Aeolus
"Aeolus" Custom Art Knife
- Size:
Knife: Length Overall: 14" (35.6 cm), Blade Length: 8.5" (21.6 cm), Thickness: Main Blade: .214" (5.4 mm),
Cross Blade: .242" (6.1 mm)
Stand: Width: 12" (30.5 cm), Depth: 6.4" (16.3 cm), Height: 17" (43.2 cm) at tallest adjustment
- Weight:
Knife: 1 lb. 1 oz. (482 grams)
Stand: 10.0 lbs. (4.5 kilograms)
- Blades: 440C high chromium martensitic stainless steel, hardened and tempered to 59HRC, mirror polished
- Bolsters, Fittings: Hand-engraved 304 austenitic stainless steel
- Handle: Polished Labradorite gemstone
- Stand: Peach Hardwood, American
Black Walnut Hardwood, 304 austenitic stainless steel,
Baltic Brown Granite, neoprene feet, engraved flat black
lacquered brass nameplate
- Knife: If ever a knife was made
that looked like it could fly away, it is Aeolus. Aeolus
is named for the Greek god of the winds, and is a custom
knife designed and made for a special client. The origin
of this knife was the blade of my Hercules dagger, which
has a cross-blade style ricasso, and the handle of my
Wardlow bowie which has a well-defined and boldly
sculpted shape. My patron was gracious enough to allow
me full freedom on this knife, to produce it the way I
felt would compliment the two styles in an original work
of art. The most stunning aspect of this knife is the
cross blade. The two blades are made from 440C high
chromium martensitic stainless tool steel, and I hollow
ground the blades with a three inch contact wheel to
create a very tight and well-defined hollow grind in
quarter inch thick stock for substantial weight and
strength while yielding a very thin and aggressive quad
of cutting edges. The main blade was carefully milled to
accept the body of the cross-blade, which is bonded with
high tensile strength solder and a press-fit. This was
no easy task, and many hours were spent with small
dressing stones to apply the razor edges on all four
blade grinds. The main blade has full filework in a
tight, clean, and machine-like pattern reminiscent of a
riveted airplane body. The filework is full, from thumb
rise to choil, and the tang is fully tapered while
leaving plenty of thickness for strength. The bolsters
are large and bold, sculpted in 304 austenitic high
nickel, high chromium stainless steel. I hand-engraved
all six bolster faces with a pattern like wind in
flight, which breaks out of the deeply backgrounded
margins. The bolsters are dovetailed and bed two pairs
of polished Labradorite gemstone handle scales. The
Labradorite has the property of labradoressence, which
is a striking light play of color and iridescence when
the light angle and the viewing angle are just right.
The color reminds me of a bright, even tropical sky. I
tried to capture that in the thumbnail knife photos
below. The knife feels strong and massive in the hand,
with the large cross blade dominating the profile at any
angle and position.
- Stand: This knife needed a very
special display stand, so I created one that can display
the knife in any position. The stand is fully
articulating; the knife can be turned around its axis in
any position, and the bowed form of the stand allows the
knife's axis to be positioned at nearly every angle. I started
with the specialized holders for the knife, devices that
would allow the knife to be held firmly, yet without
damage. This called for a very special hardwood, one
that is very hard, tough, and dense, one that would not
split or fracture. I chose Peach for these load-bearing parts, as it
is definitely up to the task. A Peach block holds the
point in a dedicated slot, and the point end of the
fixture is fully articulated and rotates around its axis
on a nylatron bushing. On the handle end, a turned and
polished Peach hardwood cup holds the handle butt, and
is held in place by a tension screw. Both ends of the
holders are mounted to Peach blocks which are bedded
into a solid American Black Walnut bow. All the woods
have a natural oiled and waxed finish for an authentic appeal. The bow is
slotted in the center, and a hand-sculpted wing bolt
secures the bow in any position to the base. All of the
metal components on the stand are 304 austenitic high
nickel, high chromium stainless steel, which is a
zero-care tough stainless, brushed finished for a satiny
soft look. The bow is secured to a fixed threaded socket
in the base of polished Baltic Brown Granite. The
granite has four small inset feet of neoprene in the
bottom for a
non-scratch gentle setting. The stand is accompanied by an
engraved, flat black lacquered brass nameplate, setting in
a crescent-shaped block of Peach hardwood.
- The artistic notions of this knife suggest flight,
tension, and freedom, all at once. It is a spectacular,
original, and unique art piece that photographs can only
suggest and not capture, and I'm glad that it will find
a worthwhile place in my patron's collection, suiting
him particularly well!
Thanks, P. K.!
In my wildest dreams I never would have thought of the design of the art knife or the display unit. I
have always maintained No Input from me is the only way to purchase one of your art pieces. I feel sorry
for the clients who insist on their own input... because they are missing out on a
unique art work that could have been created by you!
Best always!
--P.
Please click on thumbnail knife photos
