WOLFGANG DELL
Wolfgang Dell's passion is distinctive. He doesn't only love knives, he also makes them. There are more or less those elegant knives which inspire him, particularly the bowies. Wolfgang Dell is born 1945, married for over 37 years and has two adult children. At first he studied textile business economics then he was being infected by the mysteries of the electronics and he finished his studies of the information technology. Eventually he made his way in the software industry where he worked for many years.
Wolfgang Dell needed a corresponding compensation for the intensive discussion with the IT again and again. He found and finds it in nature. "On the occasion of a paddle trip in Alaska I was looking for a fairly big knife preferably in the shape of a bowie. I was unable to find something reasonable. Therefore I made my own knife. It was big, it was heavy too, and I still like it today. The most important thing for me was that it completely met my requirements. After finishing that tour my shooting comrades wanted to see the knife. And all of a sudden I had to make additional six new knives.
When I was visiting the knife show ´Klinge 95´ in Echterdingen I was deeply impressed by most of the knives I saw there and I immediately wanted to cease my own knifemaking activities. However, I met Peter Herbst and Jockl Greiß on this event and when they saw my works they prompted me to continue. They suggested me to join the German Knifemakers Guild and I really felt honoured about that. It showed me anyway that my work could not have been as bad as I had felt it. Even further supporters were found: Fritz Schneider and Jean-Pierre Ganster. During the general meeting in October 1996 I was taken as a full member of the DMG. For two years I was a member of the quality and joining committee. I left the Guild in 2003. I could not continue to carry the motto of the DMG to be "a guarantor of quality" any more.
After I received the award "Best Hunting Knife 2000" in Lugano at the "Espolama 2000", an invitation followed from Francesco Pacchi and Alfredo Botecchia. Since November 2000 I am also a member of the Italian Knifemakers Guild Corporatione Italiana Coltellinai.
Since I made my first knife this "intensive hobby" has become an extent that I never had imagined. And according to the many domestic and international fairs I visited and the publications in various magazines more international knife collectors became aware of my work. Meanwhile my clients are international. I have customers in Australia, Mexico, the USA, Switzerland, France, Italy and of course in Germany who contributed to my growing success.
Unfortunately, a couple of mistaken surgeries in conjunction with various intervertebral disc degenerations made a cut to my life plans. But I carry on, no longer as intensive as before, but the joy of knifemaking has remained. This joy and satisfaction is particularly intensive when I get a positive response about my work from my customers.
I have chosen the hand of the Hopi as a logo for my knives. This indian ethnic sign symbolizes the peace and the source of all life, the water! It signalizes quietness and calmness for me and a deep connection to nature.
My philosophy is quite simple: Every new knife should get a little better than the previous one! But as this is so, no-one is perfect. I continuously try to improve my autodidactic skills in order to get closer to my sight of "perfect".
My own style´ I cannot really commit myself to a certain style. There are too many forms, materials, ideas and impressions which have an influence on me. I just always make what I like. I get inspirations from colleagues and artists who are around classes better than me. As one can easily read from my previous works, I love particularly the American "Bowie Knife". Numerous visits in the USA have certainly affected this preference. And inevitably during my now over 30-year old hobby of collecting old American firearms I also came in touch with the Bowie knives used in the sapper time.
Well, I just like elegant knives, no matter whether great, small, interframe, integral or however made. At present I am mainly crafting integral knives. I love clear lines in combination with precious materials. My preferred steels are RWL 34, Elmax Superclean, S90V, 1.2379 (D 2), 4192 (special alloying), damascus and individual damascus of various excellent damascus smiths. The favorite materials for the scales are natural materials, e.g. desert ironwood or other precious woods with "dramatic" grains, ancient mammoth ivory and walrus tooth, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl."
Wolfgang Dell is pleased to accept orders directly from customers. He enjoys developing any ideas together with them and then realizing them. The prices for his knives start around 500,-- EUR however, there is almost no upper limit. At present the waiting time lies between six and twelve months.
If you would like to order a knife from Wolfgang Dell please send us an email to info@arscultri.com or contact him directly under wolfgang@dell-knives.de . For any further information please refer to www.dell-knives.de or
Wolfgang Dell ´ Am Alten Berg 9 ´ 73277 Owen-Teck ´ fon/fax: 07021-81802
e-mail: wolfgang@dell-knives.de ´ url: www.dell-knives.de
Wolfgang Dell is a member of the CORPORATIONE ITALIANA COLTELLINAI.
