Great friends to the knife community, Hughes, Klotzli and Rexroat leave a hole publishing, sales and knifemaking.
The knife community lost three great friends with the recent passing of Carolyn Ann Hughes, H.P. Klotzli and Kirk Rexroat, all three of whom were extremely well liked and well respected within the knife fraternity.
Widow of BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member B. R. Hughes, Carolyn served as editor of The ABS Journal, the official publication of the American Bladesmith Society, for many years. She won several ABS honors, including the Margaret Moran Silver Slipper Award. Inseparable at various ABS and other knife events, Carolyn and B. R. helped lead the Society for almost 60 years, as B. R. was one of the four original ABS founding members. He passed away September 17 and Carolyn joined him on February 22. She was 86.
For many years H.P. Klotzli was the headman of Klotzli Messerschmiede of Switzerland, a wholesaler/distributor of Spyderco, CRKT, M-Tech and Fallkniven knives, as well as hi-tech knives made in Switzerland, scissors and more. He took over the business from his parents in 1972 and ran it until 2019. He was among the first to use carbon fiber for factory knife handles, including on a linerlock folder based on a design by Cutlery Hall-of-Famer Michael Walker. H.P. worked on several other custom and factory collaborations as well.
An ABS master smith, Kirk E. Rexroat forged fixed blades and folders part time out of his shop in Banner, Wyoming. He made his first knife in 1981 and did his own engraving. His stag-handle/damascus Rendezvous Bowie was the cover knife for the May 1999 BLADE®. He also designed and built knife prototypes for Al Mar Knives, one of which, the Havana Clipper, was the BLADE Magazine 1998 Most Innovative Imported Design. He passed away February 27 at the age of 67.
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