This one is enough to make me drool!  Cannot wait to see more of his work in wood!

I keep a rag handy when looking at any of my Davis knives!!!!  I think I'll post a new one each week.  Next will be a nice wood handled one for you!

(This knife has been gifted.)

I was going to wait until next week to post another Davis ... but I am a creature of routine, so thought Saturday's would be a better day to establish this particular task!  Today I'm going to showcase one of my nice Davis folders featuring wood scales. 

What you see here is some beautiful Masur birch.  Masur is not really a type of birch, as these scales most likely came from silver birch.  Masur birch refers to the unique grain pattern, which is caused in some birch species by a genetic defect causing bark and/or knots to grow into the tree instead of out of it.  This creates a beautiful grain (IMO).  Here, Alan combined the scales with a 3.5" Alabama Damascus blade which has a pattern that totally complements the grain pattern in the wood.  Love this knife.  Here are more pictures:

Dennis,

I never knew about this type of birch and ism't it fantastic!  It may be a genetic defect but it produces a natural beauty!  Mr Davis did a spectacular job of marrying that wood to this particular Alabama Damascus.  Thank you for sharing, this knife is stunning!  

For your viewing pleasure today is one of my favorites (though most of my Alan Davis knives are favorites!).

I find this one very appealing for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the scales.  While my favorite handle material on a knife is a beautiful wood ... giraffe bone is a close second (with Mammoth ivory third, and stag fourth).  This one sports some green-dyed giraffe bone with great eye appeal.  Alan coupled these scales with some M3 composite bolsters and a 3.1875" Chad Nichols Damascus blade in his lizard pattern.  It has a really nice shape to it and feels great in hand.  One of the things that Alan likes to do is dress up many of his knives with some attractive back spacers.  This one is no exception.  In addition to the neat file-work, I love the double anodized color!

Mr. Davis sure has an eye for matching prime steel with some outstanding handle material!

He sure does Jan.  I'll post a Mammoth ivory next week that has some great eye appeal.

(Note:  This knife has a new home!)

It's Saturday and time for another Davis.

Here is an one that fits so well in my hand, that I almost never want to put it down!  Even though I am not a huge fan of flippers, there are a few for which I will make an exception … this is one!  It has an overall length of 7.5 inches with a 3.25” Damascus blade by Rob Thomas (in his typhoon pattern).  The scales are Mammoth bark ivory and the bolsters are M3 composite.  Alan did some intricate file work on the back spacer and double anodized it in blue and gold.  This is one of the many things I like about Alan's knives.  He does some fantastic carving and filing on many of his back spacers.  This one is a real eye catcher!

This one truly is a stunner!  I am not a file work person but that spring is just beautiful

Well ... for this coming Saturday's update, I will post a beautiful wood with just stand offs, no back spacer (filed or otherwise!).

Here is another of my favorite Davis wood liner locks.  Here is an example of some absolutely outstanding Texas mesquite adorning a knife.  I have a personal, up close relationship with mesquite, as I have been stuck (more than a time or two) with its thorns.  Fortunately, as I have told many a friend … some of whom  didn’t understand the “Lonesome Dove” reference (more’s the pity), I didn’t need ole Deets to get ‘em out!!  Anyway, the blade on this one is a perfectly sized 3” and is made from Carpenter’s CTS-XHP … which is outstanding steel.  Bolsters are M3 composite that blend very nicely with the blade and scales.  

Dennis that is a wonderful knife that Mesquite is a  fantastic looking wood , I have heard of it but don't remember seeing it before . I did see Lonesome Dove and enjoyed it enormously though alas the reference to Deets escapes me as well . I the stuff is anything like the Blackthorn we have here it must be nasty stuff , when I get stung with blackthorn I almost always get infected .

Dennis,

Another stunner! That satin blade shows off the beauty of the wood like crazy! CTS has a great reputation and a good many high end knife makers appreciate it

I think some nice Hawaiian Koa is in order for next Saturday!!

Been a helluva week here.  Figured I would post this before I get too deep in the hole that it becomes impossible to get out!  Anyway ...

There are a few woods that exhibit a chatoyancy that is nigh on impossible to capture in a plain ole  two dimensional photograph.  Hawaiian curly koa is one of them!  Here is one of Alan Davis’ liner locks with some beautiful koa that needs to be seen in hand to really appreciate its beauty.  The Alabama Damascus blade is 3.25” with a pattern that reminds me a little of van Gogh’s The Starry Night painting.  The shape of the handle is so nicely contoured that it feels super nice in hand.  This one often finds its way clipped inside my pocket!!

*Note:  This one is no longer with me in my collection.

It's Saturday already and time for a showing.  I am normally not a huge fan of man-made materials and much prefer woods, bone and ivory to adorn the handles of my knives.  There are, however, times when I make exceptions.  This is one of them.  This is the first and only multi-use (for lack of a better term) folder that Alan has made.  It is a small folder (closed length is just under 3.25”).  The scales are (now, hard to come by) Blacksite carbon fiber.  The nitre blued Rob Calcinore Damascus blade is 2.3125” and the back spacer is file worked, double anodized and incorporates a bottle opener at the butt of the knife.  All in all, a really unique and attention getting folder!

Dennis,

seems I wake up on Saturdays thinking....Dennis is gonna post a knife!  This recent is unique in many ways.  You know I like my wood but OMG the Carbon fiber on this one is anything but boring!  Not quite sure how I would feel with that bottle opener in my pocket but could always put it in a pouch :)

To be perfectly honest Jan, this little knife is more for show than carry!  But when it does find its way into my pocket, it is in a small pocket sheath!

(Note:  This knife has a new home!)

Time for another Davis in a unique wood.  More than unique (I would say rare), as I have rarely seen it used for knife handles.  The wood is Australian gimlet burl.  The burl of gimlet usually contains many more voids than found in other burls.  The wood is often used for decorative bowls, where the voids are left unfilled, or filled with various resins.  In this case, the voids were filled with a blue-turquoise resin, which gives it a very different look.  I normally don’t prefer flippers, but couldn’t pass this one up.  Not only that, but the blade is larger than I normally like.  But, again, it was all about the wood!  Blade is CPM-4V and is 3.6625” from tip to frame.  Hope you like.  Must be 5pm somewhere … time for a drink.  Perhaps a gimlet (for those old enough to remember them!!!).

That is delightful Dennis I am not usually a fan of those resin and wood handles but this one is very nice .

I love the blue liners , and the backspring is a great contrast thanks for sharing it .

[Update: This one has been sold.]

This is the first of two knives that I had Alan custom make just for me.  I have absolutely no artistic ability and it is very difficult for me to visualize what I might like.  I need to see something, before it registers in my brain.  I bought my first Alan Davis knife in January of 2013 (look for that one next Saturday!).  I was SO pleased with it that the same month, I asked Alan to make a folder just for me.  Biggest problem was to describe what I might like!  I told him that the only thing I knew for sure was that I would like it to have giraffe bone scales … which contained darks and lights, silver twill carbon fiber bolsters, and a Del Ealy Damascus blade in his fish pattern.  I then went on to tell Alan that, to be honest, I would rather the blade be in some of Randy Haas’ (HHH) feather Damascus … but that stuff was so darn hard to come by.  Alan told me that he just happened to have a billet of Randy’s feather Damascus that he was saving for himself, but would gladly use it on my knife!!!  I certainly couldn’t turn that offer down.  I told him to go for it and build the knife and that I didn’t want to see any pics of it.  I wanted to be surprised when I opened the package.  Seven months later, it arrived.  Couldn’t have been more pleased.  It had the nicely colored giraffe bone scales I asked for, silver twill bolsters and a beautifully patterned, 3.5 inch feather Damascus blade.  Alan also added a synthetic sapphire thumb stud to accent the blue anodizing on the liners/clip.  I was so happy with the knife, I placed another order with him.  Of course, Alan’s work was starting to get so popular that the second knife took 2 years to complete!!  Hope you like it.

OH DENNIS!

Camel bone and HHH feather damascus!  Now Randy Jr makes some of the most amazing damascus patterns I have ever seen but no one touches his feathers.  If this one ever needs a home you just let me know

and I have decided that gimlet looks like blue lava in that stunning beauty!

Thanks Jan.  I like (actually love) both of those knives .... but could admire that feather Damascus blade all day long!!  Really glad that Alan parted with that billet to make this knife for me.

While I had seen some of Alan’s work in early 2012, I decided to buy my first one in late 2012.  While I normally prefer liner lock knives over frame locks, I just loved the colors on this one.  Alan made this one when he was big into doing knives in a rattlesnake motif.  As with most of Alan’s frame locks, Alan hand carves titanium slabs for the handle material.  For this knife, he gave the entire frame a double anodizing with copper and blue colors.  The 3.25 inch blade is made from Admiral Steel’s random pattern Damascus and incorporates a large opening hole.  The spine of the blade is polished and file worked to look like a rattlesnake!  The hand carved pocket clip also takes the shape of a rattlesnake.  It’s a really neat knife that is thin enough for very comfortable back pocket carry. I only have 3 other frame locks he made and like them equally well.  

*Note: This one is no longer with me in my collection.

I am looking forward to Saturday's now to see what knife Dennis show's us next !

Thanks John.  I'll try to pick out something neat for next Saturday.  That's the hard part ... since I love all of the 57 Davis knives I now have!!  

I also look forward to the weekend and the Dennis Hibar posting!  Finding out you have 57 means a year of wonderful!!

I think his earlier wook was a little busier than his current work.  That makes sense because when you are coming on to the scene as a maker you do what will stand out and yet still be what the buyers are looking for.  This one would certainly stand out and it does make a statement about Mr. Davis.  It says I am here and my knives will make you drool LOL

Here’s a little one for all you wood lovers (like myself!!).  This little gent’s folder is simple in design, but the wood makes it anything but!   If you have never seen this wood before, don’t worry … you are probably not alone.  The wood is Afzelia Xylay and grows in countries in Southeast Asia.  It is not only rare, but highly sought after for its unique lace pattern that takes on a well-defined 3-dimensional appearance resembling tunnels you might see in an ant colony or perhaps veins in someone's arm.  The sheepsfoot blade on this one is from some random pattern Alabama Damascus and is 2.625” in length. 

It's Saturday and another cool knife from Dennis !!

I love that wood , I have seen someone else use it recently though I doubt it was as well done . I am getting to really like the blue liners they really add something , just a beautiful knife !!

Thanks John.  Yes, Alan loves the color blue!!!   While not my favorite color ... I would never turn my nose up at it!!! This wood, like a few others, is one that you really need to see in person to fully appreciate.  Hard to capture the  3-D chatoyancy in a picture.