Writing to let you all know we have yet another outstanding human being among us.
I'll keep it as short as possible, I know you need your hunting sleep!
I had a bad year as some already know. Maineac (Mike Stenstrom) here on Tradgang was one of the guys I'd chat with now and then. We discussed antler burr knobs and skinning bows and such, and my health issues came up.I also mentioned I saw his knifework and would be having a custom knife done up when I heal up.
Well good old Mike goes and makes my year. Out of the goodness of his heart, and without me knowing anything about it...he does this:
(http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/cocoknife1.jpg)
I had a very special Silvertip made for me in January. I have barely shot it due to my injuries. It was from a piece of cocobolo that I bought 8 years ago. Very rare chunk of wood.
Mike goes and decides to build me a knife to match my bow. So he calls Dave and Beth and gets the piece cut out from my sight window. Then crafts me up an incredible work of art with it.
A box shows up one day when I was really down, and ready for another surgery. I open it and see this , and instantly recognize the knife scales as from my prized piece of cocobolo.
This guy went through a lot of trouble to come up with this idea, chase the material down, craft the work of art, build a sheath for it and ship it to me, all as a gift with a get well soon note!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My wife commented how my friends from that Tradgang site are some of the nicest most giving people she's heard of.
Thank you Mike, words cannot describe my friend!
Please give this guy a big pat on the back!
When I have both hands back I'll take better pics so you can see how nice this knife really is.
Simply awesome...
-Jeremy :coffee:
Great story. Thank you for sharing :clapper:
Awesome!!!
Very thoughtful and generous of you Maineac to craft such a beautiful knife and give it to your deserving friend. There ain't enough thumbs up to cover this one.
That made my day, good on both of you!
I have to agree, the guys on here are second to none! That is a great story, get well soon David and God Bless.-Brad
Beautiful knife, beautiful friend..awesome stuff happens here on Tradgang!
Excellent. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
:thumbsup: :notworthy:
Outstanding generosity, great recipie for making a guy mend alittle faster. David I hope and pray you are 100% soon. Denny
Michael has a giving nature to friends and to his students - a sacrifice of himself and his time to others, and a good example to us all.
:thumbsup:
Funny thing was, I didn't know him other than a few chats here and there. Its not like we were life long buddies, he's just a great guy.
Definitely a friend now!
wonderful...simply, wonderful... :thumbsup:
I hope this speeds up your recovery.
All my best,
Goes to show the kind of people here on Trad Gang
Ah the kindness of humanity that never makes the evening newscast.
Thanks for posting. Good stories like this are good for the soul, even for those not involved.
Watching the 6 PM news every night and seeing the focus on thugs & drugs (and recently "Zumba" classes in Kennebunk!), kind of paints a dark cloud over the State of Maine.
Reading this Makes me remember the positive folks around here who make a difference, the good people in this State. I am proud to reside in the same State as Maineac! Way to go Mike!!!!
Cool knife and great post! :thumbsup:
I am proud to be associated with Trag Gang. This is my Facebook. Congrats to both of you guys.
That made my day! :clapper:
Awesome...... :clapper:
:clapper: :clapper:
What a gracious and wonderful thing to do.
Outstanding show of generosity--Good 'on Maineaic!
Very cool. :thumbsup:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Nice!! :bigsmyl: :thumbsup:
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
That is a Great Guy, Congrats. Get Well
Can't add much that hasn't already been said...Very cool indeed.
Outstanding.
I've had a few chats /pm's with Mike also. Seems like a great guy, and now we have the proof! Good on you Mike.
There are some awesome people on here.
Very Nice, I hope it comes back to Mike in Spades!,
Outstanding! The main reason that I spend most of my online time right here is just this kind of thing! Good hearted, giving, like minded folks sharing not just hunting stories and shooting tips, but their gifts and talents with no intention other than to help others out, raise their spirits and bring a smile to another's face! Just simply outstanding! Mike
Its good to hear these stories. So much of what we hear about people these days is bad, so something like this is very uplifting, indeed.
That is way off the charts right there! :clapper:
Honestly, It doesn't suprize me at all!!!!!
The friends that I have met here on TradGang are the most awesome, amazeing, and simply... The most wonderful people on the face of this earth!!!!! :thumbsup:
Now that is very cool. Good stuff and hope you get back on track soon David!
Had the pleasure of hunting with Mike a few years ago in Texas. He is one of those guys that you meet that you wish you got to spend more time with. Good guy for sure.
Wow!!! That wood is beautiful!
Great job maineac!
Outstanding!!! :clapper:
Outstanding!! Thats the kind of thing that restores your faith in humanity. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
:thumbsup:
Absolutely fantastic. I met Mike this summer and had the pleasure of spending a day with him. A truer gentleman and genuinely nice guy cannot be found. Thats what makes TG what it is.
:notworthy: :clapper: :clapper: :clapper: :jumper:
Well, David...
Now it's official...you HAVE to push thru this and get back 100%!!!
Mike has made it mandatory! :)
Beautiful piece of wood and beautiful knife and even more incredible gesture of friendship and Mojo!
Some real healing power in that combo and in that giving.
We're pulling for you, David... Let's "git er done!"
:thumbsup: :archer:
Great stuff !!! :clapper:
Bill
:thumbsup: :clapper:
Great thread and thanks for sharing this with all. Good all the way around. Praying for your 100% recovery brother.
Very good! :clapper:
This story is a winner just like Mike. We all should pass it on! :thumbsup:
True freiends like that are rare!! great story!! oh and.. Get well soon!!
Well done.
God bless,
Nathan
Mikes one of the best! Way to go, get healing! Beautiful bow and knife.
VERY SPECIAL.
Hey Maineac, High five comming your way... :bigsmyl:
Gr8t post...hope the best on a speedy recovery!
JL
:thumbsup:
Mike has donated knives for the St. Jude auction for years, and I have been fortunate to be the high bidder the last two years. Mike was my roomy at the Solana hunt a few years ago, and if there are many guys like him in Maine, I think I may move there! Mike made me a knife with Koa wood from the same board as a couple of my custom Shrews, including the Shrew Safari I took to Australia in July. It's an amazingly beautiful Damascus bladed knife that is perfect for field work on just about any animal I would hunt. He will be making me another knife as soon as I get off my butt and send him the handle scales I want him to use. I'm not surprised a bit by the act of generosity by Mike that is described here. He's just that sort of kind and generous person.
Allan
:clapper: That is awesome
I love reading stories like this on tradgang!!
Thanks for sharing!!
Awesome gesture and knife! David I really pray that you can take your special Silvertip and new knife to hunt,soon.
Wow...outstanding! :thumbsup: :clapper:
Very nice.
Typical tradgang. Thats why I'm on here at 4:30 am
What an example for the rest of us. Give without expectation of return.
very nice, hope surgery goes well for you
"must read" is right!
Good goin' Mike. Great feel good story.
Good luck on YOU feeling good, David.
Wow! That is awesome!!!
Really cool story and a beautiful knife.
Awesome Read. Thanks for sharing.
>>>---w---------->>
Get Well David !
Great things happen here, way to go Mike! :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
David
It's the things we do when no one is looking that reveals our true selves. I bet Mike thought it would end when he sent the package. Not around here, Mike. Nice random act of kindness..... and I would like to get to meet you if you go to the Poke and Hope.
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
That is wonderful of him! Praying your recovery goes well and you are back in the woods sooner than you think possible!!
:thumbsup:
Great story to pick you right back up!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Very nice, I hope you heal well David.
:clapper:
Simply the best!!
That is another example of what makes this the greatest website on earth. Yornoc, I wish you a speedy recovery. Maineac, what a truly great and thoughtful thing to do. May you be rewarded one hundredfold!
Russ
Great story!
There is so many good guys on this site!
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Simply Awesome! :clapper: :clapper:
:clapper:
:bigsmyl: :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
Awesome story right there.
Huge pat on the back Maineac!
What can you say about such thoughtfulness and kindness? So I'll just throw some applause that way.... :clapper: :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Great Story! :clapper:
thats cool. damn cool.
Very very nice ... yes there certainly are some special folks here on TG :thumbsup:
Another great example of the fine folks here at TG.
:clapper:
Thats awesome!
Get well soon..........Philip
A wonderful act of kindness well done.
HMMMMMMMMMM..... Sounds alot like a thread I wrote about you David! Just goes to show how it really does come full circle. Think of how incredible this world would be if it were full of Tradgangers!!! That was a GREAT thing to do Maineac and it certainly happened to another great person. Pretty cool!
Great thing you've done Mike. Your generosity is beyond compare.
Stories like this restore my faith in mankind.
John
That is really cool!
Bisch
I am really not surprised! Thats the way tradgangers roll.
What a great guy! The knife is beautiful. Thanks for sharing the story. It make me want to be more generous and thoughtful like that.
These things are the reason I have stayed a loyal member on this site, the brotherhood here is amazing!!! Great job Mike being a great friend to a fellow archer. Good luck David on a speedy recovery.
:notworthy: :notworthy:
That's so awesome! :notworthy: :campfire:
A very thoughtful act of kindness. Thanks for sharing.
That's the TG spirit. Wonderful folks here.
TThat is one georgeous knife and a true "tradgang" act. A great gift Mike. :thumbsup:
I could not have done it without Felix, who was able to remind me who the bowyer was from the bow build strand, and Dave and Beth who refused to take money to ship the wood. I was just trying to pay forward the kindness I have recieved here. If you are given the opportunity pass some kindness along, that is what makes this site so great.
That proves there are still some special around.
People with this level of talent are often very generous people. Very nice, thanks for sharing.