- Joined
- Feb 23, 2001
- Messages
- 2,101
Blade Steel: 01
Blade Shape: Spear point
Edge: Scandinavian grind
Blade Length: 4 from tip to finished handle slabs
Effective sharpened cutting edge: 3 5/8
Overall Blade Length: 4 or 10.16cm
Blade Thickness: .157 or 4mm
Balance point: First handle pin closest to ricasso
Rockwell Hardness: Differentially heat treated.59 overall. 59 at the tip and cutting edge, 54 across the spine, 53 at the ricasso. Handle untreated.
Handle length: 4 1/8
Handle slab material: Birdseye Maple
Pins: ¼ 416 stainless steel hidden bolts
Lanyard hole: ¼ 416 stainless tubing
Custom Handle Maker: Greg Haugh of Lone Rider Custom Grips ($70 shaped and installed)
Suggested price: $174 Shipped
Contact information: Steve Wade Cox swchmk@aol.com
Greg Haugh of Lone Rider Custom Grips ghquickdraw25@comcast.net
One of the most popular Bushcrafters of modern history is Ray Mears. His books, television series and website have brought the term bushcraft into the modern lexicon and have established him as an authority in wilderness survival and outdoors gear. Mears describes the essential knife in his book with the following passage from The Outdoor Survival Handbook, A small knife is a necessity. A sheath knife that cannot fold onto your finger is best. The knife should be kept compact, with a handle that is easily grasped. Above all, it must be strong and kept sharp. The embodiment of this concept is the Woodlore knife. While Wilkinson Sword produces a Ray Mears approved copy of the Woodlore, one custom maker offers a faithful rendition for a fraction of the cost. That maker is SWC knives of England.
SWC offers the knife enthusiast the choice of finished knives, knife blanks and fully sharpened and polished knife kits. I purchased the finished knife kit and opted for a 4 blade to comply with the local knife laws and restrictions. I have always wanted a real Woodlore knife to play around with since reading his book as a teenager. I wanted to keep the knife close to Ray Mears Spec which according to Steve Wade Cox of SWC, is 01 steel with English walnut handle and solid pins. In communicating with Steve, I appreciated the fast replies to my E-mail inquiries and the pleasant and informative nature of his responses. He truly is a gentleman and asset to the knife industry.
The knife kit came to me roughly one month after ordering it. This is very reasonable considering knives are made as orders are filled and the shipping was international from Great Britain to the United States. Steve included all the components of the kit and an extra chunk of hardwood to make a matching fire steel handle. I opted for different handle bolts and tubing and ordered solid brass from Texas Knifemaking Supplies. There is nothing wrong with what Steve sent, I just got a bit picky and wanted something different. The kit was carefully packaged and arrived unharmed.
Included in the knife kit package was a list of instructions for assembly. The small manual covered everything from blade heat treating to final sharpening and polishing. This set of instructions is the same for the unfinished blades that are offered as kits too. Also in the manual is the instructions for handle slab mounting and shaping. Of most usefulness is the template Steve provides for creating Ray Mears specification handle slabs. These would come in very handy.
At first glance, the knife kit appeared to be of the utmost quality. There were no marks from tooling and the knife resembled a functional work of art. The birdseye maple was very good quality with beautiful grain and I eagerly contemplated the finished knife before it was even assembled.
I brought the knife kit to a friend of mine who has worked in the custom grip making industry for some time now. Greg Haugh of Lone Rider Custom Grips, a supplier to JoJos Gunworks, has made custom Single Action Army and 1911 grips for extremely high end firearms. He has made a set of Black Micarta grips for my Smith and Wesson 66 and completed a Fallkniven blank into a finished knife on previous occasions. Given his experience and skill, I knew he could create the correct handle contours for this knife and make it resemble what I wanted in my version of the Ray Mears Woodlore style knife. He also would contour the extra slab of birdseye maple to the fire steel rod I provided him. Needless to say, he took on the task at hand and got the job done.
The finished knife balances nicely in the hand. The generous palm swell locks the knife handle into your hand and provides for a very secure grip. Mears describes the ideal handle as having a Shaped grip so that you can feel the edge side and avoid your finger slipping on to it in the dark; a guard is an encumbrance. This knife has these attributes for sure. The Birdseye maple wears like iron and is incredibly hard and dense. The knife was used for slicing, carving and battoning so far. I took a large chunk of fatwood and made smaller and smaller pieces with ease. In all of these tasks, the knife performed well and presented me no cause for concern. Mears describes his ideal knife as having a blade wide enough to be grasped forward of the grip. In very fine carving, this knife allows for this hand position and excels at its job. It is well-built and designed to be a user.
If you have watched Ray Mears videos or read his books and have had an interest in the Woodlore knife, you have a great source for a knife that will perform any bushcraft task and not break the bank. I would strongly suggest looking into Steves knife kits, finished knives and sheaths for faithful renditions of the Ray Mears Woodlore knife.
Blade Shape: Spear point
Edge: Scandinavian grind
Blade Length: 4 from tip to finished handle slabs
Effective sharpened cutting edge: 3 5/8
Overall Blade Length: 4 or 10.16cm
Blade Thickness: .157 or 4mm
Balance point: First handle pin closest to ricasso
Rockwell Hardness: Differentially heat treated.59 overall. 59 at the tip and cutting edge, 54 across the spine, 53 at the ricasso. Handle untreated.
Handle length: 4 1/8
Handle slab material: Birdseye Maple
Pins: ¼ 416 stainless steel hidden bolts
Lanyard hole: ¼ 416 stainless tubing
Custom Handle Maker: Greg Haugh of Lone Rider Custom Grips ($70 shaped and installed)
Suggested price: $174 Shipped
Contact information: Steve Wade Cox swchmk@aol.com
Greg Haugh of Lone Rider Custom Grips ghquickdraw25@comcast.net
One of the most popular Bushcrafters of modern history is Ray Mears. His books, television series and website have brought the term bushcraft into the modern lexicon and have established him as an authority in wilderness survival and outdoors gear. Mears describes the essential knife in his book with the following passage from The Outdoor Survival Handbook, A small knife is a necessity. A sheath knife that cannot fold onto your finger is best. The knife should be kept compact, with a handle that is easily grasped. Above all, it must be strong and kept sharp. The embodiment of this concept is the Woodlore knife. While Wilkinson Sword produces a Ray Mears approved copy of the Woodlore, one custom maker offers a faithful rendition for a fraction of the cost. That maker is SWC knives of England.
SWC offers the knife enthusiast the choice of finished knives, knife blanks and fully sharpened and polished knife kits. I purchased the finished knife kit and opted for a 4 blade to comply with the local knife laws and restrictions. I have always wanted a real Woodlore knife to play around with since reading his book as a teenager. I wanted to keep the knife close to Ray Mears Spec which according to Steve Wade Cox of SWC, is 01 steel with English walnut handle and solid pins. In communicating with Steve, I appreciated the fast replies to my E-mail inquiries and the pleasant and informative nature of his responses. He truly is a gentleman and asset to the knife industry.
The knife kit came to me roughly one month after ordering it. This is very reasonable considering knives are made as orders are filled and the shipping was international from Great Britain to the United States. Steve included all the components of the kit and an extra chunk of hardwood to make a matching fire steel handle. I opted for different handle bolts and tubing and ordered solid brass from Texas Knifemaking Supplies. There is nothing wrong with what Steve sent, I just got a bit picky and wanted something different. The kit was carefully packaged and arrived unharmed.
Included in the knife kit package was a list of instructions for assembly. The small manual covered everything from blade heat treating to final sharpening and polishing. This set of instructions is the same for the unfinished blades that are offered as kits too. Also in the manual is the instructions for handle slab mounting and shaping. Of most usefulness is the template Steve provides for creating Ray Mears specification handle slabs. These would come in very handy.
At first glance, the knife kit appeared to be of the utmost quality. There were no marks from tooling and the knife resembled a functional work of art. The birdseye maple was very good quality with beautiful grain and I eagerly contemplated the finished knife before it was even assembled.
I brought the knife kit to a friend of mine who has worked in the custom grip making industry for some time now. Greg Haugh of Lone Rider Custom Grips, a supplier to JoJos Gunworks, has made custom Single Action Army and 1911 grips for extremely high end firearms. He has made a set of Black Micarta grips for my Smith and Wesson 66 and completed a Fallkniven blank into a finished knife on previous occasions. Given his experience and skill, I knew he could create the correct handle contours for this knife and make it resemble what I wanted in my version of the Ray Mears Woodlore style knife. He also would contour the extra slab of birdseye maple to the fire steel rod I provided him. Needless to say, he took on the task at hand and got the job done.
The finished knife balances nicely in the hand. The generous palm swell locks the knife handle into your hand and provides for a very secure grip. Mears describes the ideal handle as having a Shaped grip so that you can feel the edge side and avoid your finger slipping on to it in the dark; a guard is an encumbrance. This knife has these attributes for sure. The Birdseye maple wears like iron and is incredibly hard and dense. The knife was used for slicing, carving and battoning so far. I took a large chunk of fatwood and made smaller and smaller pieces with ease. In all of these tasks, the knife performed well and presented me no cause for concern. Mears describes his ideal knife as having a blade wide enough to be grasped forward of the grip. In very fine carving, this knife allows for this hand position and excels at its job. It is well-built and designed to be a user.
If you have watched Ray Mears videos or read his books and have had an interest in the Woodlore knife, you have a great source for a knife that will perform any bushcraft task and not break the bank. I would strongly suggest looking into Steves knife kits, finished knives and sheaths for faithful renditions of the Ray Mears Woodlore knife.
