Custom Full Dress Tom Mayo Timascus/Talonite Small Wharny 2 1/4 Blade 6 5/16 OAL

This listing is for a Custom Full Dress Tom Mayo Small Wharny with a Full Timascus Frame and a Talonite Blade. The overall length of the knife is 6 5/16th inches and the Blade length is 2 1/4th inches. From the maker: I have been making hand made knives since late 1981... But my love for knives started when I was a boy.

My grandfather was always giving me a pocketknife for Christmas or my birthday and I can still remember the day he gave me a knife that he made from a file when I was about eight. He was the town doctor in Dresden, Tenn. And an avid hunter and fisherman. I have been a shooter since I was very young and make it a practice to go to the range at least once a week. It was only natural that as I grew older I began to collect more and more knives, until one day I picked up a Sports Illustrated with Bob Loveless on the cover.

Home and spend some time making knives with him. To make a long story short, we became best of friends and I began to make the trip to California for a knife show or two every year until his tragic death on Sept 1, 1995. I will always miss him, he was a great knife maker and an even better friend.

Through Glen's influence I began to develop a style that I would best describe as a direct copy of Mr. Loveless, but as the years went by I slowly fell in love with the older traditional type of knife that the Randall family makes, especially the clip point and trailing point. Today, I feel that my knives have a style all their own, but I have borrowed a lot from both of these pioneers in the knife making movement. My goal is to make an exceptionally high performance tool that is on par with the best knife makers in the country. About Talonite: Talonite is one of the most interesting steel-alternative blade materials.

Rockwell C scale hardness would only be in the middle 40's but the test only shows the hardness of the cobalt. The cobalt matrix contains chromium and molybdenum carbides that are very hard.

The softer cobalt wears away exposing the harder carbides to help with the cutting. It doesn't keep a fine edge very long but it keeps a quality toothy edge for substantially longer, due to both the number of carbides and its slightly self-sharpening nature. You won't find it used in many 15 blades. It would deform under hard use, but on an EDC folder or small fixed blade, it functions as intended. Also because it is not a steel, Talonite has interesting properties.

It does not leave a metallic taste or discolor acidic foods. The corrosion resistance of Talonite is accurately described as extreme.

It goes much beyond just wet environments. It would take weeks-months in a boiling 20% acid solution such as hydrochloric or sulfuric acid to corrode it. It also has a higher tolerance for heat.

It's recommended to keep most steels under 350°F. Talonite would take temperatures approaching 2,000°F before the heat treat becomes affected. The strangest quality though is the high lubricity (it is very slippery, which is also why it is very difficult for makers to work with). There is much less drag so it moves through the cut medium much easier. The same cuts are made with less effort.

This is also felt in the action of folders where it lessens the friction in the pivot and detent area. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Knives, Swords & Blades\Collectible Folding Knives\Modern Folding Knives\Custom & Handmade". The seller is "ratchet2579" and is located in this country: US.

This item can be shipped to United States.

Blade Material: Talonite
Blade Range: Under 2.75in.
Dexterity: Right-Handed
Opening Mechanism: Manual
Color: Blue
Blade Edge: Plain
Modified Item: No
Authenticity: Original
Brand: Tom Mayo
Blade Type: Sheepsfoot
Lock Type: Frame
Type: Pocketknife
Original/Reproduction: Original
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Handmade: Yes
Handle Material: Timascus