Knifemaker, Tony Bose, is known to every serious knife collector. Renowned for his mastery in producing traditional folding knives, Tony’s award-winning cutlery is affirmed and complemented by his son, Reese’s work, in style, ingenuity, and uncommon excellence. Tony produced his first folding knife in 1975 and until his death in 2020, he developed and introduced more than 45 different “traditional†knife patterns.
Tony’s misfortune turned him into a legend.
At six, Tony lost sight in his right eye and after reaching adulthood, partial blindness made finding work difficult. So in his spare time, he repaired knives for extra money. He often credited the injury and his passion for pocketknives as contributing factors to the popularity of his life’s work.
Reese, Tony’s oldest son, inherited his father’s love for knife-making; going into the knife sharpening business when he was in the third grade. His dad stated that “I’ve helped a lot of guys figure out how to make pocketknives, but Reese is the only one I have taughtâ€.
Father and son are recognized as resurrecting and extending the lives of knives first made by craftsmen in the late 19th through mid-20th Century. Tony, who passed away in 2020, was proud of his tried and failed – tried again and flourished; approach to knife making. He often said: “If there’s a way to screw up a knife, I have done it. I even figured out which way to fix itâ€. Fortunately for Reese and the collectors of their finely crafted knives, we are thankful for the mishaps.
Knife Purveyor’s Michael Donato, said: “When I first introduced to Tony and Reese’s knives, I would look at Reese’s knives and say “wow, in my opinion, his attention to detail and choice of materials, along with the fit and finish – was even better than his father’sâ€. However, the demand always seemed to be higher, and the pricing is higher for Tony’s work and that still remains trueâ€.
Ownership has it rewards
We have a fine selection of collectors’ addition custom knives by the uniquely talented Reese Bose. They are truly quite special, and like his father’s work, probably won’t be around for very long.
