Darrel Ralph, a man who has been described as the “Wizard of Edge†is finishing up a new knife design. This is the prototype for a new HTM, a brand new style of 4†Gunhammer. Chad Nichols provided the blade steel and handle material which is a unique amalgam made by welding two different kinds of titanium together. Naturally, it’s almost impossible to work and has to be done just perfectly and consequently, Darrel refers to it as “unobtainium”. Anyway, this is titanium with a stainless steel Damascus carved frame with the Stellite 6K core. Here’s a series of pictures showing the progression of the knife (when you look at the first one, the wave at the edge is the Stellite peeking out). Later pictures show the knife as the grinding is completed. You’ll also see the lightning strike carbon fiber inlay, though it may be hard to see the copper rod running through it because the pictures were taken with his phone camera (just yesterday, actually).
The new knife style is a 3D carved frame with a bowie blade. It will probably be called the Gunhammer 4 3D Alpha, though that’s not for sure. The one you see here is one of a kind, but it’ll shortly be followed by a limited run of titanium frames and after that a more standard run of aluminum frames with hard coating.
Good stuff, eh?
We’ll follow up shortly with a picture or three of the finished product, or you can mosey over to his Facebook page and watch it progress yourself. If you do, make sure to tell him Soldier Systems sent ya.
-David Reeder
