June 18, 2006

                                                       The Wilder Knife

     For those of you who have been interested enough to visit Osa’s website and enjoy reading the background history on Osa and his work, as well as view great examples of his beautiful craftsmanship, I would like to share a personal experience with you.

     Earlier this year I learned about Osa and his craft. I had been contemplating having a good hunting knife hand crafted for hunting purposes that would, eventually, be passed down to my children and future generations as an heirloom.   

     The knife design would need to meet a number of specifications based on years of hunting experience. The finished product would also carry an inscription from a special person in my life who gave me the knife as a gift.

     Having learned about Osa I decided to contact him to discuss the possibility of

having him craft a knife that would meet my requirements. It was not long into our phone conversation that I made the decision to have Osa craft my knife. He is very pleasant to speak with and I could tell immediately that he was just a good ole honest and hard working country boy who takes American pride in his work. That was all I needed to know.

      Over the next month or so, Osa and I communicated on a regular basis regarding my specifications for the knife design which was unique to anything Osa had previously designed and/or crafted. Once Osa and I were in synch with what I wanted he began his work which he loves and takes great pride in. As the process progressed Osa sent me photos of the work in progression over the internet in order to keep me abreast of how far along he was, as well as to make sure I was comfortable with his work and meeting my needs.

      He was very prompt in returning messages and addressing any and all questions and concerns. I am a very meticulous individual and stayed in close contact with Osa, by telephone and email. I found him to be very responsive and good natured.

He is also very personable which made it a real joy working with and getting to know him and about his family.

     I cannot emphasize enough how elated I was with the final product. Osa’s work exceeded even my best of expectations with respect to appearance, weight, and the overall quality of the other physical features of the knife, to include the unique and original design of the sheath. Although the knife was given to me out of love and affection, it is more than worth the money.

     It wasn’t until the knife was completed that one of our conversations resulted in Osa sharing a very interesting piece of information with me. He informed me that his grandfather, 5^th Generation, was the famous and highly respected frontiersman, Daniel Boone. This made having a knife from Osa even more special. And if that weren’t enough, Osa then asked if I minded him naming the knife, Wilder, after me given that I was responsible for its design. I didn’t hesitate for a second to accept the honor.

     My entire experience from start to finish was a very memorable one. I actually have continued to work with Osa regarding his website. And I will look forward to maintaining the friendship we developed over the course of time. Osa is one of the nicest people I have had the pleasure of meeting.

     I will continue to recommend Osa to family, friends, and others with regards to the purchase of a quality handcrafted knife. His work meets the highest of standards and makes for a great personal acquisition, gift or otherwise. I would not hesitate for a moment to purchase another knife from Osa.

                                                                                                           Sincerely,

                                                                                                        John A. Wilder

                                                                                                         Fitchburg, MA