Allen Blade, MEUK, and my thoughts...

Marion David Poff

Marion David Poff

Joined
Oct 8, 1998
Messages
5,403
There are a couple of guidelines by which I like to live my life.

1) I forgive people for their errors. Because I know that people make errors, errors are intrinsic to being human.

For instance,

Spark was fired from his last job with a bulletin board known as KnifeForums, if he had been judged for that maybe we would not have his excellent technical work or unique perspective. Snickersnee has admitted that in his past he has been in jail and an illicit street fighter, we do not ban him access or tell him to watch himself. I once stole a cuff link from my uncle, I was 8. I am a Senior Member. Who else on our site has a past, which one of us is perfect?

But Allen Blade, he's a real menace, we ban him from posting, vilify his name, and ban his stepson all based on a reputation that most of us know nothing about. The fact is that he has created some enemies, and he did so through mistakes, which he admits to. Strangely enough, his mistakes have in no real way affected any of us to my knowledge.

I know Allen Blade personally, have done business with him multiple times and can attest to his being a phenomenal craftsman. I held the MEUK prototype and it is a dream, beautiful work. If this guy had not made enemies, he would be a legend.

This is what I would like to see. I would like Allen Blade to create a profile on this board with his real name. Thus all you who have issues with him, who think he is a bad man, can watch him carefully. It is my hope that the Mike and Spark will allow him to do so. Quite frankly I doubt he will be seen much since he is pretty busy grinding knives for companies which we ooh and ahh over.

I challenge all of the members, and especially the ones who have had bad words for Allen Blade, to look past their preconceptions and prejudices and see the man.

Allen Blade is a craftsman extraordinaire, his knives and kydex are of the highest quality, despite all our bad opinions and rude behaviour he supports his family as the sole provider by doing what he does best, making knives and crafting kydex products. It has been my pleasure to know him, and own his work.

I personally anxiously awaiting the return of his Street Scalpels, his Utility design, the Talonite work for his step-son Kris Foley of MEUK, and other projects that he has showed me. His version of the CISO Recon is amazing, a pure fighter beyond belief. And best of all you will find his work to be very inexpensive.

And in the end, that is what this site is about, knives.


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Marion David Poff aka Eye, one can msg me at mdpoff@hotmail.com If I fail to check back with this thread and you want some info, email me.

My site is at: http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Meadows/1770 Including my review of the Kasper AFCK, thougths on the AFCK and interview of Bob Kasper.

"We will either find a way, or make one." Hannibal, 210 B.C.


 
Thanks for your words Eye.

I am in a very tough position. I do not want to squash the hopes and dreams of a 17 year on entrepreneur. I at the same time want to protect the members here from a repeat of Allen's past. Kris should not be judged by the actions of his father. Heck if I was judged in such a manner I would not be allowed to post on this forum.

The simple fact is that all of the information which was given to me was a lie and at best misleading. This is not a good thing to do nor a good way to start a business.

I talked to Kris and yesterday I talked to Allen himself. Every issue has two sides and regardless of my thoughts, or the thoughts of others, I have to do what I feel is the right thing.

Here is what I feel is the right thing. The following are the ground rules for Kris and Allen. Should they waiver from these rules they will be banned forever as I do not have the time for this stuff.

Kris nor Allen is no longer banned.

Should either wish to post in any forum other than the for sale area they must post under their REAL name.

Allen can use his Allen Blade name even though that is not his real name.

I will not allow him to post on my forum any item for sale until that item is ready to ship. In other words no solicitations for deposits regardless of where the deposit goes.

If I smell the first sign of BS I will lock down their privileges.

Spark and I do not have the time to baby sit 2 members to make sure they are doing everything right. I know the word baby sit is harsh but I can not think of a easy term to use at the moment which conveys my thoughts.

Also keep in mind folks I know both sides of the issue and I have done a back ground investigation on Allen Blade. I will not go into any detail on the investigation but my reasons for doing the above are sound.

Be careful in doing business with anyone under 18 period. That is just good business sense. Go back and read my facts on the other thread I locked to see my other advice which is very valid in this case.

Kris,
Good luck with you new venture as I told you on the phone. I am not trying to hurt your new company in any way. The advice I gave you is good advice. Take it and use it.

Allen,
Take care of your past and follow the advice I gave you. Don't screw up any more! You don't need to as your talent is well known. You sell everything you make so make a bunch and pay those people back.

Now let's get this issue behind us and out of the way.



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Best Regards,
Mike Turber
BladeForums Site Owner and Administrator
Do it! Do it right! Do it right NOW!
www.wowinc.com
www.gigandknives.com
www.macedirect.com
www.dragon-forge.com
The above sites are pure shamless plugs!
 
Mike, considering that this forum is yours, and you pay for its' upkeep, and that you have had serious problems with Allen, I think that you have been very magnanimous and forgiving.

MDP; considering that you have been banned from more forums than I have, I respect your comments and request for a reconsideration of the situation, which Mike has addressed in a manner which I feel must be satisfying for you. Thanks for your help in resolving this thorny problem.

Allen; I wish you luck in making knives. I do think, however, that a little more imagination on your part regarding design is indicated. At least one of your designs appears to me to be a clear knock-off of a Mad Dog Pygmy ATAK. Surely, you can come up with a fresher, more original design.

Walt
 

Good words, Mike, and better advice.

I hope it's all heard and heeded, and hope we have the opportunity to see a good blade maker prosper, and a younger one bloom.

Thanks for inviting us all into your house, Mike
smile.gif



Nick
 
I must say that after reading some of the posts yesterday, even though I did not know any of the details, I was put off by Mike's reaction.
But, after reading the above, it appears that has been more than fair, and patient. He has also shown alot of class and that is one of the reasons I spend so much time on this Forum. Kudo's to you Mr. Turber. And peace to everyone involved!

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"May you live in interesting times"

AKTI - A000389


 
Mike, that's the right set of steps.

Marion, for the record Kris wasn't banned over the actions of Allan Blade. Mike banned him when he found a post pointed out by Ewok wherein somebody used the "TooAPoint" Bladeforums account to sign a post "James somethingorother". I don't think Kris meant any harm by it, it was a typical "kid's mistake" I assume he'll learn from. It would appear he was trying to do "market research", trying to figure out just what kind of rep Allan Blade has...so he posed as a total newbie. There didn't seem to be any harmful intent in it.

I too hope Allan can learn from all this and just forget he ever knew Mad Dog. No more MD clones, no more crazy posts to the MD forum, etc. He should either stick to totally new designs or go have fun copying stuff so old it's in the public domain...go see the details I went into on that in the last, locked thread on the main forum. If he does one at a good price, I'd love to buy a Kerampit in modern steel and Micarta, and there's no WAY he can even unknowingly incorporate Doggish engineering in a Kerampit (sometimes spelled "Korambit"). The Kris Cutlery site has good pics of one, the design is OLD, copy away.

Anyways...good luck to both of 'em, especially Kris. They'll both stand or fall on their own reputations and on their own names regardless of what anybody else does, that's true of ALL of us.

Jim March
 
I've been waiting for a thread that wasn't locked before I saw it in order to correct a bit of misinformation that's been posted in other threads. "Allen Blade's" knives, despite being advertised as "just like Mad Dog's" in fact bear little resemblance to them. There is a resemblance in the appearance of the handles (though by all reports that's only appearance and ergonomics are not very similar) but the choil is completely different -- Mad Dog does not do a plunge cut to make a stress riser right across the blade; compare the pics of "Allen Blade's" knives with pics of Mad Dog's -- and "Allen Blade" uses a different handle material, a different steel, and does not do a differential temper.

In short, they are just like Mad Dog knives except that they're made of different materials, with different processes, and to a different design.... The only resemblance is in appearance.

-Cougar Allen :{)
 
Hello members ;


Thank you Marion David Poth for the Kind Words for my Work and Me.

Blade Forum Administrators i thank you for the opportunity to Post on your Forum, and i will abide by your Rules set forth in the above post.

Kris my Stepson will respond on his own when he returns from his mini halloween vacation with his Dad.

I also wish to apologize to any and everyone i may of upset with my Design i made for my Stepsons KNIFE buisness he opened. I will make sure there are no other Design conflicts on all future work i do, as
per everyones advice.

My Jim March your Advice is well taken
and appreciated. Kerambit Hey? never know,
i might have to try one of those.

Finally again i wish to thank Mike Turber and Kevin Schlossberg for the opportunity to Talk about Knives and such on there Forum.

Thanks again to All,

Allen Blade
 
these threads have been interesting reading. I personally am not aware of the past problems of Allen Blade but I keep hearing references to Mad Dog. If memory serves me, Mad Dog didnt have such a good reputation either in regards to not filling orders for the ATAK but having them available at shows for purchase. Is this what is being refferred to?

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lifter
Phil. 4:13

 
Hello,

I think my Past was different , i had some family Problems and left for about a week period , and in doing so let a few people who had faith in me down , for which i regret. I well have everyone concerned Caught up by Christmas this year.

For the Record concerning MAD DOG knives,
Yes I worked with Kevin, and my Family and i
lived with kevin and his family in California
Prior to the Navy Contract for the SEALS, yes i was there when the Sole Sourse contract came over the Fax, so this i know is fact. Kevin and I had some Personality conflicts and Different ideas on certain areas. So I left.

I have emailed Kevin in the past and Apologized for any thing i said about himself or family. I wish him the best,
even though i disagree with his Ideas on a few points. And the way our buisness Relationship ended.

As MR March put it , its time to get over it and move on.

I hope this helps.

Allen Blade
 
Hello,

Also to clear up my Name Thing.

Yes i am Legally ALLEN BLADE, I changed my name approximatley 7 yrs ago. All my Legal papers, SSI, Drivers licence, Birth certificate, Ect.. reflect this.

I was Born as Scott Allen Fowler, i decided
to change my name due to the fact that my sister and i were basically abandoned by my Father. and i no longer whished to carry his name. And i was just a few years into Knifemaking so i figured Using my Legal middle name as my first name , and BLADE as my last name would be fitting.

Anyway there`s the NAME history in a nutshell,

Allen Blade
 
Allan, that's just one example of an "old but cool design". There's lots more. Heck, make a Khukuri or two, although I wouldn't recommend Talonite for 'em. Or do Japanese types. Whatever. Do some "ancient designs of the world" for a while, whatever you're into, it'll "direct you away from Doggish elements" you may not even intend. Sorry dude, but you've had "Dog on the brain" for a while now
smile.gif
. Look at what Bill Bagwell did with circa-1845 Bowies...sold a pile of the handmades at Panther prices, then sold the design to Ontario and he's cleaning up. You've GOT the skill to do the same, and a fighter that's smaller than a Bowie could be a winner...which leads back to the Kerampit
smile.gif
.

OK, one more bit of advice: at some point, you (or you and Kris) need to hook up with a dealer with a really good rep. You send him pieces, and then it's got to be somebody you trust to send you cash, either up-front or on consignment. James Mattis comes immediately to mind. If James is holding one of your pieces and he tells me it's good stuff and posts a pic, I as a customer have ZERO problems buying it and knowing everything's cool, if it's a type I like of course. Because I in turn trust his evaluations of the pieces...I wouldn't trust just any dealer on that. For the moment, that's the only way I'll deal with you - where your rep goes from here is up to you. James isn't the only dealer with a top rep, but he's an example of who you need to hook up with - small-scale, Internet-savvy and very honest. There's no business risk to anybody that way, nobody can possibly get screwed, all is cool. The only complication is the price of Talonite; if you started with pieces in a decent steel and had lower materials costs you could maybe afford to do consignment...at the very least, you could build pieces and sell them to a dealer for cash the moment he gets 'em and approves the shipment. Either way, it's totally screw-proof for both dealer and customer.

The arrangement with Rob Simonich, as I understand it, doesn't pass the "screw-proof test"...if I'm wrong somehow, please correct me. That was part of what bothered Mike Turber and I, I think.

You do biz in a solid screw-proof fashion for a bit, build up your rep, no more harassing the Dog, you'll do fine. If Kris is involved now or in the future, cool. Unfortunately, Kris being underage he can't yet act as the "trusted escrow" fully. Sorry Kris, but USofA contract law is pretty clear - if you take my cash and don't ship me a knife, I cannot enforce the contract in any way...it's as if you're operating in Chapter 11 constantly except worse, until you hit 18. It's a bummer, but they ain't my rules
frown.gif
. At age 17 I was assembling, selling and supporting computers so it ain't Kris's age that bothers me.

Jim March
 
Welcome to BladeForums Allen. I look forward to hearing more about your knives and seeing some reviews of them here on the forums.
 
Not knowing the situation fully, just thought I'd throw in my 0.02...

Many of the chefs here in town that have worked in my kitchens tend to have a certain style or use a certain combination of flavor components that might suggest *my* style.

Many times this is not an intentional act of plagerism, but of continuing in the path that one has internalized.

Sometimes it is a compliment, but when a customer said "Did you get this recipe from such-and-such, it is *just* like it"...Ouch!!

I am not excusing any actions or justifying plagerism, but it is a natural thing to "dance with the one who brung ya".

The greater the skill of the teacher, the greater the possibility of their style living in their students

-Michael

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Chefget's Knife Page
 
Allen,

I have been to your house and you call me *Poth*????

Thanks all for the other information.

I have seen his work, it is great. Like I mentioned, he has a model called a Recon which is very cool. His Street Scalpels were sold by a couple of dealers, and are going to make a return, they are very unique. His Utility design was co-opted by a production company. A dealer I know in Coeur D'Alene ID sells every A. Blade piece he can get.

I am happy that this has went this way.

Walt, I am stilled banned by KnifeForums.

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Marion David Poff aka Eye, one can msg me at mdpoff@hotmail.com If I fail to check back with this thread and you want some info, email me.

My site is at: http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Meadows/1770 Including my review of the Kasper AFCK, thougths on the AFCK and interview of Bob Kasper.

"We will either find a way, or make one." Hannibal, 210 B.C.


 
Allen,

I have been to your house and you call me *Poth*????

Thanks all for the other information.

I have seen his work, it is great. Like I mentioned, he has a model called a Recon which is very cool. His Street Scalpels were sold by a couple of dealers, and are going to make a return, they are very unique. His Utility design was co-opted by a production company. A dealer I know in Coeur D'Alene ID sells every A. Blade piece he can get.

I am happy that this has went this way.

Walt, I am stilled banned by KnifeForums.

------------------
Marion David Poff aka Eye, one can msg me at mdpoff@hotmail.com If I fail to check back with this thread and you want some info, email me.

My site is at: http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Meadows/1770 Including my review of the Kasper AFCK, thougths on the AFCK and interview of Bob Kasper.

"We will either find a way, or make one." Hannibal, 210 B.C.


 
Hello,

Yep i was wrong on David Poff`s name spelling,, and even after he has been at my shop numerous times. my mistake.

Ok , Poff, poff, poff,,, i got it now!!,
8-), see ya when ya stop by the shop again David,, take care.

Thanks , Allen Blade
 
Clarification: at no time anywhere in this thread was I trying to comment negatively on Rob Simonich. Heck no. I was worried about the complex deal with him and MEUK possibly hurting him, that's the only reason I mentioned him.

I'm not trying to continue this thread or controversy, I applaud Allan's stated intentions to clean up and leave a certain canine alone.

Jim
 
Well I know some of the problems with Allen's past. I have been in contact with Beck's Cutlery and am hopefully waiting for a CISO recon to show up someday. I have learned that there are many knife makers that you have to be very patient with just don't send them money if you aren't postive you will get the blade. I was burned once and it won't happen again. As far as the MEUK knives I will buy one as soon as I can get the money. I like the design (and I will buy from them before the canine due to his behavior on the other forums and his designs are really quite basic even if they are good). I really don't mean to fuel the fire but just quit bashing them. Buyer always beware in the world of knives and if you can't deal with the personality of a maker don't buy from him and if you don't like his designs don't buy from him. The rest of us will and every since I bought my first knife ground by Allen I have wanted more, now at least I may get one since I have found him. That is why I like the forum and that is why it should be as open as possible. If you follow the rules I don't care who you are.
 
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