Milan Mozolic is one of the best makers of custom-forged Bowies, Fighters & Hunters in Europe. He is well-known in the BF knife community for making some of the cleanest, most beautifully forged Bowie-Fighters available, similar in style and quality to the perfectly executed Bowies of American Bladesmith Nick Wheeler. This time, however, I asked Milan for his take on the iconic Kukris of Jason Knight. He did a fantastic job, with unique touches that are all his own, while retaining the powerful and beautiful essence that make Knight's design so fantastic.
SPECS
OAL:
- 16.85" from point-to-pommel.
BLADE:
- 11.5" Blade of W2 Tool Steel; Cutting-Edge is also 11.5", thanks to the bolster sloping back;
- 0.265" Blade Thickness
- 2.5" Maximum Blade Width; 1.6" Minimum Blade Width
- 'Dirty Hamon' Finish, A bit more resistant to corrosion & great for hiding wear & tear.
HANDLE:
- Antiqued-finish, hammer-textured Bronze Guard with bottom Hawk's Beak Quillon & rounded top with tight seams.
- Carbon Fiber, Hidden-Tang Handle, with 2 domed Bronze pins.
- 5.35" Handle length.
This 11.5" long, 0.265" thick (with a gentle distal taper from the harpoon forward) hand forged blade of W2 Tool Steel (favored as the best steel available for forged Bowies & Fighters) is the most gorgeous I've seen; he absolutely nailed the near-sharp harpoon (fully sharp for the first inch to make it a fat dagger capable of thrust cuts and easy piercing) & long fullers for a bad-ass look and a lighter blade that doesn't give up any strength.
It's differential heat treat resulted in a lovely hamon, with a higher Rockwell hardness at the edges, below the hamon (@58-60Rhc, by est.), and a lower Rockwell above the hamon (@52-55). This gives it a flexible core, and a cutting edge with a refined grain that takes a very sharp edge and retains that sharp edge for a long time; but it's not so hard that chipping is a concern.
The handle is a work of art itself. For such a beast, I chose a hidden tang handle that used premium-grade carbon fiber. It doesn't dry out or crack or change size like wood, but the pistol-grip pommel is as smooth as glass, and harder than wood, as well as being freakishly tough. It ways a fraction of steel with remarkable tensile strength, and the hidden tang allows it to exploit the shock absorption properties of carbon fiber. And Instead of the single pin traditionally used on hidden tangs, I wanted an extra-large tang with two bronze pins, giving it a very tough mechanical connection to back up the epoxy.
Lastly: the custom guard of antiqued bronze, with matching bronze pins. The rounded top and hawks' beak quillon on the bottom completes the sculpted profile, a beautiful touch by Milan Mozolic. The carbon fiber looks stunning, and the contrast of ancient bronze & ultra-modern carbon-fiber matches the knife perfectly. Another interesting aspect of carbon fiber is that when your hands get sweaty, the grip becomes sticky... and the bronze is dimpled with hundreds of tiny hammer strikes, allowing your hand to lock in.
The sheath is another example of Mozolic excellence; his sheaths are the best of any knifemaker I've seen, and this one is brilliantly designed, with three loops to allow for multiple carry options.
I'm loathe to part with it... but things happen. It is brand-new, unused, in perfect condition... a work of brutal beauty.
The price is $1050.00 USD including shipping to Canada & the continental US. I'll be happy to ship overseas, but the customer will have to pay the extra shipping costs for a service including Tracking, and accept the risks of overseas shipping; I've never had a problem yet, but it's your responsibility to make sure it's legal in your country, and won't get seized by customs. Tracking is a must, Insurance is optional.
Payment should be made by Paypal Goods & Services (I'll cover the fees), or Interac Email Payment, if you're Canadian.
I reserve the right to sell to whom I please - just to be safe. If you want it, post 'I'll take it'; that applies to sales agreed upon via messaging or email as well, otherwise itrader feedback can't be left.
If I don't respond right away, be patient... I'm still getting used to the notifications.
SPECS
OAL:
- 16.85" from point-to-pommel.
BLADE:
- 11.5" Blade of W2 Tool Steel; Cutting-Edge is also 11.5", thanks to the bolster sloping back;
- 0.265" Blade Thickness
- 2.5" Maximum Blade Width; 1.6" Minimum Blade Width
- 'Dirty Hamon' Finish, A bit more resistant to corrosion & great for hiding wear & tear.
HANDLE:
- Antiqued-finish, hammer-textured Bronze Guard with bottom Hawk's Beak Quillon & rounded top with tight seams.
- Carbon Fiber, Hidden-Tang Handle, with 2 domed Bronze pins.
- 5.35" Handle length.
This 11.5" long, 0.265" thick (with a gentle distal taper from the harpoon forward) hand forged blade of W2 Tool Steel (favored as the best steel available for forged Bowies & Fighters) is the most gorgeous I've seen; he absolutely nailed the near-sharp harpoon (fully sharp for the first inch to make it a fat dagger capable of thrust cuts and easy piercing) & long fullers for a bad-ass look and a lighter blade that doesn't give up any strength.
It's differential heat treat resulted in a lovely hamon, with a higher Rockwell hardness at the edges, below the hamon (@58-60Rhc, by est.), and a lower Rockwell above the hamon (@52-55). This gives it a flexible core, and a cutting edge with a refined grain that takes a very sharp edge and retains that sharp edge for a long time; but it's not so hard that chipping is a concern.
The handle is a work of art itself. For such a beast, I chose a hidden tang handle that used premium-grade carbon fiber. It doesn't dry out or crack or change size like wood, but the pistol-grip pommel is as smooth as glass, and harder than wood, as well as being freakishly tough. It ways a fraction of steel with remarkable tensile strength, and the hidden tang allows it to exploit the shock absorption properties of carbon fiber. And Instead of the single pin traditionally used on hidden tangs, I wanted an extra-large tang with two bronze pins, giving it a very tough mechanical connection to back up the epoxy.
Lastly: the custom guard of antiqued bronze, with matching bronze pins. The rounded top and hawks' beak quillon on the bottom completes the sculpted profile, a beautiful touch by Milan Mozolic. The carbon fiber looks stunning, and the contrast of ancient bronze & ultra-modern carbon-fiber matches the knife perfectly. Another interesting aspect of carbon fiber is that when your hands get sweaty, the grip becomes sticky... and the bronze is dimpled with hundreds of tiny hammer strikes, allowing your hand to lock in.
The sheath is another example of Mozolic excellence; his sheaths are the best of any knifemaker I've seen, and this one is brilliantly designed, with three loops to allow for multiple carry options.
I'm loathe to part with it... but things happen. It is brand-new, unused, in perfect condition... a work of brutal beauty.
The price is $1050.00 USD including shipping to Canada & the continental US. I'll be happy to ship overseas, but the customer will have to pay the extra shipping costs for a service including Tracking, and accept the risks of overseas shipping; I've never had a problem yet, but it's your responsibility to make sure it's legal in your country, and won't get seized by customs. Tracking is a must, Insurance is optional.
Payment should be made by Paypal Goods & Services (I'll cover the fees), or Interac Email Payment, if you're Canadian.
I reserve the right to sell to whom I please - just to be safe. If you want it, post 'I'll take it'; that applies to sales agreed upon via messaging or email as well, otherwise itrader feedback can't be left.
If I don't respond right away, be patient... I'm still getting used to the notifications.
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