Feedback - Feedback - Feedback Please ! Hometown Hero Build

Bill T

Bill T

Well-Known Member
Hey Guys , If you've read what I came up with for this Build , well this is the place to give YOUR opinion . That's from everything starting with the concept , to the .....? (insert your concern here)
After all , it's you who are going to to the work , so let's hear what you have to say ! Please !!!!​

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These are some of the things we need to work out​
1) Concept - Does it work for you ? Why or why not ?​
2) Meet soldiers or make a knife ? Both ? Can you make more than 1 ?​
3) Shipping - how to raise it ? On the last built it was close to $400 . And who wants to do it ?​
4) Long or Short Term Project - Just because we have 100 , do we have to do them all at once ? Plan for both Please !​
5) Makers who can do it all ? Or farm out some aspects ? Remember shipping ..​
6) Sheaths .... We made alot of knives but very few sheaths last time - we need to be able to make both ..​
7) # of makers - Am I looking for 100 ? NO ! 20 highly motivated would be nice though .. remember shipping ..​
8) Ahh the last one - Finally ! Does anyone else have any idea on how to get a name to a knife ??​

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I'm sure I've forgotten something so I'll save it till next time . Thank you , Bill​
 
Bill,
I'll go first.

I like the concept but as stated earlier, I don't see myself visiting a recruiter but I would love to make some knives and I would be more than happy to pay for my own shipping.

It will probably be a long term work in progress since they will be doled out on a case by case basis. If you get the blades cut out they can be shipped to makers as need be along with scales and corbys. I can help send them out if you send me a bundle of parts and PM me as needed.

I am gonna work on help with shipping, I'll keep you posted.

The rest will be a learning experience. Don't be upset with the total participation, there will be a core group whom will do 90% of the work, but that is the way with all forums.

All in all, this WILL be a great project. I'm convinced.

Steve
 
I've been watching this project since you started it, Bill, and I haven't commented earlier because:

I'm absolutely down with contributing a suitable knife and leather sheath to a serviceperson... I have several finished knives with sheaths ready to go, and more HT'ed blades that I could finish up... I'd be more than happy to cover the shipping if I knew who to send it to...

BUT...

I'm swamped with work, chores and whatnot and honestly can't commit to chasing down a recruiter or soldier on my own. I don't want to make any promises I can't keep.
I'm not set up to do Kydex. I realize that Kydex, especially MOLLE-compatible Kydex is probably what would work best for these folks.

I'm truly sorry I can't help more at this time, and I hope this doesn't damper your enthusiasm. :( If I can help in some way, please let me know.
 
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I'm pretty much in line with Steve... I am very ready and willing to make a knife, make a kydex sheath, could actually make kydex for others if you think mine are up to par. But I think someone with military connections would be far better at finding guys for these knives.

I don't think it is unreasonable to have each person cover the shipping of materials to/from themselves.
 
The concept is a good starting point, the timeline and logistics being the major variables, which will materialize at their own rate regardless of how good the plan is. I can't think of any changes that I would make.

I am open to making a knife and at least giving it a shot with the local recruiter to find a recipient, I may be able to find more than one but I am not sure at what point to make the approach, it seems like we should have as firm a plan as circumstances allow and possibly have the project in motion before we raise expectations with the recipients. I can only commmit to building one knife at this time but could make an extra Kydex sheath or 2 for makers who are not set up for it. Unfortunately I have very little funds to contribute as far as shipping expenses.

The rest is chicken scratch at this point, it will come down to the capabilities and situations of the makers themselves. I can do mine start to finish including HT if necessary and have it done within a month or so of having all the materials in hand, but I am all for having Peter's do the HT, as long as we don't abuse their willingness. That needs to be coordinated so they can do them in large batches, otherwise we will be asking too much from them IMO.

My stepson is in the Marines and may be able to generate some contacts for recipients also, he will be deployed early next year so some of the guys in his Battalion may fit the bill, if we can get some knives completed before they ship out.
 
I think the hook up and meeting the soldier is a cool and unique idea. I just don't think I can get it done. I do think I can get a knife done and will get it to a soldier shipping out. If the sun and moon line up, I'll invite a recruit over and we will work on his knife together. When he gets out of boot, he'll get "his" knife...that is down the road and won't happen for this build...
 
Bill I would like to build a knife or two for a soldier but not sure about the recruiter visit and would have to have someone make a kydex sheath (or I would buy one of the stock ones) and I have some extra steel (D2) I could donate and would pitch in on shipping.
I was looking around web and found this site http://anysoldier.com/WhereToSend/ and they basically have same goal of sending stuff to specific soldiers, and this link has a list of email addresses of soldiers requesting things. Knives is one of the things the site shows that soldiers want. Maybe someone could leverage this program into a contact list of soldiers needing a knife and accomplish what we want to do. Let me know if need help.
 
A Hometown Hero can be anybody you know .

Maybe the kid who lives down the street who's joining or joined the Military .​
Maybe your own son or nephew . The kid who delivers your newspaper .. someone you know from Church ... or from the ol' fishing hole .​
We all know someone - who knows someone - who's gone forth to give Service to their Country .​
Get us their name ...​
 
I like the idea of knowing who the knives are going to. I have not visted our local recruiter and have not yet even looked into it.

I am willing to make several knives. I really appreciate Peters Heat Treating donating the service but in my case it would be more efficient to do my own heat treating to save time and shipping costs. I have never made a Kydex sheath so that is a problem for me.

My biggest issue is time. Making the knives is not a problem but finding time to spend away from the shop at the recruiting office is.
 
I don't really think we have to have more than a few of us do the leg work at the Recruiting Offices .
I know I can get at least a dozen names of guys that a leaving for Boot camp shortly . I'm putting a list post together now .​
I think we'll be ok with the few guys that have already offered to do so . So everyone need not go . It'll be easy to get more names than we can make knives for I think ..​
 
Let the Games Begin!!!

Bill, Phew!!! Thats awesome and a huge relieve, I have hesitated to comment about this, because of the recruiter office thing, Beings I dont have one near me.. So hearing that some others will do that leg work and get the names and stuff.. Makes me very happy! Now I can start to get excited about this!! :w00t:


I think we can help by making several knives and sheaths. And depending on the steel type chosen. I feel confident that I can do the HT in house! I would also like to donate a knife to be raffled off to help with the shipping costs, and any extra materials needed etc.. Do I send it to you, Or just do a raffle or auction and forward the moneys to your PP? Let me know. I have a small window of time between orders and can work up a knife this week.

A word of thanks to all the vendors and everyone working on this project. I am not X military, nor do I have family serving.. but I have a passion and desire to help and feel a duty to my country men to do what I can to help prepare our soldiers B4 sending them into harms way! I was floored, actually :censored: would be a better way to describe it. When I heard that these young men and women are not issued a knife! :taz:

That said, Im honored to be a part of this great group of makers and people! Randy Jr and I are proud of our great country! God Bless our troops and God Bless America!
 
Randy, you couldn't have said it better. Thank you for your support and Randy Jr.'s too. These young men and women hear a lot of negative things about what they are doing. That sure as Hell doesn't boost morale. Knowing that there is a dedicated support group that wants to help them will mean a whole lot to them. Trust me, I know.
 
Randy and Randy Jr. , Thank you for such a generous offer .
I'll work out the details with you soon .​
We're actually going to have a total of 3 raffles then , including yours .​
Keith Willis is going to make one of his folders for us , and I'm starting the blade now that we're going to have a group effort on with Denny and Rudy . It's from an Ironarms billet that Steve Janik won , then re raffled it . Denny then won and sent it to me to start the blade . Gonna post pics soon ..​
 
hey guys to let you now im in and i can do everything in house but kydex.dont now if ill get to a recruiter nearest to me is 45 to 50 min away and i would have just enuf free time to make a knife.
 
I stopped into the local Marine recruiter's office yesterday just to make contact. No numbers were discussed but I am confident that I can find recipients for at least a few of the makers who aren't able to do that part themselves.
It sounded like that was a concern for some.
 
Thanks Justin, Im on that list. Yet happy and ready to make some knives!!

Bill, Please let me know when you need the knife for the raffle. I have been head over heels here the last few weeks. :) I think things should come back to normal and I should be able to get a knife whooped up to auction.

God Bless
Randy
 
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