Wilkinson Sword Dartmoor Knife: What to do?

[Stringmaker]

Just in case there are some peeps who don't know what one of these is:

http://www.dartmoorknife.co.uk/dart...-p-267.html?osCsid=8i8s5gbrp6d993ic7n3rhd3nf1

This is the example I currently have.

I bought it purely for what it represented to me in terms of a classic tool made by a classic company, well before I got involved in my woodland school volunteer project. My problem is that I have never used it and it seems a waste. There is an element of Crocodile Dundee about it to be honest........"That's not a knife, THIS is a knife!" which is why I bought my little Mora for practical use.

My options are:

1. Sell it.
2. Keep it and get a decent edge put on it then use it.
3. Keep it for its own sake and not use it.

What would you do?

Incidentally, I had forgotten quite how much it is worth.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Put an edge on it and use it, its what it was made for, or make a nice display case with a little of its history noted in there too and pass it down the family

 

[The Lord Poncho]

Incidentally, I had forgotten quite how much it is worth.

I think these go for around £10-£15 these days. If i was you I'd select the 'sell it' option. I may know a buyer

 

[Stringmaker]

I think these go for around £10-£15 these days. If i was you I'd select the 'sell it' option. I may know a buyer

Nice try!

I have to admit that I am erring towards getting an edge on it then using it. My next problem is that I am very much a novice sharpener and wouldn't want to ruin it!

 

[Retired Member southey]

Why not give Longstrider a pm dude, im sure he would be able to get it to a superb edge that would be nice and easy to maintain, or even guide you through doing it yourself!

 

[dave53]

send it to longstrider he will sort it for you regards dave

 

[DavidJT]

I'd say sell it. Too "Rambo" for me personally.

 

[shaggystu]

personally i'd leave it alone, maybe get a little cabinet as southey suggested, i'd have thought that it'll work out as quite a good investment eventually

stuart

 

[Stringmaker]

As luck would have it, Paul Kirtley has recently done a review:

http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2011/dartmoor-survival-knife/

The first thing he said was that most of them are delivered blunt.

I think a PM to Longstrider is in order; thanks for the tip. I knew there was a sharpening expert around here but forgot his name.

 

[Corso]

I'd sell it - I doubt I'd ever find that handle compy

 

[sargey]

Put an edge on it and use it, its what it was made for, or make a nice display case with a little of its history noted in there too and pass it down the family

+1 on the sharpening and using!

to be fair, even i think the dartmoor is basically an answer to what was actually a rhetorical question! but it is a very misunderstood tool. i did chuckle when i read a comment here, (ages ago) to the effect that "a woodlore is a much more capable tool than a dartmoor" capable of what exactly? i have both, there are more jobs that i could do with a dartmoor that a woodlore would struggle with than vice versa. as the paul kirtley review points out, you do need to understand your tool and learn how to use it.

perhaps i should send mine off to visit jon and southey as part of the big knife review..... fellahs?

the paul kirtley review was excellent btw, thanks for that.

cheers, and.

 

[Retired Member southey]

+1 on the sharpening and using!

to be fair, even i think the dartmoor is basically an answer to what was actually a rhetorical question! but it is a very misunderstood tool. i did chuckle when i read a comment here, (ages ago) to the effect that "a woodlore is a much more capable tool than a dartmoor" capable of what exactly? i have both, there are more jobs that i could do with a dartmoor that a woodlore would struggle with than vice versa. as the paul kirtley review points out, you do need to understand your tool and learn how to use it.

perhaps i should send mine off to visit jon and southey as part of the big knife review..... fellahs?

the paul kirtley review was excellent btw, thanks for that.

cheers, and.

OKAY! You've twisted our arms!

 

[sargey]

lol! pm postal address please.

btw, mine has been race-tuned a bit. it'd be interestin' to compare the modded version to the standard.

cheers, and.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Brilliant!, I may be able to get hold of a standard(as in Dartmoor knife standard) model if my matey lets me borrow his if he is about, PM inbound

 

[TeeDee]

This may be of interest , Bottom of the page ;-

http://swc-handmade-knives.com/CUSTOM-KNIFE-GALLERY

Thats what he thought was the best move with it.

 

[JonathanD]

Brilliant!, I may be able to get hold of a standard(as in Dartmoor knife standard) model if my matey lets me borrow his if he is about, PM inbound

I have an original somewhere at my folks house too. As new in box.

 

[Retired Member southey]

This may be of interest , Bottom of the page ;-

http://swc-handmade-knives.com/CUSTOM-KNIFE-GALLERY

Thats what he thought was the best move with it.

but then its just another bowieish type knife, its lost its appeal o being the original,

 

[BillyBlade]

I sold mine. Bloke who bought it wasn't happy it'd seen some proper field use over the years!

Funny old thing, I thought that was what they were for!

 

[Miyagi]

I haven't seen one of those in years, they were de rigeur at one time.

Liam

 

[BillyBlade]

'88 I think I bought mine. It was just after Combat and Survival did a feature on it.

That was back when I thought 'one size fits all' with knives.

It works for some people, not for me. I have a tree feller, a skinner now etc.