CAMDEN — Anton Jordan Good was born May 9, 1960 to Karen Jordan, an independent, courageous and dynamic young woman living in NYC. Karen was working on the lower East side, where she met the artist and future jewelry master Michael Good, whom she subsequently married and who adopted Anton officially in 1968.

The city was a chaotic place for Anton, whose dyslexia and early traumas were to affect him for the rest of his life. His family moved to Maine in 1968, living off the land in the quintessential “back to nature” lifestyle in Eastport – a challenge for Anton, who struggled with the loose academic structures of a community of “retired hippies” as he called them. He persevered and graduated from SHEAD high school in Eastport, where his guidance counselor suggested taking a four-credit welding class – setting in motion Anton’s path to becoming a master craftsman.

The welding skills enabled Anton to get a specialist job at Bath Iron Works, where he worked for a few years before moving to Camden in 1978. There he joined Michael and Karen, who had started their next venture, Michael Good Designs. Karen was now single-handedly managing the business, and Anton began learning metalsmithing, blacksmithing, and machining skills. He was an integral part of the family team, fabricating many of the specialized tools in his basement forge, and contributing to both the jewelry and sculpture produced at MGD, Inc. He continued for the rest of his life to run their machine shop, hand-forging many of the jeweler’s tools, and assisting in machine tool design and implementation.

Anton’s true passion was his fascination and dedication to creating exquisite knives, the inspiration from a life of working in and out of the food service industry. He spent time in Japan, where the culture and opportunity to sharpen katanas (Samuri swords) impacted him greatly. He began Jordan Knives in Camden, his own knife sharpening business, simultaneously taking workshops over the years and developing his craft with meticulous pinwork and gorgeous handle woods. 

Anton loved fishing and going camping at Baxter State Park, maintained a love of Anime and Japanese art and culture, was an avid reader, and loved being the surrogate parent of Michael’s dogs when he went away. He was a reticent soul, whose life revolved around his craft and the machinist world he inhabited. His devotion to his mother, Karen, was evident his entire life, and her death in 2015 was a devastating one, resulting in many challenges for him in trying to cope.  

He died at home November 19, 2023, surrounded by his devoted family, whose continued love and support of him over the years was essential to his being. If he could have articulated some last thoughts, they might have included: Take care of your health, appreciate those who care and support you, and do not hesitate to extend a helping hand and heart to those in need – you don’t know how much it matters.

Anton is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Gil and Ilanit Kleiman of Israel and their 3 children; his sister, Avi Good and husband Peter Beal; his nephew, Alaric; and his father, Michael Good, all of Camden.

Private family services were held in Dennysville.

Condolences may be shared at www.longfuneralhomecamden.com. Arrangements are with the Long Funeral Home, 9 Mountain Street, Camden.