects in their life. I have tools in my shop that are my go-to tools, my old friends. It’s not that I don't have other tools in my shop that can accomplish the same task, but “my” tools, my “go-to” tools, make me feel good when I use them. They are reliable, and we have been through many situations together. They are almost always ready to go to work, they’ll stay late, work on the weekends and holidays, work in the freezing cold as well as the hottest day of the year, and they will put their life on the line if it is asked of them…and they rarely talk back.
The Chef’s endeavor is one of passion and nurturing, using the bounty of the land and sea. Chefs often work directly with farmers and ranchers to produce the perfect ingredient. Late nights are often spent pouring over cookbooks to understand that little something more about their craft. The Chef very often has given over their life to their craft, working long hours and holidays. The knife is the tool which helps them execute their craft. It is the direct interface between themselves, their ideas, and the imagined final product. The knife is their “right-hand man,” and once you have found the “right,” one, you know it and can’t imagine giving it up. When you pick it up there is a feeling of reassurance, of comfort, and it often imbues confidence. You may even have a feeling that through this tool you are paying respect to the food itself.
A bladesmith's passion is about making the best knives that they know how. At times, it may seem like a mythic endeavor, to produce the ultimate tool in both looks and performance, fit and finish. There is no, "one size fits all," which opens the field to endless possibilities and approaches. What you see here are examples by some of the most talented Bladesmiths in the world.
