J&L Custom Cutlery three bar pattern seax.
Feb 23, 2019 23:45:39 GMT
Post by Adrian Jordan on Feb 23, 2019 23:45:39 GMT
Introduction:
Hello again. I've decided to come back down from on high to show you yet another fine example of steelious workery. This session will feature a piece that I got from J&L Custom Cutlery, also known as L Driggers (fallen) , or Lyndle Driggers. As some of you may know, Lyndle has been putting in a lot of work with folded, twisted, pattern-welded, and multi bar pattern steel. Here is an example of his pattern-welded work(shameless plug of my review. Got to get those views up)
Moving on, today's exhibit features a large seax with a three bar pattern-welded blade. When I saw him first starting to put out these kinds of blades, I was excited to see him branching off into new territory and, naturally, wanted one badly. Like, real bad. He was willing to allow me to pay it off over time, and so I was able to finally get my grubs on one.
Full Disclosure:
I've purchased from Lyndle many times over the years. I've also worked with him a lot during giveaways. I have no financial or personal stake in his endeavors beyond wanting him to do well and continue.
Specifications:
Blade length: 11 and 1/8".
Blade thickness: 1/4" at thickest.
Blade Material: Multi bar steel/wrought iron.
Handle length: 7 and 1/4"
Handle material: ...I forgot. I saved the little tag that told me, but it got lost. It's wood. Nice wood...of some sort.
Weight: 1lb, o.2 oz.
First Impressions:
Holy sh*t.
Blade:
The blade on this bad boy is pretty impressive. It's 11" long and features what I believe is a type III/IV broken back seax profile. The spine starts out 1/4" thick at the base of the spine, and holds that until the "broken" section of the knife, where it begins a gradual narrowing to a nice acute point. I, of course, forgot to get a spine shot of the blade, but will do so as soon as the weather clears up and I can get some good light. It's 1 and 3/8" wide at the base, widening out to 1 and 1/2" at the transition and then, like the spine, it starts to narrow. The edge is sharp along the whole length. The blade is straight.
"Adrian," you say: "tell us what we really want to know."
Ya, ok. Fine. The steel used to make this big blade is a three bar pattern weld. The spine is made of wrought iron. The middle bar is made of a 1075/1045 twist-pattern billet and the cutting edge is straight 1075. Lyndle uses ancient chants and incantations in a forbidden mystical process that he discovered in a cursed book left by the Old Ones...what? Oh, no. Nevermind. He doesn't do that at all. I was thinking of something else. Anyway, It all came together really well. The blade looks amazing and has tons of character. It doesn't come across quite as well in images, but you can get an idea.
Handle:
The handle is 7 and 1/4" and made of...tree...wood. It's got an oval shape that starts wide at the base, gently narrows until the last inch or so and then widens out. It's very well done. It seems to be a hidden tang, and the slabs are so well put together that I had to use a flashlight to find the seems.
Handling:
It handles a lot easier than I would have though. When I first got it in hand I was kind of shocked at the size. It seemed like it was made for like, I don't know, Hafthor Bjornsson. Despite it's relatively large size, it is very responsive, especially when held up by the "guard". In my opinion, a well balanced and thought out blade to handle ratio.
Final Thoughts:
Pretty overjoyed with it. It looks great, it feel great, the edge is sharp and the point is keen. As I mentioned, it has a lot of character. Good character, not "Well, it's got a lot of flaws, but those just add character" character. There's just a lot going on. It's just super cool.
The maker, Lyndle, is an easy guy to work with. He typically responds quickly to requests, will work with you on payment, and is honest and upfront about what he can/will and cannot/will not do. His wait times are extremely reasonable.
Hope you enjoyed this foray into knifinessdom. As always, feel free to ask questions or comment.