Mad Dog Knives VIM Closing shop

Not sure if this is already known but I saw this while scanning the channels earlier.
https://press.discovery.com/us/dsc/programs/mad-dog-made/

 

The crap that people will buy with a good backstory....

 

1st time I heard of this company was last night, a model of their's was on the exchange for $1400, I lmfao, I would not have paid $50 for it, but, I guess it was made to specifications for a secret service buddy of his, and only 20 made, so it's probably "worth" more than even what he paid and is asking for it. It's beyond comprehension how absolute and complete suckers people can be. But their out there.

 

AND RIGHT AFTER THAT....
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/mad-dog-knives-vim-closing-shop.1265324/

 

What is even more humorous is that he still tries to say he makes things for secret service, CIA, Special ops, you name it. And people somehow believe it ! McClung has stated that he worked as a rocket scientist !! Infers that he was some sort of special ops operative etc. Fact is, he was never in any military service in his entire life and was never anything more than a warehouse worker at the company that worked in the aerospace industry. No Dark Genius, no talents other than being able to spew a line of BS whenever needed

 

I truly hate the drama (even if self-induced). I think the "legendary" reputation was grossly inflated, but I can say McClung was very helpful for me personally. I've had and carried a PATAK for the last half of my military career; all over South America, three combat tours, and a daily EDC companion. I simply love that knife and it's been through hell and back right along with me. As much as I love his sheath, it cracked on me during a deployment and Kevin graciously sent me not one, but three replacements for various carrying configurations. That kind of support gets my appreciation. Unfortunately when I was looking at current prices (collector's prices), my PATAK wasn't something I could replace if needed...it's now a Safe Queen and gets used sparingly. The PATAK was, IMHO, the perfect belt knife for me and my job. Despite all the drama and issues involving the various businesses and practices, his knives and designs were pretty solid from my perspective...

ROCK6

 

Just know you'ld enjoy this...
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=114169798651835&id=125973567461075&refsrc=http://www.google.com/&_rdr

Agreed that reputaion "grossly inflated" or otherwise, becomes a double edge sword remember dork oops?

 

I remember that video.. His "Hi Tech"FX7 was nothing more than Sta Lube grease. He used to pump it directly from the Sta Lube cardboard cylinder into his Mad Dog Labs syringes

 

The Strider before Mc Burger ever even dreamed of Striding?

 

Apparently Kevin McClung was arrested for domestic violence
MCCLUNG Kevin Robert, Address, Ephraim utah
Arrest Date, 1/3/2018, Charges, Assault-Domestic Criminal Mischief, Bail Amount$1,750.00,Arrest Location Ephraim, Arresting Agency Sanpete SO

 

From everything I've heard over the years the knives were well made. As far as the hype goes, makers giving BS about their knives & exploits goes back to at least Jim Bowie. The real thing is the business end. Someone could probably make a good living just handling the business portion for makers. Making a knife and running a business require two different skill sets & few people possess both. The Good Bad & Ugly section has any number of threads about makers who went belly up after over extending themselves & robbing Peter to pay Paul.

 

Just checked eBay & the average opening price is $4082 for a used Mad Dog knife. Insane

 

Domestic Criminal Mischief sounds like something somebody gets charged with after a prank on your wife goes wrong.

I'd really like to see that knife! If you can manage to snap some pics sometime.

 

Leave it to cable tv to turn the art of knife making into a joke.
Why don’t these “educational” channels like discovery, history, etc. do a genuine documentary on an established maker that was around before the 90’s tactical boom, and has proven himself for decades with no drama?!
Let alone, is able to pass down their successful business to the next generation that continues the tradition.
Pat and Wes Crawford, and Barry Dawson come to mind.
I guess they’re just not obnoxious enough for modern day tv viewers. And programmers know they can’t get ratings/money without kardashian type egos.

By the way, around the mid 90’s I started my first stint in knife collecting and came into a mad dog “neck knife”. I use the term loosely cause it was more of a neck strainer/sharpened mini crowbar.
An early Strider fixed blade before all the hype.
And an early Dawson fixed blade.
All three seemed to have real thick roughly 1/4” stock, and seemed sturdy and ready for hard use, even though as a collector that’s not why I got them.
But I preferred the subtle detail and curve/grind of the Dawson.
It made the other two knifemakers designs look primitive.
I heard he used the Asian style clay differential heat treating but mostley used the “lesser” 440c Steel.
I wonder how many wannabe commandos/steel snobs use their knives enough to notice a difference.

I guess ‘ole Barry could of made so much more money if he came up with a better back story, gave away more knives to military types in hopes of free hype/advertisement. And used “state of the art” steel like all these other guys.

 

I'm curious, Nostimos. What exactly is a "Military Type?" What distinguishes us from the norm or other "types" and how do we fit in to a marketing scheme?

 

Mods, could you please close this thread that BarryB created over three years ago for the sole purpose of providing Mad Dog Knives with free advertising? He has a total of zero posts since, and I'm not sure the undeniable lies from the maker are the sort of thing the community wants promoted on the 'New Post' page of BFC in 2019. I could be wrong. Usually am.

Thank you.

 

Mad dog is great and all but Don't let it distract you from the fact that in 1966, Al Bundy scored four touchdowns in a single game while playing for the Polk High School Panthers in the 1966 City Championship game vs. Andrew Johnson High School, including the game winning touchdown in the final seconds against his old nemesis, Bubba "Spare Tire' Dixon