Stephen Olszewski Custom Knives

Stephen Olszewski

For the last 30 years Stephen Olszewski has been a sculptor and jewelry modelmaker. A modelmaker makes the first piece or "prototype" by hand, this model is then put into a mold so that it can be reproduced by the company for the purpose of resale. My first love in this field has always been figure carving. I’ve made a lot of models for companies like Hasbro, Playskool, Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Franklin Mint, Danbury Mint, etc. Once I started to build knives, it was a natural tendency to transfer these experiences into my knives. Consequently, I make a lot of “figural knives”.

All of my knives feature plenty of deep relief carving. I get a lot of inspiration from nature. If I am going to try to copy anyone I would rather emulate God’s handiwork. After all, He is the Great Creator. As a result, I don’t believe in copying other makers, although there are a lot of talented Knifemakers out there that do quality work. I would prefer my knives to have their own unique look. So I have worked hard to develop my own style. Preferred materials are Damascus steels from some of the top makers, fossil ivories, pearl, and gold and precious stones as accents.