The TBS Timberwolf was, believe it or not, the first Knife to be developed and made and I thought I would write a post about the progression over the past 20 years of construction. I know that the impression was that The TBS Boar was the first knife we made but that was the first Bushcraft Knife developed under the new company TBS Outdoor
I started making knives as a hobby many years ago but I always thought I wanted to start something new. There are probably hundreds of knife makers out there and the common theme is that they are all selling knives that, in my opinion, are just too expensive. The result of which means that they are either out of reach for most people who want a quality tool or they simply become collectors items that sit in a draw their entire life until someone decides they want to sell it for £1000…..
I wanted to build a Bushcraft Knife that was made in essentially the same way but didn't cost the Earth and this led me to form TBS Knives. I looked into the costings of building a knife in the traditional way (one at a time) and I just couldn't make it work, the costs just always came out too high.
To make a single knife you obviously need steel and some sort of handle material and the costs quickly mount up:
- 1 piece of O1 bar stock - around £10-£15
- 1 piece of Super Grade Curly Birch - £10
- 1 pair of Corby Rivets - £5
- 1 piece of thing tube - £3
- A piece of leather for a simple sheath - £5
- All the other ancillary costs like glues, liner materials, sanding belts, sand paper, drill bits, grinder wheels, thread, needles - lets say another £10
Essentially that's around £50 just in materials and that doesn't include the cost of electricity and all the machinery you will need. It's not cheap but there was, I believed, a better way but it does mean you really have to put your money where your mouth is. You start by taking your life savings out of the bank and buying materials in bulk. Then you need to commission a whole team of people, who have generational knife making skills, to make a handmade product that is of the highest quality you can make that doesn't break the bank.
In a word, you need scale without compromising quality……..
The knives below are the progression over the years of the “Timberwolf Bushcraft Knife” from me making one at a time to the scale of how we do it now bringing the same quality but a very reasonable price.
The first “Timberwolf” - Handmade by me from start to finish using the old methods - sort of a Woodlore Clone….
The second "Timberwolf" Handmade in small batches by one maker - one at a time
The first "TBS Timberwolf" - Handmade in slightly larger batches by a team of 2 cutlers in a small workshop.
The second “TBS Timberwolf” - Handmade in even larger batches by a larger team of cutlers
The latest “TBS Timberwolf Knife” - it became an all rounder with a Sabre Grind and G10 Handles - Handmade in large batches by a team of expert cutlers.
The latest “TBS Timberwolf Bushcraft Knife” - A Classic Bushcraft Knife in O2 Tool steel with wooden handles - Handmade in large batches by a team of expert cutlers.
The "TBS Timberwolf EDC" - The natural progression was to make a very useful everyday carry pocket knife. Sabre Ground in a choice of synthetic handles or Stag Antler.
This is TBS Knives…….
