In January 2005 I received an invitation to take part in a competition for artistry in craftsmanship, within the framework of the Liliane Bettancourt Prize "For Deftness of Hand". This year the prize concentrated on metal-working crafts. Created in 1999, its aim is to encourage and make known professional craftsmen.

As the spirit of this knife corresponded exactly with the remit of the competition, I immediately thought of presenting my Prime Galaxie, a folding collapsible knife. It represents perfectly my concept of working with steel: workmanship in minute and calculated detail, used for a perfect assembly. It is thanks to these values that I originally conceived this totally collapsible knife: the Prime Galaxie. The quality of the finish inside the knife is easily appreciated in this piece, and I have equally worked to the same standard on the outside. In addition, with this knife, I have lifted the veil on the workings, by revealing a mechanism which is simple, refined but at the same time very tricky to achieve. I have presented it in a case along with its tools, aiming to imitate the prestigious English rifles, by picking up on the same feeling created by those luxurious weapons-cases of the 19th Century.
The competition required, apart from the piece itself, a dossier describing the artisan's professional motivation, inspiration and objectives. I spent a whole day with my friend and favourite photographer, Marc Mesplié, so that he could take high quality photos of the knife, and I handed over the care of putting together the dossier to Chantal. Chantal also created entirely by hand the casing and the scrimshaw signature plaque fixed to its cover.
First prize was awarded to Bernard Solon for a two-toothed Crouet. But this year, in addition to the main prize, the jury decided to reward the work of four other artisans by a "special prize". I had the honour to be chosen amongst these, and so will be attending the prize-giving ceremony which takes place in Paris on 11th October 2005. On this page of the website you will find photos of the prize-giving soon after our return. I am overjoyed and very proud to receive this prize in reward for my work and my passion for beautiful craftsmanship.

This reward coming at this time has also spurred me to create a new series of Prime Galaxie knives. This third series will be limited, as in previous series, to ten numbered examples, which I have chosen to make as total replicas of the piece presented for the competition.

Here are the characteristics of the knife and the contents of the casing:

• Prime Galaxie, folding collapsible knife.
• Length of knife open: 175mm
• Length of knife closed: 100mm
• Blade in ATS 34 steel, handle in stainless steel 416, inlays in tortoise-shell..
• Two screw-drivers in tempered steel 90 MV8, with handles in stainless steel 416 and decorated with tortoise-shell.
• Caliper in stainless steel 416 and decorated with tortoise-shell.

The whole presented in a casing entirely made by hand, signed "Bennica" in scrimshaw on the front cover.