Before They Were Knife Makers

PhilL

PhilL

Joined
Oct 1, 1999
Messages
6,490
If you’re into knives of course you know the name Kit Carson. Most know that Kit is retired from the ARMY, but I wonder how many of you know how close the cutlery business came to losing one it’s best makers to another profession. Knife making wasn’t Kit’s first love, his first love was the Deep Sea Fishing business. Specifically the baiting of hooks. He started very young as an Apprentice Baiter, and through true dedication and attention to detail and countless hours of hard work he earned the title of Master-Baiter. A title Kit wears more proudly than any of his Army medals. Kit didn’t have the support of his family, in fact his mother warned him many times, “Kit if you keep doing that you’re gonna go blind.” Kit responded, “Don’t worry Mom I’ll only do it until I need glasses.”

Probably the only thing that kept Kit from being a World Famous Master-Baiter instead of a World Famous Knife Maker was where he decided to set up his business, rural Kentucky. For some reason the deep sea fishing business never caught on there. Well, the fishing industries loss is the cutlery industries gain.

7993336.jpg


Ladies and gentlemen, this is just the first installment of “Before They Were Knife Makers”. You’ll learn of what early dreams your favorite makers had. You’ll hear of Mick Strider’s desire to serve in the Diplomatic Corps, or Tim Herman’s plans to work in the Theater, (sucking the farts out of seat cushions) or perhaps the saddest of all Darrel Ralph’s crushed plans to be a Jockey. So, if you have any background information on any of the makers here please feel free to add it to this thread
 
Ed Fowler used to raise show-ducks. Yep. Apparently it was a Fowler family tradition (thus the name). However, Mr. Fowler, a Master Mother-Ducker (M.D.) in the American Fowling Society, eventually left the industry when he finally ran out of uses for the high performance duck.

That may not be the end of it, however. One source tells me his early retirement from the professional ducking field came about as a result of an inquiry by the AFS into allegations of misconduct. According to my source, he was stripped of his title of M.D. when the AFS learned he had been flex-testing sample-ducks to destruction in a large vise behind his shop. It seems his blinding drive to create the ultimate hard-use duck finally led to his demise.

It's a ducking shame, and a loss to the entire ducking community.
 
Phil, this is the first thread I have ever subscribed to! :D

Question, did Kit get laser surgery on his eyes? :p
 
Darn I wish I could remember which one of you it was but I remember reading about an accomplished maker in Knives Illustrated who went to MIT and studied with Noam Chomsky. Apparently he gave up a promising career as a cunning linguist to forge steel.

Who was it? Come on Fess Up.

Lynn
 
He's evil I tell ya. I just realized that somehow he has made the model 4 he made me flash over my flag avatar every other second in some kind of subliminal message. No wonder I keep buying 4's.
Hey, you dont think he's master baiting me, do ya?:p
 
Some may not be aware that Tom Mayo once lived in Kalifornia {figures, don't it:D }.

This is just one story of the great Mayo...you will see soon enough why Tom changed careers.

During this time, Tom had various jobs. He had a great future ahead of him at one of those popular vegetarian-type restaurants so prevelant in Kalifornia.

In this restaurant the chefs prepared your meal right at your table. Cut up and mixed the veggies right there in front of ya!!

This became quite popular for a time, and Tom was one of the aspiring chefs. This was actually some of Tom's early experiences with knives.

Well, I digress, suffice it to say, that for a time...

It was known far and wide, when it came to tossin' your salad, Tom was the best!!:p :D :p

Tom obviously had to move on...
 
.....no wonder why folks like Kit's knives! Gets folks hook...line...and SINKER :D

Funny as hell post you made there, Phil!!
 
Phil,
I haven't posted yet because, like they say, Revenge is a dish best served cold.

I heard there was going to be a thread started that is about wannabe
knife/avatar making bastids :)
 
Beautiful! A thread of true consequence. I tip my hat to Phil, Wulf and bladesalot. And naturally to those that will follow. I accept my new title with gratitude. History will never be the same again.
 
is this salad thing a family tradition with mr. mayo as well? let me guess, the family came from the thousand islands? hence the mayo name?
 
This is a really great thread,needed a good laugh..:D
Boy am I glad Phil doesn't pick on me,and he doesn't remember that old thread about hat some of us really did before we made knives:eek:
Bruce
 
Guess I should have picked something less obscure.

"tossing salad" is a reference to a particular perversity prevelant in prison life that was discussed on one of those HBO specials a while back.

If you don't know what the act is, you don't want to know. Comedian Chris Rock also does a comedy routine about it. Hilarious.
 
Actually Lawrence, it was the Sandwich Islands and his family was sent there back when it was a penal colony. That's where they learned to toss salad. It's been a Mayo family tradition ever since...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top