James Terrio first came to my attention through his great sense of humor and
support of Bladeforums. Looking further, reading through his web site and noting others' reports of their experiences with his work, I decided to contact him once I was ready to order a fixed-blade knife. From the first of our knife-specific conversations, he confirmed my choice.
Starting with, I told him I wanted a no-nonsense, pocketable fixed blade to "cut cheese 'n sticks 'n stuff. Also blue." He met me right there (heh), and came up with this (my first glimpses, for approval before heat treat):
james terrio said:
Blade specs: O1 Tool Steel, Full Flat Ground, Tapered Tang, 7 5/16", Swoony Plunge Line
(That last distinctive is my addition to its description; it's a favorite feature.)
Thus was born the Strix.
"Blue" turned out to be a surprising challenge, at least as far as hitting the Easy Button with commonly-available materials. Here's where James especially shone in working with
me: he understood that the shade of blue was very important to me (it was, in fact, a primary motivation for going Custom), and was both patient and creative in suggesting materials and/or the staining thereof.
Some of the possibilities (also known as, Rejected Ideas):
james terrio said:
(Dymondwood, stained wood, G10)
My own forays:
(Elderberry Corian, MinWax possibilities)
[I cannot overstate Jame's patience and help when it comes to matters of Blue.]
I finally hit upon the idea of Paperstone, based on how much I liked the weight and feel of my Paperstone-handled Buck kitchen knives. After a false start ("Denim" Paperstone turning out to be, for all intents and purposes, "Black"), I was able to locate a remnant of (discontinued-color-)Indigo Paperstone, and we were Good to Go. Huzzah!
(Chocolate-Paperstone-clad Buck knives, Strix, Denim sample, Indigo backdrop)
Meanwhile, back from heat treat on the Table o' Joy-- see it?
james terrio said:
And then, The Reveal:
james terrio said:
"Pocketable": The tab on the front of the sheath, made by Jame's wife Angie, serves as a push-off point when drawing the knife, and also provides a way to anchor the sheath (whether to a belt loop when the sheath's in my pocket, or within another bag, etc.) The magnet at the sheath's bottom provides extra security-- a very nice touch.
james terrio said:
In the most fortuitous of timing, after the months of waiting, my Strix arrived
on my birthday-- and this, despite a tracking number that indicated it would miss by two days. The knife arrived just before I left for my birthday dinner, so I have no pictures of its blade "pristine"-- here, it's already had Birthday Steak:
In hand:
In the month since I've had my Terrio knife, I've carried or kept it nearby every day, using it for everything knife-ly that has arisen, from food to fun and back again. I haven't had to try to like it; it's by far the most comfortable knife I've held, and it slices into or through every chosen material with aplomb.
Sticks!
Cheese!
Way-cool O1 patina:
But honestly, one of my favorite things to do with it? Cut newspaper. The grind James put on this knife is a thing of functional beauty. I love how readily the knife cuts through everything I want it to, how instantly it responds to stropping or a light kiss of ceramic. So, I cut sticks 'n cheese 'n stuff, then slice newspaper. Because it's fun.
This is my first-ever custom anything, and I couldn't be more pleased with the process and outcome, from start to finish. James listened to what I wanted (as best I could articulate it, with humor but also with some specific objectives) and created a knife for me that is far better than I knew to ask for. His communication throughout was excellent, including the many ways he reflected back that he understood my concerns/questions/sometimes ridiculously idiosyncratic affection for blue.
Thanks, James.
