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Thanks pal
Sorry to hear about the horn shrinkage, there are some useful posts indexed by Greg on the subject
LOL!
Always good to see your flock my friend
Yes, I first started suspecting some horn changes back around Christmas. Despite good intentions, I've never posted any photos of what I saw with my horn Guardians Lambsfoot (and very few photos of damage I've done to the knife through my own clumsiness
). But it's still a wonderful knife, as can be seen in this latest photo of my little flock of lambs:
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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
Thanks for more info about horn issues, Jack.
Not a happy subject, but certainly mysterious and intriguing!
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
.
Thanks also for your input, Will, including care suggestions!
I wonder if a viable alternative conjecture to what Levine observed is that horn may eventually reach some sort of "equilibrium" on its own. Older horn may have reached that revered status, while newer horn is still in its volatile stage.
Texans know about the dangers of sunlight!
I'll be sure to keep my Li'l Sambar in the shade, lest it match this knife-stand:
View attachment 917795
Good thinking, Rachel!
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!
I'm glad to hear that you'll get to experience the pleasure of USING a lambsfoot, as well as simply enjoying the visual appeal, Ron!
Looking forward to seeing the one you've selected as it begins to show even more character.
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I’ve had quite a problem with my models that have the Horn on them!
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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!
Thanks for more info, Ron. Knowledge is Power!
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.
Dylan, I had some misgivings about my childbirth comparison, but then I thought that it might lead to a good geometry lesson if anyone objected to my analogy. There are congruent figures which are EXACTLY alike, and there are similar figures that may differ IN SCALE. Your lambsfoot travails were a scaled-down version of actual childbirth!
Think your wife would buy THAT??
Thanks for your compliment, and for sharing another stunning photo of your new ebony!
... I'm looking forward to seeing the 2018 Guardians pocket slips (And I need to PM you!)
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Jack, FWIW, the little bubblewrap "sheath" you made for my ebony Guardians Lambsfoot has been remarkably functional in my pocket for several days now, although it's not entirely stylish!
Hope everyone has a great week!
These two have become fast favorites from my growing Lambsfoot collection. At some point, when I have a bit of time, I'd like to do a rather comprehensive write up of these recent knives. I think it is worth documenting some of the improvements I have noted in these latest Wrights productions.
Exemplary photos, Jack & Ron & Dylan!!
... I tend to take pics on my wee Canon (a Powershot SX620HS), usually in auto, then upload the pics to my PC and edit them there. ...
Hey, that's basically the set-up I use, except the Canon is my wife's Powershot SX110IS. I have no clue how our two Canons are related, but mine is quite old, I think. I have mine on Auto, too, but set a 2-second shutter delay to compensate for my jiggling when I click the shutter, and I usually set it on Macro mode. Jack, I beg you to pass on any photo tips you might someday learn!
I had to get five of these made in order to fulfill a promise to a fellow Guardian, so I thought I'd treat myself to the fifth
View attachment 918893
That's another gem, Jack!
I'm not sure what others think, and it wasn't something I inspected on all the Guardians knives, but I'm actually finding the edges pretty good. I've never found Wright's edges bad, but I generally put my own edge on. I'm sure I will still do that, but the new ones I have to hand, some of the Guardians knives, and a recently-made Sambar Little 'un, came with VERY sharp edges, much sharper than I'm used to on factory-made knives. I guess I could have asked for this, but I didn't. Nice to see though
View attachment 919477
My ebony Guardians lambsfoot had an OK edge when it arrived. Its edge was much better than my horn Guardians Lambsfoot edge, but not as good as my somewhat older rosewood lambsfoot or stag senator. Here's a "gallery" of individual shots of my 4 Wright Lambsfoot knives that I took yesterday:
- GT
mrknife
for a fine pair of Lambfoot knives!! 
Apart from the two knives I mentioned, I've not personally had any trouble with it though. If you've not already done so, I really recommend checking out the indexed posts on this subject 
