A while back, I posted a question about whether or not the difference in price on a lot of these hawks and such were justified, based on performance.
I have since learned a great deal more about what makes a knife or axe great, and the amount of work that goes into hand making, and designing tools of this nature. I was also fortunate enough to make it to Bladeshow and handle some of Mr Winklers axes and knives at his booth, as well as the blades and hawks of some other makers.
I would like to publicly apologize to Dan and any other makers that may have been offended by my previous post. I totally get it now.
Not all makers prices are justified, but some certainly are. You may not notice a 10 times difference in cutting, or chopping, which might lead you to think that the price isnt worth the return. You would only be right if your more concerned about price, and 15 min of performance, than you are about how the tool feels to use for hours at a time, or carry for days at a time in the field. The difference in fit and finish is pretty astonishing. Balance, weight, edge geometry, overall design effectiveness. These things all start to come into play when you get a tool that is designed and built by makers who have invested this much time into their craft. When I first started to get back into out doors blades, I thought 80 bucks was alot for a knife because I could buy a Gerber or a Buck, cheap, same with axes. Then I USED a better made and engineered knife and I learned a valuable lesson. If you can afford it, and they are tools that you are planning on using a lot, and relying on them, then its worth investing in higher quality.
