Gordon
Member
Santa Baby, please come in May!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mad-Dog-Limited-Edition-Bloody-Basin-Knife-/181144079252?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mad-Dog-Limited-Edition-Bloody-Basin-Knife-/181144079252?
Santa Baby
- Thread starter Gordon
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Sam Cade
Member
I don't see the appeal either.
I had an ATAK. It was meh so I sold it and made $200.
I had an ATAK. It was meh so I sold it and made $200.
Well, let me give some explanation.
I think Kevin
>Is a poser and a liar. (See Dark Genius)
>Puts finger grooves on almost all his blades (with almost no exceptions, finger grooves raise hot spots and blisters if you chop for more than a few minutes).
>Overcharges.
>Has had significant blade failures he blamed on counterfeit knives, space aliens, and the tester- anywhere but on his own work.
So, in a nutshell, here's someone whose word and product cannot be trusted, despite the premium charged- and I think most of his designs look like a 14-y/o designed them, anyway.
John
I think Kevin
>Is a poser and a liar. (See Dark Genius)
>Puts finger grooves on almost all his blades (with almost no exceptions, finger grooves raise hot spots and blisters if you chop for more than a few minutes).
>Overcharges.
>Has had significant blade failures he blamed on counterfeit knives, space aliens, and the tester- anywhere but on his own work.
So, in a nutshell, here's someone whose word and product cannot be trusted, despite the premium charged- and I think most of his designs look like a 14-y/o designed them, anyway.
John
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Gordon
Member
"so I sold it and made $200."
That fact says quite alot! How many other knives have you done that with? Not unless you bought Loveless or Bagwell back in the 70s. Hint; the people who do buy MD knives aren't generally stupid
If I could get this knife for less than 1k I'll do it, but that would be a snowballs chance in hell. I'll bet it goes twice that almost.
What you get with Kevin's knives is absolutely flawless flat grind lines. Rockwell tested differential heat treat with a 62or 63C edge of Starrett O1 shoved into an unbreakable laid up handle . Each blade is bent to almost 90 degrees before final 3000 grit sharpening and a very high tech hard chroming and must return absolutely true.
I have used his knives hard, my friends have used his knives hard and even some unfriends of Kevin admit he makes the "best" knives. My son has used them as tools on the Alvin and Jason robotic arms at 10,000 meters depth and nothing else could compare with what they do down there, and that is supportable fact.
So pricey, and look like ugly cheap kitchen knives maybe, but for doing what a knife is supposed to do - matchless IMHO. But to each his own. I like Sam's Camp Defender and showed it to Kevin who said it was nice, even tho I stained and almost pitted the blade using it for Barbques for a few months.
That fact says quite alot! How many other knives have you done that with? Not unless you bought Loveless or Bagwell back in the 70s. Hint; the people who do buy MD knives aren't generally stupid
If I could get this knife for less than 1k I'll do it, but that would be a snowballs chance in hell. I'll bet it goes twice that almost.
What you get with Kevin's knives is absolutely flawless flat grind lines. Rockwell tested differential heat treat with a 62or 63C edge of Starrett O1 shoved into an unbreakable laid up handle . Each blade is bent to almost 90 degrees before final 3000 grit sharpening and a very high tech hard chroming and must return absolutely true.
I have used his knives hard, my friends have used his knives hard and even some unfriends of Kevin admit he makes the "best" knives.
My son has used them as tools on the Alvin and Jason robotic arms at 10,000 meters depth and nothing else could compare with what they do down there, and that is supportable fact.So pricey, and look like ugly cheap kitchen knives maybe, but for doing what a knife is supposed to do - matchless IMHO. But to each his own. I like Sam's Camp Defender and showed it to Kevin who said it was nice, even tho I stained and almost pitted the blade using it for Barbques for a few months.
Sam Cade
Member
It shows that Mr.McClung has successfully advertized his products to not only yourself, but to at least one rural teenager with too much money.
Several.
Sam Cade
Member
Was it Stamp or Noss that kept breaking the bigg'un?
Gordon, I am being utterly sincere when I say that I'm glad Kevin's knives have worked for you and yours. Different strokes, and all.
I don't trust the man who wrote this. I also don't know how truly fair it is to discuss Kevin's perfect heat treatment when, so far as I know, you're getting the information from him...and he's already proven to be "less than reliable". (Kevin also claimed to mix his blood with every batch of steel, too. Yeah, it's been 14 years since he wrote that, but it's not the type of thing to forget.)
Ultimately, what matters most is if your knives do what you want, and you're happy with them.
I don't trust the man who wrote this. I also don't know how truly fair it is to discuss Kevin's perfect heat treatment when, so far as I know, you're getting the information from him...and he's already proven to be "less than reliable". (Kevin also claimed to mix his blood with every batch of steel, too. Yeah, it's been 14 years since he wrote that, but it's not the type of thing to forget.)
Ultimately, what matters most is if your knives do what you want, and you're happy with them.
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Gordon
Member
It was a really unkewl schmendreck that has been widely discredited. Now don't get me wrong, Kevin is not a friendly person to get along with. He has been completely honest in his dealings with me and others I know for 15 years. The "teenager with lotsa money " that don't really exist except in your mind are actually, soldiers, cops and collectors, hunters and the odd knife freaks.Idon't know any teenagers who can pony up thebread do you ? Seems the folks around here think a Bench Made is a large investment and shudder at the thought of buying one of your great bargain blades for a coiuple hundred (except me! )BTW Kevin has never had a big add campaign or hookede onto superstar endorsement like say Mickey S has 
and runs a very low key one man shop. He has had trouble when folks worked for him and he is not evergoingdownthatroad.
Sorry but when you sight down any MD blade the symetry is perfect, not just close as your knives or even Steven Fowlers are. And they are made by hand like yours are , not machined out . Like I said the test at the bottom of the ocean that they proved themselves superior to any other blade yet tried has got to mean something. Kevins sheaths are the best sheaths I have ever come across in my 45 years of checking out quality sheaths (Kydex ones since I got my first Blade Tech in 1985); Perfect retension with minimal material and dang near bullet proof. But to each their own , some people love love fabric material handle wraps,the latest and greatest "stainless" steels with hollow grinds and weird blade shapes from mars with painted on colors- go figure :banghead:
)BTW Kevin has never had a big add campaign or hookede onto superstar endorsement like say Mickey S has and runs a very low key one man shop. He has had trouble when folks worked for him and he is not evergoingdownthatroad.Sorry but when you sight down any MD blade the symetry is perfect, not just close as your knives or even Steven Fowlers are. And they are made by hand like yours are , not machined out . Like I said the test at the bottom of the ocean that they proved themselves superior to any other blade yet tried has got to mean something. Kevins sheaths are the best sheaths I have ever come across in my 45 years of checking out quality sheaths (Kydex ones since I got my first Blade Tech in 1985); Perfect retension with minimal material and dang near bullet proof. But to each their own , some people love love fabric material handle wraps,the latest and greatest "stainless" steels with hollow grinds and weird blade shapes from mars with painted on colors- go figure :banghead:
Valkman
Member
There's a few knifemakers I won't do business with and he's one of them. Nuff said, but John summed it up.
Sam Cade
Member
Whut?
Wait..so I didn't sell my knife to a teenage boy?
What was he, some sort of trans-dimensional slug beast who only appeared to be a teenage boy via the use of some sort of eldritch holo-projection technology?
I guess I should tell his dad.
Gordon, I wasn't trying to compare the knives Sam Owens' turning out against Kevin's. Sam's been making knives for 2 years. His handles are as at least as good as any knives I've handled- and, yes, that includes a few knives worth thousands. In only two years of part-time knifemaking.
I'm glad your experiences with Kevin have been positive.
John
I'm glad your experiences with Kevin have been positive.
John
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Gordon
Member
Well this IS a little over the top, read the interesting little story tho, Even in a junk yard with somebody who had no clue....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1st-Mad-Dog...150?pt=Collectible_Knives&hash=item1c3311dd9e
the knife (or one of) used by Steven Seagal in Under Siege 2; Dark Territory sold for $10,000
BTW the Bloody Basin will go around $2500 it looks like. Out of this mall ninja teenagers budget, darn it!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1st-Mad-Dog...150?pt=Collectible_Knives&hash=item1c3311dd9e
the knife (or one of) used by Steven Seagal in Under Siege 2; Dark Territory sold for $10,000
BTW the Bloody Basin will go around $2500 it looks like. Out of this mall ninja teenagers budget, darn it!
Sam Cade
Member
PRM
Member
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2008
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$1,625.00 for a knife??? I would clean the stone good after sharpening - that metal residue exceeds the cost of pre-ban elephant ivory dust.
Somebody wants to go that route - enjoy. For me - No Thanks, I'll keep my reasonably priced knives in use, and my money reserved for other things.
I would clean the stone good after sharpening - that metal residue exceeds the cost of pre-ban elephant ivory dust.Somebody wants to go that route - enjoy. For me - No Thanks, I'll keep my reasonably priced knives in use, and my money reserved for other things.
Double_J
Member
I don't really care for that knife. For the price being charged I can get several good knives, or a custom knife from a maker who will not hide behind the "proprietary heat treat/selection process/other mumbo jumbo" stuff that Mad Dog knives seems to love. I am not a mall ninja who has to have the "elite" stuff. My everyday knife is a kershaw folder, my camp knife is either an old kabar, machete, or a gerber fixed blade (I don't remember the model) depending on what ends up in the bag. I know a few things about knife making and heat treating from working in a machine shop, and I can tell when someone is using buzz words to make something sound more impressive than it is. That is the case here, and I don't care for it.
O2 steel, which is what Kevin uses is nothing fancy. It is a plain steel that has been around for a long time and is used by a fair number of people. The scale/handle material does not impress me that much as I can meet most of his specifications myself (electrical engineer with a little bit of materials engineering experience), and I don't really care for the blade profile. They don't really look that productive for use/abuse that I would put a fixed blade knife through in a given weekend of camping/fishing/hunting.
O2 steel, which is what Kevin uses is nothing fancy. It is a plain steel that has been around for a long time and is used by a fair number of people. The scale/handle material does not impress me that much as I can meet most of his specifications myself (electrical engineer with a little bit of materials engineering experience), and I don't really care for the blade profile. They don't really look that productive for use/abuse that I would put a fixed blade knife through in a given weekend of camping/fishing/hunting.
JTW Jr.
Member
Years ago I worked at a gun shop here in the Vegas Valley ( Nevada Custom & Concealed Weapons) , this was before I was really into knives.
We had at least 6-10 Mad Dog knives in stock at all times , until we did a show like SOF.
After the first day of that show , every knife was sold. Nobody dickered on price, they sold themselves ( as did the Gun Glove kydex ).
Having only talked to Kevin himself twice, his answers were always short, he never hyped his product to us, and I don't recall any major ad campaigns or anything. All done by word of mouth by his customers. And the feedback I heard from customers was always favorable.
I only owned one, the Frequent Flyer....wish I kept it.
As far as his book , who knows...never read it , maybe I should...
but now adays there are makers out there with youtube channels, videos and crazy made up persona's that people flock too...yet somehow people look at that differently.
Like him or hate him, he has been in the game for many years and has survived. I don't see that changing.
Don't recall him knocking off others designs like some other wrongly top rated makers either.....
If I had the $$$$ , I would scoop up a Voodoo Frog or Pygmy Atak II....
I do know where there are a bunch of old skool MD's including ceramics holed up from when the shop closed and am trying to get access to those....
We had at least 6-10 Mad Dog knives in stock at all times , until we did a show like SOF.
After the first day of that show , every knife was sold. Nobody dickered on price, they sold themselves ( as did the Gun Glove kydex ).
Having only talked to Kevin himself twice, his answers were always short, he never hyped his product to us, and I don't recall any major ad campaigns or anything. All done by word of mouth by his customers. And the feedback I heard from customers was always favorable.
I only owned one, the Frequent Flyer....wish I kept it.
As far as his book , who knows...never read it , maybe I should...
but now adays there are makers out there with youtube channels, videos and crazy made up persona's that people flock too...yet somehow people look at that differently.
Like him or hate him, he has been in the game for many years and has survived. I don't see that changing.
Don't recall him knocking off others designs like some other wrongly top rated makers either.....
If I had the $$$$ , I would scoop up a Voodoo Frog or Pygmy Atak II....
I do know where there are a bunch of old skool MD's including ceramics holed up from when the shop closed and am trying to get access to those....
OP
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Gordon
Member
Holy teenage mall Ninja! They sold it for $2900 !
Sam Cade
Member
Imagine a world in which the utility of a knife had a direct relationship to its price.
OP
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Gordon
Member
well there is zero bling on the knife,Kydex sheaths and a plastic handle with no silver conchos and only a thin polished section on the cheap carbon steel blade. Yet quite a few folks bid on the thing pretty large bread.
Really if you don't know ya don't know and I certainly can see the other point of views. I think I will post pictures of my Stephan Fowler collection. His knives are certainly handsomer, forged uniquely and not as expensive, yet.
Really if you don't know ya don't know and I certainly can see the other point of views. I think I will post pictures of my Stephan Fowler collection. His knives are certainly handsomer, forged uniquely and not as expensive, yet.
JTW Jr.
Member
When I saw what "Loveless shop" knives not even made by Loveless were bringing , nothing surprises me anymore.
Was the knife sold overpriced ? Nope , cause it sold. If it didn't sell at an asking price , either it is over priced or the right buyers haven't seen it yet.
Was the knife sold overpriced ? Nope , cause it sold. If it didn't sell at an asking price , either it is over priced or the right buyers haven't seen it yet.
Hey, I've handled Mad Dog knives. <Shrug.> I'd take a Breed, Wilson, Fowler, or even a $150 Greco first. But I guess that's why there's more than one knife maker.
I'd absolutely take a Busse over a MD every day of the week, and twice on Sunday.
I do think suggesting that if we don't love MD knives we don't "know" is just plain silly.
John
I'd absolutely take a Busse over a MD every day of the week, and twice on Sunday.
I do think suggesting that if we don't love MD knives we don't "know" is just plain silly.
John
Hey! Don't go knocking those $150 Grecos! I've got a few, even a $300 one and they're meant to be used.
Speaking of K. McClung, he was one of the first to use "space age" materials in his knife-making, items that are commonplace nowadays like kydex, G10 scales, hard chroming and even ceramics. His knives are good ... but the prices he charges for them... sheesh!
No $3,000 tool steel knife is going to cut any better than a $300 tool steel knife that has had a good heat-treat & grind. Buyers of his knives need to understand that the majority of the price is based on demand, and not expect any sort of magical performance by paying this premum.
I also knew him back when he identified himself as an "aeronautical engineer", which I could believe.
Speaking of K. McClung, he was one of the first to use "space age" materials in his knife-making, items that are commonplace nowadays like kydex, G10 scales, hard chroming and even ceramics. His knives are good ... but the prices he charges for them... sheesh!
No $3,000 tool steel knife is going to cut any better than a $300 tool steel knife that has had a good heat-treat & grind. Buyers of his knives need to understand that the majority of the price is based on demand, and not expect any sort of magical performance by paying this premum.
I also knew him back when he identified himself as an "aeronautical engineer", which I could believe.
JTW Jr.
Member
That could be said for any of the custom makers out there as well. Buyers are aware of this , they buy what they want with their $$$.
I don't really care what people pay for their knives, but not everyone understands that price doesn't equal performance.
I've met a few in person and seen way too many people online who think that paying "X" amount for a knife means that they'll be able to get "Y" amount of some magical mystical performance out of it.
This includes the "What is the BEST knife?" people (same goes for firearms, ammunition, etc.)
They don't understand that an object only performs as well as the knowledge, experience and skillset of the User.
I've met a few in person and seen way too many people online who think that paying "X" amount for a knife means that they'll be able to get "Y" amount of some magical mystical performance out of it.
This includes the "What is the BEST knife?" people (same goes for firearms, ammunition, etc.)
They don't understand that an object only performs as well as the knowledge, experience and skillset of the User.
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