A handsome, traditional knife from Michael May! M. May Lambsfoot in Bog Oak!

Salutations! Today, I'll be looking at a gorgeous little knife from custom maker Michael May! This knife is a Lambsfoot design, sporting a Swayback handle and Bog Oak scales. Lambsfoot or 'Lambfoot' knives were originally used by farmers to trim Lambs' hooves. Today, they are a rare pattern outside of Sheffield. M. May's take on this pattern does it justice, in my opinion. I adore the style of such a knife. The brass compliments the Bog Oak perfectly! This knife cost 70 GBP and was made to order. Keep in mind, Michael is a single artisan maker, so his lead time is rather long. (Estimate 8 weeks from date of purchase to arrival).
#knives
#edc
#britishblades
#gentleman

[@rowlandbrant674]

I have three of Michael's knives, a Yorkshire Oak and a Palm Wood Barlow and a Stag Ettrick and they are all very good knives. Just have to keep buffing the brass.

[@TheKnifeRaven]

Indeed you do! I like the Palm!

[@ashab1]

Wow that's some pretty special oak handle!

[@TheKnifeRaven]

It really is! Quite the conversation starter. Cheers!

[@Mr_Obvious]

Another very nice looking knife!

[@TheKnifeRaven]

Indeed! Cheers!

[@ianrosie4431]

Yep, I've got an Arthur Wright Barlow sitting here and the bolsters aren't that much longer than your Micky May. What has really caught my eye with your new one, happy birthday btw, is the pinch on the bolsters. Couldn't take my eyes off them. Really nicely executed. The spring on my AW Ebony Lambfoot snapped the other night. Annoying, as I'd really got it to how I wanted it. Heinne Haynes says they'll contact AW with regard to having it repaired! Should be interesting if they do repair £27 knives.

[@TheKnifeRaven]

Firstly, thank you for the Birthday wishes! Second, I love the bolsters, too. (I just can't stop shining the darn things!) And lastly, I've been in your boat. Two A. Wright (Lefty) Lambfoots snapped, plus, my first M. May. I really wish this didn't happen, as it's only an issue on my Sheffield knives. I just want the quality to return to what it once was. :( I hope they help you out with it. Cheers, anywas.

[@John..18]

Truly fantastic,, thank you so much for showing us this one,, 👍.. Comparing this, to a Jack Wolf, or any other mass produced factory knife, is like comparing an oil painting, done by a true artist, to a "print" available in any high street store, (imho),

[@TheKnifeRaven]

Well said! Cheers!

[@LastChanceKnives]

Looks like a fine knife! I would love to have one of them.

[@TheKnifeRaven]

Certainly worth a try! 👍 Cheers!

[@ianrankin1293]

Great to see another M.May in your collection! I love his knives and wont be long until i do some business with him again! Really enjoy your appreciation of Sheffield cutlery!🇬🇧🇨🇦

[@TheKnifeRaven]

I just can't help it! Sheffield knives are so neat! Cheers!

[@davidkurle5418]

I love the looks of Michael's knives. I don't own one yet, but I plan to get one someday. That bog oak looks fantastic! Cheers, buddy!

[@TheKnifeRaven]

If you want perfection, get a Jack Wolf. If you want personality, get a May! 😁

[@lewisgreenway5065]

When I was a boy the Lambsfoot was the most common knife every farmer had one, a comfortable knife to use and it had many uses, I think the nicest Lambsfoot is the Joseph Rodgers example a bit more refined blade, thank you for show casing Sheffield knives I am sure you have introduced many to knives they had not seen or heard of before. 😄

[@TheKnifeRaven]

"For trimming lambs' hooves!" The Lambsfoot sure is a neat pattern. I love the Rodgers blade-geometry, but they're just so darn small! Either way, I was completely oblivious to knives like this until I started watching Mr. Eric's channel. Cheers!

[@ed.barker7069]

I think it's lovely and worth the money all day long. And I now feel compelled to crack open my wallet again. I wonder if the single sided swedge exacerbates the appearance of the blade not being centred? I also agree ( now that I own a MM after an earlier conversation we had😊) that the brass bolsters are nicer than the nickel silver ones. My AW's tarnish like crazy if I keep them in leather slips and I've grown to prefer MM's brass. I have one AW lambfoot that has a longer bolster than the MM's but it has a barlow/teardrop shaped handle so not sure what's going on there? Looking forward to your second new MM.👍

[@TheKnifeRaven]

Hm, good idea on the swedge, I'll have to do some more thorough looking. As for the brass, yes, I vastly prefer if. I wouldn't have said that before, but now? Well, I just think it looks more vintage! The A. Wright you described sounds like their "Lambsfoot Barlow". They used to make a custom variation SFO called the "Hartshead Barlow". You should look them up! Oh, and it'll be a total of three Michael Mays!!! I chose this one, as it's arguably the least impressive! Stay tuned... Cheers!

[@John..18]

I've just ordered a bog oak Ergonomic, and I'm wondering is there any supplied information with the knife, regarding care of the bog oak, ?? Would the Camellia oil, be best for blade and scales,?? All the best,, John

[@TheKnifeRaven]

Hi John, From my experience, the Bog Oak arrives with a smooth, oily texture. After a while of use, it becomes coarser, like typical Oak. I believe this is due to a temperature change that brings the grain out. To treat it, I have primarily used either camellia oil, (as you stated) or plain mineral oil, alternatively. The grain becomes smooth again, not to mention beautifully rich. I'm sure beeswax would help, too. I however, just use mineral oil, for the wood, brass, joints and blade. No care instructions are given with the knife, but the website has some various suggestions on what to use for the different handle types. I hope this helped and I *really* hope you enjoy your knife when it arrives! Cheers!

[@John..18]

@@TheKnifeRaven Have you tried Ballistol ? It's supposed to be great for antique furniture, and my Boker Schloss Burg seems to love it, 😊,,. I'm unsure what it will do to the brass bolsters tho',, 🤔,, have you much experience with Ballistol. ?? All the best,, John

[@TheKnifeRaven]

@@John..18 Never tried Ballistol, but I'll have to give it a go after hearing this! Cheers!

[@onemanhisdub1969]

Good evening... Are these a better quality and finish than the Arthur Wright ? I recently purchased an AW and was pretty disappointed. Thanks David.

[@TheKnifeRaven]

Greetings and thank you for your question. Arthur Wright knives are budget friendly, but unfortunately unreliable at times. I would say that when you get a good A. Wright, you are receiving an outstanding traditional knife at a very reasonable cost. However, there is still a chance that the knife you bought will fall into the other group of A. Wright knife...which isn't exactly what I would deem "high-quality". All, in all, A. Wright is 'hit 'n miss', they make excellent knives, but also manage to turn out rather mediocre pieces. Michael May, on the other hand is more reliable. I would still say there's a chance you'll get a poorer one, but the majority of the time, his quality is higher than any A. Wright. Bear in mind, both of these brands are entirely handcrafted. This means that the likelyhood for flaws is higher, but granted, when a handmade knife is done right, it's often better than most machine produced pieces. I would say Michael would be a fair choice for a custom traditional knife. As with all things, there's a slight chance there will be flaws, but his quality seems quite consistent. Plus, these knives are a bit more costly than A. Wright, therefore they use higher quality materials. I hope this helped, and if you have any other questions or comments, I'd be happy to respond to the best of my ability. Cheers!

[@onemanhisdub1969]

Thanks for your reply and sorry for my delay in replying. I'm going to order one and see what they are like. Thanks David.

[@desertfoxxx98]

It's a shame you can't get an Ashley Harrison because to me he's way better than Michael. The springs are 420hc (stainless).

[@TheKnifeRaven]

I still refuse to get Instagram, but if there's another way, I'd love to know! Also, thanks for the clarification on the springs. Cheers!