Carol, the knives that I use are Moor chip knives. But the ones that I use all have the older styled rose wood handles, not the ergonomic handles that Dennis changed to about six or seven years ago.
I know from years of using Moor tools that the steel is top quality, they hold an extremely fine edge forever, and the cutting points are extremely durable. Dennis Moor's quality of blade is without question the best. But, there is a but ....
I do own a few of the composite handled ones but just (dare I say out loud) ... hate them. The handle is terribly uncomfortable for my smaller hand size. Plus that plastic handle is slick. To use the few that I do own I have started wrapping the handles with the elastic, self-adhering bandage tape like you get after a blood test at the lab. I find I have to have the tape wrapping to get enough grip without needing a strangle hold on the tool. The thumb and index finger notch moves my grip backwards on the handle, so I can't grip quite as high towards the blade as I like. So, those end up at the bottom of my carving kit, seldom used except for cutting cardboard, slicing foam-core board, or cutting cork sheets.
I have attached a couple of photos, because you may find the newer composite handles work fine for you. As I have noted over the years, my hands are small compared to my husband's. At the knuckle area of the fingers, across the palm my hand only measures 2 7/8", from the base of the first joint of my second (long) finger to the base of my thumb pad just measures 4".
Before you buy, you might want to go over to Mountain Heritage and look at
http://[URL="http://mountainheritagecrafters.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=148_147"]Wayne Barton's set[/URL]. They are a little more pricey than Dennis' but, if you have a smaller hand as I do, that difference of a few dollars is so worth owning a comfortable knife that gives you hours of fun.
Just my opinion ... ! Oh, sorry about the Lowe's ad. That is the only yardstick I could find that wasn't all dinged up, dirty, or gnarly. And I did a quick measurement. The width of the rose handle chip knife at the top is 3/4", the width of the composite handled knife at the top is 1 3/16" - a major difference.
- Lora
Don't know why the link isn't working, so I will try it here ...
http://mountainheritagecrafters.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=148_147 ... and you can copy and past.