Piet Grey completed his first knife in 1969, at a time when there was little
knowledge of custom knifemaking anywhere in the world, and virtually no
exchange of ideas and materials. One Highveld summer morning in 1970 during
a free period in his schools metalwork centre Piet got a clear and brilliant
mental picture of a knife and two minutes later the iconic BUSH KING was
born as a 2B pencil sketch on paper. Such was the clarity of his vision that
no changes were ever made to the original design, which still hangs, along
with the templates, in Piet's workshop over forty years later.
It is therefore fitting that this quintessential South African knife design should
serve as the logo for the first South African knife discussion forum.
At the time knifemaking was a relatively unknown art in South Africa and
Piet took it upon himself to promote knifemaking during its formative years,
featuring in magazine articles, and unearthing new knifemaking craftsmen.
Together with a handful of other South African makers, he founded the
Knifemakers' Guild of Southern Africa in 1980. Today he still makes
selective knives with an emphasis on superior quality.
Hilton Purvis
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