Knife: The pattern for the Nunavut was designed
with the direct input of a client in the new territory of northern
Canada, Nunavut, thus the name. It was such a beautiful style that I
decided that I would make the design in high art style, with
striking materials and embellishment.
The steel for this piece is 440C, the most corrosion resistant
stainless tool steel available, for the least worry and care in its
critical use, as well as long term stability with little care. The grind is hollow, accurate and well-matched side to
side, with a curved geometry that was difficult to execute but worth
the effort in every way, resulting in a blade that is razor keen
along an extremely curved cutting edge, which is what the skinning
knife style is
all about. The mirror polish is flawless and will help with cleaning
and longevity for many decades. The knife has full, punchy and bold
modified vine filework
around the fully tapered tang from the grind lead-off to the choil.
The fully tapered tang helps balance the weight of the knife and the
fulcrum point is
exactly at the forefinger location when held in forward grip. The
knife is bolstered with zero-care, high nickel, high chromium 304
austenitic stainless steel, into which I hand-engraved a fine,
deep relief Victorian pattern. Most engravers will not touch 304
stainless steel; it is one of the toughest steels to engrave, and
that is precisely why I love it. It will, literally, outlast
the owner, indeed multiple owners of the knife for generations. The bolsters are
dovetailed and lock a bedded pair of handle scales to the tang,
held with hidden rivets. The handle material is a gorgeous pair
of petrified wood gemstone scales. This material is hard jasper, a
microcrystalline quartz, in scarlet red to gold with areas of clear
agate and even crystalline forms included. This is a very hard,
tough, and durable gemstone, and will outlast all other parts of the
knife! I've sculpted it completely and all areas are contoured, radiused, rounded and smoothed for
comfort in grip and a high, glassy polish. The knife feels
robust and solid in the hand, incredibly well-balanced, and is one
of my finer pieces. I'm so glad I took the time to create this
unique style in exceptional execution and finish.
Sheath: A knife of this caliber needed a
special sheath, one that was designed exactly for the individual
knife. I enlarged and hand-carved a version of the engraved bolster Victorian design, carefully cut and tooled into the sheath
front and belt loop on the back. I took many hours to apply
individual hand-mixed colors with micro-brushes into the leather for
hand-dyed original beauty that reflects the color change from the
darkness of the engraving background through the scarlets and golds
of the gemstone handle. Hints of darkness around the leaf
edges help to bring forth the advancing tones, and give a bit of
seasoned look. The sheath is hand-stitched with black nylon thread for
strength, and sealed for longevity.
A stunning and elegant piece of classic work that I'm very proud of.
See the photo set below for beauty in action!
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