Knifemaking is the building of a knife, which includes the blade, handle and other accouterments. Blades are made by either removing metal from a steel blank via a grinder – known as stock removal – and the forging to shape of hot steel into a blade in the process known as bladesmithing. Other parts, including bolsters, guards, pommels, etc., are needed to complete the finished knife.
It’s easy to toss around the word epic and difficult to describe Jon Christensen’s recent work any other way. Of course, the subject material for his two-handed sword made it challenging for the results of the project to be anything other than mythical.
The Montana-based ABS master smith captures the ancient Greek myth of Perseus and Medusa in 16 hand-engraved iron panels inset into the 410SS handle and a bulino-engraved bronze shield on the guard of his Guardian Sword. Among other things, the handle features gold, bronze, copper, silver, custom alloy and mother-of-pearl inlay and is punctuated with Medusa’s head on the butt.
Jon Christensen
“The bulino engraving was very challenging as it was my first,” Christensen confessed. “There was a ‘paying my dues’ stage of time spent, which I just had to accept.”
It might be said that the entire project was an exercise in dues-paying. In addition to challenging himself with a new engraving technique, he was also delving into an unfamiliar subject. Christensen gave himself a crash course in the story of Medusa before conceptualizing the panels. But the client who commissioned the sword raised the bar on his retelling of the myth.
“Before starting on the project, the collector requested my interpretation of the story be approved by Tufts University, which is known for a strong program in classical mythology,” he said. “I compiled and submitted a document of the concept showing drawings and descriptions for each scene, as well as the overall sword. They replied saying, ‘It was a masterful interpretation.’”
The Guardian Sword handle, with the panels depicting the Greek myth of Perseus and Medusa.
The sword is reminiscent of the one featured in Benvenuto Cellini’s sculpture of Perseus, showcasing the same unique shape in its 37.5-inch W2 blade, with a hamon. While this aspect of the sword presented challenges, Christensen admits it was the easy part of the Guardian. Much of the 4,000 or so hours he dedicated to the work were focused on the handle, engravings and accurately retelling the ancient myth.
“The time on completing the blade would be measured in weeks, the handle scenes in years working under a microscope,” he said. Epic, indeed.
“Yes, the scope of the project was very intimidating at times. I had to constantly manage my thoughts to the task at hand,” Christensen said. “As the saying goes, ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.’”
BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Buster Warenski was the subject of an extensive six-page profile a half century ago in the January/February 1976 issue of The American Blade. He was larger than life then and would get even larger in the years to come.
Unmistakable in the low-crowned Stetson and mutton-chop sideburns he wore back then, Buster was interviewed in his new Richfield, Utah, knife shop by then editor L.V. Baker. Richard Barney, co-author with Cutlery Hall-of-Famer Bob Loveless of the landmark How To Make Knives book, was along to take photos. The lead image of Buster holding one of his latest knives at the time is about as iconic as it gets.
Done about half a decade before Buster would go on to make his reproduction of the King Tut Dagger, the story and spread reflect how consequential Buster was to the handmade knife movement of the 1970s. It covers from his early influences, including Harvey Draper and Cutlery Hall-of-Famers Gil Hibben and Bo Randall, the first two knives Warenski ever sold, some invaluable magazine publicity from Cutlery Hall-of-Famer B. R. Hughes, Buster’s first Guild Show in 1973 and his position on the Guild Board of Directors at the time of the interview.
One of Buster’s best quotes: “I think the industry is going to get bigger and better, just as our customers and collectors are going to become better educated about the knives they buy and are going to demand a better product.”
Buster was right, of course—and would be among the vanguard of makers to supply the knives for which he predicted there would one day be such great demand.
Darrel Ralph outfits his assisted-opening DDR Gun Hammer 3-D Alpha in a 3.95-inch blade of stainless damascus with a Stellite 6K core by Chad Nichols. The frame is Nichols 3-D-carved Moku-Ti titanium damascus. Ralph’s list price: $3,500. (knife photo courtesy of Darrel Ralph)
Some of today’s alternative blade materials may change the way you look at knives
By Pat Covert
TO MOST KNIFE ENTHUSIASTS, THE WORD STEELis so closely associated with blades it would be hard to describe a knife without it. After all, since its earliest known production about 4,000 years ago, in one form or another steel has ruled the roost not only in cutlery but so many other things that pervade our lives.
Simply put, steel is everywhere. Unfortunately, most versions of it rust.
Progressive thinking in the knife arena has led to a boom in the technological aspects of blades, which includes those of materials that do not rust or rust very little in comparison to stainless steel. (Stainless steel resists corrosion but is not impervious to it.) In the process, cobalt-based alloys such as Stellite®, Talonite and Cobalt Dendritic have received attention. Other materials such as laminates using titanium and carbon fiber, as well as ceramics, also have been used to good effect.
Frost on a Windowpane
Not a common metal, most of the world’s cobalt is mined in the Republic of the Congo. Today, most cobalt is used in corrosion-resistant “super alloys,” which are particularly suited for gas turbine and jet aircraft engines.
David Boye has been making knives for over 40 years. He offers fixed blades and folders for use around saltwater and other rust-inducing environments. He has used dendritic material exclusively since 1980 because he says he prefers its strength, cutting performance, ease of sharpening, and ability to cast roughly to shape.
“Dendritic is the kind of pattern [damask] which naturally forms when a carbon alloy cools after smeltering,” Boye explains. “It looks like frost on a windowpane.”
According to many knifemakers, the finer the blade’s grain structure, the better it cuts. Boye supports the opposite view.
“These relatively large, rooted and fully bonded carbides produce microscopic teeth along the cutting edge, and this is what actually does the cutting,” he notes. The combined attributes of extreme cutting performance, no rusting in seawater and being non-magnetic so it does not affect a compass or electronics make the material ideal for the ocean environment. “We have used dendritic cobalt for over 15 years and have received virtually zero chips, broken blades or complaints,” Boye says, “and many customers have raved to me about the blade performance.”
He states that the material’s downside is each knife design requires a set of porcelain molds which are challenging and/or expensive to make, the mold created for each individual blade has to be discarded after only one use, the casting alloy is costly, and the waiting time for blades from the foundry can be lengthy.
Damascus Hybrid
Chad Nichols is a large supplier of damascus to the cutlery industry and has pioneered a new blend of patterned steel using cobalt 6K, commonly known as Stellite, and stainless steel—particularly AEB-L and 304. “The interesting thing about the 6K cored steel is that the cobalt alloy itself does not have to be heat treated to retain edge-hold abilities,” he observes. “The only reason the material needs to be heat treated is for corrosion resistance [for the stainless steels in the damascus] and for etching purposes.”
Nichols outlined several attributes of the hybrid damascus, “The addition of the cobalt-based alloy increases its durability and oxidation resistance,” he states. “The cutting performance of the 6K damascus is great. It’s a workhorse of a steel for cutting and can retain a razor edge even under the most vigorous conditions.” As for the disadvantages of the material, there are two. “The blade material is expensive. You already have a relatively high cost for the damascus and then you add the 6K which, pound for pound, costs more than the handmade damascus,” Nichols says, adding, “It’s not a lot of fun to make, either!”
“Won’t Crack Under Flex”
The book on modern laminate blades using metal bonded to synthetics was co-authored by knifemaker Warren Thomas (also, see page 114, August 2011 BLADE®). He indicates he began making laminate blades in 1991 using stainless steel and carbon fiber. Shortly thereafter he substituted titanium for steel, creating a lightweight, zero-magnetic knife. Thomas says he uses a “trade-secret” chemical bond that positively adheres the two materials.
“My laminates have half the weight of a steel blade, absolute zero corrosion, won’t crack under flex, and don’t micro-fracture under heavy stress along the cutting edge like steel blades do,” he explains. “To improve the performance of the blade, I weld tungsten carbide along the cutting surface to enhance the edge retention. This gives it a toothy edge that improves the cutting performance.
“There is no chance of corrosion using carbon fiber and titanium. Both materials are impervious to common destructive forces like sea salts, body sweat, and other elements that wreak havoc on steel,” he notes. “Steel knives have a very hard time cutting some synthetics, such as Kevlar™. My knives actually cut these materials quite well due to their ability to saw through them.”
Laminated blades do have their disadvantages. “In very rare circumstances, the blade can delaminate. I’ve had this happen approximately a dozen times in 20 years and have always corrected the problem for the customer,” he says. “Due to the direct cost of the state-of-the-art materials involved and the time spent fabricating the laminates, there is a higher cost for my blade over steel. However, you get what you pay for.”
That’s Edge Retention!
Ceramic blades are made by taking zirconium oxide—also known as zirconia—powder, compacting it under intense pressure, and heating it in blanks at high temperatures in the 1,400° Celsius range. The blades are much more common among kitchen knives, and for good reason. For straightforward slicing and dicing they are extremely effective, but for lateral blade movement with torque, such as for prying, they tend to snap or shatter.
Boker Knives has never shied away from thinking outside the box, and its ceramic knife line not only includes kitchen knives but tactical and everyday carries as well. “If used as intended, ceramic blades will outperform steel,” Boker USA CEO Dan Weidner says. “In an independent lab test performed comparing ceramic to steel, technicians measured the amount of pressure required to cut through a standard piece of cardboard. After 1200 cuts the pressure required to cut using the ceramic blade was the same as the first cut, while the identical task using a steel blade showed decline after 400 cuts.” Now that’sedge retention!
Ceramic blades also have other benefits over stainless steel, including corrosion resistance. “This is one of the prime advantages of ceramic,” Weidner opines. “It cannot rust, which is why it’s used so often in maritime and military saltwater environments.”
There is also good news on the economic front. “Initially the cost of ceramics was on the high side, but now there are sufficient manufacturers producing the material to put the price point in the same range as good, quality steel,” Weidner says. Moreover, ceramic blades are non-magnetic.
Is One For You?
The strange brews in blade technology are not for everyone, but they offer a wide range of features, including either no rust or a huge reduction of same, zero magnetism, weight reduction and enhanced edge holding. Granted, there are downsides in some instances, though apparently not enough to discourage enough buyers of the blade brews outlined herein.
Is there an alternative blade in your future?
For more on alternative blade materials such as Spyderco’s H1, Strider Knives’ Nitinol, and Bohler-Uddeholm’s Vanax 35 and 75, see page 68 of the April 2011 BLADE®.
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Many Top Knifemakers Are Keeping Historic Styles And Methods Of Making Knives Alive Today.
Historical perspective is a relevant component in just about any undertaking. In the realm of cut, incorporating an appreciation of the past into the work of today brings another dimension to the custom knifemaker’s statement.
Interest in the knifemaking of a bygone era offers a window into the true artistry required to reproduce the knives of yesteryear, particularly with the absence of modern conveniences in the shop. Along with the interest in the historical knife, several custom makers bring famous designs, styles and patterns to life once again in tribute to those who have gone before.
The idea of the period piece blends old and new. “I’ve been making knives seriously since about 2002 when I took a class with the American Bladesmith Society in Washington, Arkansas,” related ABS master smith Lin Rhea. “Joe Keeslar and Greg Neely lit a fire under me and got me on my way. Since then the town of Washington has been like a second home, and I’ve even added to the personal connection between me and the area by interest in one of the town’s historical residents who was also a knifemaker. His name was James Black.”
A resident of Prattsville, Arkansas, Lin gained an appreciation for Black’s distinctive body of work*, using contrasting materials and techniques to create a bold, attractive look. “I’m grateful to get to know Mr. Black by studying his work,” Lin continued. “This intense study
Lin Rhea’s reproduction of the Carrigan Knife is based on a dress bowie James Black is thought to have made in the early 1830s in Washington, Arkansas. The original Carrigan includes a black walnut handle with coin silver pins and trim. The blade is about 6 inches long and the overall length is approximately 10.25 inches. (Whetstone Studio image)
led me to try to recreate one of his knives, the Carrigan Knife. The original knife, a guardless coffin-handled bowie, was made by Mr. Black in the early 1830s in Washington, Arkansas. I chose the Carrigan as my first attempt because of its less intimidating size; however, as is often the case I found it to be just as intimidating once I started into the project.”
The original Carrigan includes a black walnut handle providing a nice contrasting background to the coin silver pins and trim. The blade is about six inches long, and the overall length is approximately 10.25 inches. The full tang is virtually covered entirely by the walnut scales and the silver wrap.
When Rhea undertook his homage to Black and the Carrigan, he chose stabilized walnut, which he harvested himself several years ago, and trim in sterling silver. He forged the blade from 80CrV2 carbon steel and included at least 30 separate parts while attempting the same techniques used by Black nearly two centuries ago in fastening and assembling the finished knife.
“There is so much to be said about not only this knife but also Black’s work,” Lin concluded. “He was able to create a knife design utilizing only three materials yet impacting the knife world as few others could. His ability to arrange these materials into a functional, long-lasting, beautiful tool is only enhanced by the knowledge that he also built in other qualities like moisture resistance, logical assemblage and ergonomics. All of this was done in a historic setting without modern equipment and epoxies. In my opinion, his design is ingenious.”
Gold Rush Knives
Recently inducted into the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame® knifemaker Jim Sornberger has assimilated his gold and silversmith skill sets into custom knifemaking while helping introduce the modern world to the classic design, luster, and embellishment of the Gold Rush era and boomtown San Francisco of the mid-19th century.
Jim Sornberger’s interpretations of the Michael Price San Francisco/small dress bowie have won awards at various venues, including Best of Show at the 2019 International Custom Cutlery Exhibition in Fort Worth, Texas. Jim’s price for a similar knife: $3,500. (SharpByCoop image)
“I’ve been making knives since 1975 with the help of the late Les Berryman, an early Guild member, and with some guidance from Bob Loveless, Herman Schneider and Barry Wood,” Jim recalled. “The last three signed for me to join The Knifemakers’ Guild.”
For Sornberger, the style, embellishment and decoration of the canes, jewelry and knives of the Gold Rush era are most appealing. “San Francisco from 1850 to 1904, the Gold Rush period, was one of the wealthiest cities in the world, attracting some of the greatest artists, jewelers, carvers, and engravers to ply their trade to a wealthy clientele. The work done in that period,” he opined, “rivals the best ever done.”
In the knifemaking genre, Michael Price and Will & Finck were among the most successful and prolific of the Gold Rush. Their work remains emblematic of the great migration to settle the American West, and the riches and ruin that were found with the experience.
“Price was Irish, and both cutlery firms hired workers who were English, German and possibly Scottish,” Sornberger explained. “Their dress knives are probably the most embellished American knives made in the 1800s-1900s. The dress knives had two common handles: an interesting, modified coffin shape and a more rounded, subtle taper shape. The blade shapes are spear-point dagger and San Francisco clip spear point.”
Sornberger is recognized as an authority on original San Francisco knives, as well as the magnificent gold quartz that was used so well by Gold Rush artisans. His modern interpretations of the Michael Price San Francisco/small dress bowie have won awards at various venues, including Best of Show at the 2019 International Custom Cutlery Exhibition in Fort Worth, Texas.
Jim’s dress fixed-blade bowie in the accompanying picture was made with Vegas Forge stainless barstock AEBL and 412 stainless steels, and san-mai damascus steel with a solid core. The guard and wrap handle are in Mike Sakmar mokumé barstock. Jim’s made such handles in gold and silver and nickel silver, also. The inlays are tortoise celluloid and California native gold/gold quartz.
According to Sornberger, the biggest challenge in his stunning creation was grinding the blade to show the distinctive pattern of the shell and the hardened core. The san-mai laminated blade was etched with ferric chloride, rinsed and color set with WD-40®.
The Frog Knife
“The style of Michael Price’s work is a really good canvas with flowing lines, and there is a lot you can do with it,” observed ABS master smith Jon Christensen, who is in his 22nd year of making knives. “I wouldn’t call my San Francisco-style knives replicas. I do like to keep to the original form and honor the style of the maker, though.”
The Frog Knife by Jon Christensen is a San Francisco-style dress bowie with a back story. “I had seen the Poppy Knife that Michael Price made and thought I would do my version,” he related. “I took the knife to the BLADE Show, and it didn’t find its owner. Then, the handle got ruined, and I just took the opportunity to rehandle it with the frogs and lily pads.” Overall length: 10 inches. (SharpByCoop image)
One of Christensen’s most evocative pieces to date is referred to simply as the Frog Knife. However, the piece is far from simple, and Jon manages to convey the spirit of the Michael Price style while also imprinting some of his own personality.
“I built the feathered damascus for the blade with 1080 and 15N20,” he advised. “It’s a canister damascus. I forged the bamboo leaves and placed them in the can, welded it up, reduced it, and feather cut it so it would produce feather-cutting smears and leaves, and form branches to look like a little grove of bamboo leaves.”
The 10-inch knife has a 5.5-inch blade and a frame and sheath incorporating 410 stainless steel. Christensen utilized the “canvas” of the handle to the fullest, carving the mammoth ivory into a pleasing vignette of frogs and lily pads.
“The handle has something of a back story,” he smiled. “I had seen the Poppy Knife that Michael Price made and thought I would do my version. I took the knife to the BLADE Show and it didn’t find its owner. Then, the handle got ruined, and I just took the opportunity to rehandle it with the frogs and lily pads.”
Christensen got his start making stock removal knives after a career as a horticulturist. He learned to forge while working with ABS master smith Ed Caffrey and visited with knifemaker Rick Eaton and ABS master smiths Shane Taylor and Wade Colter. Jon also makes San Francisco folding knives and enjoys swordmaking. Plans for the future include more period pieces.
Kimball Style
ABS master smith Josh Smith owes his little league baseball coach, ABS master smith Rick Dunkerley, credit with getting him started making knives about 30 years ago. From the beginning, Josh has appreciated the thought process and craftsmanship of custom makers from a bygone era.
“There’s something special about reproducing something that was built nearly 200 years ago,” he reasoned. “It’s easy to get lost in your thoughts while working on these knives, wondering what the makers were thinking about at the time. Was the knife going into battle? Was a rich man just wanting something unique? Was the maker just trying to be different and impress people? Were function and effectiveness of use the only factors that mattered? It’s really cool to think about.”
Josh Smith’s dog-bone-handle dagger is a reproduction of a knife owned by Loring Kimball of Vicksburg, Mississippi, in the mid-1800s. The grip gets its name from its shape. Overall length: 14.25 inches. (Eric Eggly/PointSeven image)
Josh has found the opportunity to consider historical context with a dagger in the distinctive dog-bone handle, recalling the mid-1800s when a gentleman named Loring Kimball of Vicksburg, Mississippi, owned several similar original pieces that were probably made by at least two different knifemakers in the New Orleans area. Knives in what many refer to as the Kimball style have been reproduced by a number of modern makers, mostly bladesmiths.
“The distinctive characteristic of the dog bone is clearly the shape of the handle,” Smith said, “but to me it’s more than that. The large domed pins and the flat facets on the handle provide such a neat look. One of the original Kimball daggers from the 1830s had silver wrapped around the butt of the handle and a small, thin silver guard. I never pretend to exactly reproduce these knives. I always put my own spin on the knife, trying to bring some of my style into it.”
Smith’s dog-bone dagger is fashioned from his own ladder pattern “W’s” damascus blade, African blackwood handle and 18k-gold pins and liners. The 9.5-inch blade is forged from 1080 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels, while a gold collar stretches over the back of the blade and bears the engraved name of the maker. Overall length: 14.25 inches.
“This particular knife was heavily influenced by Tim Hancock,” Josh said. “I feel Tim, Harvey Dean and James Batson are the three men who led the way in bringing these knives back to prominence, and Tim had the most influence on my construction of these knives. I love period pieces and definitely plan on doing more. There are so many incredible weapons from the past that would be fun to recreate.”
*While a number of top industry authorities attribute such original 19th-century pieces as the Carrigan Knife, Bowie No. 1 and others to Black, no knives with Black’s mark are known to exist.
What is the purpose of stropping? Is it the same as sharpening a knife? We’ll answer those questions and more as we explore how to put the finishing touches on a blade.
Burr is a term used to describe the turned-over edge of a freshly sharpened blade. The burr can be seen as an ultra-thin, wire-like structure at the edge. When sharpening you are bringing one edge surface closer to the other edge surface with alternating and even strokes, left-right-right-left against an abrasive such as a sharpening stone or metal grade sandpaper or strop. By alternating sides you simultaneosly remove surface material from both of the sides forming that burr. Sharpen back-and-forth, one side and then the other, and the burr appears.
What Sharpening Does To A Blade
At first the two opposite sides are divided by the blade’s edge thickness and there is no burr. This is seen as that paper thin shiny line from tip to choil. As one side is brought closer to its opposite side (i.e. sharpened), one side or the other will eventually meet the other and the thin shiny line will disappear.
At that point there isn’t enough mass to support the edge against the hard-abrasive surface, and the super-thin edge rolls/curves over in the opposite direction, forming the burr. The burr can be seen with the unaided eye and felt with your thumb. The objective at this point is to switch and sharpen the edge from the other direction with a yet finer grit abrasive. This maneuver makes an even smaller and thinner burr on the opposite edge. After you sharpen several times like this in opposite directions, with finer and finer grit paper, the burr will be reduced microscopically and be difficult to see or feel but will still be there. This final use of fine grits of abrasive is considered, and is called, a hone.
What Stropping Does
At this point switch from a superfine hone-grit paper (1500 plus grit) to a leather strap, belt, or section of a belt, called a strop. The fine sandpaper hones, and the leather strops. Strop with the same back and forth motion, strop the blade’s edge against the leather. This action bends the now unseen burr back and forth against the leather and the burr finally breaks free. The edge thickness is now just paper thin or less. So “paper thin” doesn’t sound like the edge would bear up during use, being this thin, right on the very pinnacle of the blade’s edge—but it does.
With removal of the burr the edge acquires maximum sharpness and can be re-honed repeatedly without subjecting the blade to recurring sharpening cycles with lower grit sandpaper. This maintains the thin-and-sharp element of your blade.
Choosing A Strop
Make your strop from a strip of leather belt (10-inches long) glued to a bit of yardstick or lath material. Glue a strip of 800-1500 grit wet-n-dry sandpaper to the other side for a hone.
The same exact motion is used on the leather side of the strop stick. When the smith is “into” the motion it is similar to a continuous figure-8 movement. Most of the time the leather is enough to restore the blade’s edge without using the sandpaper side of the stick.
How To Strop
Stropping is a low-angle slap and slide motion. The leather actually sharpens the microstructure of the blade’s edge. It 1) bends the burr back to a sharp edge or 2) bends it back and forth till it breaks, like bending a wire coat hanger back-and-forth, revealing a new raw edge. Visualize a barber in an old-west, cowboy movie slappin’-n-slidin’ his straight razor on a big leather strop. Slap-n-slide your Frontier blade on the 800 to 1500 grit black W/D sandpaper 10 to 15 times then on the leather the same number of swipes. When your edge dulls you can often just strop with the leather, forgoing the hone altogether, in the restoration of a keen cutting edge.
After stropping, if your knife edge isn’t near razor sharp, go back to your wet-n-dry-sharpening action with the higher numbered sandpaper grits (400, 600, 800) then strop again.
Testing The Edge
Feel the edge with your thumb, perpendicular to the edge. Never run your thumb or fingers vertically up or down the blade. It will cut. With time you’ll be able to tell in an instant various level of sharpness with just your thumb. With time you will feel the burr and know the angle of any blade with just a touch of your thumb.
Another sharpness indicator is the use of an old leather belt or scrap of leather. Almost any “sharp” knife can cut a sheet of paper but stiff leather is the true challenge. First, use a knife of known sharpness. Cut a bit from the leather. Note the force needed to peel off a few pieces of leather. Use the same piece of leather on subsequent blade edges you sharpen in the future. By comparison, the quality of those blades’ sharpness can be gauged.
American Bladesmith Society Founder William F. “Bill” Moran, Jr demonstrates his technique for making and attaching a guard to a Quillian Dagger.
BLADE Recommends:Spyderco Bill Moran Drop Point
Bill Moran’s legacy can be felt every time a knifemaker fires up a forge. It’s also the force behind the Spyderco Bill Moran Drop Point. With a VG-10 blade and ergonomic grip, it’s the perfect knife for the upcoming hunting season.
Form, function and purpose of daggers–the most stab-ready knives.
Few weapons are as simple in concept yet as demanding to design as the dagger. At first glance, it is merely a blade—sometimes short, sometimes long, usually but not always double edged—yet every aspect of its form has been refined over millennia for one purpose: stabbing. Unlike blades that balance cutting, slicing or chopping, a dagger’s geometry, materials and ergonomics allow no compromises in pursuit of its one purpose.
From early Bronze-Age thrusting knives to the stilettos of the Renaissance, every angle in any dimension maximizes straight-line penetration. Whether for combat or display, understanding this purpose is essential for anyone who wishes to design, craft or appreciate these edged weapons. Even the most ornate ceremonial dagger should appear “stab-ready” at a glance, communicating the implied threat of the utilitarian tool with a statement of status and opulence.
This modern cinquedea by Vince Evans has a blade with a broad, rigid base tapering to an unforgiving point. Fullers down the middle serve to make the blade both lighter and stiffer. Equal parts status symbol and lethal instrument, it embodies the dagger’s refusal to compromise between beauty and purpose.
Dagger Design Points
Every deadly stab starts with three critical design choices that define a dagger’s unwavering purpose. A dagger blade must have sufficient spine thickness and ricasso rigidity to resist excessive bending under thrust load; it should be tapered to an acute but robust point for minimal tip-entry resistance; and it requires flexibility balanced with rigidity so it can reach vital organs, often protected by armor, without breaking.
Early thrusting blades illustrate this principle as far back as the late Bronze Age. A broad base near the guard tapers rapidly to a narrow point, ensuring rigidity at the grip and sharpness at the tip. By the 1st century A.D., the Roman pugio perfected it. With a base often exceeding 5⁄16 inch in thickness and a central ridge tapering to a sharp apex, the pugio shed weight without losing stiffness. In practice, its point could pierce leather, flesh or weak links in chain mail, while its spine endured repeated jabs against shield bosses and bucklers.
Extreme ornament, unconventional design, and opulent materials cannot disguise lethal intent and pure stabbing functionality in Bertie Rietveld’s ornamental dagger.
Yet precision in stabbing demands more than brute strength, it requires avoiding gratuitous cutting‐oriented features in a thrusting design.
Serrations, upswept points, hooked tips, prying points and even bottle openers can be handy on a knife, depending on the task, but all of these undermine the straight-line force a dagger needs and disrupt smooth entry. If you ever find yourself in a situation where stabbing is required, by all means use whatever you’ve got—just don’t complain when your bottle-opener tip gets snagged in an assailant’s clothing. However, if you have the luxury of time and thought to design and make a dagger, strip away anything that doesn’t serve pure penetration. A dagger’s geometry remains laser-focused on stabbing effectiveness.
Lastly, a dagger must balance penetration depth with material limits. A tip too slender might break or bend against bone or metal, while a tip too blunt simply won’t enter. Ancient workers of bronze and iron didn’t have modern labs or spreadsheets, yet somehow found the Goldilocks Zone that balanced reach and resilience. A well-tempered tip is tough enough to survive bone contact without snapping, yet with correct geometry stays stiff enough to slip between armor plates. Only through precise taper and temper can a dagger achieve depth without sacrificing strength.
Even in this highly stylized dagger by Jordan Lamothe, the spine ridge provides the stiffness and rigidity required for uncompromising penetration.
Combat Daggers Vs Art Daggers
From the earliest times, daggers fell into two broad categories: weapons of combat and symbols of prestige.
The combat dagger was stripped to essentials—minimal ornamentation, maximum toughness—while the art or status dagger has always been free to bend the rules of pure function to satisfy aesthetic expression and make statements of personality and prestige. Nonetheless, even the most ornate display piece must exude “stab-readiness” at first glance, a silent promise inherited from its lethal lineage.
The complex damascus pattern and construction style of this dagger by Australia’s Jackson Rumble demonstrates that while he understands the essentials of a dagger, he’s not afraid to push the boundaries of expression without compromising either the stabbing function or his artistic vision.
Surviving examples of Roman pugios from army camps demonstrate the utilitarian design, but gilded pieces from the same era, with elaborate inlays and inscriptions, do not stray far from purpose despite the decoration. All share the same fundamental geometry: a stiff, thick base, reinforced spine and unwavering taper to a sharp, flat-ground point.
The ornamented variants—often gifted as symbols of rank or worn by the wealthy and powerful—could feature ivory grips or gilded fittings without diminishing their stabbing credibility. Regardless of personal status or the knife’s level of ornamentation, no one who saw a pugio drawn in malice would misunderstand the message or the danger. Combat heritage endows art daggers with an unmistakable threat that no amount of embellishment can conceal, though the pugios that did in Julius Caesar probably looked rather nice.
The complex damascus pattern and construction style of this dagger by Australia’s Jackson Rumble demonstrates that while he understands the essentials of a dagger, he’s not afraid to push the boundaries of expression without compromising either the stabbing function or his artistic vision.
Another example is the pesh-kabz, a Persian-born dagger later adopted and lavishly ornamented by Mughal weaponsmiths. Its single-edged blade featured a thick spine and acutely tapered point, designed to pierce heavy mail and laminated armor. As Mughal craftsmanship flourished in Agra and Delhi, artisans added damascened patterns, jeweled pommels and silk-wrapped grips. Yet even a fully jeweled pesh-kabz retained the same reinforced spine and narrow, forward-weighted geometry as its battlefield ancestors. Worn at court in gilded sheaths, these daggers exhibited status while making it clear that underneath the glamor was a blade as deadly as any used in war. Art and combat, then, remain entwined.
The junction of the handle, guard, and blade is where the true masters separate from the merely good—every element is a decision between comfort, control and ornament that fit together with no gaps. (Mike Quesenberry, Best of Show/Best Art Knife, 2011 OKCA Show)
This enduring marriage of lethality and ornamentation sets the stage for a deeper question: what separates an ordinary dagger from one that truly masters its intended purpose? The answer lies not just in history but in the details of profile, geometry, balance and structural refinement—each a mark of a dagger designed to do exactly what it must.
