So Last weekend the family and I attended an outdoor craft festival near Asheville NC while vacationing in the area. I was wandering through all the different tents where people were showing off handmade goods, and I walked into a tent where two nice people were selling handmade outdoor gear- hammocks, paracord items and on the back wall I saw several "one of a kind" knives stuck into a large oak log- which got my attention. I start talking to one of the people there and he tells me that he forges the blades from 1095 steel ( big smile from me!) and he also does all the heat treating and scale work himself. I wanted to buy a blade, but something kept me from taking the plunge. We went back to the house and had dinner and the hand made knives just kept nagging at me ( a sure sign of a man with a case of blade acquisition syndrome!) so the next morning the wife and I decided to go back to the festival without our kids and do some fast holiday shopping, and I went ahead and bought myself this knife. It was made by Dan McLeod who also owns Green Blazes Outdoors in Black Mountain NC. He remembered me from the previous day and even dropped his asking price a few dollars since he knew I came back to buy from him. I am tickled with this one: it is a small neck knife with a thick blade and a beautiful curved design with polished micarta scales. Looks great and a perfect size to carry when I am troutfishing! I also hope that he is or will become a bladeforums member! Its great to have a place like this to share info and pics of our new toys.
