Bob Kramer

Bob Kramer
Born 1957/1958 (age 59–60)[1]
Residence Olympia, Washington
Nationality American
Occupation Knifemaker, Bladesmith
Awards
Website kramerknives.com

Bob Kramer (born 1957/1958) 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 Olympia, Washington.

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, Ark.[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

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.[6] His knives are especially known for their fine Damascus steel patterns and exotic wood handles[7][2] and "heirloom quality" polishing and finishing.[5] Chef Christopher Kimball has called a Kramer chef's knife his "most prized tool".[8]

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.[9]

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.[10][11]

Personal life

Kramer lives in Olympia, Washington, with his wife, Leanne.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Todd Oppenheimer (November 24, 2008), "SHARPER: Bob Kramer and the secret lives of knives", The New Yorker
  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
  4. 1 2 Tom Sietsma (May 17, 1995), "Bob Kramer's job is a real grind - and he loves it", Seattle Post-Intelligencer – via ProQuest (KCLS)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Schuyler Ingle (December 7, 2000), "Master of the blade", Saveur
  6. ↑ BAM Biennial Exhibition 2016 "Metalmorphosis", Bellevue Arts Museum, September 2, 2016, retrieved 2017-01-21
  7. ↑ Dennis Tang (June 22, 2015), "The Mad Bladesmith Behind the World's Greatest Kitchen Knives", Esquire
  8. ↑ Michael Prager (December 4, 2003), "A perfect gift for... The chef", Boston Globe – via HighBeam
  9. ↑ Craig Sailor (July 30, 2015), "Tumwater knife-maker is 'Forged In Fire' for History Channel", The Olympian
  10. ↑ Elizabeth Stamp (April 6, 2016), "Anthony Bourdain's Newest Obsession: American Crafts", Architectural Digest
  11. ↑ Chris Amundsen (July 27, 2015), "The Executive Director's Cut: Summer 2015", Official blog, American Craft Council
  12. ↑ Melanie Kallas Ricklefs (May 3, 2015), "Bob Kramer – The Journey of a Master Bladesmith", Thurston Talk (digital newspaper), Olympia, Washington


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