There is something wonderful about being in the right place at the right time when it comes to feeding your (knife) addiction!  While I have missed out on acquiring pieces that I would have really loved to add to my collection (significantly more than a few times, I might add!), there have been times when I was extremely lucky.  This is one instance.  Back in November of 2013, I ran across a sole authorship, one of a kind piece by Rick Dunkerley, a master smith out of Montana.  At the time, I knew very little about Rick, other than he grew up an hour and a half or so from me, here in Pennsylvania.  What I did know, was that I loved the knife I was looking at.  So, I snatched it quickly with no hesitation. 

Even though I have large hands, I love small gent's knives and this one tickled my fancy perfectly!  It's got sambar stag scales, and a 2.625" blade from Rick own forged Damascus, which he gave a nitre salt treat.  There was something about the blade that got me scratching my head.  The more I looked at it, the more I thought I had seen the pattern before somewhere.  Then it hit me, it really looked like a Devin Thomas sharkstooth pattern.  Anyway, I talked to Rick and he gave me some history on the knife.  This was the first folding knife he made using stag and it was commissioned by a fellow in 1988 or 89 as a gift for his father.  The father was more into fixed blades, so this piece sat in his safe until he passed away.  It was then put up for sale.  And that blade .... well, the reason it looks like DT's sharkstooth is that Rick taught Devin how to make this pattern!  Priceless!  

Now .... since this is a tale of two knives .... on to the second.  About a week or so after finding this treasure, I was doing my morning thing of looking for knives (I have to see a knife before I know I'll like it!) and ran across a knife by another master smith by the name of Josh Smith.  Again, had heard of Josh, but didn't know much about him.  But there was something about this knife ... couldn't take my eyes off of it.  So, I bought it.

It is a sole authorship piece with Mammoth bark ivory scales (that really have a wood like appearance) and 2.7" blade from Josh's own forged Damascus that he heat colored.  But what was it about this knife that caught my attention, other than the fact that it is beautiful.  Turns out, that there is a very strong connection between Rick Dunkerley and Josh Smith.  Rick was Josh's little league baseball coach when he was 11 years old.  He got Josh interested in knives and 1992, his parents gave him a knife that Rick made.  From then on he was hooked and spent lots of time in Rick's shop and working odd jobs to buy his own equipment.  In 1996 (at only 15 years old) Josh passed the ABS Journeyman Smith test and in 2000, passed the Master Smith test, becoming the youngest person to do so (at age 19).

So, in the matter of about two weeks, I spot and acquire two knives (which unbeknownst to me) to which I have a strong attraction .... and come to find out that the makers (which I really didn't know much about at the time) have a close personal relationship!  Strange how things happen!