Shout out to "Da Man"

C Craft

C Craft

Well-Known Member
The urban dictionary defines "Da Man" this way.

Da Man
Awesome; really cool guy. Nobody's better.

Well I am nominating Ken Holland or as he is known on here as KenH as, "Da Man". I have been working on a PID controlled toaster, to use as a Tempering oven as well as for curing stabilized materials that have been treated with Cactus Juice. Well in the process of getting this thing up and running I had consulted with Ken on more than one occasion. Thinking I had this project well in hand, I had not bothered Ken anymore. However try as I might I could not get the PID to function correctly to control the toaster oven. So once more I reached out to Ken and he says come on over and we will take a look at this.

Well come on over is not just around the corner as we actually live in two different states and about 132 mile round trip later, (worth every mile of it)! I pull up at Ken's house and he welcomes me into his shop. And let me say this man has a fantastic shop! The thing that really struck me is how nice Ken and his lovely wife both are. I mean think about it he did not know me from Adam except that we had spoken back and forth in emails. As soon as we began to talk I felt at ease, like I was talking to an old friend that I had know for years. We exchanged stories and talked about knives and life in general. Let me say Ken has me beat in that respect as his life tale is absolutely fascinating!

To make a long story short we, (mostly Ken) did find the problem! I had the polarity reversed in the wiring of the SSR and I also had to small of a fuse link in my controller box I had made up to handle the wattage that the toaster oven required. After that was all cleared up he worked with the PID to get it too work correctly. It (the PID) fought hard but Ken stayed with it and in the end he won!

I would like to extend a big thank you to Ken and his lovely wife for allowing me to come and spend some time with them. I hope I did not stay too long, or talk too much! However I really did enjoy myself and I got to meet a great person, his wife and I got to see some of his knives. I don't think I have ever felt easier talking to someone that I had just met. So if you ever get the chance to met Ken in person, don't hesitate, as you will doing a great disservice to yourself it you don't meet him!

So Ken, you get my, "Da Man" award for this new year! And please tell your wife thank you as well for inviting me into your home. From now on your are not just someone I know from the forum but a true friend!
9k=


EDIT: Link to thread with pics of the new oven.
http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?39580-Project-completed&p=309889#post309889
 
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Ken is a good guy and has a lot of life skills that translate well to Knifemaking. I second the nomination!:biggrin:
 
Been on the road all day today and just got to a computer to respond. I read email on Iphone, but I don't do much typing (or too good with text to speech) on those tiny little phones.

Cliff was a real pleasure to meet, and I'm always happy to help what little knowledge I have to share. Come on back anytime - and thank you for the nice words. My shop is nothing compared to Calvin's knife shop!

Ken H>
 
I guess since I'm third in line, I will....errr, "THIRD IT"!
I met Ken back when he first started knife making, and what a complete JOY he is to be around,
unless you've been around him, it's hard to explain, he has that quiet confidence thats rarely seen these days.
Ken is always smiling and like I said, just a joy to be around!
I will say that I warned him about this knife making stuff,
how it can take your life over, he either didn't believe me, or was all in, already!

I could tell right away Ken was Good People! And the stories he tells of some of his experiences
are nothing short of amazing! The places he's lived, and the things he's done are quite adventurous.
Although, he doesn't look like the Indiana Jones type, but who does?

I'm expecting great things from Ken, he has that attention to detail, that's necessary to make
exquisite knives, the only thing I think that could hold him back is that he could be too humble!
Rex
 
Awesome story, love to hear about that kind of stuff! When I was building my oven, somehow I hooked up with a lad from over the big pond, I can't even remember how that came about anymore, but I had the same type troubles with the PID control and the oven build in general and he was able to walk me through a bunch of stuff on that oven. Your right, there are a bunch of good people out there and a lot of them make knives.

Wayne
 
Not to take away from my "Da man Ken" but this has pretty much been the experience I have had with all I have been involved with since getting into this field of knife making. I have had folks send me info, handle material, etc., etc. All and all very good people that I have ran into in this experience. I am waiting for someone in this area to host a knife clinic/hammer in. So I can get to meet all the local talent in person.
 
C Craft said:
Not to take away from my "Da man Ken" but this has pretty much been the experience I have had with all I have been involved with since getting into this field of knife making. I have had folks send me info, handle material, etc., etc. All and all very good people that I have ran into in this experience. I am waiting for someone in this area to host a knife clinic/hammer in. So I can get to meet all the local talent in person.
Click to expand...

I go to a hammer in every spring over in Vancleave Mississippi. It's a short drive for you and not faroff of I-10. The only bad part about it is that it falls during spring turkey season but I always manage to tear myself away for this event. Paul Let Batard has it at his home there and it's getting pigger each year. It would be well worth you time to attend.
 
OK folks - I'm back home and it's GREAT to be back home {g}. While I certainly enjoyed my visit with family "back home", but I do enjoy my shop.... err, I mean "home" here on the coast.

Rex, Calvin, Cliff - ya'll sure have nice words to say. Reading them, I almost didn't realize it was me being talked about. Until meeting Rex, I was content with my Rosewood and Bacote. Not there is anything wrong with Rosewood or Bacote, there are just so many different nice woods to play with, and that NICE White Teak Burl got me started!

Cliff, be sure to make the hammer in this Spring over in McCleave Ms - Thanks to Calvin, I was there last year and really enjoyed (and learned) from the experience. I do plan to be there next..... I mean this year again.

I have to add a signature line saying "My biggest fear is that if I die, my wife will sell all of my tools for what I told her I paid for it"

Ken H>
 
Thanks Ken! You just got me trouble with that last line. I got tickled and my wife wanted to know what was so funny. The more I told her it was nothing, the funnier it got.
 
Youall let me know in a little time in advance and I might try to get to the hammer in at Vancleave Mississippi! Its kind of hard with my wife being sick, she has her good periods and then some that are pretty horrible. I have been working my knife making around her illness for a while now! Another thing that old Chevy Blazer has got a 126,000 on it and it has always been good but this summer it let me down a couple of times. Dang just get something broken in and it begins to wear out!:lol:

As for your statement Ken if my wife really knew what I had invested in tools.................................!:what!: My shop is a one car garage so we are looking at about 220sq. ft. and when I say every corner is crammed with something I really mean that. I use to know where everything was in there, however the older I get the more trouble I have remembering, "where did I put that"!
I have had a lower back fusion so everything is pretty much on wheels and somedays its kind of like playing musical chairs but, I manage! It forces me too not be too sloppy about cluttering the benches because then I really can't find anything!
It is funny because I had been doing construction since I was about 14yrs. of age and I thought I pretty much had all the toys/tools that I needed till, I got into knife making and I found out there were some other things I needed. The difference between building a knife with nothing but a file and sandpaper and grinding one on my KMG clone is worlds apart. After I built it I felt like WOW, how did I ever get along without one of these!!!

Now I got to look up Vancleave Mississippi and see where that is at!
 
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Anthony, I actually saw that line on a bass fishing forum, liked it, so mod'd it a bit to fit here. I confess, my wife does know what most of my stuff costs, and encourages me to get "what's needed to make me those pretty knives". Like you, I thought the line was good so decided I might use that some {g}

Cliff - we'll be sure to give you plenty of notice when the hammer in will be. I'd LOVE to offer you a ride with me, but I expect to be riding with other folks again this year.

Ken H>
 
Thanks Ken I wasn't trying to bum a ride, just remarking about my ole truck. When I go long distance I always call my son and tell him not to blow me off I call, and then I remind him of the day I drove half way to Miami with a trailer to pick him and his vehicle up, when he broke down! I just usually make sure the ole gal has fresh oil, water and I don't crowd her to much anymore, keep her at 65 and she still respects me, (most of the time)! :biggrin:

I would like to go but as stated it all depends on how the Misses is getting along. She has days when she can't get up without out assistance, so I have to work around how she is doing!
 
Bummer on the wife Cliff - my brother's wife has health problems also and he has to schedule things around her good days. I didn't even think about you "trying to bum a ride", my only thought was "it'd be good to have company"..... Heck, I might even have a spare helmet for you - the GoldWing's passenger's seat is even more comfortable than driver's seat {g}.

Ken H>
 
He, he there is a picture you can't get out of your mind! :what!::lol:

I haven't been on a bike in years I use to have a Honda 450 and I was always borrowing my buddy's Honda 750 but Ken that would have been back in 1978 and I don't think I have been on one since then. In fact with my back I seriously doubt I could ride on for long! I use to fill the tank on my bike and get on the bike and just ride when I was still in the Army up at Ft. Rucker , Al. No destination in mind just ride and eventually make my way back to the base. That is when I first learned when it rains and you are on a motorcycle with no rain suit you just get soaked to the bone!!:taz: Ah, there is some memories there! I left one Saturday morning and found myself somewhere in Ga. that night. I know it was Ga. cause the officer that pulled me over for speeding had a Ga. state troopers uniform on and seemed almost as surprised as me that I had rode from Ft. Rucker, Al. into Ga. and I really didn't know I was in Ga. Honest officer I haven't had a drop to drink I was just enjoying the ride! :biggrin: When I asked him where I was, he told me I was about 5mi. from Cordele Ga. Ok I says, they got a gas station in that town cause I am going to need some gas to get back to Ft. Rucker!
 
That's funny Cliff - been there, done that with the rain for sure, even got caught in a hail storm once somewhere in South Louisiana - that was before I-10 was built. We stopped at a country store, and they ran us off.... didn't like bikers riding choppers back then.

Too many bike tales to tell - been riding regular since I was about 12/12 yr old.

Ken H>
 
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