The FISK Sendero; A Tribute

Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones

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Oct 28, 2006
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Buddy’s recent thread introducing the pearl handle Sendero he purchased at the recent Fisk Show got me to thinking of all the hundreds of Senderos Jerry has made over the 18 years since he originally came up with the design. It’s one of the most recognizable and copied hunting knife designs in existence. The only hunting knife design that immediately comes to mind as being more well know (I’m sure there’s others) is the Loveless Drop Point hunter. The Sendero is a great “All Purpose/Hunter” in my opinion.

The name “Sendero” (path or trail, in Spanish) came about when Jerry was carrying the prototype as he and Harvey Dean were hunting hogs in the thick Texas underbrush, following trails from the animal.

As I mentioned in Buddy’s thread, it’s pretty amazing that even after creating hundreds of Senderos which have a pretty specific design, Jerry is able to create knife after knife that are interesting and unique. I’m going to post examples in this thread and share information on some of them and please anyone else who wants to posts theirs or their favorites, please do so. And feel free to add anything related to Sendero or hunting knife design in general.

Thank you in advance for your interest and participation.

Here's a few carbon steel Senderos with varing handle materials:

With Redwood Burl and a touch of Jerry's "English Scroll" engraving:
JERRYFISKEngravedRedwoodSendero-1.jpg


Cow Bone and Jerry's "Running Wheat" pattern:
JERRYFISKEngravedSendero004.jpg


And a fine example with Amber Stag and "Chain of Fools" pattern:
457711693_68fb94227f_b.jpg


And an interesting mosaic damascus pattern with fossilized Stellar Sea Cow Bone" and english scroll:

JERRYFISKEngravedBoneDamascusSendero001.jpg
 
Kevin,

Good thread. At this year's Microshow Jerry explained the benefits of the Sendero verses his other famous hunter his Gamemaster.

Here are my current Fisk Senderos.

"Wolf's Tooth" Damascus and Giraffe with Fisk engraving:

Fiskredmed.jpg


"Dog Star" Damascus & Mammoth Ivory also with Fisk engraving:


MyFiskMicroshowsenderocopy.jpg



Here is a hunter set that I just acquired, a Carbon & Walrus Sendero and a Carbon & an Ivory Bird & Trout, but the dimensions are almost the same:

FiskHunterSet4.jpg



I also have a couple of Gamemasters and a clip point hunter, but this is a Sendero thread.

Jim Treacy
 
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I don't have any Sendero's to share, but that's a stunning foursome--thanks, Kevin! Nice ones, Jim!
 
Great examples Jim!
As you know, but for others who aren't as familiar with the Sendero design, blade lengths typically run from 4-1/4" to just under 5".
The "bird & trout" version of the Sendero has a narrower or more slender profile as seen in Jim's example.

I love the wolf's tooth pattern damascus on your Giraffe Bone piece. Jerry really uses a very broad spectrum of handle materials on his Senderos.

Any one who has never handled a Sendero please make a point to vist Jerry's table at a show to exam one. Very comfortable and egonomically designed to suit many tasks. Unfortunately, considering the substantial value of these knives I doubt if many are actually used. The most basic model starts at around $1,200 and go up to around $5,000 for a fully embellished NLT (National Living Treasure) designated piece.
 
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Beautiful knives and interesting thread. Are all Senderos of the hidden tang variety? This style would be just as sweet in a full tapered tang I would think.
 
Bruce Bump said:
Beautiful knives and interesting thread. Are all Senderos of the hidden tang variety? This style would be just as sweet in a full tapered tang I would think.
Click to expand...

No Bruce. Here's an example of a NLT Sendero with both a frame handel and rear bolster. This piece is particularly rare as it was the first Sendero to have a frame handle/rear bolster and also the first Fisk "small knife" to be designated as a NLT. It has some of the most colorful and unique mammoth ivory that I have ever seen.
Follow this link to a very good and detailed "WIP" of this piece being created back in 2006.
http://www.fisk-knives.com/Progressive_W_pattern_Sendero.html

320093531_c31b40af5f_b-1.jpg
 
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Jerry's Sendero is a great design. I had not heard the story behind the name, but I like it.

I was fortunate to be drawn for this 30th-year Sendero at Jerry's Micro Show fall of 2010. With nice Sambar stag handles, this one is unique in that Jerry experimented with an odd shaped die to come up with this W-pattern damascus. Presentation engraving on the guard and engraved pins.

Fisk30thyear-1.jpg


This will be a fun thread. Hope to see many more examples.

- Joe
 
I don't own this one and it's owner would most likely never part with it, but it's probably my
favorite of all Senderos.
It appeared in an article (included below) on Jerry Fisk in "Gardens & Guns" magazine along side two beautiful Fisk Gamemaster Hunters.
Garden & Guns is a really cool magazine kind of like a combination of Better Homes & Gardens and Guns & Ammo. I really recommend it as a magazine both man and woman of the house will really enjoy.
They did an article on Daniel Winkler as well a few months ago. Sorry the article didn't scan very well but is a good read, especially considering it's a non-knife publication. I bet our community benefitted from both articles.

FiskSendero.jpg


Image19.jpg


Image20.jpg
 
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Alas, I am Sendero-less. The knives posted look great.

Joe, I remember that stag badboy...love it!
Kevin & Jim, wow! Nice multiple Sendero collections!

Someone out there has the Sendero that is the match to the Gamemaster I got from Jerry at Blade 09. Would be cool to have the pair.
 
What a great thread, thanks for all the great pictures and Sendero history lessons :)
 
Here's a Fisk Sendero I shot recently featuring a handsome ram's horn handle:

orig.jpg


An under-appreciated advantage of Jerry's Sendero interpretation of the hunter style is this:
Imagine holding the Sendero in a standard use grip - cutting edge down, thumb on top and in front of the guard. Now, turn the Sendero over - cutting edge UP, thumb against the finger guard. This position is a necessary option for using a hunter style knife on game. If one understands this, then the design of the terminal part of the handle makes perfect functional sense (as opposed to being simply pleasing to the eye). The curve of the back bottom of the handle fits neatly against the swell of the palm under the little finger. Smart! Many, many hunter style knife designs are not so well thought out.
:thumbup:
 
Forgot to say in my previous post:

What I especially like are the engravings. They "add" to the knives, without being "overpowering". Very, very nice.

kind regards,

Jos
 
Jos said:
Forgot to say in my previous post:

What I especially like are the engravings. They "add" to the knives, without being "overpowering". Very, very nice.

kind regards,

Jos
Click to expand...

I agree Jos, a little of Jerry's engraving really dresses the Sendero up. There's many Senderos out there without engraving.
Probably most of them. The last few years Jerry has been making a lot more embellished pieces than plainer field grade Senderos.

Here's a good example of a plainer Sendero. Each year Jerry makes a Sendero and offers it to his show attendees for $8 commemorating his first hunting knives of 30 years ago which he sold for $8 each or 2 for $12.

This is last's years $8 Sendero which is marked 30years on the racasso. It's currently on it's way to a collector in Russia.

Sendero-1.jpg
 
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