Bear Grylls & Rob Bayley Split Up!?

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Woodwatcher

Member
Jul 29, 2009
24
0
norfolk
Didnt Ray mears help design the wilkinson sword survival knife, which was based on the mod survival knife. or am i getting my knives mixed up. I am sure i have an old copy of combat and survival somewhere that gives Ray credit for being involved in it in someway. Besides like most things peoples tastes and requirements change over time and with experience.
 

TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
10,508
3,711
50
Exeter
Didnt Ray mears help design the wilkinson sword survival knife, which was based on the mod survival knife. or am i getting my knives mixed up. I am sure i have an old copy of combat and survival somewhere that gives Ray credit for being involved in it in someway. Besides like most things peoples tastes and requirements change over time and with experience.


Thats what i thought as well.
Never handled the Wilkie so can't comment on the knife per se.

Have handled the Bayley Knife ( ie its not the Bear knife its the Bayley Knife ,its after all the makers creation , not the user ) and it's a very fine piece of kit. I'd def take one , just not at that price and waiting list.
 

JonathanD

Ophiological Genius
Sep 3, 2004
12,809
1,481
Stourton,UK
Should come down a couple of hundred pounds then.

Go up you mean :D

Seriously though, a few custom knifemakers on BB have commented that they could not make Bayleys knife for less than he charges. By cutting a few corners, yes, but not an exact match. He even machines his own bolts from scratch.
 

Mang

Settler
I only hope that BGs new position as Head Scout has not interferred in anyway with him putting his name on a knife. That would be sad.

I'd doubt this would be the case as the Scout Association knew what they were getting with Bear. On the knife issue the Scouting PR team had to move through the gears after a Mail journalist took selective bits out of a Dave Budd feature in the Scouting magazine on knife useage and made it look like the Scout assocaition were saying that Scouts can't use knives anymore!
 

JonathanD

Ophiological Genius
Sep 3, 2004
12,809
1,481
Stourton,UK
I'd doubt this would be the case as the Scout Association knew what they were getting with Bear. On the knife issue the Scouting PR team had to move through the gears after a Mail journalist took selective bits out of a Dave Budd feature in the Scouting magazine on knife useage and made it look like the Scout assocaition were saying that Scouts can't use knives anymore!

That's good, you just can't be sure with all this PC madness that has invaded our society.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,137
2,876
66
Pembrokeshire
Oh goody!
If he starts a spat with American bashing to join the spat concerning Bear Bashing we will have a pair of spats.

Spats are a very fashionable and smart way to keep mud out of your boots!

Isn't it great how the English language can be mis-interpreted?

If posts coudle be read to reflect the true intention of the Poster and not coloured (or is thet colored?) by the readers reading it then we would have half the spats we do on this site....but what use is half a pair of spats?:)
 

Tony

White bear (Admin)
Admin
Apr 16, 2003
24,176
1
1,932
53
Wales
www.bushcraftuk.com
Guy's just pack it in, tadpole, no matter how you read it you stirred the pot, so, please all ignore the comments that got the spoon going, also, no BG bashing, and , and , and...there must be something else you've all done wrong....:lmao:

When it comes to the knife i have to say that I don't really care, i appreciate that it's good gossip for some but we'll know soon enough when they tell us, or not as is likely the case, I just like knives that work well :D they make knives with the name on to make money and spread the word, such is life.


BG's ok as well and so's Ray :D
 

sapper1

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 3, 2008
2,572
1
swansea
I bet John looks good in spats.I can just see him now zoot suit ,spats and a fedora.A big havana cigar in his mouth and a hme forged knife hanging on his belt.
Smart or what?
 

Tiley

Life Member
Oct 19, 2006
2,364
375
60
Gloucestershire
Have handled the Bayley Knife ( ie its not the Bear knife its the Bayley Knife ,its after all the makers creation , not the user ) and it's a very fine piece of kit. I'd def take one , just not at that price and waiting list.

I actually own one of them and I have to admit it's rubbish. The blade is too deep, it's too thick, the handle isn't comfortable in extended use, the steel is so fantastically hard that it's next to impossible to get even a half-decent edge on it. It is beautifully made - I'll grant you that - but I now use it to demonstrate a poorly designed (over designed?) knife.

I did have the foresight to ask not to have the signature/celebrity endorsement all over it but, given the ruction between the maker and the Chief Scout, maybe I should have had it left on - it might be worth more second hand as there'll become rare ...:rolleyes:
 

charadeur

Tenderfoot
May 4, 2009
65
0
USA Michigan
Hey we Americans aren't all that bad... Oh you've seen Fox News.... Never mind.

Maybe it was a mutual decision since he could not deliver in a timely manor? Maybe he dropped Bear because Bear was asking for too much of cut? Or maybe Bear saw the $ in doing a mass production model? It does not really matter much. I would never pay the extra just for a famous persons name on the blade.
 

JonathanD

Ophiological Genius
Sep 3, 2004
12,809
1,481
Stourton,UK
I did have the foresight to ask not to have the signature/celebrity endorsement all over it but, given the ruction between the maker and the Chief Scout, maybe I should have had it left on - it might be worth more second hand as there'll become rare ...:rolleyes:

I have heard from Rob Bayley. There is no ruction between him and Bear at all and he is still supplying him with his signature knife. It is Robs design and he is overwhelmed with orders and feels it is time to move on.

Rob Bayley is one of the UKs top knifemakers and as far as I can see he is losing that recognition and becoming known more for being the maker of the 'Bear Grylls knife', with less emphasis on his knifemaking skills and other models. Hopefully it will end now and he can carry on designing more models and weedling down the waiting list to a more realistic level.

Rob Bayley never charged extra for Bears signature, the cost to produce the knife and the mark up so he can make a living is nothing unusual. As I've said before, he even machines his own bolts. If you handle one of these knives you can certainly see that the money goes into the production. This seems to have been overlooked and having Bears name on it has created more controversy between collectors and users and interested parties on the cost than if he had not had it on there in the first place. This should die down now.

Shame Ebay went the way it did. All you BG Bayley knife owners would have made a killing.
 
B

BGadvocate

Guest
From: Rob Bayley
Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 6:51 AM
To: 'Bear Grylls Advocate'
Subject: Bear Grylls S4 Knife

Hi Mark,
There is no real comment, other then to say

Yes quite a development but things are still amicable between Bear and my self and nothing is untoward, it is simply time to move on.

Kind regards,

Rob
 

JonathanD

Ophiological Genius
Sep 3, 2004
12,809
1,481
Stourton,UK
I hope Rob doesn't mind me repeating this but it's a testament to the knifes durability...

In the time that Rob Bayley has been supplying Bear with his knives, he has only had four (the way he treats them, I thought this would be well into double figures). Apparently he lost one down down a glacier, mashed the tip on one jamming it into a rock face which eventually wore it out, but he has never broken one :eek: Amazing.
 
B

BGadvocate

Guest
Good points! I never held the knife, but always assumed if Bear uses it...it must be outstanding! Of course, you can tell from the specs, materials and craftsmanship that the S4 would hold up against most situations!
 

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