Vintage RJ Martin Bat Wing KWAIKEN (VIDEO)

Luckily for me, I have a Black over Red kwaiken, made by Pohan. Need I say, it's a keeper.
rolf
 
Wow blast from the past right there, RJ had some wicked sharp knives. My short story of RJ, great guy met at Ashokan, taught how to cord wrap there too, I made a tanto and was on a business trip out to CT and had ordered a knife from RJ and it was ready. So I called and he said I could drop in to pick it up and got to visit his shop too. The knife was setup with the carbon fiber sheath with those rare earth magnets for neck carry and it holds very strong!

Short story almost done, on the way home on the Mass pike, I stopped for gas, it was a dreary rainy day and I locked my keys in the car. I had the neck knife on beneath my t-shirt, my dress shirt was out and opened. I saw a state trooper that was parked at the gas station and walked over to see if he could unlock my car. I LEANED in against his car to talk to him and the knife/sheath went THUNK to the side of his door, THOSE RARE EARTH MAGNETS hard at work!!! I was in a mild state of shock...as I leaned back, my shirt mysteriously stayed stuck to the door until I was far enough away that the knife came free. LUCKILY the state trooper was busy reading his paper and was annoyed that I interrupted him and never noticed how my shirt was stuck to his door or the sound of the knife clunking against his car....WHEW !!! he didn't unlock my car but called the highway guys and they came and opened the door and I got the heck out of there! ;)

SO, becareful of neck knives with magnets...just a safety tip :)

G2

forgot the other half of the story, RJ's favourite part ;) my tanto I made, 11 1/2" A2 chiseledged blade with stainless tsuba and red stingray skin cordwrapped, I brought to show RJ as he had inspired me to make it and do the wrap he had taught. I had made a leather sheath for it and after he looked it over, we left the knife out on his kitchen table and the sheath laid next to it. We come back in from his shop, knife was there, sheath had gone missing, his Labrador pup Sugar had taken a liking to the sheath and was chewing on the tip, made a few marks and a puncture, but nothing that hurt the sheath. RJ was really apologetic and actually gave me a second sheath for the knife I had just bought, that's a good guy right there!
 
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If i'm not mistaken you're using steel flame menukis. I'd love to get something done with the same. Great piece Steven :)

Kohai999 said:
I call him Landy, he calls me Stevie....roomed with me at SHOT this year, we walked the floor together the last day of the show, and had a lot of fun...

At one point, had five of his knives, but now have three....one of them is a CPM3V double ground Wasabi with red stingray, soaked black silk cord and double menuki with his carbon fiber wrapped sheath......and...NO, Rolf, you cannot have it, buy it or steal it.
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R.J. is a very good friend, he's funny as heck, and I always enjoy spending some time with him when he is available....fantastic maker as well.

A lot of people go with black on black wrap(a look that is quite elegant, and under other circumstances would be my preference as well), Western style or Japanese style....but....one of the great things about the classic Japanese style is the diamonds that result in the negative space of the wrap, and you cannot see them very well with a black same'......that's why this one is red, and most of my Japanese style pieces have white same'.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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김원진;15317313 said:
If i'm not mistaken you're using steel flame menukis. I'd love to get something done with the same. Great piece Steven :)
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Those are Fred Lohman dragons in Sterling Silver....this piece pre-dates SteelFlame, but I do love those guys!

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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