From time to time I come up with something that I think is worth preserving.  Sometimes it is an article or essay that I have written myself because of something I have seen or experienced.  Sometimes an event will trigger an old memory of days gone by.  Sometimes I just “wax philosophical” or feel like running off at the mouth because someone or something really ticked me off and I want to vent.  Sometimes I run across something that someone else has put together and I feel like it should be passed on to anyone who might be interested.

     It is my hope that you will find this page useful, amusing, thought provoking, or at least interesting.  Your comments are always welcome.  Who knows what we might accomplish if we get our minds together.  Contact me here with your comments.  Most of all, enjoy.

Store Bought or Hand Made

In the area of Georgia where I live, we are fortunate to have two large hunting shows every year.  These shows are well managed and draw very large crowds of people from all over the state and beyond.  They aren’t the SHOT show but they are the biggest thing in this area.

It’s great to walk around and see all the latest gear that the vendors assure you will make this year’s season the best you ever had.  If you want it, chances are they have it.  You can book guided hunts to anywhere your heart desires.  You can’t arrange for a mortgage at the show and I haven’t seen anyone offering to buy first born children but you can sure book your dream hunt.

The taxidermy displays are beautiful.  Some of the best taxidermists in the country come to these shows so you can arrange to get anything from a chipmunk to a full polar bear mounted.  One fellow had an American buffalo mount and it was enormous.

The fall show is devoted to big game hunting and the spring show is centered on turkey hunting and bass fishing.  The cacophony of turkey calls in the spring is hard to believe.  Everything is available from exquisite hand made wing bone yelp calls to factory made rubber gobblers.  I knew that the turkey had made a pretty good comeback in the wild but I had no idea of the money that turkey hunting and supplies generated.  Ain’t capitalism great.

I guess what I enjoy most about these shows is watching all the hunters and fishermen browse and shop for their next treasure.  I heard one fellow tell a tree stand vendor that he had been saving for three years to buy this special double tree stand so he could take his son on his first deer hunt.  He was going to make a memory that he and his son would carry for the rest of their lives. 

I have watched untold numbers of men and women buy all manner of hunting gear from mouth calls to African safaris and one thing has intrigued me as I have talked with people about the money they spend on hunting gear.  Think about it. A rifle that isn’t a big box store special and a scope that won’t move off zero under recoil is $500 to $1000 or more if you go custom.  Rangefinders are becoming more popular and they start around $200 for a basic model.  Most folks think they can’t hunt without camouflage clothing any more and even the basics from the local mart will tear a hole in a 100 dollar bill. Now, if you want the latest scent free gear and all the soaps and stuff to go with them, you’re talking two to three times that price.  Add a pair of scent free boots and let’s not forget a camera to capture that trophy so you can show all your buddies.  Then there is the tree stand, maybe an ATV and who knows what else.  It doesn’t take long and a fellow has a lot of money tied up in hunting gear. 

Being a knife maker, I’m always interested in what kind of knife a fellow takes to the field.  It is a rare occasion when someone tells me he uses a hand made or custom knife when he is hunting.  Usually it’s a factory made piece that he paid $40 for at the discount store.  One guy told me he really liked his knife because he only had to touch up the edge a couple of times when he field dressed the doe he got on his last hunt. 

I have given this a lot of thought and have come up with a theory.  Most hunters just aren’t aware that hand made knives are available.  They certainly don’t know that many of them are available for less than the cost of their favorite rifle.

For the most part, hunters are a practical lot.  We all want good value and performance for the money we spend.  We look for the best equipment we can afford to do the job at hand.  Considering that a knife is the tool that sees the most use on a hunt, why would a hunter settle for one that is mediocre at best?

I could go on for quite a while about the virtues of a hand made knife and how to choose one but that is a subject for another time.

There probably is no perfect knife, but a properly chosen and designed knife will do what you want it to do and will do it much better than what you will find in the sporting goods department of your local retailer.  Whether you are hunting, fishing, handling chores around the house, or on a trek through the backwoods or across the prairie, a good knife can be a trusted and welcome companion.

When you own and use a hand made knife, it is unique and because your knife is unique, there is a pride of ownership that is unknown with a mass produced item, it becomes a part of your history to be passed down to loved ones and to be admired as an heirloom by generations yet unborn.  Just imagine the day, many years from now, when your child tells his child or even grandchild with pride, "This was my Dad's knife."

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                                                                                    The New Knife

       I am often surprised and even amazed when someone buys a new knife.  While I was a partner in a full service knife shop, I saw both men and women almost agonize over the purchase of a new knife more often than I can count.

A man looking for a knife to work with inspects possible candidates for fit and function, feel in the hand, and in the pocket.  When he finds the one that fits the bill and the budget, it becomes a new tool.  A friendship has begun.

Then there is the guy who collects “old knives”.  I can’t tell you how many times some guy has told me that he collects knives and during the conversation, it turns out that he collects recent issue Case knives.  Anything over about three years old is “old”.    I always smiled and shared his enthusiasm and hoped he would live long enough for them to appreciate above or at least back to their retail value.  It’s amazing how many people I have met who collect Case knives.  I guess it’s because, in the area where I live, they are the most plentiful and most desirable.

The folks I like the best are those who buy hand made knives.  The people I have dealt with so far are not been the highly sophisticated collectors that are so often found walking the isles of the larger knife shows looking for the perfect piece from the latest hot maker.  These folks are really tired of the usual offerings from the big box stores.  They just want a good knife at a reasonable price.  They understand that quality costs a bit more and are willing to pay the difference.

I love to watch as people look at the knives I make although I must admit that I sometimes feel a little voyeuristic.

I remember a young couple who had decided that they were going to start collecting hand made knives.  I was so honored that they wanted one of my knives as their first piece.  They, of course, inspected grind lines and tapers and overall symmetry; then the fondling began.  Each of them would hold the knife in every imaginable grip and feel the sides and spine and edge of the blade.  They caressed the swells and curves of the grip.  By the time they decided to purchase the knife, they knew it almost intimately.  It was a wonderful experience for all involved.

Now the sad part.  This couple had just purchased a very nice little trailing point bird and trout style knife and it will never go near woods or field or stream.  Born of steel and fire and created to serve the hand of man. This knife will languish as eye candy.  At least she found a good home.

As I forge and form a knife, I often envision the adventures that it might share with its new owner.  This brings form and life to the blade.  I teach her all that I know and when I am through, she goes out the door.  She is ready to, as the singer said, stand by her man.  Above all else, she is a tool and a tool can only reach its full potential if it is used for its intended purpose.  Faithfully care for her and she will faithfully care for you.

A few years ago, I had the privilege of going through a collection of some 300 pocket knives to give an estimate of their value.  To make a long story a little shorter, the customer was so happy with our work that she gave me a Case ten dot 6375 pattern 3 blade stockman in red bone.  The blades have the patina of aged carbon steel rather than their original high polish but other than that, it is in excellent condition.  I really enjoy carrying and using this knife.  People who see it comment about what a nice knife it is and it drives collectors crazy that I would dare to carry and use such a treasure.

It is a tool.  Granted it’s an expensive tool but it is a tool none the less.  I’m sure that the Case brothers would be proud to know that one of their fine tools is being well cared for and used for what it was designed.

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Why Is It That We Make Knives?

There are probably almost as many reasons as there are people who make knives.  I think the one I have heard the most is “Because I have to”.  With many, it is a creative outlet or a pleasurable hobby that produces a tangible result.  It may even produce enough income to support itself.

I remember the first time I went to the Blade Show in Atlanta .  Although I had been kind of a knife fanatic for as long as I could remember, I didn’t even know there was any such thing as hand made or custom knives.  They just weren’t offered for sale at the mall and grocery store where I shopped.  When I was in school and thinking about career paths, I never saw “blade smith” or “knife maker” on the list.  I guess I was kind of an egghead of sorts. My eye was on college so I never got into the different shop classes that some of the other guys took.  That must have been where they kept those lists.  Who knew?

If you’ve never been to a Blade Show, it’s really hard to describe or imagine.  I walked into this room that seemed to be almost as big as a high school football field and every knife manufacturer that I ever heard of and a bunch that I never heard of were there.  That was more than I had expected and these folks were just lined up around the walls.  In the center of the room are row after row after row of tables manned by hundreds and hundreds of people who make knives by every means imaginable.  Why had I never heard of this?  How had this many people kept all of this a secret?  There were thousands of people in this room.  It is still a mystery to me how I had never even heard of hand made knives.  The hand made knife industry had been growing for over thirty years and no one had told me.

I walked into this wonderland for the knife afflicted and was completely awe struck.  I just hoped that I wouldn’t get in trouble for drooling all over some maker’s knife.  The people were wonderful.  Everyone would talk to you and tell you about their knives.  It was kind of like a big family reunion but the crazy aunt or the black sheep brother weren’t there and everyone wanted to catch up and share life and stories and information on everything they knew. 

After spending a number of hours on the floor talking to people and handling knives, something almost primordial welled up inside of me.  I just knew with everything in me that if I could just get up next to the proper equipment, I could make a knife that a man would be proud to own, that would be a trusted companion, and that would stand him in good stead when the chips were down.

I soon began my quest.  I studied and began to gather some equipment and slowly began to learn to forge and make knives.  I was even fortunate enough to find the occasional person to give me a tip or two.

That first spark became an ember that threatened to become an all consuming fire.

I believe there is something in a man that calls him to do something with his life; to somehow leave a mark for future generations to see.  We can’t all be Washingtons or Jeffersons or Einstiens or countless other world renowned heroes but we want to leave something when we’re gone.  Sure, many of us have families who love us and will carry on our memories but those will soon fade in the cares of life.  

With fire and anvil and the skill learned through time, I put my hammer to hot steel and bring forth a blade.  With care and the knowledge born of time and the craftsmanship that is gained through countless hours of effort, this blade becomes a knife.  If everything goes right and the knife measures up to my demands, I put my name on it and put it up for adoption.

When I am gone, the knife will live on.  Maybe one day some man will hold her and proudly tell his son “This was my Granddad’s knife and one day son, it will be yours”.   They will share the stories surrounding the knife and caress her and admire her lines and the way she feels in the hand and how good it feels to hold her.  Maybe someone will even hold her and say   “That guy Quinn, he sure made one hell of a knife”

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Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?

    Have you noticed that there aren't any cowboys any more?  When I was a kid, they were everywhere.  There was Lash LaRue, Hopalong Cassidy, and The Lone Ranger & Tanto.  Then there was Marshal Dillon, Wyatt Earp, Paladin, and Rowdy Yates.  There were plenty of others too.  When these guys came on the scene, they stood for truth and justice.  They always played by the rules and did what was right.  They treated the men with respect, were always a gentleman with the ladies and took no bull from anyone.  These were our heroes, our role models.

     I was really fortunate to grow up during the fifties and sixties.  My Dad was a Master Sergeant in the Air Force and almost all the men around me were also in the Air Force.  These guys were also my heroes.  I never saw one of them ride a horse or rope a cow but they could stop trouble with a few words and sometimes even a look.  I later realized that these were the men who had fought in and won World War II and the Korean Conflict; the only thing they feared was God.  Their word was their bond and they could be trusted with your wife or your kids or your money.  They would treat them as their own and defend them if need be.

     Then there were the moms.  Mom was a lady and she taught manners.  Of course, all instruction was backed up by Dad.  I guess that most of all, Mom provided stability and security to our lives when we were kids.  Mom kept us clean enough for company, bandaged wounds, protected us from the monsters under the bed, and kept us fed.  Mom would give you a loving hug but she would also snatch a knot in your neck if that's what you needed.  Mom was love and she passed it on freely and the men around her responded with love and respect.

     Life was good.  Black was black, white was white, you could win but you might lose, and no matter what the situation, there was always a difference between right and wrong and you knew which was which without having to be told.  You were expected to do what was right or there would be some kind of consequence that wouldn't be pleasant.

     Then, sometime in the mid to late '60's something happened.  All of a sudden it was drop out and turn on; there ain't no difference between right and wrong, free love, and screw the man.  The courts started going crazy and the government started trying to be all things to all people and do everything for everyone.  How in the name of all that is good and decent did this ever happen?

     I'm not a real astute historian but I seem to recall that our founding fathers tried to set this country up so that we would have a minimum amount of government so as to assure that "We the People" would have the maximum amount of personal freedom so as to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  No place in our founding documents are we guaranteed that we will achieve these goals.  We are just guaranteed that we may freely pursue them.  That sounds redundant but I don't think we have heard it enough that we know it.  As a nation we have become so accustomed to having our welfare looked after that many people have forgotten that we are individually responsible for our own wellbeing.  No one has a right to any property or privilege above anyone else.

     When our country was attacked on September 11, 2001, I was totally devastated.  I don’t believe I have ever been as angry about anything in my life.  I couldn't believe that someone had the audacity to attack innocent people going about the business of their daily lives.  I must admit that I was relieved when the leaders of our country decided that retribution was the course of action to be taken.  I was reminded of times gone by when men of honor would deal severely with whoever wronged anyone under their care.  I was and remain proud of my country and its leadership.

As a country, we were united.  We were all Americans and we were mad.  It didn’t take long for the politically correct crowd to raise its voice and start demanding peace at any price.  The voice of pride of country was shouted down and shamed into submission.  When soldiers died as soldiers do, we were told that the price is too high and we should stop fighting.  The politically correct crowd would have us just walk away so the world would look at us in a kinder light. 

I believe that any intelligent man would choose to live in peace if at all possible but there are times that a man must fight for what is right and good.  Sometimes lives must be lost so that lives may be saved.  That’s just the way it is.  If someone comes into your home in the dark of night bent on doing you harm, would you not defend you and yours with all of your might?  If he gets away and comes back again would you not chase him down the street and run him to ground so that he will not be able to come back?  I assure you that I would and that he would not come back.

This happens to be a presidential election year.  We are faced with two choices that are not what a lot of people would rather have; kind of the cream of the crap.  One is a socialist, pure and simple.  The other is a little harder to label.  He would, at least, appear to be a man of honor.  The socialist would do everything in his power to enlarge the size and scope of government in our lives.  If given the opportunity, he would make the federal government our provider and our protector in everything from health care to self defense and he would do it with our money in the form of higher taxes.  It is somewhat unclear with the other as to whether he would want our government to be all things to all people.  He has been good in the use of our money in some respects but misguided in others.  We know that he has put his life on the line in the never ending fight against tyranny. 

We shall shortly choose a new leader.  Some call our president the leader of the free world and in many respects he is.  There is more riding on this than first meets the eye of the casual observer.  This president will make decisions and place people in positions of power that will determine the course of world events for decades to come.  We can choose glitz and glamour and spit and polish with promises of peace and gifts for all.  Or, we can choose honor. 

Choose wisely.

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