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?