Damascus Dagger with Fluted Ironwood and Bronze

Product Description for Damascus Dagger with Fluted Ironwood and Bronze

Maker: Stuart Smith, J.S. (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 111344
** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind **
Blade length: 11.10 in.
Cutting edge length: 10.20 in.
Total length: 17.40 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.24 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.28 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.24 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.04 in.
Item weight: 19.00 oz.
Shipment weight: 40.4 oz.
Blade: Damascus forged from 1080 and 75NI8 carbon steels
Bolster: Antiqued bronze guard and fittings
Handle: Hand fluted Arizona desert ironwood
Sheath: Hand tooled leather sheath
Description: Visiting with Journeyman Smith Stuart Smith is always a highlight of my visits to South Africa. His dramatic personality shines through his hand forged knives. Smith began making knives in 2000 after he took a class with Mastersmith Kevin Harvey. Stuart was immediately hooked and quit 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).
The damascus blade is hand forged, combining 1080 and 75Ni8 carbon steels The complex damascus pattern is extremely engaging and nicely complements the symmetrically ground dagger blade. The blade is hand ground with perfect symmetry. Daggers are one of the hardest blades to grind because it becomes extremely obvious if the blade is not ground perfectly.
The handle is a premium section of Arizona desert ironwood, perfectly fluted by hand. Desert ironwood (Olneya tesota) is a rare wood that is only found in the valleys of the Sonoran Desert below 2,500 foot elevation. It is extremely dense and durable. In fact, it is so dense, that if a piece is dropped in water it will sink! The fittings are antiqued bronze. The handle feels exceptional in hand and provides a great balance to the 11 inch blade.
To keep the dagger close at hand, custom sheath made by Stuart's wife, Michelle, is included. The sheath features leather lacing and a custom bead.
Exceptional work throughout!


Availability: Not currently available