If you suddenly found yourself in the jungle without food or water, no cell phone, no equipment and well..alone..what would you do? That is a question that has been answered time and again by one certain man, Les Stroud, of the long running hit show "Survivorman" that was featured on the Discovery Channel. Fans and shoppers alike got up close and personal with Les at the Smoky Mountain Knife Works on highway 66 in Sevierville this last weekend. Les has eaten some of the nastiest things on the planet, gone face to face against wild animals and has come within a few hundred minutes of passing out completely just to show us all that when the going gets tough, the tough eat tree bark. His book "Will to Live" is not only a tale of inspiration but is a "how-to" guide that outlines the intricacies of the human spirit, the fiber that makes us the beings that are inevitably at the top of the food chain.

 His trials and tribulations have influenced different survival knife manufacturers to design a collection that meets his approval much to the dismay of the elements of Mother Nature that he has managed to conquer on more than one occasion. The newest of these is the "Camillus" series. From the desert to the Arctic, the mountains to the jungle there is a blade for every survival situation. Machete anyone?

So if your idea of the "Call of the Wild" is relegated to chasing away a rogue raccoon from your trash can in broad daylight you may want to seek the advice of a professional. His name is Les Stroud and he was nice enough to grace our presence at the Smoky Mountain Knife Works last Saturday, August 25th. For more information about this event or any other upcoming appearances call them at 865-453-5871 or log on to www.SeePigeonForge.com.