Gilbert, AZ –-(Ammoland.com)- Knifemaker and longtime Knife Rights supporter Joe Kious died Friday, December 5th 2014, as a result of an auto accident.
Joe was an extraordinarily talented and passionate knifemaker, but more importantly, he was an extraordinary person. His smile was contagious.
Knife Rights is proud to have had his generous support over the years.
We offer our sympathies to his family and all who were privileged to know him. May your memories of Joe be a blessing.
About:
Knife Rights (www.KnifeRights.org) is America’s Grassroots Knife Owners Organization, working towards a Sharper Future for all knife owners. Knife Rights is dedicated to providing knife owners an effective voice in public policy. Become a Knife Rights member and make a contribution to support the fight for your knife rights. Visit www.kniferights.org
My brother-in-law and I spent many a Sunday afternoon, shooting paper targets at Joe’s range there south of Alamo and shot many a dove out north of Edinburg. He was a great fellow and a good friend. I am glad he made it back to the Hill Country to enjoy many years before his death. As a proud owner of one of his knives, my sincere condolences to his family.
Found a booklet in my attic for Kious Knives. In the front of the book it has a picture of Joe Kious and the first paragraph states he is 33 years old. In the booklet their is the second sheet of an order form and pricing sheet. Given his birth date and age in the pamphlet it is from around 1978. If anyone knows how to contact his family to see if they are interested in getting this please have them contact me so I may send it to them. Now I would like to share the oddity of finding… Read more »
I KNEW JOE AT THE MERCEDES TX AIRPORT WHERE THE NOLENS MADE KNIVES BEFORE COLO. NOLEN TAUGHT JOE THE FUNDIMENTALS, AND SAID THAT JOES FIRST KNIFE WAS BETTER THAN ANY HE EVER MADE. LATER AT ALAMO I GOT A COUPLE OF HIS KNIVES, THEY WERE FINELY MADE. JOE TOLD ME HE JUST WANTED TO STRIVE TO BE ONE OF THE TEN BEST AND I THINK HE OUTDID THIS LIST. I REMEMBER HE WENT TO AFRICA AND KILLED ALL HE WANTED WITH A 7MM O8 THAT HE MADE THE STOCK FOR. IT TOO WAS A FINE RIFLE. THE KNIFE WORLD HAS… Read more »
Shocking and too sad. Joe and I were in the same little South Texas grammar school and high school. I used to trade with him for tops, toy boat motors and models, etc. He was a great boy and young man and was without competition from earliest days with anything to do with hand work. Joe could make better leather crafts, better clothes pin shooters, better leather weaving, shoot marbles better or split tops better than any of the rest of us by far. Really sad to read about his passing. Never touched bases with him since the 1960s, but… Read more »
The Kious family lived six blocks away…I went to school with Joe’s youngest sister from kinder on. Joe was my freshman English teacher. He was a quiet easy going teacher, we still gave him a lot of trouble…hometown boy and all. Our children were the same age and went to the same Christian school. Lots of fund raisers and and social events. Shared a coffin on Halloween with Joe dressed as Draculas. Learned to bed rifles and gained the courage to build knives from Joe. Joe was a person to aspire to. He was a kind and sharing gentleman…most of… Read more »
Joe was an instant friend of mine from the first time I bought one of his knives in 2001 from his table at the GUN SHOW in Atlanta. From then on we went to dinner at least one night no matter where the next show was .I really got to know him through the years . I would bring him coffee , relieve him at his table , and have a toast or two after each day . I would usually bring the toast because I drove down only 140 miles. We were supposed to go dove hunting together in… Read more »
Mr. Kious was one of my high school teachers in Weslaco, Texas in the 1970’s. He was the only teacher who ever made me feel like my life mattered and that I was important. He was a gentle, soft-spoken, and kind man who made learning fun. Thank you for making a young girl who was different feel like she really wasn’t. His passion for his craft of knife-making was obvious and he often shared his passion by showing us some of his wares at school. I am proud to say that I knew this man before he was so famous… Read more »
We’ve lost one of the best, a knifemaker of unparalleled skill who always had time to talk and make people feel comfortable. He’s a man who will always be remembered and respected.
Joe Kious was a great knifemaker, and a great man.
My condolences to his family.
We definitely lost one of the greats on dec. 5th.