As a lot of you know, I love "mega folders" and my collecting has seriously drifted in that direction. I recently was given the opportunity to obtain this unusual mega folder in a trade with my friend David Buhrer, (thanks Dave!). The reason I say "unusual" is because it goes against the grain of most megas in that it is very traditional instead of "tactical". More on that later.
Dave contacted Ed about making these monsters and Ed had never done a mega before. Three were made with Dave still owning a stag handled model with a more tactical blade style and two with a hollow ground bowie blade. Dave told me Ed didn't realize what he was getting into when he commissioned these.
Ed Kalfayan has been around for a long time and a Knifmaker's Guild member for 25 years. His work runs the gammit from traditional folders to high art daggers. His work is very good and he takes real care to produce high quality stuff.
This monster has a 5", 1/4" thick, (at the spine), hollow ground, ATS-34, bowie style blade. It came with TWO sets of handle scales, which is neat, and one is Mammoth bone, (shown), and green rag micarta. The bolsters and blade are highly polished. Like I said, it's a big, heavy, fat brute and isn't very condusive to EDC. It will definitely need a belt sheath!
When I said this example was unusual in that it is more traditional, especially for a mega, is that it is a lockback instead of a linerlock or intregal lock. Lockup is rock solid though and the massive lockback ain't coming loose any time soon! It is also traditional in that it does not have a clip and it has a NAIL NICK for opening instead of a thumb stud. That will be rectified soon!
The backspacer has some really neat filework. I'm not a big fan of filework but Ed's is some of the best I've seen. He cuts it a lot deeper than most makers and you can tell he puts great time and effort into it. The filework is very smooth and rounded instead of sharp, abrupt edges.
All in all, a very unusual and high quality piece. Man, I love megas of any sort! PLEASE let me know if you have any that you just can't live with anymore.
Dave contacted Ed about making these monsters and Ed had never done a mega before. Three were made with Dave still owning a stag handled model with a more tactical blade style and two with a hollow ground bowie blade. Dave told me Ed didn't realize what he was getting into when he commissioned these.
Ed Kalfayan has been around for a long time and a Knifmaker's Guild member for 25 years. His work runs the gammit from traditional folders to high art daggers. His work is very good and he takes real care to produce high quality stuff.
This monster has a 5", 1/4" thick, (at the spine), hollow ground, ATS-34, bowie style blade. It came with TWO sets of handle scales, which is neat, and one is Mammoth bone, (shown), and green rag micarta. The bolsters and blade are highly polished. Like I said, it's a big, heavy, fat brute and isn't very condusive to EDC. It will definitely need a belt sheath!
When I said this example was unusual in that it is more traditional, especially for a mega, is that it is a lockback instead of a linerlock or intregal lock. Lockup is rock solid though and the massive lockback ain't coming loose any time soon! It is also traditional in that it does not have a clip and it has a NAIL NICK for opening instead of a thumb stud. That will be rectified soon!
The backspacer has some really neat filework. I'm not a big fan of filework but Ed's is some of the best I've seen. He cuts it a lot deeper than most makers and you can tell he puts great time and effort into it. The filework is very smooth and rounded instead of sharp, abrupt edges.
All in all, a very unusual and high quality piece. Man, I love megas of any sort! PLEASE let me know if you have any that you just can't live with anymore.
