Bulldog
"Bulldog" Fine Handmade Knife
- Size: Length overall: 12.0" (30.5 cm),
Blade Length: 7.0" (17.8cm),
Thickness: .277" (7.0 mm)
- Weight: Knife: 16.2 oz. (459 grams) Sheath: 7.2
oz.(204 grams)
- Blade: 440C High Chromium Martensitic Stainless
Steel, Hardened and Tempered to Rockwell C58, mirror finished
- Bolsters, Fittings: Hand-engraved 304
Austenitic High Nickel, High Chromium Stainless Steel
- Handle: Indian Paint Rock
Gemstone
- Sheath: Ostrich Leg Skin Inlaid in
Hand-carved Leather
- Knife: The Bulldog is a great tactical knife
design, and though originally created for close quarters combat, I made this
Bulldog as a fine collector's piece. The blade is beautifully hollow ground
and mirror finished 440C high chromium stainless steel for the
greatest longevity and best finish of the stainless tool steels. The
cutting edge is a single bevel on both sides, for a super sharp and
smooth edge. The
grind is deep and uniform, with nicely radiused grind terminations
and is very well matched. The blade has a full top swage and
substantial thumb rise, and is over 1/4" thick for great strength.
The tang is fully tapered and has deep and punchy filework from the
thumb rise to the choil. I left the finger ring clear, rounded, and
smoothly polished for comfort, inside and out. The bolsters are
zero-care high nickel, high chromium stainless steel, the same
stainless steel used to make corrosion resistant nuts, bolts, and
fasteners. This very tough stainless is hand-engraved in deep
relief; I created a pattern of scrolls and leaves that matches the
sheath inlays, and splashes that match the patterns on the gemstone
handle scales. The bolsters are mirror polished and dovetailed,
bedding a pair of unique Indian Paint Rock gemstone handle scales.
Indian Paint Rock comes from the Nevada desert, and it is claimed to
be limited in supply since the area of Death Valley where it
originates was turned into a national park. The gem is a hard,
compressed and metamorphosed fine sandstone, silt, or mudstone, with
areas high in iron (red) and manganese (black) which seem to be
painted on but are actually inclusions in the rock. These colored
areas take a bit more polish than the grayish substrate rock which
is satiny and smooth. This is the first Indian Paint Rock handle
I've made and possibly the first knife ever to have this handle
material. It's striking and abstract, and I wonder just what
geologic and mineralogical processes created it. The rock feels
great in the hand; the handle shape and contours are very
comfortable and with the knife weighing over a pound, it's a
solid and substantial piece of art.
- Sheath: The sheath is as elegant and finely
made as the knife. I chose a complicated scroll and leaf pattern,
hand-carved, hand-tooled into 9-10 oz. leather shoulder dyed in a
black cherry tone, and hand-stitched with a tight spacing of
polyester sinew. The sheath has 20 inlays of burgundy Ostrich Leg
skin to compliment the gemstone handle, and is smoothly contoured at
the edges, lacquered, and sealed.
- A beautiful rich and bold looking knife for the collection, unique and striking.
Thanks, T. S.!
Hi Jay
...what a beautiful piece of work. Much heavier in the hand than I expected and actually much larger
too for some reason. That is one serious knife. I love the filework on it, really makes the whole thing pop.
--T.
Please click on thumbnail photos