You know how it is, you try this, you try that, and then you pick up a certain tool, and you know, "This is the one."

The blade combines flexibility with hardness. If you know metal, you know that's pretty tough to get. As a result, you get a really thin blade that also holds an edge. I should say too that the handle is made for big strong hands. It is not a dainty little thing.

If I had to pick (heaven forbid!) ONE knife, this would be it. With this knife alone and a decent piece of wood, you can do great work. It is suitable for flat plane carving, as the description says, but it's more than that. For example, the thin blade enables you to make scoring cuts or stop which do not disturb the surrounding material. Amazing. Because of the flex and the grind, you can also twist the blade in the middle of cuts to make the sweetest scallops. Beautiful.

My thanks to Mike Shipley for carrying on the tradition started by Ron Wells.