Is the Skookum Bush Tool over rated?

U

ukknifer

Joined
Jan 30, 2010
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424
Hi guys,
who has this knife? What is so special about it to justify the price and waiting time?

I know that the woodloare is expensive because of the association with Ray mears. So why is the bush tool hard to get?

Thanks

Note: Not trying to take anything away from the knife and its maker. Just trying to understand .:)
 
Over rated compared to what??

I think the waiting list is because really not too long ago there were not any makers making any full tang scandi grind knives in the US.

As far as the price last I checked it was around 200.

I got a full tang scandi knife from Charlie May after waiting a year and it cost me nearly $300.

The Fiddleback Terrosaur is a similar styled knife there isn't the wait but there's one in the For Sale section here for $205 Now the you could argue the Terrosaur has a fancier handle but the Skookum has a butt cap and the sheath is probably a bit more labor intensive. Then the Terrosaur is forge finished and the SBT is not which takes a bit more time.

Brian Andrews makes knives that are equal in quality to the above 3 makers and slightly less expensive but still in the range.

Now of course we have a slew of other makers that will sell you a full tang scandi of perfectly servicible quality but I would say that the Skookum and the other folks mentioned above are a bit higher in the fit and finish dept.

So to sort of answer you question relatively speaking to the other knifemakers I've mentioned the price is not especially high.

The wait and hard to getness I think is a function of the fact that SBT was one of the first so it has sort of made a name for itself where a lot of the others after are just getting known. Also since a lot of the people first onto the Skookum were people who were regulars on a lot of forums it has had a lot more PR which ups the numbers.

I'm not sure if Garcia has them cut for him or not, but I'm pretty sure that he does the tempering himself and stuff so at least part of the waiting list could be due to the fact that other knifemakers leave the forge finish on the blade, have the blanks cut out by the waterjet place, and farm out the heat treating so they can turn out knives more more quickly. Oh and far as I know he's making the sheaths for the SBT himself where a lot of knifemakers farm that out too.
 
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I agree with everything Hollowdweller posted above. I own a Skookum as well as the other makers he mentioned. A maker's wait time is a maker's wait time. If you want 1, you wait. The price is not high at all for what you get.
 
+1 to Hollowdwellers post. I own one. Its a great knife, well worth the price IMO. Mac
 
The SBT is worth the wait for sure. I have one I use regularly and another on order. This is one of my all time favorite knives. It is well constructed, comfortable, & works great for it's designed purpose.
 
A lot of thought went into the Skookum from Mors Kochanski and it’s a very well designed tool. Price is very competitive with other custom makers; fit and finish is above par and Rod Garcia’s attention to detail is quite exacting.

Like Hollowdweller, I too have a Charlie May Scandi, an awesome Bushcrafter from Brian Andrews, Blind-Horse Knives Scandi and several from Bark River (more “semi-custom”). Not the best protocol, but at least get put on the wait-list now and decide if you really need it; at the worst, you cancel the order and there’s not impact to those behind you, at best, you received it, use it and decide whether it’s something that fills your needs; you won’t lost any money on the secondary market.

I’m still on the wait list for my second (a version in A2). It’s a superbly crafted too that I doubt you’d be disappointed by.

ROCK6
 
I had one back before they were so popular and sold it. Big regret. I ordered another a year ago and will patiently wait for it to happen. Excellent fit and finish, great edge and retention, sheath is very nice. I recommend it to anyone.
 
I guess ya could say any knife is over-rated.
Will a Charles May knife cut my apple up any better than a Mora or $10 Buck ? Maybe slightly...is slightly worth $200-$300 more ?
If ya really like the knife then it's worth every penny !
Top and bottom is that most decent knives will accomplish all our cutting needs but obviously that isn't the only reason we drool over the many knives on this forum, we get them because we want them not because we need them.
 
Two hundred is a fine price for the knife and sheath. I have Tony M's right now - He was kind enough to let me borrow it - and it is very nice.

TF
 
pitdog is right. If you're a knife nut and like scandi grinds, and can afford the SBT, then the SBT is worth it to you. Along with the order wait.

I had been hemming and hawing about ordering one, had a love hate relationship with scandi grinds. Picked up a couple different custom and production scandis, and decided to go for the SBT.

BTW, one of my worst knife decisions was to trade my Charles May scandi.
 
hollowdweller
tonym
pict
JTC3495
ROCK6
Rockywolf
pitdog
Talfuchre
silenthunterstudios



Thanks for the input guys. You are right :)

Anyone knows how thick this knife is?
 
1/8" I think although mine seems slightly thinner than other 1/8" knives I have


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The Skookum, is my favorite knife. I loved it so much I bought a backup. :D
 
I love the Skookum...I have 2, at one point, I had sold one, and then begged for it back over a 1 year period. I finally worked it out, and have the second one back home.
Every once in a while, when I see a knife I really want, and dont have the funds...I think to myself, I could sell one of the Skookums quickly.....well, I then ask myself "can that knife do what the Skookum can do? Well it be as well made?" usually the answer is a no.
The price is CHEAP for the quality you receive. I have owned all the other full tang scandis mentioned here, and while they were all great knives...frankly, IMO, they arent a Skookum.
The fit and finish, the edge, the comfort of the handle, the craftsmanship of the sheath...its a near perfect knife for its intended purpose.

The 3V is about 3/16th of an inch thick, the O1 and A2 are about 1/8" thick.
 
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