In Memory of James K Mattis - Please leave your thoughts here.

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"What have we in our pocketses?"

One of the first familiar things I found here at BFC. A genuine Good Person, yes indeed. Must've been one of God's favorites, so I guess it makes some sense...

My very best wishes for you Mrs. Mattis and your family in this time.

Brandon Childress
 
I will miss Mr. Mattis very much. I am so used to seeing him on the forums and being able to communicate with him through the forums was very nice.I had at times spoken with him on the phone about orders for knives that I had placed with him.I have a Spyderco Calyspo Liteweight that he placed the Chai sign on the blade for me,I will cherish it forever. I wish the best of everything for his wife and family.

Larry Wheat

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I can't believe he's gone. I don't want to believe he's gone.

Orders to Chai Cutlery were always made by phone, just so I could talk to James.

He was wise and fair and always willing to share his knowledge.

The only way I can think to honor him is by holding him as an example for my own conduct.

Farewell, friend

Bear
 
I didn't know James, but I could tell that he was a fine person and an asset to the knife community. He will be missed.
 
I'm so sorry to hear of James's passing. My most sincere condolences to his family. I didn't know him personally, but I sure will miss him and the thought provoking insight he brought to the forums. See you on the other side, James.


Shawn
 
My condolences to the Mattis family.We all enjoyed his wit and wisdom here on the forums.
 
I just found out as well, I'm shocked, to say the least. You will be missed James, but I know you are in a much better place now. Where you belong.

-AR
 
This was the first ten pages long thread I read thru at a time, and this thread gave me a deep feeling, a sad but shining reflection of who James Mattis was. Everything I could say, and much more, has been said.
My condolences to his family and friends.

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"Peace is not without conflict; it is the ability to cope with conflict" - Leo Giron
www.messerforum.net - the premier German language knife-related web board
 
I've called James a great friend for about 5 years. Never met a man with more passion about his wife, kids, grandkids and of course knives. I remember how when talking about Toni and the grandkids he'd be full of excitment, he'd speak so fast it was hard to get a breath in.

He'll be missed by everyone and the knife industry has truly lost one of its best.

 
I was not fortunate enough to have known the man, but I deeply mourn his loss. I have read enough about and from him in my time here and have come to respect him as a true authority and lover of knives.
My sympathies and prayers are with his family.

Roy
 
I let myself get away fromt he computer for the weekend, and come back to...this.

One time, while I was considering a gift of knives for several friends, I called James to discuss several options. My end choices were items that he didn't normally carry, and he actually recommended a couple of people who could get what I needed in a quicker manner. That's what kind of man James was, someone who always had others' best interests at heart. We continued to talk for about a half an hour, and I feel in that short time, we'd come to be close aquaintances, or dare I say, friends. I don't know many people who met or talked with Jim (ove the phone) who did not come away umimpressed by the type of man James was. His honesty, sincerety, warmth and humor were a rare combination, and he will be sorely missed here at BF.

Toni, I hold you and your family in my heart and prayers through these troubling times, and wish you comfort and peace. James was a rare gift to us all, one that will not soon be forgotten. We thank you for sharing him with us, as we thank our Suypreme Being for offering to us an example of the type of person we could all emulate.

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Don LeHue

Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings...they did it by killing all those who opposed them.

[This message has been edited by DonL (edited 09-18-2000).]
 
This was quite a shock.

We have lost a great man. He was the very definition of the perfect moderator, always tactful and equipped with a warm sense of humor.

And it was a pleasure doing business with him.

May he rest peacefully.

Thank you, Mr Mattis, for the time you spent with us.

Henrik Nilsson,
Sweden
 
...And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest...

May you be welcomed with open arms--Godspeed!

 
I cannot add more to what has already been said. Jim's attributes speaks for itself, I feel honored to have read his postings. I humbly stand in line behind my fellow forumites wishing peace to Jim's family in this time of grief.
 
I'm stunned! I, like many others, have never met Jim in person, but his personality always came through in his postings on Blade Forums.

All of us arrived here from our interest in knives, but I've found that some of the people are the real attraction of the forums. Jim was always "the best of us." We'll miss his wit. We'll miss his erudition. But mostly we'll miss his humanity, his gentleness, his love of life and all the good things that go with it.

Jim was obviously a generous man, but what I'll never forget about him was how he always had a peaceful use for every knife that nobody else thought had anything to do with mundane, day to day tasks. Just the other day, in the discussions of the knife du jour, the Microtech LCC "Lightfoot Compact Combat", Jim was the one who pointed out how the design allowed the full blade to come in contact with the cutting board while chopping veggies for your lunch.

Shalom, James.

--
Paul Neubauer
 
This is a great loss for the knife community & for the rest of the world. We have lost a man of great warmth, wit, intelligence, and honor.
I have spoken with him a couple of times- starting as a knife order & turning into a discussion about knives & music & other esoteric topics- spoke with him about 2 weeks ago. On my way back home from a camping trip yesterday, I was discussing on line Forums w/ a friend who is a web manager for a publishing company- I mentioned a moderator here who was always able to maintain decorum while engendering goodwill and sharing his knowledege and passion. It's very hard to think of him as gone. My deepest sympathies to the Mattis family. We here at the Forums mourn your loss & ours as well. Our prayers are with you.

Michael

[This message has been edited by Rugger (edited 09-18-2000).]
 
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What else can be said?

I'll always remember that a Tanto blade is good for one thing: cutting a steak on a ceramic plate.

I always enjoyed his scans of knives, and my first introduction to his wit: his famous "catscan."

He will be missed.

Daniel D.
 
The light which had shown the brightest has gone out. James was the best of us, a man who truly loved God, his fellows, truth, and knives.

Toni,
I humbly share your feelings of loss. May God help you through this time, dear lady.

Steve Harvey
 
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