Lemon Cutter that's heading to a customer

W

Will Leavitt

Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Messages
3,953
I call this a Lemon Cutter. The original design is something I developed with my brother's input (he's had some Escrima training) for a friend of ours that is a bar manager and prefers not to carry a pistol even though he has a CCW and is a former Marine. When people ask what it's for he tells them "cutting lemons" :p

This knife is going to one of my brother's employees that sleeps with a bat and knife next to her bed, this will be a major upgrade in defensive blades. :p

Specs:
1084 from that guy in Joisey named Aldo. Tortured with hammer and steel until it gave up the knife inside.
10 5/8 Overall
5 1/4 Cutting edge
3/16 spine, just at the front of the turk's head, the spine is tapered.
400x hand rubbed finish
The buffed part on the blade is from sharpening, I think it looks cool and the customer liked it (I sharpen the knives for my brother's barbeque restaurant and she likes the look.)
Lorien wrapped in hemp with leather lace turk's heads. The handle is better suited for scales but she wanted turk's heads and stuff, you can split someone's head with the point on the butt, my brother cracked a coconut with the original. :eek: Good thing he and I don't fight anymore :p
I tried a little carving and stuff on the sheath. It was fun and something else I'm going to have to work on I guess.

As always comments good or bad are welcome.
 

Attachments

  • lemoncutter.jpg
    lemoncutter.jpg
    31.7 KB · Views: 359
  • lemoncutterhand.jpg
    lemoncutterhand.jpg
    30.1 KB · Views: 112
  • lemoncuttersheath.jpg
    lemoncuttersheath.jpg
    40.1 KB · Views: 90
Will,

That's really nice. I guess southern boys just know how to make 'em.:D
 
Most excellent. Bravo!

That's about perfect for a modern day defense knife. Most of my knife choices these days revolve around a mix of defensive and utility concerns, and this knife would fit the bill for all of them. Here's why:

1. Perfect configuration for thrusting, slicing, and precise atemi (pressure point striking). This applies to regular use on, as you say, coconuts and lemons as well as for close quarter defensive use.

2. Snagless design. The butt is a little pointy but not so much that it would snare on clothing while trying to draw it.

3. Concealability. Not too fat, not too long, but long enough and wide enough to get the job done.

I agree that it needs scales though...
 
Oh, and while your brother's employee is upgrading her cutlery, she might also want to upgrade from a baseball bat to a garrote. It is smaller and lighter than a baseball bat but does quite a number on whomever is being hit (I have been hit with bats and garrotes in training and can say this as a matter of fact).

Plus it's harder for an intruder to see, and it also is useful for joint locks.

The pics show one sitting next to a Busse AK "mutant wakizashi."
 

Attachments

  • AK garrote profile.jpg
    AK garrote profile.jpg
    18.3 KB · Views: 29
  • AK garrote tip.jpg
    AK garrote tip.jpg
    24.5 KB · Views: 19
"Atemi" Moloko, are you an aikidoka? I studied for a year at our local dojo (Iwama style) until my health prevented further training. The dojo here is free but there is a waiting list (as you can imagine) and I felt it wasn't fair to hold a position preventing a more able student to learn The Way. Randori is very interesting since most students are black belt holders in other styles. Sensei Meyers, Sandan, is the head Sensei (although he's pretty much retired from teaching), I believe Sensei Paul Cox, Nidan, is the new teaching sensei. Sensei Cox is also a bladesmith but doesn't sell anything that I know of. The dojo was one of the most pure places of learning I've ever attended. One of the Sempais was a Nidan in another style, she showed up to class in hakama and was informed that only Nidans in Iwama may wear hakama. She promptly changed into a gi and dutifully earned her nidan. She is one of the most intense teachers I've ever had, most humble too. I learned a lot about humility and to love learning from her.

Thank you for the kind words on my simple knife.
 
Simple knives are the best in my opinion. Of course I am hugely enamored with Japanese-style designs, particularly when they are modified for modern uses. If you want to discuss that just let me know, because I have a ton of information compiled from martial arts practice and from researching feudal Japanese weaponry.

I studied in the Bujinkan for a while, which is where I learned all of my Budo speak. I also practiced Yanagi Ryu Aikijujutsu and mostly practice Systema these days.

Again, I really dig that knife. It looks like it's straight out of 1600-era Japan!
 
The basic plan for the knife was along the lines of a kwaiken, obviously it's different from traditional kwaikens. When we sat down to design the blade the basic question is how are you going to defend yourself at contact ranges. Obviously slashing isn't effective unless you have a bit of room, stabby works at very close ranges and this blade has enough length to penetrate deep into the soft, squishy parts. The pointy butt allows for effective strikes at the various plexus' and it has enough belly to be effective slashing to impair fighting ability by hitting connective tissue.

A while back when I was young and not so nice I was the recipient of a knife attack, the slashes were painful but the stabs were what did most of the damage. That's the base for my preferences in a fighting knife. When I was in the Army we recieved some rudimentary knife training, just enough to make you aware that you weren't really competent at knife fighting.

There's a Bujinkan dojo in the small town nearby, the dojo used to be at the Sensei's house about 1 mile from me. I visited but didn't like the atmosphere, he's got a hit or miss reputation among the martial arts community in the area.

With my heritage (Okinawan Japanese and American) I try to blend the styles. My cousin Cogi is the teaching Sensei at a Kendo dojo back home. I'd love to spend some time with him working on blade ideas. The last visit it was "oh you've gotten very big, come put this armor on and let's spar." I felt like I was in a bell, let me tell you that baseball bat swings aren't effective against a Kendo master :p and it's hard to shoot a single or double leg wearing that armor, especially when you keep tripping in the hakama. The students enjoyed it immensely though, glad I could lighten their day up.

Mainly I make knives that I like and hope that someone along the way appreciates the path I have chosen to follow.

Thanks for the comments and taking the time to chat about knives. I look forward to conversations about Japanese knives and trying to blend them with American styles.
 
This is the first I have seen your work here, Will, and I love it. I have spent 28 yrs in various martial arts and this to me is a beautiful blend of form, function, and art. I think it would work very well in the kitchen too. I'd be proud to own such a piece. Ever consider making more?

Thanks,

Steve
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top