Jay Fisher - Fine Custom Knives

"Andromeda" Fine Handmade Knife

• Size: Length overall: 9.2" (23.4 cm), Blade Length: 4.9" (12.5 cm), Thickness: .120" (3.1 mm)
• Weight: Knife: 6.6 oz. (187 grams) Sheath: 5.0 oz. (142 grams)
• Blade: CPM154CM High Chromium, Molybdenum Powder Metal Martensitic Stainless Steel, Deep Cryogenic T3 Process, Triple Tempered to Rockwell HRC 59.5, Mirror Polished
• Bolsters, Fittings: 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel, Mirror polished
• Handle: Purple Turkish Jade gemstone (Turkey)
• Sheath: Hand-carved, hand-dyed Leather Shoulder
• Knife: My Andromeda design is a definite crossover. The knife pattern is one that is comfortable for utility and cooking, for chefs and hunters, or for collection or investment. This is not a simple knife to classify, as the design has so many uses and applications. It would be welcome in the hands of a chef, or happy to work with fine trimming and caping of game, or at home in a collection. It's named for the Andromeda galaxy, our nearest galaxy to the milky way. 
  • The steel I chose for his knife is Food Contact Safe CPM154CM, a powder metal technology tool steel, a high technology steel known for extremely even distribution of alloy elements and a uniform microstructure. It's a high molybdenum stainless steel, and the molybdenum aids in forming nucleation sites for complex carbide development. The moly also increases the toughness dramatically, resulting in a blade that's extremely durable. This allows me to temper the steel at a higher overall hardness, for great wear resistance as well. The high chromium and high carbon results in profuse chromium carbides, increasing corrosion resistance as well as wear resistance. To bring this steel to its zenith, I used my proprietary T3 deep cryogenic process in heat treating this blade; it's a highly detailed, extremely sophisticated process that takes 33 individual steps and takes over a week long. The result of this is an incredibly wear-resistant blade that has extremely high carbide development, fine grain, and extremely high toughness. Asperity is reduced; the microstructure development is superior to any other typical handmade knife, and far above any factory or manufactured knife. This is, simply put, CPM154CM at its very finest advanced condition. The grind is wide and uniform, with well-curved grind terminations and a bright, beautiful mirror polish. The blade is smooth and uniform for easy cleaning, the tang is fully tapered for balance, and the single bevel cutting edge is razor-keen. The tip is thin yet stout, at about .017" thickness behind the relief. You can only do this with an advanced powder metal technology steel.
  • I bolstered the knife with zero-care 304 high chromium, high nickel stainless steel bolsters, which are contoured, rounded and finished for a comfortable feel. The bolsters are secured with zero-clearance peened pins and dovetailed to bed the handle scales. The front bolsters are sealed and rounded at the faces, the rear bolsters are wide and support the rear quillon that locks the handle into the hand.
  • The handle scales are Purple Turkish Jade, a great find and a tough, beautiful gemstone. It comes from one place in the world, the Bursa region of Turkey, where it has only been largely available since the 1980s. It's not a solid through-and-through jade, containing other minerals and about 60% jadite. These other minerals are quartz, orthoclase, epidote, chloritoid, and phlogopite. The lavender-purple color is a rare find, and the color varies with bands, streams, and dots within the stone with bits of orang-tans and darker and lighter areas of lavender. This stone takes a satiny finish, and is absolutely durable and extremely tough, a unique, eternal gem.
  • The knife feels light and smooth in the hand, the design is ready to work in the kitchen or field, the blade is very stiff and strong while being thin and razor-keen. This knife is Food Contact Safe.
• Sheath: To make a sheath to match the gemstone was a challenge; there aren't many purple or lavender colors available, so I had to make my own. I hand-carved a unique design in the sheath front, back, and belt loop, and hand-tooled and hand-dyed the background. Through successive layering, I developed a deep purple shade in the background with the foreground complimenting the gemstone without being overbearing. I sealed it with a triple-coat of lacquer for longevity and resistance to the elements, and it's stitched with black polyester for durability. I'm very happy with the result; the sheath is deep, protective and complimentary.
• A striking and elegant knife and sheath in premium materials and treatment!

Thanks, R. N.!