Sad news... Phill Hartsfield passed away

Thinking of getting one of his knife and then suddenly it's too late for me!
Smoke from Kuala Lumpur!
RIP!

mohd.
 
Couldnt believe it until I saw the email from Pat(his wife.)
I have known Phill and his family for over 20 yrs now, I consider him my best friend in the custom knife community.
At my peak of collecting his knives, I accumulated over 200 Hartsfields. I dont have that many anymore, but Ill definitely treasure the ones I have left.
We collaborated on many knives and I will miss all the times I went over to his shop at Brookhurst St and his house at Newport Beach.
He was a very giving and generous person. Once when he made a 3 sword set for me, he and Pat came over to my office in downtown LA just to deliver them in person. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least! He said he just wanted to see the smile on my face when he delivered them.
He made me feel more than just a customer, I felt like a close family friend. I will always treasure the moments at the Hartsfield house at birthdays, Thanksgiving, etc. He really made me feel part of his family.
RIP my friend and Ill see you on the other side.
 
Phill was definitely one of the first, if not the first to make epoxy soaked, cord wrapped "tactical knives."
Was just looking through my collection, I have one of the first knives he cord wrapped, a beige wrapped Force 1 in 01 steel. I bought it from the original owner complete with receipt, the date is March 18, 1978!
People also know Phill for using A2, but in his early days, he experimented with many different steels, 01, D2, M2, M42 even 440c and 154CM! I have a very old hunter of his in 154CM, the only one Ive seen in all my years of collecting Hartsfields.
 
I did not know Phil, but from everything i've read it is a SAD day for sure and my condolences to his family and many friends.

Rest In Peace Phil.

Peter
 
When I first had the pleasure of seeing my friend and blade brother Joes collection my eyes where immediately drawn to these 2 Kwaikens in his display case. I ask him who the maker the was. Joes eyes lit up and said those are Hartsfields and proceeded to tell me all the great stories and his close relationship he had with him. I knew from that point on I had to have one of his fine blades. All though I had never had the opportunity to meet Phill I felt that I had already knew him by talking to Joe. My condolences go out to his Family and also my buddy Joe.
 
Rest in Peace Phil. My condolences to his family and friends.
 
I, too, go back about 20 years with Phill. I can remember those NY Shows where I would rush to his table along with many, many others. I can remember the excitement of getting my first order from Phill, my brother got an order, too. I always thought of Phill as one of the finest gentlemen that I have met.

Phill you will be missed by all, R.I.P.

Win
 
He was a great influence on the custom knife community. My condolences to his family.
 
Truly sad to hear this. Mr.Hartsfield played a major roll in me wanting to start making knives. Back in mid 80's I had noticed a kubikiri he had made in a knife rag and wrote a letter to him stating I saw one of his "tantos" in a magazine and would like for him to make a "tanto" I designed. He wrote back a couple weeks later stating my design did not meet the criteria to be called a tanto so he chose not to make it. He also took the opportunity to educate me on the fact that the knife I saw was not a tanto but a kubikiri.
Although I did not ask for his brochure, he sent it along with information on what makes a tanto a tanto as well as info on Japanese swords.
It stung a little at first being not only corrected on my terminology but also being turned down. But as I studied the information he sent me I began to understand why he did what he did.
I decided I would make that knife I ignorantly called a tanto myself because he wouldn't, and ya know what? It looked like hell!:) But It got me started down the road none the less.

Thank you Phill for not only educating me on Japanese edged weapons but also for helping me get started in knife making.
I regret not letting him know this.
 
Very sad news.......

I remember quite distinctly years ago perusing a copy of Fighting Knives magazine and seeing an ad for a Hartsfield Force One. Boy, it stopped me cold. What singularity of purpose! A true legend of knifemaking.
 
A true gentleman who will be missed for a long time. Prayers for the family.
 
Awful, awful news to say the least. Prayers and thoughts for Pat and Phil.

Back in the early 80's when I was a cash poor teenager I would look through the year Ken Warner "Knives" annual, and Phill's knives struck a cord, and a deep one at that. I would daydream and study the black and white pictures and drool. They were just so different then most of the knives in the book. Never in a million years would I have thought that one day I would own several of his knives, and had even more go through the collection over the years. He was without a doubt, the one that sparked my interest in knives at an early age and still keeps me interested in cord wrapped style knives.

I regret never meeting him in person, having not ever been on the West Coast or the shows that he would do. I do remember the phone conversations, and still have a couple of letters from him tucked away. I also regret the knives that I've sold or traded from him over the years, but as collectors that happens. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. However I am thinking a little more about mortality today, and slipping my favorite Hartsfield into my pocket and carrying it in memorial will be bittersweet, but a lesson that our time here is fleeting. Enjoy it while you have it. As Warren Zevon said, "enjoy every sandwich".
 
More than a legend. He struck out on his own and did it his own way. Phill seemed to have a deep understanding of human nature. He was a real gentleman and will be missed.

PB
 
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