Guardians of The Lambsfoot!

[Jack Black]

Tucking into some more Yorkshire Noir this Sunday afternoon. Dark stuff! It isn't for the feint-hearted!

 

[mrknife]

Yes, me too, I only had one purchase from them, and it was a long time ago. Apart from anything else, I really don't like the way they fraudulently present the A.Wright knives as if they have been handmade personally by John Maleham (who doesn't make ANY of them)! Thanks for showing it again my friend I seem to recall that the ironwood models were fairly pricey, do you think it's worth the extra cash?

hmm, they are mostly curio pieces as I had just liked that they were available in various handle options. I wouldn't say it was worth the extra money because all of em have sat in a display case tbh. I remember having a list of the other woods I still needed to purchase from them but under your wise advice, ive decided not to; since you visit the factory and can see how they are truly made and sold. for me ordering from that place is such a gamble that ive decided no more.

 

[Jack Black]

hmm, they are mostly curio pieces as I had just liked that they were available in various handle options. I wouldn't say it was worth the extra money because all of em have sat in a display case tbh. I remember having a list of the other woods I still needed to purchase from them but under your wise advice, ive decided not to; since you visit the factory and can see how they are truly made and sold. for me ordering from that place is such a gamble that ive decided no more.

Yeah, I don't blame you for giving that guy a swerve Jack, so many folks have had bad experiences The idea of having a Lambsfoot with covers made from the genuine ancient yew of Robin Hood's bow sounds appealing, until you quickly realise that, as with the 'Handmade by John Maleham' scraps of paper...sorry 'certification'...you're just being sold a piece of nonsence

 

[mrknife]

Yeah, I don't blame you for giving that guy a swerve Jack, so many folks have had bad experiences The idea of having a Lambsfoot with covers made from the genuine ancient yew of Robin Hood's bow sounds appealing, until you quickly realise that, as with the 'Handmade by John Maleham' scraps of paper...sorry 'certification'...you're just being sold a piece of nonsence

haha but the wood from Queen Victoria's ship deck sounds feasible!!!

 

[Bartleby]

I seem to recall that the ironwood models were fairly pricey, do you think it's worth the extra cash?

Didn't the high end ironwood models also have milled liners and fancy file worked back springs, with a Maltese cross motif? I recall the pattern was quite interesting.

 

[Jack Black]

haha but the wood from Queen Victoria's ship deck sounds feasible!!!

LOL! I like this one, "The Sheffield made pocket knife knife grips are made from 18th century oak originating from St.James’s Square which was the place where the Waterloo Despatch following the battle was delivered to the King." Practically carried by the Duke of Wellington himself then! There's another guy selling repro 'Titanic cutlery' with a warning to 'Beware of Imitations'!!

Didn't the high end ironwood models also have milled liners and fancy file worked back springs, with a Maltese cross motif? I recall the pattern was quite interesting.

Yes, I believe Wright's used to use Ironwood on at least two of their 'high-end' models, in the same pattern as my knife with the Snakewood above, and on one of their irritatingly-named 'Senator' models

 

[mrknife]

LOL! I like this one, "The Sheffield made pocket knife knife grips are made from 18th century oak originating from St.James’s Square which was the place where the Waterloo Despatch following the battle was delivered to the King." Practically carried by the Duke of Wellington himself then! There's another guy selling repro 'Titanic cutlery' with a warning to 'Beware of Imitations'!!



Yes, I believe Wright's used to use Ironwood on at least two of their 'high-end' models, in the same pattern as my knife with the Snakewood above, and on one of their irritatingly-named 'Senator' models

haha i do wonder where that "certificate of authenticity" went. shouldve just had them dip it in thames for extra effect!

 

[Jack Black]

haha i do wonder where that "certificate of authenticity" went. shouldve just had them dip it in thames for extra effect!

The 'certificates of authenticity' are hilarious! Like something from Franklin Mint! The cutlers at the factory haven't stopped laughing since that guy posted up the stuff about John Maleham being 'The finest cutler in Sheffield', etc, etc (think he's taken it down now - probably at John's request)!

Edit - Oh no! Now he's selling 'Reproduction' Trevor Ablett knives!

 

[Half/Stop]

What a fantastic foursome, Ron!! You must be very proud! (Need to start working on the patinas, though. )

Thanks Gary! I’ve to many to get Patina on them all! I’ve picked one of my new Ebony models to be the privileged one out of this foursome!

Good hint, Ron. My horn Guardian has exhibited some shrinkage as well. I'm interested to see if it "swells back" to original proportions with summer humidity. No noticeable improvement so far.

I’ve had quite a problem with my models that have the Horn on them!

Well-said, Ron!!

Thanks Sir!

LOL! That's good GT!

Thanks pal Sorry to hear about the horn shrinkage, there are some useful posts indexed by Greg on the subject

It's troublesome stuff Rachel, and with the variation in climate in the US, I can understand why companies like GEC don't want to use it. Those are good photos, I wonder if it'll eventually settle down. I have quite a lot of horn, a combination of old stuff and the newer stuff on the A.Wright knives, and I haven't really put anything on it. Until recently, I wasn't able to see the effects of temperature/climate on the horn. However, a few months back, Ron contacted me about a horn Big 'un he had, where the horn was lifting near the bolster. Shortly after, I had a couple of knives of the same pattern for Charlie, and had to tell him I couldn't send them to him because of the same issue. This was the worst of the two:

View attachment 917740

I contacted Wright's about these knives, and had several lengthy discussions with their Head Cutler, who was shocked to see the photos. I should emphasise that this is the larger Lambsfoot pattern, and they've decided to now add an extra pin nearer the bolster. Wright's said they'd replace the knives, but when I got them out to return a few weeks later, the horn had laid back down again! Since it was the Mark sides of the knives which were most affected, where the horn generally has more character (the Guardians knives are different), we wondered if this was a factor. At the end of the day, we don't really know why the horn has these beautiful swirls and patterns in it, it could be a sign of calcium deficiency, or of anything really These are just theories, but of course horn doesn't come naturally flat. So, look after your horn folks, the previous posts on this subject, which can be found via Greg's thread index, are well worth reading. Hopefully, most folks won't have an issue with it

I’ve never discussed this problem with warping and shrinking in print before to this extent. I have had several emails with Jack on the subject. I also shared photos of my Bigun that he refers to in his post. I’ve experienced some of this problem on all of my Wright’s that have Horn. That is why I didn’t get a 2018 Guardian with Horn. But my worst experience was definitely with a large model. It was a huge disappointment because it was one of my favorites and it was a beautiful knife. This particular knife is currently waiting in line at @glennbad to be rehandled with some type of yet to be determined wood. I felt like it would never be free of problems as it was at least as bad as the photo in Jacks post. I want to say that I’ve never had the slightest issue of this type with any of my wood or stag Lambsfoot knives. I will also say that this issue in no way has diminished the love I’ve developed for this pattern. This problem will probably be different or nonexistent in different climates and locations. I think it is just an issue that we should all be aware of!

 

[Half/Stop]

Horn certainly does react to changes in moisture, dry seems a killer by and large. If it can be kept in relatively humid conditions it seems to behave itself but dry or exposure to sunlight in a window will more often than not, cause warp or lift. However, as Jack has noted, it will return to its former fit once the humidity is high enough. Ox/Bovine horn has caused me more concerns than the Ram's Horn on European knives. The reason for this I can't say, but years ago in an exchange with Levine, he stated that the process for curing horn may have changed or have been lost. He pointed out that very old horn knives he owned had shown little shrink or warp whereas it's pretty common in more contemporary examples, suggesting that the curing process may have changed or hat horn should be allowed to 'mature' before working on it.

Handling and using Oxhorn knives gives them oil and moisture and I think that's a good approach to them! Otherwise, wipe down with mineral oil or wax will help and avoiding prolonged sunshine exposure- bone and ivory don't fancy too much UV either.

Excellent post Will! Thanks for sharing your experience on the matter. Also thanks for sharing your suggestions to help us all to be able to minimize these issues!

 

[Pàdruig]

Triple congrats, Dylan!! The actual arrival of the knives probably almost make you forget all the pain/hassle of the process. (Hey, you experienced "childbirth" of lambsfoot triplets! )

Thank you, GT! The knives in hand certainly made the irritations melt away. I'm am going to refrain from mentioning the comparison of the sometimes arduous knife acquisition process to childbirth to my wife, she just might resort to violence.

So happy to see that beautiful ebony in your collection.

I've got mine in the pocket today.

 

[rockman0]

Hope everyone is having an enjoyable weekend ! Thanks again Jack !
A nice hefty 12% brown ale this afternoon, it's a sipper

 

[Jack Black]

Thank you, GT! The knives in hand certainly made the irritations melt away. I'm am going to refrain from mentioning the comparison of the sometimes arduous knife acquisition process to childbirth to my wife, she just might resort to violence.

So happy to see that beautiful ebony in your collection.

I've got mine in the pocket today.

LOL! You got a really nice one there Dylan When's it getting a pair of pants? I'm looking forward to seeing the 2018 Guardians pocket slips (And I need to PM you!)

Hope everyone is having an enjoyable weekend ! Thanks again Jack !
A nice hefty 12% brown ale this afternoon, it's a sipper

That brown ale looks outstanding Rob Nice Lambsfoot too my friend Palo santo, now there's an idea!

 

[rockman0]

LOL! You got a really nice one there Dylan When's it getting a pair of pants? I'm looking forward to seeing the 2018 Guardians pocket slips (And I need to PM you!)



That brown ale looks outstanding Rob Nice Lambsfoot too my friend Palo santo, now there's an idea!

Thanks Jack. I didn't look at the price when I picked it up. Sticker shock at check out $16+ tax 4 bottles. Now that I have a pair under my belt I'm ok with the price, it's an excellent ale and packs a punch

 

[Half/Stop]

LOL! You got a really nice one there Dylan When's it getting a pair of pants? I'm looking forward to seeing the 2018 Guardians pocket slips (And I need to PM you!)

That brown ale looks outstanding Rob Nice Lambsfoot too my friend Palo santo, now there's an idea!

That's exactly what I was thinking Jack! I would like to get a hold of one of those Hand Made Tanks!

 

[WhittlinAway]

I haven’t had a chance to put my own edge on it yet, but my 2018 Guardians Edition Ebony was more than willing to help open a fresh bottle of my favorite BBQ sauce this evening.

 

[Jack Black]

Thanks Jack. I didn't look at the price when I picked it up. Sticker shock at check out $16+ tax 4 bottles. Now that I have a pair under my belt I'm ok with the price, it's an excellent ale and packs a punch

Ouch! I think it would be several times that price over here though! I was in a bar last week, and they had a 10% IPA, brewed a mile down the road, by the brewery who own the bar, and it was £14 a pint! I bought two 1/3 pint glasses for me and my pal, and it was actually pretty rubbish! I'll look out for that Brown Ale though Rob

Another working week Hope everyone had a great weekend

 

[Half/Stop]

Hope everyone has a great week!

 

[Jack Black]

Hope everyone has a great week!

You too Ron That's a good photo my friend I had hoped to get a few when I went out for a walk on Saturday, but the weather turned unpleasant, and it rained all day It turned sunny again yesterday, but I was stuck in the house catching up with some work unfortunately

Here's a pic those of you on my Lambsfoot email list will have seen before, but it is one of the pics I took of the first four ebony samples I received from Wright's

 

[Half/Stop]

You too Ron That's a good photo my friend I had hoped to get a few when I went out for a walk on Saturday, but the weather turned unpleasant, and it rained all day It turned sunny again yesterday, but I was stuck in the house catching up with some work unfortunately

Here's a pic those of you on my Lambsfoot email list will have seen before, but it is one of the pics I took of the first four ebony samples I received from Wright's

View attachment 918599

Thanks Jack! Since I retired I take a lot of my photos on my back deck. It is facing East so if I get out there before the sun rises above the mountains I can usually get very decent lighting. I now take almost all of my photos with my iPhone. Then I message them to my iPad where I have a larger screen for these old eyes to examine the photos. I also have a nifty app that I downloaded on my iPad that I can use to edit the photos. The main thing I always do is change the size. Most cell phone photos are huge as we all know. I size my photos to no larger than 1000 pixels in either direction. This usually results in a photo that is between 300kb - 500kb instead of 3mb - 5mb.