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The client asked for a kitchen cleaver and left the design to me. The result is Art Nouveau or Gothic, I can't make up my mind. The steel is 5mm thick 01 at RC=55, polished and caustic blued. The handle is one piece of book-matched cocobolo. Overall length is 40cm so given the thick steel, this cleaver comes with serious heft. The balance is just right, bringing a lot of force down around one third back from the tip, where the blade is its widest. The cleaver comes with a leather pouch for the blade section secured by a brass snap (not pictured) The client generously allowed me to display this knife at the 2010 Adelaide Knife Show where it generated a lot of curiosity and favorable comment. Many people wanted to take it home. Here's what the client said; WOW. What a beast !
Really Warrick. I really love the axe.
Let's start with the blade, beautifully one piece design and lovely finish.
The handle is bloody beautiful coco'.
Fit like a glove in my hand with the weight balanced just right.
The sheath is also a very practical touch as I intend using the axe, as I use all your knives daily.
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This is a small utility made from polished 440C. The handle is a fabulous example of curly mineritchi. This is the only bit of this wood I've managed to find with such depth of character. The client will be carrying this knife with him for daily use around his rural properties. F45 |
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This is the partner knife for the one pictured immediately below. The handle is premium, dark red amboyna burl matched with cocobolo bolsters. The blade is made from RWL34 and has been etched with a rendering of South African Cape Buffalo. The clients family name and life motto are on the reverse side. The client took this knife on safari to South Africa and Zimbabwe as his personal carry. F44 |
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A full spec build. Premium amboyna burl handle, has the colour and tones of the finest French Polished furniture, absolutely sumptuous. A hard wearing maroon linen micata bolster and seven mosaic pins to hold the lot in place. The shim is fine silver. The blade has been fully mirror polished. It took four days but was worth every aching muscle. F43 |
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The same knife as above with its sheath. The inserts are emu toe skin backed by leather. I've also put a leather backing between the brass snap and the inside of the sheath. Double dyed for depth of character and finished with a number of gloss coats. F42 |
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A pair of full tang utilities. The blades are mirror polished RWL34, with a distal taper from the ricasso. There's a lot of curve from the point to the slightly in-swept belly, allowing a long skinning motion. The handles are an unknown species of Japanese wood with cocobolo bolsters. This wood has twenty coats of penetrating oil, which took a month to apply. The client requested simple pouch style sheaths (with belt loops), made from heavy, top grade shoulder leather. They have been double dyed and hand sewn. F41 |
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A very sexy fish filleter made from mirror polished 2.5mm RWL34. The blade has a long distal taper that allows it to flex. The handle scales are double dyed and stabilised maple burl surrounded by black paper micata. There are eight pins holding it all on and red liners, so nothin' is going nowhere. F40 |
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The leather sheath features an insert of dyed tilapia (fish) skin, fully backed inside by a leather pad to protect it from the blade. This sheath required three metres of thread when hand sewn. Despite it's pretty looks this knife is perfect for kitchen use. F39 |
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This utility has a handle of camatillo, with is a rarer cousin to the better known cocobolo. The blade is polished 440C and just for show I've made a bead from muriaparanga. camatillo is a hard wearing, self waxing wood well suited to use in the field. F38 |
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this is a small, fixed blade pocket knife made from polished 440C. The handle wood is Peruvian flamewood, which is a real rarity. I've included a handmade mosaic pin. The sheath is golden seasnake skin backed by leather. The client said "I carry it everywhere I go and use it every day. It just lies in the bottom of my pocket and I don't know its there. If I'm not using it, my staff are always borrowing it." B.M. F37 |
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A long bladed knife made from random pattern carbon 5160 and 15N20 damascus. The handle is tightly figured Japanese wood of unknown species that resembles the colouration of a Tasmanian Tiger. I have etched the tiger stripes into and over the damsacsus. On the flip side is an etched map of Tasmania. I sourced the actual gate of the tiger and carved the paw prints into the sheath, so they look like they are striding across the muddy forest floor. F36 |
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A utility with handle of bauhinia, which is a very hard tropical timber from the north Australian orchid tree. The blade is D2. The sheath has a kangaroo fur insert that wraps all around. This insert is fully backed by leather inside which required 6 metres of hand stitching. F35 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds The blade is twist pattern Damasteel. The handle is thuya burl and the bolster is boise de rose. The sheath is chocolate leather with a gloss polished cane toad insert backed by leather. F34 |
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A utility blade made of damasteel, lightly etched and well polished. The handle is double dyed stabilised maple burl. The sheath has a large insert of glossy tilapia skin which is fully backed by an internal layer of heavy leather. This was one of my favourite knife builds and I'm glad to see it go to a good home. F33 |
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A larger utility made from mirror polished 440C stainless steel at RC = 58. The handle is osage orange with one mosaic pin and a bolster of conkerberry. The sheath is of heavy chocolate leather with a leather backed insert of tilapia skin, a fresh water fish from central eastern Africa. F32 |
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A medium sized utility of mirror polished 440C stainless steel at RC = 59. The handle is of Hawaiian curly koa with one mosaic pin. The sheath is of heavy leather, sporting another Hawaiian import, a cane toad skin inlay (backed by leather). F31 |
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A nice little pocket or purse carry knife made with pink ivory and ebony on a full tang carbon damascus blade. The sheath is emu toe over top grade leather. F30 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds. The blade is D2 etched with the outlines of King George Whiting, a premier eating fish caught from the ocean waters near Adelaide. The other side of the blade has a different etched image of the schooling fish. The handle is Boise de Rose, from Madagascar The two tone sheath is leather. F29 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds. The blade is 576 layer twist pattern damascus made from 5160 and 15N20. The blade has been etched four times, to include artwork of River Redgum fruit and leaves. Each side has a different scene. The handle is 80 year old redgum with a Brazilian bloodwood bolster. The sheath is leather with the right hand scene from the blade carved into it. The leather has been two toned to highlight the carving. F28 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds The blade is brushed D2. The handle is Brazilian bloodwood with mosaic pin. The sheath was made by Malcolm Day. F27 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds The blade is polished O1. The handle is a fabulous example of Mexican cocobolo with mosaic pin. Sheath not shown, is two tone leather. A lot of people ask me which knife I use. Well, this is my personal carry in the field. One of the first knives I made and still going strong. It's not an axe, it's not a can opener or shovel, but that blade is fine and like a razor. F26 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds The blade is 154CM. The handle is River Redgum with a bloodwood bolster and mosaic pin. Sheath not shown, is two tone leather F25. |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds Art Deco style knife with blade of mirror polished 440C with deeply concave curved ricasso. Handle is brushed 440C with five anodised titanium pins. F24 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds Blade is polished 440C. Bolster is ebony, spacer is pink ivory and handle is boise de rose. Two shims of fine (100%) silver. Presented in a display case, not shown. F23 |
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Handmade custom knives by Warrick Edmonds from top;
all shims are fine silver. All knives individually presented in display cases, not shown. F22 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds Blade is right hand chisel ground mirror polished 440C with convex curved ricasso. Bolster is ebony, handle is Brazilian bloodwood with mosaic pin. Shim is fine silver. Presented in display case and retained by Warrick Edmonds in his personal collection. F21 |
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Handmade custom knife display case by Warrick Edmonds Display box with lid of polished, fiddlebacked River Redgum. Sides and base are bull sheoak and feet are handmade from polished nickel silver. All woods came from Mclaren Vale in South Australia. F20 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds Blade is right hand chisel ground mirror polished 440C with convex curved ricasso. Bolster is ebony, handle is Brazilian bloodwood with mosaic pin. Shim is fine silver. Presented in display case and retained by Warrick Edmonds in his personal collection. F19 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds A small Art Deco styled knife of all polished metal. Blade is 440C and handles are nickel silver with hidden nickel silver pins. Sitting on a bed of blue velvet. F18 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds Blade is polished 440C. Handle is corkbark, a rare hakea wood, Hakea ivoryi, only found in the dryer northern NSW and south western QLD tablelands. It grows to around 10m with a big solid trunk and squat dense canopy, rather like a camphor in habit. F17 |
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Handmade custom knife and box by Warrick Edmonds The knife blade is polished 440C. The handle is Brazilian bloodwood and translucent cow horn backed by Brazilian bloodwood. The idea is that red flashes from the bloodwood opaless through the horn. The box has a lid of wild grain olive wood. The sides and base are of bull sheoak. All woods are from Mclaren Vale. The knife cradle is carved from merante and covered in rust coloured flocking. F16 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds An Art Deco knife with blade of polished 440C. Bolster is ebony and handle is pink ivory with mosaic pin. This knife remains in the makers personal collection F15 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds An Art Deco knife with blade of polished 440C. Bolster is ebony and handle is pink ivory with mosaic pin. This knife remains in the makers personal collection F14 |
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Handmade knife by Warrick Edmonds Blade is polished 440C. The lanyard ring is filed by hand into an extension of the tang. Handle is Brazilian bloodwood. This knife remains in the collection of the maker. F13 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds The blade is hot dip caustic blued , mirror polished O1. The handle is streaked buffalo horn with mosaic pin. Presented in a black leather sheath, not shown. F12 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds The blade is hot dip caustic blued 5160, mirror polished. (It looks blue in this photo as it is reflecting the sky. In reality it is black) The handle is cocobolo with a mosaic pin. The leather sheath is not shown. F11 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds The blade is polished 440C. The handle is camatillo with a mosaic pin. A slip on leather blade pouch is not shown. F10 |
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Handmade custom knife presentation box by Warrick Edmonds The lid is wild grain olive wood and the sides and base are bull sheoak. All woods are from Mclaren Vale. F9 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds The blade is polished 440C The handle is black buffalo horn shot in the Northern Territory. One mosaic pin and two small nickel silver pins. The sheath is a small slip on leather pouch designed to allow easy carry in a pocket. F8 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds The blade is polished 440C The handle is black buffalo horn shot in the Northern Territory. One mosaic pin and two small nickel silver pins. The sheath is a small slip on leather pouch designed to allow easy carry in a pocket. F7 |
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Handmade custom knife and presentation box by Warrick Edmonds The blade is mirror polished 5160 hot dip caustic blued. The handle is wenge with a mosaic pin, the bolster is buffalo horn. The box lid is Papuan striped ebony, the sides are katalox, the base is merante. The knife cradle is carved from merante and covered in rust coloured flocking. Six rare earth magnets are set behind flushed purple gidgee plugs in the front side and lid. The two tone sheath is leather. F6 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds The blade is 440C The handle is white cypress with lanyard hole. The timber was harvested from a friends property near Dubbo, NSW. One of those spur of the moment things that seem like a good idea after a few brews on a hot summers day. It was dried for a number of years as logs supporting the motor from an old Bedford flatbed he is restoring. The wood was then taken to Adelaide, slabbed and stored in my shed for a few additional years. The sheath is leather. The knife is now doing service around the property the timber came from, which is very satisfying. F5 |
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Handmade custom knife and presentation box by Warrick Edmonds details below F4 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds The blade is mirror polished 440C. The bolster is conkerberry, the handle is osage orange with mosaic pin. The box lid is boise de rose. The sides are Indonesian rosewood and the base bull sheoak. The knife cradle is carved from merante with royal blue flocking. Rare earth magnets are inlayed beneath flushed ebony plugs in the front side and behind blue flocking in the lid (added after this photo) This knife remains in the personal collection of the maker. F3 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds The blade is deeply etched Thunderforge raindrop pattern carbon damascus. The bolster is cocobolo, the handle is unknown species from Japan. Sheath of distressed leather not shown. F2 |
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Handmade custom knife by Warrick Edmonds The blade is mirror polished RWL34. The handle is full muscle curl Sapele with mosaic pin. Leather sheath not shown. F1 |
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In the kitchen or the field, custom made knives are the ultimate tools. Warrick Edmonds maker of www.Riflebirdknives.com |