Jay Fisher - Fine Custom Knives

"El Tanin" Nessmuk Style Skinning, Utility Knife

• Size: Length Overall: 7.25" (18.4 cm), Blade Length: 3.5" (8.9 cm), Thickness: .125" (3.2 mm)
• Knife: Named for a very ancient pole star in the constellation Draco, the El Tanin is a great example of the upswept drop point blade commonly called a "Nessmuk" style. The El Tanin is a great little skinning and utility knife, made for working thinness and comfortable grip. The blade is mirror polished O1 high carbon, high alloy tool steel. The version I use has high tungsten and high vanadium for great wear resistance, yet ease of sharpening. The blade is deeply and thinly hollow ground for a razor-keen edge, and the grind is nicely radiused for great longevity and spine strength. The blade is fully fileworked with a tight pattern and the tang is deeply tapered for weight balance and elegance. I hot blued the blade for a jet black glassy appearance with good corrosion protection. The knife is bolstered with zero-care 304 high nickel, high chromium austenitic stainless steel bolsters which are dovetailed and bed a pair of striking white agatized petrified wood gemstone handle scales. This is a bright agate and jasper microcrystalline quartz with a few colorful areas in the milky grain of what was once wood, but replaced millions of years ago in fossil process. The handle is very hard, tough, and glassy smooth. the knife feels ready for work in the hand, with the dropped shape of the butt fitting comfortably in the palm while the forefinger controls the blade at the bolster groove.
• Sheath: I sheathed the knife in 9-10 oz. thick leather shoulder, hand-carved and inlaid with Cobra skin inlays. The leather is dyed black for contrast and to match the knife, hand-stitched with polyester sinew, lacquered and sealed. Ready for hunt, utility, or collection, this is great knife.

Thanks, J. L.!