No one will build one for me!

[Captain O]

I wanted someone to build me a 10.75" Fishtail Pick Lock with a blade made from CPM-S30V Steel and a healthy sear pin made from long-wearing materials. I would like to have liners made from titanium and solid nickel-silver bolsters and other hardware.

I would be willing to cough up more than $1800 for this knife, because it would be a modern iteration of the knife my father carried on deck during WW2, Korea and in the Bremerton US Navy Shipyards.

Sad, isn't it?

[Gunsil]

Maybe you just didn't offer enough. Custom knives to order can be VERY pricey!

[Captain O]

I asked Paul Panak (Burn Custom Knives) to build the piece for any price and was turned down.

You figure it out.

[Gunsil]

There is a guy who is having modern pick locks made in Italy in the area they originally came from. Charlie Campanolo or something like that. Maybe somebody here in the switchblade forum can give you better info on him, perhaps he could have it done over there. Don't know if they'd do the titanium liners but it never hurts to ask. Labor is cheaper over there and they still make a quality picklock. You may just be able to buy an exact modern copiy of the one your dad had without the fancy steel and liners. If they would make it for you in Italy it would help if you supplied the metal. There are also hundreds of custom knife makers in the US, maybe you just have ask the right one.

[Bill DeShivs]

Did you ask Pat Havlin or Jeremy Kreis?

[Captain O]

I don't know how to contact Jeremy Kreis. I'll try to reach Pat Havlin.

[Captain O]

No luck reaching Picklock Pat (Havlin).

[Bill DeShivs]

jtkreis@yahoo.com

[Captain O]

Thanks, Bill.

[Captain O]

The email for Jeremy failed to work.

[bestgear]

Looks like Jeremy was here in 2017: viewtopic.php?t=54604

Try emailing him through AAPK, maybe it’s his current email address

[samb1955]

The email for Jeremy failed to work.

Send him a pm on talk blade, worth a try

[Captain O]

I am and have been visiting a friend 32 miles from my place and have had no steady access to the internet for months. This caused me to lose my access to Talk Blade. It has been a real problem.

C'est la vie.

[Bill DeShivs]

jtkreis@gmail.com

[Captain O]

Thanks, Bill. I sent him an email that finally went through.

[Captain O]

I sent Jeremy a picture of the 9.75" Fishtail Picklock (sold by Grindworx) of which I own an example. I old him of how this needs to be a "working" automatic knife and not a display piece. Modern materials and proper engineering can resolve the shortcomings of the original carbon steel (1095) version that father bought 82 years ago. The Brazilian Cow Horn scales should hold up quite well. If this material is less than practical, I could have him use a "marbled" version of Micarta.

https://www.grindworx.com/imgs/knives/i ... -large.jpg


Who knows?

[samb1955]

Did you offer $1800 for the build? That would get my attention if I could do the work!

[Captain O]

After some thought, $1600.00 is more in line with the cost of labor and materials.

[Captain O]

Good news! I have almost reached an agreement with Jeremy Kreis to recreate my father's original 10.75" Latama Fishtail Picklock It will have a 4mm thick blade, nickel silver hardware and a 1095 satin finish blade and back spring. It will be a exact duplicate of my late father's knife (complete with the original clip point blade).

I have been waiting 45 years for this opportunity!

Huzzah and excelsior!

[Captain O]

Jeremy said that he would begin building my knife by August 14th.

The wait begins.

[WillyCamaro]

Congrats Captain, can't wait to see the finished product .

[Captain O]

I have the finished product but can't post pictures. (Before you ask, I have no way of posting any).

[wiseguy]

Perhaps Jeremy could post them for you , congrats!

[WillyCamaro]

Well done mate, put a great feather in your cap .
Do you have a laptop pc? You can, if your fine with doing it, take a picture with it's screen camera.

[Captain O]

Go to the Talkblade Forum and read the thread by the same name. Jeremy posted pictures on page 4 of the thread.