What is with A.G. Russel?

AG to what do you attribute to your success? Luck? Work ethic? Your parents? The Lord? All of the above? I suspect I know the answer. I think you could do the world even more good than you already have, in these troublesome times, by answering this simple question, or most complex question, in some form, long or short.

You are a blessed man.
 
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There are a bunch of reasons to buy from A.G. Russell, and here's just a few:

They are always completely honest, even when it means they lose the sale. I was debating buying the larger and more expensive 10X4" DMT stones and AG wrote that the 8X2.5" would do the job for my particular application, and to save my money.

I called to ask about the steel in one beautiful limited edition Buck with impala horn (I'm a sucker for natural material handles), and was told that it would not be the best knife for my application and to get something else.

I sent a nice stag Fox Bowie back, just decided on something else for that paycheck, and there was no problems at all. I ended up buying it a few months later at the same price.

They have cool one-off stuff you can't get anywhere else, like their excellent Rust-Free oil, these wonderful new leather belt pouches with posts or snaps, gun and knife collector logs, their special handled Randall's, the 1861 Pattern Bowies they carried (offered in two sizes) in black micarta, red rucarta and ironwood, and the exclusive handle material Bark Rivers from Mike Stewart.

I joined their knife collectors club and you get cool catalogs along with emails several times a year that have great bargains in them.

Finally, I use their site as the definitive quick look-up for knife steel and it's composition and types, etc. Free of course. It's worth it to drop by their site at http://www.agrussell.com/Default.asp?bhcd2=1228410264 and click on "Steel Guide" at the top, just for that feature.

You get what you pay for that's for sure, but honestly I haven't seen that their production stuff is that much more. I bought my CRKT Hissatsu from them, and they had the best price of several online stores. But if you want a limited edition Randall 1-7 with amboynia burl handle, or whatever, you're going to pay for it, no matter who sells it.

Norm
 
A.G. Russell has been around a long time in the business. Within a few years of the War Eagle whetstone business there was one and only one dealer in really nice knives sure to be found at the mob scene of the NRA Convention and some other shows - where the booth would likely include an engraver or scrimshander for interest's sake as well. Mr. Russell has done more than any other seller or maker to build the industry not just the business as it exists today. The folks who sell factory even mass market knives for less are in a very real sense sheltering under A.G. Russell's wings.

I suspect it wasn't always fun - though much of it probably was - I remember my wife and his talking about the potential benefits of ripple sole shoes for standing around and walking around at the big shows.

I haven't bought a lot over the years but what I bought was mostly fairly priced for sure because I couldn't much buy it from anyplace else convenient anyway.

It's certainly true that by walking around with cash in my pocket I can sometimes run across a deal that allows me to buy something at a lower price than Mr. Russell would charge. It's unlikely that for nicer knives for immediate delivery I could get immediate delivery at a vastly lower price - this assumes that e.g. the Spyderco outlet store in Denver ( really Arvada? Golden?) isn't really in the same end of the business as indeed it isn't.
 
jill jackson said:
I have to say how I feel about this, off topic or not, after all you stated facts and figures and I live in the USA.
I feel that the rest of NATO should spend more and stop relying on the USA to keep them free. If you think we don't deter attacks on your countries by them (aggressors) knowing we will jump in and protect them if attacked, I think you are badly deluded. Without the United States to protect the free world (at our expense) Would there be a free world?
This is all I have to say on this and I won't respond further, sorry I felt the need to address this here.:o
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Big +1. I, also will not respond further as this subject is off-topic.
 
Silverdagger said:
AG to what do you attribute to your success? Luck? Work ethic? Your parents? The Lord? All of the above? I suspect I know the answer. I think you could do the world even more good than you already have, in these troublesome times, by answering this simple question, or most complex question, in some form, long or short.

You are a blessed man.
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Silver, I had great parents who insisted that whatever I did I was to be the very best at whatever that was, digging ditches or whatever. Being a naturally lazy person I have always had to work really hard so no one would know that I was lazy.

I find the old adage to be true "The harder you work the luckyer you get".

The things I learned in the Carter years have prepared me for the hard time that are coming.

Good times and not I have had a wonderful life and it is better now than ever before.

The wonderful outpouring in this thread is wonderful, not a single un-happy customer has come in to beat me up. You cannot fill 25,000 orders a year and not screw some of them up. We usually manage to save the customer, but not always.

Blessed? Far more than most! A. G.
 
Hey AG, My wife recently noticed the bottom falling out of prices for used books online. If you were to start a thread to describe your experiences during the Carter years I would like to read it.
 
I've bought knives from A.G. for some years. One early experience I had with him made a lot of difference to me. My godson was about to turn 18, I wanted to get him a useful handmade knife, but I didn't have a lot to spend. I looked through the catalog, noted some possibilities, and called the store in Arkansas. What I really wanted was knowledgeable advice. I had never met A.G. before and knew about him only from articles about him and his letters that usually appear in the catalog. And of course, he didn't know me from Joe the Rag Man. Yet A.G. himself got on the line and talked with me for 10-15 minutes about the different options. I ended up buying a handmade knife from a relatively new maker for (as I recall) $115, and it made the perfect gift. Years later, my godson still uses it and thanks me for it. Point of the story: A.G. represents the kind of person and the kind of business I want to support. Sure, his knives cost more than something you might find at that other Arkansas business, Mal Wart. But to my mind, they are worth much, much more for the care and integrity they represent.
 
I have been reading much of this thread, but had not posted, until now.

Mr. Russell, I see that you are reading this frequently. I just want to say thank you. I have bought numurous knives from your firm over the years, and sent a few back. I have always been more than satisfied with your service. Two of my absolute all time favorites are you original one hand knife and your featherweight version. I have many EDC's but always come back to the featherweight. It is a nearly ideal compromise of all the qualities I need in an EDC. I haven't bought from you recently, but will shortly after Christmas, I have my eye set on your homegrown medium stockman. Thanks again and please continue the good work.

Q
 
akadave2 said:
Do these people not check other prices on the net? They are a good 20% higher or more on most of their knives than any other place. How do they stay in business?
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http://www.cuttingedge.com/products/klsp85001_mad_dog_atak

The attached is NOT a Mad Dog ATAK. AG has been notified of this publicly.

If you wish to read the direct text of AG's notification of this forgery and his immediate and hostile response to this notification, you will need to go to www.tacticalforums.com, which is Mad Dog's site.

I'm sure that the linking will earn me a demerit or infraction or whatever they are called, but so what? AG Russell still is holding this out over a year after he was notified that this is NOT what he claims and so notified publicly.

Incidentally, I have also called the Cutting Edge when this was initially listed for $2495 or so and told them categorically it is not an ATAK and no concern was shown by the person on the phone.
 
Parker said:
http://www.cuttingedge.com/products/klsp85001_mad_dog_atak

The attached is NOT a Mad Dog ATAK. AG has been notified of this publicly.

If you wish to read the direct text of AG's notification of this forgery and his immediate and hostile response to this notification, you will need to go to www.tacticalforums.com, which is Mad Dog's site.

I'm sure that the linking will earn me a demerit or infraction or whatever they are called, but so what? AG Russell still is holding this out over a year after he was notified that this is NOT what he claims and so notified publicly.

Incidentally, I have also called the Cutting Edge when this was initially listed for $2495 or so and told them categorically it is not an ATAK and no concern was shown by the person on the phone.
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Parker,

Help us out, won't you?

I am with MORIMOTOM here.

I do not see any connection here regarding AG Russell based on your alleged documented links that supposedly is supporting your claims in regard to your post.. ??

Please re-examine same and explain yourself?.
 
www.cuttingedge.com is A.G. Russell's website. That knife is pretty obviously not a Mad Dog. I guess it was probably made by Allan Blade during the period when he was making knives like that. I don't know what to make of finding it on that website advertised as Mad Dog A.T.A.K #001. :confused:

P.S. By the way, Mad Dog capitalizes his name Kevin McClung, not "Kevin Mcclung."
 
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makes some sense now. i didn't want to join that other forum just to read some posts.

this is the first time i have seen that site.

i know very little about mad dog, except that it is kevin mclung's company and i have a general knowledge of the look of their products. this one certainly looks like no other i have seen.
 
Another great thing A.G. has done is his knife show. I couldn't scrape together the money to attend this year, but it included nearly all of my favorite makers. One day I'll make it.:thumbup:
 
MORIMOTOM said:
i dont understand the above post.

what is the connection to agr?
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I do not either.

Parker, I tried to read what you alluded to but cannot unless I register so I am not sure I understand how it would relate to AGR checking their prices to seee that they are at least 20% above.

Could you cut and paste?
 
parker's word was not the issue, at least for me.

i was unable to discern what exactly he was saying in his post. identifying the cutting edge site as being part of ag russell's business clarified the connection.
 
Cougar Allen said:
I don't think anybody's going to have much difficulty taking Parker's word that Mad Dog made some kind of effort to let A.G. Russell know he didn't make that knife, are we?

The important link is http://www.cuttingedge.com/products/klsp85001_mad_dog_atak

The knife speaks for itself.
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A Good customer of 30 years sent me the knife, I chose to take his word rather than McClung's If the knife remains unsold I will send it to you Couger or anyone you trust. I have compared it to others and will warrent it to any buyer except for the word of McClung who I do not trust.

Is that clear enough?
 
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