Celebrate Jack’s SFOs. Post em up!!!!

[Jakeywax31]

Awesome stuff btb01 .

Thank for the amazing photos and write up, Barrett. You have a great collection of Jack’s wonderful knives.

 

[Jack Black]

As you all know Jack Black is one of the great members here on Bladeforums. Not only is he a wonderful guy but he knows knives. He is widely credited with the resurgence and resurrection of the Lambfoot knife and I agree. I carry the pattern almost everyday because it is handy but most importantly the friendship it represents.

Jack has produced many SFOs in the past and I wanted to start a thread where we can celebrate and discuss them. These knives are well known in the Guardians thread but thought this would serve as one stop spot for anyone looking for information on them.

Rules of the thread.

1. Please no discussion on where or how to purchase. These knives are no longer being made and that is not what this thread is about. Keep all that stuff to private PMs. I’m not trying to make this a burden on Jack so please don’t fill his messages up with questions. I’m sure he will respond when able here.

2. Follow all the other BF rules .


POST EM UP!!!!!

I will start with my little stash of Jacks wonderful knives.

Please correct me if the dates are wrong

2017 Buffalo Horn
2018 Ebony
2019 Ironwood
2019 Hartshead Barlow Stag
2019 Hartshead Barlow Rosewood


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Thank you for the very kind words Paul, it's nice to see those knives together I'm afraid my memory isn't what it was, but I'll try and throw in the info I can find/remember!

 

[Jack Black]

I had a few Lambsfoot knives made up in horn, and some others in ebony, in early 2017 I think, just a handful of each. Then moved on to the 2017 Guardians Lambsfoot. I had been visiting the A. Wright factory for a couple of years before that, and buying a lot of knives from them. On one visit, I'd come across an old box of special grade horn, which was a bit pricier than their regular customers were prepared to pay, and that became the cover material for the first Guardians knives. Ashley Harrison had just come out of his apprenticeship then, and was still given fairly lowly jobs at the time, but he had enthusiasm, and talent I thought, and I asked that he do the knives. He didn't disappoint, they came out exactly as I'd dreamed.



Wright's had stopped adding the 'Real Lamb Foot' etch to their knives some time before, but of course I wanted it. When I got to the factory to pick up the knives though, they'd neglected to add the etch, so we got them all out, and the etch was added by John Maleham on their ancient pantograph machine.





Five of the knives produced had very dark covers, which was generally not what folks wanted. I thought they had a special beauty though, and named them the 'Midnight Specials'. They're probably the rarest of my SFOs, even I don't have one.



Dylan Pàdruig very kindly offered to make slips for the knives, as he did with the 2018 Guardians SFO (these are his pics).





As with all my SFOs, these were non-profit knives, as I wanted people to get them at a good price. In fact, I actually subsidised the cost. I think people would be shocked now to know the actual prices!

 

[Jack Black]

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That's a great pic of your Hartshead Barlow Alan

As it is the only one I have, I'm certain the ebony is from 2018. I named mine RALF, for Real A$$ Lamb Foot, and he is probably my most photographed knife.
Here he is through time from 2018 until now.

Sometime in 2020 I had the handle stippled to improve the grip.

It's nice to see RALF ageing Jeff

Jack Black SFO from I think 2018 with I think Bagpipe Ebony. My memory gets fuzzier every day.

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You're not alone there Ed, particularly as the years fly by At the beginning of 2020, I picked up 20 Lambs from Wright's 10 standard size in Bagpipe Ebony, and 10 Big 'Uns, also in Bagpipe Ebony. By this point though, John Maleham had sold the firm, and more than half of the knives I picked up weren't up to standard, so they were given away.

Jack Black 2019 SFO with Ironwood covers.

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Nice pic Ed

Some very early Lambfoots from Jack ( 2017 )

Harry

Nice to see one of the 'Midnight Specials' Harry

Hard to imagine the work it took to get these things made. I’m an A Wright fan but the average knife they put out can be hit and miss. I’m sure Jack went through a lot of time and money to get these things up to his standards. Every single one of mine are about 5 steps above the ordinary run from them.

I feel exhausted just thinking about it Paul! Getting an SFO made up in Sheffield isn't just a question of sending an email, (particularly as Wright's didn't use email then), not if you want the job doing right. I had to make numerous visits to Sheffield, to check that the right materials were being used, that the details of my order were being followed properly (notes were written down on scraps of paper, and sometimes lost or misinterpreted), and that they were being made to the highest standard. I had to make even more phone calls, and it could be very tiring, and sometimes tiresome. It worked out a very expensive project, which ultimately I had to walk away from, sadly.

 

[Jakeywax31]

feel exhausted just thinking about it Paul! Getting an SFO made up in Sheffield isn't just a question of sending an email, (particularly as Wright's didn't use email then), not if you want the job doing right. I had to make numerous visits to Sheffield, to check that the right materials were being used, that the details of my order were being followed properly (notes were written down on scraps of paper, and sometimes lost or misinterpreted), and that they were being made to the highest standard. I had to make even more phone calls, and it could be very tiring, and sometimes tiresome. It worked out a very expensive project, which ultimately I had to walk away from, sadly.

I’d say you did well, Jack. We are lucky to have em and I’m glad that stress is off your plate.

 

[Jack Black]

I’d say you did well, Jack. We are lucky to have em and I’m glad that stress is off your plate.

Thanks buddy, me too! With changes to the shipping/customs regulations over the past 5 years, sending most of them over The Pond would involve a lot more time and effort today

 

[Jack Black]

Nice idea for a thread, Paul. And thank you Jack Black for all the hard work you put into the SFOs you’ve brought us.

I’ll start with the 2017 Guardians SFO, as it was (unless my memory has completely failed me) the first Guardians SFO. I was fairly new to the Lambsfoot when this knife came out. I don’t think I’d even heard of a Lambsfoot prior to Jack starting the Guardians thread. I had purchased a Wright’s Lamb sometime between the starting of the thread and the release of the 2017 SFO, but that knife (pictured just above the 2017 here) was a bit of a stinker… so much so that I was amazed that it and the 2017 Guardians knife could have been made by the same company! (Of course, that is really a testament to the standard that Jack held Wrights to when it came to his SFOs).

Pile side.

One thing I feel like was never talked about enough when it came to this knife was the excellently executed swedge, which almost forms a second sharpened edge. Here’s a comparison showing (from left to right) the 2017 SFO, an standard Ebony Wright’s Lamb (a decent enough knife) and the swedge-less turd that was my first Wright’s lamb.

Great swedge pics Barrett, Wright's didn't use to put them on their knives so far as I recall, but Ashley nailed it on those 2017's, and on the subsequent knives Thanks for the kind words buddy

Next came the 2018 Guardians, with most of the same features as the 2017 — same fancy bolster, same swedge (though not quiteas sharp) — but in handsome ebony.

Alongside the 2018 Ebony Guardians knife, Jack had Wrights do some 2018 Guardians knives in horn as well. These were originally supposed to be a fancy “Peaches & Cream” horn, and while I know Wrights didn’t quite deliver the horn Jack had hoped they would, it’s still a great knife. Mine has some nice lighter coloring on the pile side. The lined bolsters on these help further set the 2018 horn run apart from the 2017 (if they had the same bolsters, I’d have a lot harder time keeping them straight).

(I also realized in putting this post together than I didn’t really have any pics of this knife on its own, so I had to take a couple, and you’ll just have to forgive the subpar lighting.)

Ok, I was originally going to try and make one post, but I might never finish it if I do that. More to come!

Both of those were a struggle to get made! I made an early trip over to Sheffield, just after they had started production, and the bolsters were wrong, the ebony wasn't anywhere near as dark as I'd been promised, and the horn was completely different to the 'Peaches & Cream' horn I'd asked for (see below)



It took weeks of negotiation to get the right ebony, but the horn was a dead loss, I rejected 4 different samples, and was ready to give up. I had only agreed to do a second horn knife due to demand, in part from people who had missed the 2017, and if it had been down to me, I would have cancelled the order. Folks still wanted it though, so I went ahead, even though the horn was similar in colour to the previous horn knife. To differentiate between the two, I switched the bolster, from the fluted bolster I'd requested, to a threaded one. The threaded bolster was supposed to go on the Ebony knife, and since they'd already cocked that up, I decided to go with it, so at least the 2 2018 knives would have different bolsters.

Charlie and Bob have 2 of the samples I was sent by Wright's, which were nice knives, but in the case of the first 2 knives, the samples weren't even representative of the horn they had!



Here's my Ebony '18 with the pins I had made, and the pocket-slip Dylan did for us





My Horn '18 (I don't have many photos of mine either)

 

[Jack Black]

Also from 2018 was the Ashley’s Choice Lambsfoot in Sambar Stag. These were made on a smaller pattern than the 2017 and ‘18 Guardians knives (I believe out of necessity based on the size of the available stag pieces). They were assembled by Ashley Harrison at Wrights, and I believe the “choice” of the bolster treatment was left up to him.

I’ll pause here from the “official” Guardians SFOs to show some of the other exclusive knives Jack has commissioned. I have to admit that I’m not as knowledgeable on these knives, so I’ll mostly let the pictures do the talking.

That's right Barrett, the vintage Sambar had originally cut for steak-knife handles, and there was just enough to make 27 knives. When John Maleham rang me to let me know they'd have to go on the smaller frame, I asked if I could have them with a fancy bolster, and told him to let Ashley choose between a threaded or fluted bolster. I was happy with the choice, and those were by far the most trouble-free knives I had made at Wright's, with the possible exception of the 2 Rosewood SFOs I had done Ernest Hemingway and Secret Aardvark, fancy that!

This knife in Indonesian Rosewood was a gift from Jack. It’s a little less fancy than the Guardians knives, but made just as well, with beautiful wood, and it has become a favorite of mine.

I got Wright's to do a run with some old African Rosewood they had in stock, which is a bit darker than Indonesian, with polished, centred blades, swedges, and the Real Lamb Foot etch, in the case of the African Rosewood models (I can't remember if it was on the Indonesian ones, they may have missed it off). There were just 10 of each. Not a huge difference between them really. The Indonesian Rosewood models came a while after. If Wright's took QC seriously, all their knives would be like that

In December 2018, I was fortunate enough to spend a day with Jack in Sheffield. We had a fantastic day walking around the city, stopping in pubs and talking knife history. Jack, of course, showed up with several gifts, including this blonde horn “Big ‘un,” which (I believe) was another small run of exclusive knives he had made. (I must have a picture of it on its own somewhere, but I can’t find it at the moment, so here it is with my Ashley’s Choice.)

It was wonderful to spend time for you Barrett, and a day I'll never forget I can't remember if that was an SFO, or if I just picked through what they had at the factory

Jack also sent me this ebony Big ‘un (in the middle here, with the 2018 Guardians knife on the right and a standard ebony Wrights lamb on the left). I believe this was one of the bagpipe ebony knives Jack had made, and I’d love to tell you more, but I honestly can’t remember the story on those, so someone else will have to fill in the blanks.

Yes, the Bagpipe Ebony models are from the beginning of 2020

When I visited Jack in Sheffield, we were lucky enough to get to stop in the Wrights factory so he could pick up a prototype for what would end up being the 2019 Guardians knife. The beautifully figured Desert Ironwood really makes this knife stand out, and it might be my favorite of the annual Guardians knives.

We scored well with that Ironwood Barrett, it turned out far more interesting than I had expected

Now how could you possibly improve on the 2019 Guardians knife? I don’t know, maybe add a Damascus blade and some beautiful file-work on the spring. This was yet another gift from Jack, and is certainly the fanciest of his SFOs. An absolutely stunning knife!

Alright, time for another intermission. One more post to go!

I think the Ironwood models, from 2019, were the best of the 4 Damascus Lambs I did Barrett

 

[Jack Black]

Last but certainly not least, of course, are the Hartshead Barlows. Arguably Jack’s best SFO, with their uniquely styled Barlow bolsters and excellent handle material choices, my HHBs have probably seen the most pocket time of any of the Lambsfoot examples I own. Hell, I decided to give them their own post because I know I couldn’t just pick one or two photos of them. So I’m just going to photobomb y’all with HHB pics and call it a day.

Thank you again to Jack Black for all you’ve added to this community, for your friendship and generosity, and for the hard work you put into bringing us all these excellent knives!

Thank you Barrett, those are fantastic pics, and you're making me hungry. The Hartshead Barlow was by far the most work to get done, and unfortunately while I had commissioned it from John Maleham, he suddenly chose to retire, and it was completed soon after Wright's changed hands. I had hoped to produce a different Hartshead Barlow models every year, but sadly that wasn't possible There were originally 77 Sambar models made, and 20 Rosewood models, but an additional Rosewood model was made. There were issues with the blade etches and bolster stamps, and around 25% had to go back to the factory. Some of the stag was not up to the quality I had been promised either, so I ended up holding back around 15 knives for giveaways. In addition, Ashley made 2 other knives, one for me and one for himself, which have a file-worked backspring.

 

[Scubaroo]

I'm happily following this thread. It's very cool to see the progress pictures and the different iterations of Jack Black SFO's.
Good idea for a thread, Paul.

 

[Jack Black]

Sheffield was once full of these old etching machines, but I doubt there's many left today

 

[SteveC]

What a great thread ! Jack and Barrett's posts will be hard to follow but I will post some pictures of my collection of Jack's SFO's in a bit.

 

[sbh06]

Great thread Jakeywax31 Paul, those are some great examples of Jack's efforts. I have one, the ironwood named Skoll, that was a generous gift from JohnDF.

 

[SteveC]

I'm fortunate to have these special lambs of Jack's


Top to bottom:

Hartshead Barlow
Ashley's Choice
Desert Ironwood
Bagpipe Ebony regular and large

 

[Jack Black]

Great thread Jakeywax31 Paul, those are some great examples of Jack's efforts. I have one, the ironwood named Skoll, that was a generous gift from JohnDF.

Nice to see that again Jeremy

I'm fortunate to have these special lambs of Jack's


Top to bottom:

Hartshead Barlow
Ashley's Choice
Desert Ironwood
Bagpipe Ebony regular and large

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I'd forgotten you had all those Steve, great pics

 

[SteveC]

I'd forgotten you had all those Steve, great pics

Thanks Jack and for bringing us these special lambs !

 

[Jack Black]

The Chip Butty Chronicles!











It seems there are a few gaps in my chip butty consumption! Inexcusable!

 

[Blade_green]

I had a few Lambsfoot knives made up in horn, and some others in ebony, in early 2017 I think, just a handful of each. Then moved on to the 2017 Guardians Lambsfoot. I had been visiting the A. Wright factory for a couple of years before that, and buying a lot of knives from them. On one visit, I'd come across an old box of special grade horn, which was a bit pricier than their regular customers were prepared to pay, and that became the cover material for the first Guardians knives. Ashley Harrison had just come out of his apprenticeship then, and was still given fairly lowly jobs at the time, but he had enthusiasm, and talent I thought, and I asked that he do the knives. He didn't disappoint, they came out exactly as I'd dreamed.

View attachment 3115001

Wright's had stopped adding the 'Real Lamb Foot' etch to their knives some time before, but of course I wanted it. When I got to the factory to pick up the knives though, they'd neglected to add the etch, so we got them all out, and the etch was added by John Maleham on their ancient pantograph machine.

View attachment 3115002

View attachment 3115004

Five of the knives produced had very dark covers, which was generally not what folks wanted. I thought they had a special beauty though, and named them the 'Midnight Specials'. They're probably the rarest of my SFOs, even I don't have one.

View attachment 3115005

Dylan Pàdruig very kindly offered to make slips for the knives, as he did with the 2018 Guardians SFO (these are his pics).

View attachment 3115006

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As with all my SFOs, these were non-profit knives, as I wanted people to get them at a good price. In fact, I actually subsidised the cost. I think people would be shocked now to know the actual prices!

View attachment 3115008

Stunner!

 

[Blade_green]

Last but certainly not least, of course, are the Hartshead Barlows. Arguably Jack’s best SFO, with their uniquely styled Barlow bolsters and excellent handle material choices, my HHBs have probably seen the most pocket time of any of the Lambsfoot examples I own. Hell, I decided to give them their own post because I know I couldn’t just pick one or two photos of them. So I’m just going to photobomb y’all with HHB pics and call it a day.

Thank you again to Jack Black for all you’ve added to this community, for your friendship and generosity, and for the hard work you put into bringing us all these excellent knives!

Beautiful knives B!

 

[Jack Black]

Stunner!

Thank you