- Joined
- Feb 28, 2002
- Messages
- 13,348
Ive had this knife for about a week and only now have been able to put it down long enough to organize a few thoughts. This collaboration damascus fighter is a knife that positively abounds in captivating details
. But Im getting ahead of myself. First a brief chronology on how this knife came to be.
At a post-Blade gathering of several luminaries of the forge held at chez Fisk, Ron Newton and John Fitch (the latter having recently attained his Master Smith credentials) got together for a collaboration piece. The process unfolded as follows:
1) Ron forged the Filicietti-style finger mosaic damascus billet from O1 and 15N20.
2) John forged and flat-ground the blades (2 were ultimately made).
3) Ron created the nickel-damascus S-guards, front ferrules, butt caps and frog buttons.
4) John fabricated the handles.
5) Ron created the birch-lined silver sheaths.
This was the way things stood at step 2 (pic by Newton). As you can see, the blades are similar but not identical, with slight variations in length and profile. The slightly larger blade ultimately became serial # 1 of 2 (so-engraved on the silver sheath), and now happily resides with me.
One of the really neat aspects of this whole experience was the way Ron kept me updated at all stages of development, including several pics of the work in progress. It was almost as if I got to peek over his shoulder at his shop from time to time. He definitely took customer service and communication to a whole new level. Now on to the completed knife.
My particular knife sports a mosaic damascus blade of 6 1/8, with an overall length of 10 ¾. The cased handle is dyed giraffe bone in a medium grey tone that really suits the overall look of the knife. There is a gentle palm-swell in the handle for added comfort. You will note that the nickel damascus front ferrule and the frog button on the sheaths are heat blued to match each other (a feature present on both knives, as will be seen). The silver sheath is perfectly-executed and provides an elegant complement to the knife itself. The clip formed into the sheath perfectly matches the clip in the blade and is an exceptionally slick touch.
The nickel-damascus S-guard and but cap are etched to a ghostly silver-grey from which the nickel shimmers and dances, particularly in the half-pennies of the guard. The mosaic pattern in the blade is quite stunning even more so than shown in the photos. Ron says his wife sees zebra skins in the patterns and I absolutely agree.
And for a final point, have a gander at the swirling pattern in the frog button:
Id like to thank and congratulate Ron Newton and John Fitch on their truly excellent work. I feel very privileged to call this example my own.
Cheers,
Roger Pinnock
At a post-Blade gathering of several luminaries of the forge held at chez Fisk, Ron Newton and John Fitch (the latter having recently attained his Master Smith credentials) got together for a collaboration piece. The process unfolded as follows:
1) Ron forged the Filicietti-style finger mosaic damascus billet from O1 and 15N20.
2) John forged and flat-ground the blades (2 were ultimately made).
3) Ron created the nickel-damascus S-guards, front ferrules, butt caps and frog buttons.
4) John fabricated the handles.
5) Ron created the birch-lined silver sheaths.
This was the way things stood at step 2 (pic by Newton). As you can see, the blades are similar but not identical, with slight variations in length and profile. The slightly larger blade ultimately became serial # 1 of 2 (so-engraved on the silver sheath), and now happily resides with me.
One of the really neat aspects of this whole experience was the way Ron kept me updated at all stages of development, including several pics of the work in progress. It was almost as if I got to peek over his shoulder at his shop from time to time. He definitely took customer service and communication to a whole new level. Now on to the completed knife.
My particular knife sports a mosaic damascus blade of 6 1/8, with an overall length of 10 ¾. The cased handle is dyed giraffe bone in a medium grey tone that really suits the overall look of the knife. There is a gentle palm-swell in the handle for added comfort. You will note that the nickel damascus front ferrule and the frog button on the sheaths are heat blued to match each other (a feature present on both knives, as will be seen). The silver sheath is perfectly-executed and provides an elegant complement to the knife itself. The clip formed into the sheath perfectly matches the clip in the blade and is an exceptionally slick touch.
The nickel-damascus S-guard and but cap are etched to a ghostly silver-grey from which the nickel shimmers and dances, particularly in the half-pennies of the guard. The mosaic pattern in the blade is quite stunning even more so than shown in the photos. Ron says his wife sees zebra skins in the patterns and I absolutely agree.
And for a final point, have a gander at the swirling pattern in the frog button:
Id like to thank and congratulate Ron Newton and John Fitch on their truly excellent work. I feel very privileged to call this example my own.
Cheers,
Roger Pinnock
