Macha Navigator Custom Knife
Macha Navigator Custom Knife
- Size: Length overall: 11.75" (29.8 cm), Blade Length:
6.5" (16.5 cm), Thickness: .246" (6.2 mm)
- Weight: Knife: 1 lb. 1 oz. (482 grams) Sheath:
8.5 oz. (241 grams)
- Blade: ATS-34 High Molybdenum Martensitic Stainless Tool Steel, Hardened and Tempered to Rockwell C59, Mirror Polished
- Bolsters, Fittings: 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel, Hand-engraved
- Handle: Australian Mookaite Jasper Gemstone
- Sheath: Hand-carved Leather inlaid with Lizard
Skin
- Case: American Red Oak, Exotic Redheart (Chakte
Kok), Poplar, Mookaite Jasper gemstone, Nickel Plated Steel
- Knife: The original Macha design is named for
the Celtic goddess of war, and is pronounced mak-kha.
This is a variation of the design, originally created for a
military combat navigator role but executed in collector's high
art fashion, with finest materials, finish, and embellishment. The blade of this Macha Navigator is ATS-34 high
molybdenum martensitic stainless steel, chosen for it's high
toughness and resistance to corrosion. ATS-34 is a "chrome-moly"
tool steel, with a splendid reputation for performance and
durability, exhibiting an extremely fine finish and high longevity. The blade is deeply
hollow ground, and brightly and beautifully mirror polished. The
hollow grinds are perfectly matched, with sweeping grind
terminations and crisp, clean lines. The blade has plenty of single bevel
razor-keen cutting edge, and two inches of my vampire rip teeth
serrations. The two-thirds top swage reduces point profile yet
leaves plenty of fully thick spine to support the blade. The spine
is very strong, as the blade is ground from 1/4" stock, yet
the deep grinds leave a thin and uniform cutting edge. The spine
and tang are fully fileworked with a modified vine pattern, and the
tapered tang helps to balance the weight exactly at the forefinger
placement in forward grip style.
The large front bolster is sculpted, contoured, and polished on the front face and the rear
bolster features a through-tang 5/16" lanyard hole. Both bolsters
are made of high chromium, high nickel 304 stainless steel, a
zero-care stainless of tremendous toughness. I mirror-finished the
bolsters and hand-engraved them with an aggressive interlocking
pattern. The dovetailed bolsters bed a pair of book-matched Mookaite
Jasper gemstone handle scales. This striking gemstone is
exceptionally hard and extremely tough, and the striking color pattern ranges from white to dark red with
variations of yellows. This is a marine fossiliferous chert (flint), and comes
from Mooka Station, West Australia. It's fascinating to think of
what sedimentation and geological events had to take place to create
this unique gemstone. The stone even has a metamorphic area near the rear bolster
that is cryptocrystalline quartz chalcedony,
smooth and glassy. This is a fascinating gemstone and is smooth
and inviting and comfortable in the hand.
- Sheath: The sheath for this beautiful knife had to be
commensurate with the knife, so I created it with 21 inlays of matched brown
Teju (Tegu) lizard skin inlaid
in 9-10 oz. hand-carved leather shoulder, hand-stitched with polyester sinew, dyed tan,
lacquered and sealed. The sheath has a deeply plunging mouth to
frame and accent the gemstone handle, and a high back to protect the knife and
wearer. I constructed it so that an easy finger pull of the hawk's
bill quillon on the rear bolster pulls the knife. The lizard inlay pattern echoes the curves and lines of the
engraving, and even the belt loop has lizard skin inlays.
- Case: My client requested a commensurate display,
presentation, and storage case for this beautiful knife,
so I made a custom work just for him. I wanted to match
the bright and bold colors of the gemstone and sheath of
the knife, so I created a hardwood case in American Red
Oak and exotic Redheart (Chakte Kok) hardwoods. The two
woods combined beautifully, and I used a special double
dovetail joinery technique for the corners to add some
striking pattern and accents. The top is made of the
same hardwoods with a hand-carved and polished inlay mosaic of the
same Mookaite Jasper gemstone I used in the handle, and
the design pattern matches the engraved motif of the bolsters
and the inlays of the sheath. The gemstone mosaic is
repeated on the inside, on the Poplar wood inset that is
carved to envelop the knife and sheath. All of the wood
colors are natural, and the case is finished in lacquer,
inside and out. A natural suede leather bottom beds the
knife and sheath, and the hinge is continuous in nickel
plated steel for durability.
- A great and unique ensemble for investment, collection, or use!
Thanks, D. M.!
Got it today, Jay. WOW. The blade feels massive. Awesome... the blade, sheath and case
all work together very nicely. I'm proud to own another example of your truly unique
and special art work.
--D.
Please click on thumbnail knife photos