Guardians of The Lambsfoot!

[Jack Black]

This was from my son’s soccer game this past Sunday.View attachment 992619

Great pic my friend I hope the rain didn't make things too difficult on the Astroturf

This week I'm carrying my 2017 horn Guardians Lambsfoot aka Lam Jack (thanks, mrknife ):
View attachment 992630

- GT

Great to see that one again GT, my own is due some pocket time Hey, where is mrknife ? Haven't seen him around here for ages.

Old Toffeewings with time on his side.

Jacques Pepin is my favorite chef, especially when accompanied by Claudine. I may try to ask her again (she runs his website) about Jacques' jacqknife. He produced it a couple of times in Cooking with Claudine to show her the inside of a vegetable at the market.
It's not a website though, it's a facebook page, which was my problem.

Very good Jer!

Thanks Joshua for the write up. I have a package from Jack that has been sitting in Chicago for several days now. Customs I suppose. Looking forward to my first Lambsfoot!

Hope it gets to you soon Dwight

View attachment 992698

Looking good Taylor

My day panned out a little differently to what I thought today. I managed to get all my work done by lunchtime, and then headed off to meet my friend, via the post office (another Lambsfoot on the way). I was supposed to be helping him strip wallpaper, but with a guy working on the roof, and two more plastering inside, it was a little crowded in the house he's just bought, so we headed off for coffee. I then got invited to my friend's daughter's school assembly, where her infant class were doing a short play and presentation about Rosa Parks (she'd told him it was about Red Riding Hood! ). It was all very sweet, and I managed to keep my mouth shut and not tell them that Ms Parks was actually the SECOND black woman to make a stand against racially segregated buses in Alabama (Claudette Colvin is virtually unknown here). I was planning to head home after that, but I bumped into another friend, picking up his boy at the school, and we decided to go for something to eat and a sneaky pint So it turned into a pretty nice afternoon

My Big 'Un didn't to do much work unfortunately

 

[btb01]

I have a set of IXL-Wostenholm kitchen knives (also sold under the Joseph Rodgers and Wilkinson Sword brands), which were endorsed by the first male TV chef here, Graham Kerr, 'The Galloping Gourmet' - what an oily character!

Edit - It's even worse than I remembered!

He’s certainly… something.

My brother was named after Justin Wilson. We used to love watching his shows.

...and no, I don't sound like that. I did grow up with plenty that do, though!

Shawn, watching that video reminded me of a guy I used to work with from south Louisiana. His accent wasn’t that strong, but the way that he spoke when telling a story or joke was exactly like that.

Here's Julia Child. About a minute in, she gives advice about chef's knives.

I like her no-nonsense knife advice, although I feel like 11” is a lot of knife for the average home chef.

I arrived home today to find a package from Jack in my mailbox. Inside his expert wrapping and boxing was an Ashley's Choice Lambsfoot! Not only is this my first A Wright/Sheffield knife, it is also my first stag handled knife. Since it is a new-to-me knife I'd like to share my first impressions, and then update later with a longer-term review.

How does it look? Well, I think it is beautiful. I love the low profile of the blade when closed and the flat, low profile kick when opened. The pinched and lined bolster is perfect, and the stag on this one looks really nice to my eyes. The blade length to handle ratio is perfect looking and the swedge on both sides of the blade looks very fine. The only flaw in looks (which may affect function some too, though I'm not sure how much) is the plunge grind, which is a steeper on the pile side than on the show side. The etch is faint, but that's fine by me.

How does it feel? The stag feels awesome in hand--thick, but not fat; nobby, but not uncomfortably so. The size compares to a GEC 15 (though I haven't set them side by side), but thicker due to the stag. It isn't heavy and pockets well. The action of the knife was a little gritty, so I cleaned it and lubricated it to work out the grit. I've still got a little residue to work out, but the action is much better now. Not quite as good as my 35 Churchill, but still smooth enough to enjoy. I'm hoping it will smooth out even more. The snap at open and close is satisfying in both sound and feel--nothing weak here.

How does it cut? The blade wasn't as sharp from the factory as I keep my other knives, but it wasn't dull either. I spent some time sharpening it on a 1200 grit water stone and got the edge to my liking (I don't have the skill to get "hair popping" but I like my knives to get through phone paper without a snag). I had some trouble keeping the bevel even, which makes me think that the grinds might have been slightly off (hence the uneven bevel mentioned above). I've not been into knives long enough to speak competently about this aspect of fit and finish in terms of price point or quality control, but I can say that it won't keep me up at night, and it gives me something to tinker with on my sharpening stone.

What about value? Considering that the knife was purchased overseas and has a stag handle with some nice finish features (bolster line, pinched, swedge on the blade, mirror polish finish), I think the value is just right for this knife. The fit and finish were a little bit less than the GECs I've had, but it is also coming under the price of a GEC in the same handle and features, I should think. Plus, it is a LAMBSFOOT! Let's be honest, that alone makes the knife worth having at any reasonable price, doesn't it?

I had no plans to buy this knife, and didn't really know anything about it until people began posting pictures here, because I hadn't gotten on the email list until late in process. I didn't want to buy the knife because I'd already reserved a forum knife, had gotten on a reserve for a GEC 99, and was going to try one or two of the 14s, but the pictures and the longer-term desire to try an authentic lambsfoot eventually pushed me over. It is hard not to like every new knife due to the newness of it and the excitement that brings. Still, this one is very likely to kick some other knife to the curb.

Thank you very much Jack for including me in the email list, and for allowing me the opportunity to purchase the AC lambsfoot. As you can tell, I'm pretty pleased with it out of the box!

Now, some pictures:
View attachment 992541 View attachment 992542 View attachment 992543 View attachment 992544
Here's the plunge grind, (not sure if you can tell from the picture):
View attachment 992545

Thanks for the thorough review, Joshua! Wright’s knives often come with a bit of gunk in ‘em, but as Jack said, a good flushing out should take care of it. I’ve had a couple, too, where the grinds weren’t perfectly even and the bevels were a bit wavy, but they still take a nice sharp edge.

 

[mrknife]

Jack Black ever vigilant! i keep an eye on this, have not bought any lambsfoot recently.

 

[Jack Black]

Jack Black ever vigilant! i keep an eye on this, have not bought any lambsfoot recently.

LOL! That doesn't disqualify you from posting here my friend! Good to see you here, and hope that you are well

 

[mrknife]

LOL! That doesn't disqualify you from posting here my friend! Good to see you here, and hope that you are well

well i also dont carry any of mine on a daily basis, theyre mostly in the case for display purposes! thanks, hope you are doing well too!

 

[Jack Black]

well i also dont carry any of mine on a daily basis, theyre mostly in the case for display purposes! thanks, hope you are doing well too!

Horrific! Not bad, thanks my friend

 

[Jack Black]

Thursday is my long day, and I'll be heading off down to the market early (ish) in the morning Think I'm going to carry the ACL tomorrow

 

[5K Qs]

Thank you, GT! I have no idea what makes "good stag" since this is my first, but I really like the character and feel of the one I received. My flock has filled the pen, I think. Three little lambsfoots make a good number.

Joshua, I can't give you any lessons on stag quality, since I'm indiscriminate (criterion-free, unscrupulous?) when it comes to stag. My motto is "ANY stag is GOOD stag!" There are certainly differences in stag characteristics, but I can find something to like about all types.
If you stop at 3 lambsfoots, you sure have an admirable and distinctive threesome!

View attachment 992698

That's a consummate rosewood lambsfoot, Taylor!

...
Great to see that one again GT, my own is due some pocket time Hey, where is mrknife ? Haven't seen him around here for ages.
...
My day panned out a little differently to what I thought today. I managed to get all my work done by lunchtime, and then headed off to meet my friend, via the post office (another Lambsfoot on the way). I was supposed to be helping him strip wallpaper, but with a guy working on the roof, and two more plastering inside, it was a little crowded in the house he's just bought, so we headed off for coffee. I then got invited to my friend's daughter's school assembly, where her infant class were doing a short play and presentation about Rosa Parks (she'd told him it was about Red Riding Hood! ). It was all very sweet, and I managed to keep my mouth shut and not tell them that Ms Parks was actually the SECOND black woman to make a stand against racially segregated buses in Alabama (Claudette Colvin is virtually unknown here). I was planning to head home after that, but I bumped into another friend, picking up his boy at the school, and we decided to go for something to eat and a sneaky pint So it turned into a pretty nice afternoon

My Big 'Un didn't to do much work unfortunately

View attachment 992749

Thanks for welcoming my Lam Jack back on duty, Jack.
I think I'd be exhausted if I were caught up in your social whirl, Jack! I admire (but probably don't envy) you gents living life in the fast lane!! Even at rest, your big rosewood looks useful!

Jack Black ever vigilant! i keep an eye on this, have not bought any lambsfoot recently.

Once a Guardian, always a Guardian, Jack! You are NOT released from service until the Chief issues official orders to that effect, and you're expected to report here for duty daily!

A confession shot of my Lam Jack; I once dropped it from about 5 feet high onto a stone patio.




- GT

 

[Jack Black]

Thanks for welcoming my Lam Jack back on duty, Jack.
I think I'd be exhausted if I were caught up in your social whirl, Jack! I admire (but probably don't envy) you gents living life in the fast lane!! Even at rest, your big rosewood looks useful!


Once a Guardian, always a Guardian, Jack! You are NOT released from service until the Chief issues official orders to that effect, and you're expected to report here for duty daily!

A confession shot of my Lam Jack; I once dropped it from about 5 feet high onto a stone patio.
View attachment 992825

View attachment 992826

- GT

LOL! Yes, the highlight of my day was when a 5-year old gave me one of his two 'yo-yo's (a sort of weird fruit 'string' snack I've not encountered before)! I didn't really want it, but I thought I'd better show willing! Thanks for the compliment my friend

Ouch! That doesn't look too bad though GT, horn is pretty tough, if it'd been bone, you'd have needed Dr @glennbad!

 

[JohnDF]

A confession shot of my Lam Jack; I once dropped it from about 5 feet high onto a stone patio.
View attachment 992825

View attachment 992826

- GT

Ouch! Looks like it survived pretty well though. It'll buff out...

 

[Half/Stop]

5K Qs Ouch! It happens Gary! My friend Ron dropped his brand spanking new #26 Sambar Stag on the front porch at Great Eastern Cutlery during the Rendezvous. I told him that’s what he gets for rubbing it in on all of us that didn’t get one! It put several marks on it. Fortunately there was a master Cutler there by the name of Bill Howard! He took Ron’s knife back to the finishing area of the factory and when he returned it was good as new!

 

[mrknife]

Joshua, I can't give you any lessons on stag quality, since I'm indiscriminate (criterion-free, unscrupulous?) when it comes to stag. My motto is "ANY stag is GOOD stag!" There are certainly differences in stag characteristics, but I can find something to like about all types.
If you stop at 3 lambsfoots, you sure have an admirable and distinctive threesome!


That's a consummate rosewood lambsfoot, Taylor!


Thanks for welcoming my Lam Jack back on duty, Jack.
I think I'd be exhausted if I were caught up in your social whirl, Jack! I admire (but probably don't envy) you gents living life in the fast lane!! Even at rest, your big rosewood looks useful!


Once a Guardian, always a Guardian, Jack! You are NOT released from service until the Chief issues official orders to that effect, and you're expected to report here for duty daily!

A confession shot of my Lam Jack; I once dropped it from about 5 feet high onto a stone patio.
View attachment 992825

View attachment 992826

- GT

now thats putting it to use!

 

[Fodderwing]

Hope it gets to you soon Dwight

Thanks Jack. I am sure it will be worth the wait besides, I like the anticipation!

 

[JTB_5]

Stag feels great! I like fingering the contours. This is bad. I was content to be a wood guy.

 

[5K Qs]

...
Ouch! That doesn't look too bad though GT, horn is pretty tough, if it'd been bone, you'd have needed Dr @glennbad!

Ouch! Looks like it survived pretty well though. It'll buff out...

5K Qs Ouch! It happens Gary! My friend Ron dropped his brand spanking new #26 Sambar Stag on the front porch at Great Eastern Cutlery during the Rendezvous. I told him that’s what he gets for rubbing it in on all of us that didn’t get one! It put several marks on it. Fortunately there was a master Cutler there by the name of Bill Howard! He took Ron’s knife back to the finishing area of the factory and when he returned it was good as new!

now thats putting it to use!

The mishap occurred back in March, and I don't even notice the "dings" anymore. Actually, what worried me more at the time was the horn shrinkage that I first noticed in January. You can see how the edge of the horn cover has drawn away from the bolster, especially on the side opposite the "scuffed horn", in the pic that follows. I think the shrinkage has subsided to a great degree over the summer, and I have some ideas to try to minimize future seasonal shrinkage.

 

[Jack Black]

Thanks Jack. I am sure it will be worth the wait besides, I like the anticipation!

I very much hope so Dwight Looking forward to seeing it there with you

Stag feels great! I like fingering the contours. This is bad. I was content to be a wood guy.

View attachment 993047 View attachment 993048

Cool pics Joshua Sambar stag certainly has a unique and individual character, which makes each knife unique

The mishap occurred back in March, and I don't even notice the "dings" anymore. Actually, what worried me more at the time was the horn shrinkage that I first noticed in January. You can see how the edge of the horn cover has drawn away from the bolster, especially on the side opposite the "scuffed horn", in the pic that follows. I think the shrinkage has subsided to a great degree over the summer, and I have some ideas to try to minimize future seasonal shrinkage.
View attachment 993112

I think the Guardians have been responsible for some pioneering work on horn shrinkage, particularly Greg @WhittlinAway with his special anti-shrinkage formula Shrinkage is more or less taken for granted on older knives, but I am now wondering if even that can be reversed

 

[JTB_5]

Jack Black You are right about the character of sambar stag!

I don't think you can see it in this picture, but I've got a faint patina going from cutting up a pear and a couple of avacados yesterday. That little divot swirl at the butt of the knife has become my thumb-rubbing spot when the knife is closed.

 

[Jack Black]

View attachment 993166
Jack Black You are right about the character of sambar stag!

I don't think you can see it in this picture, but I've got a faint patina going from cutting up a pear and a couple of avacados yesterday. That little divot swirl at the butt of the knife has become my thumb-rubbing spot when the knife is closed.

I think those are particularly attractive covers Joshua Glad to see it getting some use

It's a very warm and sunny day here today, hope we're going to get a few more like this

 

[r8shell]

The mishap occurred back in March, and I don't even notice the "dings" anymore. Actually, what worried me more at the time was the horn shrinkage that I first noticed in January. You can see how the edge of the horn cover has drawn away from the bolster, especially on the side opposite the "scuffed horn", in the pic that follows. I think the shrinkage has subsided to a great degree over the summer, and I have some ideas to try to minimize future seasonal shrinkage.

I think the Guardians have been responsible for some pioneering work on horn shrinkage, particularly Greg @WhittlinAway with his special anti-shrinkage formula Shrinkage is more or less taken for granted on older knives, but I am now wondering if even that can be reversed

I was thinking about how horn is made mostly of keratin. Perhaps a good creme rinse hair conditioner would be a good way to moisturize it.

 

[Half/Stop]

I've got my Ashley's Choice along today. Have a great day Guardians!