Stefan's Stefan Keller's Knife Collection Sale

Japanese Knives - by Tokushu Knife
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Damn!!

I never had any interactions with Stefan but it was hard to miss his presence on the forum. What I remember most was him discussing his career/job search troubles. It sounded like some rough sledding and my heart went out to him. I hope he is at rest now and his family are hanging in there 🙏
 
Dave you're the perfect steward for this job.

Stefan and I once conversed how the shop was a place to escape the absolute bizarreness of the world (I believe he was between moves, and hadn't been able to do much handle work). Just to be alone with your thoughts; in peace.

This world is more bizarre than ever. I am sure he is in a better place, hopefully with a nice peaceful shop.
 
Very sad to hear this and will forever treasure the three handles I got from him.

Rest in peace, Stefan and condolences to his family and friends. 🙏
 
I am deeply touched reading all this... My sincere condolences to Stefan‘s family.

I have only good memories when thinking of Stefan. His devotion will be missed.

I have yet to find blades for these 2 handles made by Stefan:

39343152ko.jpeg


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I can’t find words now...
 
Dave Martell said:
Manuel, those two handles are great examples of Stefan's work.
Click to expand...
Dave, I know... I have yet to find blades which are worth those handles... Stefan‘s work is outstanding, and I truly believe that these handles need a very special blade, nothing common... Stefan was a great, great guy with a very big heart, and I wish I knew which blades to put these handles on... Top one is natural Koa, bottom one stabilized Koa.
 
daddy yo yo said:
Dave, I know... I have yet to find blades which are worth those handles... Stefan‘s work is outstanding, and I truly believe that these handles need a very special blade, nothing common... Stefan was a great, great guy with a very big heart, and I wish I knew which blades to put these handles on... Top one is natural Koa, bottom one stabilized Koa.
Click to expand...
I could see the top on a Jiro gyuto and the bottom on a Shig Kitaeji gyuto or that Doi yanagiba that is on BST with the lovely dragon.
 
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I've got the next 6 knives lined up and ready but it's going to be a few days before I have the time to take pics and list them so you can relax on your page refreshing for now. :D

PS - you can always use alerts if you don't want to keep checking in. Upper right hand corner there's a "Watch" button - click - then click on the appropriate notification method and then click on the "Watch" button.
 
Don’t know how I completely missed this.

Sad sad news. As a fellow German in the US I connected with Stefan when he moved East from Hawaii. A very genuine person who willingly opened up to a stranger he met online, about life, passions and personal demons.

We had a meeting set up in Philly to talk food and knives, but then life got in the way and we left the states.

i’m not a religious person, but I hope he’s in a better place.

would love to buy one of his knives as a memory
 
Update...
I had to slow my roll on selling Stefan's knives because some of his long time friends contacted us with requests to purchase knives for themselves and this led to all sorts of situations/discussions that are fortunately taken care of for now. So, I'll have more of Stefan's knives listed for sale in the next coming weeks. See you then! :)
 
Among Stefan's knife collection that he left with me to sell, are many incomplete handles in varying forms. Both Diane (the executor of Stefan's estate) and myself had been contacted by several of Stefan's close friends and family who wished to have either a knife of his or a handle to remember him by. Upon inspection, I was able to find/identify 13 handles that were finished to the point that they were good enough to be installed on knives. The handles are likely seconds as they each have slight things that I know Stefan would've found as below his standards but yet very nice none the less and I'm sure that he would have given these away to friends/family as gifts since that was common for him to do. We, Dianne and myself, put together a plan to give these handles away to this group but to add in the opportunity to not just have a handle but to also have a handle attached to a blade making a working memorial to their friend/loved one that they could cherish with use for years to come.

Below you'll see two of these handles attached to brand new Japanese knives. The knives are a 270mm Sukenari Ginsanko San Mai gyuto with a maple burl and buffalo horn handle and a 150mm Tanaka Blue#2 Nashiji stainless clad petty with a spalted (something?) wood and buffalo horn handle. Both knives came from Knives and Stones.

StefanKellerhandles1.JPG
StefanKellerhandles2.JPG
 
Just before Stefan flew to Germany we met to finalize everything. That day he was looking to gift a knife from his collection to his executor Diane but there were so few that would suit her (size wise) that also had a handle that he had made mounted on them. The only combo that we could come up to make up a knife for her was a small western handled Hiromoto AS gyuto and a handle he was saving for another project. Even though Stefan knew that these two would pair up well he didn't want to ask me to put the handle onto this knife because he knew the amount of work required would be way more than a simple handle install, he grumbled about it a bit and sighed. I told him not to worry about it and that I'd take care of it, was the least I could do for these two good friends.

So what I did was to grind down the bolster to convert it a wa configuration and refinish the blade which was a good thing since it needed it as Stefan had thinned it using stones! :D

The handle (killer koa and streaked buffalo horn) is a fairly rare shape for Stefan as the ferrule is tapered on the sides which works great for this small thin knife.

Here it is, sucky picture I know, but you get the drift....

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