The name for this set of daggers is "The Daggers Of Day And Night". My customer gave me a lot of freedom in creating the theme and the symbolism. "Day" has a 12" blade of random pattern stainless damascus, stainless fittings, and mammoth ivory. The pattern in the steel represents wispy clouds in the sky. The fuller has a surface finish that represents rippling water in a stream. The handle represents plant life growing in the daylight. The handle was done with a very well matched pair of mammoth scales, with the green's depth very even on both sides. "Night" has a carbon damascus blade from O-1 and a small amount of nickel. The fittings are mild steel that has been blued. The handle is African blackwood. The blade's pattern represents stars in the night sky. It's fuller is finished the same as Day, and then blued.
Night won Best of Show at the recent Gathering show in Las Vegas.
I've been making knives for over 35 years and have made many complicated pieces, but none have kicked my ass like these have! I was ready to swear off daggers, but then they really came together as I was etching and finishing the parts. I think I'm going to build another dagger for Blade next year.
Chuck, your photograph is really wonderful! Thanks for posting it.
And thanks to all you guys for your comments!
David
[/url]Broadwell 002 by chuckbop36, on Flickr[/IMG]
Beautiful knives!
