Knifemakers lose best friend

A

A. G. Russell

Joined
Mar 10, 2001
Messages
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It is already all over the web that Paul Basch died shortly after midnight Saturday morning, but, I feel that there is more to say.

Paul Basch loved knives and almost everybody connected with them. Paul, most of all, really loved to be able to help knifemakers and to spread the word to buyers about knives and knifemakers.

The one thing Paul was not, was a business man! Paul would pay too much and sell for too little, he worked on margins that would not support him.

Paul worked on a pitiful royalty when he sold knives on consignment His business was not a success, but I believe that he was. He lived his life just as he wanted and went out of it loved by many.
 
my condolences to family and personal friends of Paul.
his legacy lives with those left behind so he will never be truly gone
he will live on in their heart and soul.
 
A. G. Russell said:
It is already all over the web that Paul Basch died shortly after midnight Saturday morning, but, I feel that there is more to say.

Paul Basch loved knives and almost everybody connected with them. Paul, most of all, really loved to be able to help knifemakers and to spread the word to buyers about knives and knifemakers.

The one thing Paul was not, was a business man! Paul would pay too much and sell for too little, he worked on margins that would not support him.

Paul worked on a pitiful royalty when he sold knives on consignment His business was not a success, but I believe that he was. He lived his life just as he wanted and went out of it loved by many.
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prayers go out to his family.....ag-could you tell those who don't know(me included) who paul was and what was his expertise in regards to knife knowledge.......i'd like to know more abut him if you could tell us a little.....thanks.....ryan
 
I'm real sorry to hear this news. You are very right AG. In business, your margin is your life blood. Some (like me) just can't survive in that environment.:(
 
ryan9977 said:
prayers go out to his family.....ag-could you tell those who don't know(me included) who paul was and what was his expertise in regards to knife knowledge.......i'd like to know more abut him if you could tell us a little.....thanks.....ryan
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Paul would buy knives that the makers could not sell and find buyers for them.
 
Thank God for his brother, Don, who was there in ways the rest of us couldn't be.

Paul was smart, funny, crude (the people who truly know him are thinking it---just no one is saying it!), sweet, caring, gruff, kind, NOT thrifty, and his mind remained in the gutter 99.9% of the time...


And he was beautiful.


One story...and then I'll sign off. I witnessed a man with a cardboard box walk up to Paul. The box contained ten or so knives easily identifiable just by glancing at them. Because of printing costs, Paul was only allowed to buy knives worth $50 or more. It was obvious these knives were worth about $3-$5.00 each---well below what Paul was interested in buying. Paul gruffly said, "Not interested. Thanks." The man asked him to take a closer look. Humoring him, Paul rustled through the box and picked up a few of the folders. As he was opening them, the man said in a thick Southern accent, "Sir, I buried my boy today and I'd appreciate anything you can do. The people at the funeral home need their money. I sold my guns and tractor and it still isn't enough." Paul never looked up. He continued to sift through the knives and finally said, "Oh, wait. There are some good ones in here." Well, I knew better. There wasn't a single knife in there worth over $5.00. Instead of reaching in to pull out the roll of A.G. Russell money he always kept in his pocket, he opened his own wallet instead. He handed the man $200. The man tipped his hat at Paul and said thank you. After the man left, Paul looked at me, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "You're gonna have to buy dinner." Later that day, Paul was giving those knives to kids at the show.

Love ya, Handsome. I'll miss the hell out of you.
 
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This is a great loss to the knife community.
I didn't know Paul well, but I did have the pleasure of talking to him many times and always learned something. Paul forgot more about knives than most people know.
 
Sharla said:
Thank God for his brother, Don, who was there in ways the rest of us couldn't be.

Paul was smart, funny, crude (the people who truly know him are thinking it---just no one is saying it!), sweet, caring, gruff, kind, NOT thrifty, and his mind remained in the gutter 99.9% of the time...


And he was beautiful.


One story...and then I'll sign off. I witnessed a man with a cardboard box walk up to Paul. The box contained ten or so knives easily identifiable just by glancing at them. Because of printing costs, Paul was only allowed to buy knives worth $50 or more. It was obvious these knives were worth about $3-$5.00 each---well below what Paul was interested in buying. Paul gruffly said, "Not interested. Thanks." The man asked him to take a closer look. Humoring him, Paul rustled through the box and picked up a few of the folders. As he was opening them, the man said in a thick Southern accent, "Sir, I buried my boy today and I'd appreciate anything you can do. The people at the funeral home need their money. I sold my guns and tractor and it still isn't enough." Paul never looked up. He continued to sift through the knives and finally said, "Oh, wait. There are some good ones in here." Well, I knew better. There wasn't a single knife in there worth over $5.00. Instead of reaching in to pull out the roll of A.G. Russell money he always kept in his pocket, he opened his own wallet instead. He handed the man $200. The man tipped his hat at Paul and said thank you. After the man left, Paul looked at me, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "You're gonna have to buy dinner." Later that day, Paul was giving those knives to kids at the show.

Love ya, Handsome. I'll miss the hell out of you.
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That story tells me a lot about what kind of man he was, and it's a sad thing to lose one like him.
 
I was not familiar with Mr. Basch or his work, but the story you related tells all one needs to know about his character. Prayers for his family and friends.
 
Sharla said:
Thank God for his brother, Don, who was there in ways the rest of us couldn't be.

Paul was smart, funny, crude (the people who truly know him are thinking it---just no one is saying it!), sweet, caring, gruff, kind, NOT thrifty, and his mind remained in the gutter 99.9% of the time...


And he was beautiful.


One story...and then I'll sign off. I witnessed a man with a cardboard box walk up to Paul. The box contained ten or so knives easily identifiable just by glancing at them. Because of printing costs, Paul was only allowed to buy knives worth $50 or more. It was obvious these knives were worth about $3-$5.00 each---well below what Paul was interested in buying. Paul gruffly said, "Not interested. Thanks." The man asked him to take a closer look. Humoring him, Paul rustled through the box and picked up a few of the folders. As he was opening them, the man said in a thick Southern accent, "Sir, I buried my boy today and I'd appreciate anything you can do. The people at the funeral home need their money. I sold my guns and tractor and it still isn't enough." Paul never looked up. He continued to sift through the knives and finally said, "Oh, wait. There are some good ones in here." Well, I knew better. There wasn't a single knife in there worth over $5.00. Instead of reaching in to pull out the roll of A.G. Russell money he always kept in his pocket, he opened his own wallet instead. He handed the man $200. The man tipped his hat at Paul and said thank you. After the man left, Paul looked at me, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "You're gonna have to buy dinner." Later that day, Paul was giving those knives to kids at the show.

Love ya, Handsome. I'll miss the hell out of you.
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CLASSIC Paul, thank you for sharing. I have heard of a similar doings by paul from a uncle of mine. Pure class and tact.

rest in peace paul
 
He sounds like he was a great man, one I would have liked to have met. My prayers go out to his family and friends. Rest In Peace, Mr. Basch!

Regards,
3G
 
Paul was a great guy.

I'm very sorry for your loss AG, as I know how close you and Paul were. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family.


Jerry




.
 
Paul helped a lot of us when we started and a lot of us after we got started. My condolences to the family and friends.
 
Sharla said:
One story...and then I'll sign off. I witnessed a man with a cardboard box walk up to Paul. The box contained ten or so knives easily identifiable just by glancing at them. Because of printing costs, Paul was only allowed to buy knives worth $50 or more. It was obvious these knives were worth about $3-$5.00 each---well below what Paul was interested in buying. Paul gruffly said, "Not interested. Thanks." The man asked him to take a closer look. Humoring him, Paul rustled through the box and picked up a few of the folders. As he was opening them, the man said in a thick Southern accent, "Sir, I buried my boy today and I'd appreciate anything you can do. The people at the funeral home need their money. I sold my guns and tractor and it still isn't enough." Paul never looked up. He continued to sift through the knives and finally said, "Oh, wait. There are some good ones in here." Well, I knew better. There wasn't a single knife in there worth over $5.00. Instead of reaching in to pull out the roll of A.G. Russell money he always kept in his pocket, he opened his own wallet instead. He handed the man $200. The man tipped his hat at Paul and said thank you. After the man left, Paul looked at me, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "You're gonna have to buy dinner." Later that day, Paul was giving those knives to kids at the show.
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Now that sounds like a heck of a man. The world is a lesser place without him. My condolences to his family.
 
Paul was a true friend of the finest kind and will be missed. He was generous to a fault, as Mr. Russell stated, not only with makers but everyone. I could tell stories all night about him but, couldn't print many of them on this part of the forum.
 
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