The Handmade Holiday Craft Fair at 3rd Ward this weekend is going to be chock full of Brooklyn artists and crafters, so we interviewed two of the more unusual talents in attendance.

First though, a word about the fair’s particular charms. We’ll have free BB temporary tattoos and raffle bags from Spacecraft, Vine Wine and Brooklyn Kitchen. It’s a curated bunch of just 50 vendors so you can browse without feeling completely overwhelmed, but with a great variety of items, from jewelry to custom electronics. There will be plenty of snacks, baked goods from us, sweets from Nunu Chocolates and Brooklyn Cookie and Tom Mylan’s chili.

Joel Bukiewicz owns Cut Brooklyn where he makes amazingly beautiful handcrafted knives for home cooks and professionals alike. Jeff Thompson is an instructor at the 3rd Ward, as well as a musician and artist. He makes contact mics, thumb pianos and music, to name just a few of his many projects.

Joel Bukiewicz

How did you decide to start making knives?
Most knives, kitchen knives especially, are really pretty awful; I thought I might be able to do better.

What’s on your holiday wish list this year?
Junot Diaz, a digital microscope, a Buffalo Bills wild card berth.

What makes Brooklyn a good place to work as an artist (still)?
I can’t imagine a better place. You’re deep inside this thrumming megalopolis, but I wake up to birds; you can still find reasonably priced space to work, and the community is deep and full of energy; people are hungry and passion is endemic, and there’s a moral center too. I’ve never seen anything like it. I watch the sun set over the BQE and there’s nowhere I’d rather be. Seriously.

Best gift you’ve ever received?
Obama by 9 million votes.

If your work could be featured as a product placement in any TV or movie which would you choose?
Anything with zombies, or maybe some CGI historical revision that put my knives in Julia Child’s kitchen (hey film editors, who wants to make this happen? –ed.).

Jeff Thompson

How did you end up making custom electronics and instruments?
I am an artist, musician, teacher, instrument builder…I make lots of different things, though this year I’m selling hand-built contact mics and thumb pianos. I’m an instructor at 3rd Ward and these are two projects that started as projects in my own studio and have become parts of classes I teach.

What’s on your holiday wish list this year?
For me? A theremin kit, lots of books, and someone to complete my Deadwood collection. To give? Don’t tell them, but I’m making an end table for my folks.

What makes Brooklyn a good place to work as an artist (still)?
Actually, I my live/work space is in Queens. I help run an art space in Long Island City called the Texas Firehouse, and to watch places like ours along with 3rd Ward, NYC Resistor and Etsy building great spaces for people to make stuff and talk to each other is amazing and inspiring.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
Not fair, this is bound to make somebody mad.

If your work could be featured as a product placement in any TV or movie or used by a musician what would you choose?
How about a whole town playing thumb pianos at the same time? That’s more my style.

Sent by Annaliese. Photos courtesy of Joel and Jeff.