Kohai999
Second Degree Cutter
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2003
- Messages
- 12,554
Happy Holidays All,
I've been collecting knives, custom, and factory for 20 years. I'll be 39 in January. I'm still as passionate about it now, maybe more, as I was in 1985 when I bought my first custom, a boot fighter from Larry Page, with "mountains and sunrise" cocobolo for $125.00, at the New York Custom Knife Show, at the Roosevelt Hotel. I thought all knife shows were going to be like that, boy, was I wrong!
Nick Wheeler gets a lot of stuff written about him on these forums. It is deserved. When I looked at his website a few weeks ago, and saw how clearly and cleanly he explained his philosophy on the craft of knifemaking, I was really moved. The kid is a gift to the community, and he is humble, and funny, and really listens.
Don Fogg recommended Nick to me as a maker last year. I like Don a lot, he has more talent in one hand than most do in their whole body. Don makes pretty much what he likes to make, and he doesn't give it away, but somehow, every piece that he makes lasts less than 24 hours on his "available work" section of his website. He recommended Vince Evans to make me a custom khukuri, and that worked out real well.
When Don recommended Nick, I looked for a website of his work, and found an old one, and basically was not real impressed, but just a little. This is when Nick was doing mostly stock removal, and he had the eye, and the skills were developing, but the confidence, and "voice" wasn't there yet. I called Nick to talk about Don's recommendation, and we arranged to meet at the OKCA show in April, this year. We chatted, and Nick said that he would send along some sketches of what he thought that I wanted, and we agreed on a delivery date, and the cost.
Nick got a little backed up, and I called him to bust his chops about my sketches. I got them, after a bit, and they were really good, we worked together on the final idea, and I am looking forward to getting the knives sometime in the spring of 2005. I call Nick from time to time to chat, and share ideas, and comaraderie, and I spoke to him today, to BS, and wish him a Merry X-Mas, and he said that I beat him to the punch, he had meant to call sometime this week, and do the same. Some makers that I talk to make me feel like they are watching the clock while we are speaking, limiting me to 5 minutes or less. I can appreciate that, time is money, especially when you are self employed, but Nick never does that. He is either busy, and can't talk, or he makes his time my time.
I am convinced from having gotten to know Nick, that the knives he makes me are going to be special, and will hold a place of honor in my collection, whether or not he ever becomes "famous"(which he should), does not matter one damn bit. Whatever I get from him will be from the heart, and soul, there is not one doubt about that. Take a look at his website, and you will see what I mean. Nick does no "hype", and he really makes knives because he loves them, not because he is otherwise unemployable. Looks real cute in a leather jacket, too :barf:
Those of us that have gotten the chance to know him appreciate him for the person that he is, and the man that he will no doubt become.
I collect knives, but I collect makers, too. Phillip Baldwin, Bob Crowder, Matt Diskin(get me some freakin' knives, King Karl), Don Fogg, Grant and Gavin Hawk(beanpole just KICKED my ass at chess), J.P. Holmes, Mel Pardue, Jim Siska, J.D. Smith, J.W. Townsend, and Butch Vallotton, they are like family to me. People say stuff like that all the time, but I do whatever I can for these guys when I see them, and make sure that they know how I feel. They make time for me, and I make time for them, and if they stop making knives, or change careers, I will still feel the same way about them.
I have in the past, put it on the line for some of them, and will continue to do so in the future. Just because a friendship starts for one reason, doesn't mean that it won't continue if other reasons come up. The above mentioned guys give EVERYTHING to their craft, it is an example that I constantly strive to keep up with, and emulate. I try to use my talents with the same passion and focus.
Robert Crowder made me a custom recurve Bowie a few years ago, he has been one of my favorite makers and people for close to 10 years. We talked about the design, and I sent him a sketch. Over the course of 3 months Bob must have sent me 6 scans of the knife in progress, and he went over EVERY detail. That knife is the definition of class, art and hard work. I still love that knife, and I appreciated every bit of work that Bob did to make it for me. If I can only get him to up his prices to where they should be, I would be a very happy man.
My point in this rambling post is that during this Holiday Season, we should take time to appreciate the people in our lives that make our time here better, more fun, more challenging. That they make cool knives is just a bonus. I have a few gorgeous knives from some crusty assed, nasty f****ers that I appreciate for what they are, but I don't care for the people very much. It is the knives that I have gotten from my friends that I treasure the most.
I wish you all Happy Holidays, and hope that you have loved ones close by to share the time with, and maybe get some cool knives too.
Best Regards,
STeven Garsson
I've been collecting knives, custom, and factory for 20 years. I'll be 39 in January. I'm still as passionate about it now, maybe more, as I was in 1985 when I bought my first custom, a boot fighter from Larry Page, with "mountains and sunrise" cocobolo for $125.00, at the New York Custom Knife Show, at the Roosevelt Hotel. I thought all knife shows were going to be like that, boy, was I wrong!
Nick Wheeler gets a lot of stuff written about him on these forums. It is deserved. When I looked at his website a few weeks ago, and saw how clearly and cleanly he explained his philosophy on the craft of knifemaking, I was really moved. The kid is a gift to the community, and he is humble, and funny, and really listens.
Don Fogg recommended Nick to me as a maker last year. I like Don a lot, he has more talent in one hand than most do in their whole body. Don makes pretty much what he likes to make, and he doesn't give it away, but somehow, every piece that he makes lasts less than 24 hours on his "available work" section of his website. He recommended Vince Evans to make me a custom khukuri, and that worked out real well.
When Don recommended Nick, I looked for a website of his work, and found an old one, and basically was not real impressed, but just a little. This is when Nick was doing mostly stock removal, and he had the eye, and the skills were developing, but the confidence, and "voice" wasn't there yet. I called Nick to talk about Don's recommendation, and we arranged to meet at the OKCA show in April, this year. We chatted, and Nick said that he would send along some sketches of what he thought that I wanted, and we agreed on a delivery date, and the cost.
Nick got a little backed up, and I called him to bust his chops about my sketches. I got them, after a bit, and they were really good, we worked together on the final idea, and I am looking forward to getting the knives sometime in the spring of 2005. I call Nick from time to time to chat, and share ideas, and comaraderie, and I spoke to him today, to BS, and wish him a Merry X-Mas, and he said that I beat him to the punch, he had meant to call sometime this week, and do the same. Some makers that I talk to make me feel like they are watching the clock while we are speaking, limiting me to 5 minutes or less. I can appreciate that, time is money, especially when you are self employed, but Nick never does that. He is either busy, and can't talk, or he makes his time my time.
I am convinced from having gotten to know Nick, that the knives he makes me are going to be special, and will hold a place of honor in my collection, whether or not he ever becomes "famous"(which he should), does not matter one damn bit. Whatever I get from him will be from the heart, and soul, there is not one doubt about that. Take a look at his website, and you will see what I mean. Nick does no "hype", and he really makes knives because he loves them, not because he is otherwise unemployable. Looks real cute in a leather jacket, too :barf:
Those of us that have gotten the chance to know him appreciate him for the person that he is, and the man that he will no doubt become.I collect knives, but I collect makers, too. Phillip Baldwin, Bob Crowder, Matt Diskin(get me some freakin' knives, King Karl), Don Fogg, Grant and Gavin Hawk(beanpole just KICKED my ass at chess), J.P. Holmes, Mel Pardue, Jim Siska, J.D. Smith, J.W. Townsend, and Butch Vallotton, they are like family to me. People say stuff like that all the time, but I do whatever I can for these guys when I see them, and make sure that they know how I feel. They make time for me, and I make time for them, and if they stop making knives, or change careers, I will still feel the same way about them.
I have in the past, put it on the line for some of them, and will continue to do so in the future. Just because a friendship starts for one reason, doesn't mean that it won't continue if other reasons come up. The above mentioned guys give EVERYTHING to their craft, it is an example that I constantly strive to keep up with, and emulate. I try to use my talents with the same passion and focus.
Robert Crowder made me a custom recurve Bowie a few years ago, he has been one of my favorite makers and people for close to 10 years. We talked about the design, and I sent him a sketch. Over the course of 3 months Bob must have sent me 6 scans of the knife in progress, and he went over EVERY detail. That knife is the definition of class, art and hard work. I still love that knife, and I appreciated every bit of work that Bob did to make it for me. If I can only get him to up his prices to where they should be, I would be a very happy man.
My point in this rambling post is that during this Holiday Season, we should take time to appreciate the people in our lives that make our time here better, more fun, more challenging. That they make cool knives is just a bonus. I have a few gorgeous knives from some crusty assed, nasty f****ers that I appreciate for what they are, but I don't care for the people very much. It is the knives that I have gotten from my friends that I treasure the most.
I wish you all Happy Holidays, and hope that you have loved ones close by to share the time with, and maybe get some cool knives too.
Best Regards,
STeven Garsson
