About About Ray Rybar
Ray has been forging steel for over forty years. He has been smelting his own iron and steel for over twenty years. He has been collecting and smelting his own copper and silver ore for more than ten years.
Ray is one of less than two hundred Master Smiths registered worldwide by the American Bladesmith Society. The American Bladesmith Society is the accepted world standard for forging excellence. Queen Elizabeth’s armorer, James Jackson, came to the United States in 2001 to test for the coveted American Bladesmith Master Stamp. Both Mr. Jackson and Ray Rybar were successful that year.
Ray’s work is collected not only domestically, but also worldwide. He has been the recipient of Best Art Knife Award at the BLADE Show International Cutlery Exposition once and recipient of the Best Damascus Award twice. He was honored with the prestigious Moran Award in 2015. Ray has received many other awards, which are too numerous to mention.
Ray is also an accomplished teacher and has taught classes at Touchstone Center for the Crafts in Pennsylvania, the Bill Moran School for Bladesmithing in Arkansas, The Tannehill Ironworks in Alabama, Pieh Tool Company in Arizona and one on one classes in his own shop located in Camp Verde Arizona.
His work can be seen published between the covers of Art of the Knife by Joe Kertzman and Spirit of the Sword by Steve Shackelford as well as numerous monthly publications.
Artist’s Statement
As an Artist blacksmith, I direct my primary effort to cutlery but not exclusively. I am most known for bold Damascus patterns, and more recently, near impossibly intricate mosaics.
The Inspiration for my most sought after works comes from scripture and is centered on Biblical themes. I conduct my business under the premise that if art is your master, it will become your idol. If it is your servant, it will become your ministry.
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Eligibility
Prize winners in the 2023 Ultimate Steel Knifemaker Donor Drawing must have donated a knife with a “Retail Value” of at least $500 to Knife Rights, Inc. (“KR”) during the eligibility period.
Rules:
Offer void where prohibited. Knife Rights, Inc., is a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt corporation. Contributions to KR may be deductible as a business expense, but are not tax deductible as a charitable donation because of its political and legislative advocacy. Contact your tax advisor for guidance.
- For EACH donation worth at least $500 you get one entry
- For EACH donation worth at least $750 you get two entries
- For EACH donation worth at least $1000 you get three entries
- For EACH donation worth at least $1500 you get four entries
Engravers also get a chance to win if they have donated their engraving on a knife.
No more than one (1) prize will be awarded to any one person in the 2023 Ultimate Steel Knifemaker Donor Drawing.
Some prizes are subject to additional limitation(s) that is/are included in prize description and by selection of such a prize the winner automatically accepts and is bound by the stated limitation(s) and rules regarding selection and delivery as if the limitation(s) was/were included herein. Claim to prizes is not transferable without the express written permission of KR and the prize donor. No prize may be sold under any circumstances.
The odds of winning vary based on the number of donations and value of the donations. Winners will be drawn on or after July 31, 2023. Winners drawn will have first choice of prizes available after any prior winner(s) have selected, in the order in which such winners were drawn (“Winner’s Choice”). Accordingly, the final posting of winners may take up to 60 days post drawing.
Some prizes my require Winner to pay for the cost of shipping the prize, which will be disclosed on the prize listing. If winner declines signature required delivery, they accept all risk for non-delivery regardless of cause. If delivery is not completed on original shipment, regardless of fault, winner is responsible for any re-delivery charges. Winners are hereby warned not to sign for delivery without the package in hand and undamaged. Winners who do not respond to a delivery notice, regardless of reason, are responsible for any re-delivery charges.
KR or prize donor is not responsible for lost, damaged, stolen or undelivered prizes, regardless of cause, and winners agree to look solely to insurance provided by prize donor’s chosen shipping provider with regard to same.
KR will attempt to notify all Winner’s Choice winners using the contact information supplied when their knife donation is received. It is donor’s responsibility to notify KR of any change in contact information. Any prize not claimed by a Winner’s Choice winner within 48 hours from KR’s first attempt to notify the winner will be forfeited and all other winners drawn will move up one place in priority. If a Winner’s Choice winner that does not respond within the 48 hours later contacts KR, they will be offered the choice of prizes then currently available if within the Winner’s Choice draws, if any, after the current notified winner selects a prize. Otherwise, prize will be forfeit. All entries and donations are non-refundable and will become the sole property of KR once submitted. Acceptance of a prize constitutes winners’ permission for KR to use winner’s name and likeness for KR promotional purposes without additional consideration.
KR is not responsible for delivery of any prize, including any instruction/shop time prizes. There is no cash substitution for any prizes. Winner and Prize Donor are solely responsibly for arrangements for delivery of prize, including of instruction.
Winners Choice winners will be notified using the contact information supplied and informed how to claim prizes. KR shall not be liable for failure of notification arising from incorrect or illegible contact information supplied, or email or voice mail induced failures, or failure of entrants to respond to communications (or failure of KR to actually receive such responses regardless of cause) within 48 hours of KR’s first attempt to notify the winners. KR’s obligation is limited to making good faith efforts to notify winners. Once all winners are drawn and notified, names of winners (given name and surname initial.) will be posted at the Knife Rights Ultimate Steel Knifemaker Donor web site: https://kniferights.org/ultimatesteel/2023-us-knifemaker-donors/
All prize winners are subject to applicable drawing procedures, restrictions, rules, directives, applicable laws and regulations, and are solely responsible for all applicable taxes, fees, assessments and charges relating to the prizes. Your participation in this fundraiser (including without limitation the act of submitting a donation and/or winning a prize) signifies and is conditioned upon your acknowledgement, agreement, covenant, representation and warranty to KR, based on good and valuable consideration, receipt of which you acknowledge, that (i) KR, its officers, directors, affiliates, professionals, personnel, representatives and members, together with Prize Donor(s), its(their) officers, directors, affiliates, professionals, personnel and representatives (collectively, “KR Affiliates”) shall have no liability whatsoever in connection with this fundraiser, the prizes (or their acceptance, possession, use, or misuse), or anything arising out of or relating thereto; (ii) you waive and release any and all claims you may now or ever have against KR Affiliates; and (iii) you will not make any claims against KR affiliates and shall be estopped from so doing.
KR makes no claim regarding the actual value of any prize and is not responsible for the accuracy of any “Retail Value” provided by prize donors. KR does not guarantee the accuracy of the prize descriptions published. Prizes are in as-is condition. KR makes no warranty as to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, suitability or condition of the prizes.
Prizes subject to change without notice. KR is not responsible for the failure of any prize donor to fulfill the obligation to deliver the prize they pledged.
