There is no easy answer to that question. First off there is only one Sal Glesser and no one on the planet would be a perfect replacement for him if God forbid anything were to happen to him. But I do feel with great confidence that Eric Glesser would continue his dad's great mission in life if that were to happen.
Our tenure here on planet earth is only temporary for all of us. But that's true all across the board with everyone's life. We only had Nikola Tesla for a few decades but what an awesome change he made in our lives while he was here. In many respects you could say that Sal Glesser is the Nikola Tesla of the knife making industry.
But I do think it's more than fair to say that Sal Glesser has changed the knife industry completely during the time he's been here. No one can be perfectly replaced>> because all of us are completely unique in our own way.
Well said, JD. I will add one of my favorite quotes. “An institution is the lengthened shadow of a single man.” To the extent that Sal has infused Spyderco with his character and values, it can flourish after he’s gone.