Jay Fisher - Fine Custom Knives

"Lacerta" Fine Handmade Knife

• Size: Length overall: 7.0" (17.8 cm), Blade Length: 3.6" (9.1 cm), Thickness: .200" (5.1 mm)
• Weight: Knife: 5.3 oz. (150 grams) Sheath: 4.4 oz. (112 grams)
• Blade: CPM154CM High Molybdenum Powder Metal Technology Stainless Steel, Cryogenically Treated, Hardened and Tempered to Rockwell HRC 60.5, Mirror Polished
• Bolsters, Fittings: 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel, Mirror polished
• Handle: Red Freckled Dolomite Gemstone (Brazil)
• Sheath: Hand-carved Leather Shoulder inlaid with Black Glazed Caiman skin
• Knife: This is a small, lightweight, compact knife that is extremely tough and durable. It's straight and forward, and its name comes from the constellation Lacerta (the lizard) which is also rather straight and forward! If you use your imagination, you might visualize the lizard's small head at the drop in the butt of the handle at the rear bolster...
  The design is a great one recognizable as a working utility knife, a small game knife, or even a table or steak knife for the ability to use it in fine control. Of course, many of my knives are suitable for collection, but they are serious working tools!
  • The steel type I used in this Lacerta is CPM 154CM, a powder metal technology tool steel. It's high in carbon, high in molybdenum, and high in chromium, and with the deep cryogenic and multi-tempering process I used for this knife, it has extremely high wear resistance and toughness with fine carbide development and uniform element distribution typical of powder metal technology blades. The mirror polish on the steel is gorgeous, also normal for these hypereutectoid high alloy specialty steels.
  • The blade shape is a slight drop point; the spine drops in an even curve from the front bolster area to the tip, making the knife strong and easy to sheath. The grind geometry is hollow, for a thin, yet stout cutting edge and thick, sturdy spine. The full tang is tapered for balance, and the entire tang and spine are fileworked with a geometric, parallelogram design for handmade distinction and improved grip.
  • The knife is bolstered with zero-care 304 high chromium, high nickel stainless steel bolsters, which are contoured, rounded and polished for a comfortable feel. The bolsters are secured with zero-clearance peened pins and dovetailed to bed the scales.
  • The handle scales are dolomite, mined in Brazil. This is a beautiful gemstone, a calcite-based rock that has inclusions of quartz and iron-based minerals. The white matrix has flowing, streaming milky lines, with some areas of near-transparency. The obvious appearance of the freckles is the distinguishing characteristic, indicating high iron-based mineral content. In magnification (see below), you can tell that the red areas are inclusions of rock that seem to have bled a bit into their surroundings. I'm always fascinated by the mineralogical and geological context of the creation of stones like this; one of the wonderful parts of making gemstone-handled knives.
  • The shape of the handle is unique and different. The front bolster is non-typical, as there is no forefinger groove or front quillon on this design. This is because it's a small knife, not expected to be used in fierce, forceful applications, but designed to be used in highly controlled applications of fine cutting. The flat area then accommodates a wide variety of grip positions, and one of the most comfortable is with the forefinger on top of the spine, and the middle finger and thumb pinching the front bolster surfaces like a steak knife grip. The rear of the handle or butt area is reinforced by a stainless steel bolster, and has a finger groove and a peak for control by the ring finger, or the little finger if using a steak knife grip. The dropped shape at the butt means the handle is fully wrapped in the palm of the hand.
• Sheath: I wanted a sheath to match the Lacerta, but didn't want it to compete with the dolomite, so I made a full-paneled inlay sheath more subdued and classical. I chose inlays of Caiman, an alligatorid crocodilian, in black glazed finish. These beautiful inlays are on the front, back, and even in the belt loop of this deep and protective sheath. The leather is 9-10 oz. shoulder, dyed a medium brown for contrast. The sheath is stitched with nylon and sealed with lacquer.
• A very nice smaller knife for fine control, with striking gemstone and high alloy powder metal stainless steel blade.

Thanks, W. X.!