Daqar Custom Dagger
"Daqar" Fine Handmade Custom Dagger
- Size: Knife: Length overall: 13.25" (33.6 cm), Blade Length: 7.6" (19.3 cm), Thickness: 0.262" (6.7 mm)
- Weight: Knife: 16.8 oz. (476 grams), Sheath: 6.6 oz. (187 grams)
- Blade: CPM154CM High Molybdenum Powder Metal Technology Martensitic Stainless Steel,
T4 Deep Cryogenically Treated, Hardened and Tempered to Rockwell HRC60, Mirror Polished,
Hand-Engraved
- Fittings: 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel,
Mirror Polished, Hand-Engraved
- Handle: Nephrite Jade Gemstone (Wyoming)
- Sheath: Hand-carved Leather Shoulder inlaid
with American Bison Skin
- Custom: This is a great custom
knife, made for a special client. He wanted my take on my Daqar
design, in his own unique style with full engraving and a dark and
rich jade handle. The actual form of this style dagger originates in
the bronze age, as early as the Early Dynastic period (2900 B.C.).
Daggers are very, very old. Daggers were made 50,000 years ago in
the Stone Age, with full, double-edged blades and solid handles, a
wonderful form. It was an honor to make this Daqar with full,
detailed hand-engraved embellishment.
- Knife: Daqar
is the Greek-Hebrew word that means "to pierce through." Daqar
is used 11 times in the Bible; it's a very old word and appropriate
to the form. My client and I wanted an incredibly clean, sleek, and strong form,
focused on the elegance and function of the history of the dagger,
in the most advanced form, materials, and treatment with fine
detailed embellishment.
- Blade: The steel for this project is
CPM154CM high alloy, hypereutectoid stainless tool steel. This is a powder metal technology tool steel, with
very high carbon, chromium, and molybdenum content. When
properly treated, this steel forms an extremely tough blade,
resistant to fracture, while being extremely wear resistant and
highly corrosion resistant. This is due to iron carbides,
chromium carbides, and molybdenum carbides that are formed and
improved when the steel is deeply cryogenically processed. I
heat treated this blade with an incredible and detailed process,
with quenching to -325°F and a 63 hour cryogenic soak for
full martensitic transformation and carbide development. With
quadruple tempering and deep cryogenic cycling between tempers, the
entire process to heat treat the steel took 15 steps and
112 hours. This sophisticated process is what is necessary to bring out the very best of
this steel's properties. These properties could not be superior
without an excellent geometry. I hollow ground the blade
with a 3" radius wheel so the edge would be extremely thin and
sharp while retaining the thick, strong, and supportive spine of the blade
The ricasso is thick and solid, supporting forces applied
through the
guard and handle. The ricasso and flat of the blade I
hand-engraved with an elegant floral pattern. All engraving
of the blade must take place before heat treating, because
after treatment, the blade is so hard that it can't be cut.
So the engraving is a testament to my treatment, as less
than one-thousandth of an inch of the surface can be removed
after treatment to bring the blade to mirror polish without
destroying the fine engraving. The geometry brings the blade to a
needle-like point, yet with great strength and toughness. I
mirror-polished the rest of the blade completely for the highest corrosion
resistance, durability, and beauty.
- Fittings: I wanted an original and unique
guard and pommel pattern for the handle of this Daqar. These fittings I
milled and ground from thick, strong 304 high chromium, high nickel
austenitic stainless steel, for zero care ever; it's the
same stainless steel used on stainless nuts, bolts, and
fasteners. Being very tough, it takes a beautiful polish,
and I designed a guard with some full, bold faces for the
engraving field. I fully engraved these, matching the blade
engraving, and the guard is fitted, pressed, and soldered
and sealed in
place for permanence. The pommel is a small pommel, with
nice complimentary engraving, and the shape of the pommel
and handle is similar to the bayonet style, called a
"plug" bayonet, historically used to plug into the barrel of
the rifle in hand-to-hand close quarters combat. The style
is light and forms well into the hand, without excess weight
in the pommel that could leave the knife out of balance, or
dig into the palm. The
hidden tang consists of a fully welded and post-weld-treated
stainless steel 5/16" threaded shaft, to which the pommel is
threaded fully upon, tightly secured and sealed with jeweler's
quality epoxide thermosets.
- Handle: My client requested a dark and
bold piece of Nephrite Jade gemstone from Wyoming. This is a
beautiful and extremely tough gemstone, and will clearly
outlast the blade, and everyone who will ever touch it! Why
do I say this? There is nothing that can scratch or cut this
wonderful gem but diamond, cermet, or silicon carbide
abrasives, and nephrite is simply the toughest (most
resistant to breakage) gemstone I ever use. This is
incredibly durable, and strikingly beautiful. The jade has
dark and rich green color and just a few hints of some
lighter areas for visual interest. It's blended seamlessly
to the stainless steel guard and pommel, supported by the
large threaded tang running down through the center. As
you can imagine, drilling this chunk of solid jade was,
well... time consuming and difficult, using all diamond
tools.
- Feel: This dagger feels imposing and
smooth, light and substantial at the same time. The gentle
curve of the handle is wonderful in the hand; it's hard to
put it down. The wide, thick and supportive guard protects
the hand in a traditional style, and the pommel is gentle
and unnoticed in the palm. Weighing at one pound, this
solid knife has a perfect balance at the location of the
forefinger, just in front of the seam between the jade and
the guard. The thickness of the blade at the ricasso
reveals the great strength of the blade.
- Sheath: My client hinted that it would be nice
to reflect a complimentary design of another knife that I made in
his collection, so I listened, and made this beautiful sheath in heavy
9-10 oz. leather shoulder, carefully inlaid with American Bison
skin. The sheath is tough and thick, yet displays the engraving in
the fittings and the handle while protecting the cutting edges. The
inlays are full panels in the front and back and also in the belt
loop. I stitched the sheath with heavy nylon brown thread, dyed the
leather a medium brown, and sealed it with saddle lacquer for
durability and longevity.
- It was a great honor to make this knife, with full embellishment
and elegant design. So many knives I'd like to keep, this is at the
top of the list, and I'm so happy my client can enjoy it in his
collection!
Thanks, J. N.!
Hi Jay!
I have received Daqar and I have been slow to respond but that has given me
more time to show off my newest knife.
This knife is much more than just a fine blade, it is a work of art. I still find it surprising at how many people first describe this knife as beautiful. Even for non-knife
people, that is the first word they use to describe this knife.
The sleek overall look is the first Wow that you see and think. The jade handle is even
better than I had first imagined when I requested it. All the fittings and seams are so
tight it is like they are all one piece, amazing workmanship. The engraving is, again,
beautiful and elevates the whole look of the knife to the next level. Jay, you have
outdone yourself in making this knife and I am very happy to have this in my collection.
Thank you for another great knife,
--J. N.
Please click on thumbnail knife photos