Sheath: Blue Stingray Skin inlaid in hand-carved leather shoulder, nickel plated steel snaps
Knife: This Amethystine dagger is one of the most beautiful and striking daggers I've ever made.
Commissioned by a special client for his wife, and based on my "Amethystine" athame
pattern, this particular dagger is a refined, classy presentation of bright silvery sterling silver and
stainless steel with cool blue gemstone. I shaped the dagger blade with a tight, 3" diameter
hollow grind, to preserve plenty of spine flat, and yet yield thin, accurate relief behind the extremely sharp
cutting edge. The tight radius grind left a good portion of spine flat in this leaf-bladed dagger, onto which I
hand-engraved intertwining leaves in a simple, clean design at the client's request. The dagger grinds are terminated at
two forward guard spikes on the blade, with just a touch of vine filework on the ricasso. The blade is cleanly soldered
to a milled, sculpted, and polished guard of solid 304 high nickel, high chromium austenitic stainless steel, which matches the
clear, oval and solid mirror finished pommel threaded on to the hidden tang. The handle is made of black matrix Sodalite
gemstone, brightly polished, interrupted with spacers of 304 stainless steel. The gemstone handle is grooved to accept
five independent wraps of sterling silver twisted wire, terminated with sterling silver gallery wire and sterling
silver plate ferrules. Many pieces go into a handle like this, including hidden pins, anchors, retainers, and tang
segments. Total pieces in the entire knife? Exactly 40. The knife feels solid in the hand, with perfect forefinger
balance just behind the guard.
Sheath: A special sheath was needed, and my client expressed an interest in Blue Stingray skin, so I
designed a sheath that would echo the leaf shapes in the 17 individually cut and shaped inlays, which are set deep into
the 9 - 10 oz. black dyed leather shoulder. The leather was meticulously carved to accept the multiple inlays, which
embrace the front and back of the striking sheath. I created a trio of windows in the sheath face to accent the leaf
patterns on the blade, and also in the double-snapped angled cross-strap retainer, to showcase the beautiful handle. Total
individual pieces to make the sheath? Try 38!
This has to be one of my favorite pieces, destined to be cherished for generations to come, and I'm proud and
thankful that my client commissioned it and with great patience, waited for its creation!
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