Jay Fisher - Fine Custom Knives

"Zeta" Fine Handmade Custom Knife

• Size: Length overall: 8.7" (22.1 cm), Blade Length at edge: 4.0" (10.2 cm), Thickness: .175" (4.4 mm)
• Weight: Knife: 7.9 oz. (224 grams) Sheath: 4.1 oz. (116 grams)
• Blade: ATS-34 high molybdenum martensitic stainless steel blade, T3 deep cryogenically treated with triple tempering to 58 HRC
• Bolsters, Fittings: 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel, Mirror polished
• Handle: Green Moss Agate Gemstone (India)
• Sheath: Hand-carved leather shoulder inlaid with green rayskin
• Knife: This custom knife was made for a great client, to his specifications. Zeta is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet, and my Zeta pattern is a very straightforward knife, a linear form, surprisingly solid and smooth, clean, and consistent. This is a great straight knife, without a lot of curves, a workhorse of a knife that is made fine enough for collection, but incredibly tough and durable. The knife has an extremely strong spine supporting a razor keen single bevel cutting edge, and a tough point. The blade is fully fileworked with a bold tri-shield pattern for improved grip. I made it with a bit extra ricasso length (between the front bolster and the cutting edge) as an increased margin of safety for the hand, since it's incredibly sharp.
  • The steel I chose for this knife is ATS-34 high molybdenum martensitic stainless steel, super-tough and wear-resistant. When properly treated, it's a dependable, reliable workhorse of high corrosion resistance, incredible toughness and extremely high wear resistance. The high chromium of ATS-34 along with the high carbon and extremely high molybdenum results in profuse combination chromium-molybdenum carbides, for excellent wear resistance. When properly treated, the steel forms a tremendous amount of eta-carbides in deep cryogenic cycle, which are initiation points for primary carbides developed in tempering. 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 corrosion resistance. 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, a high chromium-molybdenum hypereutectoid stainless steel alloy tool steel at its very finest advanced condition.
  • 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 rounded at the faces, the rear bolsters are wide and flat, for a good feel and counterbalance in the palm.
  • The handle scales of this knife were chosen by my client, and they are a very tough, incredibly durable agate that I love to use, Indian Green Moss Agate. This is a hard agate, taking and holding a vitreous polish, and I chose scales that have plenty of detail, with areas of white and clear, with threads of green running throughout. This is a stone that has been used and treasured for centuries. Magnification brings out even more detail than the macro photos below. Very little can abrade this agate, and it will literally outlast the rest of the knife.
  • The knife feels super-tough and solid in the hand, a shank of ready steel and finely honed edge. The extended ricasso gives a good margin of safety on the smooth, straight handle. This is a knife that is eager to work, and up to any task!
• Sheath: My client requested a commensurate sheath, so I chose 9-10 oz. leather shoulder, and I hand-carved inlay pockets to accommodate 10 inlays of green rayskin. This is a very tough material, actually interlocking bone, my most durable natural skin. The deep and protective medium brown dyed sheath is stitched with nylon and sealed with lacquer for longevity.
• A very tough and durable beautiful custom knife, begging to be used.

Thanks, B H.!