Jay Fisher - World Class Knifemaker

"Kochel" Custom Art Knife

• Size:
  Knife: Length Overall: 19,25" (48.9 cm), Blade Length: 11.5" (29.2 cm), Thickness: .232" (5.9 mm)
  Stand: Length: 24.75" (62.9 cm), Depth: 6.0" (15.2 cm), Height (with knife): 8.75" (22.2 cm)
• Weight:
  Knife: 1 lb. 12 oz. (794 grams)
  Stand: 2.0 lbs. (907 grams)
• Blade: O1 high carbon tungsten-vanadium tool steel, hardened and tempered to 58HRC, mirror polished, hot blued
• Bolsters, Fittings: 304 austenitic high nickel, high chromium stainless steel
• Handle: Polished Polvadera Jasper Gemstone
• Stand: Hand-carved American Black Walnut, Wenge, Honduras Rosewood, Cocobolo Hardwoods, Polvadera Jasper Gemstone
• Knife: The knife Kochel was named for The Smith of Kochel, a legendary metal smith who became a soldier, and armed with just a bar of steel, stove in the gates of Belgrade. Had the Smith of Kochel had the chance to refine his bar, this knife is what I envision for him. This striking art knife project started with the input and drawings from my client, who wanted a custom piece with certain specific and original features incorporated into the design. From his original design, I refined the design, created the pattern and made Kochel. The knife blade has some unique features. The steel is O1 high carbon tungsten-vanadium high alloy tool steel, and I've mirror-polished the knife throughout and hot blued it to a deep, penetrating black, glassy finish. The large blade (over 11 inches long) has several hollow ground areas, with a 3" length of grind at the ricasso sporting my vampire rip tooth serrations, and over 8" of regular hollow grind, upswept to the large and aggressive swage area. This area has four deep, large serrations, and including all serration faces, the knife blade has 58 individual grind faces and about 340 file cuts! Bringing all these together was quite a challenge. Bringing them all to mirror finish goes way beyond what I had originally envisioned for Kochel, but I think the effort was worth it. The spine of the knife is strong and thick, with full filework throughout. The tang was left at full thickness for balance, and has multiple variable-sized finger rings that are fully contoured, smoothed, polished, and blued for a comfortable grip. The blade has a wide bolster-guard area with full coverage in sculpted, contoured, and mirror-finished bolsters in 304 high nickel, high chromium austenitic stainless steel. At the butt of the knife is a talon point (also called a skull crusher), bringing the point home that this is a substantial weapon and piece of art. The handle was an equal challenge to the blade to make. The material is solid Polvadera Jasper (with some Agate areas) from the Polvadera mountains in New Mexico, and the scales are sculpted, carved, and finished to match the tang and extend down the finger rings. They are dovetailed and bedded to the bolsters and tang. With a bright polish, this hard, tough, and solid jasper will outlast the knife. The handle feels very comfortable in the hand; the balance point is just at the tip of the sculpted bolster face, and the center of percussion is right at the main sweeping grind.
• Stand: Kochel had to have one of my original and unique stands, and I thought it would be best served with a Black Forest-type of dark, carved and woody flavor. I carefully calculated the balance point, position, and lines of the knife and designed the stand to compliment and accentuate the bold look. I hand-carved the stand in American Black Walnut hardwood with two claw feet with the members mounted crossways to each other. At the apex, the Walnut is bored and holds two turned and polished pegs of Honduras Rosewood, which are capped with Polvadera Jasper, matching the handle material of the knife. The pegs are retained with tapered pegs of polished Cocobolo hardwood. The Walnut carved claw feet rest on wormy Wenge African hardwood, chosen for its dark, intriguing grain and small wormholes, giving an ancient appearance. The knife balances on the first and third finger holes on two cannelures in the rosewood pegs. All of the woods in the stand are either polished or lightly oiled and are their natural color. The blade is suspended along the main leg of the stand, guarding it from contact. To top off the piece, I made a name stand of polished Cocobolo hardwood which holds a reversible black lacquered brass and red lacquered aluminum engraved plate for display options.
• A striking and original work of knife sculpture, custom made for a special client.

Thanks, A. V.!