I Can't Believe I Now Own This Knife!
How One Knifemaker's Generosity Reunited a Collector with One that Got Away
It's a well-worn trope, but I am constantly amazed by the generosity in the knife community.
Recently, the great and powerful Dirk Pinkerton reached out to me and a few others to see if we wanted to help him thin his herd.
After years of designing and making knives for both the production and custom markets, Dirk had amassed a huge collection, and like many of us, he was looking to reduce the number of blades in his collection and focus on certain makers and models.
He sent a picture of the knives he was looking to sell, and I was flabbergasted when I saw the Darrel Ralph-designed Cuda Maxx 5.5-inch folder in titanium and D2, a much-coveted knife from the early 2000s—one that got away because I couldn't afford it.
You may be familiar with the tanto version of this design, featured in the cinematic masterpiece, “The Expendables.”
The legendary folder rears its wicked head when the character, played by Jason Stathan, threatens a man on a basketball court for hitting Statham’s ex-girlfriend.
The scene culminates with the bad guy on the ground and Statham on top, a basketball keeping them separated.
Statham pulls out a custom Darrel Ralph folder similar to the Cuda Maxx 5.5, stabs the ball, and growls the unforgettably poetic line, “Next time I’ll deflate all your balls.”
Elegant, timeless.
Though the knives are not exactly the same, they are signature Darrel Ralph—unapologetically large and menacing. But also rare and expensive.
I still can barely believe that Dirk would let this knife go and am so impressed by his generosity.
I am so excited to count this knife as part of my never-sell collection and still have to pinch myself when sliding it in my pocket.
Now I just have to come up with a cool and poetic catchphrase for the moments I pull it out and use it.
Knife Junkie Out!
Chas and John Fisher, Co-Founders, Fisher Blades: The Knife Junkie Podcast (Episode 557)
Chas and John Fisher, Co-Founders of Fisher Blades, join Bob "The Knife Junkie" DeMarco on Episode 557 of The Knife Junkie Podcast.
After leaving Boker USA, Chas moved to Missoula, Montana, where his brother John Fisher was making knives for hunters and outdoorsmen.
The Fisher company maintains its Maker Series of knives for outdoors and Bushcraft lifestyles, featuring one-of-a-kind handmade knives made by John.
The Fisher Blades Beckwith Covert, the company’s first release, is an unabashed self-defense knife, reflecting Chas's many years of martial arts training. Most recently, Fisher Blades released its Beckwith Covert Batch 005 in Flat Dark Earth, perfect for blending into khakis and desert camo.
Find Fisher Blades on Instagram and on YouTube.
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