Quote:
Originally Posted by rimfired
Photo later and if you're old like me there is
some confusion and loss of memory, wait, I
just remembered it a week later. I have many quality folding knives. Factory and I do have a passion for
custom.
I have what I believe is the ultimate in custom folders.
A Jerry Fisk waterfall damascus "Old Thorny" with fluted Ivory scales.
He advertised it as "being able to shave a sleeping mouse and not wake it up"
Took two years to get it. Nice man to deal with! National Living Treasure! How bout them apples...
Cool stuff, eh?  |
My daughter and I met Jerry Fisk at a Hammer-In at the Texarkana bladesmithing school founded at the behest of my pal B. R. Hughes and a few other knife fans. Leslie was quite taken with Jerry. She was 14 then and it caused some amusement and I was a little embarrassed by her obvious admiration of the knifesmith. Leslie thought it was funny that Jerry had a big Bowie that he called his "truck knife."
He is a VERY skilled knifemaker/smith and I think he is the only American knifemaker to be declared a living human treasure as are some swordmakers in Japan.
If he said that your knife is sharp, I believe it! But German maker Dietmar Kressler told me that Damascus steel not only rusts too easily for a normal carry knife; the overlapping layers of steel create soft and hard spots along the edge, making it hard to get and keep a uniform keenness on the blade. His customers who actually carry his knives while hunting discovered that and they tend now to prefer 154CM stainless blades.
He told me that some years ago, before achieving a position in Germany and internationally similar to that enjoyed by Jerry Fisk. In other words, he is a very celebrated maker, so famous that the German edition of "Playboy" did a major color feature on him, which had some terrific photos. Kressler knives are now so expensive that I doubt that many still use them. It'd be like hunting with a Loveless knife that might be worth a thousand dollars. I think that some of his knives sell new for that or more. But at one time, many customers did use his knives and what he said stuck with me.
I presume that you keep that Fisk knife oiled and don't carry it too often in a sweaty pocket in August. But I'm pleased that you really carry and use that fine knife, and imagine that Jerry Fisk is delighted to see it used.
Do you have any problems with the ivory handle scales? I've read that an occasional drop of baby oil rubbed in keeps ivory from cracking.
BTW, I like the design of your knife, which is similar to one I got from the late Harvey McBurnette, except that I specified 154CM steel and burgundy Micarta scales, to make it a practical "carry' knife. The bolsters were treated to talented scroll engraving, too. But it has a conventional nail nick, not a thumb stud.