Aldebaran
"Aldebaran"
- Size: Length overall: 9.9" (25.2 cm), Blade Length: 5.6" (14.2 cm), Thickness: .200" (5.1 mm)
- Weight: Knife: 8.6 oz. (244 grams) Sheath: 4.7 oz. (133 grams)
- Blade: CPM154CM High Molybdenum Powder Metal Technology Martensitic Stainless Tool Steel, Cryogenically Treated, Hardened and Tempered to 61.5HRC
- Bolsters, Fittings: 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel, mirror polished
- Handle: Golden Midnight Agate Gemstone, Mexico
- Sheath: Hand-carved leather shoulder inlaid with Ostrich Leg Skin
- Knife: The Aldebaran is
named for an orange giant star in the constellation Taurus. I
wanted to make a very special Aldebaran, one as clean as possible to
showcase the fantastic gemstone handle that I would use. This is a
new gem for me, and an extremely rare one. In lapidary, you don't
see much gold and black together. Most of it that you will encounter
is called Apache Gold, which is a rock that is pyrite and
slate. Apache gold is a great stone, and I've used it before, but it
is particularly troublesome for several reasons. One, it is often
full of vugs (holes) and fractures, making it a dicey stone to work
with and one that has to be filled with a sealant. Also, Apache gold
is a softer stone, not very hard and durable, so its use is somewhat
limited to well-protected handles or handles that won't see a lot of
abuse, stress, or pressure. Over the last several decades, Apache
gold has become markedly worse, of lower quality, and not a lot of
it is worth putting on a handle.
Early in 2016, a very old stock of this
different and distinctive gemstone, Golden Midnight
Agate, became available from a singular supplier. While it resembles Apache gold in basic
appearance, it is not the same rock at all. This stock came
from a now played out and abandoned mine in Mexico, and it's the
first and only material I've seen like it. I've seen and worked with
a lot of gem, and this rock was a real find, so I acted quickly and
acquired what I believe is the last of this gem available in any
substantial size the
world. While you may see some small baroque cut and polished stones
and some cabochons of this rock, you won't find any pieces large
enough for a gemstone handle, something I'm always on the lookout
for. And from what I've seen, those few small pieces don't compare
to the pattern and beauty in what you'll see here. I think you'll
agree that it's one of the most striking
gemstones on earth. The material is agate, in a few whitish bands
but also interspersed with hornfels (the black component).
Hornfels are tough, prismatic, platy, and fine grained, so much so
that they are used in whetstones to sharpen knife blades. The most
striking component of this gem are the pyrite crystals, extremely
small cubes of pyrite, flowing through the gem. This is a hard,
tough gemstone, and well up to the use on a durable knife handle.
And there is nothing that quite looks like it on earth! People who
have seen it are awestruck at the beauty of this gemstone. Take a look
at the enlargements, and then take a look at the extreme 30
power enlargement of the gemstone below to see the cubic crystals. This is
fantastically beautiful stuff! I had to create a knife with this
special gem in mind, and this is what I believe to be the first
knife made ever to have this gem for a handle in the world. While I have
more of this stone, and I'm sure people will request it, there is
only one chance to make a first impression, and this is it!
I cut and polished the gemstone to a high luster, and the handle
scales are mounted and bedded to the tang, secured with hidden
rivets and dovetailed 304 high nickel, high chromium, zero-care
austenitic stainless steel bolsters. The bolsters are mounted to the
full tang by invisible 304 stainless steel through-tang pinned and
peened rods. The entire handle is rounded, contoured, and polished
throughout. I didn't want anything to overshadow the gemstone handle
scales, so I chose to leave this blade smooth, clean, and polished.
II made the blade from CPM154CM high molybdenum martensitic stainless
steel. This is a premium powder metal technology process steel that
provides an extremely well-balanced alloy with unique properties not
available in traditional foundry steels. With its high
molybdenum and high chromium content, this is an extremely tough,
wear-resistant tool steel. I've employed deep
cryogenic treatment in the heat treating and tempering process with
liquid nitrogen at -325°F and a 40 hour cryogenic aging for the
maximum precipitation and distribution of hard carbide particles in
the crystalline lattice of the steel. I used additional deep thermal
cycling in the tempering cycles at -325°F for the ultimate in high
wear resistance with high toughness this steel offers. This is an
exquisite, clean blade, with a smooth, even, appearance with no
visible grain and a bright mirror polish. The grinds are deep, with
a nice lead-off at the grind terminations for plenty of spine
strength, and the grinds are well-matched, and thin and durable at
the cutting edge, with a fine, acute point, and a thicker edge near
the ricasso. With the high hardness and increased toughness and
cryogenic processing, this knife will hold its edge an extremely
long time. The knife feels smooth and luscious in the hand, and the
balance point is right behind the front bolster quillon at the
location of the middle finger.
- Sheath: I wanted a sheath to match, but not
overtake the visual punch of the gemstone handle, so I made the
sheath in 9-10 oz. leather shoulder, and hand-carved large inlay
pockets in the front, back, and in the belt loop. I dyed the sheath
black, and inlaid the panels in black glazed ostrich leg skin. The
skin is smooth and glassy and clean, and the sheath is hand-stitched
with black polyester and sealed with acrylic for longevity.
- A unique, rare materials gemstone handle, with striking visual
appeal and fantastic durability in a medium-sized drop point
pattern.
Thanks, W. G.!
Received Aldebaran today, what a beautiful piece of work. It will be the jewel of my collection. You are a true craftsman, thank you.
--W. G.
Please click on thumbnail knife photos