Important Info! Deceased makers

SharpByCoop said:
D' Alton Holder was LEGEND. We all agree. As soon as he passed I posted a tribute on my popular Instagram, which had 37 warm responses. So fitting.


He was also mentioned in Post #225 above, shortly after he passed. R.I.P.
Click to expand...
He had a lot of respect for you. I shot a few of his pieces because I had a camera and he had very little time. We talked about your work quite a bit. He was definitely one of a kind.
 
J.M. Wade of Fayetteville, NC died in June 2016. I was able to visit him in his shop not long before. He was a staple of the knife culture around Fort Bragg during the 80s.
 
I received an email this morning from Finnish Master Knifemaker Pekka Tuominen, that another Finnish knife maker, whose name and knives I have seen on this forum, Saku Honkilahti, died in a motorcycle accident on 1 Oct 2023. I have one of Saku's puukkos, very well made. RIP. John
 
Last edited:
I did not hear about Saku's motorcycle accident. :confused: I have his work and it's true, he's an amazing knifemaker. RIP 🙏
 
Sorry to hear that Grant has passed. I think I did the first article on him his "Pony Knife" way back in. 1997. I had met him at the Oregon Knife Collectors show and asked him how he got into knife making? He started by saying he 'Was a recovering prospector" having roamed around the deserts looking for gold. John
 
John A. Larsen said:
Sorry to hear that Grant has passed. I think I did the first article on him his "Pony Knife" way back in. 1997. I had met him at the Oregon Knife Collectors show and asked him how he got into knife making? He started by saying he 'Was a recovering prospector" having roamed around the deserts looking for gold. John
Click to expand...
If he was able to make a career in knife making, he must have found some! What a legend!
 
Grant told me one time that some of the unique opening/closing mechanisms he developed for his folders, came from mining equipment he had used or seen used to process ore. John
 
I admired D.W.(Duck) Childress from when I first found Bladeforums and his work only three plus years back. My most carried and a well loved belt knife is his compact clip point hunter that showed me a hand made extremely well done knife is not just in the exclusive province of the wealthy. Just prior to his retirement from knifemaking, he sent me a message thanking me for my consistent comments regarding his work quality and exceptional value ever since I got that little hunter. He then said my stated goal of making a good knife at a reasonable cost was a worthy one and encouraged me to keep raising the bar. A fine gentleman by any measure, I am sorry he is gone now, but I will not forget him.
 
I’m Duck’s daughter, Kathy, and I truly appreciate your post. I’ve actually read it several times along with his posts and all his interactions.

Grady, I tried to figure out how to pm you, but think I may need a subscription? Then I thought oh, plan b and I would reply to your post. I’m on my phone (and a bit of a hot mess tonight) so pls bear with me. I had a really long and rambling reply and even took pictures of his knives (numbered them too) with the intention of reaching out to you and hoping you would pick one and accept it as a way to honor his memory. Then I couldn’t figure out how to post the picture. 🤦‍♀️ And now I’m wondering if I accidentally replied earlier.

I have to admit I’m sitting here literally laughing because I’m wondering how in the world he navigated this forum. Whew! He was a one finger typer and actually would come to me for help with computer/phone stuff when my husband and daughter weren’t available to help him. I guess I see why I was third in line tho. Seriously.

So, whew….I miss my dad and he was so generous. I would go to knife shows with him when I was young and have watched him give his knives away if he saw someone charm one, then have to put it down because they couldn’t afford one. I just think he would really be ok (actually more than ok) with me trying to reach out to you and give you one of his last knives. Your post really and truly touched my heart. If you would be ok with this, please email me.

kathy @ guinn . co (yep, deliberately spacing because I would hate to go thru all this again to find I can’t post an email address).

Please know I’m not usually quite this…well whatever I am right now. I think devastated by his loss and heartbroken and this just feels like something I have to do. I hope you understand. Thank you for appreciating him and his work.


Grady slaughter said:
I admired D.W.(Duck) Childress from when I first found Bladeforums and his work only three plus years back. My most carried and a well loved belt knife is his compact clip point hunter that showed me a hand made extremely well done knife is not just in the exclusive province of the wealthy. Just prior to his retirement from knifemaking, he sent me a message thanking me for my consistent comments regarding his work quality and exceptional value ever since I got that little hunter. He then said my stated goal of making a good knife at a reasonable cost was a worthy one and encouraged me to keep raising the bar. A fine gentleman by any measure, I am sorry he is gone now, but I will not forget him.
Click to expand...
 
kchildressguinn said:
I’m Duck’s daughter, Kathy, and I truly appreciate your post. I’ve actually read it several times along with his posts and all his interactions.

Grady, I tried to figure out how to pm you, but think I may need a subscription? Then I thought oh, plan b and I would reply to your post. I’m on my phone (and a bit of a hot mess tonight) so pls bear with me. I had a really long and rambling reply and even took pictures of his knives (numbered them too) with the intention of reaching out to you and hoping you would pick one and accept it as a way to honor his memory. Then I couldn’t figure out how to post the picture. 🤦‍♀️ And now I’m wondering if I accidentally replied earlier.

I have to admit I’m sitting here literally laughing because I’m wondering how in the world he navigated this forum. Whew! He was a one finger typer and actually would come to me for help with computer/phone stuff when my husband and daughter weren’t available to help him. I guess I see why I was third in line tho. Seriously.

So, whew….I miss my dad and he was so generous. I would go to knife shows with him when I was young and have watched him give his knives away if he saw someone charm one, then have to put it down because they couldn’t afford one. I just think he would really be ok (actually more than ok) with me trying to reach out to you and give you one of his last knives. Your post really and truly touched my heart. If you would be ok with this, please email me.

kathy @ guinn . co (yep, deliberately spacing because I would hate to go thru all this again to find I can’t post an email address).

Please know I’m not usually quite this…well whatever I am right now. I think devastated by his loss and heartbroken and this just feels like something I have to do. I hope you understand. Thank you for appreciating him and his work.
Click to expand...

Sorry for your loss.....I too bought a knife from your Dad, as did many here....He made knives for us poor blue collar guys and we loved them and him.....Solid and affordable....

May your many happy memories of your Dad keep you company till you meet again.
Safe and healthy holdays!!!
Best,

James
 
Kathy, I am attempting to email you and get it back undelivered. Please confirm your email address for me as I am quite low tech myself. I do want to get a response to you for sure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top