Trace Rinaldi DamaSteel LEO

Back at Blade in June Trace told some of us that if we bought a piece of steel and gave it to him he'd make us a knife. Trace doesn't take orders anymore so I bought a piece of Odin's Eye Stainless Damascus ($220) and gave that to him to make his LEO model. I did not know at the time that this is the first LEO made of stainless damascus, and it is unbelieveable! This is not my first custom but the first that I ordered and received. I have about $650 into it but wouldn't sell it for $1k!

4.5" blade, 10" overall






The handle is F-22 Carbon Fiber, very special stuff:

 

WOW That is a piece of art. Valkman, don't take that thing out of the house and lose it.

 

Yeow!!!!!!! That's an awesome blade!!!!!!....

How was the show???????..... Pics please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Bear it was awesome! I met TLynn!

Thursday I bought a sterile SNG from a dealer, then I couldn't any, and I mean ANY info on sterile Striders. So Friday I took it to the Strider table to ask Josh about it. He said those were never meant to be in the hands of the public and he'd trade to get it back. So I traded and now have a Ranger Green SNG to go with my RG SMF. Also have Lifter sheaths for both and a Strider pouch.

I talked to Christine a while then bought my first Simonich, a Salish. By that point I was low on funds and she gave it to me for what I had. She is really a neat lady!

I bought lots of titanium sheet and other stuff from the Bybee's (Alpha Knife Supply). They're GREAT to deal with, and I also got SR Johnson's DVD "How to make a sub-hilt fighter".

Wish you could've been here Bear!

 

Sterile SNG:




Ranger Green SNG:



Simonich Salish:



Knifemaker coin I got from Jim Smyth - Titanium:

 

Great pics of some really nice blades.

 

I enjoyed the Knife show both Friday and Saturday. However, my camera never left it's case or for that matter my suitcase (read backpack).

I got my blade from Don (it was a pleasure meeting you). Scored a cute extremely tiny damascus necker, bought a Bitterroot necker from Christine along with a set of grips for my 1911A1 and picked up a nice mid evil dagger from TinkerPearce (a sword maker up in Washington). He told me to just paypal him the money when I got home (so I did).

Picked up some material and have a friend in Maryland (new knife maker) creating me a custom knife to order. I sure hope he likes figuring out how to inlay ivory...

 

Sweet. Sounds like a great trip. Except for the part about your computer 'ing you.

 

Yes but it let me back on finally E.L. And tonight I was able to receive e-mail for the first time in over 36 hours.

Very nice since I know that I can go pick up my new handgun tomorrow after work.

Unfortunately, I then got to spend 3 hours this evening trying to figure out why I couldn't log on anywhere (or even see 3/4 of my favorite web sites).

Oh well...I think this really means no more toy buying.

 

Wow!!!!!!! That all sounds awesome.... wish I was there.... Great scores Valkman.... and some awesome story on the sterile Strider.... Yup... the Bybees are awesome folks.... and TLynn... Tinker makes awesome blades.... did you get to "swing" any of his swords?.....

 

melbo - Jun 16-18 Atlanta,GA 2006 Blade Show www.bladeshow.com

bear, I checked out his swords but I was wavering on my feet due to lack of sleep and food. I did not think it was a good idea to pick them up and pose with them.

 

I made sure to put fingerprints on Tinker's swords so he had to wipe them down again. Hahahaha It was good to meet him!

 

My cute little neck knife I picked up...

I also bought some materials and he's building my next knife. It was fun designing a knife one on one with someone. Philthy is a very nice young man and I think he will go far in time.