Stolen Knives. Keep your eyes open!

I have a estimate to do in Raleigh tomorrow at 3:30 pm near the airport. If there's anything I can do since I live around here please contact me and I'll do what ever I can.
To whom it may concern:
 
Knowing there were knives stolen is sickening. Seeing the number of knives that were stolen and amazing quality that they are made me nauseated. I hope there is a long prison term for the thug that stole them.

Chris
 
The knives are SO unique and varied that just one shows up somewhere and there will be serious followup. Let's hope they do!

Michael D. is one of the VERY best Knife People in our world. His circumstances got blindsided by early cancellations of flights for a false storm. The luggage was not scheduled to be put on hold that long. Sigh.

Hopefully they do not find their way into China or Russia. Those two countries could possibly conceal them. I'm hoping a local pawn shop owner gives a call. ;)

When I heard of the amount of knives, and knowing the quality Mike carries, I figured over $750K.

He is insured through Collectibles Insurance Co. and he transported them EXACTLY as they require, and has for years. THEY will be assigning some serious detective work to follow up.

This said, 25 of Ken Onion's knives never found their way back from five or six years ago. Same deal; Baggage handlers.

Staying posted.

Coop
 
I heard about this a little more than a week ago. Obviously, I feel bad for Michael, but I'm happy that he's going to be covered by insurance. I cannot imagine how these knives could ever surface on the Internet or anywhere here in the US or probably even Europe as I think they would be spotted pretty quickly. Hopefully, the scumbag who grabbed them will realize what he got himself into and maybe he will somehow quietly turn them in somewhere to turn down the heat. Keeping my fingers crossed.
 
SharpByCoop said:
The knives are SO unique and varied that just one shows up somewhere and there will be serious followup. Let's hope they do!

Hopefully they do not find their way into China or Russia. Those two countries could possibly conceal them. I'm hoping a local pawn shop owner gives a call. ;)

This said, 25 of Ken Onion's knives never found their way back from five or six years ago. Same deal; Baggage handlers.

Coop
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So unfortunate. I had a single Jay Hendrickson knife stolen on the way home from the ABS Reno show some years ago. I can't imagine how Michael feels losing all these knives.
If there's any bright side here it's that Collectibles Insurance Co. is a first class operation and can be relied upon. I had a check for full value in hand 21 days after reporting the loss.

To Coop's point these knives will be difficult for the crook to turn into cash without extreme risk of being detected. I don't believe that collectible custom knives enjoy enough notoriety for there to be much of a black market or organized and safe method of liquidation. I feel like in these cases the thieves who stole them most likely didn't even know what they were steeling or the high value of such.

I posted an alert on the CKCA Forum, 'Stolen/Lost Knife Bulletin' sub-forum.
 
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rwn2000 said:
Yes, truly disgusting. You have got a $10/hour TSA employee inspecting baggage and he comes across a case with $100,000+ in knives in it. I doubt that case ever made it to the baggage claim.
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More like 200,000 +
 
rwn2000 said:
Yes, truly disgusting. You have got a $10/hour TSA employee inspecting baggage and he comes across a case with $100,000+ in knives in it. I doubt that case ever made it to the baggage claim.
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JParanee said:
More like 200,000 +
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You are both way, way low. We are talking about something around 150 high end knives here. Most of them multi-thousand dollar pieces.

And I understand it the knives did indeed make it to the baggage claim area, and that is where the Pelican case was stolen, and that they even have a video of it happening. So while I dislike TSA as much as the next guy, I don't think it is fair to try to lay this on them.

My guess is that some asshole just saw a cool Pelican case that was unclaimed and decided to grab it. I think he might have sh!t a brick when he opened it and saw what was inside. Probably a lot more than he bargained for and a lot of heat which he would not have expected over a couple of hundred dollars case. When there is this much money involved, folks will spend money to try to find you. If he has half a brain he should be trying to figure a way to anonymously and quietly return these pieces so that the incentive to spend $$ to find him is reduced.
 
I have personal experience with a hand gun in a case with my knives. Once you learn where to go for check in this is a good way. The case is locked by you with padlocks and you have the only keys. The bag is picked up at destination in a separate room by you. I have had good luck with this.

You need to learn the regs and it may take a couple of trips to learn the hoops. I have had some strange expeariances but I think I have it figured out.
Gary


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SharpByCoop said:
Michael D. is one of the VERY best Knife People in our world. His circumstances got blindsided by early cancellations of flights for a false storm. The luggage was not scheduled to be put on hold that long. Sigh.
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We differ on that statement. I wouldn't call Mike Donato "Knife People". Michael follows the dollar, like many purveyors.....he is also an nice guy.

That said, I AM sorry his, or those who trusted him with consignment, wares got jacked and if/when insurance pays out, it will set a precedent.

It will also change, I am sure, the terms that the Insurance agency write into their policies, and I'm not so sure that is good for any of us.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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I don't know the man at all, I just want the owners of the knives to get their knives back, in the condition that they left in... That's the bottom line. (Or get the funds that they deserve.)

Bottom line is, regardless of what you think of anyone for any reason, this situation sucks. The damn dirty thief deserves a fate worse than death.
 
Looking over that list of knives actually made me feel a bit sick to my stomach. Insurance dollars could never replace that group of knives. True pieces of Art History have been stolen by some shithead who will probably try to sell them for pennies on the dollar...this is terrible news for everyone in the knife community
 
This is very sad. I know Mike he is a good guy and a straight shooter I hope these knives are found soon and if they are not I am sure Mike will be doing all he can to make things right for the makers he was working with. I ship my knives fed ex to the hotel for shows and put what every is left in my check bags I may be rethinking that. supplies wood stag ivory go in my carry on because they can.
 
The Virginian said:
You are both way, way low. We are talking about something around 150 high end knives here. Most of them multi-thousand dollar pieces.

And I understand it the knives did indeed make it to the baggage claim area, and that is where the Pelican case was stolen, and that they even have a video of it happening. So while I dislike TSA as much as the next guy, I don't think it is fair to try to lay this on them.

My guess is that some asshole just saw a cool Pelican case that was unclaimed and decided to grab it. I think he might have sh!t a brick when he opened it and saw what was inside. Probably a lot more than he bargained for and a lot of heat which he would not have expected over a couple of hundred dollars case. When there is this much money involved, folks will spend money to try to find you. If he has half a brain he should be trying to figure a way to anonymously and quietly return these pieces so that the incentive to spend $$ to find him is reduced.
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Or we could go the other way and say the perp knew exactly what he/she was doing and pegged the case from the get go. Do the extreme high value, I agree the 100K and 200K are way low, didn't I see a Moran and several Loveless in the mix, someone who knows how this dealer operates was following it. But then I like conspiracy theories!
 
I think Ken's possible theory about a random guy, simply targeting a nice Pelican case, is very likely.

For someone to have targeted Michael specifically, especially if he was having issues with connecting flights and such, is VERY unlikely. Not impossible... but unlikely.



As much as I don't care for many in the TSA, I agree with Ken in that it doesn't sound like they were involved with this one.

That said, as a general rule, I don't trust them. The last time I went to the ABS Expo in Reno, I had them inspect my checked luggage (at PDX) with me standing there, then I put a lock on it, and they put a tag on it that it had been inspected. This had worked well several times before that. When I got to Reno, the lock was gone, and there was a note inside saying my luggage had been inspected by the TSA. :grumpy:


Unfortunately, there are risks involved in getting your knives to a show, no matter which method you choose.
 
Wow those are true works of art. That is a sad sad story... That Arthur Whale Mokume & Mammoth is amazing! I hope they somehow make their way back to you!
 
When I said 200,000 plus I had not seen the list yet I was only going on what I had originally heard

Wow

I feel very bad for all involved
 
I am giving this a little bump in hopes that someone might have noticed something that will be of help.
 
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