Is the Skookum Bush Tool all that...

Quiet said:
The issue there is this. I got on his books by email in November of 2013. He told me the wait time was four years at that point. I said "Good deal!" and we had email communication a few more times where I was asking additional questions. In March 2016, I decided to change my steel choice from O1 to 3V because I'd learned more about knives in those years. He immediately responded with "Sure thing! Also, you're going to be "first of 2017 for your order to come up". This ended up being the last communication I received. In July 2017, I reached out several times, left messages and emails and never got a response.

So, one of three things has happened:

- He sometime between 2016 and now, stopped making knives.
- he somehow magically acquired about a hundred (or more) new customers in front of me in his books and I got pushed back (going on over two additional years now) which happened with zero communication from him
- He somehow erased me from those books completely

I had ordered a matching set of two, because I'd wanted to give one to my father. Oh well. Anyway, I'm not salty about it, I'm long past that point. I mean, there is literally nothing this knife can do that a Benchmade Puukko can't, and that's half the price of his direct-from-maker price. However, this experience is why I no longer get on makers' books unless the wait time is a reasonable timeframe like, a few to several months and I DEFINITELY do not pay up front.
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Yeah that's ridiculous. I defiantly wouldn't go through all that. :p
 
Quiet said:
The issue there is this. I got on his books by email in November of 2013. He told me the wait time was four years at that point. I said "Good deal!" and we had email communication a few more times where I was asking additional questions. In March 2016, I decided to change my steel choice from O1 to 3V because I'd learned more about knives in those years. He immediately responded with "Sure thing! Also, you're going to be "first of 2017 for your order to come up". This ended up being the last communication I received. In July 2017, I reached out several times, left messages and emails and never got a response.

So, one of three things has happened:

- He sometime between 2016 and now, stopped making knives.
- he somehow magically acquired about a hundred (or more) new customers in front of me in his books and I got pushed back (going on over two additional years now) which happened with zero communication from him
- He somehow erased me from those books completely

I had ordered a matching set of two, because I'd wanted to give one to my father. Oh well. Anyway, I'm not salty about it, I'm long past that point. I mean, there is literally nothing this knife can do that a Benchmade Puukko can't, and that's half the price of his direct-from-maker price. However, this experience is why I no longer get on makers' books unless the wait time is a reasonable timeframe like, a few to several months and I DEFINITELY do not pay up front.
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Been there. I have been on a few makers books and never received a knife. I am guessing I was lost. It gets to a point your so frustrated, you don't even want it anymore. I think this is why most close their books to keep things manageable and reasonable time frames.
 
I had one. I liked it well enough, but not so prized that it was unexpendable when I needed cash. The positive is that I sold it for what I paid, and that they show up on the secondary market frequently enough should I ever contract Skookum fever again.
 
I’ve owned and sold well over a dozen of them. They are good knives.

The price from the maker runs approximately $245-$275 with a 5+ year wait. You don’t pay anything up front.

Secondary market is pretty high ranging from about $400-$500 depending on condition and steel. They generally move fast, although the demand seems to be down right now for them.

I have mediumish hands and the handles fit well. This is subjective of course.

I see 2 problems that may be of concern to potential buyers:
1.) The traditional sheath BLOWS! It is designed to be a neck knife I believe. The sheath does not have a belt loop attachment. Very heavy for a neck knife. Many people fabricate a belt loop or dangler set up.
2.) It is handle heavy! I find it a bit odd in the weight distribution.

So in conclusion, they are a good solid deal if bought direct from maker. If bought on the secondary market-if it floats your boat and scratches the itch=go for it!

I don’t currently own one. I’ve moved away from Scandi grinds. With that said, I think that I have 4 on order and should be up within the next year!
 
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Knives are worth, what someone wants to pay for it.
If the Skookum sells (and it obviusly does), its worth it to some.

The knives are no doubt very nice. I like the no frills design.
I wrote the maker years ago in order to get on the list. Never even heard back. Refuse to buy them at secondhand prices. Lost interest. There are shed loads of equally nice and nicer knives out there for that kind of money.
 
Mr. Tettnanger said:
I’ve owned and sold well over a dozen of them. They are good knives.

The price from the maker runs approximately $245-$275 with a 5+ year wait. You don’t pay anything up front.

Secondary market is pretty high ranging from about $400-$500 depending on condition and steel. They generally move fast, although the demand seems to be down right now for them.

I have mediumish hands and the handles fit well. This is subjective of course.

I see 2 problems that may be of concern to potential buyers:
1.) The traditional sheath BLOWS! It is designed to be a neck knife I believe. The sheath does not have a belt loop attachment. Very heavy for a neck knife. Many people fabricate a belt loop or dangler set up.
2.) It is handle heavy! I find it a bit odd in the weight distribution.

So in conclusion, they are a good solid deal if bought direct from maker. If bought on the secondary market-if it floats your boat and scratches the itch=go for it!

I don’t currently own one. I’ve moved away from Scandi grinds. With that said, I think that I have 4 on order and should be up within the next year!
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Have you actually been in contact with Rod? Dude pulled a total ghosting on me three years ago now.
 
Quiet said:
Have you actually been in contact with Rod? Dude pulled a total ghosting on me three years ago now.
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No I have not. I knew that his wait list was that long going in. I haven’t paid anything so no money lost. If they come=Great! If not, i’ve got plenty of other sweet blades to keep me going a while!
 
What drives the demand for these knives? Urban legend?

I became mildly interested only because others were so interested. But I don't see anything -- either in performance or aesthetics -- that is exceptional. A YouTube reviewer put one through some whittling paces, but it performed like an ordinary knife. And there is no way I'm going to hang a knife that big off my neck.

Maybe being able to buy one for $275 and flip it for $500 is the attraction, but I still don't see why anyone would buy one for $500.
 
BladeScout said:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/skookum-bush-tool-a2-big-price-drop.1677562/#post-19185070
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That's still a ridiculous price. Cpk fk or edc goes for less on the secondary market and offers much better of just about everything imo.

I've never seen one of these skookum knives in person but after reading this thread and seeing what these sell for, I can say that these are definitely not all that. There are far too many reputable makers giving you more for less than to support this guy. Just my opinion of course.
 
Never handled one but as many times as they’ve come up and as many times as I’ve looked at them online I’ve always scratched my head as to why someone would pay that for what is essentially a tool that no one, not even buschcrafters, need. The only thing that makes sense is that they’re a collectible.

Most bushcrafters go out with a set of tools no one would carry outside this hobby simply because the hobby demands it. The hatchet, or 3/4 or even full frickin sized axe:rolleyes:, that they lug around and the pocket knife they carry will do everything. At a certain point the gear is more toys than necessary items. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s a fun hobby but it is play and not any kind of self reliance or anything like that. If it were they’d do more with less and not kitchen sink it. My opinion.
 
I was fortunate enough to buy a very late model prototype directly from Rod Garcia at a DirtTime event in Wyoming a few years ago.

I later ordered and received a custom model for my sons birthday.

I haven't spoken with Rod in a while but I know this, his knives are extremely well made, extremely hard to get and are worth far more than he charged for them. I won't ever sell mine.

Unlike quite a few so-called knifemakers he refuses to take deposits, for that reason alone he deserves a great deal of respect.

Even when people were flipping his knives for double what they paid he refused to raise his prices other than small, incremental amounts to offset increased prices of raw materials. I think his take is/was that anyone willing to wait 2-3 years to make a couple hundred bucks from his labors wasn't worth worrying about. He will refuse orders from people he knows are flipping his knives but as far as I know he's never done anything more about it.

What some or maybe most of his potential customers don't know is that Rod runs a ranch in Montana in his spare time. He's never, to my knowledge been a full time knife maker and that's reflected in the very long wait list times.

As far as the whole Skookum/Mors Kochanski connection, last time I checked Rod explained it on his website. For what it's worth, Mr. Kochanski himself has called the Bush Tool the best realization of what he considers the perfect bushcraft/outdoors knife. His opinions still carry a bit of weight in the bushcrafting world.

Lastly, the sheaths, which are also made by Rod have a specific reason for being what they are. They're designed to be worn around the neck with a cord or strap and intended to be carried on the outside of potentially heavy winter outerwear. Like the Inuit and other people who work outdoors in cold weather do.

I made a braided deerhide strap for mine which combined with the sheath makes a very nice package, easy to carry, easy to access regardless of whatever else I'm wearing.

They're not for everybody but like a Chris Reeves Sebenza there's no better example of a knife made that fulfills the designer and makers intent.
 
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craytab said:
That's still a ridiculous price. Cpk fk or edc goes for less on the secondary market and offers much better of just about everything imo.

I've never seen one of these skookum knives in person but after reading this thread and seeing what these sell for, I can say that these are definitely not all that. There are far too many reputable makers giving you more for less than to support this guy. Just my opinion of course.
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Given your stated lack of knowledge or experience with the knives in question, one might think you're talking thru your ass...again.
 
JohnWE said:
Given your stated lack of knowledge or experience with the knives in question, one might think you're talking thru your ass...again.
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Funny.
I have experience with the Skookum Bush Tool and I concur with Craytabs opinion.
The fact that you chose to single out his post shows that you have a personal issue with him so why don’t you take this nonsense to W&C where it belongs.
 
Standard78 said:
Funny.
I have experience with the Skookum Bush Tool and I concur with Craytabs opinion.
The fact that you chose to single out his post shows that you have a personal issue with him so why don’t you take this nonsense to W&C where it belongs.
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He impugned someone I know to be a decent man in this forum, he gets called out in this forum.
 
Standard78 said:
Funny.
I have experience with the Skookum Bush Tool and I concur with Craytabs opinion.
The fact that you chose to single out his post shows that you have a personal issue with him so why don’t you take this nonsense to W&C where it belongs.
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And just to be fair. Given that his "opinion" was based on zero personal knowledge and you claim to have personal experience with the knife and maker, I'd be curious as to what you agree with specifically.
 
JohnWE said:
And just to be fair. Given that his "opinion" was based on zero personal knowledge and you claim to have personal experience with the knife and maker, I'd be curious as to what you agree with specifically.
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I agree with both of the paragraphs in his post.
 
JohnWE said:
And just to be fair. Given that his "opinion" was based on zero personal knowledge and you claim to have personal experience with the knife and maker, I'd be curious as to what you agree with specifically.
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I'd like to know exactly what this knife does well that many others don't.

It's admirable that Rod doesn't take a deposit up front for a knife that won't be delivered for years -- if ever. That practice shows integrity in my book. Although his lack of communication would worry me.

The Skookum looks to me like a well made, but pretty ordinary bushcraft knife, fairly priced by Rod. But what we're trying to figure out is whether the huge premium charged by flippers makes any sense.

Personally, I don't think there is any such thing as the best bushcraft knife in the world. The "bush" you're operating in will usually require some specific attributes of your knife. I live in the rain forest. I carry a different knife than I would in the high desert or in the Arctic.

I would hate the sheath because I don't want to dangle a knife that big off my neck, but maybe for the Inuit it makes sense.

Rod's website, last updated a decade ago, advises new owners that the knife they receive will still have a wire edge. To me, that's not the proper way to deliver a knife, especially to someone whose waited years.

The steels he uses are well known. He grinds his Scandi edge a bit more obtuse than most, but I have no idea if that's good or bad.

Mostly, I don't see this thread as being about Rod. He sounds like a super clever, super busy guy who makes a good knife and doesn't communicate well. I just don't see any evidence that this knife is the best in the world nor any evidence that makes it worth the price flippers are charging. Other companies have knifes out that follow Mors' design recommendations. Can they really be that different from the Skookum?
 
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