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- Feb 15, 2002
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It will be interesting to hear from some of you who saw this knife at the recent Arkansas Knifemakers Association "Little Rock Show" because I know others besides me were captivated by it.
At the always fun and interesting knife judging on Friday (all the table-holder makers can vote), with each "Best Of ______" category full of entries, folks could leisurely walk around and examine all the knives they cared to.
This knife was entered by David in the best damascus category - a very tough category even though D-Lisch has been putting out some killer damascus.
Of course, I know David did win one with his other entry. (Somebody help me out with who won damascus and what David won. Thanks.
)
Anyway, the knife got a lot of attention - as in it got picked up off the table and looked over quite a bit. So I was kind of surprised to be the first, after the banquet and awards, to corner David to see if it was for sale. Snap! Once again I have scooped some of my knife-nut buddies who were thinking, "I need to talk to Lisch about that knife."
This knife got my attention because:
- First and foremost it's got great lines - terrific 'flow.' The middle shot on the red background below shows this well.
- It's timeless in design - it might pass for a 'bowie' of the sub-hilt variety but it's appeal is more universal than that.
- The damascus pattern is trippy, and brings an element of motion, IMHO, to the knife.
- The handle makes perfect sense as soon as you pick up the knife - because of how support and control of the knife in hand are shifted to the bigger, stronger middle finger.
- The heft of the handle is a part of the equation, making the balance point further back than in most knives - the result is a using grip like no other. The handle drop that terminates in the mandala cap secures the grip on the back end.
- The sweep of the double modified D guard arrangement is just right.
- The handle material, though beautiful, is muted in relation to the drama elsewhere in the knife - further evidence of David's artistic sensibilities and instincts.
I pounced on it
and asked Paul Long to provide the sheath and I love what he did - it's perfect.
After the fact, David e-mailed me the info quoted below. It illustrates the reason I never say to a maker 'this is what I want' - I say 'do something that turns you on.' Also, DL says this is his first in such a style. Every one he makes in the future will be better than this one is some ways - but I've been around long enough now to know that certain knives "got more juice than others."
"Here are some fun facts about the knife:
The Damascus is serpent feather (but our friend Bill Burke will say that it is dragons breath.)
It is my first sub-guard and I was just trying to do something different - it is a sneak peak into the future of what my knives may look like - wild free and flowing.
The Damascus is 1080 and 15n20.The spacers look like bronze but they are 9010 copper nickel.
The butt cap is biased and 4 way-ed W's. It's a mandala cross, there to aid in divine intervention.
When I make a spec knife, one that is not an order, I make it for me - something I would want to own, and nothing is off the table if I think it can add to the end result."
At the always fun and interesting knife judging on Friday (all the table-holder makers can vote), with each "Best Of ______" category full of entries, folks could leisurely walk around and examine all the knives they cared to.
This knife was entered by David in the best damascus category - a very tough category even though D-Lisch has been putting out some killer damascus.
Of course, I know David did win one with his other entry. (Somebody help me out with who won damascus and what David won. Thanks.
)Anyway, the knife got a lot of attention - as in it got picked up off the table and looked over quite a bit. So I was kind of surprised to be the first, after the banquet and awards, to corner David to see if it was for sale. Snap! Once again I have scooped some of my knife-nut buddies who were thinking, "I need to talk to Lisch about that knife."
This knife got my attention because:
- First and foremost it's got great lines - terrific 'flow.' The middle shot on the red background below shows this well.
- It's timeless in design - it might pass for a 'bowie' of the sub-hilt variety but it's appeal is more universal than that.
- The damascus pattern is trippy, and brings an element of motion, IMHO, to the knife.
- The handle makes perfect sense as soon as you pick up the knife - because of how support and control of the knife in hand are shifted to the bigger, stronger middle finger.
- The heft of the handle is a part of the equation, making the balance point further back than in most knives - the result is a using grip like no other. The handle drop that terminates in the mandala cap secures the grip on the back end.
- The sweep of the double modified D guard arrangement is just right.
- The handle material, though beautiful, is muted in relation to the drama elsewhere in the knife - further evidence of David's artistic sensibilities and instincts.
I pounced on it
and asked Paul Long to provide the sheath and I love what he did - it's perfect. After the fact, David e-mailed me the info quoted below. It illustrates the reason I never say to a maker 'this is what I want' - I say 'do something that turns you on.' Also, DL says this is his first in such a style. Every one he makes in the future will be better than this one is some ways - but I've been around long enough now to know that certain knives "got more juice than others."
"Here are some fun facts about the knife:
The Damascus is serpent feather (but our friend Bill Burke will say that it is dragons breath.
) It is my first sub-guard and I was just trying to do something different - it is a sneak peak into the future of what my knives may look like - wild free and flowing.
The Damascus is 1080 and 15n20.The spacers look like bronze but they are 9010 copper nickel.
The butt cap is biased and 4 way-ed W's. It's a mandala cross, there to aid in divine intervention.
When I make a spec knife, one that is not an order, I make it for me - something I would want to own, and nothing is off the table if I think it can add to the end result."
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