View Full Version : What is the difference
Please read this thread in conjunction with the thread about knife prices on ebay.
After a brief discussion with a member here who couldn't answer this question (or wouldn't)
What can an Alan Wood Woodlore knife do that another knife can't?
Can anybody else answer this?
The fact that it can gain value is irrelevant as this doesn't affect the knifes ability to perform in use.
So, any body know?
What can an AW Woodlore do that no other knife can, or any other knife cannot?
Andy2112
15-01-2009, 16:21
Make Ray more money !!!
John Fenna
15-01-2009, 16:24
Make you a fortune on Ebay?:D
Chainsaw
15-01-2009, 16:26
you know the answer to this, it's just a pointy bit of metal with a name on.
Cheers,
Alan
Did you all miss the part where I said Gaining value is irrelevant.
The cash value of a knife counts for nothing in the woods.
gregorach
15-01-2009, 16:33
In actual use, nothing. I bought my (moderately) expensive hand-made bushcraft knife primarily because I like supporting local(ish) craftsmen.
John Fenna
15-01-2009, 16:34
Oh - it does not gain value - it just sells for more!
Its value as a tool stays the same - its price increases....:)
rancid badger
15-01-2009, 16:56
Thinking about it; I would expect almost all; genuine Woodlores, to outlast other knives,on the simple principle that most people who own them, probably dare not use them for fear of them losing value!:D
So, longevity, that's all it has to offer.
Mind you any other "heavier" knife, of decent steel, will last as long.
I'll stick with my Bernie Garland bushcrafter.
cheers
R.B.
Andy2112
15-01-2009, 17:34
OK, one upmanship then.
Owning, supposedly/alledgedly, the best knife in the bushcraft community !!
Or is that because a famous person has endorsed it/ had a hand in designing it and got his name on it ?
I'll stick to my Helle and Clipper thank you very much.
Horses for courses really.
After a breif discussion with a member here who couldn't answer this question (or wouldn't)
What can an Alan Wood Woodlore knife do that another knife cant?
Can anybody else answer this?
The fact that it can gain value is irrelevant as this doesn't affect the kifes ability to perform in use.
So, any body know?
What can an AW Woodlore do that no other knife can, or any other knife cannot?
Which other knife?
rapidboy
15-01-2009, 18:14
Any other knife.
a Stanley knife , a butter knife ?????
or a knife made to the exact spec as a woodlore ????
A knife used as a bushcraft knife.
I didn't think I needed to explain that,no-one else has needed an explanation.
If you need anything else explaining don't hesitate to ask I'll help you all I can.If you feel you can't ask me, ask any other grown up I'm sure they'll help too.
rapidboy
15-01-2009, 18:30
:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
I like a man with a sense of humour,There's nothing worse than a moaner.
Feel like answering the question yet?
rapidboy
15-01-2009, 18:41
At no point have i said an Alan Wood knife will do anything better in the woods than an other identical knife.
I said they are an investment, which they are, i don't know what the rest of this rubbish is about ????
What question am i supposed to be answering and why am i supposed to answer it ?
A serious question for you , are you really Bernie Garland ?
I've never understood the Woodlore clone thing. I'm sure they function well enough but I want something a bit more individual.
A knife is just a knife, some do particular tasks better than others but a "bushcraft" knife has to be multifunctional, so no one design is ever going to be the "perfect" bushcraft knife.
All that really matters is how you like the knife you use.
What can an Alan Wood Woodlore knife do that another knife cant?
Nothing apart from making you skint
Rapid boy,the question I've asked is following on from another thread about the prices people are prepared to pay for an AW woodlore,not a comparison between this and any particular knife or maker.
I can't explain it any simpler than this:-
What can an AW woodlore knife do that any other knife cannot that justifies the prices that some people are prepared to pay,Is there some thing it can do that only this knife can and no other can.
If you don't feel you know the answer just say so.
If you have a problem with Bernie I suggest you take it up with him,not me
littlebiglane
15-01-2009, 19:04
I don't think a knife of the same material and broadly the same spec (ie 01, length, blade thickness, grind, rc) would or could do any more or less than an AW. Maybe different steel, grind etc might give it different handling attributes and suitablility to carve over, lets say skin something. However I think this would just be splitting hairs. The difference may come in the skillful hand of the user.
Oh...knowing the postal addresses of both Sapper1 and Bernie I am pretty sure they are not the same man. Anyway, Sapper1's language is better! :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
LBL
Humpback
15-01-2009, 19:05
SNIP
I can't explain it any simpler than this:-
What can an AW woodlore knife do that any other knife cannot that justifies the prices that some people are prepared to pay,Is there some thing it can do that only this knife can and no other can.SNIP
Apparently it can through personal choice please their spirit, and thats ok by me as ownership doesn't harm anyone, is legal and provides someone with an income!
(I think thats what Ferraris and Rolex watches do for some people who can afford them)
Alan
Hmmm, patience is a virtue I'm sure I've been told. So is courtesy.
What can it do better than any other knife ?
It imbues one with the confidence that some of the best in the game consider that knife to be the most reliably suitable tool for bushcrafting.
A bit like folks buying the same equipment that they see top sportsmen using; fishing rods, skiis, trainers and the like.
Does it perform any better, well of course it does ;) it's an Alan Wood :rolleyes: :D
It's all very subjective though, but then, we do like our shinies :cool:
sapper1, instead of getting shirty with folks perhaps you would explain why you feel what is an apparantly self evident question needs an answer ?
cheers,
Toddy
I've never understood the Woodlore clone thing. I'm sure they function well enough but I want something a bit more individual.
A knife is just a knife, some do particular tasks better than others but a "bushcraft" knife has to be multifunctional, so no one design is ever going to be the "perfect" bushcraft knife.
All that really matters is how you like the knife you use.
Apparently it can through personal choice please their spirit, and thats ok by me as ownership doesn't harm anyone, is legal and provides someone with an income!
(I think thats what Ferraris and Rolex watches do for some people who can afford them)
Alan
Agree with both.
Some time ago I bought an SM Bushcrafter made to exactly the same spec as the AW/RM one - but because it didn't have the AW/ RM mark on it - it was considerably cheaper. Later on, with more experience I found that I actually preferred a JoJo Nessmuk as my all round camp knife - cheaper still and with the same build quality. So much so that I'm in the process of commissioning another from him to my own spec. As, Wayland said - it's individual, has quality handcrafted feel and - most importantly - suits me and my needs better than the Woodlore design (I also carry an axe, multitool and a Carving Jack - a sort of folding carving multitool).
So - to answer the original question - I would say their would be little or no difference, in use, between a AW/ RM Bushcraft knife and one of the many fine clones out there on the market. The price comes with owning an original with both the maker's and the designer's marks on it.
A friend of mine owns two Rolex watches. They both look and feel identical but one is a cheap Far East copy. The cheap Far East copy actually keeps much better time than the original - but he wouldn't get as much for it on Ebay ;)
The question:-What can an AW Woodlore do that another knife cannot?
To buy one new will cost £250 (i think) why do they sell on ebay for 3-4 times this amount?
Is it because they can do something other knives cannot ,some seem to think so.
Why do they think so ,what has given this impression that there is nothing better?
So far no-one has come up with that one thing it can do better,What is it?
Myself I think it's a very well made and shaped knife that has a large following,but it's still a knife and does the same as mine.
Anybody have anymore thoughts on this?
robin wood
15-01-2009, 20:14
Oh so confrontational, as Toddy said the answers are so obvious it is hardly worth asking. I have met quite a few folk now who own these knives and I don't think any of them believed that it would do the job 3 times as well as clone or 200 times as well as a mora. Or even do anything that those knives wouldn't do.
If you want a good cheap knife there are plenty available. If you want the knife endorsed by the most influential chap in the field and they are only made in small numbers it is a supply and demand situation small supply large demand, long waiting list = high prices.
How much do you think it would cost to use exactly the boots David Beckham uses or the clubs Tiger Woods uses?
Why are you so stressed about it?
I'm not stressed or confrontational,It seems as if no-one is able to justify the cost of these knives solely on their abilities ( knives not people) Is it that people see them as a status symbol?
littlebiglane
15-01-2009, 20:26
It buys you 'instant access' to the bushcraft community?
It buys you a slice of our most esteemed and celebrated British bushcrafter?
It imbues the owner with the perception that they are part of an special club?
It broadcasts to the impressionable that you must share some of the skills and kudos of the big man himself (without ever having to demonstrate it).
The knife is truly iconic.
It encapsulates all that endeavour by RM to popularise Bushcraft
Its a piece of history. A living legend. There must be few things more alluring than owning a living legend?
No one can put the finger on what is can do better...but can anyone put the finger on what it does worse?
It creates envy and lust in young and old bushcrafter alike.
It feeds into the more superficial side that shinies and ownership and desire of kit is what bushcraft is all about rather than knowledge and getting out there and doing it.
I dunno - its a great knife that can brings out mixed feelings. I know people who have bought AW RM knives several years ago and really (and I mean REALLY) used them. They have never seen them as anything but workhorses. However you will see them in the hands of the most modest, expert hands and also in the hands of brash bling novices. In each hand it gives different meaning. One of respect and the other a snort of derision.....!?
Best of all - I don't know what I am talking about. Never used one. So I might be missing something. I know that I love my knife...and its not an AW.
If I had a million pounds and I needed a good knife then I might just buy one as £100 and £1000 would be so close together. But then I might shave with it every morning then throw it away and get a fresh one out of the draw :lmao: :D
robin wood
15-01-2009, 20:28
It seems as if no-one is able to justify the cost of these knives solely on their abilities
Why do you think they should?
I'm not stressed or confrontational,It seems as if no-one is able to justify the cost of these knives solely on their abilities ( knives not people) Is it that people see them as a status symbol?
Ah, now that's not the question you first asked. No wonder you weren't getting the answer.
Justify the cost ? Why would one have to ? It's just one of the iconic knives of modern bushcraft. It costs what the market will bear.
Status symbol ? Well the first meet I went to there were a selection of them, and they were all pretty much the owner's main user. These days I suspect most of the latest ones out of the workshop are drawer queens.
At that first meet it was obviously the experienced 'bushcraft' folks who had them, I think the growing numbers of people interested in bushcraft nowadays makes the limited numbers of these knives more appealing as a status symbol to many, but the original owners/ users just thought of them as really good, ideal for the job, tools with a quality reputation.
cheers,
Toddy
John Fenna
15-01-2009, 20:34
I did actually try one (a clients) and found it a bit clumsy in my hand....
The blade felt too thick (I am used to Moras) and the handle was too short for my comfort - I have square hands and like a thinnish longish handle....
Not a knife I realy like.....but the finish was excellent!
Not long after I joined the forum I was offered one by another member who had two. At below cost price too :cool: But, beautiful knife though it was, and it was beautiful, I'm small, it just didn't fit me comfortably enough. So I asked Son1 if he'd like it for his birthday, but he preferred a pile of electronics :eek:
Could kick myself now :rolleyes:
cheers,
Toddy
Wilderbeast
15-01-2009, 20:48
It can't do anything that another bushcraft knife can't do I don't think, after all when we come down to basic principles, a knife is just a sharp bit of metal (I'm aware that alot of thought goes into designs etc, not trying to degrade anyones work!) But what can a BMW one series do that a VW golf can't? If these questions were so easily answered, think how slim the market for all products would be. The western world loves image and I think the Alan Wood is the gucci of bushcraft!
Bothwell_Craig
15-01-2009, 20:50
I like mora's, does that make me an amatuer then?
The best of kit matters not if you don't know what to do with it! When I started in Mountain Rescue we where forever getting the jeans and t-shirt brigade getting caught out in the changing Scottish weather. That eventually changed where people seemed to have more disposable income and where prepared to splash out on the must haves of the time. Heading off into the hills with the best of kit but no idea how to use it. Loads still needed rescuing but at least they looked good in the photos.
Learn your trade...............
pentrekeeper
15-01-2009, 20:54
This thread got me thinking so I decided to calculate the grind angle on some of my knives using the following method, two measurements, the thickness of the steel and the width of the grind (assuming a flat grind) and the following calculation
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn302/pentrekeeper/BLADE.jpg
I have a knife to the same design and spec, or very close to it, as the AW/Ray Mears one. Blade thickness 4.05mm grind width 8.5mm this gives an angle of 27.56 degrees.
Next my mora frost clipper. Blade thickness 2 mm grind width 5.44 mm this gives an angle of 21.18 degrees.
Next a frost short blade sloyd, blade thickness 2.65 grind width 6.39 this gives an angle of 23.93 degrees.
Lastly a frost sloyd with the longer blade, blade thickness 2.7 mm grind width 5.59 mm this gives an angle of 27.95 degrees.
PLease note the blade thickness did vary very slightly along the length as did the grind width so I had to take an approximate average to give a reasonably accurate estimation, also I have hand sharpened all of them using a wet stone several times and am no expert at this so I may have changed the angles a little from new ?
I was surprised as the two frost sloyds feel much more "delicate" probably because of the shallow and thin blades tapering to a point.
The mora clipper is light and comfy to use but without measuring I would have said the angle was bigger than the other frosts.
The hand made bushcraft knife is much heavier, thicker blade but does feel comfy in the hand but does not feel that it could do delicate carving as well as the two frost sloyds.
I would say that any hand made knife to similar spec to the AW/RM one would be just as able to do any job the percieved more prestigeous one could.
However, compared to the others it feels clumsy if you wanted to do some fine carving type of work.:)
... what can a BMW one series do that a VW golf can't?
Automatically switch off the engine when stationary in traffic ?
I`ll keep my GTi anyday though :D
Wilderbeast
15-01-2009, 21:14
Automatically switch off the engine when stationary in traffic ?
I`ll keep my GTi anyday though :D
HAHAHA!! :D:D:D:D:D , it's an extra though and really it just shows how bloody lazy people are that they can't turn off their own engine!!! :D:D:D:D:D
Sometimes I'm afraid to turn mine off,it might not go again.
firecrest
15-01-2009, 21:21
Ive got a better question -
What does an Alan Woods woodlore knife do that a regular Alan Woods knife doesnt do?
Does he make other knives? are they cheaper? presumably he puts his best craftsmanship into each?
robin wood
15-01-2009, 22:15
This thread got me thinking so I decided to calculate the grind angle on some of my knives using the following method, two measurements, the thickness of the steel and the width of the grind (assuming a flat grind) and the following calculation
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn302/pentrekeeper/BLADE.jpg
I have a knife to the same design and spec, or very close to it, as the AW/Ray Mears one. Blade thickness 4.05mm grind width 8.5mm this gives an angle of 27.56 degrees.
Next my mora frost clipper. Blade thickness 2 mm grind width 5.44 mm this gives an angle of 21.18 degrees.
Next a frost short blade sloyd, blade thickness 2.65 grind width 6.39 this gives an angle of 23.93 degrees.
Lastly a frost sloyd with the longer blade, blade thickness 2.7 mm grind width 5.59 mm this gives an angle of 27.95 degrees.
PLease note the blade thickness did vary very slightly along the length as did the grind width so I had to take an approximate average to give a reasonably accurate estimation, also I have hand sharpened all of them using a wet stone several times and am no expert at this so I may have changed the angles a little from new ?
I was surprised as the two frost sloyds feel much more "delicate" probably because of the shallow and thin blades tapering to a point.
The mora clipper is light and comfy to use but without measuring I would have said the angle was bigger than the other frosts.
The hand made bushcraft knife is much heavier, thicker blade but does feel comfy in the hand but does not feel that it could do delicate carving as well as the two frost sloyds.
I would say that any hand made knife to similar spec to the AW/RM one would be just as able to do any job the percieved more prestigeous one could.
However, compared to the others it feels clumsy if you wanted to do some fine carving type of work.:)
I love to see folk thinking like this, it is really the way to move forward.
There is no question your sloyd knives are better carvers than the woodlore, it is what they were designed for. The woodlore is designed as a one knife to do it all and any such knife is going to be a compromise and do most things reasonably well but not excel at many. Your sloyd knives would be very poor skinners and not stand battoning as well as a woodlore.
The sloyds normally come out of the packet at 25 degrees give or take a bit. The clipper will originally have had a tiny secondary bevel at 25-30 if you zero it they tend to edge roll as few knifes can carve wood at 20-22 degrees.
see this thread for close up images of new clipper and sloyd grinds.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29512&highlight=mora+sharp
it seems to me like some people are negative or have grudges towards rays knife just because of the price. i have no doubt that it is an exelent knife and say somebody was selling one second hand for £40 i wouldnt think twice about buying it. i dont think i would pay much more for a knife no mater what knife it was, essentualy a knife is a very basic tool and even thow it is usualy the most valuable tool in bushcraft the materials used to make one can cost verry little. i certainly wouldnt pay £250 for a new one and you either have no clue of the value of money are a right nutcase to buy one for £750 :o
well thats my opinion
pete
C_Claycomb
16-01-2009, 00:07
I'm not stressed or confrontational,It seems as if no-one is able to justify the cost of these knives solely on their abilities ( knives not people) Is it that people see them as a status symbol?
You might not be stressed, but you sure come across as being up for some sort of arguement :p
As has been said...why should anyone here need to justify this to you? The reasons for its pricing on the after market seem so obvious that it looks like the only reason to ask the question so persistently is because you want to start some sort of debate or arguement. What a weird thing to want to do :confused:
You should check out what a Moran or Loveless go for. :lmao: Then go on a knife collectors forum and ask what they do that a Coldsteel Hunter doesn't! :D
When people decide that something is collectable its percieved value will increase beyond the point of its utility. When the demand outstrips the supply the prices will rise to whatever the market will bear. This aftermarket value is not the same as the new price. If you look at the US market there are quite a few knife makers who's knives appreciate, at least enough that it shouldn't be seen as some unique to the Woodlore.
The aftermarket price of something can easily have nothing to do with its original selling price, or its utility compared to other items on the market. What more do you want to hear?:confused:
Things have value because people say they do. When people stop thinking it has value, it won't anymore. Same as money.
KUDOS is what it does that others can't provide. It can and does create a greater desire to own one than any other is the simple truth. Why you ask? Quite simply because it can. The perception of the general public is that it's the Rolls Royce of outdoor knives, whether you think rightly or wrongly is irrelavent, it just does, because of it's origins. You may ask the self same question of a Rolls Royce and a Lada, they can both get you from A to B, but which gives you the kudos? Personally I'm not prepared to pay the money, and am not prepared to wait on the list till I get one, so I will buy something which suits my needs whether it be a car or a knife. So for me something which I can use comfortably, something in my price range, and something which I can get almost straight away is what I would choose.
UCBerzerkeley
16-01-2009, 06:03
Did you all miss the part where I said Gaining value is irrelevant.
The cash value of a knife counts for nothing in the woods.
I have to imagine you are purposefully playing ignorant. I don't really see the point of this thread on this forum (personally and all)
I'll assume that nobody can answer it then
"The reasons for its pricing on the after market seem so obvious that it looks like the only reason to ask the question so persistently is because you want to start some sort of debate or arguement. What a weird thing to want to do "
Another question .What is a forum for,If not to have debates?
This is getting silly now I have asked a genuine question ( not because I have a downer on any knife but because there is an element that seem to think that these knives are the be all and end all) .If this is the case why can no-one answer and tell me what they can physically do that no other knife can.
Somebody just starting the hobby ight feel at a disadvantage if they couldn't afford one and could well be put off by this .
robin wood
16-01-2009, 08:53
Another question .What is a forum for,If not to have debates?
Somebody just starting the hobby ight feel at a disadvantage if they couldn't afford one and could well be put off by this .
I think what a lot of folk use forums for is to gain information. If you look back through the forum on knife recommendations for beginners again and again there is one knife that is recommended for beginners and it costs less than £10. I don't remember any threads on here suggesting that woodlores are the be all and end all can you post a link to one?
You have asked a genuine question to which the answer is very obvious and many people have given you the answer "no it does nothing that no other knife can do." How many times do you need telling what do you want? what point are you trying to make?
robin wood
16-01-2009, 08:57
Oh and I had meant to add a few of these :banghead: :twak: :twak: :twak: :banghead:
http://www.wayland.me.uk/assets/images/itchy_n_scratchy.gif
It's just a knife guys.
Why do some people buy a coke instead of a pepsi?
It's all about perceived value.
The Woodlore knife has a higher perceived value than a mora. If ray had gone off on one about the mora being the best knife for bushcraft then it wouldn't be as cheap as it is now. It would be as expensive as the woodlore.
Another reason is that limited production creates demand, a higher demand creates an increase in price.
Think about the photography world. A limited edition, say a print run of only 200 or only 3 prints released per year is priced so much higher (£1,000 - £10,000) than a ongoing print run which can only be sold for £15 -£35 depending on size.
Perceived value is everything and the perceived value of the Woodlore is huge due to the publicity of ray and the price it sells for.
In conclusion, it's not a better knife than one from Dave Budd or Bernie Garland, it's just perceived that way.
--
Ps, I agree with Wayland.
...there is an element that seem to think that these knives are the be all and end all
There you go. You've provided your own answer. THAT'S why some people are prepared to pay that price.
And it's because the answer to your own question was self-evident that everyone is so dumbfounded as to why you feel the need to be so persistent in asking it.
...tell me what they can physically do that no other knife can.
Somebody just starting the hobby ight feel at a disadvantage if they couldn't afford one and could well be put off by this .
They can't do anything that no other knife can do. That's been made quite a few times as well.
Judging by the number of people who have recently joined this site it doesn't seem to put people off. And if that one issue was going to throw someone...well, what a terribly difficult life they must lead anyway. As an adult (to be able to buy a knife) they are confronted with decisions all the time. I can't see anyone collapsing into a state of existential turmoil and giving up just because they can't afford a £750 knife. Can you?
Stop taking it all so seriously.
Buckshot
16-01-2009, 09:51
I'll assume that nobody can answer it then
"The reasons for its pricing on the after market seem so obvious that it looks like the only reason to ask the question so persistently is because you want to start some sort of debate or arguement. What a weird thing to want to do "
Another question .What is a forum for,If not to have debates?
This is getting silly now I have asked a genuine question ( not because I have a downer on any knife but because there is an element that seem to think that these knives are the be all and end all) .If this is the case why can no-one answer and tell me what they can physically do that no other knife can.
Somebody just starting the hobby ight feel at a disadvantage if they couldn't afford one and could well be put off by this .
Sapper, I think you're only reading the replies (or bits of) that you want to.
If you read the rest of Chris's post you'd see he explains it very well IMO - despite it being obvious.
Debate is a good thing on this forum (as long as it's not religion or politics ;) ) but pointless baiting isn't
Mark
Thank you all for your helpful replies.
sapper1, Why would YOU buy one when you already have another knife ???
as you have already said you would if they were cheaper. :banghead:
BorderReiver
16-01-2009, 12:49
I'm not stressed or confrontational,It seems as if no-one is able to justify the cost of these knives solely on their abilities ( knives not people) Is it that people see them as a status symbol?
How do you justify paying £millions for some pigment stuck to an old square of sacking?
I can't.
AW knives sell for the price they do because folk are willing to pay that price. End of problem.
I am perfectly happy with my choice of bushcrafty knives and wouldn't consider paying out for an expensive AW. I have no problem at all with anyone else doing so and I can't understand why you do.:confused:
perception is a bugger aint it i think its a valid question sapper and all the ansewers are equally as valid the encouragement to buy into lifestyles is rampant in all circles im still using gerbers and they work fine for what i do sure i mess with the blades but thats my taste i also carry a bearclaw on my bouyancy aid when im guiding but its fek all use fer putting peanut butter on yer oatcakes......
This is getting silly now I have asked a genuine question ( not because I have a downer on any knife but because there is an element that seem to think that these knives are the be all and end all) .If this is the case why can no-one answer and tell me what they can physically do that no other knife can.
The Woodlore cannot physically do anything that no other knife can.
This is also true for all other knives. Still people buy more than 1 knife for the simple reason that they want to.
And there's a lot of people out there who wants the Woodlore, hence the high price.
Supply and demand - it's as simple as that.
Supply is low.
And why is the Woodlore in such a high demand? I suppose you have to ask the clever people that are advertising/selling Ray Mears-logoed stuff about that. They've certainly understood a lot about "supply and demand", and are raking in a fortune thanks to it.
Don't see what it is you want with your asking the same question over and over despite that fact that it's been answered a few times in this thread already.
/ Karl
My shot at the original question: it gives you a tiniest bit of a head start.
You're starting off in bushcraft (or whatever you choose to call it), and would like a blade. So, if you can afford it (big if), you buy one with a seal of approval (open to the usual immense debate). One less thing to worry about while you choose between pots, tarps, waterproofs and fire-lighting systems.
Until you read deeper into the fora on BCUK.
I've got one of the earlier AWs, but it gets less day-to-day usage than my £4 rigger's knife (which, among other things, is used to pry stones from the lawn). If I were to lose the AW and commission my own knife (two more big ifs), I wouldn't choose a Woodlore profile. But hundreds of others would.
(Shorter answer: great multi-purpose axe-substitue, less control for the fine stuff).
Phil6201
17-01-2009, 21:10
I suppose a more interesting answer might be provided by taking a step back and asking what makes the demand so high?
Being from the other side of the world we seem to have missed the whole Ray Mears thing, although his Australian walkabout series is showing on one of our more obscure TV channels at the moment.
The supply is presumably driven by either the maker's ability to produce the knives, or possibly the more cynical might say the desire to produce few enough to keep the demand going.
So what creates the demand? Is it merely that this is a very nice knife, or is it the marketing hype and cult following that surrounds it and Ray Mears?
If it is because it is a very nicely made piece of kit then this is sensible. I don't mind paying a lot of money for truly well made and high quality gear.
But if it's really just an extension of the consumer society driven by advertising and product endorsements - that need to have the same bit of kit that a celebrity/public figure etc is using, then I'm not sure I see the sense.
I'll assume that nobody can answer it then
Then we must assume you cannot read in that case, cos there have been many answers to your question, could it be perhaps you just don't like those answers?
This is getting silly now I have asked a genuine question ( not because I have a downer on any knife but because there is an element that seem to think that these knives are the be all and end all) .If this is the case why can no-one answer and tell me what they can physically do that no other knife can.
You are quite correct, and it is you who is the cause of the sillieness mate cos you seem to be unwilling or unable to comprehend that people have genuinely answered you, could it be that you cannot understand this?
Somebody just starting the hobby might feel at a disadvantage if they couldn't afford one and could well be put off by this .
I doubt that very much indeed, much like any hobby taken up by anyone, interest in any subject is driven by the desire to take part, and as with so many hobbies and pastimes we participate by using the equipment we can afford, some may also dream of owning the same clubs as Tiger uses or the same knive that Ray uses but reality brings us down to earth when the bills come in so it remains a dream or an ideal to be aimed at.
I'm not having a go at you mate and I don't wish to offend,but you don't for some reason seem to see that your question has been answered many times over on this thread by many different people, why don't you see it? It may not be the answer you wanted but your question has been answered, could it be that it's not the question asked in the correct way to get a more acceptable answer for you?
Blingpower :D
Honestly... Who cares...
I think it won't do anything better, faster nor get an edge sharper and with more longevity than any other handcrafted knife around...
It has a name on it, and there is limited supply....Price goes up. Obviously.
If i were to sell any of my knives, it would cost quite a deal, if i had a reputation to speak of.
I have a woodhandled frost, several danish scout-knives, roverknives and the like, and then i have the knifes i have made with good blades from various good smiths.
I love the frost, because of its simplicity and good blade, but my primary knife is allways one i have made myself. They "fit", and are unique in their own ways. Even taking from my own stockpile, i have knifes i love, and knifes i'd rather keep stowed away, as they do not look appealing to me, or their blades are inferior.
But i suppose its the first line i wrote you are after anyhow, so here it is again: Blingpower!
alpha_centaur
18-01-2009, 00:47
Sometimes I'm afraid to turn mine off,it might not go again.
You've got the same model as me then