- Joined
- Aug 11, 1999
- Messages
- 1,111
Ive posted this in GBU but think it has a place here, too. Dont panic -- Im only posting it in these two places. And no, Im not Dirty Dave
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Without being too harsh, Ill say that Garys work is only *slightly* better than OUTSTANDING, and his service and communication is *just barely* PERFECT.
A couple weeks ago, I ordered three leather sheaths from Gary: a belt pouch and pocket pouch for my recently-acquired Tom Mayo Gents folder (thanks for great deal, Farmer!), and a sleeve for a Grohmann kitchen cleaver. Conscientious guy that he is, Gary recommended another BF member, Tangus, for the pocket pouch, saying that Tangus may be able to make one much nicer than he could, and at a better price, too. I decided to stick with Gary because I trusted that he could do a good job, and also for convenience (since I was having the other work done).
The knives were returned to me, with all three sheaths, this past week. Garys work was on-schedule, and he constantly kept in-touch with me about my needs and wants. No pulling teeth here: you get the sense that Gary replies promptly and enthusiastically because he really enjoys the chance to do some fine work for you, and wants you to be in on every stage of its progress. Plus, he likes talking about knives.
I learned about Garys work here on the forums, where his work has received a chorus of praise. He has earned all of that, and deserves more: the sheaths he made for me show impeccable craftsmanship, thoughtful design, and a special creativity: his work is simply gorgeous and, honestly, even better than Id expected. The cleaver sleeve and horizontal belt pouch are made of firm, tightly-contoured thick leather (3mm?), while the pocket pouch is made of supple deerskin. All three have precise, attractive, heavy-duty stitching.
The pocket pouch is the simplest, but elegant in its own way. It is a folded-over piece 6" long by 1-3/8" wide, sewn at the bottom and 3.5" up the side, in a deep, bright, almost orange-ish tan. It snugly holds the Mayo folder, yet has a big opening for easy insertion and removal. The generous length leaves about a 1.75" flap that can be folded over, to keep out lint and such.
The horizontal belt pouch is designed for rear hip carry, above the right rear pocket. Its rich, dark chocolate brown color matches the Ironwood scales on the Mayo Gent (good call, Gary!). Its white stitching subtly accents the sheaths shape. The sturdy, molded, contoured leather holds the folder very snugly -- NO chance of having it slip out -- and leaves about an inch of the handle exposed for easy withdrawl and re-sheathing. "Classy" is too inadequate a description: folder carrying does not get more refined than this.
Last but certainly not least is the cleaver sleeve. Its design and construction is pretty simple: a folded-over piece of leather sewn along its "tip" and edge sides, with a hole near the top of the spine side that aligns with the hanging hole in the cleavers blade. It is stained a rich caramel brown that complements the cleavers Rosewood handle scales. But heres the kicker: in response to Garys query about possible tooling, I vaguely requested a "simple flower-type design," as the cleaver and sheath are a gift for my aunt. I was expecting some tooled trimming to accent a corner or two, but Gary REALLY outdid himself! The top (tip end) has a fairly intricate weave pattern that he calls "dragon scales," while the "body" of the sheath is adorned with a beautifully-tooled orchid with stem and leaves, set amidst a black-dyed background! I cannot describe it any better than that, unfortunately; maybe Gary can post a pic, so you can see just how stunning it is!
What else? The guy even touched up the edge on my 420V folder! And to top it off, his packaging was itself far more thoughtful and careful than your average newspaper-and-box.
So I say, without exaggeration, that Gary went WAY above and beyond my requests to create one-of-a-kind pieces that perfectly and uniquely complement my knives. For anyone who appreciates the sturdy, dignified style of handcrafted leather, I give my highest recommendation for Gary Graleys work. Leather gives a kind of warmth and character that you just dont get with kydex or concealex, and Gary can bring those qualities out better than anyone I know. An all-round real gentleman.
Kydex, shmydex. Drop Gary a line, and go leather -- your best knives deserve it!
Glen
==========
Without being too harsh, Ill say that Garys work is only *slightly* better than OUTSTANDING, and his service and communication is *just barely* PERFECT.
A couple weeks ago, I ordered three leather sheaths from Gary: a belt pouch and pocket pouch for my recently-acquired Tom Mayo Gents folder (thanks for great deal, Farmer!), and a sleeve for a Grohmann kitchen cleaver. Conscientious guy that he is, Gary recommended another BF member, Tangus, for the pocket pouch, saying that Tangus may be able to make one much nicer than he could, and at a better price, too. I decided to stick with Gary because I trusted that he could do a good job, and also for convenience (since I was having the other work done).
The knives were returned to me, with all three sheaths, this past week. Garys work was on-schedule, and he constantly kept in-touch with me about my needs and wants. No pulling teeth here: you get the sense that Gary replies promptly and enthusiastically because he really enjoys the chance to do some fine work for you, and wants you to be in on every stage of its progress. Plus, he likes talking about knives.
I learned about Garys work here on the forums, where his work has received a chorus of praise. He has earned all of that, and deserves more: the sheaths he made for me show impeccable craftsmanship, thoughtful design, and a special creativity: his work is simply gorgeous and, honestly, even better than Id expected. The cleaver sleeve and horizontal belt pouch are made of firm, tightly-contoured thick leather (3mm?), while the pocket pouch is made of supple deerskin. All three have precise, attractive, heavy-duty stitching.
The pocket pouch is the simplest, but elegant in its own way. It is a folded-over piece 6" long by 1-3/8" wide, sewn at the bottom and 3.5" up the side, in a deep, bright, almost orange-ish tan. It snugly holds the Mayo folder, yet has a big opening for easy insertion and removal. The generous length leaves about a 1.75" flap that can be folded over, to keep out lint and such.
The horizontal belt pouch is designed for rear hip carry, above the right rear pocket. Its rich, dark chocolate brown color matches the Ironwood scales on the Mayo Gent (good call, Gary!). Its white stitching subtly accents the sheaths shape. The sturdy, molded, contoured leather holds the folder very snugly -- NO chance of having it slip out -- and leaves about an inch of the handle exposed for easy withdrawl and re-sheathing. "Classy" is too inadequate a description: folder carrying does not get more refined than this.
Last but certainly not least is the cleaver sleeve. Its design and construction is pretty simple: a folded-over piece of leather sewn along its "tip" and edge sides, with a hole near the top of the spine side that aligns with the hanging hole in the cleavers blade. It is stained a rich caramel brown that complements the cleavers Rosewood handle scales. But heres the kicker: in response to Garys query about possible tooling, I vaguely requested a "simple flower-type design," as the cleaver and sheath are a gift for my aunt. I was expecting some tooled trimming to accent a corner or two, but Gary REALLY outdid himself! The top (tip end) has a fairly intricate weave pattern that he calls "dragon scales," while the "body" of the sheath is adorned with a beautifully-tooled orchid with stem and leaves, set amidst a black-dyed background! I cannot describe it any better than that, unfortunately; maybe Gary can post a pic, so you can see just how stunning it is!
What else? The guy even touched up the edge on my 420V folder! And to top it off, his packaging was itself far more thoughtful and careful than your average newspaper-and-box.
So I say, without exaggeration, that Gary went WAY above and beyond my requests to create one-of-a-kind pieces that perfectly and uniquely complement my knives. For anyone who appreciates the sturdy, dignified style of handcrafted leather, I give my highest recommendation for Gary Graleys work. Leather gives a kind of warmth and character that you just dont get with kydex or concealex, and Gary can bring those qualities out better than anyone I know. An all-round real gentleman.
Kydex, shmydex. Drop Gary a line, and go leather -- your best knives deserve it!
Glen
