Sheath: Hand-carved Leather inlaid with
Burgundy Ostrich Leg Skin
Knife: The Kapteyn is one of my proven and
solid tactical combat knives, and I decided to create a new and
unique Kapteyn to showcase a stunning gemstone handle material. This
Kapteyn is very clean and sleek, with a nearly 1/4" blade thickness
at the spine, the deep and beautiful hollow grind is crisp and clean
in the mirror polished 440C high chromium martensitic stainless tool
steel blade. This blade has the highest corrosion resistance of any
stainless tool steel, and it's no wonder that 440C is industry's and
the military's choice for highly wear resistant ball bearings, valve
seats, and cutting tools. The blade has a tough point with a half
length top swage and a substantial thumb rise that is backed by full
and solidly mounted 304 austenitic stainless steel bolsters. This is
the same stainless steel that is used to create nuts, bolts, and
fasteners, and with high nickel and high chromium, is highly
corrosion resistant and requires no special care at all. The knife
has a fully tapered tang for good balance, and the handle is not too
large, fitting most medium-sized hands with comfort. In fact, the
snug handle seems like it belongs there, with the smooth finish in
all areas, slick and polished tang, contoured bolsters and rounded
and polished gemstone handle scales. The front bolster is sculpted
to span from the thumb rise to the forefinger quillon, and canted at
an angle to the blade for easy cleaning and a nice flowing look. The
rear bolster is smooth and polished, and the rear quillon hooks
nicely around the little finger in a forward grip or around the
forefinger in a reverse grip style. The handle material is very
special; it's called Cobra Jasper or Script Stone and comes from
India. The maroon-burgundy field is filled with yellow-orange swirls
of compacted material, and when viewed at various angles looks like
ancient mystical writing, thus the alternate name. There isn't
really a lot known about this stone in print, but I can tell you
what I believe it to be. When viewed under the microscope (a very
neat thing for any of my gemstone knife handles) you can clearly see
the growth rings and layers inside each piece of what appears to be
fossilized seashells. There are shell forms, ridged outer surfaces, round, ring-like forms appearing to
be crinoid-like fossils, and tiny, jet-black bands of hematite, as
well as clear agate crystal voids and milky quartz. These look like pockets
in the original material that were filled at a later time. So you
can imagine a very ancient (hundreds of millions of years ago) sea
where the shells of mollusks have accumulated in a muddy sediment,
and they are eventually (tens of millions of years later) replaced by
stone. The sediment has a higher iron content, and thus the reddish
color. Fascinating stuff! Other lapidaries have had problems
finishing this material, but I find it cuts, shapes, sands, and
finishes well, smooth and hard, and is very solid taking a near glassy
finish. And the colors and patterns: striking!
Sheath: The sheath for this beautiful knife was
a challenge, as I wanted to match the character of the stone and
enhance it's natural beauty. I chose 9-10 oz. leather shoulder as my
canvas, and created 18 individual carved inlay fields for burgundy
Ostrich Leg Skin inlays. They are curved to echo the curves of the
fossilized shell, and rest in bright beige-yellow died leather,
hand-stitched with polyester sinew, lacquered and sealed. The sheath
displays the striking handle yet protects the owner from the blade's
razor edge.
A unique and striking knife with some great character and color.
Copyright 2010 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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