Custom Knives: Reproductions Of Ancient Knife Designs

The great ancient knife designs aren’t history as they top-notch reproductions prove.

The ancient history of knife design is long, storied and colorful. From Bronze Age daggers to 19th-century dress bowies alone, vintage configurations capture the imagination like a gladiator’s net from the early days of the Roman Coliseum. Tour the classics with these remarkable reproductions.

Colton Arias Scylla

Named after an Etruscan-era mythological monster, Scylla is a repro of an Etruscan Bronze Age dagger by Colton Arias. The 7-inch blade with tapering fuller is a triple feather mosaic damascus of 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel alloy steels. The spiked-pommel handle is a goat leather wrap and the bolster is mild steel with brass accents. Overall length: 12 inches. (Jocelyn Frasier image)

Dane Standen Cinquedea

Dane Standen outfits his modified cinquedea with a three-fullered blade in multiple welds of 1084, cu-mai, 1084, cu-mai and 1084 carbon steels. Blade length: 8.27 inches. The handle of a takedown construction is stabilized black palm and the fittings are mild steel, copper and nickel damascus. Overall length of the centuries-old Italian design: 14 inches. (Rod Hoare image)

Nick Bachtel Dress Bowie

A 7-inch blade of wrought-iron in a san-mai construction and a handle of elk antler and curly ash highlight a repro of a 19th-century dress bowie by Nick Bachtel. Overall length: 12 inches. The guard is steel and bronze and the knife comes with a traditional bronze sheath (not shown). (SharpByCoop image)

Ken Hall Scottish Dirk

A 12-inch fullered/fileworked blade of an absorbing mosaic damascus and a handle of stained stabilized cherry carved to symbolize a thistle distinguish a stunning Scottish dirk by ABS journeyman smith Ken Hall. Pommel stone: amethyst crystals. Overall length: 17.5 inches. Sheath (not shown): tooled leather. (SharpByCoop image)

Matthew Berry Edinburgh Skean

The Edinburgh Skean by Matthew Berry is a reproduction of a knife by the same name from 1677. The originals were combat knives of Ireland. The blade is 1075 carbon steel and the intricately carved handle is boxwood. Blade and overall lengths: 15.25 and 19 inches. The form-fitting sheath (not shown) is highly detailed leather with a wrap strap. (SharpByCoop image)

J.J. Simon Samuel Bell Dirk

ABS journeyman smith J.J. Simon forged the 12-inch flat-ground blade with Spanish notch for his repro of a 19th-century Samuel Bell dirk from bloomery steel. The handle is blackwood with silver pins and the fittings are nickel silver. Overall length: 17 inches. (SharpByCoop image)

Vincent Soriano Mainz-Pattern Gladius

ABS apprentice smith Vincent Soriano goes full Roman with his Mainz-pattern gladius. Called the Proeliator, it boasts a 14-inch damascus blade of 1075 carbon and 15N20 nickel alloy steels and pure nickel. The handle is curly maple and the guard and pommel are eucalyptus. Overall length: 22.5 inches. Sheath (not shown): leather. (SharpByCoop image)

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