Dana, I know the feeling. I have given stuff away to people that really like it, and I thought, ah, I'll just get another one, or make another one of what ever I gave away. Ends up that they either don't make that particular item any more, or I can't get the same material I used on said gift. So I have wised up a tad, in my old age, and now I say, let me see if I can get you another one, or if I can get the material to make another one etc. When I go to the Gun Show down here, I usually buy some knives from one particular vendor, I have come to know, and he cuts me some good deals. He showed me a nice knife with a leather sheath, and a nice rubber covered grip, or handle. I looked at it, and he said these are fantastic knives for the money. they are worth three times the price. Not expensive at all, but I would not hesitate to pay more for them. They look very much like the wood handeled fishing knives from Finland. They are hunting knives, and skinning knives. And the reason they look like said fishing knife, is because they are the ones who make them . PM me, and I will give you the brand name. They are fantastic. Anyway, I buy two or three of them, each time I go, and put them in the closet, and now and then, I have a friend who appreciates a good knife, and I know will take care of it, and appreciate it, I give them one. They make different models. But they are highly polished, and EXTREEEEMLY sharp right out of the box. They will shave your arm hair off right out of the box. So I bought some for my self, and some to give as gifts, either to Friends, or others who I think will appreciate and enjoy it. Usually I give them for appreciation of a favor done for me. Been thinking of giving one to Eddie, but since I have cut the snot out of my hands, with his bucket of rocks, I'm not sure. If he cut himself, I might not get any more rocks, or instructions. Besides, I get started late on the chipping, and end up breaking the piece, and by the time I pick up another piece to start over, it's five thirty in the morning, so I take a shower, and go to bed, and get up late. I told him I think I got an infection from one of his rocks. I seem to just walk by that bucket without at least picking up a few pieces. I had a fairly nice sized piece of obsidian going quite well, and when I was trying to flake off the ridge in the middle, it broke in my hand. But there was enough to make a medium sized arrow head, and I could not get the dang big ol hump out of it. By the time I got it down to somewhere near acceptable, it was too small to do much with. I getting pretty good a micro points. Oh, yeah, I am recently retired, so my schedule book, is pretty much the same. Go to bed late, get up late, repeat. The schedule is great, but the money stinks. Anyway, you do some very nice work. Maybe some day, I will be able to say, "Hey looky at Whut I just done did", and not be showing a missing digit, but a nice knife blade, all nicely chipped out of some nice chert, or obsidian. Well it is three thirty one AM, so I am going to take a shower, and go to bed. Again Nice work. ...... "Dad".
Wayne