Livesay Gray Ghost

fudo

fudo

Joined
Aug 27, 1999
Messages
4,531
I had the opportunity to stop by and visit with Newt Livesay this weekend. While there, I got the opportunity to try out a new product. It is called the “Grey Ghost Walking Stick.”
This stick is made of the same Saynite material that his WA-1 sticks are made of. The diameter of the stick is 5/8” and they are 41” long. The cool thing about these sticks is that they are not White. They are grey and have a nice wood grain pattern in them. They have a rubber grip and a rubber foot for traction. I have been using a cut down Walkabout stick as a cane for use as an aid to walking as well as a weapon for several years and have flown all over with it, internationally as well as nationally. The Grey Ghost is better in every way than my own fabrication.
When Newt showed it to me, he said, “try to break it.” We beat this thing against trees, garbage cans, fence posts, and even the side of an old car. We couldn’t break the stick, but my shoulder sure paid for the attempt. I’m now carrying the stick as my edc cane. If you need a good walking stick that also makes an excellent defensive weapon, that is attractive to look at as well. Give these a try. They cost $23.40. I am including the URL of the web page they are on. http://newtlivesay/newt_livesay_CANES-STICKS.htm
I have pictures but I can’t post them. If anyone wants to see them, e-mail me or maybe someone can post them for me.
Newt is a good guy to do business with too.
BTW-i don't have any financial interest-I don't sell anything and I don't work for Newt. I'm just a fan.
 
have had a GG on order since feb? While yes newt is a real nice guy to speak with I dont know if the business end follow. Ive been promised shipment on LITERALLY (7) diff. ocassions and all I get are apologies and frustrations on his part each time i follow up. i feel bad for the guy, he just cant seem to pick the products up ( he claims all are ready) and put them in a box for shipping, this going on for about 8 months now, over and over again, Its about time i give up on these quality goodies i guess :-(
loandr.
 
Why in the hell does his site require a password to log on? I can't view the page you linked because it asks for login information, a username and password. Is everyone else getting this or is my browser just funky?
 
I get the same logon prompt and have been for a few days now. I would love to purchase some products from him, but he and/or his business obvisouly have some serious problems.
 
This experience with Newt has been had by many of bladeforums.

He is really nice when you place the order, but he goes ahead and drops the ball on delivery on multiple occasions.

This has not changed in the last year since Newt ran into financial hardships.
 
I AM GOING TO TRY AND MAKE THIS AS SIMPLE AS I CAN. I AM UP TO MY ASS IN PRODUCTION PROBLEMS HERE.

AT ONE TIME I BOUGHT 5000 POUNDS OF STEEL AT A TIME, OR 10,000 FEET OF RAW GLASS STOCK, AND NOW I BUY IT AS I NEED IT. I HAVE HUNDREDS IF NOT A FEW THOUSAND KNIFE BLANKS READY TO GRIND THAT ARE IN STOCK, ITS JUST THAT I AM NOT SET UP TO GRIND ALL OF THEM RIGHT NOW. WHEN I GET BACK TO SPEED I WILL TURN OUT MORE BLADES.

I HAVE GONE FROM FIVE EMPLOYEES TO ONE.........ME! I HAVE OR SHOULD SAY HAD A ONE TIME BUSINESS PARTNER IN CALIFORNIA THAT OWNS ME A TON OF MONEY THAT I COULD USE TO HELP BUY SUPPLIES, AND PAY SOME BILLS, AND IF NOTHING ELSE PAY SOME PART TIME HELP. A MAKER OUT OF THE KANSAS CITY, MO. AREA WHOM I MADE KNIVES FOR HIM WITH HIS NAME ON THEM, OWNS ME FOR OVER 600 BLADES. I COULD USE ANY OF THE MONIES FROM THESE PEOPLE TO BUY SUPPLIES, AND FOR THE LEGAL FEES THAT I AM GETTING READY TO INSURE WHEN I FILE CHARGES ON THESE THIEVES LATER THIS YEAR.

I HAVE MY EQUIPMENT OR SHOP BACK AND WILL FILING CHARGES ON THESE PEOPLE RIGHT AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR. THERE IS SOME ITEMS THAT ARE MISSING AND SOME ITEMS THAT ARE DAMAGED THAT WERE TAKEN FROM MY SHOP, BUT I HAVE ABOUT 2/3 OF THE ORIGINAL SHOP UP AN RUNNING AT MY NEW LOCATION. MY PRODUCTION IS ONLY ABOUT 45% OF ONE YEAR AGO, AND I AM STRUGGLING ON THIS END. TED FRIZZEL OVER AT MINERAL MOUNTAIN HATCHET WORKS WAS KIND ENOUGH TO LET ME USE HIS PARKERIZING VATS IN HIS SHOP RECENTLY AT NO CHARGE. MY BIG STAINLESS STEEL VATS ARE MISSING AND I PRESUME SOLD FOR SCARPE METAL....WHO KNOWS? ANYWAY,I CAN'T THANK TED ENOUGH FOR BEING SO VERY GRACIOUS. WHEN I GOT HOME HE HAD PUT ALL KINDS OF FRESH VEGGIES OUT OF HIS AND HIS WIFES GARDEN IN THE BACK OF MY TRUCK. LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT MEAN A LOT WHEN YOU’RE OWN YOUR BACK KICKING TOO GET UP. I TRULY APPRECIATE WHAT TED DID.

I AM NOT OUT OF BUSINESS, I AM NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS, AND I WILL MAKE DAMN SURE THAT EVERY ORDER IS FILLED AND SHIPPED. THE ONLY REASON I WANT FILL AN ORDER IS IF I FALL OVER DEAD OF A HEART ATTACK. THEN THE SALES OF MY EQUIPMENT, AND ANY OLD KNIVES HANGING AROUND MY SHOP SHOULD MORE THAN PAY FOR ANY INVESTMENT ANYONE HAS MADE IN A ORDER TO ME.

FOR ALL THOSE CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE STOOD BY ME IN THIS LAST 12 TO 16 MONTHS OF PURE FRIGGIN HELL I AM GOING TO REMEMBER YOU AND I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.

IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME I CAN BE REACHED AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESSES;
Newt@newtlivesay.com
Newt Livesay
3306 S. Dogwood St.
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
USA

479-549-3356 0900—1600 CTZ phone line. I answer the phone if I hear it ring. There is no one in the office any more other than a young lady who volunteers to help some times when she is free.

479-549-3357 24/7 FAX line

WEB PAGES; The web pages are being worked on and will not be back up to speed until sometime the first of the week. That is the best I can do until then.

Thanks to those who have stood by me and not given me too much static, I truly appreciate it.

New
 
When it rains, it pours. Sorry to hear things are still going rough, Newt. Hope everything works out for you.

Best regards,

Clayton Hufford - customer
Bentonville, Arkansas
 
Hey next time your visiting with Newt could you tell him to send my two Air Assaults I paid for over an year and a half ago. I cant get him to answer any of my mails.
 
I don`t know the man, but when ever his name has come up since I have been here, Newt has jumped in to explain his problems in a personal way. He has never shirked his obligations or said "tough luck" to any of his orders. Hell, I have 2 big name makers that are 6 month out on thier orders to me now, and they have not had 25% of the problems Mr. Livesay has encountered in the past year or so.

I realze it causes heartburn, but I would bet that every order that Newt has on his books will be filled.


Just a thought.

Steve
 
Give the man a break-we have all had a BAD RUN at one time or another and if you haven't just wait your time will come. He said he is doing the best he can do at this time. I know I would not want my reputation on the line for situations that are not in my control. Give him a resonable amount time to see if he lives up to his word and yes I am going to place an order with him.
 
Newt has never been anything but honest about the troubles he has had. He has never hidden, even if at times he has been very hard to get in touch with. Even when it is devastating to do so, he gives people refunds when they do not want to wait for him to get back on his feet. Sometimes these refunds take awhile because he has to wait until he has the money to send. He has shown himself to be a man of honor, who is down, but not out. From what I have seen of his tenacity, you can count on him making a comeback. What he needs is the support of the knife community and a little empathy.

I really would love to get a look at one of the walking sticks.
 
Originally posted by Paul1967
Give the man a break-we have all had a BAD RUN at one time or another and if you haven't just wait your time will come.
Click to expand...


Paul, spoken like a man that has been there.....No truer words have been spoken on this thread. Been there, done that...sometimes it a long climb out a short hole.

Steve
 
You just do not know I have collected stories and scars through out my life but I am the richer for it-just give man time to get on his feet it is not like he is rip-off artist or something-he has laid his personal problems to bare in order to explain his situation. He will bounce back and fill his back orders.
 
Yes I agree he's having a rough time of it. But when I called and talked to him and made my order he never told me anything of the sort. I have paid in full for my 2knives. He has promised me at least 5 times they would be delivered in two weeks over the last 16 months. First they wernt parkerized then they were waiting on the sheath to be made, now I cant get any answer. Not being mean just stating facts.
 
Banger, sounds like you've been ripped off, no matter what the reason. Why not take it to the Good, Bad and Ugly and see what happens? Newt's suprisingly quiet on this thread. I believe in giving someone slack, but sooner or later you need to cut the slackers off and let them sink.
 
Banger,
You are within your rights to ask for and get your money back.
Newt's optimism through this mess has outweighed the gravity of his situation.
Obviously things got pretty bad for his business.

I for one am willing to wait for my knife.
The price was not high and though it has been difficult waiting I remember a time when everyone gushed about all aspects of Livesay knives.

At no time has he put forth shoddy work to fill orders or cut corners.
I think he has trouble believing things got so bad.
If you do end up waiting for your Air Assault I'm sure you will be pleased, its one of my favorites.

I enjoy talking to Newt and hope his business recovers, he's a hell of a guy and an excellent Knife Maker. I always feel bad taking up so much of his shop time on the phone but he genuinely loves to share information with novice knife Makers and knife folks in general.
We should be pulling for him, not dogging him.

Oh, by the way, Id love to see a grey ghost too.
Few times I wished the WA-1 was a little longer and thicker.
Does it feed shock to your hand like the WA-1s do if you hit a solid object hard? Like say a tree?
 
I don't think anyone's been dogging Newt on this forum. I'd say he's been given a hell of a lot of slack.
 
I have both a Grey Ghost cane and the taller Grey Ghost walking stick. I wish there were a way to attach a real head to the cane, in place of the narrow golf club grip. Other than that they are an impressive pair.

The Grey Ghost material does a fairly good job of looking like pale wood. The stuff also appears to be nearly indestructable. I've beat mine against trees and 4x4s using my full strength. The only damage was to the wood. ;)

I don't know how it would hold up against something harder, like a cinder block. My guess is that the rod would eventually begin to chip, although it would probably do a lot of damage before it broke. If anyone actually tries this I'd like to hear the results.

The 5/8" thick rods are quite rigid under normal circumstances. My 200-plus pounds doesn't even begin to bend one no matter how hard I lean. They do a fine job of supporting weight when walking. I do wish for a broader top, like a medical cane or even a ball, but what you get isn't bad.

Newt did manage to ship my pair of Grey Ghosts within the time frame of his original estimate. I got them about two weeks after placing the order. :)

On the other hand, I have been waiting for a pair of knives from Newt since last September. I told him last year that I was willing to wait for them, and I'm still okay with that. My only real frustration is that whenever I ask him about the status he tells me that they are almost ready. :(

--Bob Q
 
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