I've been reading the KNIVES annual books for 30 years, and this has to be the best edition yet. That's saying a lot considering none other than Ken Warner penned the first 20 editions or so.
First off, the writing is fantastic, and the authors of the feature articles--Roger Pinnock, Michael Janich, Roderick T. Halvorsen, James Morgan Ayres, Don Guild, Durwood Hollis, Mike Haskew and William Hovey Smith--are some of the best in the business. An entire showcase of San Francisco knives is breathtaking, the "Best Wedge In The Business" article about Brent Beshara's blade style is intriguing and new, yes new!, in knives. There is some spectacular scrimshaw, and an informative, well-researched article on friction forging, yet another new process.
The annual Trends and State of the Art sections get better every year. And of course the thorough directory of Custom Knifemakers, including contact information, their specialties, types of knives they make, steels they use, processes and tang stamps, rounds out the book nicely.
It sounds cliché, but if ever there was a must-have book on custom knives, this is definitely it.
Jeffrey Henderson