Mad Toad Leathercraft & Knives #4


Price:
Sale price$499.99 USD

Customer Reviews

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H
Hornyman (Memphis, US)
Superb Work of Functional Art

A puukko freak with now over 30 who uses a different 1 every day, I've grown to like this knife better than any other in my collection without a Damascus steel blade. This one's 3 5/8-in Lauri 95 hand-hammered carbon steel blade posseses a good balance between ease of sharpening & edge retention--pretty rust-resistant, too. Though this puukko is modern & made in America by John Drewes, he maintains Finnish tradition by using local materials & incorporating Lapp cultural elements. E.g., its 4 3/4-in handle, suitable for med to lg hands, is made of buckthorn, plenty grippy yet quite smooth but not slick or laminated, & resembles curly birch. The 2 amber spacers are translucent, making clear the full, tapering tang just beneath. Though acrylic, mine actually contains inclusions, like an ancient piece of natural tree resin might. Into the separate piece of buckthorn near the handle bottom 8 small holes are drilled to contain a stone or 2 within that together form a "rattle" consistent with the original Marttiini knife on which this 1 is based & echoing mystic Saammi beliefs. A thick ~ 3-mm guard is nickel silver, a nice change from the usual brass or bronze, while the mottled ram's horn pommel reflects this cutter's N. American origin. At very bottom is a very smooth exposed rivet, further confirmation of full tang construction. Tastey as the knife is its sheath. At bottom front, more ram's horn, jigged for textural interest. Opposite it on rear is vertically-grained buckthorn. Upper sheath is steer leather, embossed with stippling, formed in a pocket stitched at rear, where a rigid projection swoops out at top for ready access. Impressed on both sides of it are criptic Saammi figures. The bi-color braided kanga-leather cord is adjustable with a ram's horn slide (kept on with turk's head knots), enabling the rig to dangle to the degree you wish. The only possible improvement would be to use real amber having an actual tiny insect or spider trapped within, preferably a new species! A pretty penny, this Mad Toad #4 is worth it.

Description

John Drewes has been a long time customer. Sending us photos of his custom knives every now and then, we have started to urge him to let us sell some. We often display his work on our Social Media Pages. After asking a number of time, he is ready to sell some of these beautiful pieces. Quite the creative craftsman with just beautiful hand finished work.

Blade here is Lauri 95 hammered finish.  Wood in handle is locally harvested Buckthorn, a nice material to work with—quite hard and polishes well.  Bolster is nickel silver.  Two pieces of acrylic "amber" in handle.  Thicker Black layers are micarta and thinner black layers are G10 fiberglass.  Pommel is a piece of Merino ram's horn. 
Tang runs all the way through handle and is capped with a rivet.  Smaller piece of Buckthorn wood with holes in it is hollow and has a stone in it which rattles.  Inspired by a certain knife made by Marttiini. 
The upper part of sheath is Finnish veg tanned leather.  Lower part of sheath is a three layer laminate.  Front layer is flattened piece of Merino ram's horn and the other two layers are buckthorn.  1/32 in. Black phenolic pins and epoxy secures it all here as well as epoxy in knife handle.  The cord attached to it is a four strand leather braid which can be attached in various ways.  Use your imagination here.  Or simply stow it away in a fanny pack.   Ends of the braided cord are secured to a small piece of the ram's horn with Turk's head knots.
Just a beautiful hand crafted piece, We truly love his work.

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