Are you ready for book #4?

[Darrel Ralph]

This book will be the pinical of the knife making and collecting world.
I am very honored to be included.
Thank you Dr. Darom.
Thank you Neil Ostroff.

[ddd]

Hello everyone,

Just back from the Milan Knife Show, held in the beautiful exhibition
hall of the Marriott Hotel.

Several amazing knives exchanged hands and the subdued excitement
could be felt all through the two days of the show.

The Milan Knife Show is held annually in November by the "Corporazione
Italiana Coltellinai" in the Marriott Hotel (Milan, Italy). Considered one
of top European knife shows, it is organized by Giovanni Carlini and
attracts world class custom makers and collectors from all over Europe.

The attached picture was taken at the 2002 Milan Show specially for
my first book Art and Design in Modern Custom Folding Knives.

At the show I presented printed color proofs of 4 sections from book #4
to the owners of the exhibited collections..... It was nice to watch their
faces when flipping through the pages....

In the near future I shall post some more teaser full page illustrations
from the soon going to print book #4.

All the best,
David (ddd)

[ddd]

Well, my friends, I am only a few weeks away from closing Book #4
for press and it always amazes me how one can fit 288 large pages
in full color and a high resolution of 400 dpi into one DVD disk and
send it off to the printing house. Well, that is how it is done today, 16
months of hard labor, one DVD and we get 1250 copies of a special high
quality limited edition book.......

The book is packed with many (many, many) rare and beautiful knives,
some of them finished only very recently after years of work. One beautiful
knife finished a few weeks ago is Jurgen Steinau's gold folder shown
here, made to order for a collector in Barbados.

Don Guild a great guy and collector of custom knives, raves about Jurgen's
artistic creations: "Jurgen sees the art knife as a set of juxtapositioned
complimentary angles. His work sets him aside in the art knife world
and together with the fact that he makes only about ten knives each
year, his are probably the rarest in the field".

Enjoy,
David (ddd)

[BrB]

This book will be something to own.

The fact that it illustrates the taste of several world class collectors, I think it will be a tremendous tool for all people in the trade.

I exepect nothing less than the previous quality presented in the other books, but more, I am really exited about seeing treasures never shown before.

Once again, thanks Dr. D!

[ddd]

One of the most amazing knives created in recent years was
completerd just two weeks ago. With it I completed the last pager
in the book and today the two DVDs with files for print and a sample
color proof were shipped to the printing house in Korea.

The last knife to be in the book was "Golden Heart", made by Dellana
and Van Barnett for Gerald Hopkin from Barbados.

This majestic piece was commissioned by Gerald Hopkin after its
concept drawing was presented to him. It then became a collaboration
between Van Barnett, Dellana, and Gerald Hopkin, that would become a
Scepter along with its stand and accoutrements, designed to be an
artistic interpretation of the Royal Scepter and Regalia. "Golden Heart"
was born as a vision of what could be done with a knife to make it more
than just an art knife, but to try and separate the two so as to be
accepted both as a form of art and a knife, depending only on how one
views it.
"Golden Heart" is the first in a new collaborative series between Van
Barnett & Dellana. These knives will be called the "Majesty" series, with
strong emphasis on art, beauty and illusion. These collaborative efforts
are created under the name "VALANI" TM, combining the names of both
artists.
Four years in the making, this Scepter (symbol of imperial authority)
has an 18" (457 mm) solid 14k yellow spring gold blade, with diamonds
and rubies. Sheath and handle are constructed of oxidized, textured
sterling silver tubing and solid 14k yellow gold set with diamonds,
facetted rubies, cabochon rubies and hand engraving. Altogether there
are 786 Rubies (53.2 carats) and over 855 diamonds (20.35 carats),
2.69 pounds (1.22 kg) of sterling silver, 4.173 pounds (1.892 kg) of 14k
yellow gold. Overall sheathed length 26 1/2" (673 mm).

Just imagine..........

The book will be introduced to the public at the June BLADE Show
in Atlanta and most (hopefully - all) the collectores featured in it
will be visiting the show and will gladly sign copies........

Thank,
David (ddd)

[ddd]

Thanks to Coop's help for hosting this picture for me on his fototime site,
you can enjoy "golden Heart" in all its beauty.......

David (ddd)

[BrB]

I'll be damed... that's a nice nice looking piece of.. huh... beauty.. in the lack of better words.

[Buddy Thomason]

Congratulations, David! You keep raising the bar with each book and I can sense you are very deservedly proud of #4! What you've done for the world of the custom knife is significant and I salute you for it.

[ddd]

Now that my new book is in the final stages of its printing process, I think
it is time to display both sides of its cover.......

David (ddd)