Blade: 440C High Chromium Stainless Steel, Hardened and Tempered to Rockwell C59, hollow ground and mirror polished
Fittings/Bolsters: 304 Stainless Steel, mirror polished, hand-engraved by Jay
Handle: Polished Nephrite Jade and Multicolored Moss Agate doublet gemstone
Sheath: Ostrich Leg Skin Inlaid in Hand-Tooled 9-10 oz. Leather Shoulder, Latigo Lace bindings
Case: Cherry, Western Red Cedar, Red Lauan
(Philippine Mahogany), Rock Maple, Ipe, Brass
Case Specs: Size: 22.5" (57.2 cm) wide, 14" (35.6 cm ) tall, 3.5" (8.9 cm) deep,
Weight: 9.5 lbs.
Knife: Named for one of the hunting
Greyhounds of "Bootes the hunter" in the northern star constellation
Canes Venatici, Astarion is a muscular knife in its finest form. The
style was derived from my Stealth pattern, but
there’s nothing quiet about this piece of edged art. The
first thing you notice is the blade. Long,
graceful and thick, the mirror polish and sharp lines are some of my
best work, and I’m proud to have my new maker’s mark on it. I made the
blade from hefty quarter-inch thick stock, for great strength along the
spine. The blade is fully fileworked with my "Blazer" pattern for a
stunning effect, with over 930 individual hand
cuts through the tapered tang from the point to the
matching pattern on the choil. The bolsters are brilliant 304 high
chromium, high nickel austenitic stainless steel for extreme longevity
and zero care, and I’ve engraved a fitted, generous,
leafy pattern on them. The front sculpted bolster extends well into the
blade spine, so the thumb is fully supported by bolster width. The
engraved bolster pattern blends well with the
color of the rich and tough Nephrite Jade
gemstone from Wyoming. This
glacier-deposited jade is only the topper of a doublet-cut
gemstone handle; the underlayment is brightly
polished multicolored Moss Agate gemstone from Central America. The
stones compliment each other for a seamless
fit, with plenty of eye play in the colors and
patterns chosen. As far as durability, there is
simply no tougher, harder composition than jade and agate. With the deep
quillions and curving belly the handle
feels like it’s fused to the hand; it feels
great in either the traditional (forward) or tactical (reverse) grip,
enhanced by the texture of the profuse filework.
Sheath: The sheath of this knife is an
independent work of art. I’ve carved and tooled the body from 9-10 oz.
leather shoulder, and inlaid substantial full pieces of
rich, black Ostrich leg skin,
chosen for a prominent tapering pattern of
scales with visual interest and toughness. The
leather is hand-stitched with polyester sinew, with carved and tooled latigo-laced tension bindings fitted with brass screws and nickel plated
steel eyelets for a primal but elegant look and character enhancing the
exotic knife.
Case: One of the nicer cases I've made, this one
was commissioned by a great client. I've made it of many woods, inlayed
in a lined pattern, solid and thick and created and assembled with
spline joinery. The mount board is Cherry wood with inlays of Western Red
Cedar (Juniper) and the mounts are polished and finished Ipe exotic
hardwood for brilliant, tough and hard gleaming mounts. The case sides
and front frame are Red Lauan (also known as Philippine Mahogany) inlaid with splines and strips of Rock
Maple. Even the hinges are made of Red Lauan. Hinge pins and glass front
retainers are brass. The woods are oiled and waxed for a warm
luster. I've mounted a black lacquered engraved brass nameplate, and the
case displays the knife and sheath with class.
Copyright 1996-2024 by The Jay Fisher Company. All rights reserved. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction by any means and imposes fines up to $25,000 for each violation.
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