Long time peruser but rare poster lol
I'll stick up for Rod too. I ordered mine Nov 2014 and received it Dec 2019 (in fact I received Rod's e-mail Dec 5th 2019....the day Mors passed...RIP.). A lot changes over 5 years for everyone. I think the price may have gone up over that time.....I don't know nor do I care, to me it was nominal.
I'm taking some liberties here but I do believe bushcraft is/was a hobby for Rod. I do know he has taken several classes with Mors Kohanski and designed/made the Skookum based off his interpretation of what a knife for that application should be. Mors' admiration and use of the Skookum grew the legend. Much like Alan Wood making the Woodlore knife for Ray Mears. Both can fetch a price well beyond the rational cost of the materials and time....some would even argue the design and finishing. But the makers just made a knife, we set the price. These knives get the glory for what they represent. Much like a Rolex Submariner is the benchmark all dive watches are compared to. Are there better watches for less? You could argue either way. They did something nobody else did and thus get the notoriety. Rod certainly is not selling them for what the secondary market is. I've pursued many and years ago watched them sail over the 1k mark!
Regardless, this is a hobby/interest turned business by demand. A passion or pleasure is risk to become chore when the love is gone. I'm sure if he invested more of his time into it, things would be better for us, but not him. What if he wants time with his family, time to camp, travel, go to his day job? What if he just doesn't want to be in his shop that day? Sure he could focus on production and churned them out, but that's his choice not to.
I doubt many of us receive the abundance of e-mails he does requesting production services for your hobby??? He's pretty up front with the process and if he's not responding to e-mails I think we can all take the hint..... We're talking a hand made one at a time knife with thousands asking for theirs.
We also have different expectations and patients levels. As a husband, father, and a public servant perhaps I'm more understanding. In 5 years I had 4 correspondence with him. His last e-mail to me provided this
"I apologize for not keeping up with your emails, I’ve been swamped with customer emails and just haven’t kept up but am working on it. I have a note on the bench to start your order (O1 knife with black scales, two lanyard holes and shearing hole) after I finish this last batch, probably the end of next week. I’ll keep you posted.
Again, sorry for the terrible response and thanks for your patience,
Talk to you soon,
Rod"
I don't believe he's any of the negative things people have implied in this thread. And I don't believe knocking his design and craftmenship is appropriate either. Like it or not he has made an impact on the knife community, and an even bigger one in the bushcraft world. We're all hear talking about his knife! The same knife design that is copied and made tweaks to by countless knife-makers and will continue as long as bushcraft knives are made. I thought the wait was worth it. But to be the knife is more than just the sum of it's parts.
If anyone cares the 5 years I waited I used an A.S. Harding 4mm Skookum. Anthony (Tony) is a stand up guy, responded to all my e-mails within a few days and make phenomenal knives on equipment purchased from Alan Wood himself! I honestly don't know if I'll be able to transition to the OG Skookum. But I didn't buy it to be a safe queen and unless I get hard up I'm not selling!
Anyways, take it easy on the guy and try to be cool to each other. You haven't met him, you don't know his circumstance. If you want a real Skookum Bushtool from Rod himself there's no secret to getting one. You order and you wait. In the meantime grab a A.S. Harding or a buck 119 or one of the million other serviceable knives
