I ordered one of these Woodlore Pro knives on Saturday. It arrived on Tuesday, after the tragic news of Steve Wade Cox's death.
The question that has been asked a great deal is: is it worth the money? A friend of mine, who knows a great deal more about this sort of thing than I do, had a good look at it and stated that it would be one hell of a job to get all the tapers and grinds done as evenly and accurately. The fact that these are hand-made means that a huge number of man-hours have gone into the production of each one. Add to that the exceptional quality of finish on both the knife and the sheath and one begins to understand why it might cost as much as it does. In short, he said that it probably is worth the money, from a machining point of view alone.
I also thought that it might be interesting to see it alongside the Rod Garcia Skookum Bushtool and Rob Evans Bushtool because there are some fairly close similarities in blade shape. I added my Ben Orford Woodlander as a reference and because I no longer own an Alan Wood. From the left they are: 1. Orford Woodlander, 2. Woodlore Pro, 3. Rob Evans Bushtool, 4. Rod Garcia Skookum Bushtool in 01 and 5. another Skookum Bushtool in S30V.
I was lucky enough to get an even numbered one.
It is these pictures of the handles that haven given me pause for thought. I have quite big hands and annoyingly long fingers. It means that I tend to prefer a knife with a fuller handle, particularly if I am going to be using it for prolonged periods, which I do regularly. You will notice that my other, more battered and extensively used knives have that chunkier handle where the Woodlore Pro is quite slender by comparison.
I had not intended this new addition to be a drawer queen; when I buy a knife, it gets used. I also think that the design and superb workmanship on the Pro are a joy to behold - something that certainly does not come across from the unexceptional photos on the Woodlore website. But I am wracked by indecision: should I keep the Pro on the understanding that it will probably be my second choice knife among the others in the collection or should I return it to Woodlore and get a refund?
Half of me says keep it and the other half - perhaps the louder, more rational one - says send it back. With returns only possible within 14 days and Christmas approaching, I need to make a decision sooner rather than later. This is, I fully appreciate, an enviable position to be in but I just don't know what to do. Any help or advice would be gratefully received!
The question that has been asked a great deal is: is it worth the money? A friend of mine, who knows a great deal more about this sort of thing than I do, had a good look at it and stated that it would be one hell of a job to get all the tapers and grinds done as evenly and accurately. The fact that these are hand-made means that a huge number of man-hours have gone into the production of each one. Add to that the exceptional quality of finish on both the knife and the sheath and one begins to understand why it might cost as much as it does. In short, he said that it probably is worth the money, from a machining point of view alone.
I also thought that it might be interesting to see it alongside the Rod Garcia Skookum Bushtool and Rob Evans Bushtool because there are some fairly close similarities in blade shape. I added my Ben Orford Woodlander as a reference and because I no longer own an Alan Wood. From the left they are: 1. Orford Woodlander, 2. Woodlore Pro, 3. Rob Evans Bushtool, 4. Rod Garcia Skookum Bushtool in 01 and 5. another Skookum Bushtool in S30V.
I was lucky enough to get an even numbered one.
It is these pictures of the handles that haven given me pause for thought. I have quite big hands and annoyingly long fingers. It means that I tend to prefer a knife with a fuller handle, particularly if I am going to be using it for prolonged periods, which I do regularly. You will notice that my other, more battered and extensively used knives have that chunkier handle where the Woodlore Pro is quite slender by comparison.
I had not intended this new addition to be a drawer queen; when I buy a knife, it gets used. I also think that the design and superb workmanship on the Pro are a joy to behold - something that certainly does not come across from the unexceptional photos on the Woodlore website. But I am wracked by indecision: should I keep the Pro on the understanding that it will probably be my second choice knife among the others in the collection or should I return it to Woodlore and get a refund?
Half of me says keep it and the other half - perhaps the louder, more rational one - says send it back. With returns only possible within 14 days and Christmas approaching, I need to make a decision sooner rather than later. This is, I fully appreciate, an enviable position to be in but I just don't know what to do. Any help or advice would be gratefully received!
