The Migration Cutter (and my first pro photos)

ScottRoush

ScottRoush

Joined
Jan 10, 2010
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Well once again I apologize for not posting much lately... but huge projects beckon with new shop and new house renovations. But I finished this one recently for a member of this forum and had it sent out to Sharp by Coop for my first pro photos. I'm very, very pleased with the results!

The knife is 19" over all with a W2 blade. This blade started out as a full length yataghan sword but broke after the quench and I left as much yataghan in the profile as a I could. I'm calling it 'Migration Cutter' because it reflects virtues of a number of different cultures... sort of a migration through my imagination. Sometimes I like to create stories when I'm making a knife that help with the design. The story of this blade is thus: It's origin and forging were in ancient Persia where it began as a princely sword but broke in the quench. The shards were discarded and ended up on a trading caravan headed to the Far East where they were picked up by a Japanese smith. This smith forged one of the shards into a knife to be passed on as a gift to a brother headed out to sea on a whaling vessel. This vessel struck and foundered somewhere in the vicinity of the Aleutian Islands where it was eventually salvaged and re-hilted by the local Inuit. :-)

The tsuba is wrought iron cold forged into a semi-lenticular shape and given a chestnut brown patina. I did a simple engraving of a dragonfly.. which is meant to represent a species of an exceptionally far migrating type known as the 'Globe Skimmer'. There is an ebony spacer and the grip is a wonderful piece of artifact walrus ivory that is just exuding with stories of it's own. The scabbard is wire brushed red oak, stained.. and with a rawhide backing. I'm going to steal Jim's term for this and call it a 'drum construction'. I've done this before and I like it because of the snug fit provided by the tension of the rawhide backing.

Roush_120726-web.jpg


Roush_120726B-web.jpg


Here is my own photo of the tsuba:

tsuba.jpg
 
That is a tremendously impressive piece of work Scott - beautifully captured in these quality pics. So many striking visual elements are combined so seamlessly here.
 
I love the story, and the piece is wonderful. It speaks for itself that you regard the sheaths on your knives as part of the whole concept. Man it'd be great to take this one on an adventure, I bet it'd live up to its name.
 
Thanks for the nice comments folks. It was a lot of fun to make... and, yes.. for big knives like these I have a hard time not seeing it together with something to hold it in.
 
This was a pleasure to un-package and admire--bit by bit. It was FAR different than I was imagining.

There was ancient history and construction at every focal point. Now, reading the story, I'm more engaged.

I know, I know, the wooden side of the scabbard is the presentation side. That said, the rawhide ceremonial taught 'drum' covering had me simply ogling that for it's cleverness and historical ideology.

It needed to be shown in many poses. Like good songs, it can be enjoyed over and over.

Thanks to Scott AND to the fortunate/prominent BF collector who helped prompt this effort. I am grateful to both.

Jim
 
Great to see Scott. I too have been waiting for this photo and Coop does a great job of showing such an interesting piece.
 
Very unique and interesting. I think my favorite piece of yours to date.
I'm drawn towards the primitive pieces that look as if they are very old as opposed to those which
look like someone has tried to make them look very old. Lot's of character in the walrus and scabbard.
An appropriate display stand would certainly add to this very nice work of fuctional art.
 
Hi Scott, it sure is a piece that represent it's own class :thumbup:
I like the yataghanized blade very much and I think it works best for that size!
The roughing of the handle towards the butt end looks good for the hand grip.

BTW Scott, am I seeing right that there's a hamon on the blade?
Is that means that an aged finish doesn't really hides the hamon but it just makes it look blurry?

Congrats and thanks for all the showing and the sharing of the story as well :D

mohd
 
Thanks again folks...

Mohd.... I really struggled with the finish on this because of the strange hamon. This hamon was solidly present and even had nice activity... but it had absolutely no contrast between the hardened and unhardened areas. I had it to 2500 grit at one point and tried various loose grits and finger rubbing. It is hard to explain as I've never dealt with anything like it. This blade was forged extremely close to it's final dimensions and there was very little grinding afterwards.. so my only thoughts were that the forge atmosphere and quench artifacts were interfering with the polish. A close look shows all sorts of very odd things in the surface of the blade.
 
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