All About Pocket Knives

It is with a heavy heart that i am informing you that my very good friend Doug Webber has passed away.
Doug had suffered some very serious illnesses over the last 5-6 years and he was at a stage of his life that he was staring to fulfil his "Bucket List" dreams.
Doug had a hard upbringing on his parents farm and come his 18th birthday joined the Navy for 12 years. Doug and i were tight mates for over 4 years, communicating daily over that period. He made me aware of all the highs and lows he had experienced over his life. We would have long talks about his many adventure 'on the road' and other aspects of his life. I strongly suspect some were embellished to satisfy my keenness to listen. He was good to listen to and could tell a great story.
Many years ago he hit rock bottom and an old friend offered him a hand up, which he took and didn't look back from that point.
During his life he experienced more than most people would in two lifetimes. He used to quote a saying that pretty well sums up his life "I danced every dance and now i have to pay the band".
After Doug got on his feet he discovered the beauty of Schrade knives and there was no stopping him from that point on. He amassed a huge Schrade collection, most of which were embellished by Herman Williams. Not only Schrade's but also BEC, Schatt & Morgan, Canal Street Cutlery and a sprinkling of others. He was always on the look-out for a good knife and a bargain and is responsible for me being skint, pointing out certain knives that i just couldn't live without.
Doug was one of those guys that loved to help people, whether they are close friend or people he may have a casual relationship with on AAPK.
One of the most important events that happened to Doug in the last few years was his relationship with Herman Williams. Herman's incredible knife customizing was well known by most keen collectors, and when he brought one of Herman's knives one day, he sent him email asking if he was "THE Herman Williams", to which the reply came back "the one and only". That was the start of a wonderful relationship with Herman embellishing over 200 knives for him, 50 being done in white bone. Doug held Herman in such high regard that he considered him his Father Figure.
The highlight of his life in recent years was for himself and another friend Zane Greer staying with Herman for a week and seeing him work on knives, taking everything in and seeing the Master at work.
Doug's passing came at a most inappropriate time, as he had recently sold some of his vast collection and had money in the bank. On Tuesday/Wednesday of this week he completed his motorcycle course and i imagine that he passed. Originally he and a friend were going to hire Harley's for a couple of days to rekindle his old memories of cruising the highways on his Harley.
Today he was going to Las Vegas with a mate from Texas to watch the Nascars. Sadly that didn't happen.
Doug was a great lover of AAPK and made many contributions to the site over the years (959 posts). He got great joy out of posting his latest acquisitions and adding his thought to various posts.
The passing of a dear friend seem to hit you like a bomb and you are not prepared for it. I am finding it rather hard to accept and my memories might fade as time goes by, but i will never forget Doug Wayne Webber....RIP Doug.

I knew from correspondence that he was not well but I did not think it would be this quick. Thank you for sharing with us. My heart is heavy.

Great Story of your friendship with Doug . Sorry to hear of his passing . Bought and sold a few Knives from Him. May he be with God

I'm very sorry to hear of his passing, Doug was one of the good ones. He bought a knife from me on ebay just weeks ago.

Doug was a very generous man as demonstrated here on the forum just a few days ago concerning one of our members.
Some months ago, I bought an old Pal knife that he had for sale and apparently he thought the price must have been a bit much and sent another knife along with it, the 2nd knife being more valuable than the Pal.
Very gracious in our communications.
RIP Douglas Wayne Webber.
Treefarmer

Thank you for telling us about Doug. I only knew him from his AAPK posts but we did exchange emails just a few weeks ago when he was planning his motorcycle trip. He expected to live for at least some months. It sounds like he died rather suddenly which is a better way to go that spending your final months in pain and confusion.
kj

May he now rest in peace .
In the short time I knew him (here on AAPK), he was a really nice guy and we hit it off quite well. I guess now he went to be with Acorn 1, 2, and 3... .
You prepare yourself for when it hits, but you didn't prepare yourself. It takes a real blow, or two, out of you when it happens. What can you do?
We mourn, and then move on. At least he's at peace now, no more crazy health issues to deal with. God be with you Doug .

I didn’t know Doug as well as some of the other folks around here but nonetheless I considered him a friend and I can tell you the knife community was a better place with him in it. He was the type of collector who would eagerly share his knowledge and was always ready to jump on skype for an hour or two just to bs about knives or whatever else might come up. If you’ve spoken to him you know that nothing the man said was filtered and no topic was off the table. He would talk about the ups and downs of his life without hesitation – good, bad or indifferent. The man was an open book in a way that was disarming, and blunt honesty like that is rare. Doug and I shared a fascination with weird and unusual knives – the kind that most people wouldn’t bend over to pick up in the street. He called me the day he got the news from his doctor because of the 600 knives he was about to sell he was concerned that certain knives needed to go to certain collectors who would treat them with the reverence he thought they deserved. With the shock of the news still bouncing around in my head I came back into focus realizing Doug was already rattling off a list of knives he knew I’d want. The first two he mentioned were a pair of very special 2203s that his friend customized for him. Of course I would want those. After that the conversation went straight to a bizarre Imperial sample knife he had with a folding, collapsible can opener built into it. That one was just as significant as the 2203s as far as both of us were concerned. I have to laugh thinking about how insane that conversation, and all the ones that followed it, were. I don’t want to drone on a whole lot here but I think it’s important to say that of all the people who were saddened by the news of Doug’s diagnosis – Doug was not one of them. I never saw him show a lick of regret. Quite the opposite, in fact. He accomplished what he wanted during his life, partied like a rock star and assembled one of the finest knife collections I’ve ever seen. Within hours of getting news that would cripple most people he had already planned his own memorial service, made arrangements for his pets and was calling people to arrange what would happen to the knives. In one moment he was talking about choosing which VFW would get a donated knife display and in the next he was talking about getting his motorcycle endorsement again so he could rent a Harley for a few weekends. He found the silver lining in a lot of places – from guilt free cigarettes and whiskey to looking forward to reuniting with his first two dogs that left this world before him. For a lot of reasons, he’s the kind of collector I want to be when I grow up. I’ll miss you Doug.

My friendship with Doug was far too short but had a lot of depth. As I read the comments from his many friends here, I am not surprised to see the many examples of his open nature, his willingness to share all aspects of a very interesting life, and a significant knowledge of knives, especially all things Schrade. I shared in those experiences with Doug. A bonus was when Doug opened a door allowing me to meet and develop an abiding friendship with Herman Williams and Tony Moat.
Sharing in Doug's last trip to NC to visit with Herman last May was a high point for me at the time; it is now a more valued experience as it can never be repeated.
As Tony mentioned, Doug had a lot of items on his bucket list and I was fortunate to be included in his planning for some of those events. Those events can't happen but I am grateful to have enjoyed his friendship and trust and I'm grateful that he was spared the pain of a slow decline.
We talked some about mortality and what might come next. Beginning with his first prognosis in June, he showed an extraordinary strength in every conversation about what was happening and what was going to happen. Over these past few weeks Doug was upbeat and happy with how his life was going and with how his physicians were handling his case, things that make his sudden passing all the more unreal to me.
I'll miss talking to him every few days. I'll miss his ever distinct rasping voice telling me why I'm wrong. And I hope I take away a little bit of his love for life and his ability to face the future.

I am sad to hear of Doug's passing, it was sooner than he had expected. We met a couple years ago at the Oregon show. Doug was like a kid in a candy store! I know the Oregon show was on his bucket list. I am glad he had a good time at the show.
Rest In Peace Doug.

Major shocker. Doug's last act of kindness (that I'm aware of) was gifting a GEC Ram Foot to me to replace the one that was stolen off my front porch. That now takes on more significance in my life than it already had. I don't know anything about his personal life but I can tell you he has left a big hole in the heart of AAPK. Rest in peace good man.

RIP Doug. My thoughts and prayers are with your family. Your contribution to AAPK and the knife community will be missed.

Rest is peace Doug.Sorry for everyone's loss.

Man oh man, so sad.......

RIP our knife friend.

Rest in peace.

RIP dwed I've enjoyed the post and pictures he made, didn't know him like some of you but will miss him for sure. My condolences to you his good friends and his family. God rest his soul.

What a sad week this has been for AAPK with the loss of both Tim Butler (basser5) and now Doug Webber (dweb 1897). I had the privilege of meeting Doug in person at the Oregon Show a few years ago. He was very pleasant and kind and sure had an infectious enthusiasm about the knives he loved. He certainly had an amazing collection of fine knives that he'd put together over the years. Other than that one meeting, all of our interactions were through AAPK. I found him to be very honest, friendly, and willing to help others who shared a common interest. He will be sadly missed.

Very saddened to hear about dweb his morning. While I only knew him through the pages of AAPK and his Schrade expertise in particular, he will be missed as one of the kinder and more knowledgeable collectors online. I will keep him in my thoughts and my condolences go out to his family and friends. RIP Douglas.

Sad news. Rest Easy and blessings on his family and close friends.

Charlie Noyes

Sad news, indeed.
He will sure be missed here on AAPK. RIP.

Ray

Very sad indeed. Even though we knew it was near, the reality of the end is a somber moment when we lose such an esteemed member. Rest in peace Doug.

this sucks.
I liked Doug, a lot.
-So long Mr Webber. We hardly knew Ye-

Very saddened by the news and shocked, I knew things were crook but thought he had more time...
Doug helped me out a couple of times via his connection with Schradenut (Tony) and I bought one beautiful Rigid knife from him that will now never be sold

RIP

R I P