Sheath: Hand-carved, hand-dyed Leather Shoulder inlaid with green, tan ray skin, nylon stitching, stainless steel welt screws
Knife: I named this new design Wisp,
because, at first glance, it seems to be just a narrow wisp of
steel. However, this is a substantial fillet knife with a big
presence! The design is clearly large enough for marine fish and
slicing large and heavy pieces of meat. It can be used for large
trimming, boning, and separation. This is because unlike thin
and flexible fillet knives, this one has a thick, strong, and stiff
spine, supporting a workhorse of steel cutting edge, long and
straight.
The steel I chose for his knife is Food Contact Safe CPM154CM, a
powder metal tool steel, a high technology steel known for
extremely even distribution of alloy elements and a uniform
microstructure. It's a high molybdenum stainless steel, and
the molybdenum aids in forming nucleation sites for complex
carbide development. The moly also increases the toughness
dramatically, resulting in a blade that's extremely durable.
This allows me to temper the steel at a higher overall
hardness, for great wear resistance as well. The high
chromium and high carbon results in profuse chromium
carbides, increasing corrosion resistance as well as wear
resistance. To bring this steel to its zenith, I used my
proprietary T3 deep cryogenic process in heat treating this
blade; it's a highly detailed, extremely sophisticated
process that takes 33 individual steps and takes over a week
long. The result of this is an incredibly wear-resistant
blade that has extremely high carbide development, fine
grain, and extremely high toughness. Asperity is reduced;
the microstructure development is superior to any other
typical handmade knife, and far above any factory or
manufactured knife. This is, simply put, 154CM Powder Metal
steel at its very finest advanced condition. The grind is
hollow and narrow, well-balanced and even developing the
correct geometry for a very thin, single bevel cutting edge.
Because of the tight grind, I was able to leave a
substantial thickness of spine, and even at the halfway
location of blade length, it's still 1/8" (3 mm) thick. This
means a very stiff, strong blade with a razor-keen cutting
edge of very hard steel. There is very limited flexibility
in the knife blade at the point, making it a great slicer
for many chores, not just fillet. The long-straight edge
means the knife user will know precisely where his edge is
within the cut, no guessing about the location due to a long
curved edge. I used no filework that would make the knife
hard to clean and the spine and fully tapered tang are
smooth and even. The handle is "light and tight" with clean
lines, no filework for easy cleaning, and good hygiene and
food safety.
I bolstered the knife with large,
zero-care 304 high chromium, high nickel stainless steel
bolsters, which are contoured, rounded and finished for a
comfortable feel. The bolsters are secured with
zero-clearance peened pins and dovetailed to bed the handle
scales. The rear bolsters have a deep hawk's bill quillon,
locking the hand into the handle well, and the deep
forefinger groove offers safety in using this long knife.
The handle scales of this knife are
understated and graceful, flowing with the lines. This is
Willow Creek Jasper from Idaho, a light pastel, even, clean,
and smooth jasper that is very tough and durable. There are
cloud-like forms in the jasper that are simply difficult to
photograph. The jasper seems to change it's almost
white, light hue from
greenish to bluish, depending on the light, a curious effect
of this nearly white stone. It's a true chalcedony, very
hard and tough, and the smooth surface feels clean and
inviting.
The knife feels elegant and graceful in
the hand. It's a long, tough, and narrow blade, and begs to
be used, feeing lightweight and yet substantial all at once.
A classic beauty,
this knife is
food-contact safe.
Sheath: It was a challenge to match a
sheath to this bold piece, since white or pastel wasn't really an
option with leather and skin inlays. I decided to go with the hints
of color that would be complimentary, with tan and green ray skin
inlays in a black background. The 19 individual inlays lightly weave
and flow over each other throughout, quite a piece of work. I made
this 9-10 oz. leather extra thick and stiff; it's got a lot of blade
to protect and be protected from! It's a high-backed sheath with a
top belt loop position for comfortable wear, and is stitched with
heavy nylon throughout, reinforced at the mouth with stainless steel
welt screws. Lacquered for longevity and easy cleaning, a striking
compliment to the knife.
An elegant and tasteful fillet and slicing knife, with classic
lines and a stunning work of art sheath.
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.
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