Zeta
"Zeta" Fine Handmade Knife
- Size: Length overall: 8.75" (22.2 cm), Blade Length: 4.25" (10.8 cm), Thickness: .160" (4.1 mm)
- Weight: Knife: 7.5 oz. (213 grams) Sheath: 4.9 oz. (139 grams)
- Blade: O1 high carbon tungsten-vanadium tool steel, deep cryogenically treated, triple tempered, mirror finished, hot blued.
Hardness: 59.5 HRC
- Bolsters, Fittings: 304 austenitic stainless steel, mirror polished
- Handle: Sunset Jasper gemstone (Mexico)
- Sheath: Hand-carved leather shoulder Inlaid with black-gray rayskin
- Knife: Zeta is the sixth letter of the Greek
alphabet. My Zeta pattern is a very straightforward knife, a linear
form, surprisingly solid and smooth, clean, and consistent. This is
a great straight knife, without a lot of curves, a workhorse of a
knife that is made fine enough for collection.
- The steel I chose for the knife is O1.
O1 is an actual tool steel. It's not just an improvement on
standard carbon steels, it is a workhorse of the steel tool
trade, a fine steel, actually classified as a cold work tool
steel. It's used for die-forming other steels, to make taps,
cutters, broaches, and shears, a steel that has a proven
reputation of performance. While O1 steels vary, this is a
premium O1 steel, with substantial amounts of tungsten and
vanadium, forming wear-resistant complex carbides. Add to
that my deep cryogenic processing of this steel at -320°F
and triple tempering cycles, and this steel has a
significant transformational performance curve, with several
times the wear resistance of conventionally processed O1.
I've mirror polished the hollow ground blade and performed
my hot bluing of the surface, creating a corrosion
inhibiting surface with the appearance of black mirrored
glass. The tang is fully tapered for balance and I've
included some simple segments of filework on the spine for
the thumb.
- Note about the photos and the finish: Since this knife
is hot blued, I took two sets of photos
showing the blade (the obverse and reverse sides). One set
of photos has a photographic light reflector above the knife, so you can see the
hollow grind and the grind lines. Those are the photos that
show the bolsters in lighter gray or white. The other set is done without a
light reflector above, and in those photos, the bolsters are black
or subdued. In those photos, you can get an idea of the
actual black, glassy, slick surface appearance of the hot
blued blade. You can also tell which is which by the
alternate text shown when your cursor hovers over the photo.
Hot blued mirror finishes on knife blades are
the most difficult to photograph well, so this is the best
way to demonstrate their appearance in varying light
conditions.
- I bolstered the knife with zero-care
304 high chromium, high nickel stainless steel bolsters,
which are contoured and polished for a comfortable, smooth feel. The bolsters are secured with
zero-clearance peened pins and dovetailed to bed the
handle scales.
The front bolsters are wide and flat, feeling very
smooth in the hand. The rear bolster is wide and has a bit
of heel drop that helps the fingers to lock the knife into
the hand.
- The handle scales I chose for the Zeta
are Sunset Jasper from Mexico. This is an incredibly hard
rock! This is one of the hardest, toughest, most difficult
to grind, shape, and finish stones I've worked with. It's a
true jasper, over 7 on the Mohs scale, a cryptocrystalline
quartz with bold flowing bands of red and golden yellows in
a field of gray. This is a material that will last
eternally, simply because it is so hard and tough. I bookmatched the scales and polished them to a
vitreous finish.
- The knife feels extremely solid and
stout in the hand; it's a thick, strong feel, not a
lightweight knife at all. The simple angled file cuts on the
spine give the thumb or forefinger a good purchase, and the
smooth handle feels great in the hand. The balance point is
just behind the front bolster, the knife feels like a spear
in the hand. Because the blade is fairly straight and
with the drop point, the knife is incredibly easy to sheath.
- Sheath: I wanted to make a distinctive yet
commensurate sheath for the knife, so it's a stout one made of thick
9-10 oz. leather shoulder. I did full panel inlays of rayskin, a
very tough material of interlocking bone. This particular rayskin
has a black background with light gray "tips" at the surface
which matches the gray and black of the knife well. The front and
back panels are full, and the strip of inlay at the belt loop is an
elegant stripe. I stitched the sheath together with black polyester,
dyed the leather black, and applied three coats of lacquer for water
resistance and longevity.
- A beautiful and incredibly strong knife at home in any collection; a knife that begs to be used!
Thanks, B. H.!
Jay,
The Zeta arrived today. Absolutely impeccable work! Amazing fit and balance in the hand, and you are right,
it seems to beg to be used. It practically screams indestructibility when held. The blade shape and finish are
amazing, and I especially like the thinned taper at the tip. I was not expecting the sheer beauty of the O1
steel after your hot bluing process. I've never seen anything like it. Great choice on the Sunset Jasper handle
scales. Simply gorgeous with so many dimensions. All in all I love this knife! It is now the centerpiece of
my collection. I look forward to the next order with you!
Thank you, and please keep up the great work!!
--B.
Please click on thumbnail knife photos