Integral Skinner With Box Elder BurlJourneyman Smith Test Knife

Product for Integral Skinner with Box Elder Burl
Journeyman Smith Test Knife

Maker: Josh Hults, J.S. (click to see more by this maker)

Price: $500.00

Item num: 108715

*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***
Blade length: 4.30 in.
Cutting edge length: 4.30 in.
Total length: 9.30 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.50 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.21 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.14 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.04 in.
Item weight: 5.20 oz.
Shipment weight: 11.8 oz.
Blade: Hand forged 1085 carbon steel with a hand rubbed satin finish
Bolster: Integral 1085 carbon steel with a copper spacer
Handle: Dyed and stabilized box elder burl
Sheath: Pouch style leather sheath

: This Integral Small Skinner was made by Josh Hults. Josh grew up in South Mississippi on a small farm. Growing up in a rural area, if he wasn’t working, most of his time was spent exploring in the woods or building something. Since he was a small child, he had a passion for making things — from flint knives to bows and arrows, to tree houses and bridges. If he could scavenge the materials to attempt an idea, he would try it. He learned how to shoe horses from his father and by his late teen years, he had a small horse shoeing business established. His horse shoeing business prospered and over the years, he shod horses from coast to coast and from Canada to Florida. Today, he works as a fireman and builds knives in his spare time. He built his first knife in 2008 and was immediately hooked. In June of 2022, he earned his journeyman smith stamp.
This exceptional Hunter was part of Hult’s JS test set. When a maker tests to become a journeyman, they create five knives that are the height of their work. These five knives are then judged by established masters to determine if the maker’s work is up to snuff. Often, prospective journeymen spend 2-3 times as long creating these five knives as they would generally do, as they know that their work will be poured over by the masters. These five knives are generally considered to be among the most collectable knives of a maker’s career.
The blade is hand forged from 1085 carbon steel round bar. 1085 has excellent edge holding and chip resistance, though needs to be wiped down and oiled to prevent rust. The blade is flat ground and razor sharp. The top clip stops just short of being fully sharpened. Hult’s touchmark is on the left side of the blade.
The blade moves into an integral bolster, ensuring superior durability and strength while bringing weight toward the center of the knife.
The handle is dyed and stabilized box elder burl. The unique dye job gives the handle a woodland camouflage look. The sculpted, thin profiled handle provides a comfortable, non-slip grip. A copper spacer completes the handle.
To keep the knife close at hand, a pouch style leather sheath is included.
Excellent work throughout!

Availability: In stock. Usually ships in 1-2 business days