@SouthNarc
Craig, did I ever tell you how Fred was responsible for IA opening a case on me?
Last edited by blues; 06-06-2020 at 01:51 PM.
There's nothing civil about this war.
I did not get around to buying a HAK when they were getting started, but in some ways wish I had.
The original concept was a knife which could hide behind a typical employee ID/building RFID card on a card holder, as well as to remain in the user's hands if they get knocked down in a fight. I think it accomplished that purpose well. The makers also put far, far more thought into sheaths and carry methods than the vast majority of other knife makers. The carry system is often more important than the knife itself in the overall usefulness of the package.
It is disappointing that the business had the logistics and customer service issues it had. From reading the article linked above, it seems that many of the problems could have been avoided by better communication between the partners. Given the growth of the business and volume of sales, it would seem that hiring someone to handle customer communication would have solved a lot of problems while freeing up the partners to focus on the logistics.
I think it was a year or two after I visited Fred in Paris in 1999. He was going to come to the Blade Show and wanted to bring a balisong he had made for "demonstration purposes".
I'd advised him that it was technically a violation to import them into the U.S. at the time and that his best bet was to get some sort of dispensation in advance.
Anyway, he planned on visiting with Jimmy Fikes down in AL and then making his way to Atlanta for the show. His flight took him from Paris and routed through Detroit where he was to connect for a domestic flight to AL.
Some bonehead Inspector up there becomes aware of the balisong and tells him that it's a no-no blah blah blah. So, Fred, in his infinite wisdom, whips out my business card and asks if the Inspector can contact me or something to resolve the matter.
The Inspector calls Internal Affairs and reports me for suspicion of illegally importing balisong knives into the U.S. Mind you, this is one knife.
Next thing I know, and first I've heard of it, I'm summoned to IA where I'm read my rights, (which I waive), and put under oath to answer questions about this so-called importation.
I tell them that yes, I know Fred, he's a friend and a knife maker and that I'd advised him of the import laws regarding the knife.
Then I ask the two geniuses whether anyone bothered to speak to Fred and ask him if I was in cahoots with him in this giant criminal scheme.
They tell me they hadn't. I said, well, then I guess you know what you need to do and left.
A few weeks later I got a letter that the matter was being dropped.
I never let Fred hear the end of it later on. Especially during the 10 hour drive from South FL to the Blade Show I made with him and Laci Szabo the following year.
What a character.
There's nothing civil about this war.
@SouthNarc
I somehow missed this post. Rob was a dear friend of ours. We spent many a night drinking and carousing at the Blade Show and my wife and I were guests at his home in Montana when we took a motorcycle ride up there to stay with him for a few days. I've got a ton of Rob Simonich stories that still make me laugh out loud.
I've never quite got over his death. I was planning to spend a lot more time with him after retirement.
He gifted this to me the weekend we stayed with him. I thought he was making it for a customer. The blue bone should have been a give away.
Last edited by blues; 06-07-2020 at 01:28 PM.
There's nothing civil about this war.
Oh yes. I ran it in two range test sessions, with a variety of ammo. I used both the Beretta 13-rounders and the Mec-Gar 15 rounders. I also used a Beretta 15-round sand-resistant mag with the grip extender doodad. All ammo was tested with a pair of each mag type. Mags are new test mags that have never been dropped or subjected to feedlip damage - they are reserved strictly for initial testing. I use 100 rounds of each ammo type.
American Eagle 150-grain Syntech
Speer 124-grain +P Gold Dot
Speer 147-grain Gold Dot
Federal 147-grain HST
Hornady 135-grain +P Critical Duty
Federal 115-grain +P+ BPLE
Magtech 115-grain FMJ
Magtech 124-grain FMJ
Speer Lawman 115-grain FMJ
Speer Lawman 147-grain FMJ
American Eagle 147-grain FMJ
I had no issues with any ammo or any mag. In short, this thing processes ammo like Rosie O'Donnell mows down a Chinese buffet.
I cleaned and relubed it, and shot it yesterday in a Palisades Training Group pistol class. Zero issues, and it is crazy accurate. At four yards, it will put ten rounds into a group the size of a 50-cent piece - all double action. And that's with me, a 60+ old dude who has arthritis and shakes like an epileptic dog in a thunderstorm.
You can ask Jackdog, DB or Wayne Dobbs how bad my hands shake. In Wayne's words: "That pistol makes you look like you know what you are doing".
A very large tip of the hat to Ernest, Aimee and Jonah at @Langdon Tactical. The gun is uber reliable, crazy accurate, and a solid deal for what it cost. I snagged the 92X no-rail Compact with NP3 internals and the full-boat package.