Kadi
"Kadi" Fine Collector's Grade Tactical Knife
- Size: Size: Length overall: 14.25" (36.2 cm), Blade Length: 9.1"
(23.1 cm), Thickness: .260" (6.6 mm)
- Weight: Knife: 1 lb. 2.2 oz. Sheath: 15.8 oz.
- Blade: 440C High Chromium Martensitic Stainless
Tool Steel, Hardened and Tempered to Rockwell C58, double hollow
ground and mirror polished
- Bolsters: 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel, mirror polished
- Handle: Polished Mahogany (Goldshine) Obsidian and
Snowflake Obsidian Gemstone
- Sheath: Kydex, Aluminum, Nickel Plated Steel
- Knife: A custom knife designed by one of my favorite
clients, Kadi is a hybrid of my Treatymaker blade style with my Flammarion
handle style. Kadi is an impressive knife; the double edged, double hollow
ground and brightly mirror finished 440C high chromium martensitic stainless
tool steel blade is over 14 inches long. I performed a differential hollow grind
with an 8" contact wheel and a 3" contact wheel, and preserved plenty of spine
thickness in the center of the blade to support these large razor keen edges.
The grinds are clean and crisp, well matched, with sweeping grind terminations
for a great preservation of strength between the blade and handle. The knife has
a significant thumb rise and forefinger quillon for safety and comfort, and the
fully tapered tang is fully fileworked with a deep, regimented pattern
reminiscent of the patterns on the Snowflake Obsidian. The bolsters are zero
care, hard and tough 304 high chromium, high nickel austenitic stainless steel,
and are dovetailed and polished. They hold a beautiful mosaic gemstone handle of
six carefully matched pieces of Obsidian. Mahogany Obsidian (also called
Goldshine Obsidian) has wood grain-like patterns of reddish brown running
through a field of semi-transparent black, and the
Snowflake Obsidian pattern is striking and bold. The fit
of this mosaic handle is seamless, and it was a very
difficult handle to make, but it was worth it. The
handle, with its deep finger grooves and contoured rises
is very comfortable and smooth to the hand. This is a
large, substantial, and impressive knife, and I was
honored to make it, but sad to see it leave the shop!
- Sheath: The sheath that my client requested for this knife
is made of double thick kydex, 5052H32 corrosion resistant aluminum, and nickel
plated steel Chicago screws, one of the toughest sheaths made.
Thanks, B. M.!
WoW what a knife. The balance is perfect. The grip for my 7.5
sized glove hand is perfect. Looking
at the dovetailed stones-- there are no gaps whatsoever.
Especially pleasing is the middle section of stone pointed on
the palmar side of the grip at the apex of the curve.
Never before did I appreciate how filework is nothing
unless bordered by the bolsters and the stone. It is really set
off with a border. The colors make you look the handle up and
down in a sweeping way so as to appreciate the unit as an
organic whole. I examined the knife
under 3.5X mag. Especially the filework. I note that alternating
flowers of 1 and 3 file strokes on opposite sides of the tang
have slight variances which point to true hand work...not
machine CNC. This especially is true
with the 3 stroke cuts. Sometimes they are a perfect “W” and
others have a slight outward tilt/curve to the upper right
stroke of the “W” When I hold the
knife I am transmitted to a different time when a Feudal Lord or
Pioneer of means could commission such a work of practical art
from a craftsman such as yourself...WOW.
--B. M.
Please click on thumbnail knife photos
