Tony Bose, Lucas Burnley, Brian Tighe, Ken Onion, Ed Fowler and other custom knifemakers donate to AKTI’s Blade Show event.
Knives from renowned custom makers including Ed Fowler, Lucas Burnley, Tony Bose, Philip Booth, Mathew Lerch, Richard Rogers, Brian Tighe, Tom Mayo, Ken Onion, and Joe Caswell will be on live auction at the American Knife & Tool Institute’s (AKTI) fundraiser on Friday evening, June 7th, in Atlanta, Georgia. Individuals who otherwise would never have the opportunity to own a knife by these makers due to their high demand will have a chance to bid on a donated knife.
Funds raised by the live and silent auctions will support the American Knife & Tool Institute’s legislative efforts. This year’s “Free to Carry” event will be auctioneered by the ever-entertaining Tommy Clark of Blue Ridge Knives, who has again graciously volunteered his time to conduct the live auction.
“The American Knife & Tool Institute quietly and diligently works with legislators at the state and federal level to clarify and remove knife laws, allowing individuals to be ‘Free to Carry’ the knife of their choice,” said CJ Buck, CEO of Buck Knives and AKTI President. “We sincerely thank these makers who generously donate of their talent to help us continue our initiatives which benefit everyone in the knife industry and all knife users.
Unique custom knives will be live auctioned. Fans of Tony Bose will have an opportunity to bid on a Bullnose Trapper with a 3.71” Spey blade and a 3.63” drop point blade. It includes all the features Tony is famous for including a pinned stainless arrowhead shield, glazed finish stainless pocket bolster, lanyard tube and stainless liners milled for improved blade fall. Tony’s work attracts enthusiasts from around the world who often wait years for their knives to be completed to his satisfaction.
What happens when you cross art and mechanics? You get something that looks like Matthew Lerch, a knifemaker trained as a jeweler/watchmaker. Matthew has donated a Scamp which features a 3.6” black DLC coated CPM blade and zirconium handle which will be in high demand.
“These are just two of the excellent knives that a fan of custom makers will have a unique opportunity to own,” said Mark Schreiber, President of CRKT and chair of the event. “We are honored that these high-demand makers, some of who do not take orders any more, value AKTI’s approach and work to ensure our businesses thrive and knife owners can have the freedom to choose the knife they want.”
Buck Knives, Benchmade, Sport Hansa, Willey Knives, Spyderco, Gerber, Utica Cutlery Company, Scheel’s, Chris Reeve Knives, Browning, Camillus Knives, Leatherman, Stone River Gear, Swiss Army Knives, plus Boker USA, CRKT, Fox Knives, SOG Knives & Tools, The Evans Group and WE Knife all donated knives or items that will be on silent auctions.
Details about the custom makers, the donated knives and how to get tickets to attend the Friday evening event, June 7th from 7 pm – 9:30 pm, are available at www.FreeToCarry.org.
The evening sponsors include:
