Blacklip Mother of Pearl Airstep Sunburst Folder

Product Description for Blacklip Mother of Pearl Airstep Sunburst Folder

Maker: Koji Hara (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 90913
*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***
Blade length: 2.80 in.
Total length: 6.50 in.
Blade height (at heel): 0.70 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.09 in.
Item weight: 3.12 oz.
Shipment weight: 3.6 oz.
Blade: Mirror polished Cowry Y stainless steel, heat treated to 67 Rc
Handle: 420 stainless steel with black and goldlip mother of pearl inlay
Style: Folding liner lock
Description: Koji Hara's inimitable style has won him admiration from collectors and fellow makers alike. He consistently creates knives that are renowned for their precision, craftsmanship, and performance. The Airstep style is a hallmark of Koji's work and is a technique that has consistently set him apart from other makers.
The steel Koji prefers is a powdered metallurgical steel not available in the United States, capable of a higher hardness without being brittle compared to American steels. Over the last few years, Cowry Y has become increasingly hard to find, even in Japan. The resulting blade has extremely good edge retention. The mirror polished surface is only possible though meticulous polishing with a tooth brush! The well centered blade has excellent action, and is completed with a thumb stud inlaid with black lip mother of pearl.
The 420 stainless steel handle is inlaid with many sections of mother of pearl. Rays formed from blacklip mother of pearl create the impression of stylized sun rays, an effect which is enhanced by the central goldlip mother of pearl section. The design is featured on both scales. The lower portion of each scale features Koji's Airstep technique. When I recently visited Koji's workshop, I was amazed to watch him carve a knife with this method. The terraced effect is meticulously created using a hand controlled milling machine. The backbar, like the sides of the knife, is inlaid with sections blacklip mother of pearl separated by stainless steel spacers. Exceptional fit and finish throughout!


Availability: Not currently available