Ivory Integral

Getting back to my roots in a few ways these days. This is the first kind of knife that really got me excited and it’s been too long away.

This piece started out as a .75” round bar of W-1. It was forged to shape and clay hardened for an aggressive hamon. A hardening transition line or hamon is the most recognizable feature of Japanese swords, giving the blade a hard edge and a soft back. They are notoriously difficult to photograph, but this one shows up rather nicely in the photos. The blade bevels are finely hand finished with the remaining steel mirror polished.

The handle is fossil walrus ivory, fitted to the curves of the steel, secured with domed nickel silver pins and polished.

The simple sheath is intended to compliment rather than compete with the elegance of the knife, choosing instead to protect the blade and to give just a little extra peek at the ivory while sheathed.

Blade length: 7”, Overall 12.25”