Barlow

Osborne, Warren

A native of Australia, Osborne moved to Texas, where he resided in Waxahachie for many years. He was a full-time knifemaker and sold his first custom knife in 1980. "From early childhood, knives or anything with a blade, were of great interest to me. Consequently, knives of all shapes and sizes were made from crosscut saws, chainsaw bars, galvanized steel stays from telephone poles and any other piece of steel found laying around. Bladed weapons were a family thing, so between three brothers an myself, we had quite a collection. Later on during my work as a ranch hand in Australia and as a horse trainer in the U.S., sharpening and making knives was a spare-time thing. At this point my knives were made exclusively, using a file and an electric drill. Time was cheap and so were the files. After a year of full-time knifemaking, I finally joined the Guild as a probationary member in 1985. Becoming a full time maker was a big transition requiring more production and yet higher standards and quality. Quality has always been the motivation for me, bringing tight tolerances and fine hand finishes into one complete package. Back then it was 600 grit satin finish. Right now I am achieving between 2,000 and 3,000 grit hand rubbed finishes. I hand worked my knives then and still do." Warren passed away in 2016.