- Joined
- May 16, 2018
- Messages
- 70
Part 1....
Hi all,
I'm excited to finally be able to introduce the first official version of my latest fixed blade model I call the "Heron".
This knife was designed to be a fixed blade EDC that it especially well suited for fishermen or those who live, work or like to play in or around water. Here are some of the design intentions and goals..
1. Compact enough to carry daily.
2. Large and tough enough to handle whatever daily cutting tasks should arise.
3. Acute piercing point of safe a effective dispatching of ocean fish, as well as easy piercing of fish bellies for cleaning of all types of fish.
4. Highly corrosion resistant blade and 100% water stable handle materials. Completely "water friendly".
5. Easy to use for all daily cutting chores, including preparing and eating food and/or bait.
6. The overall design aesthetic should be advanced but familiar. (M.A.Y.A. if you know, you know
)
The Blade:
This first edition (H-001) is LC200N (Z-Finit) that I heat treated, cryo'd and tempered to a final hardness of HRC 60.9 (averaged over 3 readings). I've been working for a long time on perfecting my LC200N heat treat recipe and protocol and this is the best hardness result I've achieved so far.
The Handle:
The bolster is nickel silver with nickel silver pins.
The body of the handle is white G10 with green/blue/green G10 liners.
The corbys are copper.
The lanyard tube is nickel silver.
The engraving badges are also nickel silver.
The Sheath(s):
Leather - The standard sheath for this knife is a leather belt sheath. The leather is wet molded to the knife first. After the leather is formed and allowed to dry it is completely and thoroughly saturated in a hot oil to soften the leather, add longevity and provide protection against the elements. After assembly and stitching with waxed "tiger thread", the sheath receives an additional surface treatment for water protection and then a final beeswax coating to boost protection and add to the surface durability.
Holstex / Neoprene - The client that would be receiving this knife runs a fishing boat in Florida, spends time in the Bahamas and generally lives his life on or around the ocean. He requested that he be able to take this knife diving as well as use it while exploring island shallows and marshes on foot. While the knife itself was NOT designed to be a dive knife I did my best to create an optional carry system for him that would keep the knife safe in the ocean, keep him from stabbing himself in the leg while trying to re-sheath it in dark water, and be comfortable to wear while either diving and/or walking. I actually found this design task more difficult than the knife itself.
The Name: The Heron spends it's day hunting fish in the marshy shallows. It depends on it's fishing/hunting skills to survive. It is a master of stalking and silently waiting to stab a fish with it's spear-like beak. It is a true fishing professional of the natural world.
Here she is..
Here is the final Heron next to the prototype.
The leather sheath..
Kydex/Holstex is the right choice many times and certainly has a lot of positive attributes as a sheath and holster material, but I still like leather sheaths. This one is simple, durable, and practical. It's intended to be used daily as a working tool / tool holder.
The Holstex / Neoprene sheath and dive rig...
This was a long project! The idea started out as simple as, "I'll send you a kydex sheath with holes in the sides to accommodate leg straps so you can dive with it".
Then, the more I thought about it..the more I thought that idea really sucked
. Keeping it easily accessible yet secure, keeping his leg safe, making it comfortable, all sorts of realities were saying strapping kydex to your leg with a freakin' rubber-band 'aint gunna work . So, I spent a couple weeks burning through time and materials trying to solve these problems in a way that I could be satisfied with.
Continued in part 2....
Hi all,
I'm excited to finally be able to introduce the first official version of my latest fixed blade model I call the "Heron".
This knife was designed to be a fixed blade EDC that it especially well suited for fishermen or those who live, work or like to play in or around water. Here are some of the design intentions and goals..
1. Compact enough to carry daily.
2. Large and tough enough to handle whatever daily cutting tasks should arise.
3. Acute piercing point of safe a effective dispatching of ocean fish, as well as easy piercing of fish bellies for cleaning of all types of fish.
4. Highly corrosion resistant blade and 100% water stable handle materials. Completely "water friendly".
5. Easy to use for all daily cutting chores, including preparing and eating food and/or bait.
6. The overall design aesthetic should be advanced but familiar. (M.A.Y.A. if you know, you know
)The Blade:
This first edition (H-001) is LC200N (Z-Finit) that I heat treated, cryo'd and tempered to a final hardness of HRC 60.9 (averaged over 3 readings). I've been working for a long time on perfecting my LC200N heat treat recipe and protocol and this is the best hardness result I've achieved so far.
The Handle:
The bolster is nickel silver with nickel silver pins.
The body of the handle is white G10 with green/blue/green G10 liners.
The corbys are copper.
The lanyard tube is nickel silver.
The engraving badges are also nickel silver.
The Sheath(s):
Leather - The standard sheath for this knife is a leather belt sheath. The leather is wet molded to the knife first. After the leather is formed and allowed to dry it is completely and thoroughly saturated in a hot oil to soften the leather, add longevity and provide protection against the elements. After assembly and stitching with waxed "tiger thread", the sheath receives an additional surface treatment for water protection and then a final beeswax coating to boost protection and add to the surface durability.
Holstex / Neoprene - The client that would be receiving this knife runs a fishing boat in Florida, spends time in the Bahamas and generally lives his life on or around the ocean. He requested that he be able to take this knife diving as well as use it while exploring island shallows and marshes on foot. While the knife itself was NOT designed to be a dive knife I did my best to create an optional carry system for him that would keep the knife safe in the ocean, keep him from stabbing himself in the leg while trying to re-sheath it in dark water, and be comfortable to wear while either diving and/or walking. I actually found this design task more difficult than the knife itself.
The Name: The Heron spends it's day hunting fish in the marshy shallows. It depends on it's fishing/hunting skills to survive. It is a master of stalking and silently waiting to stab a fish with it's spear-like beak. It is a true fishing professional of the natural world.
Here she is..
Here is the final Heron next to the prototype.
The leather sheath..
Kydex/Holstex is the right choice many times and certainly has a lot of positive attributes as a sheath and holster material, but I still like leather sheaths. This one is simple, durable, and practical. It's intended to be used daily as a working tool / tool holder.
The Holstex / Neoprene sheath and dive rig...
This was a long project! The idea started out as simple as, "I'll send you a kydex sheath with holes in the sides to accommodate leg straps so you can dive with it".
Then, the more I thought about it..the more I thought that idea really sucked
. Keeping it easily accessible yet secure, keeping his leg safe, making it comfortable, all sorts of realities were saying strapping kydex to your leg with a freakin' rubber-band 'aint gunna work . So, I spent a couple weeks burning through time and materials trying to solve these problems in a way that I could be satisfied with.Continued in part 2....
