MICHAEL JANKOWSKY
Michael Jankowsky comes from Berlin. That alone is nothing unusual. But Michael Jankowsky is a knifemaker. And precisely this passion of his can be seen in the knives of the now 43 year old. He crafts them in top-class quality and gives them a perfect finishing. He has very much his own style. Let us consider his favourites, his hunting knives. They all come as integrals or even as interframes. Precious materials decorate the handles, which are designed functionally, one could say almost ergonomically. Michael Jankowsky simply knows what really matters. If you hold one of his knives it immediately feels good. The balance makes an easy handling which is pure pleasure from the first moment.
As if that is not enough. Michael Jankowsky has his knives further upgraded with excellent engravings. This gives them a further attraction and emphasizes the elegance which is so typical for his knives. Delightful! His favourite engraver is the German artist Kati Mau. She has an extraordinary creativity and is perfect in surface engravings.
Asking Michael Jankowsky how he came to knife making, he answers with a smile:
´In the early days I became familiar with hunting tools through my father, the ranger Olgerd Jankowsky. At the same time, his different hunting knives wakened my particular interest, so as a young guy I began collecting antique and modern knives.
Later on, after I had finished my training as a cabinet-maker, the thought grew stronger to make a knife of my own one day. But many years passed on by. In 1997 the time had come, I started my first knife from ATS-34 by pure filing work. At first I tried to make ´new designs´ for different knife forms. All my sketches ended up time after time in one particular form. It is like your ´distinctive signature´ that you cannot change. This form proved to be an ideal combination of handiness and suitability for daily use and even so is still really elegant.
Nowadays I use to make half and full integral knives from powder steel (S90V, S60V, Elmax etc.) and stainless damascus. I strictly avoid making a knife twice or more often from the same template. Each of my knives is made as a sole authorship. A large number of my knives is decorated with excellent engravings at the customer´s wish.´
Michael Jankowsky received the BEST ART WORK AWARD at the IMA in Munich in 2001 for his Putten Hunter.
If you wish you can have a personal knife crafted by Michael Jankowsky. Just make a script of your ideas on paper or data carrier and send it to him by post, fax or email. Of course you can call him directly too. When he has received your data he makes a model first for ´first fitting´ so to speak. If this is what you had envisaged, he starts realizing your order. The delivery period is about a year.
The material for the covering on the handle can be selected from wood or horn, depending on use or taste. Desert ironwood, snake wood, amboina, thuja, premium stag and mammoth ivory can be selected. The scales are mounted with fibre inlays in red or black. Each knife receives a robust calf leather ´Lederhose´ that perfectly fits the knife. The sheath is of course sewn by hand with tearproof polyester thread. When it is finished it is impragnated with NIKWAX. At the customer´s wish the sheath can have certain accessories added.
If you would like to order a knife from Michael Jankowsky please send us an email to info@arscultri.com or contact Michael Jankowsky directly by phone or email. For any further information please refer to www.messerjankowsky.de .
Michael Jankowski is member of the DEUTSCHE MESSERMACHER GILDE.
