Newt Livesay info?

HERBIEDUKE

HERBIEDUKE

Joined
May 19, 2002
Messages
1,108
I was offered a Newt Livesay fixed blade tanto. Micarda handle, and is suppose to be custom ordered with Aus 8 metal.
Can't find any information on this maker.
Any help as to value, price range of his knives is greatly appreciated.

<herbie@kycom.net>
 
a simple search in GBU will turn up lots. But since the knife already exists, that probably doesn't matter. The real question are is do you have a problem owning a knife from a maker that has ripped many peopl off?
 
Did a search, and only came up with one $20 Newt neck knife. Nothing on GBU
Am I spelling the name right?
I was given Lindsay, and now I find out I was given the wrong spelling.
 
Newt Lindsay? I thought it was Newt Livesly,though I could be wrong.

Regardless, I heard that he had to stop making knives due to a severe health problem. Was a shame as his knives were well made and in-expensive. A majority of his fixed blades were 1095 but they had good edge geometry and heat treat. I am jealous of a friends find of his Air Assault model with a 5 inch blade at the Blade show last year. His neck knives were very popular. Most of his larger fixed blades were in the 100-180$ price range. Good using knives and very well worth what he asked for. I would say if the knife in question is in good shape and price take it.
 
Halfneck said:
Newt Lindsay? I thought it was Newt Livesly,though I could be wrong.

Regardless, I heard that he had to stop making knives due to a severe health problem. Was a shame as his knives were well made and in-expensive. A majority of his fixed blades were 1095 but they had good edge geometry and heat treat. I am jealous of a friends find of his Air Assault model with a 5 inch blade at the Blade show last year. His neck knives were very popular. Most of his larger fixed blades were in the 100-180$ price range. Good using knives and very well worth what he asked for. I would say if the knife in question is in good shape and price take it.
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I was given the wrong spelling. Must be Livesay. Now how to edit the title of my thread. Most everyone will probably figured it out.
The knife is said to be custom ordered in Aus 8. Wondering if that's right now?
 
I think I would double if not triple check the facts. AUS is a Japenese steel I believe, why would Newt have some of that? Also, has the knife already been made and in the swellers hand? If he's selling a "future" knife he doesn't have yet, then that's extraordinarily risky.
 
Newts designs are very practical. He had or has various stock designs. In the low price range, such as his neck knives, I'd suggest examining the knife before buying. In his higher priced knives, they're pretty good and have been rated as high as using knives. Fit and finish is "user" not "collector." His kydex sheaths get high marks from most. His usual steel is 1095 with a parkerized coating. He did do "custom" jobs in other steels. His knives can range from hand made to "mid-tech" depending upon the knife and when it was made. An AUS8 would have been probably hand made, possibly individually or small batch. As indicated by others his business has been up and down. In general, I'd recommend buying something else, unless you see the blade and like it. Price range is $20 to $300. Probably on the higher side if the knife is custom ordered and large.
 
The knife to my understanding was a custom order 5 or 6 years ago.
Owner wanted a bead blast finish tanto Aus 8 blade. Black micarta scales.
I get the feeling he isn't as knowledgable knife person as most of us.
In other words, doesn't belong to BF, or check the knifeforms anymore, and I doubt he ever has.
Here is a picture that was sent to me. The tanto knife of course.
 
Livesay was a guy who made very good knives but had notoriously bad customer service. I've never heard of another maker who got anywhere near as many complaints.
 
W.T. Beck said:
I've never heard of another maker who got anywhere near as many complaints.
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Isn't that a CRKT Corkum just above the Livesay? :D

It's a shame that their business reputations don't match their knifemaking.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Isn't that a CRKT Corkum just above the Livesay? :D

It's a shame that their business reputations don't match their knifemaking.
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Yes it is a CRDT, but know about the model. Is the Corkum a discontinued hard one to find. It's offered to me on the trade, but didn't figure it was worth much.
 
That looks like a micarta-handled "Woo" neck knife. Usually he made them of parkerized 1095 with a paracord-wrapped handle. They were always chisel-ground. I think the basic model sold for $25 and the micarta one for $50. The basic was a very sturdy basic reliable tool, one of my favorite neck-knife designs except that I couldn't stand the chisel-grind. They both came w/kydex sheaths so maybe someone else supplied the boot sheath? I suppose someone might have ordered AUS 8 b/c they didn't want a blade coating and wanted a steel that was stain-resistant - that would add to the price b/c the coated blades didn't require a lot of nice finish work.

I have owned a couple of Newt's knives and found them to be very well designed. It's too bad he managed his business so poorly.
 
Halfneck said:
Newt Lindsay? I thought it was Newt Livesly,though I could be wrong.

Regardless, I heard that he had to stop making knives due to a severe health problem. Was a shame as his knives were well made and in-expensive. A majority of his fixed blades were 1095 but they had good edge geometry and heat treat. I am jealous of a friends find of his Air Assault model with a 5 inch blade at the Blade show last year. His neck knives were very popular. Most of his larger fixed blades were in the 100-180$ price range. Good using knives and very well worth what he asked for. I would say if the knife in question is in good shape and price take it.
Click to expand...

john greco was forced to quit because of health issues, newt quit because he went broke, i have'nt heard he had any health problems.

too bad he made really good stuff for the $$, i have an air assault and 2 woos, have had them for 5 yrs or so now.
 
I'm pretty sure there was a thread about this elsewhere at Bladeforums -- Newt's website and phone numbers are down and disconnected and he announced that he was getting out of the business.
 
fishface5 said:
That looks like a micarta-handled "Woo" neck knife. Usually he made them of parkerized 1095 with a paracord-wrapped handle. They were always chisel-ground. I think the basic model sold for $25 and the micarta one for $50. The basic was a very sturdy basic reliable tool, one of my favorite neck-knife designs except that I couldn't stand the chisel-grind. They both came w/kydex sheaths so maybe someone else supplied the boot sheath? I suppose someone might have ordered AUS 8 b/c they didn't want a blade coating and wanted a steel that was stain-resistant - that would add to the price b/c the coated blades didn't require a lot of nice finish work.

I have owned a couple of Newt's knives and found them to be very well designed. It's too bad he managed his business so poorly.
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Got more info. on the Livesay. Seems to dribble in little at a time as I have to pry it out of the owner. He say's the tang is marked 54CM/NEWT LIVESAY, so it's probably 154CM. The blade is from 1/4" stock. Doesn't sound like a neck knife? Micarta scales held on with stainless corbet screws. Entire knife is bead blasted.
Any of this info. help?
Sheath was made by the owner.
 
I owned a Livesay RTAC and was severely unimpressed, the knife was dull and the grind lines really sucked. To be fair the handle work and the sheath were nice. I didn't have any problem with my own order through him, but I was once again very turned off by the way he conducted himself over on SDF. I'd say if your buying the knife from a third party and you have an oppourtunit yo handle it and check things out for yourself..and you like it..by all means buy it. If not I would steer clear.
 
I've been out of the BF loop for sevral months , didn't I hear that Newt's son in law is now making knives?
 
Newt didn't make anything in Aus-anything. Most of Newt Livesay's knives are 1095. He did a small number of knives in 440C, D-2, and 154CM
 
I've got a newt livesay tanto w/ a 5" blade. The grind lines do suck, but a
little work on a diamond stone brought up a nice clean edge. The handle is
nice'n comfy, good for larger hands. I picked mine up a couple of years back
for $110 if memory serves. It did serve me well once when I was bushwacked by a bat (the furry flying kind) in my living room.
 
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