Amethystine Dagger

A study in fine double edges, Amethystine is an elegant dagger with some unique features. The blade is tightly ground with a 3" diameter contact wheel, and the grind terminations are full, that is completely (180 degree) radiused into the profile of the blade. This is a very difficult grind to create and finish well. The steel is mirror finished 440C high chromium martensitic stainless steel for the greatest longevity and beauty of any stainless tool steel. The guard is fully sculpted, (and with the pommel) is made of diffusion welded copper and nickel silver. This is a complicated process, and the union of the two metals is complete on the atomic level; they are fused into a solid billet, yet retain their individual characteristics. The handle is Lace Amethyst gemstone spaced with nickel silver spacers, hand-carved, fluted, and wrapped with sterling silver half-bead gallery wire in graceful twists. The ferrules are sterling silver rope twist, and the pommel capstone is a solid Amethyst crystal cabochon, domed and polished. To illustrate how difficult the construction is of this type of handle, it's composed of over 40 individual pieces, all fitted and finished together. The stand I chose to accent the knife is a unique piece of Ponderosa Pine burl, smoothed and oiled, mounted to a routed and finished Red Oak base. The dagger is anchored into the base like a king on a throne of this natural burl.