My friend Greg Walker is a knife guy. I mean a serious knife guy. An expert on the history and tactical application of the fighting knife.
He served in Special Forces in Central America when that was a very interesting place to be, has edited and written for several knife publications and has written a bunch of special operations-related fiction and non-fiction, including co-writing or ghost writing memoirs. He was called up in the Reserves for Iraq and returned there as a contractor a couple of times — as a highly-skeptical participant in that major geo-strategic mistake.
We met when he was working as a detective for the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, on a case of a Sisters preacher who molested his babysitter. He called my office with an archives query and I suddenly realized who I was talking to.
“Are you THE Greg Walker, the knife writer?”
That, yes, he was that man.
“I’ve been reading your stuff since I was, like 13!” I blurted.
Which is a nice thing for a writer to hear, of course, but couched in perhaps less than perfect phraseology. He’s not THAT old…
Greg now works with wounded, sick and otherwise struggling veterans, particularly from the special operations community, helping men in dire need find specialized behavioral health services. He’s saving men’s lives.
We don’t see each other nearly often enough, but he was in Sisters yesterday and we had lunch, talked about the local sheriff’s election, guns, knives, Islamic extremism and the brilliant screenwriting of John Milius. He’s reading “Warriors of the Wild Lands” as a subject matter expert on the special operations content.
In addition to other sterling qualities, Greg is an exceptionally generous feller, and he made me a gift of a glorious knife made by Mike Mann of Idaho Knife Works. you can see what it is – a camp knife, a scalper, a mountain man’s knife. Needless to say, I am overwhelmed and delighted, and rendered speechless, which anyone can tell you is an extremely rare occurrence.
I can only say what a mountain man oughta say: “Waugh!”
Here’s a couple of items on Greg’s background:
http://www.greenberetfoundation.org/people/greg-walker/
Paul McNamee says
Nothing quite like a handcrafted implement. That knife looks grand!
lane batot says
Nice, sturdy, functional looking knife AND SHEATH! Store-bought sheaths aren’t usually worth crap–I think they are purposefully designed so that you will loose yer knife so you’ll havta buy another–I started chucking the store-bought sheaths decades ago and making my own! Injun( therefore practical) Style–the knife DEEP in the sheath to protect it, but still easily retrievable, belt slots on both sides of the sheath(or a similar design to this photo, which will serve the same purpose), so that, not only can you alternate which side you wear yer knife, but also have the option of wearing the belt OVER the sheath, pressing it tighter against your body for better securing–especially if yer gonna be doing a lot of running(through thick brush) with it on. And super-reinforcing the stitching–I have some SUPERB saddle leather stitching I bought THIRTY YEARS ago from a horse tack shop–a whole spool–that, despite using the heck out of for decades, I STILL have PLENTY left! And the leather always wears out BEFORE that stitching does! As I always say, I feel FAR more naked without a knife(and good sheath!), than I do without the loincloth!
JimC says
If I’m wearing pants, I’m carrying a knife. Always.
Craig Rullman says
pants. knife. hat. the trinity of American manhood.
capris (with or without tassels). sandals. hair products. somewhere else.
great knife. my favorite is a Winkler I received as a gift. More of an axe, but portable enough.
JimC says
David Winkler — oh, my… Nice gift.
Breaker Morant says
Last evening, Mrs Morant made a quick trip to town and she came back to a disturbing sight/sound. Youngest son (13) and I were belting out the words to “Roland, the Headless Thompson Gunner.”
I first learned of this song during my exploration into the older posts of this site. Learning of that song alone, made the time I spent here going back well worth it.
I have never been much of a music guy, but my taste has always run towards folk music and ballads and such of the type often profiled here-Ian Tyson and so forth.However, I did find Corb Lund on my own, so I have that going for me at least.
Hmm, if I had to choose which is my favorite song-“Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier!” or “Roland”-that would be a tough one-might require listening to each a few dozen more times each-broken up by re-watching Leonardo’s Death Scene in “Blood Diamond” every once in awhile. God, I love that scene.
JimC says
You have made my day. And agree on Blood Diamond.
Breaker Morant says
Thanks. Of course, youngest son, with his interest in weapons, is essentially buying into the song under some protest. He has forcefully expressed his contempt for the Thompson and informed me that it was a poor choice of guns.
Breaker Morant says
Further thought on Blood Diamond. We made a point to watch it after we got back from Zimbabwe in 2013 and both the wife and I just fell in love with the dialogue.
It was just right and even if it wasn’t the exact words, it was words that we could hear coming out of our South African guide’s mouth. I tend to rewatch movies so I have caught a few things, either during the commentary or movie itself. They mentioned Battalion 32-I think in the commentary.
I really believe they did a tremendous amount of research for the movie and they successfully captured a time and place as few other movies do.
JimC says
Yes, WAY underrated.
Norman Andrews says
Love that knife it looks real cool.
Norm.
JimC says
Hey Norm! Big news from your neck o’ the woods!
Norman Andrews says
Yeah , it is kind of exciting to think we will make our own laws again , without someone else telling us yes we can or no we can’t. It might be tough going for a year or Two, but it really is not about the next few years , for me it’s about a better future for my Grandsons , not the fact that some bankers might lose a few pounds for a couple of years.
Norm.
lane batot says
Ha! So now Britain knows whut it’s like to succeed from a Union!(goes well with the subject of the next post!) Hope it goes a bit better fer you-all than it did fer the American South! Slavery is a rotten thing, though, whether of a people or economics!
Patricio Diez Butty says
I would like to contact Mr. Greg Walker in order to ask permission to include part of his knowledge in my book about knife fighting. My email is pdbutty@hotmail.com
My name is Patricio Diez Butty and I am the author of “El Guardaespaldas Silencioso” of 2006. My new book would be a revision of that one but in english. Thanks
Aidy Drayton says
Hi,
I am an admirer of Greg Walker’s old knife publication ‘Knives Illustrated’ and would love to speak with about my Facebook page TRMS – THE REAL MOVIE STARS which features many movie knives and their talented makers.
I’d love to hear Greg’s thoughts on the late greats… Jimmy Lile, Jack Crain and Chuck Stapel.
Would you mind asking greg if he’d be interested in talking to me and featuring his memories of the 80’s which was the greatest movie knife era.
Many thanks and kindest regards
Aidy Drayton
JimC says
Will do.