Congrats Lynn! The award is well deserved! (Lynn just won "Best Tactical knife of Show" at the PKA Show in Denver)
For those of you who don't own one of Lynn's knives, I can tell you that I can highly recommend one. You should also try getting one now cause if he keeps winning them awards, well you know how that supply and demand thing goes. For those of you that fear the cost of custom knives here is also a opportunity, most of Lynn's knives are priced around the cost of the upper end factory knives and they are true customs!
I personally have the "Sliver" model which is on his small knives page
http://www.angelfire.com/on2/griffithknives/ I was looking for a knife kind of like what Bud Nealy makes, a small fixed blade that was easy to conceal, and could be readily adapted for carry while wearing a suit. I spoke with
Lynn through e-mails and through the telephone lines and we hashed out a design based on his handle and a slight blade re-profile that I was interested in. We came up with the "Sliver".
If you can take a look at the photo on the web page it doesn't quite do it justice. Look at that long needle like blade, grinding that straight had to be a b*tch. By the way I wanted that taper so that I could pluck olives out of the jar when I make martini's (it's a suit knife don't ya know) and it works great at this task, the non-reflective bead blasting grips the olives readily after you've speared one.
His handle has to be gripped to be appreciated. You can't tell from the photo's but it's fully radiused in all directions. Kind of like a melt job on a pistol, there are no sharp corners anywhere except where they are supposed to be. The handle is also thicker than you'd think and it fits into your palm very comfortably. With the front finger cut out your grip is quite secure, in both forward and reverse grip. (I had to use the reverse grip to stab some oranges that attempted to get away, works quite well!)
The black Micarta that Lynn uses (I think it's called rag micarta) has white growth rings giving the overall effect of a grey handle, very nice and while still tactical at least it's a step away from ninja black. The micarta also gives a very warm feel to the handle, the kind of feeling you
only get from wood that's been sanded down and perfectly radiused. There's also the obligatory thumb grooves on the top of the blade spine near the base of the blade.
His Kydex neck sheath is also extremely well made. It holds the blade securely even upside down while jumping ( I know I checked
) I also had Lynn provide me with a paddle which attaches with Chicago style screws and lets me hang the knife upside down from the inner jacket pocket of my suit. This way unless some brushes right up against you they'll never know what's there. Even then most people won't realize it's there and if you wear glasses (as I do) and put your glass case inside that pocket it's undetectable. Lynn also sent me the Kydex add on that let's me use the neck
sheath on the belt.
As for dealing with Lynn, Like all of my experiences, to date, with knifemakers it was a great one. We settled on the design and because of the low cost I sent all the money up front (I've done this with a couple of
other knifemakers and I've never been burned. What a great bunch of people!) and Lynn told me about 6-8 weeks to delivery. Exactly 3 weeks to the day later I get an e-mail from Lynn telling me that he'd shipped it and to let him know when I got it. Now that's service! 2 day's later it was in my
grubby paws, slicing lemon rinds for vodka martini's.
Definitely someone to look into if you need a fixed blade! and I think Lynn's knives are some the better bargains out there in knifedom.
JerryO
p.s. just so you know I wore that knife to my cousin's engagement party and no one ever knew it was there!
For those of you who don't own one of Lynn's knives, I can tell you that I can highly recommend one. You should also try getting one now cause if he keeps winning them awards, well you know how that supply and demand thing goes. For those of you that fear the cost of custom knives here is also a opportunity, most of Lynn's knives are priced around the cost of the upper end factory knives and they are true customs!
I personally have the "Sliver" model which is on his small knives page
http://www.angelfire.com/on2/griffithknives/ I was looking for a knife kind of like what Bud Nealy makes, a small fixed blade that was easy to conceal, and could be readily adapted for carry while wearing a suit. I spoke with
Lynn through e-mails and through the telephone lines and we hashed out a design based on his handle and a slight blade re-profile that I was interested in. We came up with the "Sliver".
If you can take a look at the photo on the web page it doesn't quite do it justice. Look at that long needle like blade, grinding that straight had to be a b*tch. By the way I wanted that taper so that I could pluck olives out of the jar when I make martini's (it's a suit knife don't ya know) and it works great at this task, the non-reflective bead blasting grips the olives readily after you've speared one.
His handle has to be gripped to be appreciated. You can't tell from the photo's but it's fully radiused in all directions. Kind of like a melt job on a pistol, there are no sharp corners anywhere except where they are supposed to be. The handle is also thicker than you'd think and it fits into your palm very comfortably. With the front finger cut out your grip is quite secure, in both forward and reverse grip. (I had to use the reverse grip to stab some oranges that attempted to get away, works quite well!)
The black Micarta that Lynn uses (I think it's called rag micarta) has white growth rings giving the overall effect of a grey handle, very nice and while still tactical at least it's a step away from ninja black. The micarta also gives a very warm feel to the handle, the kind of feeling you
only get from wood that's been sanded down and perfectly radiused. There's also the obligatory thumb grooves on the top of the blade spine near the base of the blade.
His Kydex neck sheath is also extremely well made. It holds the blade securely even upside down while jumping ( I know I checked
sheath on the belt.
As for dealing with Lynn, Like all of my experiences, to date, with knifemakers it was a great one. We settled on the design and because of the low cost I sent all the money up front (I've done this with a couple of
other knifemakers and I've never been burned. What a great bunch of people!) and Lynn told me about 6-8 weeks to delivery. Exactly 3 weeks to the day later I get an e-mail from Lynn telling me that he'd shipped it and to let him know when I got it. Now that's service! 2 day's later it was in my
grubby paws, slicing lemon rinds for vodka martini's.
Definitely someone to look into if you need a fixed blade! and I think Lynn's knives are some the better bargains out there in knifedom.
JerryO
p.s. just so you know I wore that knife to my cousin's engagement party and no one ever knew it was there!
