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Option Descriptions
KNIFE PATTERN/STYLE: this selection refers to the
knife pattern itself. You can see my 356 knife patterns by
clicking
here. When you go to the patterns page, you'll see 68 group pages. Included in this textbox is the group page number where your
knife pattern can be located. Have the name of the pattern but don't know where
to locate it on the patterns page?
Look it up in the Alphabetic
Pattern List here.
HYBRID?: this refers to hybridization, that is, one style of knife
blade married with another style of knife handle. I can mix and match blade and handle
styles any way you want. Some adjustments may need to be made
in width at that junction, but let me handle that. If you're partial to a
particular knife handle, and a blade from another pattern, why not get the knife
you want? Over
350 Knife patterns here.
NEW PATTERN?: this selection specifies if the knife is a new
pattern or style. I work with clients on their own designs, getting them just the knife
they want. Be sure to email me the pattern, knife picture, or
drawing, or send by USPS
mail. Please send only copies, you keep the original!
Email:
Email Portal Here
United States
Postal Service mailing and shipping address:
| Jay Fisher |
| 1405 Edwards |
| Clovis, NM |
| 88101 |
See all 68 group pages of 356
patterns and styles here.
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BLADE LENGTH: the blade length
your prefer may deviate from
the pattern. Enter your blade length here. The blade length is
legally specified (in most states) from
the front of the bolster or guard to the tip, not the length of the cutting edge.
BLADE THICKNESS: I have standardized the thickness
of most of my knife patterns. Lightweight small blades with taper grinds are .0625"
(1/16") thick, small knives are .125"
(1/8") thick, most medium to large knives are .1875"
(3/16"), and
some larger knives are .250" (1/4"). Other sizes are available, and sizes may be specified
by the knife client. Note: some stock may not be optimal,
yielding thicknesses that are just under or over this thickness by up to .010".
Also, specifying a thicker blade will increase the cost of the knife, due to
increased stock prices and extra machining effort and expendables. Read details about
knife blades,
geometry, and grinds here.
OTHER MODIFICATIONS
OF BLADE (HOOKS, GROOVES, CUTTERS): This option includes serrations, line cutters, gut
hooks, chisel edges, and specialties of the cutting edge. Please describe
amount, size, and location of these features if you require them and they are
not part of the pattern image from the patterns page. Be sure to include length
of serrations, and remember that serrations also subtract length from the
cutting edge! If you have a lot of details, please
email me. Read more about
blade serration geometry here.
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FILEWORK: Filework was created as a way to stop the
thumb and fingers from slipping on a slick spine, giving more purchase and grip.
Factory imitations of filework is called "jimping" and is
usually a machined set of regular cuts (yuuk). Filework by hand has
evolved into a decorative art form, fully customizing a knife. Interestingly, it is one
of the definite indicators of a handmade custom knife, because there is no
machine and no unskilled worker that can imitate the careful, controlled cuts along the length of the
blade and tang, as the cuts are reduced, enlarged, and adjusted along the length
to accommodate a tapered tang. It can be made quite beautiful, and you can learn
more about filework on the
Embellishment
Page here. There are
five options:
- FULL: Full filework extends from the point all the way around the
handle and tang to the choil at the start of the edge.
Full filework is the most valuable, looks best to the
collector, defines the knife as custom, and displays the talent and skill of
the maker, and gives the knife its "personality."
- SPINE ONLY: Spine filework covers the back of the spine, from the point
of the blade to the handle butt. This is a less expensive
file cut, still displaying the custom signature, but eliminating the
filework in the belly of the handle.
- BLADE ONLY: Blade filework is only on the blade spine, forward
of the handle. This is usually used when the owner
doesn't wish any filework in the handle area that would capture blood,
tissue, or debris, yet wants enough filework to accent the blade and give
him some purchase and grip along the blade spine.
- THUMB REST ONLY: Blade
filework is placed only where the thumb rests when gripping the knife
handle, to aid in friction and control. Acts as a nice little blade accent,
too.
- NO FILEWORK: No filework anywhere
on knife. The least expensive option, usually used in a tight budget, or a
tactical knife or chef's knife where any debris or irregularity of the blade spine would
hinder cleaning, corrosion prevention, or sheathing.
FILEWORK STYLE: This refers to the style of the filework. I offer a range of
filework styles, you can see many of them on the pages of this site.
If you know the name of the filework style or the knife name and page
description from this site, enter here. If not,
contact me
for specific requests. Most clients leave the filework style
to me, and I will choose a suitable artistic interpretation and application for
your piece.
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HANDLE SIZE:
Though most of my handles fit most hands, you may have a
specific need in size. Click
here on my
Knife Grip Tactics Page for
instructions how to fit the handle to your hand size.
- STANDARD?: Refers to the knife pattern. Is this the
standard handle size and style used on that pattern?
- HANDLE LENGTH: If the handle is not standard, specify length details here.
Please include length between quillions (if applicable) and overall length
of the handle. For instructions on how to fit the handle to your hand,
click here.
STEEL TYPE: This option refers to the type of steel used to
make the knife blade. Though there are many available steel
types, I use mainly 440C high chromium martensitic stainless steel, O-1 Tungsten-Vanadium
high alloy tool steel, ATS-34
high molybdenum martensitic stainless steel, and D2 extremely high carbon die steel. For
other steels, details, and descriptions
of these steels and their uses, refer to the
FAQ
page here: section "What's it made of?"
There is also more detailed information about blade steel on the
"Blades" page here.
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BLADE FINISH: The type of finish requested on the steel. Satin, sanded,
bead blasted or mirror. Read about the details of the final blade finish on the
blades page here.
- THE SATIN FINISH (or brushed finish):
The simplest finish is to leave the grind marks on at about 240 grit. Sometimes, this is
requested by clients who are going to scratch, rip, and scar the blade, and do not want to
pay for the effort to finish a blade that's going to be marked up anyway.
The least expensive finish.
- THE BEAD BLASTED
FINISH. This is accomplished by first grinding to 240 grit on
the grinds and flats, then bead or sand blasting to uniformly rough the surface. This
looks great on tactical, combat, or fighting knives where reflection of a shiny blade is
unwanted. It also compliments a knife blade that will then be hot blued, for a completely
flat black finish. The only drawback is that the texture of the steel surface tends to
hold water and debris, and can accelerate corrosion if not cared for.
On the positive side, the same rough surface tends to
hold waxes well, thus protecting the knife greatly.
- THE SANDED FINISH is very popular among knifemakers, but I seldom do it, and then only
by request. Most makers hand-sand blades along their length, and
their reasons vary. I've heard that "my buyers expect a sanded blade" and
"my sanding is perfectly aligned with the knife" and "I sand to 1200 grit
and you can look at my sanding with a microscope and it's perfect." Wow.
I personally feel that most makers who sand cannot achieve a fine mirror
polish, and it's a short, quick way to finish a blade. As
you can see, it's not my favorite...
- THE MIRROR FINISH is best, for a host of reasons. It's beautiful. High chromium and alloy
tool steels can be made to obtain a gorgeous finish, even D2 with its characteristic
orange peel appearance is enhanced by mirror finishing. A mirror finished blued blade is
stunning. The mirror finish has the highest appeal among most collectors and users. It
increases the value of the knife, also the cost as the blade labor is more than doubled
(that's probably why most makers just sand their blades). A mirror finish doesn't hold
debris, water, or corrosives. The blade slides through materials with less effort. And
there are some studies that indicate a high polish increases the break resistance of the
blade, because all fractures start from a surface imperfection.
The most important aspect is value. A mirror finish is worth more on a knife
for long term investment value.
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HOT BLUED
BLADES: Note: bluing is not offered on all types of steel and knives,
and some types of bluing cannot be done if it interferes with the blade temper or construction.
Each knife is different. I offer two types of hot bluing. Bluing is a passive
oxidation process, whereby the surface of the steel is submerged in a series of
chemicals that react with the steel surface, and oxidize it, creating a passive
surface that inhibits corrosion and colors the steel. It is NOT a rust proofing
treatment, it just inhibits rust. It is the same treatment that is used to blue
fine firearms, and they too will rust if not cared for. Bluing is NOT available for
stainless or high chromium steels. It is only available for O-1 and low and high
carbon tool steels.
Read more about the bluing process here.
TYPE AND COLOR OF
BLUING: There are two types of bluing, sodium or nitrate salts. In
sodium bluing, a jet black finish is formed, and this is the traditional finish
of modern steel firearms. The sodium finish is the thickest and most durable,
extending relatively deep into the surface of the carbon steel. It can be
eventually buffed away by use and rubbing, just like a firearm. It looks great
on bead-blasted O-1 blades for a flat black look. It's absolutely stunning on a
mirror finished blade, as the finish is polished, glistening jet black. No photo
can illustrate this appearance. The second type of bluing is with nitrate salts.
They can be used to produce a variety of colors ranging from purple blue to
vermillion (dark red) two dark golden straw. The colors are similar to the old
"peacock" bluing of antique firearms. They are the least durable of the bluing
processes, and will wear away after a period of years of buffing and rubbing.
They're best served on knives that are for collections and display as they will
change with age. Nitrate bluing is also less corrosion resistant than sodium
bluing.
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BOLSTERS,
GUARD, POMMEL MATERIAL: What the bolsters, guard, or
pommel are made of. Generally, this is a choice between brass, nickel silver, mild
steel, stainless steel, mokume gane, or pattern welded damascus.
Read more about the
details of these handles, bolsters, guards, pommels, and
materials on the handles,
bolsters, and guards page here.
LANYARD HOLE: Whether or not a lanyard hole is requested.
Lanyards have many purposes, but mainly are to secure the
knife with a loop of rope, leather or line to the wrist or a long line to the
belt (such as on sailors knives). A lanyard can help to locate a knife in the
dark or in foul weather. A short length of braided line can also be
included to ease pulling the knife out of a deep sheath. On
full tang knives
with no rear bolsters, hole is drilled through the handle
material and the tang and a liner tube is inserted. With rear bolsters,
the lanyard hole penetrates both bolster sides and the tang. With
hidden tang knives, the hole is
drilled through the pommel. I'll adjust the size of the lanyard hole to
fit the cross sectional area, bolster width and pin arrangement in the bolsters,
but usually the lanyard hole is between 3/16" and 5/16" (.1875" to .3125" or
.5cm to .8cm) In some knives, a bolster slot can be milled in the end of the
tang, where the tang extends outside of the rear bolster or handle material.
Because this is a specialized milling, it will cost more.
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OTHER
MODIFICATIONS TO THE BLADE OR HANDLE?: Any
other modifications requested on the blade and handle not
already listed above: please
email me with details. This may be decorative pinning, unusual features, enlarged
or reduced areas, or other features you've thought of and I haven't!
HANDLE MATERIAL(S):
The materials used in making the
handle. A
combination of these may even be used
in mosaic arrangements. Link to specific pages on handle materials:
- Gemstone knife
handles (my specialty): over 280 pictures in nine photo galleries,
details, questions and answers about gemstone knife handles
-
Hardwood knife handles: one of the best pages of hardwood knife handle
info on the internet: hundreds of pictures, names, descriptions
-
Horn, bone,
and ivory knife handles: details about all types of natural handle
material
-
Manmade material knife handles: lists of materials,
picture charts for comparison, uses,
descriptions, pros and cons
HANDLE MATERIAL
DETAILS: Email me
with other handle details. You might suggest a
dark colored hardwood, you might even know the hardwood's name (like Cocobolo).
If it's a bone type or ivory, you might suggest an animal, color, or pattern. If
it's gemstone, you might know the material (like Jade, jasper, agate or
petrified wood) and you might suggest a color or range of colors you're
interested in.
- Gemstone knife
handles (my specialty): over 280 pictures in nine photo galleries,
details, questions and answers about gemstone knife handles
-
Hardwood knife handles: one of the best pages of hardwood knife handle
info on the internet: hundreds of pictures, names, descriptions
-
Horn, bone,
and ivory knife handles: details about all types of natural handle
material
-
Manmade material knife handles: lists of materials,
picture charts for comparison, uses,
descriptions, pros and cons
ETCHING? Note: I only etched
mirror finished blades! This option is for etching on the blade.
I etch with my own lithographic process, in photographic resolution. I've got
some of the cleanest, sharpest etching in the business. It took me six years to
develop, and it is proprietary. What it allows is the cutting into a shiny
polished blade a deep, permanent darker image of text or graphics. I handle the
price of etching on a case by case basis, as each client's needs are different.
The least expensive to etch is text, followed by graphics, and if the graphics
and artwork need to be digitized from rough sources, this will add to the price.
Note: I only etch mirror polished blades! Etching
is usually a dark gray cut into the shiny metal. See fine examples of my etching on
the Commemorative Tactical and Military Knives page here,
or on my Embellishment page here
where I detail the process with examples.
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ENGRAVING? Engraving mostly
means hand-engraving of the bolsters, blade, filework or sheath metallic
components. That is the process of
laying out a design by hand, cutting into the blade before it is heat treated or
the bolsters after the handle is finished by hand gravers, sharpened hardened
tools made to chisel away the material. Hand engraving is deep, bold, and unique
as each design is hand cut. There are as many types of hand engraving as you can
imagine, and full time engravers sometimes charge $250 a square inch (that's
1/2" x 1/2")! I don't charge that much, but just like etching, I'll quote on a
case by case basis. The costs depend on the materials (some are very difficult
to engrave), the area involved, the grade and difficulty of the cut. I also do
machine engraving, that is with a computer numerically guided machine. It's not
as textured as hand engraving, but can produce very fine results in most
surfaces. See examples of both machine and hand engraving on the
Embellishment Page here.
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KNIFE SHEATH OPTIONS:
Select the type of knife sheath required here. Read more details on the
"Sheaths" page here. These are the types:
- BORDER TOOLED
LEATHER: This is my simplest leather sheath, included in the base
price of the knife. It is 9-10 oz. leather shoulder, tooled around the
borders, glued with waterproof cement, and usually hand-stitched with
polyester sinew, the toughest binder on the market. The leather is dyed to
accompany the knife, and sealed with waterproof lacquer.
- HAND-TOOLED LEATHER:
The next highest grade of leather sheath, usually includes all the features
of the Border Tooled Leather Sheath above, with full hand-tooling over the
face of the sheath, on the back and the belt loop. Looks very nice, custom.
-
EXOTIC INLAYS IN HAND-TOOLED LEATHER: These are the finest leather
sheaths I make, with all the features of Border Tooled Leather and
Hand-Tooled Leather above, and including inlays of exotic skins like
rayskin, shark, snake, stomach, cape buffalo, alligator, lizard, and others.
The best sheaths I make, these are the ones people ask me to make for all
their knives by other makers.... I won't!
- KYDEX ON
ALUMINUM FRAME: This is a tough military grade combat tactical
sheath. I use double thick aluminum welts nearly a quarter inch thick, with
two layers of kydex form fitted to the knife on each side. This is one of
the best knife sheaths made, period. No other maker makes a sheath this
tough. The layers are glued together with waterproof cement, and bound with
nickel plated or blued steel Chicago screws. Includes nickel plated steel
boot/belt clip or double aluminum belt loops screwed to the welts. Active
duty military swears by these sheaths as "bulletproof." Available in a
variety of colors, usually black, gray, Concealex®,
forest camo, desert camo. There are other colors, just ask.
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LOCKING KYDEX, ALUMINUM,
STAINLESS STEEL: This is the finest tactical sheath made. Includes
all the features of the Kydex on Aluminum Frame above, with the addition of
a stainless steel locking mechanism. The mechanism is hand made, all 304,
416, and 302 stainless steel, and positively locks the knife into the
sheath. Used where absolute security is desired, such as parachuting, combat
quads, and active combat. This is a knife sheath that will last as long as
the knife, even in combat. This feature adds $150-$200 to the cost of the
knife, depending on size.
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SHEATH
OPTIONS: Depending on the type of sheath you select, you may wish for
some options like a specific color, right or left side wear, cross draw or
traditional draw. You may wish to specify a belt clip, or belt loops. You may
want it completely waterproof and non-scratching and assembled with nylon
screws. You may
want to indicate type of exotic skin or color. Just be sure that I'll make a
sheath that is commensurate with the quality of your knife, and that it will be
one of the best knife sheaths made! Locking sheaths add at least $200 to the
base cost of the knife. Email me
with specific details.
SHEATH
EMBELLISHMENT OPTION: This option is for sheaths that require a flash
plate, engraving, or customization such as initials, monographs, names, or
graphics. Many military and tactical knives feature machine engraved lacquered
flash plates with the insignia and text of the particular organization. See many
fine examples on the
"Commemoratives" page here.
Some clients prefer initials engraved into the leather, or imagery, text, and
graphics cut right into the leather face of the sheath. I can do that for you.
Please email me with your details. Take a look at some of the fine sheaths
illustrated on the "Sheaths" page here
for ideas.
CUSTOM KNIFE STAND
OPTION: Click here if you want a custom knife stand for your collectors
or art piece investment. Each stand is made commensurate with the quality of the
knife to compliment and enhance the quality and appearance of your investment.
Please look at the "Custom Knife Stand" page here for
more details and pictures of my fine custom knife stands, ranging from simple
holders to elevate and display knives to wholly sculptural pieces of knife art.
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DELIVERY
DATE ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED! Some knives absolutely, positively have to be
delivered by a specified date. This is usually a military
deployment date, a birthday or holiday. While I cannot
guarantee delivery due to unforeseen events in my studio, such as injury,
materials availability, or family emergencies, I've never missed a rigid delivery date
after I've accepted a project and deposit in over 20 years. Please, please only use
this if absolutely necessary. Due to very long project lists, your delivery date
may not be workable. Thanks.
CLIENT INFORMATION:
Your information will NOT be given out, sold or in any way disclosed to
anyone, ever. I don't like my name on mailing lists and data sheets, and I'll
respect your privacy in the same fashion. You could fill out this form
anonymously, but it would be meaningless if I can't contact you. Please, serious
inquires only. If you'd like, just give me your name and email, I don't
absolutely need
your shipping address unless you order a knife from me.
Very important! Give me a valid,
carefully typed email address! If you don't, I have no way of contacting you
with your quote. It's surprising how often I try to contact a client, and he's
given me an undeliverable or non-existent email address. You can see the
current bad
email list at this link. HOW YOU FOUND MY SITE:
Help me help you. My business is making knives, and maintaining this website
as a professional knifemaker and artist. In order to tune my efforts to make the
best, most efficient, economical, and successful knives, knives that will
appreciate in value over the years, YOUR KNIVES, please let me know how you came
across this site and any other helpful information. THANKS! Jay
ANY
OTHER INFORMATION LEFT OUT OF THIS FORM: Thank you for taking the time
to fill out the form. Please help me adjust the form if there are options,
information boxes, or any other items I've left out of the form, or anything
that would help you to fill out and submit the form. I value your input!
PRICE: My price quoted to you. See
Custom Knife
payment
details here.
ESTIMATED DELIVERY DATE: While most delivery dates are not guaranteed,
I'll do my best to keep your knife in my lineup. Please remember, I may be
working on 100 knives at once, some of them large art projects, and I do
everything in the shop including maintaining this website and sweeping the floor
of the metal swarf from your knife! Thanks for your patience most of all!
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Contact me with any questions, or
to order a knife!
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