Volans is named for the constellation
of the flying fish, and is designed as a fine fillet,
boning, and carving knife. The slender and keen blade shape
will work with precision on those fine cuts, and this knife
is made with enough grace and class that it is a collector's
piece on its own. I made the blade out of 440C high chromium
stainless steel, for the lowest care and highest corrosion
resistance of any custom knife steel. I left the blade
fairly hard for a fillet knife, I didn't want it to be
floppy and springy, but to be rigid enough for straight
accurate cuts. Keeping that in mind, the steel is 1/8" thick
stock, thin enough for a slender, lightweight form, but
heavy enough for durability and limited flexibility. It
supports a hollow grind with an 8" contact wheel, for an
incredibly sharp, high longevity knife. Mirror finish is
beautiful and easy to keep clean. I fileworked only the top
of the spine for easy cleaning, with a graduated oval
pattern. The bolsters are 304 high nickel, high chromium
stainless steel, for zero care and long life, and I've
included a 1/4" rear bolster lanyard hole for security.
They're mirror finished and dovetailed to hold handle scales
of Antelope Jasper gemstone, a hard, tough, beautiful
layered gem with striking colors and pattern. The gem is
brightly polished and should outlast the blade. Very nice
stuff.
This knife had to have a striking
sheath, so I hand-carved and inlaid a sheath of 9-10 oz.
leather shoulder with emu skin, the fine-patterned area by
the legs of the big bird, for an intricate, smooth pattern.
The sheath has eight inlays, and is hand carved with
accents, dyed a medium brown color, hand-stitched with
polyester sinew, lacquered and sealed.
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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