 From Ray's website, it seems that there must be a WS version of the Woodlore knife. But there's another WS knife designed by Ray... I have one of Ray's early books ('The Survival Handbook', 1990), and it shows a picture of the WS knife, and it's much more a 'survival' type knife than a woodcraft knife, with plastic handle and sheath. I think even then, the book says that the knife is discontinued. discussed here
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| Edited: 15/09/06 14:53 |
> <fx: reads thread, blushes a bit and surreptitiously slides tiny Swiss Army Knife under a bit of paper on the desk...>
<whisper>buy a £10 Frost's Mora 760 stainless knife, then you can show your face in the knife-wielding world</whisper>
A tool for geting pebbles out of crubeens must be a piggy-pritchel.
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 Havnt been able to get to comp in a while, so some answers about it:
- The one I bought is actually made by Wilkinson Sword (although not the survival knife), not Alan Wood.
- It wasn't £235, it was £195. When you look at this in relation to a very hardwearing leather sheath (costing £40 to buy alone) and VAT, then the knife is only about £100 itself.
- It is identical to the one made by Alan Wood (and still handmade, but by W.S.), but with a Birdseye Maple handle. This simply makes the handle look a little lighter, and is a bit more'knotty'.
You dont really need a very expensive knife to use in the woods, but its a good investment to make to get a knife that'll never need replacing and can keep you alive without breaking on tricky tasks.
:)
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Hello Shay How many of us are cast into a wilderness survival situation that warrants the need for such an expensive knife? I too am a fan of Mr Mears and his adventurous exploits but his examples are frequently coutesy of the BBC, and although money probably is,nt an issue there, I can say that I have used many types of blade for bushcraft and camp chores over the past 30 or so years. I have yet to see anything beat the Mora (carbon or stainless steel) training knives for (£10 or less) value for your money... If this razor sharp knife should break, then its being abused and should be supplemented with a saw (sandvik laplander folding type) and good quality (estwing steel or gradfors brucks) sharpened axe. Happy Days.
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| Edited: 22/08/07 23:26 |
Can the RM knife cut bread, cheese, mars bars or the occasional bit of string any better than the very good quality Gerber knife with a 3in blade which weighs about 52 grams and cost me £20? (and I thought that was a lot for a knife).
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If someone is happy to pay £200 for a handmade knife, fair enough; they're paying for the craftsmanship and time, and, in a small way, buying a work of art. I'm sure it would perform marginally better than a mass-produced knife such as a Mora, but not so that someone like me would notice; my Moras do everything I ask of them, and I think it's no surprise that Ray issues them to students on his Woodlore courses, and sells them on his website.
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 CP, I have in mind to replace my very old fixed blade knife - what Mora would you recommend and where did you get it? You're listed as a member of the Berkshire massive... and when I am in the UK it is either in Wilts or Bucks or Herts depending on work requirements. So perhaps you know a place 'on the beaten track'?
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JB The mega sharp stainless steel (blue handled) Frosts Mora knife will be more difficult to acquire as good an edge as it has when you first buy it. However, the harder stainless tends to then hold its edge for longer and obviously is less prone to oxidising and going rusty. I personally like the Carbon steel Mora knives (olive green or black handles) cos they really do sharpen up nicely and lets face it, you do need a nice razor edge to make light work of shaving those feathersticks for the odd campfire... Making fire with a flint and charcloth can be dependant on some types of high carbon metals being used in the manufacture of the knife. Firesteels included. For me - the mature, ageing look of a well used carbon steel knife is preferable to the clinical shininess of stainless = but thats just me looking for other reasons to have a slight preference  And if you wipe it over before storage and after every use with an oiled cloth (even olive oil will do) and look after these tools they will be as dependable as you could want. For what they cost i would buy at least one of each anyway and see for yourself . Si.
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| Edited: 24/08/07 18:52 |
Don't use olive oil. It has acids in it which can pit a carbon steel blade. Plain old cooking oil is best for a knife and won't taint meat. For an axe (which might not see as much use as a knife) gun oil is super sticky and will give a good level of weather protection.
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 Not saying you're wrong, Adam But my bowie knife is 20 years old, carbon steel blade, kept in it's olive oil-soaked leather sheath when not in use, been through an awful lot, done an awful lot. Splits wood, opens tins, feathers tinder, strikes a light and cuts food raw and cooked. The blade is smooth and un-pitted and I've never had tainted meat from it. I'm not being sarcastic, it's just the way it's been. Does the quality of the olive oil matter? It is quite simply my favourite knife.
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 For those looking for the Frosts knives, I bought my Triflex blade one from survivalschool.co.uk; can't remember where I got my carbon steel version from now. What's nice about the Frosts is the so-called Scandi grind on them so they are easily sharpened. They aren't full tang knives however so won't stand up to really heavy use.
For those looking for a nice folder, I'd recommend a Spyderco. I can understand paying that kind of money for a knife, but you don't need to IMO! Those interested might do worse than to look round britishblades.com as there are lots of well-respected makers who would certainly work out far more economical, and you could discuss your requirements with them. FWIW, a Spyderco Delica4 came with me on my last trip...
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| Edited: 27/08/07 07:44 |
 I have a couple of Frosts knives, carbon & stainless. If you go the stainless route you might struggle to get a spark out of it. Take a look at Helle knives, they are a nice compromise - fantastic steel, well made but not silly money like the Mears item. I just happen to have a couple spare that might go on eBay soon... a Nying & an Ereskin which is the same pattern as a Harding but with the handle made from curly birch & reindeer horn.
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JB, I've got one each of the Mora 740/760/780. I got the 740 carbon from Ray Mears' website, and the 760 stainless and 780 tri-laminate SS/CS/SS from Cambrian Survival at one of the outdoor shows. They were about £9 each; DaveRave's link to survival school has the 780 for £10 inc UK p&p & VAT. http://www.frosts.se/moraknivar_main.html
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The advice re the olive oil was given to me a long time ago so I've never taken the risk. All steels are not created equal - carbon, high carbon stainless, powder metallurgy - the list is endless. The strength and edge holdin qualities of the blade almost always depend on the heat treatment and only the maker can really tell you about that - hence the demand for good custom knives. The other alternative is a knife from a reputable maker with a good history. If you need stainless, a knife with a blade made from VG10, a high tech (powdered as opposed to granular) steel will hold a good edge, is not too hard to sharpen and will strike a huge spark from a firesteel. Carbon steel is somehow nicer to use because you have to care for it, it develops a patina over time and the blade can normally be sharpened on any stone surface in a tight spot. You can argue all day about the relative strengths and weaknesses of different knives but the best one is the one you have with you (sorry for the old chestnut there). So you might find your old Swiss Army Knife is your best friend or it could be your custom bushcraft knife. Top recommendations if you mostly use a knife for food prep and a little light carving would be an Opinel No.8. Aroung a fiver with a low tech lock. I've had mine for years and I'm rather attached to it but if I dropped it in a river I can always get another. I've also had an Isaaki Jaarvenpa Lapp Puuko for a while. It's not big or scary but it's very strong, easy to sharpen and not too expensive. It's a bit nicer than a Mora to handle and about the same size so very usable. Check this link out to see how strong this little knife is - it's not big or clever but it does show the kind if beating this particular Puuko can absorb: http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2772
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Oh by the way for you ultralight types - the Opinel is very, very light.
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That's the one. Not too much money but they're so solid and reliable you get attached to them. The blade is hand forged and the curly birch handle takes on a nice patina with a bit of use and a drop of linseed oil every so often. The blade grind (scandi grind if you want to know) lends itself to field sharpening with no complicated angles or hollows. These knives are carried by lots of people in Scandinavia where it's still common (and sensible) for people to carry this kind of tool into the wilds. Good no frills working tool. Highly recommended. It also comes in a nice sheath which hangs below your rucksack belt.
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