CY...I have a rigging knife too (circa 1942 Sea Scouts) which used to belong to my Dad. Super rugged with a great long blade and a humungous spike (which I used to believe was "for taking stones out of horses' hooves) till I knew better. It also has a useful little screwdriver blade at one else. This is another prized possession which Lady McMoo frowns at in a most distrustful fashion whenever she sees it. I once took it to a session to tighten the friction pegs on an old Abbott tenor bajo I used to have, but it frightened everybody so much when I pulled it out (the knife that is!) that I never took it again!

I loved your story about Todd Farnham and the banjo. I once had a wonderful meeting with the luthier (now sadly long deceased) who once made Paragon banjos in the 20s and 30s and another with an old collector of very unusual instruments who sold a number of them to me for a very reasonable price as he had retired. It is these sort of encounters that are really special.

McGrath...we must get 'Spaw onto this! Perhaps it could also incorporate the famous Aussie-Amish double-pronged moustache tuner that he invented a year or two back.

Best regards,

mooman