I doubt he hand made any production knives, but I have seen photos of knives he did make himself. One, if I recall, was the original Espada folder.
I believe you're talking about this one.
Yes, Lynn made that knife himself. He mentions it briefly in an interview video, though I don't remember which one.
This isn't directed at anyone here, but I never understood why people want to use the act of constructing a knife as a yardstick when they discuss knife company figures. If it's relevant, as in the case of Ernest Emerson or Chris Reeve, then perhaps it makes sense. But frequently it's irrelevant:
1) Al Mar never made a knife that I'm aware of. But Al Mar Knives sure offered some incredible knives.
2) Sal Glesser cobbled the original Spyderco prototype out of a Japan-made Compass Industries Model 521 Silver Falcon pocket knife by welding, drilling, filing, and grinding it until it was a monstrosity you wouldn't pay fifty cents for at a flea market. So what? Spyderco has created some excellent knives.
3) Mickey Ray Burger and Duane Dwyer are quite gifted knife makers, crafting some very beautiful and functional pieces. But now I wouldn't buy any of their knives, no matter the price or quality.
In reality, design and fabrication are completely different fields. Most industries hire different people for those roles, with only the exceptional talent able to straddle them. And neither design nor fabrication relates whatsoever to business acumen, an essential trait for somebody running a business. I think there's a lot more to a man, even a man who has chosen to start his own knife company, than whether or not he can make his own knife.
-Steve
