It is likely that a knife was the first man-made tool, and certainly it was the most important for primitive man. It became the heart of every stage of civilization, evolving through the Stone Age, and the "ages" of bronze, iron and steel, finally becoming more than a tool -- a true collector's object of artisanal beauty. Knifemaking has benefited through the use of old and new materials, and new techniques that combine traditional metallurgy with advanced technology and aeronautical craftsmanship, using metal powders. Most of all, thanks to a new generation of cutlers from every continent, artisans, artists, designers and crafters have made a wild variety of beautiful knives that are beyond most people's standard idea of a plain cutting tool. Of Knives and Men is a superb display of the world's foremost contemporary knifecrafters. The 46 artisans and their works selected for this book are, to our eyes, the most representative of the last 30 years. Each has their own style and character, mixed with utility and the knifemaking tradition of their home country and culture. Others are quite startling in their inventiveness: a simple steel knife with a handle made from a fox's lower jaw (Mickaël Moing, France); Damascus steel blade and a fossilized mammoth ivory handle (Pekka Tuominen, Finland); stainless steel blade with an ironwood handle encrusted with mother of pearl and precious stones (Harumi Hirayama, Japan);