My new treasure

"Brian, The Life of" (familycar)
04/21/2015 at 17:58 • Filed to: knifelopnik

So I wanted to share something cool with you guys. I took a road trip up to NoCal over the weekend to take my daughter to visit a few of the universities she was accepted to in the fall. UC Merced was one of them and we stayed with my sister and brother-in-law in Mariposa to save on a hotel one of the nights. They actually live in Santa Cruz but are staying in Mariposa dealing with his brother’s estate (he passed away a couple weeks ago).

While I’d met the guy a couple times before, he was very quiet and I had no idea what he was into. Boy did I find out on this trip. Turns out Dave (that’s his name) was something of a Renaissance Man. Without ANY formal training, the dude taught himself how to build, repair and recondition guitars - the guy was a very gifted Luthier and actually did contract work for Gibson. Additionally, and the reason I writing this, he also handmade custom knives.

My brother-in-law gave me this while I was there. I was so blown away and touched that it almost had me in tears. I mean, LOOK at this thing; Dave’s craftsmanship was astounding. He started with some 440 stainless platestock and smith/shaped and tempered the whole deal, formed the brass hilt, fashioned the handle and custom-handmade the sheath specifically for it. I still can’t get over how cool this is. The neat thing is that I’ve been looking for a good “forever knife” like this lately. I have a few good lockblades already, an old Buck and a plastic handled lightweight Gerber. But this thing … man, this is truly special.

DISCUSSION (20)

CB > Brian, The Life of
04/21/2015 at 18:03

Now that’s a knife!

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Brian, The Life of
04/21/2015 at 18:06

Was it 440C? You can home harden and temper that, but it’s kind of a bitch - I know because I’ve researched it for a friend. If it’s just 440, it’s only as hard now as it’ll ever be other than work-hardening. Never too soft, but not terribly hard either.

Brian, The Life of > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
04/21/2015 at 18:15

Yes, sorry, 440-C. It was hand ground from 1/8” stock. From his notes, it was hardened and tempered to R 57-59 by Pacific Heat Treating in Sunnyvale. The brass guard is silver soldered and the handle is Brazilian rosewood.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Brian, The Life of
04/21/2015 at 18:19

The trouble with heat-treating carbon stainless is that being an alloy, it takes a *very* long time for crystals to form under most conditions and the element metals to... find a home so to speak in precipitates. Ordinary steel, you can quench rapidly to get a grain you want and then temper to relieve those tensions, but 440C you have to quench more forcibly and completely than a home setup is able to do, or do several cycles - and the temper period is longer. It takes more work to get that grain to distribute itself through the steel, so I’m not surprised he farmed that out.

HammerheadFistpunch > Brian, The Life of
04/21/2015 at 18:20

That’s not a kniff, thi...oh wait...yes it it.

JDIGGS > Brian, The Life of
04/21/2015 at 18:21

Merced, PUKE

Brian, The Life of > JDIGGS
04/21/2015 at 18:25

LOL! The school is in the middle of nowhere but their facilities are amazing. Also, the UC Regents are dumping a shitton of money into that school, far more than any other UC over the next 10-15 years. It was opened in 2005 and has grown quite a lot already. When they are done it will be the largest UC campus (this is saying something if you know how big some of them are). Also, they have a TON of research opportunities for undergrads ... not something you can find at the other schools ... and their class sizes are very, very small. It’s actually an excellent option ... I just need her to get past liveing next door to cows.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > Brian, The Life of
04/21/2015 at 18:28

Custom knives are nice, but rarely is found a knife that takes function over asthetics. My dad has been doing scissors/knives sharpening for the past 20 years, and even I've seen some weird things people have made and all kinds of unique/rare cutlery.

Brian, The Life of > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
04/21/2015 at 18:31

Yeah, it’s prety clear from this and his other works that Dave was a straight-up function kind of guy. Simple designs, yet very elegant at the same time. I love that this one looks like it coud have been carried by a 19th century frontiersman ... kind of has an early Bowie vibe.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Brian, The Life of
04/21/2015 at 18:35

Is ti a solid tang design or are the rivets just for the handle?

Brian, The Life of > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
04/21/2015 at 18:40

Solid tang, 1/8th inch steel all the way to the edge. Very, very sturdy.

TheHondaBro > Brian, The Life of
04/21/2015 at 18:40

But it’s still Merced...

Brian, The Life of > TheHondaBro
04/21/2015 at 18:43

Yup, that’s the part she is struggling with. Then again, precious few distractions. I had to transfer out of San Diego State when I was an undergrad because I just. couldn’t. focus. Especially during spring semester, if you know what I mean.

MrDakka > Brian, The Life of
04/21/2015 at 18:43

Pfft. Weak sauce. I went to UC Davis and my dorm room was not only across the street from the cow pasture, my goddamn window faced it. Needless to say, within the first week that window as closed, locked and sealed with as much duct tape as a poor college student could afford. I thought that was good enough, but come spring, the central air made everything worse...

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Brian, The Life of
04/21/2015 at 18:46

Solid tangs for life!

TheHondaBro > Brian, The Life of
04/21/2015 at 18:47

The good parts of California are north of Bakersfield up to Yuba City. The Sacramento area is the best part of California. Santa Cruz has a great university. My sister went there a few years back.

Kailand09 > Brian, The Life of
04/21/2015 at 18:48

Very nice, knife making is a long and arduous endeavor. He does some nice work!

Brian, The Life of > TheHondaBro
04/21/2015 at 18:50

Yeah ... as a San Diegan, imma hafta go ahead and disagree with you there. That said, some good parts of CA are in the north; we’ve got an amazingly diverse state in every possible way.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Brian, The Life of
04/21/2015 at 18:51

I kind of want to be like Dave when I grow up. Seriously. I shall raise a glass in his honour tonight.

That knife is pretty damn impressive.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Brian, The Life of
04/21/2015 at 22:00

To Dave, my last bit of Macallan Fine oak 17 year. I’d like to think he was a Scotch kind of guy.

Also it is for Red Wings win tonight, two’fer!

Kinja'd!!!