I've been a die hard knife nut most of my life. I've bought, sold, made, collected, made sheaths for, carried, used, and tested them any chance I could get. When I was In the SCA I was into swords and daggers as well as the more practical stuff just never have been able to get enough. I had heard about Busse and Swamp Rat but never could understand what it was all about. Then a year or two ago I started lurking on Blade forums. I had seen the ads for Scrap Yard and even checked the Web site, but until the SS4 it just didn't stick. Since then I've been hooked and it's also lead me to become a INFIohalic as well. I'm addicted!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I found out about the Scrap Yard from Diceman over on the Ontario/RAT forum.

My grandfather got me hooked by giving me SAK's, a couple of slipjoints and a couple of Buck fixed blades starting when I was about 10. 25 years later I still have one SAK and one slipie, I lost the others because I was young and dumb. I picked up my first swamp rat several years ago (Bandicoot), then Dan came along with a business model tartgeted directly at someone like me.

I really got hooked when I used to watch the old Jim Bowie program on television, which ran from 1956 to 1958. My first knife was a little pen knife given to me by an old woman who lived across the alley from us in Chicago many years ago, after her husband passed away. I later went scrounging with a friend picking up empty pop bottles and cashing them in at a liquor store, using the money to buy knives. I stayed interested in blades ever since.

I found Scrap Yard via a notice at Swamp Rat, and was immediately hooked on the Yard! I love Dan's philosophy of "superior performance to price ratio", and was double pleased to have named the DogFather and receive the prize knife.
I love the Scrap Yard, Dan and Patti, and this terrific forum with all the great people here! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Tom

I found out from the Busse forum at BF.

Yeah, who are you again?! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

I liked blades as a kid but had a poor experience with my first purchase, it was that black bowie "pos" you know the one with the serrated spine, hollow handle and the compass on the butt. And when I first used it, it broke! I think I poked a tree or something and it bent. So for years I didn't buy anything, just admirered from afar until last year my gf said we should get a good survival knife. She is a research nut and found BF and Busse. Then I got on BF and learned about ScrapYard and lurked here until I figured out how to get my S6 and never stopped the "obsession!"

Well lets see, I got my own ultra chinees pen blade around 6 or 7 and a classic SAK by 8 ,I always went to gunshows with my dad and I knew I couldn't buy a gun for 10 or so years so I looked at the knives they had at the tables, a couple of Boy Scout knives and other misc. folders(mostly slip-joints) later I got a CRKT Komdo? (early model)(my first fixed blade) fallowed by a Stiff k.i.s.s. and for christmas a Leatherman Supertool (I still EDC and love that beast) My dad got me a ultra cheep one handed linerlock from a pawn shop, then I relly got started with the "tactical" folders. Benchmade 350 was my first big one $50 bucks is a lot to a 14-15 year old. later a K-bar, and a Spyderco Rescue, it was the first knife I really used and abused I cut everything with it sandwhiches to sand paper it never failed. I would spend lots of time in the magizine section at the grocery store. I loved the cold steels they looked so cool, got a few. I knew of Busse, but understood that they were $500+ and nearly impossable to find so I didn't focus on them. In years later I caught an add in Blade Magizine for Swamp Rat, and was on their sight as soon as I could, at blade west 2005 I got a howling rat and spent alot of time lurking on rat chat and blade forums and reading cliff stamp stuff. Then Dec 2006 my dad got a S6 the first night they oppened up, wow Bang for Buck(but I didn't ::cures::). I had my heart set on a Busse Basic 9 or Battle rat but they were $200-$250 or more, then Enter the mighty Dodfather, I got one that night and been on the Yard ever sence, heck I even got a coin.

Tom, remember the Theme song? "Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie"..then the knife would stick in a tree or door. This is the knife!


Thought you might appreciate it.

I remember those knives! I think everyone had them. Ahhh the 80's!

Yeah, I broke my Rambo knife, too. I finally ended up with a Gerber BMF. It was pretty tough.