BLADE STEEL & HANDLE MATERIAL OPTIONS

These three new arrivals show a unique contrast in blade steel, finish and handle material.

MIKE CRADDOCK FORGED FEATHER PATTERN DAMASCUS FIGHTER The Mike Craddock Feather Pattern Damascus Fighter features a very popular pattern right now. This pattern is made by creating a 1” block, stacking Damascus several inches high, then cutting the steel with a dull wedge from top to bottom. This dull wedge stretches the layers as it splits, rather than a clean cut. The two pieces are then forge-welded back together stretching the bar out to expose a new seam and stretching the “feathers” even farther. Creating this pattern is very labor-intensive! On average 33% of the billets end up being thrown away. Because of this, Feather Pattern Damascus is one of the more expensive patterns. The guard on this knife is 416 Stainless Steel. Without a doubt, this handle material, Desert Ironwood, is the more popular wood used on custom knives today.  Its burls and grains combined with its natural stability, are what makes it so desirable. Excellent, tight Feather Pattern Damascus! Great balance; the contoured handle provides excellent handle ergonomics. The knife moves effortlessly in your hand. 

CLAUDIO AND ARIEL SOBRAL (CAS) FORGED SAN MAI FIGHTER This Claudio and Ariel Sobral (CAS) knife features a 420/1095 blade. The steel is produced by combining 3 layers which is the literal translation of the Japanese word, San Mai. The core of this particular knife is 1095 carbon steel and the outside layers are 420 stainless steel. The rough part at the top of the blade is called Brute de Forge, which are hammer marks made on the blade during forging. Most custom knife buyers are familiar with 416 stainless steel, which is primarily used for guards. 420 stainless is a higher carbon version of 416 that can be hardened by heat-treating it. The guard is 420 Stainless steel and the handle material is a synthetic, black micarta. Excellent example of a San Mai blade with a Brute de Forge (Hammer marks) finish. The knife has great balance and fantastic handle ergonomics. 

SCHUYLER LOVESTRAND IVORY F-1 SUB-HILT FIGHTER  The Schuyler Lovestrand’s F-1 Sub-Hilt Fighter features 154CM steel. This is high carbon steel features 14% Chromium. This gives the steel the ability to be polished to a mirror finish, should the client want that. Additionally, the steel features 4% Molybdenum which adds to the steels ability to hold its edge. The guard and sub-hilt are 416 stainless steel. The handle material is Mammoth Ivory. This Ivory is legal to work, sell, and own. Double hollow ground, double-edged, full tapered tang with red fiber liners. Schuyler is one of the very few makers who has mastered the full tapered tang sub-hilt fighter. $

Robertson’s Custom Cutlery is your source for custom knives from today’s leading custom knife makers. We only feature the highest quality knives at value prices. Our custom fixed and folding knife selection includes tactical fixed and folding knives, presentation fixed and folding knives, bowies, hunters and skinners, and a large selection of forged blades. Les Robertson, author and owner of Robertson’s Custom Cutlery, is also a Field Editor for Blade Magazine and an instructor at Blade University. If you have questions about the content in this article or about any knife or maker on our website, you can contact Les directly at customknives@comcast.net or (706) 650-0252.