by Woodsbum
A couple of years ago I approached Steven Long about making me a one off custom knife. After we worked together a bit, this was what we came up with.
Original Design
Due to time constraints and some issues with life on his side, the project was put on hold for a while. Well, the day has finally come. Steven was able to get to working on my knife and finally pulled off a phenomenal build.
SPL Custom
The scales are made of ironwood and were shaped to fit nicely in my larger than average hand. When we originally designed this, I wanted some sort of shape to the handle that would help protect me from sliding forward onto the blade. If you notice the shape, Steven really made a pronounced contour to the handle to help keep my forefinger from sliding forward.
SPL Custom
As an experiment I also had him keep as much of the heat treatment scale on the blade as possible. From what he had read and was told, this scale really helps with cutting down on possible surface rust. Since I live in a very wet and damp climate, I decided that we should give this a try and I would report back to him as to how well this worked.
For decorative purposes, Steven put in a mosaic pin in the middle. I am quite fond of the mosaic pins and think it helped make the handle pop even more than the ironwood already does.
SPL Custom
The fit and finish of Steven’s builds are just amazing. His artistic eye and attention to detail is just incredible. When he gets caught up and opens his books for orders again, I would highly suggest you jump onto his list. He is quite reasonable with regard to price, but when you add in the quality you receive for that price I would say that he is selling his products way too cheaply.
If you see me on the trail or at a PNW get together make sure to hit me up about this SPL Custom. I am sure you will like it as much as I do.
