Hey Everyone~
Had to wait for some information from here and there (Thanks Joyce) before posting. Here are some details for you.
*Everything you wanted to know about the Jot Singh Khalsa
*but were afraid to ask...
The Man:
In 1977 Jot Singh Khalsa (pronounced Jote Sing Kalsa) began adapting his lifetsyle to accomodate the Sikh religion, which originates in North India. One of the basic guidelines of his religion is that a knife must be carried at all times. Jot's knifemaking career began when he was not able to find a knife of the quality he would feel comfortable carrying every day. Jot choose to put his jewelrysmith background to work and design a knife for himself. He enjoyed the art so much that he turned this task into a full time job. In 1979 he was inducted in to the Knifemaker's Guild. His workshop is located in Millis, MA where he and his wife reside.
His Knives:
Jot's knife designs hold the influence of such notable custom knifemakers as Buster Warenski, Michael Walker, Herman Scneider and Virgil England, as well as the guidance of his spiritual teacher, Yogi Bhajan. While he prefers to use his own high-carbon nickel damascus steel in his custom knives, he also likes to use other custom damascus for added variety. He searches rock shops to find the most unique configuration and combination of rocks and minerals for use as his handle materials. Jot has chosen to forego the use of some of the more traditional blade styles, instead concentrating on the creation of more unusual pieces. In the future he would like to incorporate more engraving in to his work.
The C40:
In the collaborative effort with Spyderco, the veteran knife artist created a novel piece with superior comfort and ergonomic control. The handle is black micarta, as you know, and it's shape feels really "at home" in the hand. The hole in the blade is very pronounced, creating a hump that gives this tool the feel of a cross guard. The design is robust, yet its light enough at 3.5 oz for everyday carry. The blade is GIN-1 and is 3" long. It reflects Jot's dedication to exceptional beauty and Spyderco's commitment to unmatched functionality. It comes in either Plain or Spyderedge, and retails for $134.95.
As for comparison to the REKAT Escalator, I can certainly see where the comparison would be made. Vince and I played around with a Jot trying the theory out that the Jot would function the same, and our conclusion is that the C40 was not designed to function or perform the same as an Escalator, and it doesn't. Was kinda fun, though....
Hope this helps a little!
Danelle
..someday we'll all look back on this...laugh nervously..and change the subject...
[This message has been edited by djo62 (edited 14 April 1999).]