Knives & Tools

The TBS Range of knives and accessories have been going down a storm over the past 3 years and we are very proud of what we offer. I have striven to bring a quality range to the market at a reasonable price.

At The Bushcraft Show this weekend I was asked on a number of occasions about the range on offer and why the prices were what they are. In essence people were asking “Why are they cheaper than many other high quality products out there?”………Well the answer is multi staged but in essence it is a balance between quality and volume.

The wood, for example, in both Curly Birch and Turkish Walnut, is an expensive product to buy, especially if you are only buying one piece from a UK dealer. We have not done this, we have set ourselves up as a trade supplier of these timbers to many other budding and professional knife makers so we buy these products in large quantities directly from the sawmills & lumber merchants in Finland and Turkey.

The steels, similarly, are not purchased in small bar stock quantities from a small steel dealer they are purchased in larger quantities, in one go, to make additional savings when the price is right. We then don’t manufacture one knife at a time but produce batches. This way we can concentrate a production run on one model and control the quality.

I suppose one of the biggest savings is simply, how much do you charge for your time? A small, one man producer, making one knife a day, for example, has to make a living and he will, rightfully, charge for that. If you did a time and motion study for a knife maker I bet the vast majority of them spend just as much time making the sheath or etching the blade with a logo then they do actually making the knife. Worse still is that they may be paying someone else to do those bits for them, adding production costs.

I think the  easiest way to put it is that we are now, not a small one man artisan making one knife at a time. We are now more like the many small European manufactures, like Helle, Brusletto and many others that produce high quality products, from high quality materials and in relatively small batches. But, and most importantly, there is still an expert cutler, a real person and not a robot, handling every knife at every stage of the process and this is something that will not change.

Well, I haven’t updated the blog for quite some time and thought that I really should.

Our range of knives have been extremely popular and we are very happy with the products that have been produced. There are now 5 models to choose from – The TBS Boar Fixed Blade, the TBS Boar Folding Lock Knife, The TBS Boar Folding EDC Pocket knife, The Grizzly and the Lynx.

They all follow a similar shape and theme and all have a very definite place in the market. The mantra we have stuck to is “Quality materials with Quality European construction”, if it doesn’t conform to that then it doesn’t make the grade. I am sure there are some very good products being produced by all sorts of companies around the World but I think we have managed to produce some of the best edged tools on the market today.

There are no plans to introduce any more models as such, this year but we do have plans to expand on the theme.  I am planning on having, though the course of the year these models:

Boar Fixed – Curly Birch, Turkish Walnut and Natural Micarta in both Carbon Steel and Stainless Steel – NOW ALL IN STOCK

Boar Folding Lock – Curly Birch, Turkish Walnut and Natural Micarta in both Carbon Steel and Stainless Steel – NOW ALL IN STOCK

Boar Folding EDC – Curly Birch, Turkish Walnut, Natural Micarta and Orange Micarta in Stainless Steel – NATURAL MICARTA IN STOCK LATER IN 2015

The Lynx – Curly Birch, Turkish Walnut and Natural Micarta in both Carbon Steel and Stainless Steel – TURKISH WALNUT IN STOCK LATER IN 2015

The Grizzly – Curly Birch, Natural Micarta and Turkish Walnut in Carbon Steel – also with a leather sheath option – COMING LATER IN 2015

There will also be an expansion the leather work offered. There will be the new sheaths from Wolfwind Leatherworks and there will also be some more leather products in our own range including a belt pouch for the Bahco Saw, 2 new folding knife pouches, a new fixed blade sheath, an axe loop for the belt and another couple of items we are working on. – NOW ALL IN STOCK

All in all there will still be loads of new and interesting items available soon and you can stay updated by joining us on Facebook and checking out the “Coming Soon” and the “New Products” category on our website, stay tuned………………

Have any of you used Live Fire?

I truly think it is the best addition to any Fire lighting or survival kit on the market today. It is not only completely waterproof  it will light from a firesteel and burns for ages.

One of the great aspects I have found is that you can control the flame using the lid of the container it comes in, making sure you have plenty more for next time. Many other tinders/firelighters work well enough but you do need a separate container to store them in – especially the gels!

I have been asked recently about the current UK Laws on knives and have also been quite harshly criticised because of the advice we generally give out was “Inconclusive and Vague”!!

It was pointed out to me that some of the advice we were giving was wrong on a technical issue as we stated that an Every Day Carry knife had to be less than 3 inches and folding. The individual stated that an EDC had to also be “Non-Locking” but after I inquired if he had read “The Criminal Justice Act (1988)” the response was an expected – “NO”.

I am sorry to be picky but the act doesn’t actually state whether an EDC knife (penknife), can be locking or non-locking. It is now, generally accepted, that it is safer to carry to a non-locking knife as some Persons in Authority have taken it upon themselves to deem a locking knife as a fixed blade product when it is un-folded. I know, it sounds pedantic, but I do so love a Barrack Room Lawyer who quotes a law to you who hasn’t actually read it!!

I have written the advice that appears on our website after reading a raft of articles on the different Acts of Parliament and, reading as much of actual Acts that it is possible to do so without actually falling asleep!

REMEMBER IN ALL CASES – it is advice and not law and all cases you should seek the knowledge of a Solicitor as they are the true experts in the Laws of our Land.

The Bushcraft Stores Advice 

KISS – Keep it Simple, Stupid!

There have been, and will be for eons, arguments about what is the best survival knife you can have.

I am going to add to that with – The best survival knife on the market is the one you have on you at the time you need it!!!!

As such here is some flagrant advertising for you – The BOAR EDC.

I believe it is the best EDC knife on the market today so, ergo, it makes it the best survival knife on the market today because it will be in your pocket when you need it!! – Hard to argue against???

The TBS Boar Knives have now been with us for 3 months in one guise or another and we are VERY happy chaps. The last model finally came into stock last week and they have been flying off the shelves, so much so that the initial delivery is nearly sold out – Don’t panic though there is an even larger delivery on their way! I am sure everyone who has bought a TBS product will be happy as we have deliberately used top quality European materials and a top quality European manufacturer and they have surpassed themselves. The fit, finish and workmanship has been very good and we have been using a range of Boars for all sorts of tasks and they have stood up impeccably.

I am very proud of the range and think it represents the perfect balance between quality and value for money. Remember if this had Mr Grylls’ face on it, it would probably be double the price as you would being paying a big royalty on every one sold. There is no celebrity endorsement and simply no middle men, I designed the range and have it manufactured from top quality materials, there is TBS and the manufacturer – it really is that simple.

Interestingly the only question or query I have had about the Boar range is that I have been asked by a couple of people – why we didn’t have a thumb stud or thumb nail slot on the EDC? – It is a 2 part answer really, the first part being pretty simple, I simply didn’t think it needed one. The other reason, and this is for some of our European friends, was that in some Countries in the World an “EDC” knife must be a “two handed action” to be a legal carry. This simply means that if you put a thumb stud on it so you can operate it one handed you can’t carry it.

If you are a fan of quality merchandise you will likely be a fan of what is it follow. We will be producing some other products in the future, I am not sure when and please don’t quote me but they are likely be:

• Boar blade blanks so all you makers out there will be able to handle your own.
• Make your own kits for the fixed blade variant
• A range of sheaths that will compliment and add to the great range at the moment.
• We have a big tool on the drawing board (I know, stop giggling). This is likely to be a “Golok” style of product and again will be unique to the market.
• I quite fancy having a “skeletonised” knife made that has a paracord wrap.

One thing I am always interested in is peoples thoughts and ideas for products. I am sure everyone has thought at some point about a piece of kit that – “It’s good but it would be better if it was like this or that”. Remember everyone is different and everyone has a different opinion so have a think and let me know your ideas – you never know it might just get made!!! – Of course full credit would go to the designer.