Handle: Opaline Petrified Wood Gemstone, Australia
Sheath: Hand-carved, hand-dyed leather shoulder
Knife: The Thuban is
named for a star in the constellation Draco, and this is a very
popular drop point pattern of mine. This particular Thuban has a
brightly and cleanly hollow ground, mirror-polished blade of
CPM154CM high molybdenum martensitic stainless steel. This is modern
powder metal technology steel, created as a finely powdered mass
fused into a solid bar with no segregation or density variation of
the alloy components. I've employed deep cryogenic treatment at
-325°F with additional deep thermal cycling at -325°F for the
ultimate in high wear resistance with high toughness this steel
offers. This radical and extensive heat treating process creates
the maximum carbide precipitation, maximum transformation of
martensite, and quite simply, makes this steel the very best it can
possibly be. This is a beautiful blade, with a smooth, even, appearance
and no visible grain. The grinds are deep and well-matched with a
nice lead-off for plenty of spine
strength, and the cutting edge is thin and durable. With the high
hardness, increased toughness, and cryogenic processing, this
knife will hold its edge an extremely long time. This is a small,
yet robust blade, with substance and thickness in the spine. I
bolstered this Thuban with zero-care high nickel, high chromium 304
stainless steel bolsters, and I fully engraved the rounded,
contoured and smoothed bolsters with an art
nouveau design, lightly shaded. The bolsters are dovetailed and bed
a pair of petrified wood gemstone handle scales. This is an opaline
petrified wood from Australia, a hydrated silica, with a milky, smooth and unique
texture, in bold tones and figure. The stone has medium to dark
brown tree ring lines, with pink to reddish stains. This is a
bookmatched pair of gemstone scales, clearly visible in the inside
handle tang view photo below. The gemstone feels smooth and silky
and is set off with the sunrise filework pattern completely around
the fully tapered tang. The knife feels stout and full in the hand,
with the three-finger handle disappearing into the palm and a wide
bolster area for thumb pressure.
Sheath: I wanted a sheath that would match the
color and style of the knife, so I hand-carved and tooled the same art nouveau
design that is on the bolsters into the front, back, and belt loop
of the 9-10 oz. leather shoulder. I then hand-dyed the sheath with
dark cocoa brown background and a highlight wash of raisin mahogany.
I hand-stitched the sheath with brown polyester, and sealed it with
acrylic against the elements.
Sheaths (PSD): An additional pair of sheaths were requested for this knife for
Principal Security Detail (PSD) wear. When heads of state or important
dignitaries travel with professional tactical support teams, these teams
are called Principal Security Details. They typically wear suits, and
with their shirts costing over $500 and the suits in the thousands, they
simply don't want a leather sheath that could bleed and stain their
clothing in hot, humid, or active environments. Because there is always
a chance of leather becoming damp and bleeding dyes and sealers, these
special clients request sheaths that are untreated in any way, in
essence, bare leather. The sheaths included in this package are several.
First one sheath is horizontal, for wear in the belt line, usually in
the middle of the back, and the knife secured in the horizontal
sheath with my "drop lock" which consists of a long stack of stitched leather that
restricts raising of the handle. The knife cannot be unsheathed
unless the handle is raised; it is dropped to lock it in the sheath. To unlock the sheath, the
stack is pressed and the knife
handle can be raised and the knife unsheathed behind the back, without visual aid. The second sheath
is a standard vertical sheath, worn along the belt, with tension holding
the knife in typical fashion. The PSD sheaths are another example of my
commitment to bring knives and accessories specifically suited to my
client's individual requests.
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