Mercator
"Mercator" Custom Knife
- Size: Knife: Length overall: 11.5" (29.2 cm), Blade Length:
6.75" (17.2 cm), Thickness: .191" (4.9 mm)
- Weight: Knife: 11.6 oz. (329 grams) Sheath: 7.2 oz. (204 grams)
- Blade: 440C High Chromium Martensitic Stainless
Tool Steel, Hardened and Tempered to Rockwell C58, hollow ground and
mirror polished
- Bolsters, Fittings: 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel, mirror polished,
hand-engraved
- Handle: Snakeskin Jasper (Australia)
- Sheath: Hand-carved leather inlaid with rayskin
- Knife: This custom-made knife was commissioned
by a great client, and it was a pleasure to make just for him. The
Mercator is a great design, a tanto style tactical blade with
aggressive angles and a tapering profile. The blade is clean,
crisply defined 440C high chromium stainless tool steel, fully
hollow ground and hardened and tempered to 58C Rockwell for just the
right hardness balanced with the toughness this steel is known for.
The chromium content means it is the most resistant to corrosion of
all the stainless tool steels that have this performance rating of
high wear resistance. The smooth and graceful razor-keen blade has a
half-length spine swage to reduce the point profile without
sacrificing strength, with a substantial spine at the ricasso for
great handle-to blade rigidity. The fully tapered tang is completely
fileworked with a light vine pattern. The knife is bolstered with
zero-care 304 high nickel, high chromium austenitic stainless steel
bolsters, the same steel used to make stainless steel nuts, bolts,
and fasteners, and I hand-engraved a detailed fern-like pattern
that is echoed in the custom sheath inlays. The bolsters are
dovetailed and bed a pair of Snakeskin Jasper gemstone handle
scales, solid and brightly polished. This gemstone is a
microcrystalline quartz and comes from
western Australia, and is extremely hard and tough, one of the most
durable gemstones I've ever used. It is so hard, that I'm certain
that it will outlast the rest of the knife and still look like the
day it left the shop. This jasper has light colored lines with
lightning-bolt shaped veins of translucent agate, with deep red
tones. I took considerable time to bring out the lustrous polish,
and the balance point is at
the forefinger placement. The knife is smooth and comfortable to
hold, as all of the edges, profiles, and surfaces are contoured,
smoothed, rounded and polished.
- Sheath: Matching the sheath with the knife was
clear; I built one of my exotic inlay sheaths from hand-carved 9-10
oz. leather shoulder, tough and thick, inlaid with 23 individual
inlays of red rayskin. This rayskin is like interlocking bone, and
is very hard and tough. Even the double-row stitched belt loop has
rayskin inlays. The sheath is hand-stitched with polyester sinew for
durability, dyed a medium brown and coated and sealed. The sheath is
deep and protective, while allowing a view of the beautiful handle
material of the knife in a high-backed style that protects the
wearer.
- A handsome and striking ensemble, a classy work of edged
art.
Thanks, J. S!
Jay,
The Mercator looks great. It flows really beautifully.
--J.
Please click on thumbnail photos
