David Lisch ~ Mike Quesenberry Integral S-guard Bowie

HTMD

HTMD

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Feb 15, 2002
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This outstanding collaboration knife by noted blade smiths David Lisch and Mike Quesenberry was offered by David at the Jerry Fisk 2017 Scoundrel and Scalawag Symposium (also known as the Fisk Micro-Show) in mid-October.

The knife was purchased and now resides in the Never Summer Collection (named for one of our famous Colorado mountain ranges) whence it came to me for photography. I immediately encountered epic struggles in digitally capturing the intense Damascus steel pattern and thus, the image was not completed in time for the knife to be considered in the BladeForums 2017 Best Bowie competition where it would have garnered attention and affection from traditional Bowie knife enthusiasts.

Those who attended or saw photographs from the event know that Lisch presented his offerings dressed as a pirate (see his pirate coin with the knife in the photo below). As much as any of the blades on his table, this big dangerous looking knife fit the swashbuckling image of a deadly side-arm, evoking pure Bowie legend essence.

David's layered 'Damascus' steel is a "Star Fire" mosaic pattern juxtaposing well-defined high-contrast layers packed tightly into a repeating pattern. My rough measurements indicated that this pattern contains about four times more visual data per square centimeter than anything I'd previously tried to capture. That pushed the limits of my flagship Canon cameras and lenses over the edge and ultimately sent me scrambling for answers. (interested readers note: this is not chatoyance - instead, see 'moire' for more insights)

In the end and with the help of many eyes, we came up with an image that fairly represents the amazing and intense Damascus pattern. Credit to David Lisch for expanding the envelope on this one! :thumbsup:

Here are the rest of the particulars:
OAL 15 3/4 in. Blade 10 1/2 in.
Forged integral blade/bolster/tang and (!) delicately drawn out "S" guard.
Ancient artifact walrus ivory with bronze pins
Paul Long sheath, russet color with elephant inlay

Lisch and Quesenbrerry S guard Bowie A net .jpg
 
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Outstanding indeed! And that steel in a freaking INTEGRAL with that guard . . . oh my!

Looks like the scales are museum fit. :thumbsup:

That would have been a sure contender in 2017 . . . but if I understand the rules, then it is still eligible for 2018 and in that case has set the bar very, very high.

Thanks for sharing that here, Buddy.
 
You can get lost in that damascus pattern just like staring at a page from a Magic Eye book (autostereograms).

Very elegant and seamless features with a totally badass profile. Love it.
 
Holy crap I'm not surprised that was hard to photograph. There's so much going on in that Damascus my eyes hurt trying to look closely at my phone to get good look at the detail haha. Super cool
 
This is a back-up image that didn't make the cut - not as much visual knife information, although it's kind of cool.

orig.jpg
 
Oh ya that picture was perfect. Some parts of the pattern totally look like angels with wings. I wonder if anyone else sees that too
 
What an beautiful knife.

I should've stuck with firearm collecting. It was so much cheaper.
 
Oh my.... :eek:

orig.jpg


Buddy, I always love your displays. That, and you set the tone for the appreciation like no other. (RogerP is a close peer! :))

So very complicated and Masterful. It's as if they were.... :D

A contender for the JW/BB2018 just took a shot over the bow.

Good thread.
 
SharpByCoop said:
Oh my.... :eek:
orig.jpg

So very complicated and Masterful. It's as if they were.... :D
Click to expand...
Thanks man. Your eyes were the first I consulted. :)
In the end I cracked that nut. I mean, you have to do it. You can't let the knife win. :D
Thanks also for putting up this enlargement from the link I posted above. It's amazing stuff. The hi-rez file makes it easy to understand the scope of the challenge as I experienced it.
The excellent handle, the lines and flow of the whole coupled with steel wizardry all conspire to create something distinctly 'dangerous' - not artsy, not nice. The vibe is back-off.
I caught myself being extra cautious handling it, like I was afraid something terrible was about to happen. I would stare at it on the monitor and forget what I was doing. It is relentless end to end - never fading or losing power. Respect!
 
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