Handle: Polished Green, Black Canvas Micarta Phenolic
Sheath: Hand-Stamped Basketweave 9-10 oz. Leather Shoulder
Knife: The Nihal is one of the smallest knives
I make, a great knife for paring, work, small chores, or whenever an
extremely sharp and pointed blade is needed. It is named for the
second brightest star in the constellation of the rabbit (Lepus).
The actual cutting edge of the knife is only 2.5 inches long, but
those few inches are presented very well in extremely thin CPMS60V
high vanadium martensitic stainless tool steel. This is a rare
steel, as it has been discontinued and very little of the old stock
exists. Also known as 440V, it was the vanguard of the Crucible
Particle Materials tool steel line, powder metal technology tool
steels that are particles that are formed into a billet under
tremendous heat and pressure for uniform alloy distribution. The key
alloy here is 6 percent vanadium, which forms vanadium carbides at
the cutting edge, extremely hard particles that resist wear. This
steel is as corrosion resistant as 440C, but more wear resistant
than CPMS30V (S30V). Though hard to sharpen, it holds an extremely
long sharp edge. Since this steel can not be mirror polished, I made
the knife with a clean and smooth satin finish, and the blade is
thinly pointed, and evenly hollow ground. The spine and tang are
smooth with no filework, making the knife ideal for paring and easy
to clean. The three-fingered handle fits well in the palm, and the
304 austenitic high nickel, high chromium stainless steel bolsters
are zero care and very tough. I topped this knife off with striking
green and black layered canvas reinforced Micarta handle scales,
bedded and sealed with six 304 stainless steel through tang pins for
security. This is one tough, waterproof, durable, and long-lasting
knife.
Sheath: The sheath needed to be tough
and long lasting, so I made this one in hand-stamped and tooled 9-10
oz. leather shoulder, deep and protective of both the razor edge and
the knife owner. This is a high back style of sheath that allows a lower
wear on the belt, while protecting the wearer from the handle butt.
The pattern tooled is a small, intricate basketweave, elegant and
complete, even on the sheath back and belt loop. The sheath is dyed
medium brown, hand-stitched with tough polyester sinew, lacquered and
sealed.
A tough, useful, and stylish little knife up to any task; one
that will last for decades.
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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