"Hammerhead II" by Warpath Knives

I know I tend to kinda ramble on and on, so I’ll begin this review with:

TLDR

I commissioned Jacob Holmes of Warpath Knives to make me a custom knife. He crafted an outstanding knife of excellent quality for a very reasonable price, and made the entire commissioning process rewarding and enjoyable. Very highly recommended.

www.facebook.com/WarpathKnives/

Okay. If you’re still with me, here we go!

Introduction

The international sword community is a wonderful group of people. The internet makes it surprisingly easy to meet and interact with many smiths, scholars, collectors and enthusiasts. For me, it is very rewarding to soak in the free-flowing ideas and information that is so generously shared, and to browse the beautiful and fearsome works of master artists and craftsmen.

On one of my virtual walk-about expeditions, I chanced upon blade smith Jacob Holmes of Hereford, UK, and his Facebook page, Warpath Knives. Browsing his past works, I was greeted by a well developed style that forged graceful organic curves into purposeful use-oriented knives and short swords. On display were specialized choppers and fighters along with general purpose hunters and EDC’s. Some appeared to be of “reclaimed” steel from leaf springs and files, while others were pattern welded beauties.

One of his several designs was a large recurved fighting knife that Jacob named “Hammerhead Bowie.”  This is a photo of the original that was on his site:



(As an aside, I happen to know that David Bowie had a song called, “Hammerhead,” but I’m not really a David Bowie fan. At all. I don’t know if there is an inside joke here, or if it is just a coincidence.)

The knife’s aesthetic really struck me - serious; bold in proportions, yet subtle in execution. It was distinctive without being gimmicky. Nice.

I contacted Jacob to commission a blade. He was approachable, knowledgeable and patient. While he was pleased to discuss that design with me, he also took time to inquire what it was I really wanted in a knife. He covered a number of issues I really didn’t even think to ask about.

I sought a work knife that would offer several lifetimes of heavy duty capable of shrugging off occasional prying, digging and other abuse. Basically, I was looking for a shop/yard/utility/barbecue/camp knife for frequent domestic use.

More importantly, I wanted it to be unique, or at least distinctive enough for my (currently very young) son to recognize and remember it as “dad’s old work knife.” And I wanted it to be worthy of being handed down to him, and sturdy enough to last through the years; maybe even the generations.

And of course, while I had a little wiggle room, I was on a limited budget.

That’s right. Jacob agreed to do a build based on all that. I’ll get into the design process a bit more in a minute. For now, I’ll just say that I consider his efforts a resounding success.

Historical overview

To the best of my knowledge, both the original design and the modifications forged into this example were created entirely by Jacob. While I’m confident that there are similar designs out there, this knife is neither a copy of anyone else’s work nor an interpretation of an historical example.

Full Disclosure

I paid full price up front for this knife.

The process of having my layman’s imagination forged in steel and shaped in wood was a tremendously rewarding process. It involved a substantial collaborative endeavor.

Despite being a number of time zones away, Jacob was always almost immediately available to offer advice, engage in a thorough design process, give considered input regarding finishing details, provide regular updates, and generally support my child-like enthusiasm for the project. While I really only know Jacob on a professional level, he has nonetheless earned my very highest recommendation.

I honestly believe my opinion of him and his work is based upon his performance and merit rather than any bias.

Also, it turns out Jacob is much more skilled at taking photos than I am. He shared a bunch of them as this project progressed. So, the photos in this review were taken by him, and are used here with his permission. If you use them, please give him credit.

One other thing. As always, I’m not an expert on knives or their construction. I’ll try to get my info right, but I’m willing to be corrected.

Initial Impressions

I was closely involved in the design of this knife, and had received numerous updates, measurements, photos and videos during its design and crafting. Thankfully, there were no unpleasant surprises regarding its construction, dimensions, aesthetics, or quality of craftsmanship.

Nonetheless, for me, there is a substantial difference between reading a knife’s technical specifications and feeling its weight and balance; between seeing an image on a screen and beholding sunlight glinting and refracting from its surfaces. Perhaps an engineer can internalize ergonomics from data. I need the tactile experience. And what a satisfying experience this was.

Statistics

Blade/Nagasa Length: 12”

Handle/Tsuka Length: 5”

Overall Length: 17”

Blade Width at Widest Point: [pending]

Blade Width at Narrowest Point: [pending]

Thickness: 1/4”

Weight: [pending]

Components

As originally conceived, the Hammerhead Bowie’s visual appeal relied almost exclusively on its overall shape and design, with few embellishments or fancy materials. Jacob designed it as a dedicated fighting knife, featuring a nearly full flat grind, svelte proportions, an agile balance, and a vicious flesh rending edge geometry.

I happened to already own a reasonably concealable and highly capable fighting knife which I reviewed here:

sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/51352/mini-review-lonely-forge-tanto

So, I was more interested in a knife suited to mundane duties such as chopping and splitting wood, clearing fence lines, digging out roots, poking at a camp fire, and scraping the ash out of the bottom of the barbecue grill.

A broad recurved blade design seemed like a good choice for that kind of thing. The Hammerhead certainly looked the part. However, to meet all of my purposes, Jacob initially recommended a different design that was not recurved. Such a design might be better suited for camp and utility use, would be much easier to maintain, and could still look just as nice.

After considered discussion, we concluded that my top priority was the overall aesthetic, and that the actual use of the knife was important but secondary. It turns out that, while I am reasonably useful out in the wilderness, most of my time is spent well within the borders of domesticated civilization where I keep a garage full of actual tools.

So I opted for a crafted item of art that was useful, not a well engineered instrument that looked nice.

Basically, Jacob let me choose a design that I found visually appealing, and then completely reworked the details to fit my broad use parameters, all while maintaining the overall aesthetics. It was a challenging undertaking, and he handled it with deft professionalism.

The Blade/Nagasa

I would generally describe the knife as a large recurved drop point with a raised beveled swedge and a true full tang. It’s a serious chopper.




The knife arrived sharp. Jacob recommended a secondary bevel to ensure the edge would be durable and well supported. It also would be easier to sharpen with my basic tools and limited skill. Maintaining a skandi grind on a deep recurve would be tough.

It has a saber grind that is purposely under-ground to lend extreme spine strength in support of exceptional longevity and in anticipation of occasional careless or abusive use. Under-grinding also broadens the angle of the main bevel a bit, further reinforcing the cutting edge.

The plunge line terminates in a well executed sharpening choil, which also serves as a visual anchor to the finger choil and the slightly hollowed grip.

The blade features a finger choil. The base of the choil serves as a finger guard, and acts as a simple sub hilt when fingering the choil. The bottom of this guard faithfully follows the overall recurve of the blade, giving a subtle but elegant integrated appearance.

The knife prominently features forge hammered flats. This produces a loosely defined but distinct textured region that lends a serious and world-weary aspect to the knife without resorting to a darkened finish or the all-too-common zombie/tactikool gimmickry. It also invites one to actually put the knife to work.

The rough blade flat contrasts nicely with the satin polished main bevel and tones down the overall shininess. It also lends some visual length to the prodigiously wide blade, recovering a bit of the svelte appearance of the original design. Finally, it provides an artistic flair common to many of Jacob’s pieces.

The swedge is elevated and tapered at the rear, and the bevel is polished. This distinguishes it from the flat of the blade, and lightens the overall visual weight of the knife. The elevation change cleverly accommodates the bevel while obviating a second plunge line, preserving the visually important boundary of the forge hammering. It’s termination is carefully placed at the nadir of the recurve, lending symmetry to the blade while directing the eye forward to the tip. All of this compliments the other features, and adds to the impression of length on an otherwise fat blade. The swedge correctly terminates shy of the point to accommodate future sharpening.

There is a tasteful maker’s mark on the ricasso. Nice. Personally, I prefer artwork that is signed.

The steel is through-hardened EN45 spring steel (kinda the European version of 5160), possibly from a reclaimed source such as a vehicle leaf spring. Judging from Jacob’s thorough disposition, I would guess that the steel was initially normalized and possibly annealed, but I didn’t really ask.

I do not know whether Jacob initiated this project with some stock removal process. I do know from various updates and photos that the blade was forged. I do not really have a preference regarding stock removal “versus” forging (seems to me all modern steel is subjected to forging at some point, and all modern blade crafting includes some stock removal). The significance of the blade forging process in this case was that Jacob very kindly involved me in it.



Because this endeavor sought to fit a loosely defined set of parameters that included my opinions regarding visual appeal, and because he was completely reworking the details of his original design, Jacob offered to customize his modifications “on the fly” as the forging process progressed.

I gave most of my input during the conceptual phase of the endeavor. Jacob did a marvelous job of reducing my imaginative words into a practical design. Thankfully, I mustered the strength to step back to let the artist create his art; to simply behold the progression from raw steel to crafted expression.

The Handle/Tsuka

As with the rest of the knife, the overall design of the handle is straightforward. The grip is comfortable, and gets most of its meat from the sheer thickness of the blade stock. Its curves follow and compliment the indulgent lines of the blade’s cutting edge and spine. The simplicity of its execution leans toward elegance, and hints at its martial roots.

The grip is a true full tang design with desert ironwood scales secured with three pins and epoxy.



Jacob gave me my choice of scale material, and made a few suggestions of his own. Micarta scales would be the typical choice, and would’ve provided an affordable, high performance, and reasonably appealing solution.

However, the primary purpose of this knife was to be distinctive and attractive; more art than tool. My opinion is that grip scales have the power to dramatically elevate the overall looks of a knife. Or savagely undermine them.

Once I decided to upgrade beyond Micarta, it was a small step to go with nicer desert ironwood scales.

Before shaping and mounting, Jacob and I considered a number of grip details. We then settled on the final look. A few technical issues had cropped up, and he wanted to be certain his solutions met with my approval.



In my opinion, the final results were absolutely stunning. As I had hoped, the natural wood grips visually balanced and complimented the overall rugged look of the knife. While the steel was hammered and ground, the grips were polished and bright. Where the blade was utilitarian and purposeful, the scales were delicate, organic and beautiful. Both were unified by a mottled worldly character. Nice.

As an aside, desert ironwood seems to be pretty affordable here in the US. Not so over in the UK.

Also worthy of note - They don’t call it ironwood for nothin’.

Jacob priced this commission with the idea that the actual cost of any upgraded grip scales would be a pass-through add-on, but that fitting, shaping, and securing them was part of the quoted commission price. It was also kinda implied that he was accepting the risk if he accidentally messed them up during construction. Changing to a pricey hardwood increased these costs and risks quite a bit over affordable, workable, and fungible Micarta. As with everything, Jacob addressed all this with top professionalism.

The Guard/Tsuba

As previously mentioned, the base of the choil serves as an integrated finger guard, and acts as a simple sub-hilt when fingering the choil.

The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira

No pommel, but here’s a look down the spine from the butt end.



The Scabbard/Saya

This knife was sold without a sheath. I will likely cobble together a simple leather carrying sheath, but it is deserving of a nice custom one at some point.

Handling Characteristics

The knife is lively and purposeful in the hand. It is not cumbersome or clumsy, and lends a bit of dignified precision to mundane cutting and chopping chores. As predicted by its looks, it has a pronounced forward balance and nose heaviness that comes alive during a smart cut.

The primary work of this knife will be general utility. For that, it is well suited. It will be very handy to have around.

Test Cutting (if applicable)

I haven’t cut anything with this knife yet.

It has a saber grind with a utility oriented cutting edge. It is sharp, tough, and designed to serve heavy duty over many years.

Water bottles and pool noodles are probably pretty safe, but heavy underbrush and campfire logs will sing dirges of this knife!

Conclusions

What else can I add? This knife demonstrates that a well thought out and skillfully executed design can respect a modest budget while delivering elegance and usefulness. This is exactly the knife I hoped for, with all of the desirable features turned up to 11.

Perhaps of most import to me, it invites my imagination to the many outdoor activities I look forward to sharing with my son as he grows up. I hope that, one day when it is his, it will remind him of those times.

Pros

- Custom design that is well-tailored to its intended purposes.

- Excellent craftsmanship, construction, ergonomics, aesthetics, fit and finish.

- Good materials.

- Reasonable price.

- The entire commissioning experience was enjoyable and rewarding.

- This is a handmade knife. It is not perfectly symmetrical or laser beam perfect. Personally, I think that is a huge “pro.” Others may disagree.

- Best I can tell, Jacob is a one man operation. On the one hand, that means communications are always with The Man. Information, insight, talent, skill, advice, artistic interpretation, technical aspects; they all come straight from Jacob himself. On the other hand, all the usual things that can affect a person’s schedule can affect him. Delays are simply unavoidable. The way I looked at it: an artist needs room to create, and while I was enthusiastic, I wasn’t really in a hurry. In the end, Jacob poured a ton of time, care and attention into my commission. Far more than was necessary. So I genuinely consider all this to be a clear “pro” rather than a “con.” Others might feel differently.

Cons

- Jacob is in the UK.

With no disrespect and with a genuine intent to simply inform you guys of my actual experiences, I must share that the UK government and UK service providers seem to have a true affirmative disdain for knives. Various administrative powers and service providers exercise broad discretion to reject, interdict, and even seize knife shipments and exports with very little recourse or due process.

It was a substantial challenge to get this knife shipped to the US. Jacob worked very hard to search out any legitimate way to ship my knife to me. He had a shipment initially accepted only to be later rejected (and thankfully returned). One reason given was, “customs have stated that the parcel contains hazardous materials, and could not be exported [sic].”

Chest deep in uncertainty and frustration, he even offered to refund my money. He eventually got it shipped, but there was continually a chance that it would just disappear into some governmental bureaucracy or private crusher.

Again, this is not intended as political commentary in any way. It is simply my actual experience, offered for your consideration, and to highlight the dedication and professionalism Jacob committed to my commission.

The Bottom Line

I strongly and enthusiastically recommend Jacob as an artist, craftsman, and vendor. His customer service is excellent, his work is outstanding, and his prices are very reasonable. Honestly, Jacob went well above and beyond my expectations to build this knife and get it delivered to me. So, thank you Jacob.

Before buying an edged weapon from the UK, I must unfortunately recommend that you add a heaping double dose of time and patience to your overall budget. Shipping always comes with a risk of loss or damage, especially when it is international. Those risks currently seem dramatically elevated for the UK.



Thank you for taking the time to read this.