John Manikowski-Handmade Knives

fishing, hunting, chef’s and cook’s knives or fillet knives

The knives are (mostly) made from high quality CPM 154. Some are 440c but are indicated as such. Handle materials can include: bird’s eye maple; box elder burls—one of my favorites;1,000 year old walrus jawbone, warthog ivory, giraffe leg bone, sea cow bone (an extinct cousin of the modern manatee) legal pre-ban ivory, moose, elk, and deer antler; and my favorite, 10 to 50,000 year-old woolly mammoth and mastadon ivory.

Unless otherwise noted, all knives pictured are for sale. If they have been SOLD, another, similar knife can usually be made to order. If you have any questions, please contact me and I will try to answer them timely and as complete as possible: johnski3@verizon.com .

All knives and scrimshaw are designed, created and made
by John Manikowski unless otherwise stated.

Knives
The following knives fall under a category in knifemaking known as “Art Knives”

Pheasant knife

This could be a letter opener. Cast bronze head, carved in wax (lost wax process) with a variety
of dyed wood, burls, micarta and phenolic material (plastics).
Could be a fillet knife or a ham slicer if sharpened.
$1,350 with stand

Woolly Mammoth Knives

These knives are unique if only because of the amazingly colored woolly mammoth TOOTH. Brilliantly startling and stunning at the same time. A brightly dyed mammoth tooth makes up most of the handle, with nickel silver bolster (reflecting a red colored background in the studio) and white micarta.
Sharpened on one side, similar to some Japanese knives
.

Knife on the left:Left: (known by the term: “kataba”). Blade is 11” oal, 4 ¾ blade, CPM 154 SS Includes display stand similar to pheasant knife above, however, all decorative display stands are unique and no two are alike. Price: $1,250 with stand.

Knife on the bottom: $ 500 without stand, sold. Can be ordered in a similar style. Call for details.

Big Mouth with Cast Piranah

Big Mouth with Cast Piranah

Big Mouth with Cast Piranah on display stand

Piranah close-up Big Mouth head

Closeup of cast bronze; detail of handle and of the blade.

The bronze was cast from a once live, dried piranah fish.
I found two nearly identical in size and cast a right and left side, patinaed them for about one week
to give them their lovely green/blue depth and then highly buffed them to bring out a rich luster.
The bright red is dyed California buckeye burl, another special find,
perfectly matched with the cast fish. Turquoise spacers are reconstituted stone.

$1,250 with display stand.

A Whale of A Tale Whale knife

I think of this as a butter knife, possibly a cheese knife. Whimsical in character, fun to use.
Has not been sharpened but the front section could be if desired, to cut cheese.
Made with dyed woolly mammoth TOOTH! 440c SS. Nickel silver bolster.
White front piece behind bolster and tail are micarta.

Price: $795. This knife could have a display stand if desired. Please feel free to inquire.

Blue Coral and Cow handles

Ancient brain coral, brass bolster and butt. OAL 6.5", blade length 2.50. CPM154 Stainless steel.

Price: $495

Chef's knife

Chef's knife Two Chef's knives

A 15 inch (oal) chef’s knife.
Blade, 8”. CPM 154 SS. Handle is desert ironwood burl, water buffalo horn (black bolster and butt)
and blood jasper recon stone spacers. Leather thong with antler.

Closeup showing the “finger hold”, a handy device
for more control while handling a knife in a professional kitchen for a long period of time.
A closeup 15” chef’s knife’s sculpted handles, mosaic pin.

Price: $750.

Matching set of Chef knives, available by order

Different Handles
Delivery time approximately 6-8 weeks.

Handle of the Chef's knife
This handle custom carved for a customer,
however a similar design could be made to order.

Dyed Buckey burl on Damascus Steel

Damascus steel is composed of up to threehundred layers of more than one type of carbon steel,
creating the "topo" look. This technique is a centuries old manner of hammering steel.

Damascus steel will rust, discolor and/or change character, much like your grandmother's old knives.
They are easier to keep sharp though.

Double-handled cheese knife.

Or...could be used as a chopping knife, much like you already do when
you hold the blade of your biggest chef’s knife by the tip, as well as the handle.
Has a slight curve to the blade length of 7”, oal, 14”.
Desert ironwood burl handle, mammoth ivory bolster, mosaic pins.

Cheese Knife2 Blade of the Cheese Knife

Without stand, $985. With sculpted display stand $1135
This particular knife has been sold, you can order a similar one.

Father & Son Hunting Knives.

Hunting Knives

These large knives are made from an elk/red deer. The rack came from an upstate game farm
were the deer is still alive. (I have a photo of the animal of which the owner of these knives is
welcome to have.) Antlers are highly figurative, more so than usual; gnarly and massive,
fit for large hands. 440c SS.

Father’s knife has 4 genuine turquoise stones inlaid into the antler
while Son’s knife has 3. Water buffalo spacers.

Custom-fit, matching black Sting Ray sheaths come with each knife. Special: $985 for the pair.

Fisherman’s/hunter’s outdoor knife

Blade length for the following knife is 3 ½”, overall (oal) the length is 7 ½”, the steel is 3/16” thick,
which is heavy for this size knife. This is a particularly heafty design, which I prefer,
as it feels good in the hand as well as in the field.

This knife is sold, however, this fisherman’s/hunter’s outdoor knife
can be made using similar or different materials.
Base price for this knife is $175.
Upcharges for this particular knife is an additional $25 for a 2-piece handle
(red micarta and box elder burl) bringing the total to $200, which includes a leather sheath.

Sushi Knives

antler handle $495

with dyed antler bone handle $545

antler handle $495

Sushi knife handle choices. Most sushi knives $495 depending upon handle material.
Mammoth ivory $125 upcharge. Giraffe bone, $50 upcharge, etc.

Cleaver

Cleaver

A “cleaver” style professional kitchen knife; massive enough (5/32” CPM SS stock)
to take down ribs and cut up and bone chicken, pheasant, Canada goose or any wild game; a 7” blade. Rich, deep brown desert ironwood handle, pewter “morel” bolster, blood jasper spacer, mosaic center pin.

Price: $525. Available for immediate delivery.

Comes in a zippered black fabric pouch.

Hand carved bolsters


This is a carved handle similar to the knife above. Sculpted and carved ivory and bone handles maybe special ordered	This is a fish and octopus in bronze with woolly mammoth tusk handle.

The two knives above were made with hand carved bolsters, carved first in hard wax and
then cast in pewter or bronze- these are pewter.
Oal is approx 15”, blade 8”, CPM 154 SS. 5/32” thick stainless stock.

Mammoth ivory requires a $125 upcharge
not only because of it’s beauty but also because of it’s large size.

Especially large chef’s knives of this size and quality will vary in price depending
upon handle material used, any special carving, or if pewter, bronze or
stainless steel bolsters (usually from 412 SS) are to be added. Most chef’s and
mid-size cook’s knives do not have any additonal charge for handle
materials such as stabilized woods, most burls, plain bone, micarta and acrylics. Desert ironwood
and giraffe leg bone require a $75 upcharge.

Specific materials can be discussed in order to make each knife a custom knife,
of your design and choosing.
Custom orders are welcome.

All knives have a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
If you are not satified for any reason after trying it out and using it for 7 days,
I will refund your money or swap for another knife.
Custom or individualized knives cannot be returned for cash.

A reminder: You must be at least 18 years of age to purchase a knife.

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Questions? Call 413.229.2905 or email johnski3@verizon.net

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