Rival ? sure, some of them .. Surpass ? not in my opinion, not yet !
I have had the good fortune to handle many of Bens Knives and Alans ( I help out at the Blade Show in Bristol, for the yast 3 years )
The feel, fit and finish of both gents work is top notch, the balance and weight distribution of some of Alans tapered tang specials is, however, out of this world!
25 years Alan has been at it ( I was lucky enough to have Alan build me one of his limited edition ( 25 made, to match the years he has been in the game ! ) Pioneers in A2.
Ben and Lois are very, very nice folk , come and see them both ( and Alan, also a nice bloke! ) at this years show!
My best.
Chris.