Hamon Camp Knife with Amboyna Burl

Product Description for Hamon Camp Knife with Amboyna Burl

Maker: Stuart Smith, J.S. (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 102140
*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***
Blade length: 7.00 in.
Cutting edge length: 6.30 in.
Total length: 12.00 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.45 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.28 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.18 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.08 in.
Item weight: 11.00 oz.
Shipment weight: 15.4 oz.
Blade: Hand forged 1070 carbon steel with a Japanese style clay zone heat treatment
Bolster: Bronze
Handle: Contoured stabilized amboyna burl
Sheath: Hand stitched leather sheath
Description: Getting to meet bladesmith Stuart Smith is a real highlight of my trips to South Africa. Smith began making knives in 2000 after he took a class with Mastersmith Kevin Harvey. Stuart was immediately hooked and quite his job working as a salesman by 2004. Only a few years after that, in 2009, Stuart began teaching classes of his own. Among his many students is Neels van den Berg. Stuart has been very active over the years in the Southern African Bladesmiths Association (SABA) and the Knifemakers Guild of Southern Africa (KGSA). Stuart tested and became a Journeyman Smith in June 2019.
Stuart hand forged the massive clip point bowie blade from 1070 carbon steel. It features a clay zone differential heat treatment. This technique, borrowed from Japanese swords, uses clay to insulate the top half of the blade prior to quenching. The result is a softer, supportive spine, with a keen, long lasting cutting edge. The undulating transition line is called a gunome hamon. It features a hand rubbed satin finish and is distal tapered, ensuring perfect balance.
The handle begins with a contoured phosphor bronze guard. It is meticulously fit to both blade and handle -- joints between materials are virtually impossible to detect. The handle is formed from a solid piece of stabilized amboyna burl wood. This piece is particularly rare -- combining heart and sapwood for a particularly dramatic appearance. A mixture of hand rubbed tung oil and Danish oil provides a silky smooth, timeless finish.
The knife is accompanied by a hand stitched leather sheath.
Exceptional work throughout!


Availability: Not currently available