Michael May Ettrick custom - opinions please!

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benlangworthy

Joined
Oct 18, 2017
Messages
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My custom order from Michel may arrived this week: An Ettrick with desert ironwood scales and file work on the back spring.
It's a nice knife however it's not perfect so im not sure how I feel about it. my concerns are that one scale is much thicker than the other (it won't sit flat on one side), the opening snap is not as positive as the close and most noticeably for me there's some visible gapping between the scale and liner towards the base of the knife.

However I'm aware that it's a handmade item so I could be being to picky. I'd really appreciate opinions from you guys.


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First, congrats on receiving a beautiful knife! I have two of Mr. Mays lambs and I’m pleased with them. I also have two of A. Wright Ettricks. Though they are not as fancy as yours they are less expensive at under $45. The fit and finish is very good. My only issue with yours is the blade is not centered and I’m a stickler about that but it can be fixed. Here’s some pics of mine. I may have to look into one like yours. I love he bolsters and end caps!

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sf fanatic said:
First, congrats on receiving a beautiful knife! I have two of Mr. Mays lambs and I’m pleased with them. I also have two of A. Wright Ettricks. Though they are not as fancy as yours they are less expensive at under $45. The fit and finish is very good. My only issue with yours is the blade is not centered and I’m a stickler about that but it can be fixed. Here’s some pics of mine. I may have to look into one like yours. I love he bolsters and end caps!

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The blade centering isn't as bad as it looks in the photo, I think i had the camera at an odd angle that makes it look worse than it is! I have a couple os A. Wright Ettricks as well. (bog oak and oak) and i like them a lot. I think I was just hoping for Michel's knife to have be a bigger step up in fit and finish than it is. My brother in law has a lovely Trevor Ablett Ettrick with similar bolsters and caps which feels better finished to me. Thanks for your advise!
 
benlangworthy said:
The blade centering isn't as bad as it looks in the photo, I think i had the camera at an odd angle that makes it look worse than it is! I have a couple os A. Wright Ettricks as well. (bog oak and oak) and i like them a lot. I think I was just hoping for Michel's knife to have be a bigger step up in fit and finish than it is. My brother in law has a lovely Trevor Ablett Ettrick with similar bolsters and caps which feels better finished to me. Thanks for your advice!
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Well, in that case think you did very well! Enjoy your new knife! 😀
 
Its gorgeous....I love the desert ironwood classic scales and the file work is unreal.
 
fishface5 said:
If it's expensive that gap would make me return it. If it was under $150 I'd just sand down the larger scale then mix the shavings with epoxy to fill the gap.
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Going through May's option list the above Ettrick runs £122.00.
 
It looks OK for what it is. You might find after a week or so of actual carry & use that the action improves with oiling. Also, how does it feel in hand? Think that's more important than one scale being thicker than another and not sitting flat.

At the height of the COVID hysteria and restrictions I got in touch with Michael May and asked for a Pruner. He warned me that it was difficult to get to his workshop and having to juggle child care and that it might take a month or so. As I dislike brass bolsters I asked for a stainless one and he agreed to it. Within a month he made the knife with Bog Oak scales and sent it to me in the EU, he was very courteous and affable. Is the knife 'perfect' ? Show me one that is and somebody will find something in it they dislike ;) The action is nice, the blade well centred and very good overall finish, well worth the money (around 70€ at the time incl. delivery).

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A knife that is easy to open, and firmer to close is perfect IMO. Good safety factors both ways. I have asked custom makers to do just that!!! The handle finishing could be better on your knife - depends on the price!!
fishface5 said:
If it's expensive that gap would make me return it. If it was under $150 I'd just sand down the larger scale then mix the shavings with epoxy to fill the gap.
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I like this approach, fishface!!
 
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I was waiting for it for nearly two of months and I think it just didn't quite live up to what I'd imagined.
But as you guys have said, while it's not a perfect knife (if such a thing even exists) it is good for what it is. It does feel good in the hand and the iron wood is really lovely.

Thanks for all the comments and advise, they've been really helpful, I was on the cusp of returning the knife but thanks to you guys I think I'l hang on to it!

It will go into regular use alongside my other Ettricks:

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Can I ask what you paid? There has been many discussions over price vs Quality.

I remember some people stating that if they buy a GEC ( at this time of discussion ) for over $100 - it had better be perfect! Wow~really?

GEC produce the finest quality Knives in the modern production Cutlery world, the quality is a slither away from custom at times I think it reaches that, at times there are some minor faults - all in all pretty amazing quality.

So if I buy something for $100 to $150, I break it down to this- looking at it in a business sense...

When running a business, you need to work out your hourly charge out rate- this isn't $40 or $50 bucks an hour will do- to survive, you need to have the total cost of Rent, Insurances, Power, Water rates, Car running expenses, Wages, Holiday pay etc,etc etc - you then may find that your combined Hourly rate that you NEED to achieve may be ( for example) $92. 45 or more - or less! depending on the size of production in comparison to output etc, Materials also come into play, so I look at what I have in hand - what I paid and then look at the above.

So if I pay for a GEC and I paid $200 or $250 - man...that company is cutting it pretty darned lean on Bottom Dollar profit.

So it comes down to how much you paid.
Michael May may work by himself with small overheads - therefore you can give him a little extra time to get his finished product out the door and weigh that up in comparison to what you paid.

Like Charlie said, fishface5 fishface5 suggestion is perfect, that's a small gap that looks big when blown up, I think you have a pretty cool knife, not custom quality- but a nice Knife that will last you and your following generations lifetimes of use if looked after - that's unbelievable bang for your buck when you look at that in this sense.
 
benlangworthy said:
I was waiting for it for nearly two of months and I think it just didn't quite live up to what I'd imagined.
But as you guys have said, while it's not a perfect knife (if such a thing even exists) it is good for what it is. It does feel good in the hand and the iron wood is really lovely.

Thanks for all the comments and advise, they've been really helpful, I was on the cusp of returning the knife but thanks to you guys I think I'l hang on to it!

It will go into regular use alongside my other Ettricks:

H8yfyzp.jpg
Click to expand...
It looks like you use some of those, Ben!! I've carried an Ettrick for periods in my life and find them quite useful!!
 
Campbellclanman said:
Can I ask what you paid? There has been many discussions over price vs Quality.

I remember some people stating that if they buy a GEC ( at this time of discussion ) for over $100 - it had better be perfect! Wow~really?

GEC produce the finest quality Knives in the modern production Cutlery world, the quality is a slither away from custom at times I think it reaches that, at times there are some minor faults - all in all pretty amazing quality.

So if I buy something for $100 to $150, I break it down to this- looking at it in a business sense...

When running a business, you need to work out your hourly charge out rate- this isn't $40 or $50 bucks an hour will do- to survive, you need to have the total cost of Rent, Insurances, Power, Water rates, Car running expenses, Wages, Holiday pay etc,etc etc - you then may find that your combined Hourly rate that you NEED to achieve may be ( for example) $92. 45 or more - or less! depending on the size of production in comparison to output etc, Materials also come into play, so I look at what I have in hand - what I paid and then look at the above.

So if I pay for a GEC and I paid $200 or $250 - man...that company is cutting it pretty darned lean on Bottom Dollar profit.

So it comes down to how much you paid.
Michael May may work by himself with small overheads - therefore you can give him a little extra time to get his finished product out the door and weigh that up in comparison to what you paid.

Like Charlie said, fishface5 fishface5 suggestion is perfect, that's a small gap that looks big when blown up, I think you have a pretty cool knife, not custom quality- but a nice Knife that will last you and your following generations lifetimes of use if looked after - that's unbelievable bang for your buck when you look at that in this sense.
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It was about £122, so i think your right, its reasonable quality for what it is.
 
I am not sure what the English Pound comparison is for the Greenback? around you having to add 30% more onto the US Dollar? so that brings the knife up in price a little doesn't it?
I think it still is pretty good - but that's purely my thoughts- after all you are the buyer and have totally different ideas and expectations.

I just hope that once you start using it that you will grow to love that knife :thumbsup::)
 
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