Warenski Daggers - What to Look For

[betzner]

I was recently contacted by a Bladeforums member seeking information and assistance about his Warenski, since he was aware, as many of you are, of my love for and my collection of Warenskis. We reviewed some really awful images,so I first suggested he improve his image quality, with the images below being the very fine result.

I thought, considering he wanted information about his Warenski, that this subforum would be a good place for me to again present a few words on the details that are of most interest to a Warenski collector. See that discussion below these images:

Collectors look all their lives for a high-end art dagger by Buster Warenski, but such pieces seldom come to market. The very few that do are typically embellished in some way and of the type collectors have the greatest interest in, namely art daggers with the following characteristics:

1) Stone or carved handle always a plus - this one is black marble, fluted with silver wire

2) Hot-blued fittings (THIS IS KEY, MUCH MORE sought after than non-blued - cannot emphasize this enough, though there are exceptions) - Black is beautiful, as with this dagger

3) A beautiful guard shape, as here - this one with a "turban" pommel. An ugly guard and/or pommel not only reduces the value of a Warenski, but also limits it's saleability. Remember, every maker has produced something that, in hindsight, he would gladly re-think

4) Attractive blade shape - a must, as with this piece

5) Over 12" overall length (13 1/2" overall here) - the longer the better

6) Immaculate condition, circa around 1990 or later (this happens, co-incidentally, to be 1990), with some exceptions in the 1986-1990 period

7) Finally, and of great importance, is that any engraving or embellishment be either by Buster Warenski or Julie Warenski, with almost all post-1986 daggers having been engraved by Julie. I personally discussed this dagger's embellishment with Curt Erickson and Julie Warenski-Erickson and Julie has indicated that all of the embellishment on the dagger is by her hand

He has a prize piece and apparently had not pulled it out of it's storage in several years - and was delighted that he now had new images of it, all of his own making. Not sure what his plans are now...

 

[Grenock]

Beautiful knife, Bob, I would love to have something like that one day.

 

[anton_anton]

wow ... very lovely!

 

[betzner]

Incidentally, did I mention that the owner (and dagger, of course) reside in Sweden?? Warenski daggers are sought the world over, as most collectors know.

 

[Durban Devil]

I enjoy looking at all of Buster Warenski's work and appreciate the details you added on what to look for in his pieces. Not that I'll be able to ever afford one. So instead, I try to get books that feature art knives, such as Dr. David Darom's,

 

[john april]

thanks for showing us

 

[PDQ knives]

Wow, that is an elegant knife! Perfect balance between ornaments and good taste.

 

[Lorien]

the man produced incredible work

 

[Bigfattyt]

Really special work to own.

 

[SharpByCoop]

Bob, thanks for this thread. Super!

Tell us about Buster's engraving and his distinctions from his 'student' Julie's engraving.

When did she begin doing his work?

I'm assuming this early piece above was Buster's work.

Good thread.

 

[betzner]

Hi Jim, so nice to hear from you! I don't get around the forums nearly to the same extent as was the case a few years back.

They were married in 1986. I am almost positive that Julie told me she began doing his engraving then, though perhaps not every piece. But she quickly picked it all up. As an aside, she also did some of Curt's work, too, up until 1990 I believe. Julie was, of course, an engraving student of Buster's prior to their marriage. In this case, I think the student mostly followed the master's style of engraving primarily because she was now engraving only Warenskis at the start and too much divergence from the master's style could have been problematic. But of course she developed her own style in time. Remember, she did the embellishment on the King Tut dagger - prior to 1990!

I kind of look at the period 1986 - 1990 as a time when one would not really know who of the two engraved a dagger, for instance, because of certain style similarities. But almost all later work was Julie's. The information I have received about this dagger puts it on Buster's table in 1990 and have no reason to doubt otherwise. But it has no engraver's mark, apparently. The style for a 1990 Warenski dagger vis a vis the engraving is initially led me to believe it was not by either of them but something from another engraver who didn't mark his/her work. Unmarked would usually mean of the two engraved it. But it is a style I have never seen on a Warenski dagger - yet it came from Buster's table.

I think I will call Julie or Curt and ask. And in so doing, I'll check to make sure my memory served me properly on what's been stated above. I should conclude by saying, as we all know, that Julie found her own "thing", becoming one of the great ones, and no slowing down and engraving in so many styles, as requested by what became a ton of makers, collectors, etc, all of whom had no problem with the year and a half waiting time. And so, so many folders of hers out there, really prolific.
.

 

[mknife]

thanks for sharing!

 

[betzner]

I kind of look at the period 1986 - 1990 as a time when one would not rCeally know who of the two engraved a dagger, for instance, because of certain style similarities. But almost all later work was Julie's. The information I have received about this dagger puts it on Buster's table in 1990 and have no reason to doubt otherwise. But it has no engraver's mark, apparently. The style for a 1990 Warenski dagger vis a vis the engraving is initially led me to believe it was not by either of them but something from another engraver who didn't mark his/her work. Unmarked would usually mean of the two engraved it. But it is a style I have never seen on a Warenski dagger - yet it came from Buster's table.

I think I will call Julie or Curt and ask. And in so doing, I'll check to make sure my memory served me properly on what's been stated above. I should conclude by saying, as we all know, that Julie found her own "thing", becoming one of the great ones, and no slowing down and engraving in so many styles, as requested by what became a ton of makers, collectors, etc, all of whom had no problem with the year and a half waiting time. And so, so many folders of hers out there, really prolific.

Coop, as indicated above, I went ahead and discussed this dagger over the phone with Curt, with Julie in the background also reviewing this thead for accuracy, and the images to document whether or not it was her work. While I stated above I had never seen this particular style of engraving from her, I stand corrected on thinking it was possibly another engraver. I also stand corrected that the flowers were overlaid. Julie Warenski-Erickson has confirmed that all of the embellishment on this dagger is hers, that the flowers and pommel work are not overlays but, instead, raised silver (most likely) engraving, with the collar treatment also most likely of silver - based on appearance and memory. She and Curt also reviewed the thread for accuracy and the only thing I would add, based on their comments, is that Julie may have done some of Buster's pieces prior to marriage, as well.

It sure was nice to touch base with them again after quite some time away from Blade Forums.

 

[SharpByCoop]

Well this is been an interesting thread by every measure. Glad you reconnected with Julie, and now I've learned more too.

I did not know that her work goes back this far but boy did she have talent right from the get-go.

Stay in touch. Thank you all!

 

[braillediver]

Thanks for sharing the photos and the information. That's a beautiful piece. Your explanation helps understand why.

 

[Bigfattyt]

My mother, on a trip down to Utah, some time ago, called me and asked me if I knew who some knife maker named Warenski. I said yes, and mentioned his status in the knife making world, and asked why?? She said the person she was visiting mentioned having "a collection" of his knives. And that if I was a collector or interested in knives in would likely know who Buster was..... I sent her a few photos of some of his high end pieces.

When my mom got home (about a month later) I asked her which friend or family member had the Buster Warenski knives. She has no recollection of the conversation!!!! Maddening!!! I've retried several times without luck!! We have family and friends all over Utah, and most of my family including my self wife, sisters and both parents have all lived there (or still do). So I've given up.....

 

[kotaka]

That Warenski was bought from Buster at the guild show in Orlando 1990. I did that representing the current owner

 

[Triton]

It's a beautiful piece no doubt about it. The owner now has it up for sale for 14.5k. I am curious and you folks may know what became of the legacy knives? With the passing of Mr. Lobred where does the King Tut dagger now reside? The Gem of the Orient? Fire and Ice? That aside is there some collection of Warenski images available somewhere?

 

[Richard338]

It's a beautiful piece no doubt about it. The owner now has it up for sale for 14.5k. I am curious and you folks may know what became of the legacy knives? With the passing of Mr. Lobred where does the King Tut dagger now reside? The Gem of the Orient? Fire and Ice? That aside is there some collection of Warenski images available somewhere?

I just searched Coop's gallery for Warenski and it pulled up 87 images... Might be some of interest to you.

 

[Triton]

I just searched Coop's gallery for Warenski and it pulled up 87 images... Might be some of interest to you.

Thanks for pointing that out, much appreciated. I had no idea how broad the scope of his work was. Everything from fantasy daggers to a sail hilt main gauche! What a talent.