Attachment 52339
This knife is one of those feel good stories. It was made by ABS master smith Wally Hayes, up in Canada. When I first contacted him from an ad in Blade or Tactical Knives, I told him that I wanted to purchase a neck knife from him that I could use on and off the job. He had a simple neck knife he was offering at the time...relatively inexpensive but from stainless, not his forged steel.
Anyway, a short time later he gets in touch with me and asks me if I would mind if he just made something up for me. Considering that I had no knives at that juncture from a master smith, I thought I should just say yes, and then keep my trap shut.
A few weeks later I get this knife in the post and I was flabbergasted. I paid what would have been the price of the simple stainless knife and got instead a hand forged and file worked damascus blade from a master smith with a reputation for working with Canadian law enforcement officers and agencies. (Much like Dan Winkler does here on this side of the border. I have his work as well.) He added the traditional Japanese style wrap and ray skin on his own.
Anytime I'd run into Wally at the Guild or Blade Shows it was always a pleasure spending some time with him and telling him how much his kindness meant to me.
This is "everything you need, nothing you don't".