Bob Kramer (born 1958) is an American

bladesmith Bladesmithing is the art of making knives, swords, daggers and other blades using a forge, hammer, anvil, and other smithing tools. Bladesmiths employ a variety of metalworking techniques similar to those used by blacksmiths, as well as woodworkin ...

, "widely considered the greatest American knifesmith working today". Some consider his kitchen knives to be "the best in the world". His first knife shop in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, Bladesmiths, opened in 1993. he forges steel and makes knives in Bellingham, 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 The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

. In 1992 he took a two-week course at

American Bladesmith Society The American Bladesmith Society, or ABS, is a non-profit organization composed of knifemakers whose primary function is to promote the techniques of forging steel blades. The ABS was founded by knifemaker William F. Moran, who came up with the con ...

's school (ABS) in Hope, Arkansas (also reported as Washington, Arkansas) to become an apprentice knifemaker. He received the Master Bladesmith recognition from ABS in 1997.

Knifemaking

Kramer initially sold his knives in the conventional fashion: $150 for an 8-inch chef's knife in 1995, $125–$225 in 2000, $475 in 2008. After a 2008 article in ''

Cook's Illustrated ''Cook's Illustrated'' is an American cooking magazine published every two months by the America's Test Kitchen company in Brookline, Massachusetts. It accepts no advertising and is characterized by extensive recipe testing and detailed instructi ...

'' that deemed his 8-inch chef's knife to have "outperformed every knife we've ever rated" 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. A handmade blade by Kramer was displayed as part of a juried art exhibition at

Bellevue Arts Museum The Bellevue Arts Museum is a museum of contemporary visual art, craft, and design located in Bellevue, Washington, part of the greater Seattle metropolitan area. A nonprofit organization established in 1975, the Bellevue Arts Museum (BAM) provides ...

in 2016–2017. His knives are especially known for their fine Damascus steel patterns and exotic wood handles and "heirloom quality" polishing and finishing. Chef

Christopher Kimball Christopher Kimball is an American editor, publisher, and radio and TV personality. He is notable as one of the founders of ''America's Test Kitchen'' and ''Cook's Country'' and as the creator of ''Christopher Kimball's Milk Street''. Early lif ...

has called a Kramer chef's knife his "most prized tool". Kramer made a custom steel and meteorite knife for celebrity chef,

Anthony Bourdain Anthony Michael Bourdain (; June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian who starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition. Bourdai ...

. The knife realized $231,250 including buyer's premium, at auction in October 2019.

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.

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.

Personal life

Kramer lives in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife, Leanne.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kramer, Bob Knife makers People from Olympia, Washington University of Washington College of the Environment alumni Living people Year of birth missing (living people) 1950s births