A gift from Christof Harper, a custom knifemaker and a veteran:
–the sort of thing Sgt Scratchard (from Counting the Cost) might have carried.
The details:
* It’s number 407 out of Christof’s shop (on an official level, at least)
* blade is 6 1/2 inches to front of guard
* reverse edge has a 4 3/4 inch sharpened length with another 1/2 inch of transition to the full blade thickness. no sharp angles on any plunge area
* overall length is 12 1/4 inches; inside handle length from rear of guard is 5 1/8 inches
* handle is 7/8 to 1 1/8 inches with a thickness of 7/8 to 15/16 inches
* blade is 5160 steel, nominally .230 thick at the guard, with some taper throughout; full convex ground
* through holes in guard following the chute knife tradition, 1/4 inch diameter; rear thong hole is 7/32 inside diameter; pin stock is 1/4 inch stainless.
* whole blade and tang cold blued with a multiple coat-and-dry linseed oil treatment on the ipe handle.
* balance is at index finger.
* Ipe is a very durable wood, does like the occasional oil soak. or briwax (or furniture wax). A trick a lot of sword collectors use for long term storage is turtle wax on blades.