Bone handled San Mai

Bailey Knives

Bailey Knives

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Joined
Oct 18, 2004
Messages
3,775
This one is san mai, some of the earliest I have made. I have had this one sitting and waiting for a handle for some time, and just recently put one on. The blade is 1084 and Cruforge V, with the Cruforge as the core steel. On the right hand side of the blade there is a tiny mark that looks like delamination, but is actually where one of the weld lines were that held the stack together. It is only on the corner of the spine and you cant actually see it if you look down on the spine. I tried to take a good picture of it.
The spine is fileworked throughout the handle area.

The handle is cow bone, held into place with pins and acraglas.

The sheath is 8-9oz hand stitched and tooled leather. It holds the knife securely, but it draws out without too much effort.

Dimensions
Blade - 3 7/8" tip to handle
OAL - 8"

Price - $175 shipped to US. I prefer paypal to matt@baileyknives.com, but will accept check or money order.

The first to post here "I'll take it!" gets it.

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Damn, Matt! Love the patterns of both the filework and the san mai. The bone handle looks awesome on this one. I would have grabbed in a heartbeat:thumbup:
 
Ok, I have looked at this too many times. I am never going to pass up one of your bone handles again.
 
very nice lines, including the san mai. the filework is also very nice and not a pattern i've seen before.
 
Ridge-Runner,

That's a good question. At least a dozen. Maybe more. They are all in my studio right now getting fitted for a repurposed glass cabinet that I'll use for display.

Now, this might shock those of you who are collectors first and fore-most, but I'd say that I've carried and used about half my Baileys. The others - the really REALLY pretty ones - I'm setting aside for posterity.

I've even chopped wood up in Colorado with one of Matt's knives.

Are they field tested? You bet your hind-end.

Yes, they are extremely well made and ready for heavy use. They are also incredibly comfortable in-hand, which is my favorite practical feature of Matt's Knives. You don't know a comfy fandle until you've handled one of these.

Second favorite practical feature is the edge. Matt's knives come out of his carefully-packed box beard-shaving sharp.

But in the end, what attracts me to Matt's knives is the fact that they are so singularly beautiful. They are also each incredibly unique when you compare them to each other.

I've got several and only two of them are remotely similar (two hunters that he made at the same time). The others are completely different from each other. I'm not talking same knife with a different handle material different. I'm talking profile to materials to specs different.

But you know what? They are all instantly recognizable as Matt Bailey creations. His style - his sense of design - comes through like a pure voice in a choir.

I've studied and worked as an artist for 20 years. Let me tell you, finding a style that is all your own is NOT easy, but Matt sure does make it look easy. Don't let it fool you. It's obvious that Matt has worked very very hard over a good amount of time developing his methods and his style. And the hard work has clearly paid off.
 
Wow, thanks Los Angeles. I appreciate the comments. I like that you use some and display some. I try to make them all to be nice enough to display, and tough enough to abuse. Hopefully I achieve that goal. One of my favorite parts of knifemaking is designing. I like to sit with a pad of paper and a pencil and see what comes out. I still have a couple designs in my more bold san mai that I am working on specifically for you.
 
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