Weight: Knife: 4.8 oz. (136 grams) Sheath-Vertical: 4.5 oz. (128 grams), Sheath-Horizontal: 4.3 oz. (122 grams)
Blade: CPM154CM High Molybdenum Powder Metal Technology Martensitic Stainless Tool Steel, Cryogenically Treated, Hardened and Tempered to 61HRC
Sheaths: Hand-stamped leather shoulder in brown basketweave
Knife: Asked to make skeletonized, lightweight working knives that can be used to work the nightshift in double duty as counterterrorism
defense, I've upgraded and reinvented an older pattern of mine. The Random Access (version 1) is a great
older model of mine, made for and used by craftsmen, carpenters,
roofers, and all types of guys who demanded a very lightweight,
simple, tough and durable blade made to the best reasonable quality
for heavy work. This is Version Two, a larger, more robust version
of the original. The blade is longer, the handle is fuller, the
blade is thicker, but the basic sweeping geometry is the same. This
knife was noticed for its counterterrorism potential, that is, a
working knife that would be unobtrusive in style and carry, yet with
the necessary strength, durability, and geometry for basic defense.
Though it looks outwardly like a working knife, even perhaps a
skinning and fleshing knife, it's much more than
that. I started with a special steel, CPM154CM, a powder metal
technology stainless tool steel blade. This steel has high carbon,
high chromium, and high molybdenum; it's essentially a high
chrome-moly tool steel on steroids. It's very tough while being hard
and wear resistant, so tough that I can temper it to 61 Rockwell on
the C scale and still be confident that it will not be brittle. I've
given it the maximum treatment: deep cryogenic processing with many
hours of cryogenic aging at -325°F, followed by three tempering
cycles with deep cryogenic holds in between for the maximum benefit
of thermal cycling and stability. This is the best this steel can
be, though you wouldn't notice it from the working-class flat media
blasted finish. The finish is non-glare, all business, and muted.
The hollow grinds are extremely deep and the edge is very thin
and sharp, yet durable, and the squarish-shaped dropped/clipped
swage point is very tough. I've
included a short yet effective swage at the first inch of the blade
to reduce cross-section at the point, and the knife is a serious
penetrator without appearing so. The design of the finger rings is a standout
with this pattern, and it offers extreme security of the knife and
complete control. The knife can be easily held without threading
fingers through either ring, or just the forefinger through the
front ring, or the small finger or ring finger can be threaded
through the back ring. This forms the hand into a solid, reinforced
fist, and aids in defensive posture, or aids in adding rigidity and
pressure to the blade for working chores. The upward sweep of the
blade spine is best controlled with the thumb resting on the spine,
and tremendous pressure can be applied to this slicer. The deep
choil gives a definite point for the sharpening, while adding an
unnoticeable sharpened hook. The knife is comfortable in reverse
grip as well. All areas of hand-contact of this
skeletonized knife are rounded and contoured and smoothed for
comfort, so no abrasive corners are available in a forward or
reverse grip. What this knife offers is steel technology, strength
and durability, low maintenance finish, and extremely light weight
and maneuverability.
Sheaths: The knife needed two sheaths,
one horizontal wear, one for vertical wear. The leather is 9-10 oz.
leather shoulder, a very thick and tough leather that I treated and
hardened. I applied standard basketweave hand-stamping and dyed the
sheaths a working-class medium brown (vs. the more noticeable Law Enforcement
black), and hand-stitched the sheaths with polyester sinew. The
vertical sheath uses standard tension for security, the rear handle
ring is easily and quickly accessible. The horizontal sheath uses my
original and unique ring retaining stud of thick leather, which
holds the knife in the sheath until the sheath is forced to bend
away from the ring, allowing easy withdrawal. The knife stays put,
even in horizontal position at the middle of the back, under a
shirt, jacket, or coat, or in a horizontal position in the front
just to the right or left of the belt buckle. The belt loops for
both the horizontal and vertical sheaths are designed to tightly
grip the standard tactical 1.25" web belts, such as the Wilderness, La
Rue, or other tactical web belt of double thickness. These
sheaths will be tight
and secure on these belts, standard for the industry. The particular
sheaths I included for this model are: vertical: left side wear with
cutting edge facing back, and horizontal: left side wear with
cutting edge facing down, either in left front or left side middle
of the back. For traditional wear, this is a left-handed rig.
If the blade is worn edge up, or is expected to be used in
reverse grip style, this rig accommodates right side wear.
A knife that is all work, but can double as a counterterrorism
defense when necessary without a lot of flash and gimmick. A real
performer, a super-tough stainless steel workhorse, and a bit of security at the side.
Copyright 1996-2024 by The Jay Fisher Company. All rights reserved. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction by any means and imposes fines up to $25,000 for each violation.
Learn more.