Jay Fisher - Fine Custom Knives

Custom "Ari B'Lilah" Israeli Defense Force/Israeli National Police YAMAM Counterterrorism Tactical Combat Knife

• Size: Length overall: 12.25" (31.1 cm), Blade Length: 6.0" (15.2 cm), Thickness: .222" (5.6 mm)
• Weight: Knife: 1 lb., 3.5 oz. (553 grams), Sheath (with accessories and belt loop extender: 1 lb. 9 oz. (709 grams)
• Blade: ATS-34 High Molybdenum Martensitic Stainless Tool Steel, Hardened and Tempered to Rockwell C58, Media Blasted
• Bolsters: 304 High Nickel, High Chromium Austenitic Stainless Steel
• Handle: G10 Fiberglass/Epoxy Composite Laminate
• Sheath: Hybrid Tension-Locking in Black Kydex, Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Titanium
• Knife: "Ari" is the Hebrew word for lion, and the lion is the sign of the tribe of Judah and Jerusalem and is even called the Lion of God. Made for day and particularly critical night operations, this knife is Ari B'Lilah (lion by night). This is a knife custom made the most serious of action; Ari B'Lilah was designed with and for an Israeli YAMAM counter-terrorism unit. Using their direct input and feedback, I've developed a series of knives specifically designed for tactical combat and defense in the field of counterterrorism.; It's a great honor to have the input, guidance, and direction of these professionals, widely considered the most elite and effective counterterrorism unit in the world. They requested a series of extremely efficient, well-designed and constructed, lethal combat knives with some special features, built to the highest standards in the world: what I'm known for in tactical combat knives, sheaths, and accessories.
  I made the blade of ATS-34, a high molybdenum and high chromium martensitic stainless tool steel, chosen for its extreme toughness and wear resistance, high durability, and high temperature resistance. The blade of the Ari B'Lilah is double-edged and hollow ground; the main cutting edge is hollow ground with an3" diameter wheel and the top edge with serrations is hollow ground with a 3" diameter wheel. This is an extremely difficult grind profile, and the purpose is to create two complimentary edges, both yielding extremely thin and razor keen edges with a high longevity while preserving a good cross-sectional thickness of center spine to support thrusting and the point. The point of this knife is critically strong; it is a very ancient design called "armor piercing." This is not for piercing today's armor, but for piercing chain mail of old: interlocking metal rings woven into a tough mesh. My clients requested the strongest possible point that would still offer extremely sharp and lethal penetrating potential, resisting any tough or hard materials such a thrust could encounter. The point is carefully hand-ground at the maximum edge angle (25 degrees) possible that can still provide a keen and slicing single-bevel cutting edge. The cross section of the point is a solid "diamond" (in cross section), as tough and lethal as a knife point can possibly be. The point is created by an interrupted hollow grind; the transition to strong point is well-matched and supported by the full thickness spine running down the center of the blade. The main cutting edge is thin and keen; the top edge is designed with my Hammerhead serrations, which are extremely tough and aggressive, with reduced snagging and wide transitions between concavities and segmented edges. The blade is hardened and tempered to RC58 for maximum toughness (resistance to breakage) at high hardness (wear resistance). The grinds on the blade are accurate, sweeping, and with nicely radiused grind terminations for great transfer of energy without stressing the blade-to-handle ricasso area while a very long supportive spine runs the length of the blade. The ricasso is kept very short, and is heavily reinforced with a substantial front bolster, sculpted, rounded, contoured, and finished in 304 stainless steel. This is the same steel used to make tough nuts, bolts, and fasteners; it's high in nickel and chromium, and is a zero-care stainless steel. The front bolster is contoured around a 1" (2.54 cm) diameter forward finger ring, which is rounded and radiused for comfort and smoothness. The finger ring offers maximum security between the hand and the knife, essential in the most critical of counter-terrorism offensives. The forefinger and thumb grip between the thumb rise and the finger ring, and this reinforced area is key to the control of the knife. The ring and thumb rise allow tremendous force to be applied to the blade where it is needed. The handle scales are G10, a fiberglass reinforced epoxy composite that is one of the most durable and dependable manmade handle materials on earth. The handle scales are dovetailed and locked and bedded under the bolsters, secured with heavy 304 stainless steel pins. The handle shape is comfortable and extremely secure, with deep quillons, good belly, and slope for the heel of the hand that makes the knife an extension of the arm. The tang is fully fileworked with an accurate, tight staccato pattern for increased purchase and handmade signature. The tang is fully tapered, with plenty of thickness at the butt for a substantial stout talon (skull crusher or persuader) also applicable for non-lethal inducement. The heavy rear bolster is significantly mounted to the tang, and has an extra-large 3/8" through-tang lanyard hole for super security when elevated or in special circumstances that require insurance against dropping the knife. The large lanyard hole is chamfered for abrasion reduction and is easy to thread. The center of balance of the knife is right at the finger ring, for perfect control. The knife feels extremely solid and durable in forward grip; and in reverse grip, with the small finger threaded through the ring and the thumb over the heel with the tip at the talon, the knife feels robust and tough. The knife blade has simple embellishment: a deeply diamond-engraved mad lion graphic outline with the subtle yet powerful words: "The darkness for you is fear-for us it is daylight."
• Sheath: The sheath is one of my hybrid tension-locking models, originally made for my skeletonized knives, but specially adapted to this fully bolstered and handled knife. This is a proprietary design, the best possible sheath of its type available in the world today. Actually, it is the ONLY type of this sheath available in the world today! The sheath is built of double thickness (.125" thick) kydex (methyl acrylate and polyvinyl chloride) over a welt-frame of 5052H32 corrosion resistant high strength aluminum alloy. The sheath is bonded with waterproof cement and bolted together with all 304 stainless steel Chicago screws for zero care and extreme corrosion resistance. The sheath (like most of my sheaths) has die-formed aluminum belt loops that are able to be moved to multiple locations as well as either side of the sheath frame. On this particular knife, the belt loops have 10 different locations with multiple combinations for versatile wear. The sheath is base around my hybrid tension-locking mechanism. This device is custom made to fit each knife, and allows a lock pressure of 15-20 pounds to hold the knife in the sheath, with an optional thumb or finger release. There are two options to unsheathe:
  1. placing your hand on the knife handle in forward (traditional) grip and use the finger or thumb to operate the release and unlock the knife for a controlled extraction of the knife.
  OR
  2. grabbing the knife handle and pulling hard, with at least 15-20 pounds of tension, the knife is unsheathed.
  
  Simply put, the knife can be unlocked manually, or yanked hard and unsheathed. 15-20 pounds is quite a bit of force, so the knife is locked into the sheath unless it encounters 15-20 pounds of pull. This means that in most circumstances, the knife stays locked in the sheath, and the assembly can trustfully be mounted upside down or used in highly active movement with relative security. To be certain that the knife is locked in the sheath properly, it takes a thumb operation to re-engage the locking mechanism. All of the components in this proprietary system are corrosion resistant stainless steel or titanium, and the entire assembly is even reversible by the owner. It's simple, it's lightweight, it's fast, and it's clean, and it's all non-glare.
  
• Accessories: This is an example of my commitment to the entire knife experience, from design to working service, for some of the finest professional knife users in the world. Since the bolt pattern of the sheath matches my 2.5" bolt pattern for our accessories, most of my accessories can be used on this sheath, including any new ones I develop. At the request of the Unit, this knife comes with a full bunker of my attachment, wear, and useful accessories, including:
  Ultimate Belt Loop Extender for lowering the knife handle position and mounting the diamond pad sharpener and the Maglite Solitaire LED
  Horizontal Belt Loop Plates (for horizontal belt or webbing wear)
  Flat mounting straps (for rigid clamping to webbing, belts, or gear in vertical or horizontal orientation)
  Sternum Harness Plus (for wearing the knife diagonally across the sternum, with full torso reinforcement straps)
  LIMA and Solitaire (Lamp Independent Mounting Assembly with Maglite Solitaire LED emergency back up light)
  HULA and MagTac (Holder, Universal, Lamp, Articulating, a fully functional main lamp with Maglite MagTac extreme intensity tactical flashlight)
  Lanyards (Adjustable 550 cord)
  All necessary stainless steel hardware, fittings, fasteners and tools for mounting, moving, and adjusting
  
  This arrangement of useful and necessary accessories was requested because the Unit operates at night or in low-light situations, and requested a wide variety of wear options. My system for wear options allows the greatest flexibility, usefulness, and applications of any tactical combat knife in the world. See also the Ari, Aryeh, Ari-El, Shahal, Shahaz, Ari B' Lilah, Ari B' Lilah, Ari B' Lilah Predator, and Ari B' Lilah Commemorative in this YAMAM series.
• Learn much more about my Counterterrorism Knives at this link.
• This is an extreme use, highly engineered and meticulously developed tactical combat knife and weapon, with the toughest, strongest penetrating point possible, and one of the finest tactical combat weapons made in the world today, specifically made for the world's most elite counter-terrorism unit. It is a great honor for me to make these knives, respecting the very ancient and most crucial relationships between weapons maker and warrior. Special thanks to S. H., for his input, patience, and professionalism.

Thanks, S. H.!