Nunavut
"Nunavut" Custom Skinning Knife
- Size: Knife: Length overall: 7.625" (19.4 cm), Blade Length:
3.5" (8.9 cm), Thickness: .205" (5.2 mm)
- Weight: Knife: 9.3 oz. (264 grams) Sheath: 6.0 oz. (170 grams)
- Blade: 440C high chromium stainless steel,
hardened and tempered to 59HRC, mirror polished
- Bolsters, Fittings: 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel, mirror polished, hand-engraved
- Handle: Musk Ox Boss, stabilized
- Sheath: Hand-tooled leather shoulder, stainless
steel snap
- Knife: This is a great custom knife for a great
client in the newest northern territory of Canada, thus the name. My
client kindly supplied the information on the design he needed and
this is a true custom piece, from the shape of the blade, the
embellishment, and the special handle material he supplied. His
input was critical into this piece, and this demonstrates that true
knifemaking is a partnership between maker and client, between the
guy who makes the knife and the guy who will use and cherish the
piece for his lifetime.
The steel for this piece is 440C, the most corrosion resistant
stainless tool steel available, for the least worry and care in its
critical use. The grind is hollow, accurate and well-matched side to
side, with a curved geometry that was difficult to execute but worth
the effort in every way, resulting in a blade that is razor keen
along an extremely curved cutting edge, which is what skinning is
all about. The mirror polish is striking and will help with cleaning
and longevity for many decades. The knife has full, bold filework
around the fully tapered tang from the grind lead-off to the choil.
I made the taper with just enough extra thickness at the butt of the
handle to support the handle material, and the balance point is
exactly at the forefinger location when held in forward grip. The
knife is bolstered with zero-care, high nickel, high chromium 304
austenitic stainless steel, into which I hand-engraved an
overlapping leaf pattern at my client's request. The bolsters are
dovetailed and lock a bedded pair of handle scales to the tang,
which are secured with six 1/8" through-tang 304 stainless steel
pins. All areas are contoured, radiused, rounded and smoothed for
comfort in grip. This is a beautiful handle material, supplied by my client,
stabilized Musk Ox Boss. The boss is a thick plate of bone that is
the base of their huge horns, used to butt heads with other rival
bull Musk Oxen. The black area in the handle is the remains of
hematomas, or areas where bleeding has occurred due to intense
impact. The handle is pearlescent, with beautiful patterns, and a
silky smooth polished feel; a great material to work with, and I
thank my client for the experience!
- Sheath: My client wanted a simple, unadorned
sheath (which is hard for me to make!), so I focused on security and
durability foremost. I could not recommend kydex or plastic of any
kind, because of the extremely low temperatures this knife is
expected to perform in (plastics will become brittle and crack).
Only leather would do, so I made this one in 9-10 oz. leather
shoulder, simply border tooled, and built extra strength throughout.
The entire sheath, belt loop, and welts, are all hand-stitched with
double row stitching in nylon for the highest strength. The belt
loop is large and accommodating of heavy gear. The flap securing the
knife is full, completely protecting the knife with only the very
tip of the butt exposed. The flap has a built-in safety boss, a
layered stack of shaped leather that engages the handle at the
location of the quillon and forefinger location when the flap is
snapped shut. This prevents the knife from sliding out of the sheath
even when upside down, as long as the flap is snapped. Even the snap
is heavy duty stainless steel, for no corrosion worries whatever.
The sheath is dyed a medium dark brown, and sealed against the
elements.
- A beautiful, elegant skinning knife at the peak of its type that I was honored to make!
Thanks, M. R.!
Hello Jay,
What a thrill it was to tear open your package today. The wait was definitely worth it. Your knife is
astonishingly beautiful, it's incredible. The mirror finish, the perfectly executed file work, the richly
engraved bolsters, exquisite translucent Muskox boss handle and gorgeous hand tooled holster are a vision
to behold. This is a treasure we will prize always. It will be coming along on our hunting trips.
Thank you very much!
M.
Please click on thumbnail photos