As many folks who have read my posts will know, I have a soft spot for the original First Blood Lile knife. It's iconic, classic and launched many of us into the woods, where some of us still find ourselves at every opportunity.
Again, as most people know, I own or have owned many of the 'tribute' knives and an original Lile I bought in the late eighties. But even the Lile (SLY II model) was a long way from accurate to the original first 13 movie blades made by Jimmy Lile back in the early eighties. Many makers have stated that they make THE most accurate First Blood movie knife replica available. And indeed that was probably true, until now.
Now we have a new First Blood replica knife on the scene, and the maker has been granted permission by John Hill (owner of Lile Knives) to bear the family name as per the originals. What this piece does is something spectacular, it actually delivers for the very first time, a truly accurate handmade version of the knife used by Sylvester Stallone in First Blood, and is made by someone who has been a collector of Jimmy Lile's Rambo knives for decades. To top it off, he also has an impressive background in engineering and high end custom gunsmithing, and is obsessive about accuracy, so it was a natural step to move into knife making and making the one knife he has been passionate about for years. Can he deliver? Let's see....
This knife came onto the market under the radar. They weren't really supposed to be announced until the Blade Show by John Hill himself but a happy customer posted theirs up on BB and from the sparse pictures posted, I saw what looked like an impressive and superior product to current offerings, and from discussing the subject with Rob Evans (a fellow FB knife enthusiast), I decided to contact the maker - Andy Wood, and find out more. The price also had a major influence as, although at £750 was still high, it was less expensive than any other high end licenced knives available. And priced more on a par with the lower end replicas offered. So it promised a very big bang for my buck.
After contacting Andy Wood, I found out he was indeed given permission by John Hill to make and produce an accurate and affordable version of the First Blood knife, use the LILE stamp on his blades and supply them for sale both from Lile themselves and directly from himself to UK/European collectors to avoid getting hit by import duty and customs charges. A bonus for us Brits as he is a UK knife maker. I bought one.
Unlike many knives, there are two concerns I had with this one. The first was in relation to how accurate this knife would be compared to the original 13 movie versions Lile made. For those of you that don't know, Jimmy Lile made 13 knives originally with the movie specification. Six of which were used in the film, and seven of which would stay with him. He then made a further run giving the total count of 100 knives, but these last 87 had many differences to the 13 movie versions. The most famous of which was the use of 12 saw teeth compared to the 14 used on the movie knife. But there are many more including the grinds and finish etc that I won't bore you with.
The second concern I had, was the overall construction and finish. Upon getting the knife, the latter was certainly put out of my mind...
I've had many knives from custom makers so know a well made knife when I see and handle one. This is definately one of those knives..
Everything about the fit and finish on this knife is anally perfect. The attention to detail on the knife, considering the lower price compared to many others is utterly sublime...
The grinds, polishing and finish are excellent. And almost microscopic detailing to get the accuracy to the original Lile knives is something to behold. I mean look at this screwdriver tip and the added flared bevel at the tip! To actually go to these lengths of accuracy shows the passion behind Andy Wood's drive to put out the perfect product...
This obssesive attention to accuracy and detailing is evident all over the knife...
Just like the original, and this version is constructed EXACTLY the way Jimmy Lile made his knives... so no weak tang construction here. This is engineered for use and abuse and strength. The handle is 440c stainless steel tubing like the original, not soft aluminium like many copies have...
The pommel cap like the original is constructed from a hunk of aluminium though, as it houses a nice traditional little brass compass recessed safely into it. To use steel here would affect its accuracy. Again, the attention to detail and finishing is second to none..
The inner base of the handle holds the only moniker and reference to the maker...
The nylon cording on the handle is also the most true to the original Lile I've seen. It is the correct dark green that will darken through use and absorbtion of hand oils as you can see on those Eighties knives of Jimmy's today. It has been very tightly wound, and again, the attention to detail here borders on the anal, as the maker has not only tied off and melted the end into the handle like the original knives, but he has also applied resin under and on top of the knotting to ensure it never comes undone...
The robust construction of the blade can be seen in the amount of work put into the grinds. Unlike most other tribute knives I've seen, this one retains the beefiness and swell of the original Lile knives running towards the tip to keep the strength running as far towards the tip as is possible...
Now to the sheath. It is again, very well made and accurate to the movie version made by Jim Buffaloe. I went with the left hand version for movie accuracy. But I won't go as far as battering it and weathering it to the extent the original was abused...
So there we have it. And I'll say it again, the attention to detail in manufacture, fit, fitting and finish is utterly sublime. It is a fitting tribute to Jimmy Liles legacy in that regard, and one that actually earns the right to have that LILE stamp on it.
So... is it actually movie knife original 13 accurate?
Well, as far as the original six used in the movie, we will probably never be 100% sure as none of these has ever been made public since the movie was made and the only images we see are on film footage. But Lile did a run of 13 of these knives, so it is safe to assume that the following 7 matched the original six exactly. We know Stallone sent his six back to have the bead blast extended under the raker teeth (that is the option I chose for my knife), so realistically, that is the only difference the first six will have. I have a history in the film making industry and know that Lile would have kept those extra seven in reserve should they be needed in filming due to the first six being used and gaining wear at a considerable rate, so it makes sense that they would all be the same. Andy Wood has the profiles for the original Lile knives, and he used #16 which is confirmed accurate to the original 13 apart from the 12 saw teeth. That knife he has used as a first hand reference and template for his version. He also has a close connection with John Hill and has resources available to him from the originals. So as far as movie knife accuracy is concerned, I'm pretty sure this is as close to an original movie Lile as it is ever possible to get.
You top that with the excellent still images we can get off Blu-Ray these days. And trust me, I've scoured the disc frame by frame and matched grind lines, angles and dimensions as thoroughly as I can. And I'm over the moon with the result. I've also matched up every image I have of the first 13 available and this replica is true to them in every way.
The picture below shows a magazine article with one of the original 13 knives pictured. The knife lying on top of that is Andy Woods prototype.
And here is the new LILE replica from Andy Wood. Remember this has the movie version of the sand blast which extends onto the angle under the raker teeth, while the original Liles shown have that portion polished. Andy Wood offers both of these finishes depending on the buyers preference.
So pretty definitive and compelling evidence right there.
All the knives are to be numbered, but not limited. Anyone can get them from the US or the UK, so no customs fees. Andy has made it clear he stands by the product and the accuracy. I'm picky about knives and really picky about props claiming movie accuracy. This knife has met both high expectations. FULLSTOP.
Andy Wood has a website dedicated to the history of the Rambo knives www.rambo-knife.com
Again, as most people know, I own or have owned many of the 'tribute' knives and an original Lile I bought in the late eighties. But even the Lile (SLY II model) was a long way from accurate to the original first 13 movie blades made by Jimmy Lile back in the early eighties. Many makers have stated that they make THE most accurate First Blood movie knife replica available. And indeed that was probably true, until now.
Now we have a new First Blood replica knife on the scene, and the maker has been granted permission by John Hill (owner of Lile Knives) to bear the family name as per the originals. What this piece does is something spectacular, it actually delivers for the very first time, a truly accurate handmade version of the knife used by Sylvester Stallone in First Blood, and is made by someone who has been a collector of Jimmy Lile's Rambo knives for decades. To top it off, he also has an impressive background in engineering and high end custom gunsmithing, and is obsessive about accuracy, so it was a natural step to move into knife making and making the one knife he has been passionate about for years. Can he deliver? Let's see....
This knife came onto the market under the radar. They weren't really supposed to be announced until the Blade Show by John Hill himself but a happy customer posted theirs up on BB and from the sparse pictures posted, I saw what looked like an impressive and superior product to current offerings, and from discussing the subject with Rob Evans (a fellow FB knife enthusiast), I decided to contact the maker - Andy Wood, and find out more. The price also had a major influence as, although at £750 was still high, it was less expensive than any other high end licenced knives available. And priced more on a par with the lower end replicas offered. So it promised a very big bang for my buck.
After contacting Andy Wood, I found out he was indeed given permission by John Hill to make and produce an accurate and affordable version of the First Blood knife, use the LILE stamp on his blades and supply them for sale both from Lile themselves and directly from himself to UK/European collectors to avoid getting hit by import duty and customs charges. A bonus for us Brits as he is a UK knife maker. I bought one.
Unlike many knives, there are two concerns I had with this one. The first was in relation to how accurate this knife would be compared to the original 13 movie versions Lile made. For those of you that don't know, Jimmy Lile made 13 knives originally with the movie specification. Six of which were used in the film, and seven of which would stay with him. He then made a further run giving the total count of 100 knives, but these last 87 had many differences to the 13 movie versions. The most famous of which was the use of 12 saw teeth compared to the 14 used on the movie knife. But there are many more including the grinds and finish etc that I won't bore you with.
The second concern I had, was the overall construction and finish. Upon getting the knife, the latter was certainly put out of my mind...
I've had many knives from custom makers so know a well made knife when I see and handle one. This is definately one of those knives..
Everything about the fit and finish on this knife is anally perfect. The attention to detail on the knife, considering the lower price compared to many others is utterly sublime...
The grinds, polishing and finish are excellent. And almost microscopic detailing to get the accuracy to the original Lile knives is something to behold. I mean look at this screwdriver tip and the added flared bevel at the tip! To actually go to these lengths of accuracy shows the passion behind Andy Wood's drive to put out the perfect product...
This obssesive attention to accuracy and detailing is evident all over the knife...
Just like the original, and this version is constructed EXACTLY the way Jimmy Lile made his knives... so no weak tang construction here. This is engineered for use and abuse and strength. The handle is 440c stainless steel tubing like the original, not soft aluminium like many copies have...
The pommel cap like the original is constructed from a hunk of aluminium though, as it houses a nice traditional little brass compass recessed safely into it. To use steel here would affect its accuracy. Again, the attention to detail and finishing is second to none..
The inner base of the handle holds the only moniker and reference to the maker...
The nylon cording on the handle is also the most true to the original Lile I've seen. It is the correct dark green that will darken through use and absorbtion of hand oils as you can see on those Eighties knives of Jimmy's today. It has been very tightly wound, and again, the attention to detail here borders on the anal, as the maker has not only tied off and melted the end into the handle like the original knives, but he has also applied resin under and on top of the knotting to ensure it never comes undone...
The robust construction of the blade can be seen in the amount of work put into the grinds. Unlike most other tribute knives I've seen, this one retains the beefiness and swell of the original Lile knives running towards the tip to keep the strength running as far towards the tip as is possible...
Now to the sheath. It is again, very well made and accurate to the movie version made by Jim Buffaloe. I went with the left hand version for movie accuracy. But I won't go as far as battering it and weathering it to the extent the original was abused...
So there we have it. And I'll say it again, the attention to detail in manufacture, fit, fitting and finish is utterly sublime. It is a fitting tribute to Jimmy Liles legacy in that regard, and one that actually earns the right to have that LILE stamp on it.
So... is it actually movie knife original 13 accurate?
Well, as far as the original six used in the movie, we will probably never be 100% sure as none of these has ever been made public since the movie was made and the only images we see are on film footage. But Lile did a run of 13 of these knives, so it is safe to assume that the following 7 matched the original six exactly. We know Stallone sent his six back to have the bead blast extended under the raker teeth (that is the option I chose for my knife), so realistically, that is the only difference the first six will have. I have a history in the film making industry and know that Lile would have kept those extra seven in reserve should they be needed in filming due to the first six being used and gaining wear at a considerable rate, so it makes sense that they would all be the same. Andy Wood has the profiles for the original Lile knives, and he used #16 which is confirmed accurate to the original 13 apart from the 12 saw teeth. That knife he has used as a first hand reference and template for his version. He also has a close connection with John Hill and has resources available to him from the originals. So as far as movie knife accuracy is concerned, I'm pretty sure this is as close to an original movie Lile as it is ever possible to get.
You top that with the excellent still images we can get off Blu-Ray these days. And trust me, I've scoured the disc frame by frame and matched grind lines, angles and dimensions as thoroughly as I can. And I'm over the moon with the result. I've also matched up every image I have of the first 13 available and this replica is true to them in every way.
The picture below shows a magazine article with one of the original 13 knives pictured. The knife lying on top of that is Andy Woods prototype.
And here is the new LILE replica from Andy Wood. Remember this has the movie version of the sand blast which extends onto the angle under the raker teeth, while the original Liles shown have that portion polished. Andy Wood offers both of these finishes depending on the buyers preference.
So pretty definitive and compelling evidence right there.
All the knives are to be numbered, but not limited. Anyone can get them from the US or the UK, so no customs fees. Andy has made it clear he stands by the product and the accuracy. I'm picky about knives and really picky about props claiming movie accuracy. This knife has met both high expectations. FULLSTOP.
Andy Wood has a website dedicated to the history of the Rambo knives www.rambo-knife.com
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