Woodlife

There were two reasons why I ordered this knife. The first was that I wanted to try out a Woodlore clone without spending over £150. The second was that this particular knife looked good. Simple as that. There are many Woodlore clones about. Just what the definition is, I’m still not sure, other than to say that it looks like the knife Ray Mears uses and one he used to sell on his website, with the spear-point shape being the most recognisable feature. The Woodlore knife is now out of production (Wilkinson sword having ceased knife making) and the result is that the original knives now sell for extraordinary prices on Ebay. Clone makers have also increased their prices and it’s difficult to get a similar knife for under £150, until I saw the Companion MKII that is.

So what’s all the fuss about? What is it with this type of knife that has Bushcrafters drooling? Why did Ray Mears design the shape of this knife like this (allegedly) not having found a suitable design elsewhere? Is it really better than a Puuko, Mora or Clipper? I probably won’t be able to answer all these questions to anyone’s complete satisfaction because, firstly, knives are so personal to the user and the particular uses the knife will be put to and secondly, my knowledge of knives in general is pretty limited. But I’ll give it a go.

I first saw the Companion MkII on Ebay and I was immediately attracted by the design and the way it looked. It has a Zebrano handle and brass hilt, rivets and thong tube. I had pre-determined the size I required, 10 cm length blade and 3mm thickness and the Companion fitted the bill exactly. I know that the Woodlore blades are a bit bigger and thicker, but having an axe with me the majority of the time I guessed I didn’t really require the larger size. The technical specs of the companion MK II are:
Weight – 180 grms; blade length approx 100mm; handle approx 110mm and the blade thickness is 3mm. The steel is O1 (scandi grind) and the handle is Zebrano.

The maker is Phil Siddell from Woodhouse Joinery (www.forgedknives.co.uk) He describes himself running his own joinery and cabinet making business for around six years has been making knives for around three. He makes the knives in batches of 20, thus keeping the price down. I’ve seen other smaller knives made by him and they also look pretty good. I had some great correspondence with Phil and he answered all my questions directly and promptly.

The knife was delivered within 3 days last December and I have tried it out at every opportunity, usually dual working it with the Clipper for a comparison. Sorry, no extreme testing on this occasion. Even at £85, I can’t afford to damage it outside normal wear and tear. The knife is comfortable to hold and well balanced in my hand. I like the weight especially for the heavier tasks like battoning and larger cutting tasks such as thick branches. The drawback of this weight is that it makes fine carving work a little strenuous on the hands and fingers. For this type of work I still prefer the lighter weight and narrower blade of the Clipper. The jury’s still out about the large brass hilt on the knife and the choil. I would imagine some people wouldn’t like these features, but it hasn’t affected my use of the knife. The knife came with a very well made wet-formed belt sheath, which I’ve managed to use as a neck-carry at no real disadvantage.

The rear of the blade produces a fine shower of sparks from the fire-steel and I now use this exclusively over any other ‘striker’. Although I’ve not done any food prep in the field, I have used it in the kitchen. Carving meat is fine (the blade could be slightly longer for this, and maybe a 11cm length blade would have been better) and fine chopping is also no problem.

The scandi grind is suitable for the knife. It arrived razor sharp and I’ve had no real difficulties keeping it that way. An unfortunate small chip in the blade (my fault) was quickly sorted in the field with my sharpening stone.

I must admit that I am quite indifferent to the spear-point shape. Yes, it is handy for drilling holes but I’ve rarely had the occasion to do this. As I’ve said, it’s a little unwieldy for delicate carving work, but for general Bushcraft use it seems fine, but then again, so is the Clipper. Where this knife does have the advantage is the additional power you can get on larger tasks.

If I had to take just one blade into the field, it would be the Companion MKII. It’s a solid, sound all round knife, well made, and not just a pretty face. It makes a good …er …Companion. Adding an axe to the toolkit (particularly my new mini – hatchet) I would say that it’s probably a bit over the top and I might even revert to a clipper shaped and sized knife if the hatchet is going to be a permanent feature. The fact that I still carry the Clipper in my shoulder bag is testament to the fact that I’m not entirely 100% sure about the Companion, but it is growing on me all the time. Maybe another couple of months and will be know one way or t’other. At the moment, I don’t leave home for an excursion without it.

Pablo.