Jay Fisher - Fine Custom Knives

"Vindicator" Tactical Combat, Counterterrorism Knife (Shadow Line): Push/Punch Dagger
All Matching in non-reflective flat black camouflage

• Size: Length overall: 8.13" (20.7 cm), Blade Length: 5.5" (14.0 cm), Thickness: .231" (5.9 mm)
• Weight: Knife: 12.0 oz. (340 grams), Leather/Bison Sheath: 6.8 oz. (193 grams), Locking Kydex Sheath: 8.8 oz. (249 grams)
• Blade: ATS-34 High Molybdenum Martensitic Stainless Tool Steel, Hardened and Tempered, T3 Specialty Cryogenically treated to Rockwell C60, proprietary surface oxide treatment "Ghost Slate."
• Bolsters/Fittings: 304 High Nickel, High Chromium Austenitic Stainless Steel, proprietary surface oxide treatment "Ghost Slate."
• Handle: Black/Gold G10 Fiberglass/Epoxy Composite
• Sheath: Heavy 9-10 oz. thick leather shoulder, hand-carved and dyed, inlaid with medium brown Buffalo (Bison) skin, double stainless steel snap retention
• Sheath: Hybrid Tension-Locking in Black Kydex, Black Anodized Aluminum Alloy, Blackened Stainless Steel, 6AL4V Titanium
• Accessories:
  • Standard Belt Loops: accommodates .190" thick by 1.5" belt, black anodized 5052H32 high strength corrosion resistant aluminum alloy, anodized black at 1 mil thickness
  • High Profile Belt Loops: accommodates .250" thick by 1.5" belt, black anodized 5052H32 high strength corrosion resistant aluminum alloy, anodized black at 1 mil thickness
  • Vertical Flat Mounting Straps: accommodates up to 2.4" wide belt, web, strapping, or gear, clamps rigidly and vertically 90 degrees to the long axis of the sheath, black anodized 5052H32 high strength corrosion resistant aluminum alloy, anodized black at 1 mil thickness
  • Horizontal Flat Mounting Straps: accommodates up to 3" wide belt, web, strapping, or gear, clamps rigidly and horizontally 90 in line with the long axis of the sheath, black anodized 5052H32 high strength corrosion resistant aluminum alloy, anodized black at 1 mil thickness
  • Horizontal Belt Loop Plates: allows wear in line with standard belt, without rigid clamping, accommodates .250" thick by 1.5" belt, welded black anodized 5052H32 high strength corrosion resistant aluminum alloy, anodized black at 1 mil thickness
  • Vertical Flat Mounting Straps: allows rigid and high strength clamping of sheath to web, strap, or both belt loop extenders, made of drilled and milled blackened 304 high nickel, high chromium stainless steel
  • Ultimate Belt Loop Extender (UBLX): allows wearing with locking sheath and knife handle just below the belt line, with DMT folding pocket diamond abrasive sharpener, in black polypropylene, polyester, blackened stainless steel, DMT diamond sharpener, acetyl buckles. More about the UBLX on this dedicated page.
  • Extended Length Belt Loop Extender (EXBLX): allows wearing with locking sheath and knife sheath below the belt line, sheath tail just above knee, with 2" wide leg strap, in black polypropylene, polyester, blackened stainless steel, DMT diamond sharpener, acetyl buckles. More about the EXBLX on this dedicated page.
  • Sternum Harness Plus: allows wearing of locking sheath upside down across sternum, handle down, in black polypropylene, polyester, acetyl buckles
  • Lamp Independent Mount Assembly (LIMA): Backup, emergency, safety LED programmable flashlight and independent web frame and mount, in polypropylene stitched with high strength polyester, anodized 5052 high strength corrosion resistant black anodized aluminum mounting bar, 304 stainless steel ring retainers, nylon elastic shock cord, with ThruNite Ti3 flashlight. More about the LIMA on this dedicated page.
  • Diamond Abrasive Sharpener with Pad/Sheath: Diamond abrasive sharpening stone, 2" x 6", double-sided (400G/600G), nickel bonded diamond abrasives over phenolic core, heavy nylon sheath to store and protect other gear from diamond abrasives, sheath doubles as work pad so diamond does not scratch surfaces, stitched with polyester, hook and loop closure
  • Hardware and Fasteners: all in 8-32 and 6-32 standard thread, 304 (18-8) high nickel, high chromium stainless steel, blackened, all user-changeable This differs from my kits of the past, where three sizes of hex wrenches are needed. I've tuned up the fastener set so that, in this particular style of knife sheath, only two hex wrenches (Allen wrenches) are needed for all of the fasteners: 3/32" and 5/64". Also necessary is a simple flat bladed screwdriver (not included) to make up all of the typical hardware arrangements.
  • Duffle Bag: 1000 denier Cordura® ballistic nylon, waterproof polyurethane coated, nylon, polyester, polypropylene sling handles, closed cell foam bottom in 600 denier Cordura nylon bag for storage of papers, thin gear, protection from abrasion, embroidered patch, removable embroidered name patch with hook and loop
• Knife: he "Vindicator" is a modification of my original "Grim Reaper" push/punch dagger design, created with the input of a US Army Intelligence Officer for his defense and protection serving in the Middle East. The push/punch dagger is a simple yet extremely robust knife, and when held in the fist is an unstoppable weapon. The Vindicator is designed with an extra long blade with 5 inches of razor-keen cutting edges for piercing through the multiple layers of clothing and gear the enemy wears.
  • Blade Steel Alloy: The Vindicator blade is made in ATS-34, a high alloy hypereutectoid, martensitic high molybdenum stainless tool steel. In this steel, there are three significant alloys that work together to make an extremely tough and durable wear-resistant steel with high corrosion resistance. First, there is carbon, at 1.25 percent, allowing significant hardening and forming of carbides. The second is chromium, and at 14 percent, it's a true stainless steel with high corrosion resistance. The third and most effective is molybdenum. ATS-34 has 4% of molybdenum, allowing a very high concentration of molybdenum carbide particles, which are extremely wear-resistant and contribute greatly to carbide formation at grain boundaries, leading to overall stabilization of the microstructure and leading to higher toughness overall. This means that ATS-34, when properly treated, is highly; resistant to breakage, even at a high hardness. These three alloy elements combine to form very hard vanadium carbides and chromium carbides, particles so hard that typically diamond is preferred to sharpen this blade effectively.
  • Heat Treatment: This Vindicator has my T3 heat treatment, yielding an astounding blade in incredible condition through advanced processing protocols. How advanced is this treatment? It's a multi-stage cryogenic treatment, involving temperatures ranging in over 2000°F (1090°C) to -320°F (-196°C). The process is an evolution of my advanced heat treating processes, and consists of 33 dedicated and specific steps and takes 172 hours! This means that just to heat treat this blade takes over a week! The reason for this is scientific and critical, but yields the most stable, most wear-resistant, most durable and long-lived structure of this steel, profuse with fine multi-element carbides and a uniform and unbelievably robust structure. This is a testament to my determination to make the very best knives, steels, treatments and kits in the modern world. I know of no one else who has advanced the treatment to this level; it's unheard of in the metals field.
  • Blade Design: I hollow-ground the double edges of this Vindicator blade with a 3" contact wheel, something few, if any, other makers do, simply because it's very difficult to achieve. What this tight grind geometry produces is a blade that is extremely thin at the cutting edge, yet very thick and substantial down the central spine, critical for support of a double-edged knife blade. To make this particular Vindicator lighter weight, without sacrificing strength, I milled an accurate cannelure down the center of the spine. This removes unnecessary weight while maintaining high resistance to lateral flexion. This symmetry produces a blade that is all razor edges, with a well-supported point, and a very strong spine for complete application of force with a lighter weight than a full-thickness spine. The blade has no choils to become trapped or snagged in any clothing or gear, and the cutting edges simply taper to a stop in the grind for smoothness in thrusting motion. The blade has substantial quillons that are 2.75" (7.0 cm) at the widest that serve four purposes: one is to stop penetration of the blade at its limit, the second is to protect the fingers from any metal, edges, or projections, the third is to provide a smooth, rounded, contoured surface for the fingers for maximum grip security, and the fourth is to engage in the sheath retention methods, whether hybrid tension-lock or leather. The blade is supported by a thick and heavy central neck-ricasso to provide transfer of force from the hand to the blade edges and point, and the handle tang is full thickness in the palm for a solid, complete support. The tang is internally milled for weight reduction so the knife is balanced, and the blade has a bold filework pattern throughout the thick tang to aid in grip potential and offer handmade distinction. The scales are camo G10 fiberglass/epoxy composite laminate, a premier manmade material that offers extreme durability a smooth and comfortable feel, and absolute rigidity for many generations. It's also completely colorfast, so the colors are here to stay. The scales are secured with four 304 stainless steel through-tang pins, and nicely ground and finished for matching color and pattern display. The balance point of the knife is exactly at the narrow neck of the ricasso, and the knife feels extremely solid and molded to the hand when gripped in the fist. This knife was designed for the wearer to be able to immediately put it in his hand, in closed-fist form, without elaborate grip technique, and to defend his life with simple punching and and thrusting motion natural to human movement. No matter where the enemy is attacking, the blade will yield an extremely aggressive point and razor sharp cutting edge with enough power behind it to drive through heavy clothing, around gear and equipment with tremendous force.
  • This is an serious defensive and tactical weapon for the most critical of counterterrorism and tactical close quarters combat situations.
  • Bolsters: The handle is bolstered with zero-care 304 high nickel, high chromium austenitic stainless steel bolsters, secured with zero-clearance peened 304 stainless pins for absolute security. The bolsters are rounded and dressed on all external surfaces for comfort, and they are dovetailed to bed the handle scales permanently and securely. This is the same steel used for stainless steel nuts, bolts, and fasteners, and the bolsters are heavy, thick, and solid, giving great balance to the knife. The bolsters are dovetailed to create a solid, seamless union with the handle material. The bolsters are also treated in my "Ghost Slate" shadow line for reduced glare and matching the rest of the knife and gear.
  • Handle Material: The scales for this knife are zero-care G10 fiberglass/epoxy composite, in Black and Gold layers, bedded to the tang and locked under the bolster dovetails and secured with two 1/8" 304 stainless steel pins. This is a hard, tough, and colorfast handle material, with toothy fiberglass surface that grips the hand, with no maintenance.
  • Balance and Feel: This is a tough, robust knife, and it locks into the fist for unsurpassed security in the most critical of situations.
• Leather/Buffalo Inlaid Sheath: I've included a heavy, tough, and solid leather sheath for the Vindicator, in 9-10 oz. leather shoulder, hand-carved and inlaid with Buffalo (Bison) skin. The leather is shoulder, from mature cows, and is twice as thick as most other knifemakers use. The sheath design covers the blade all the way past the front bolsters and even the handle scales. The knife is secured with internal leather tabs engaging the finger grooves in the knife, and the tabs are secured with stainless steel snaps. This is, by far, the best and most secure leather sheath possible on this type of knife. The sheath has a high back, to protect the wearer, and a wide belt loop that is double-row stitched with nylon for high durability. The sheath is dyed black, sealed throughout, with buffed edges in an acrylic water-resistant satin finish. In this sheath, I inlaid three large panels of buffalo (or bison) skin in medium brown, an extremely tough and durable raised-panel design. Leather is irreplaceable in extremely cold or hot environments, and where absolute silence is needed in tactical operations with no clicking when in contact against objects, people, or gear. This is as tough a sheath as possible in leather and buffalo, with a great security snap retention.
• Hybrid Tension-Locking Sheath: The Tension-Lock Sheath. This is my own design, and it's been a great one for tactical counterterrorism use where my more secure locking sheath would be too large, or access and unsheathing too slow. The hybrid tension-locking sheath holds the knife securely with no rattle, play, or movement via a spring retention method that will, simply, last as long as the knife. The sheath is constructed of double-thickness kydex, that is, twice as thick as most kydex sheaths made by anyone else in the world, and twice as thick as all firearm holsters. The sheath is build on a frame of 5052H32 high strength corrosion resistant aluminum alloy, and I've meticulously anodized all of the surfaces, even through holes, of each welt component for extremely high durability, ultimate corrosion resistance, strength enhancement, and muted appearance. If you're not familiar with anodization, it's a chemo-electric process that creates a near-ceramic hard surface on the aluminum alloy, a surface that increases wear resistance tremendously, and a surface that can accept permanent dyes that are sealed in place. For my black kydex sheaths, the anodized aluminum color is black for low reflectivity and matching appearance. The process is works so well that I anodize all of the other aluminum components of the sheaths: the mounts, the belt loops, the flat straps, the clamps, belt plates and all aluminum parts. The surface is hard to scratch, extremely corrosion resistant, non-glare, flat in reflectivity, and highly durable. The 6AL4V titanium spring is also anodized a deep blue-black or dark straw brown for muted appearance and a hardened surface, and all fasteners are highly corrosion resistant stainless steel that is chemical surface treated for a dark gray-black muted appearance or oxide treated for a medium straw color while retaining all of the extremely high corrosion resistance only available in stainless steel. The tension lock sheath comes with two pairs of belt loops (footman's loops) that are die-formed and anodized aluminum alloy. One pair is high profile for .250" x 1.5" belt sizes and the other pair is low profile for thinner .190" x 1.5" sized belts. I also include heavy vertical straps and horizontal straps in anodized aluminum that allow the sheath to be rigidly clamped to belt, webbing, PALS (Pouch Attachment Ladder System), straps, body armor gear, and anywhere there is a need. All of the mounting assemblies are reversible, as is the spring retention for the tension-lock sheath, so the versatility of this sheath is unsurpassed. It's also completely and absolutely waterproof, for zero worry about exposure. The knife can be unsheathed by finger pressure against the spring tab, or by a hard pull in an emergency. Included are two extra titanium springs, so my client can choose the tension he desires, light, medium, or heavy, depending on the gear he mounts it to, the angle and orientation, and his personal preference for a pull-to-release tension.
  
• Sternum Harness Plus: The sternum harness I've included is the result of input from my military and counterterrorism clients. It allows the knife to be worn, handle down, angled across the sternum, on top of any other tactical gear. This harness is made of polypropylene and stitched with polyester for rot-free, high strength longevity, and the buckles and straps are tough Acetyl plastic with 110 lbs. breaking strength. The harness can be donned and doffed quickly and simply, and the "plus" is the additional one-inch wide stabilizing strap and buckle that creates an "X" strap around the torso, to prevent movement in any position of the wearer.
• LIMA Emergency Lamp (Lamp Independent Mount Assembly): An important lesson I learned from my military and counterterrorism clients is the addition of the emergency lamp. The LIMA is a special socket in thick and wide polypropylene stitched with polyester for durability and rot resistance, and it accommodates the latest small lamp, the LED ThruNite Ti3. This little light puts out an incredible 120 lumens and at lower levels can last for 115 hours. It can reach out 164 feet and give you enough light to get to safety, and the entire assembly is extremely lightweight and waterproof to continual immersion. It even has an emergency strobe at high illumination that will get noticed. The LIMA webframe is secured with a lightweight anodized aluminum strap and stainless steel machine screws and mounts anywhere along the sheath welts where I have the standard 2.5" spacing. The retaining strap rings are also 304 stainless, and the 1/8" shock cord is easily replaceable if needed, and replacement shock cord is included. More about the LIMA on this dedicated page.
• Horizontal Belt Loop Plates: Answering the call of my counterterrorism and military clients, I've included a pair of horizontal belt loop plates for this knife sheath. These bolt onto either side of the sheath using included hardware, and are 5052H32 high strength corrosion resistant aluminum alloy, completely anodized and permanently dyed black with a near-ceramic hard surface. They are welded for durability, and light weight. They allow horizontal wear of any belt up to 1.5" wide, and the sheath runs inline with the belt.
• Flat strap plates (horizontal and/or vertical): These have several uses: one is to mount the knife sheath rigidly clamped to the sternum harness, with no play. They also allow the sheath to be clamped on any gear (like PALS webbing) with a solid strap security and no sliding around (like on traditional belt loops). So they clamp the sheath to your gear with all stainless steel hardware. They accommodate any web strap up to over 2" wide. They are also 5052 H32 high strength, corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy, anodized with a permanent black color, and a near-ceramic hard surface.
• High and Low-profile belt loops (footman's loops): I've included two pairs of anodized aluminum belt loops, one pair that accommodates 1.5" wide belts up to .250" thick and one pair that accommodates 1.5" wide belts up to .190" thick. They work with the integrated spacing so can be mounted in a variety of positions on the reversible sheath.
• Hardware, tools: I've included all the tools, hardware, and necessary components to mount all or any combination of these accessories with the gear, and all of the hardware is blackened, non-reflective stainless steel in common American Standard Sizes. Included is screw top and snap tins for hardware storage. Also included is an archival engraved acrylic tag detailing the components with contact information. Instructions for the individual components are also included, as well as a list of video links that explain how to set up every single one of them. This is an ultimate system, and demonstrates my commitment to actual combat, tactical, field, rescue, and counterterrorism knife service in my trade.
• Leather Sheath Storage: I've included my black denim embroidered drawstring bag with this kit . This is to store the leather sheath; it breathes and keeps the sheath from being scuffed or abraded, and I make these in heavy denim stitched with polyester, I embroider one side with "Jay Fisher Knives." The drawstring is polyethylene and it keeps the sheath protected and clean even while in the duffle (next).
• Heavy 9" x 12" Duffle: It's important to keep everything together, safe, and accessible, and I couldn't find any duffle heavy and stout enough for the job, so I make these too. I make them in 1000 Denier Cordura® ballistic nylon, coated on the inside with polyurethane for water resistance. This is some of the heaviest, toughest material available, and I've double-row stitched all of the seams with strong, waterproof, sunlight-resistant heavy polyester thread. I've attached strong metal #8 zippers and double pulls, and reinforced the zipper ends and 2" wide polyethylene carry straps. I've even included a 7mm thick closed-cell foam inner base pad, wrapped in 600 Denier Cordura nylon in the bottom to prevent abrasion and wear. You can store paperwork and other items in the base bag. The duffle is identified with my "Quality Without Compromise" patch. Because many of my clients have more than one knife, I've also include an embroidered knife name patch, which is removable and secured by hook and loop so knife owner can tell which duffle stores which knife. See photos below.
• See more about all the features in this video of a PJLT (Pararescue Light) tactical combat and rescue knife. In the video, I describe the mounts, accessories, and interfacing wear assemblies that are included in this kit; the same as you will see in the PJLT kit in the video.
• Designed by a professional for professional use, this is a top-of-the-line, extremely tough and corrosion-resistant, wear-resistant defensive, tactical counterterrorism weapon. The sheaths and accessory package is simply the best made in the world. This package is comprehensive, sturdy, dependable, and useable. NO OTHER SOURCE can supply what you see here, all finely handmade to mesh with your gear, your outing, your mission, and your excursion, no matter the situation and exposure.

Thanks, S. H.!

Update! New Additional Sheaths!

My client has used and carried this beautiful push dagger for two years as his daily carry, using it every day. The performance was excellent, and he requested some additional sheaths so the sheaths could remain mounted on his various gear assemblies, in a variety of styles. He also requested a daily carry leather sheath that was more utilitarian than the bison (American Buffalo) inlay.

I created three sheaths for him.

• A hybrid tension-locking sheath all in coyote, made of double-thickness coyote kydex, with coyote anodized 5052-H32 high strength corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy frame welts, and matching aluminum belt loops, (in three sizes), flat belt or strap clamps, horizontal belt loop plates, and with a LIMA (Lamp Independent Mount Assembly). The sheath is one of my hybrid-tension models with three strengths of 6AL4V anodized titanium springs to adjust the locking tension as my client likes. The sheath is completely reversible and waterproof, extremely versatile and can be mounted in a variety of ways. In the photos below, you can see the complete kits with all matching stainless steel  hardware and fasteners.
• A hybrid tension-locking sheath all in olive and black, made of double-thickness olive kydex, with dark olive anodized 5052-H32 high strength corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy frame welts, and matching aluminum belt loops, (in three sizes), flat belt or strap clamps, horizontal belt loop plates, and with a LIMA (Lamp Independent Mount Assembly). The sheath is one of my hybrid-tension models with three strengths of 6AL4V anodized titanium springs to adjust the locking tension as my client likes. The sheath is completely reversible and waterproof, extremely versatile and can be mounted in a variety of ways. In the photos below, you can see the complete kits with all matching stainless steel  hardware and fasteners.
• An ultimate, high-strength daily carry leather sheath. This is a special sheath, made in 10-11 oz. thick leather shoulder, hand-tooled in basketweave, dyed bison brown. It is one of my double snap tab retention models, using two thick, strong secured tabs that engage between the knife handle and blade, and employ stainless steel dot snaps to secure the knife. This is a sheath that won't fail, in order for the knife to be removed, both snaps have to be released, and the front of the sheath hinged outward until the knife handle clears the tabs. To reinforce the hinge area and the top of the welt stitching, since this is an area of stress, I used blackened 304 stainless steel Chicago screws, completely through the sheath front, welts, and back, to strengthen the area. Then, I hand-stitched the sheath welts, front, and back with X-stitching in polyester, the heaviest, strongest stitch available. The belt loop is double-row stitched and will accommodate a heavy belt up to 2.25 inches wide. This is one of the most durable, secure, and heavy duty leather sheaths made in the world today! There is absolutely nothing to compare, anywhere; this is my commitment to excellence in the field.

The knife has performed wonderfully in the last two years, only needing a light sharpening to restore it to sharp functionality. With these additional sheaths, it will perform for many, many more years to come.

Thanks, S. H.