A9 Dress Front Flipper with Antique Westinghouse Micarta, Timascus, and Super Conductor - SG2 Stainless (Multirow Ceramic IKBS)

Product Description for A9 Dress Front Flipper with Antique Westinghouse Micarta, Timascus, and Super Conductor - SG2 Stainless (Multirow Ceramic IKBS)

Maker: Van Heerden & Thorburn (collaboration) (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 109645
*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***
Blade length: 3.60 in.
Cutting edge length: 3.10 in.
Total length: 7.50 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.06 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.12 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.11 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.04 in.
Item weight: 3.60 oz.
Shipment weight: 4.6 oz.
Blade: SG2 stainless steel, hardened to 64 Hrc
Bolster: Timascus bolster with custom super conductor pivot and collar
Handle: Antique Westinghouse Micarta
Sheath: Padded pouch
Style: Folding liner lock with Ceramic IKBS
Description: South African knifemakers André Thorburn and André van Heerden create exceptional folders. When they work together, they create A2 knives. A2 collaborated on this knife with French designer Tashi Bharucha! Tashi's bold, modernistic curves are readily apparent, and combined with A2's acute attention to detail, the results are a precision made piece with artful execution!
The blade is perfectly centered with silky smooth action -- easily opened with one hand using the discreet and ambidextrous flipper toggle. It runs on an IKBS (Ikoma Korth Bearing System) pivot. This mechanism, which was originally designed to fit balisong knives, uses ball bearings to create exceptional action with no blade play. Thorburn and van Heerden created this special A9 with ceramic ball bearings. Generally IKBS bearings are made either from tool steel or from stainless steel. Stainless steel can wear away, resulting in uneven action over time. Tool steel bearings can oxidize making the action rough. Ceramic bearings are the best of all worlds. Extremely hard and wear resistant, they are also inert and will not oxidize. This A9 uses two tracks of ball bearings, rather than just one. This produces unparalleled smooth action without play -- even more so than a standard IKBS mechanism. The inobtrusive front flipper tab is easy to use and won't get caught on things in the pocket.
The blade is SG2 stainless steel with a hand rubbed satin finish. SG2 is a super-steel created by Takefu Steel in Japan. The smaller crystalline size of this PM steel results in superior edge holding when compared to nearly any other stainless steel. At Hrc 64, this folder has among the best edge holding of any A2 knife ever made! The blade is hollow ground for an easy to maintain edge.
Handle scales are antique Westinghouse Micarta. This Micarta was developed in 1910 by Westinghouse Electric Corporation as an industrial thermo-set laminate for electrical insulation. This light toned Micarta was lost in a warehouse and only recently discovered. The top shows the beautiful yellowing with age that makes this Micarta so captivating. True antique Westinghouse Micarta has become exceedingly rare. Timascus bolsters are perfectly fit to the antique Micarta scales. The copper niobium super conductor custom pivot is surrounded by a super conductor collar. Blue anodized titanium liners surround the Westinghouse Micarta backspacer. The Timascus pocket clip is mounted for right-side, tip-up carry.
Excellent work throughout!


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