Mountain Scene Batwing Fighter (Journeyman Test Knife)

Product Description for Mountain Scene Batwing Fighter (Journeyman Test Knife)

Maker: Shane Taylor, M.S. (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 1332
*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***
Blade length: 3.50 in.
Total length: 8.12 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.00 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.16 in.
Item weight: 5.00 oz.
Blade: 1095 carbon steel forged to shape
Bolster: Mosaic Damascus mountain scene
Handle: Fossil walrus ivory
Sheath: Original leather sheath (in new condition) by J.L. Stites, Miles City, Montana
Description: Shane Taylor became a journeyman smith in 1998 and has been among my favorite makers since well before then. His sense of style, fit and finish set him apart from other knifemakers. I am extremely excited to have come upon one of his five journeyman smith knives.
The journeyman smith test knives are judged by ABS Mastersmiths on fit and finish, as well as general artistry. Each must be forged to shape from carbon steel. The standards are exacting. With this fighter, Shane Taylor (now a mastersmith) gained the ranks of ABS Journeyman Smith at the 1998 Blade Show.
As you would expect, the sense of design, artistry and technique are spectacular. The seam between the blade and bolsters is imperceptible. The spine and backbar are both fileworked. The screws are fileworked and heat blued. The blade and tang both feature a strong distal taper, creating a perfect balance in the hand.
The mountain scene pattern mosaic Damascus used for the bolsters are a hallmark of Shane's career and are one of the early patterns that set him off from other knifemakers. The batwing fighter became one of Shane's best known fixed blade patterns and has also been made into a folder pattern. Numbered 981 -- the first knife of 1998.


Availability: Not currently available