Turkish Damascus Hunter with Amboyna Burl (MS Test Knife)

Product Description for Turkish Damascus Hunter with Amboyna Burl (MS Test Knife)

Maker: Paul DiStefano, M.S. (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 112173
** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind **
Blade length: 5.20 in.
Cutting edge length: 4.60 in.
Total length: 9.70 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.08 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.20 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.16 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.02 in.
Item weight: 5.40 oz.
Blade: Turkish Twist damascus forged from 1084 and 15N20 carbon steels
Bolster: Twist damascus forged from carbon steels
Handle: Stabilized amboyna burl
Sheath: Zipper case
Description: Paul DiStefano is a bladesmith from Staten Island, New York. He has been making knives full time since 2017 and received his Mastersmith rating with the American Bladesmith Society in December of 2024. His knives are hand forged with a hammer and anvil. His style of work is immediately recognizable and he will likely become one of the "greats". This Multibar Mosaic Damascus Bowie is an excellent example of his exceptional work. It is part of his MS test set. When a maker tests to become a master, they create five knives that are the height of their work. These five knives are then judged by established masters to determine if the maker's work is up to snuff. Often, prospective mastersmiths spend 2-3 times longer creating these five knives as they would generally do, as they know that their work will be poured over by the masters. These five knives are generally considered to be among the most collectable knives of a maker's career.
The drop point blade is forged from Paul's own multi-bar damascus forged from 1084 and 15N20 carbon steel to ensure excellent edge holding and chip resistance. Three separate bars of twist damascus were set in opposing directions and forge welded together, creating the Turkish Twist pattern. This pattern is exceptionally difficult to create since the damascus needs to be twisted an equal amount on all three bars. Here, DiStefano has done it perfectly. The deeply etched damascus is high contrast making it easy to see from a distance. The blade is flat ground and razor sharp. Paul's touchmark is engraved on the left side of the blade.
The handle is contoured from a beautiful section of stabilized amboyna burl. The amboyna burl used has an intense, swirling figure and combines heartwood and sapwood into a dramatic presentation. The sculpted handle locks your hand into a non-slip comfortable grip. The handle is heirloom fit to a matching twist damascus guard.
A zipper case is included to safely store the knife when not in use.
Exceptional work throughout!


Availability: Not currently available