TazKristi wrote:
The explanation... over 15 years ago there was a Sales Manager here who hired Steve Rollert to make this knife (without Sal's knowledge or permission). Sal was unaware of it's existence until after it was made. It is the only one in existence that we know of, but it is NOT a Spyderco.
Hope this info helps.
Kristi
Thanks Kristi. That also explains a lot more than some might think. The site I referenced above, it turns out, is run by a friend of the ex-Sales Manager you mention. Both have been know to provide their own (fanciful) description of events. Obviously, this was another.
I'm sure Steve Rollert wasn't pleased to be mixed up in the process.
David
"Not all who wander are lost"
"To liner or not to liner? That is the question?" -- Sal
"Rule number nine: always carry a knife." -- Special Agent Jethro Gibbs/NCIS
i saw this today and thought it was ugly and way overpriced. that was before i knew it was not made by spyderco. what a cheek (assuming the seller hadn't bought it off someone else a while back who told him it was genuine).
i just e-mailed the seller to tell him i believe his knife (blade at least) is not made by spyderco and reported it to ebay as a fake.
TazKristi wrote:First the Police/Military.
The short answer, NO, it's not an authorized Spyderco and it was not made by Spyderco.
The explanation... over 15 years ago there was a Sales Manager here who hired Steve Rollert to make this knife (without Sal's knowledge or permission). Sal was unaware of it's existence until after it was made. It is the only one in existence that we know of, but it is NOT a Spyderco.
Second, the Herbst.
The short answer, NO, it's not a TI Herbst.
The explanation... it has Aluminum Scales with an (as you already saw) ATS-55 blade. It was made in Seki City and there were none made in Seki City in TI. However, to be fair, not all of the TI Herbst had the anodized blue lines. There were some without, but very few and this isn't one of them.
Hope this info helps.
Kristi
Not sure which is more interesting, police story or that there are some Ti Herbst without the anonodizing. :eek:
TazKristi wrote:First the Police/Military.
The short answer, NO, it's not an authorized Spyderco and it was not made by Spyderco.
The explanation... over 15 years ago there was a Sales Manager here who hired Steve Rollert to make this knife (without Sal's knowledge or permission). Sal was unaware of it's existence until after it was made. It is the only one in existence that we know of, but it is NOT a Spyderco.
Hope this info helps.
Kristi
Mahalo Kristi,
Thanks for the info...after a stunt like that, "was" uh, is thee word for sure! :mad: Cripes...
God bless and take care
Proverbs 16:3...Commit YOUR works to the LORD, and YOUR plans WILL succeed!
"Where's the best little big knife not designed by Sal or Eric?" ~ thombrogan, WSM
Avatar by my KnifeBrother, DiAlex...C102 Adventura designer, 2005 Spyderco Forum Knife!
He has my question to him about the Herbst up on the auction now.Still hasn't changed the desciption.
I also told him about this being posted and what Kristi has said about both knives.
If I had the cash I would buy that Police, assuming it's genuine, and give it to Spyderco. I have no respect for stupid people that have no honor or take advantage of others.
"A Delica is still a better weapon than a keyboard and a sour attitude..."Michael Janich
If I had the cash I would buy it and keep it. Maybe laminate the story of its origins as told by TazKristi. A one of a kind original, not Spyderco, but certainly related. Another interesting footnote to the Spyderco story.
Certainly presents an interesting set of ethical issues.
It's not as if the knife was originally commissioned by "Joe Blow" off the street, so I think it's fairly safe to say the maker acted in good faith. Even the sales manager's intent "may" have been honorable. Perhaps he had an idea for a high-end "collectable" and figured the best way to make his presentation would be with a "working model". Spyderco was experimenting with other things along those lines at that time, the Blanchards, Santa Fe Earthlings, etc.
Of course, mostly because of the way the auction embellishes the story, one has to wonder when, and by whom those "Prototye 001 Spyderco Damascus" markings were applied.
The funny part is, the real story is probably at least as interesting as the fictional one.
The Deacon wrote:
The funny part is, the real story is probably at least as interesting as the fictional one.
Maybe even more so as there are so many details we will never learn such as: what color of purple did Sal's face turn when he found out (assuming upset maybe just said, sorry not gonna happen)?
Did the manager's face turn green if and when he/she lost the job? or did he/she get a pat on the back for taking some initiative, even if in a wrong direction?
Heres the reply I got from the seller about the Police after I told him what Kristi had posted about it.
Well, I can accept that about the Herbst- I'm not all that familiar with titanium.
The damascus knives were made by order of Sal Glesser. It's not 'one-of-a-kind' (other than being the prototype), there were several made and sold.
Spyderco furnished some parts for them as a matter of fact. They were completely authorized by Sal Glesser.
I knew all the parties involved; Steve Gartin, Steve Rollert and Glesser, and was privy to the whole deal from the 'outside' (I had no part in the deal).
It was in about 1992 or so, long before the 'Military' design. Gartin designed the 'PIG', and the model was a particular interest of his. He had them engraved, inlaid, overlaid, set stones- all sorts of specialty pieces made.
The Damascus piece is exactly as I represented it to be, and all the players are still available for interview about it.
Steve Gartin and Sal Glesser had a very public blow-up, along with about sixteen or seventeen other Spyderco employees whose taxes were screwed up by forged 1099 forms- supposedly the fault of the Comptroller at the time, Bob Simon- who had conviently died by then.
There's plenty of story to go around.
Respond to this question in My Messages.
Well I contacted him with nothing more than thoughts of helping him out but after this last reply I got from him I really don't care.Some people just will not listen.I hope no one buys it thinking it is the Ti model.
Of coarse if he worked for Spyderco at one time he may have fitted the ATS 55 Japan blade to a set of non ionised ti scales.Who knows?
This is the Titanium model- http://www.warriorschest.com/images/Herbst%202001.jpg
catalog of 2001
Spyderco has no love for me, so I can see why they'd try to queer my sales. I may get to tell my story on them yet- the action is still going forward, although I'm not a principal to it.
Anyone conversant with the knife would have known that it's the Titanium model.
My catalog doesn't have a price list, so I'm only guessing at the original retail on it.
The Damascus is exactly as I represent it as well.
I like Spyderc o knives and I am sure a lot of loyalists. Maybe everybody should wait and see if Sal gets into this as he would know best about this situation. This could be something personal.
Dannyvi wrote:I like Spyderc o knives and I am sure a lot of loyalists. Maybe everybody should wait and see if Sal gets into this as he would know best about this situation. This could be something personal.
I have no doubts it is. But as I said over there, it's a question of credibility. I'll believe Kristi before I believe him, until I hear otherwise.
:spyder: Scott :spyder:
"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."
-Sir Winston Churchill-
