Specs

• KNIFE NAME: Vitreous Enamel Handle Hunter
• KNIFE TYPE: Fixed blade
• BLADE LENGTH: 6″
• BLADE MATERIAL: Mosaic damascus of W2 tool and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels in a checkerboard pattern accordion cut, flattened and forged to shape
• BLADE PATTERN: Clip point
• BLADE GRIND: Flat
• HANDLE: Copper pipe covered inside and out w/vitreous glass enamel
• FITTINGS: 303 stainless steel
• MAKER’S LIST PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $4,200

The Story

ABS master smith Dan L. Petersen is a professor at Washburn University. When astronomers found the first real black hole last spring and shared photos of it, it intrigued him so much so that he made a knife inspired by the wonder of it all. In fact, one of Petersen’s knives won the Custom Knife Collectors Association‘s (CKCA) annual Fisk Cutlery Challenge, earning the prof a cool $20,000.

“One of the [black hole] photos looked similar to the circular white and red patterns in the handle,” Dan explained. “I tried to get a bluish-black-of-the-universe effect, then the white swirls showing matter spinning around the red center black holes.”

To taper the copper-pipe handle, Petersen spun it on a lathe using metal-spinning techniques. He added vitreous glass enamel to the outside and inside of the handle. He heated the handle to 1,500-degrees F and rotated it until it melted and fused to the metal. He repeated the glass procedure with a layer of dark blue glass and then black glass for the universe effect.

Oh, and as for the $20,000, it helped Dan buy a lathe for metal spinning.

* Want to see more incredible custom knives? BLADE Show is the place to go.