Tom Overeynder
Art Knife Invitational · Knifemakers’ Guild · USA
Tom Overeynder made his first seven knives as Christmas gifts in 1977, inspired by his father-in-law — a master tool and die maker. He spent 36 years in the aircraft industry before going full-time in 2001. He was a voting member of the Knifemakers’ Guild from 1983 through 2016, missing not a single show.
The awards accumulated: Best of Show, Best Art Knife, Best Folder, Best Multi-blade — multiple times, across multiple shows, with multiple engravers. In 2016 he was inducted into the Art Knife Invitational, the most selective group in the craft. There are roughly 25 makers in it at any time. Admission is by invitation only. His first AKI show was October 2017.
He prefers mother of pearl, minerals, and jigged bone. His fit and finish is described, consistently and across decades, as second to none.
“Best of Show and Best Art Knife with the same knife — the one Joe Mason also engraved.” — 2008 Knifemaker’s Guild Show
Joe Mason
Master Engraver · Brandon, Mississippi
Joe Mason is among the most sought-after engravers in the American custom knife world — named alongside Barry Lee Hands, Julie Warenski, and Bruce Shaw as one of the benchmarks the field measures itself against. Based in Brandon, Mississippi, his work is recognized for its gold inlay scroll work and the depth of relief he achieves in the carved ground.
What is on these bolsters is not simply engraving with gold accents. The gold lines are physical wire, pressed into channels cut in the steel and then worked flush — 24 karat, inlaid by hand, running the full perimeter of every scroll. The dark background is deliberately cut back so the raised scroll floats above it. It is a technique that takes longer than the knife it is applied to.
The gold doesn’t decorate the engraving. It defines it.
