My new Pendray Hunter!

Ivan Campos · Jan 22, 2002

Life sometimes can be good!
I just got an Al Pendray hunter from fellow forumite Bart Weijs, from belgium.
I was interested in this knife since the first time Bart showed it on the Forums. When we were talking about trades, recently, I found out that not only he still had it, he also wanted to trade it and, of course, I had to pick it up, even though hunters never were my coup of tea...
It took a while to get here - enough to make me nervous - but it finally showed up this afternoon and it is everything I expected, very handy, well made and confortable to hold, plus it has a style all of its own.
Thanks a lot, Bart, and hopefully you are as satisfied with the folder you got as I am with this knife!

HJK · Jan 22, 2002

Wootz?

Keith Montgomery · Jan 22, 2002

Though Al Pendray is famous for Wootz, this knife does not look to be made from that steel. Maybe Ivan can enlighten a little as to what steel has been used.

Jerry Hossom · Jan 22, 2002

I'm not sure how you can tell that is not Wootz. Pendray's Wootz looks like most other steels.

flava · Jan 23, 2002

I don't think it's wootz but I might be wrong, the picture is to small. Pendray also uses 52100 a lot for his knives so there is a fair chance it's actualy that. Ivan is the one who can enlighten us about it, wootz has a subtle damascene pattern when etched (if it's wootz than Al Pendray etched it, that's for sure).
No matter what steel, it's a super fine integral hunter, congratulations!

Ivan Campos · Jan 23, 2002

I am not that lucky, folks. It should be 52100 as it surelly is not of wootz as tehre is no visible structure of any kind in the blade.
Maybe its former owner can tell us more about it.

BART! BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAART!

Bart student · Jan 23, 2002

hello Folks

I'm happy you like it Ivan. I like my end too. Yeah, it took an unusually long time to get there, no doubt.

About the knife. It most defenitely isn't wootz, it's 52100 all right.
Even has a temper line. Pic is so bad because the scanner sucks for getting a mirror polish in the picture.
I'm still a bit vague about it's origins, but rumor has it that this was Heat-treathed by Ed fowler in a teaching session at a hammer-inn.

I also found out that 52100 was launched in the knifemakers business by Al Pendray, and Ed Fowler devised his worldfamous heat-treath for it.
I believe Ed once said that 52100 was Al Pendray's joke to the knfemaking world.
It also has the distinctive look and grip, everything on the knife is rounded, except the edge, making it super-comfortable for long working session. I never cut more then an enveloppe and it was lying a bit homeless on the shelf here, so I traded it to Ivan for a folder, which i find much more usefull (and prettier but that's a matter of taste

).

Thanks for the trade Ivan, you're a good, trustworthy man.

Greetz and take care, bart.

Keith Montgomery · Jan 23, 2002

Actually Jerry, I have seen quite a few of Al's Wootz knives and none of them look like normal steel. They all have a pattern to them that this steel does not.

Jerry Hossom · Jan 23, 2002

I've seen them at the Guild shows and the pattern certainly wasn't clear to these old eyes, especially since the banding is in the 10-20 micron range. He used photomicrographs to display the bands. Impressively fine structure.

AchimW · Jan 24, 2002

Hello all!
Hi Bart!

Well, i know Bart personally and had the chance to handle this knife and take a closer look at the blade. And i had the chance to handle an Al Pendray Wootz Bowie at the last SICAC Knife Show in Paris, France. Plus i make quiet a lot of wootz myself. Here's what i can tell you:
- The (etched) wootz Bowie had a clearly visible pattern.
- The (non etched) polished hunting knife from Bart didn't have any pattern at all.
- All polished wootz blades i made to date had a visible pattern even if they were not etched. Just like most pattern welded, non etched blades you have to turn them some back and forth in the light to see the pattern.
- The blade of this knife is definitely is not made from wootz.

Still, it's a nice and well made custom piece from one of the best living bladesmiths. Congrats, Ivan. Whatever folder you traded for it, it's been a good deal for you. But that's only my personal opinion.

Achim

Ivan Campos · Jan 24, 2002

made by Al Pendary, possibly heat treated by Ed Fowler, owned by Bart Weijs and handled by Achim Wirz! Now let's talk about additional vaue here!

My new Pendray Hunter!

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