Cleston Sinyard

Joined
Jan 19, 2006
Messages
3
Had to make a hard run to the Everglades a few days back. Everglades City, Cholokoskee Ten Thousand Islands . . . A run up to Chatham Bend. . . Smallwood grocery store where Ed Watson was shot full of holes by the townspeople. Headed home late Sunday night. Made it to I-10, North FLA early Monday mornin' , pulled into a roadside park , Sleepin' in the GMC Z-71 Motel. . . Woke up just before daylight surrounded by Nascar car haulers. Spoke with a couple of drivers (haulers, not cup car drivers). Put the z-71 in the West Wind and headed over to ALA to see my good friend Cleston Sinyard- Off the super slab in Pensacola, ran the back roads to Elberta. . . Lookin' forward to a visit with Cleston, his wife Valerie.

With frequent phone calls and not often enough visits, Cleston and I have stayed in fairly close contact. Knowin' Cleston and Val have, for the past few years, fought some tough medical problems, I pulled the Jimmy into Old Nemo Forge and shut her down. Not knowin' what to expect, I'd been prayin' for the best, Cleston had heard me pull in, met me at the door with a strong hand shake (the old man's still got a hell of a grip).Lookin' Cleston over, I could see he's lost weight and possibly due to back surgery, he didn't seem to be the 6'4" I remembered him being. Few minutes of small talk . . . catchin' up. . . We walked out to his shop. . . he showed me the repairs he'd had to do to his 250 lb Little Giant Hammer. Right arm on the hammer had broken, quotin' Cleston, "Bill, you ought to have been here and seen it. Pieces flyin' everywhere, . . . Spring like to have killed me." But. . . Cleston had welded the arm back together got the hammer goin' again, I looked the weldin' over, excellent weldin' job. . . Guess I was sort of stunned, Cleston's in his 80s, last several years fought a lot of sickness, still goin' strong. .. Fightin' life head on . . not askin' for any quarter. A usual two man job, Cleston handled.

Cleston showed me a Mountain Man Bowie he'd just finished. A beautiful knife, goin' to a collector in Texas as soon as he could build the sheath. We talked the better part of the evenin' . . .Phone rang, a hand that has three of Cleston's kninves, ordered one of his "Fore Finger Hunters." Cleston said, "Bill I can't build all the knives I've got orders for. They won't let me quit if I wanted to." Cleston and Val are facin' a hard go. . . Valerie had a heart operation ,died, brought back , not able to do much now. She's always been a strong partner. They are determined to live out their final years in the house they built. Most of Cleston's time is spent takin' care of Val, not much time left for for makin' knives, possibly one to two, hours a day.

Until I met Cleston, I always thought my father and grandfather were the best there ever was at forge weldin'. Workin' with Cleston. . . I believe he could beat them. Day in, Day out, wothout strainin' he welds M42 end mills, 10% cobalt steel, D2, 440c, then welds all of it into a billet.

Some might say the Sinyards are in declinin' health. I don't know how many more knives God will let him make. . . all Cleston will say is, "Bill I had a good run with it. I've made good knives. I have no regrets."

Thanks
Wild Bill Caldwell
 
Hi Wild Bill, how are you doing? Welcome to the forum. Made any pattern welded Airborne Rangers lately?

The Mountain Man Bowie has been a favorite of mine for years. It really is a great knife.

It's nice to know that Cleston is doing okay.
 
Keith,
Got you on the list, at the top. Been viewin' this forum for a while. Workin' with the cartridges I've invented. . . buildin' guns. . . other projects and ideas have pushed the knives back. Last several years I've spent a lot of time tryin' to build the perfect propane forge for forge weldin'. I weld at a hotter temperature than most smiths. . . Years back, got to the point where I couldn't get the high BTU coal from the Sewell Vein in West VA. That is. . . not with out buyin' a three axel dump truck load at a time. Truckin' 1,000 miles one way is expensive, gettin' it shipped by the bag is worse, Hence. . . all the experimentin' with propane forges. Design I'm workin' with now shows the most promise.

If any of you people here are interested in the guns and knives we build, or cartridges we've invented, go to pistolsmith.com. See "Wild Bill Caldwell View From the Hills." Dane Burns gave me a place there to write about guns, guitars, knives. . . so on. I think there are some knife photos there. Wonderin' if any of ya'll saw our write up on the .224 Zipperer in the Sept/Oct issue of The American Handgunner.

Thanks
Wild Bill Caldwell
 
I always liked your knives, and I like your writing style here, as well.

Good to hear of your visit with Cleston and Val Sinyard, thank you for recounting it.

I will make a concerted effort to read about the new cartridge, time permitting.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Spoke with Cleston and Val last week, he sounds much better after last Hip Operation, wants to make mwe a knife I ordered almost 2 years ago, but still not able. Was glad to talk to him and hear how much better he sounds. Met him at 95 NYC Show and bought a gorgeous folder in his famous damascus. Sorry I waited so long to order another.
 
Cleston Sinyard sounds like an amazing man. Thanks for providing the information about him.

Seems like you do some very interesting work too Wild Bill. I'll have to go do some reading on pistolsmith.com.

Thanks,
Peter
 
One of the problems of the new internet age is that some makers are elevated, others left behind. Clestin is one of the real old timers and one of the knifemaking greats of all time. I've always wondered why we hardly hear anything about him anymore today. He and his wife were always a pleasure to work with and talk to.
 
Thank you Wild Bill,
I enjoyed reading this thread very much. Your recounted visits and impressions paint an indelible picture of this man in my mind.
Although I have been reading these forums for years I cannot think of a more genuine and more human introduction to a knifemaker, as you have done. Someone who i have only seen as a name on a knife up until now. David
 
\Years ago, as I was walking the aisles of the Blade Show, I happened to see the most beautiful Bowie Knife , the type that just looked like it should be hanging on the hip of some long past mountain man, As I'm into camping primitive at the muzzleloading shoots,I asked if I could hold it, Mr. Sinyard said sure. the knife was awesome. I slowly ran my fingers across the blade. This knife made the hairs on my back stand up,I've never felt a more sharper blade an that still stands today. the work was great , the Damacus bold an wonderfully made. Of course I could'nt afford the $1100.00 or 1200.00 price ,so I laid it down an went away in awe of this humble man from Alabama, always thinking in my mine that I had just handled my dream knife. Hope Mr. Sinyard an his Wife both get well an the best of the Holidays to them. Cable Joe.
 
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