Jay Fisher - Fine Custom Knives

"Phact" Fine Handmade Knife

• Size: Length overall: 8.25" (21.0 cm), Blade Length: 4.0" (10.2 cm), Thickness: .122" (3.1 mm)
• Weight: Knife: 4.8 oz. (136 grams) Sheath: 4.6 oz. (130 grams)
• Blade: 440C High Chromium Martensitic Stainless Steel, Cryogenically Treated, Hardened and Tempered to Rockwell HRC 60, Mirror Polished
• Bolsters, Fittings: 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel, Mirror polished
• Handle: Poppy Jasper Gemstone (India)
• Sheath: Hand-carved Leather Shoulder inlaid with Red Rayskin
• Knife: The Phact is a great knife, one that encompasses the medium-small knife classification applicable to steak knives, table knives, small game dressing knives, and utility knives. My Phact pattern is named for a star in the constellation of the dove, heralded as the bringer of good news and good messages. If I associate this name to the knife, I would always consider a steak good news, or even using an elegant knife like this for a typical cutting chore very good news!
  • I used 440C martensitic stainless steel for the blade of this knife; it's my most asked-for knife steels for a reason. It's incredibly corrosion-resistant, at home in any kitchen or eating environment, while being wear-resistant and tough. I've cryogenically treated this blade with advanced processing for high martensite development, and performed multiple tempering for profuse carbide creation. Consequently, the cutting edge sharpness will last a very long time.
  • The blade shape is nearly straight, so close to being straight that you have to look down the line of the spine to see a slight drop. This drop allows an easier sheathing without the point hanging up in the sheath welts. The blade is thin, yet has a good, tight hollow grind for a thin, yet stout cutting edge. The tang is fully tapered for balance, and I left the spine and handle of the knife clean and even (without filework) so that uses such as a table knife would make the knife easy to clean. The knife has a large choil to delineate the start of the cutting edge, and the grind terminations are matched and rounded to allow the spine to support the edge without stress at the ricasso.
  • I bolstered the Phact with zero-care 304 high chromium, high nickel stainless steel bolsters, and they are contoured, rounded and polished for a comfortable feel. The bolsters are secured with zero-clearance peened pins and dovetailed to bed the scales. The front bolster has a wide, flat top even with the spine for applying pressure, and a bit of curve to support the forefinger and prevent it from moving toward the blade in a forward grip. The rear bolster is wide and flat, aiding in balance and filling the palm of the hand for control. It also aids in easy unsheathing.
  • The handle scales are striking Poppy Jasper gemstone from India. While there are several kinds of Poppy Jaspers, this is a rather rare type from India, from old lapidary stock and not commonly available any more. I was lucky to find it and snatched up all I could! It's a hard, tough, cryptocrystalline quartz, with very hard "poppies" surrounded in pink with dark ruby-red centers. The gem is profuse with "blooms" and one wonders at how such magnificent patterns are formed in stone through many millions of years. This jasper is hard and tough, and durable, taking a bright glassine finish. It will outlast the rest of the knife; after all it is rock!
• Sheath: The sheath for the Phact had to be as bold as the knife, so I made one with full panel inlays of rich red rayskin in medium brown-dyed hand-carved 9-10 oz. leather shoulder. Rayskin is actually interlocking tiny bones in leathery skin, the most durable exotic inlay skin available. The sheath is stitched with brown nylon in a very tight pattern, adding to the stiffness of the hardened leather considerably. The sheath is lacquered and sealed for longevity.
• An excellent knife in a recognizable form, built in fine and bold materials and finish.

Thanks, A. G.!